The Beginning
The Silver Moon Pack celebrated under the light of the full moon.
Laughter echoed through the village as warriors sparred, children chased one another through the streets, and women decorated every home with silver ribbons in preparation for tomorrow's Mate Ceremony.
Tomorrow was the most important day of the year.
Every werewolf who had turned eighteen would awaken their wolf, discover their rank, and, if fate was kind, meet their destined mate.
Everyone looked forward to it.
Everyone...
Except Lyra.
She stood quietly at the edge of the village, carrying a heavy basket of freshly washed clothes toward the pack house. Her simple, faded dress was stained with soap and water, and loose strands of her black hair clung to her face from the evening breeze.
"Move out of the way!"
A sharp voice rang out behind her.
Before she could react, someone shoved her shoulder.
The basket slipped from her hands.
Clothes scattered across the muddy road.
Laughter erupted.
"Oh no... the useless omega dropped everything again."
"I heard she's turning eighteen tomorrow."
"So what? She doesn't even have a wolf."
"She's probably the first werewolf in history rejected by the Moon Goddess herself."
The group burst into laughter.
Lyra knelt silently, gathering the muddy clothes one by one.
She had heard these insults for as long as she could remember.
Cursed.
Worthless.
Wolfless.
No matter how hard she worked, no one ever saw her as anything more than the pack's servant.
When the last piece of clothing was picked up, she stood and bowed politely.
"I'm sorry."
The girls rolled their eyes and walked away.
Watching from a nearby porch, an elderly woman sighed deeply.
Grandma Elara.
The pack healer.
She waited until everyone had left before walking over.
"You apologized... even though you did nothing wrong."
Lyra smiled faintly.
"If I argued, they'd only hate me more."
Grandma Elara gently brushed the dirt from Lyra's sleeve.
"You remind me so much of your mother."
Lyra blinked.
"You knew my mother?"
The old woman's eyes softened.
"I did."
"Was she... kind?"
"The kindest woman this pack has ever known."
Before Lyra could ask another question, Grandma Elara's expression changed.
"There are truths that have slept for eighteen years. Tomorrow... those truths may finally awaken."
Lyra frowned, confused.
"What do you mean?"
The old healer simply smiled.
"You'll understand when the moon chooses its path."
With that, she walked away, leaving Lyra standing alone beneath the fading sunlight.
---
That night, the village became even livelier.
Families gathered around large tables filled with roasted meat, fresh bread, fruit, and sweet honey cakes.
Parents laughed with their children.
Brothers teased their sisters.
Everyone celebrated together.
Lyra quietly returned to her tiny room behind the servants' quarters.
A single candle lit the small space.
There was only one wooden bed.
One chair.
One tiny window.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the moon outside.
"Tomorrow..."
Her fingers tightened around the thin blanket.
"What if they were right?"
What if she truly didn't have a wolf?
What if the Moon Goddess had abandoned her?
She had prayed every birthday since she was a little girl.
Every prayer had been the same.
Please... let me be normal.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
When she opened the door, she found Grandma Elara standing outside.
Without saying a word, the old woman placed a small wooden box into Lyra's hands.
"This belonged to your mother."
With trembling fingers, Lyra opened it.
Inside lay a delicate silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon.
It looked ordinary...
Yet the moment her fingertips touched it, a strange warmth spread through her body.
For just a heartbeat, she thought she heard a distant wolf howl.
Then it disappeared.
"Wear it tomorrow," Grandma Elara said quietly.
"No matter what happens... don't take it off."
Lyra looked up.
"Grandma... who am I?"
The old healer smiled sadly.
"You are a girl whose destiny is far greater than this village."
She turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Lyra stood frozen, the pendant resting in her palm.
Above the Silver Moon Pack, clouds slowly drifted away from the full moon.
Far beyond the borders of the pack...
Deep within an ancient forest...
A pair of brilliant silver eyes suddenly opened.
A powerful black wolf lifted its head toward the moon and let out a long, haunting howl.
For the first time in a thousand years...
It had felt her.
And somewhere in the darkness, a deep voice whispered,
"I've found you."
The wind carried the words away.
Tomorrow would change everything.
