ALPHA OF THE FORGOTTEN PACK

The full moon hung low over the towering gates of Viraxis — the city of the council wolves. Its silver light bounced off steel towers and ancient stone walls, casting shadows across every secret the city tried to bury. One of those secrets had just returned. A lone figure stood beneath a black cloak, hood drawn, boots coated in dust from the northern cliffs. Her scent was masked, her aura tightly controlled. She was a ghost walking among the living — and that’s exactly what she wanted. Selene. Twenty years ago, her pack — the MoonHowl — had been slaughtered. They called it a rogue attack. A wild mistake. But she remembered the truth. It wasn’t rogues. It was the council. The same wolves who ruled this city. She was only six when her family burned. Only six when she saw her mother fall. Only six when her father hid her beneath floorboards and told her to never speak her name again. And she hadn’t. Until now. “Name?” barked the gate guard. She didn’t blink. “Selene. Of the Ashwind Border Clans. ”The lie tasted bitter. But the forged seal in her hand passed inspection. The Ashwind clan didn’t exist, but the council had grown lazy. Arrogant“Purpose?”“Alpha trials,” she replied.He raised a brow. “Youdon’t look like an Alpha. ”She stepped forward, lowering her hood. Her golden eyes flashed.“I don’t look like anything you’ve seen before.”The guard flinched and waved her through. Inside, the city buzzed with trial fever — young wolves from every pack arriving, showing off their strength, their status, their arrogance. Selene watched from the shadows. Every name, every scent, every laugh — she memorized it all. This wasn’t just a trial for leadership. It was a stage for revenge. She had trained in silence. Learned to fight in snowstorms. Meditated in caves. Hunted with bare hands. Now she was here to prove that the MoonHowl bloodline hadn’t vanished. It had evolved. She passed a group of young warriors sparring in the training yard. One of them paused, sensing her presence. He turned. Tall. Sharp jaw. Alpha aura. Their eyes locked for half a second — something flickered. Selene looked away first. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. She found her assigned quarters and unpacked nothing. She had no past here. No friends. No pack. Just a mission. That night, she stood on a rooftop, eyes fixed on the glowing tower where the council met. Five elders ruled this city. Five wolves soaked in lies. She’d burn them all. But first, she had to win. The next morning, the trial began. All contenders gathered in the Arena of Stone, an ancient circle surrounded by pillars carved with wolf sigils. The crowd was loud — elders, nobles, and common wolves all watching, whispering, judging. Selene stood among the challengers, her black cloak still on, her face unreadable. One by one, wolves introduced themselves.“Garrick of IronMane.” “Lyla of FrostFang.”“Torren of BlackThorn.”Then the announcer's voice rang out.“Selene… of Ashwind.”The crowd went still. Ashwind? No one had heard of such a clan. She stepped forward, slow and deliberate, removing her cloak. Her figure was lean, her movements precise. Her golden eyes pierced the silence. Whispers swirled.“She’s not marked…” “She smells strange…” “Is she rogue? Selene ignored them. From across the arena, someone watched her closely. Alpha Cael Thorn. Son of Alder Thorn. The man who destroyed her pack. He stood with arms crossed, unreadable expression. But she felt his gaze like a flame on her skin. Then it happened. He turned fully toward her. Their eyes locked. Time… shifted A strange pull twisted her gut. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her wolf stirred, restless and wild. No. It couldn’t be. Her enemy — was her fated mate? She broke eye contact instantly, face neutral. But inside, she was a hurricane. How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? Cael narrowed his eyes. Did he feel it too? He turned away, saying something to the elder beside him, but his voice was lost in the roaring in her ears. The trials continued — strength contests, tactical games — and Selene excelled. Swift, quiet, brutal when necessary. The council took notice. But so did Cael. After the final event of the day, he approached her near the practice ground. “You fight like you’ve bled for something. ”She didn’t look at him. “I’ve bled for everything.”“I don’t recognize your name.” “I prefer it that way.”He tilted his head. “You seem familiar. ”Selene finally met his gaze again. “You’ve never seen me before.” Not like this. Cael stared a moment longer, then gave a faint nod and walked away. She watched him go. Her wolf howled inside. This trial would be harder than she thought. Because now, her greatest enemy might also be her greatest weakness.The council hall had changed, but the scent hadn’t — a sour blend of dominance, old blood, and lies. Selene stood beneath the high dome ceiling, flanked by guards who didn’t know they were escorting a threat."State your business," growled one of the elders, his eyes like fogged glass.“I’m here for Alpha trials,” she replied coldly. “Representing the Ashwind border clans.” A lie. The Ashwind clans didn’t exist. But no one questioned her forged seal. That’s how forgotten she was. Then, he walked in. Power dripped from him like stormwater — tall, dark-haired, commanding. He didn’t look like a boy born with blood on his hands, but Selene’s instincts screamed. Alpha Cael Thorn. Son of Alder Thorn — the man who led the MoonHowl m******e. Selene’s pulse surged. Every fiber of her body demanded she lunge at him, rip his throat out, finish what her ancestors couldn’t. But then... their eyes met. Time stopped. Not metaphorically. It stopped. The hum of whispers in the room fell silent, the torches dimmed, and the pull — the ancient, undeniable bond — clenched her gut. Fated mate. Her enemy was her fated mate. Selene’s breath hitched. Her wolf thrashed inside her chest, furious and confused. Mates weren’t optional. They were divine orders from the Moon Goddess. Even a rogue couldn’t ignore it. And Selene... she wasn’t just rogue. She was vengeance. Cael blinked, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. Had he felt it too? She quickly looked away, biting down the storm in her throat.“You’re new,” Cael said, striding closer. “I would’ve remembered someone like you.”She didn't answer.“What’s your name?” he pressed.“Does it matter?” she snapped. Something in her voice shook him, but he hid it well. Later, as the trials began — one-on-one battles, leadership debates, and loyalty tests — Selene fought like fire. She tore through challengers with precision, her strength clearly not from any border clan. Whispers grew.“She fights like an Alpha.” “Who trained her?” “Something’s not right…” Cael watched every moment. The connection simmered between them, undeniable and unwanted. When he passed close, her wolf howled inside her. When he spoke, her name burned on her tongue. But Selene wasn’t here for romance. She was here to burn the council down — Cael included. That night, as she stood by the river behind the training grounds, he approached silently."You’re hiding something,” Cael said, not accusingly, but like he already knew.“And you're standing where your father spilled my mother’s blood,” Selene said without turning. Silence.“You know,” he whispered.“I remember.”He didn’t deny it. He simply sat beside her, moonlight glinting in his dark eyes.“My father did things I never agreed with,” Cael said. “I was ten when it happened. I was in that forest. I saw the flames.”Selene turned sharply.“And you did nothing.” “I was ten,” he snapped. “And since then, I’ve done everything to undo his legacy. I didn’t know someone survived.”“I’m not someone,” Selene said. “I’m the Alpha of the MoonHowl Pack.”The silence that followed could’ve shattered bone.He looked at her, not with fear — but awe."You came back… to finish it?"She met his gaze. “To finish all of it.” Cael stood, conflicted. He took one step toward her.“Then kill me now, Selene. Because I’m not going to let you destroy everything I’ve rebuilt.Her eyes glistened, not from weakness — but the war inside her heart.“My wolf chose you,” she whispered. “But I didn’t.”Then she walked away, leaving Cael standing in the shadows — torn between duty and desire.