Bound To The Alpha

POV: Myra The moonlight was silver tonight—too silver. In my dream, the forest glowed like liquid light, and she was there again. Lyra, the spirit wolf. Towering, beautiful, eyes burning like twin moons. Her voice echoed softly through the haze. “The time draws near, Myra. The bond awakens beneath the rising moon.” Before I could ask what that meant, her form shattered into a thousand shimmering fragments—and I jolted awake with a gasp. My blanket was on the floor. My heart was racing. And my wolf, Niva, was far too amused. “You screamed,” she snickered inside my head. “Again.” “Yeah, thanks for pointing that out,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “Maybe next time, try not watching like it’s a movie night.” It was still early—light barely spilling through the curtains—but the training bell rang outside. Great. Of course I’d overslept. By the time I scrambled into my boots and jogged down the stairs, Mom was already at the table, sipping tea like she had all the time in the world. Dad looked up from sharpening his blade. “You’re late,” Corin said simply. “I know,” I groaned. “Blame my prophetic dreams.” Alexia raised an eyebrow. “You had another one?” “Maybe. Or maybe my brain just likes tormenting me at three a.m.” Mom’s lips quirked, but Dad didn’t look convinced. He never did when it came to the Moon’s omens. --- Outside, the training grounds buzzed with the usual chaos. Wolves in human form stretching, arguing, throwing mock punches. And right in the middle of it, waving dramatically like she was summoning the gods—Maren. “Took you long enough, sleepyhead!” she yelled across the field. “I was two seconds away from sending the Beta to drag you out by your ankles.” I rolled my eyes. “And miss the chance to make a dramatic entrance? Never.” She tossed me a wooden practice blade. “You look like you wrestled a bear in your sleep.” “Close. Just the Moon’s chosen wolf. No big deal.” Her grin faltered. “You saw Lyra again?” I nodded, more serious now. “Yeah. Same forest. Same words. ‘The bond awakens’ or something like that.” Maren whistled. “Well, that sounds totally not ominous.” “She’s warning you,” Niva whispered quietly in the back of my mind. “The Moon never speaks without reason.” I shoved the thought aside. “Probably just a weird dream. I’m not exactly the ‘chosen’ type.” We sparred until the sun climbed higher, the world smelling like sweat, pine, and damp earth. It felt normal again—until a strange breeze swept through the clearing. Every instinct in me went still. My heartbeat picked up. Something wild brushed against my senses—like a presence, just out of reach. “Did you feel that?” I asked quietly. Maren frowned. “Feel what?” “Never mind.” I forced a laugh, shaking it off. Probably just exhaustion. Or maybe too much tea before bed. But as I looked toward the forest beyond our borders, a faint scent drifted on the air—sandalwood and storm. It sent a shiver down my spine. “He’s close,” Niva murmured. I didn’t even have the courage to ask who. ---