The Crack
935 Words
The first rays of dawn spread across the Silver Moon Pack, painting the village in shades of gold.
Normally, Lyra loved the quiet mornings.
Today, however, her heart refused to be still.
It was the day of the Mate Ceremony.
The day every werewolf waited for from the moment they were born.
She stared at her reflection in the cracked mirror hanging on the wall of her tiny room. Her long black hair framed her delicate face, and around her neck rested the silver crescent pendant Grandma Elara had given her the previous night.
She gently held the pendant.
"Please... let today be different."
A loud horn echoed throughout the village.
The ceremony had begun.
---
The Sacred Moon Grounds were already crowded.
Hundreds of pack members gathered around the enormous Moon Stone that stood proudly in the center of the clearing.
It was said that the stone had been blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. Every werewolf awakened their wolf by placing both hands upon it.
At the front stood Alpha Magnus Blackwood, the respected leader of the Silver Moon Pack.
Beside him stood his son.
Kael Blackwood.
The future Alpha.
Tall and commanding, Kael carried himself with the confidence of someone born to lead. His black hair moved gently in the morning breeze, while his golden eyes remained calm and unreadable.
Many young she-wolves stole shy glances at him.
Every one of them dreamed of becoming his Luna.
The ceremony began.
One after another, young werewolves stepped onto the platform.
Each placed their hands upon the Moon Stone.
Silver light erupted from the ancient rock as wolves awakened inside their owners.
Some transformed partially for the first time.
Others found their mates in the crowd and rushed into emotional embraces.
Cheers echoed throughout the grounds.
Lyra watched quietly from the back.
She smiled for those who found happiness.
Yet with every passing minute, fear tightened around her heart.
Finally...
"Lyra."
Alpha Magnus called her name.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
Then the whispers began.
"The cursed omega."
"She actually showed up?"
"I wonder if the Moon Stone will reject her."
Lyra ignored them and slowly walked toward the platform.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
She climbed the stone stairs until she stood before the Moon Stone.
Taking a deep breath, she placed both hands upon its cool surface.
Nothing happened.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
The silence became unbearable.
Then laughter erupted.
"I knew it!"
"She really doesn't have a wolf!"
"What a disgrace."
Someone threw a small stone.
It struck her shoulder before falling harmlessly to the ground.
Lyra bit her lip, refusing to cry.
Maybe...
Maybe everyone had been right.
She slowly began to remove her hands.
Suddenly—
The silver pendant around her neck glowed.
A pulse of ancient energy shot through her body.
The Moon Stone trembled.
Tiny silver cracks spread across its surface before disappearing so quickly that almost no one noticed.
Then it happened.
An invisible thread wrapped itself around Lyra's heart.
She gasped.
Someone...
Someone was calling to her soul.
Without thinking, she turned.
Her eyes met Kael's.
At that exact moment, Kael stiffened.
His sharp golden eyes widened ever so slightly.
He had felt it too.
The Mate Bond.
A shocked murmur swept through the crowd.
"The future Alpha's mate..."
"It's Lyra!"
For the first time in years...
Hope bloomed inside Lyra's heart.
Perhaps fate hadn't abandoned her after all.
Perhaps this was why she had endured everything.
Kael slowly stepped down from the platform.
The crowd watched in breathless silence.
He stopped only a few feet away from Lyra.
She looked into his eyes, searching for even the smallest hint of warmth.
She found none.
His face remained cold.
His voice was even colder.
"I, Kael Blackwood..."
He paused.
"...reject Lyra as my mate."
The words echoed across the Sacred Moon Grounds.
Everything became silent.
Even the birds stopped singing.
Lyra stared at him in disbelief.
"...What?"
Kael's expression never changed.
"A future Alpha cannot have a wolfless omega as his Luna."
"You are weak."
"You are a disgrace."
"And I refuse to bind my future to someone like you."
Every word struck harder than the last.
The invisible bond connecting their hearts began to tear apart.
Pain unlike anything Lyra had ever felt exploded inside her chest.
She cried out and collapsed to her knees.
Tears blurred her vision.
Around her, the crowd whispered.
Some looked away in pity.
Others laughed openly.
"So he rejected her."
"I would have done the same."
"A useless omega could never become Luna."
Kael turned his back.
Without another glance, he walked away.
As though the girl kneeling behind him had never mattered.
Lyra pressed a trembling hand against her chest.
Her heart felt as though it had shattered into countless pieces.
Then...
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed through the clearing.
The Moon Stone split down the middle.
A blinding silver light burst from within before vanishing just as suddenly.
The crowd gasped.
"What was that?"
"The Moon Stone cracked!"
Alpha Magnus stared in disbelief.
"No..."
Only Grandma Elara understood what had happened.
Her face turned pale.
Tears filled her aged eyes as she whispered,
"The seal has begun to break..."
Far away...
Beyond the borders of the Silver Moon Pack...
Deep within an ancient kingdom hidden from ordinary werewolves...
A massive black wolf suddenly lifted its head.
Its silver eyes glowed brightly beneath the full moon.
Standing beside it was a tall man dressed in black robes.
He slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So..."
"She has finally awakened."
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD