The Moon's Chosen Guardians

The first thing I heard was the howl. It wasn't the ordinary howl of a wolf calling to its pack. This one was deeper. Older. It rolled through the forest like a warning from something that had been waiting centuries to be heard. I froze beside the kitchen window, my fingers tightening around the chipped mug in my hand. Outside, the moon hung unnaturally large over the trees. Silver light spilled across the clearing behind our cottage, turning the grass almost white. I swallowed. "Aria!" My head snapped toward the doorway. "Are you deaf?" I quickly set the mug down. "No, Aunt Mara." She stood there with her arms crossed, impatience written across her face. "The ceremony begins in less than an hour. You haven't dressed, and you're still standing there like you've got all night." I glanced toward the window again. The forest had gone silent. Too silent. "I heard something." "You heard wolves." "It wasn't a normal wolf." Her expression hardened. "Tonight isn't the night for your imagination." I lowered my gaze. "Sorry." That word came easily to me. I'd learned to say it years ago. Sorry for being too slow. Sorry for dropping something. Sorry for asking questions. Sorry for being an omega. Sorry for existing where I wasn't wanted. Aunt Mara walked past me and dropped a folded white dress onto the table. "Wear this." I stared at it. The dress was simple, old, and slightly yellow around the collar. "That's yours." "It was." I looked up. "Why are you giving it to me?" "Because your own clothes are embarrassing." My lips pressed together. "Right." She turned toward the door. Then she stopped. "And Aria?" "Yes?" "Do not embarrass this pack tonight." The door slammed behind her. I stared at it for several seconds. Then I looked down at the dress. The fabric felt strangely warm beneath my fingertips. For a moment, I thought I saw a faint silver thread running through it. I blinked. It was gone. "You're imagining things," I whispered. But deep inside, something answered. No. I jerked my hand away. My heart pounded. That wasn't my voice. By sunset, the entire Silver Moon Pack had gathered at the Moon Temple. The temple stood at the highest point of our territory, surrounded by ancient trees whose branches twisted together like skeletal fingers. Hundreds of wolves and pack members filled the stone courtyard. Tonight was the Moon Ascension Ceremony. Every wolf who turned twenty-one was presented before the Moon Goddess. For most people, it was a celebration. For me, it was a public reminder of everything I wasn't. Strong. Beautiful. Important. I stood at the edge of the crowd, trying to disappear. Around me, young wolves laughed and whispered. Then someone bumped my shoulder. "Move." I stepped aside immediately. Three girls walked past me. I recognized the one in the middle. Selene. The Alpha's daughter. She stopped after two steps. "Wait." Her friends turned. Selene looked me up and down. "Is that your ceremony dress?" I glanced at myself. "Yes." She laughed. "How unfortunate." Her friends giggled. Heat crawled up my neck. I wanted to walk away. Instead, I forced a smile. "It's only one night." "Exactly." Selene smiled cruelly. "And you'll probably spend it alone." Her words shouldn't have hurt. But they did. Because she was right. At twenty-one, I had never felt a mate bond. No wolf had ever looked at me and said, Mine. I had spent my entire life believing there was something wrong with me. Maybe I was defective. Maybe I was cursed. Maybe the Moon Goddess had simply forgotten me. A deep growl suddenly shook the courtyard. Everyone went silent. The pack Alpha entered the temple grounds. Alpha Garrick was a massive man with silver threaded through his dark hair. Behind him came several warriors. But they weren't the reason everyone was staring. Three strangers walked behind him. The first was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed entirely in black. His expression was cold enough to freeze the air. The second had dark red hair and a scar cutting through one eyebrow. He walked like he owned the ground beneath his feet. The third was quieter. Almost unnervingly so. Black hair. Pale eyes. A face that revealed nothing. The whispers started immediately. "Who are they?" "Alphas." "Three of them?" "Why would three Alpha rulers come here?" I stared. Something inside my chest suddenly pulled tight. The moment my eyes met the third man's, my heart stopped. His gaze locked onto mine. For one impossible second, the entire world disappeared. I couldn't hear the crowd. Couldn't hear the wind. Couldn't hear my own breathing. Only one word echoed inside my head. Found. The stranger's expression changed. Barely. But I saw it. His eyes widened. Then his jaw tightened. He looked away. My heart began pounding. What had just happened? "Aria!" I turned. Aunt Mara was glaring at me from across the courtyard. I hurried toward her. "Who are they?" She didn't answer. "Aunt Mara?" Her face had gone pale. "Don't look at them." "Why?" "Because I said so." Before I could ask anything else, the temple bells rang. Once. Twice. Three times. The ceremony was beginning. I stood beneath the ancient Moonstone while the Alpha addressed the crowd. "Tonight, our young wolves stand before the Moon Goddess and receive the blessing of their adult wolves." One by one, the candidates stepped forward. The Moonstone glowed softly each time someone placed a hand against it. Blue. Gold. Silver. Nothing unusual. Then my name was called. "Aria Nightshade." The courtyard became strangely quiet. I could feel hundreds of eyes following me. I walked forward. Every step felt heavier than the last. When I reached the Moonstone, I placed my palm against its cold surface. Nothing happened. A murmur moved through the crowd. Of course. I closed my eyes. Please. I didn't know who I was praying to. Just give me something. The stone remained cold. Someone laughed. I opened my eyes. Selene was smiling. "Even the Moon Goddess doesn't want her." A few people laughed. My throat tightened. I lowered my hand. Then— The Moonstone cracked. A sharp gasp tore through the crowd. I froze. Silver light burst from the stone. It exploded outward in a wave that knocked several people backward. The temple bells began ringing by themselves. Once. Twice. Ten times. The moon above us turned crimson. Someone screamed. "What's happening?" The ground beneath my feet trembled. Pain suddenly ripped through my chest. I fell to my knees. "Aria!" Aunt Mara screamed my name. I clutched my chest. Something was burning beneath my skin. Then a mark appeared on my wrist. A crescent moon surrounded by three stars. The Alpha's face drained of color. "No..." One of the visiting Alphas stepped forward. "That can't be." The red-haired Alpha stared at my wrist. "The Celestial Mark." The crowd went completely silent. I looked up. "What does that mean?" Nobody answered. The quiet Alpha—the one whose eyes had met mine earlier—finally spoke. His voice was low. Almost a whisper. "The Celestial Luna has returned." My blood turned cold. "Who?" His eyes found mine again. "You." A thunderous roar shook the sky. Every wolf in the courtyard dropped to their knees. Not because they were commanded to. Because something far more powerful had entered the territory. The Moonstone shattered completely. And from somewhere deep within the forest came hundreds of answering howls. Then a voice whispered inside my head. A woman's voice. Beautiful. Ancient. Terrifying. My child... I couldn't breathe. They have finally found you. I stared into the darkness beyond the temple. Run. My heart stopped. Because they are coming for you. And then the forest erupted in flames.