Chapter 4: Full Moon Rising
1287 Words
Aria Vale
The full moon is three days away, and the entire academy buzzes with anticipation. For graduating seniors, this moon ceremony will determine their final rankings, their pack placements, their entire futures. For the rest of us, it's just another reminder of where we stand in the hierarchy.
I'm in the library after dinner, trying to finish an essay on territorial disputes, when Sierra drops into the chair across from me. Her face is flushed with excitement, and she's clutching that old leather bound book again.
"You need to read this," she says, pushing the book toward me.
"I have an essay due tomorrow."
"This is more important." She flips through pages until she finds what she's looking for. "Look. This passage here."
I lean forward, squinting at the faded text. The handwriting is old fashioned, difficult to read, but I make out enough to get the gist.
"The Silvercrest bloodline," I read aloud, "was marked by eyes of amber and gold, a scent like moonflowers and rain, and the ability to command even the most dominant Alpha. Their power awakened in the eighteenth year, during the first full moon after their birth date."
"Keep reading," Sierra urges.
"The Silvercrest wolves could mask their true nature until awakening, appearing as common Betas or even Omegas. This ability to hide in plain sight made them nearly impossible to identify and eliminate during the Purge. It is believed that some may have survived, their descendants walking among us, unaware of their true heritage."
My hands start to shake. I push the book back toward Sierra. "This is just a legend. Fairy tales."
"Is it?" She leans forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Aria, when's your birthday?"
"You know when my birthday is. Next week."
"And you'll be eighteen."
"So?" But my voice sounds hollow even to my own ears.
"And there's a full moon in three days." Sierra's eyes are intense. "The ceremony. Aria, what if…"
"No." I stand up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. The librarian shoots us a warning look. "No, Sierra. I'm a Beta. A weak Beta. That's all I am."
"But what if you're not?" she persists. "What if everything you've believed about yourself is wrong?"
The idea is terrifying. If I'm not who I think I am, then what does that mean? Who am I?
"I need to go," I say, gathering my things with shaking hands. "I need to finish this essay."
"Aria, wait."
But I'm already walking away, my heart pounding. I can feel Sierra's eyes on my back, but she doesn't follow. She knows me well enough to recognize when I need space.
I don't go back to my dorm. Instead, I find myself walking toward the forest that borders the academy grounds. It's against the rules to go into the woods alone, especially this close to the full moon, but I need air. I need to think.
The night is cool and clear, stars scattered across the sky like diamonds. I follow a narrow path between the trees, letting the darkness swallow me.
My wolf stirs inside me, more active than usual. She's been restless lately, pacing and agitated. I assumed it was just stress from classes and Lucian's constant harassment, but now I wonder if it's something more.
I stop in a small clearing and sink down onto a fallen log. The forest is peaceful here, away from the academy's political games and social hierarchies. Here, I can just be.
"You're not supposed to be out here alone."
I jump to my feet, spinning around. Damien Cross emerges from the shadows, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he says. "I just saw you leave the grounds and got worried."
My heart gradually slows. Damien, unlike his best friend, has never been cruel to me. Distant, yes, but never cruel.
"I needed air," I say.
"Fair enough." He moves to lean against a nearby tree. "Mind if I stay? It's not safe out here alone, even for an Alpha."
I should tell him to leave. Being alone with an Alpha, especially one close to Lucian, is asking for trouble. But there's something genuine in his expression, something that makes me nod.
"Suit yourself."
We stand in silence for a moment, listening to the forest sounds. An owl hoots somewhere in the distance. Leaves rustle in the breeze.
"Can I ask you something?" Damien says finally.
"I guess."
"Why do you let him treat you like that? Lucian, I mean."
The question catches me off guard. "What choice do I have? He's an Alpha. I'm a Beta. That's how things work here."
"It doesn't have to be." Damien pushes off from the tree, taking a few steps closer. "You could report him. The academy has rules about bullying."
I laugh, the sound bitter. "Rules that only apply when it's convenient. When has anyone ever punished an Alpha for putting a Beta in their place?"
He flinches at my tone. "You're right. I'm sorry. That was naive."
"Why do you care?" I ask suddenly. "You're his best friend. You've watched him torment me for years and never said anything."
"I know." He runs a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable. "I told myself it wasn't my business. That Lucian had his reasons. But lately, I've been questioning a lot of things I used to accept without thought."
"What changed?"
"I grew up, I guess." He meets my eyes. "I started seeing the world as it is instead of how I was told it should be. And I realized that our hierarchy, our traditions, they're built on cruelty. On keeping people like you down so people like me can stay up."
His honesty surprises me. I've never heard an Alpha talk like this before.
"You're going to have a target on your back if you keep thinking like that," I warn.
"Probably." He smiles slightly. "But some things are worth the risk."
Before I can respond, a howl splits the night. Not just any howl, an Alpha howl, commanding and unmistakable.
Damien tenses. "That's Lucian. He's calling the pack."
"Why?"
"I don't know, but we need to get back. Now."
We run through the forest, branches whipping at our faces. By the time we burst from the tree line, a crowd had already gathered near the main building. Students cluster in groups, whispering anxiously.
I spot Sierra and push through the crowd to reach her. "What's happening?"
"I don't know," she says. "Lucian just started howling and everyone came running."
Lucian stands on the front steps, flanked by other senior Alphas. His face is grave, and even from here I can feel the power radiating from him.
"There's been an attack," he announces, his voice carrying across the crowd. "Rogues hit a pack settlement twenty miles from here. Multiple casualties."
Gasps ripple through the gathered students. Rogue attacks are rare, usually isolated incidents. For them to hit this close to the academy is unprecedented.
"The elders are implementing new security measures," Lucian continues. "No one leaves the grounds without permission. Patrols will be doubled. And the full moon ceremony will proceed as scheduled, but with additional guards."
More whispers, anxious now.
"We are Shadowmere," Lucian says, his Alpha presence washing over us like a wave. "We don't cower from threats. We face them head on. The rogues will learn what happens when they challenge us."
The crowd erupts in cheers and howls, swept up in his words. But I noticed something. The way Lucian's eyes scan the crowd, searching. The way they stop when they find me.
For just a moment, our gazes lock.
Then he looks away, and the moment passes.
- Writer
