Claiming Her Reign

chapter 5

third person pov

The four Alphas stood outside the grand hall, the noise of Jerick's coronation ceremony muffled by the heavy oak doors. The winter night air was cold, but their concern was warmer and more urgent than the weather. They had congratulated the new Alpha, but their true mission was suddenly clear.

James of the Purple Moon pack was the first to speak, his voice low and tight. “Did you all feel it? The moment the roof almost blew off this little pack?”

Samuel, Alpha of the Black Moon, was already scanning the forest line, his expression like chiseled rock. “It wasn’t just power. It was pure light. It hit every Alpha in the world at once.”

Davon of the Red Moon growled, the sound a deep, restless thrum in his chest. “I know that power. It smells like home. It smells like… Mother.”

A shared, silent shock passed among the three brothers. They had felt their mother, Xi’an, release her holy power eighteen years ago when their sister was born. That scent—pure moonlight and wild earth—was unmistakable.

“It can’t be,” James whispered, rubbing the sharp edge of his jaw. “Mother released all her power. It went into the child of the prophecy. So that means…”

“The child of the prophecy is here,” Samuel finished. “In the Blue Moon pack. The weakest pack on the continent is holding our sister.”

Davon turned his fierce gaze to the fourth member of their group: Kelvin of the Green Moon Pack. Kelvin had been quiet since they left the receiving line. He had avoided meeting Davon’s eyes.

“Kelvin,” Davon said, stepping closer. His voice was no longer a growl, but a dangerous, commanding whisper. “The power surge happened near here, near the maid quarters, Jerick said. He lied. We know what that light was.”

Davon’s eyes narrowed. “I ask you again. Why did you change your name to Kelvin? Your scent, your power—it all screams Isaac. Why are you hiding who you are?”

Kelvin finally looked up. His eyes were hard, but a deep regret showed beneath the surface. He was the eldest of the four, Alpha of the Green Moon, and his true name was Isaac.

“I am Alpha Kelvin now, Davon,” he said, his voice flat and final. He knew his secret was out, but he refused to admit the rest.

Jerick pov

The crown felt like a ring of hot iron on my head. I sat on the throne, forcing myself to look strong while the Blue Moon pack cheered. The elders were droning on about tradition, but all I could hear was the frantic pounding of my own heart and the ache of the empty mate bond. I was the Alpha, but I felt like a liar.

I couldn’t stand it anymore. During a long speech by Elder Silas, I gave a silent command to Markus, my Beta, and slipped out the side door. I needed to know if they had caught the rogue.

I didn't have to wait long. My four best trackers ran toward me, their wolves panting, their faces covered in sweat and shame.

“Where is the wolf-less girl?!” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

The lead tracker, Finn, dropped his eyes. “Alpha Jerick, we couldn’t find her. We followed the trail right out of the pack lands. She was running slow at first, almost like a human. But then…”

“Then what?” I gripped his shoulder hard.

“Then she simply vanished. Her scent, her tracks, everything. It was like she walked into the air. We went in circles for an hour. It was too fast, too clean. No one in the world can conceal a scent like that, Alpha.”

Not in the world, no. That was not natural. That was black magic. Panic clawed at my throat. The wolf-less maid, in her desperate shame, had called upon a dark curse. I had rejected something tainted, and now it was loose.

“Go back out! I want every wolf out there until she is—”

A deep voice cut through my order. “A little frantic for a new Alpha, wouldn’t you say, Jerick?”

My blood froze. I slowly turned. Davon of the Red Moon stood right there, leaning against the stone archway, his arms crossed. His eyes were dark and mocking. Behind him, James, Samuel, and Kelvin (Isaac) stood silently, their powerful shadows seeming to fill the entire hallway. They were watching me like I was a sick rabbit.

My forced Alpha composure broke. “Alphas, I—I was just directing my hunters. There was a small… incident. A rogue got into the maid quarters.”

Davon stepped closer, radiating silent, overwhelming dominance. “The little incident that shook the ground and turned the sky gold? Don’t insult us, Jerick. We all felt it. It was a power that only comes from deep, ancient blood.”

I fought the urge to flinch. Davon was trying to make me look weak. He thinks I can’t control my own pack.

“That was no bloodline power,” I lied, my voice firming up. “It was a curse. The maid, she was obsessed with dark rituals, trying to summon a wolf or use magic to claim my status. It backfired. We were cleaning up the mess.”

Davon laughed, a short, sharp sound that hit me like a whip. “A backfired curse? That smell, Jerick? That was not a village witch. That was power. You seem distracted, young Alpha. Almost… terrified.”

I couldn’t look them in the eye anymore. They were judging my first command. They saw right through my lie about the curse, but they didn’t see the truth: that the maid was my mate. They just saw a new Alpha failing to control his territory.

They knew I was weak. My heart hammered, screaming that I had just traded a powerful Luna for political shame. I focused on their judgmental faces, telling myself: They are rivals. They are jealous. That maid is nothing to them.

xian'na pov

I was sitting in the cold cave, trying to quiet the fear that still clung to me. I had run for what felt like hours, and the forest sounds were a steady reminder that Jerick’s wolves were hunting me.

I looked up at the cave mouth and saw the sky. The moon was a half circle, weak and distant. But as I watched, something happened that made me gasp..

The moon began to grow. It wasn't moving across the sky; it was swelling, pulling back the shadows of the earth. It went from a half-moon to a huge, round, full moon in seconds.

Magic was pouring from it—a thick, white, blinding light. It felt like a physical touch. I knew this was not natural.

Inside my head, the strong, calm voice of my holy wolf, Xiuan, cut through the noise.

"It's time," she said.

Then the pain hit.

It was not like being shoved or hit. It was like every single bone in my body was shattering into tiny pieces and then instantly fusing back together, bigger and harder. I screamed, but the sound was not human; it was trapped, turning into a sound of pure agony. My skin was tearing, my spine was twisting, and thick, hot fur was pushing out. I fell to the dirt floor, helpless under the immense, sacred power.

When the final cracking sound stopped, I lay there, panting. The pain was gone, replaced by a feeling of massive, untamed power rushing through new veins. I was heavy. Strong. I was a wolf.

"The hardest part is done, little one," Xiuan told me gently. "Take over now. It’s my turn to run."

I felt the switch—my consciousness pulling back, safe in the shadows of my mind, while Xiuan’s strong spirit moved into the lead. She got up, shaking the dust off the magnificent body. She moved with a silent, perfect grace that my human body never knew.

We moved out of the cave and found a small, dark pool of water hidden under some moss. Xiuan bent low and looked at our reflection.

"Nothing new," Xiuan said inside my mind, sounding utterly satisfied. "I am beautiful as ever."

But I, Xian'na, watching from inside, gasped.

The wolf staring back was not the dull gray or brown of the pack wolves. It was a terrifying, perfect pure white, like freshly fallen snow under the sun, with streaks of glowing silver running through the thick fur. Our eyes were not the gold of Goddess power, but a deep, stunning blue—the color of the ocean under the moonlight. I was unique. I was royal. I was holy.

We are beautiful, I thought, my human voice a faint whisper in the presence of my magnificent wolf. And we are finally free.