THE SILVER LUNA

CHLOE’S POV I stood in front of the mirror for what had to be the fifteenth time, holding up the same wrinkled blue dress to my chest and wondering again if I could get away with not going. It looked worse every time I tried it on. The sleeves were lopsided, the neckline dipped awkwardly on one side, and it clung to me in all the wrong places. It had once belonged to my mom, back when she used to hum while getting dressed for pack events, spinning slowly in front of her own mirror, asking me if she looked “Alpha-worthy.” I swallowed hard. The dress wasn’t the problem, the event was. I dropped it onto the bed, letting it join the other pile of rejected clothes. The tiny room in the refugee wing of the Dark Woods Pack packhouse was barely big enough for the bed, let alone my mess. Moonlight slanted through the curtains, highlighting the dust in the air and the faded scratch marks on the floor. It was mine, from the first night I’d shifted here three weeks ago. Not that anyone was counting. I crossed my arms and sat down hard on the mattress. My legs bounced restlessly, and my thoughts did, too. I shouldn’t go. I didn’t belong there. I wasn’t from this pack. I was just another displaced wolf with a sob story no one really wanted to hear. My pack was gone, slaughtered during the rogue attack that wiped Silver Rock off the map. And even though Dark Woods had taken us in, we all knew we were just ghosts clinging to the edge of someone else’s territory. “I don’t want to go,” I whispered into the silence. You should go, my wolf murmured, soft and persistent like always. It’s your birthday. “Exactly,” I muttered aloud. “Nineteen. Another year older, still no mate, still no home. Just a ball full of people pretending everything’s fine.” I hated how bitter my voice sounded, but bitterness was easier than grief. A sharp knock on the door made me jump. “Chloe!” came Lily’s voice, all cheerful and bossy. “If you don’t open this door in ten seconds, I swear I’ll shift and claw it down.” I groaned. “Go away, Lily.” “Nope girl try again.” A moment later, the door creaked open anyway. Of course she’d picked the lock again. Lily never needed an invitation when she decided you needed saving from yourself. She strode in, literally dressed to kill. Her deep crimson gown hugged her body like a second skin, and her blonde curls were perfectly styled, bouncing as she walked. “Seriously?” she said, hands on hips. “You’re still in your pajamas?” “I told you that I’m not going.” Lily blinked slowly like I was a particularly frustrating toddler. “Not an option. You know it’s mandatory, right? Gamma Lucas literally said, ‘Everyone attends, no exceptions.’ I’m pretty sure he meant you.” “Let him come get me,” I muttered, lying back on the bed. “Chloe.” Her voice dropped as she walked over and sat beside me. “I know you don’t want to, but you have to. You’ve been locked in this room since the moment you arrived. You don’t eat with the others, you barely shift, you don’t speak unless I drag words out of you with tweezers.” I stared at the ceiling. She softened. “This is your chance to show the pack you’re not just a shadow. Come on it’s just one night… put on a dress. Dance a little, maybe even a smile?” “Lily… you don’t get it.” She waited quietly “I don’t have anyone to go for,” I said quietly. “No parents to be proud of me, no siblings to tease me, no mate waiting to pull me into a dance. I go in there, and I’ll just be another ghost. A charity case in a too-tight dress.” Silence stretched between us. Then: “You have me,” Lily said firmly. “And you have your wolf, that’s more than nothing.” I let out a shaky breath, still not looking at her. “And maybe,” she added, nudging me gently, “your mate is in there.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t go there Lily.” “I’m just saying. You’re nineteen now. It’s full moon and a whole bunch of unmated wolves in one place? It’s like supernatural Tinder.” “I’m not swiping right on anyone tonight.” Lily burst out laughing. “Oh, so you are alive in there.” I cracked a tiny smile. “Barely.” She grinned. “Then I’ll take what I can get. Now get up, I brought options.” Lily stood and rummaged through the paper bag she brought, tossing two dresses onto the bed like a dealer laying down high-stakes cards. “Okay. Option one: gold, flowy and sparkly. This kinda makes you look like a mystical fairy if fairies were trained assassins. Option two: dark green, satin, slit up the thigh. It screams ‘I didn’t come here for you, but you’ll regret not chasing me.’ What are your thoughts?” I stared at both. “They’re… gorgeous.” “And?” “I don’t think these will fit on me.” Lily narrowed her eyes. “You are not allowed to talk about yourself like that. You’ve got legs, a waist, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut someone’s ego. Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t turn heads if you tried.” I bit my lip. “It’s not about turning heads.” “No, it’s about hiding,” she shot back. “Which is exactly what you’ve been doing.” I didn’t argue. What would be the point? She sighed and sat again, gentler this time. “Look… I know you’re still grieving and I know you feel broken. But staying small doesn’t make it hurt less, it just makes it lonelier.” I didn’t say anything because she was right. I missed my parents so badly it still hurt to breathe sometimes. The ache never fully left, it just hovered behind my ribs, waiting for quiet moments like this to rise again. I didn’t talk about them. I just couldn’t., because if I started, I might never stop. “I’m not trying to replace what you lost,” Lily added softly, “but I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” I blinked hard. “You’re kind of annoying sometimes, you know.” “Comes with the territory.” She stood again and held up the green dress. “This one’s your color. Trust me.” I hesitated for a minute, then sighed. “Fine. But if I fall over in heels, I’m blaming you.” “Oh please. You’ll look so hot no one will notice.” I rolled my eyes but took the dress from her hands. The fabric was soft, cool to the touch. I walked to the small bathroom and changed, careful not to look at myself too long in the mirror. It was easier to judge myself in pieces like the fabric on skin, lips pressed together, hair falling over one shoulder, than to face the whole. When I stepped out, Lily gasped. “Okay, okay, damn. Remind me why we haven’t posted you on the pack board’s mate-match thread?” I crossed my arms. “Because I’m not desperate?” She snorted. “Speak for yourself.” Still, I couldn’t help but glance at the mirror. The dress fit like it was made for me. The deep green brought out the shimmer in my hazel eyes, and the high slit revealed just enough leg to be interesting without looking like I was trying too hard. Maybe it didn’t matter, but maybe it did You look like a Luna, my wolf whispered. I blinked. “What?” “Just saying”. She teased I shook my head. “Stop being weird.” “You need this, you need to be around others. We were never meant to live in isolation, Chloe. The Moon Goddess didn’t make you to fade”. I didn’t answer. But I listened. Lily handed me a pair of silver earrings and a small glass vial. “Perfume. And before you ask, it’s enchanted. It calms nerves, attracts good energy, and makes your ex jealous.” I arched a brow. “I don’t have an ex.” “Exactly. So you’re the mysterious one.” I dabbed it on my neck. “Remind me to never let you plan my wedding.” “Too late. Already working on the seating chart.” We both laughed, and for a moment, the tightness in my chest loosened. When we were finally ready, Lily looped her arm through mine. “Ready to go mingle with intimidating alphas and overly confident betas?” I took a deep breath. “As I’ll ever be.”