Chapter 3: The Moon Queen's Mark
676 Words
The silver light swallowed me.
A piercing scream tore from my throat as unbearable heat spread through every vein in my body.
The council hall shook violently.
Stone cracked beneath my knees.
The chandeliers swayed overhead.
Everyone stumbled except the five Alpha Kings, who instinctively moved toward me.
"Aria!"
Noah reached me first, but the moment his hand touched my shoulder—
Boom!
A wave of silver energy exploded from my body.
Noah was thrown backward, crashing into one of the stone pillars.
"Alpha!" the guards shouted from outside.
Damon stepped in front of the others.
"Don't come in!" he barked.
"No one enters!"
The terrified guards obeyed immediately.
Inside the hall, the air became thick with power.
Silver flames danced around my body.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't think.
Then...
The mysterious woman's voice returned.
"Do not fear, my child."
"You have slept for far too long."
"W-Who are you?" I whispered.
"I am Selene..."
"The First Moon Queen."
My eyes widened.
"No..."
"You're dead."
A soft laugh echoed in my mind.
"Queens never truly die."
"We wait."
"Until the next heir is ready."
Another surge of pain ripped through me.
I cried out as a glowing crescent moon slowly appeared on the inside of my wrist.
The mark shimmered with silver light.
Then...
It disappeared beneath my skin.
The room fell silent.
The light vanished.
My body went limp.
Before I could hit the floor, strong arms caught me.
Damon.
His grip was firm but careful, as if I were made of glass.
The second our eyes met, his wolf roared inside him.
Mate.
He clenched his jaw.
"Stay away from her," Ryker growled, stepping forward.
"Put her down."
Damon didn't move.
"She almost collapsed."
"I don't care."
"She's my mate too."
Kieran let out a dry laugh.
"Our mate."
Lucian rubbed his temples.
"We're arguing while she's unconscious."
"Brilliant."
Zane stood silently beside Damon, watching the door.
Anyone trying to enter would have to get through him first.
Noah pushed himself off the broken pillar, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Enough!"
His Alpha aura flooded the room.
"I don't care what your wolves are telling you."
"No one touches my sister."
Damon slowly looked at him.
"Noah..."
"You know us."
"We would never hurt her."
"Wouldn't you?"
Noah's voice cracked with anger.
"Look at yourselves!"
"You've known her since she was a child."
"And now you're looking at her like..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
The silence that followed was painful.
Because everyone knew he was right.
The five men exchanged uneasy glances.
None of them had wanted this.
None of them had chosen it.
Yet their wolves refused to back down.
Elder Gideon sighed heavily.
"This is why the prophecy was hidden."
"What prophecy?" Noah demanded.
The old elder looked toward me.
"The Moon Queen was never destined for one Alpha."
"She was destined to unite five kingdoms."
Ryker frowned.
"So all five of us..."
The elder nodded.
"Are bound to her by fate."
A stunned silence settled over the room.
Lucian finally spoke.
"There must be another way."
"There isn't."
Damon's hands tightened protectively around me.
"No."
"There has to be."
Elder Gideon's expression darkened.
"If you reject the bond..."
"The five kingdoms will fall into war."
"And if you fight each other for her..."
"The prophecy says only one outcome awaits."
"What outcome?" Noah asked.
The elder lowered his head.
"The death of four Alpha Kings."
Every face in the room turned pale.
Just then...
A deafening howl echoed across the entire Silver Moon Pack.
One howl.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
Every wolf outside suddenly cried out at the same time.
A young warrior burst through the council hall doors without permission.
His face was drained of color.
"Alpha Noah!"
Noah turned sharply.
"What is it?"
The warrior struggled to catch his breath.
"The Northern Border..."
"It's under attack."
He swallowed hard.
"There are rogue wolves everywhere..."
"And they're asking for one person."
The room fell deathly silent.
The warrior looked directly at me.
"They're demanding..."
"The Moon Queen."
- Writer
