The Alpha Who Rejected The Moonborn

The Forgotten Territory

The moment I crossed the boundary, everything changed.

The forest became silent.

Not quiet.

Silent.

No insects.

No wind.

No rustling leaves.

Nothing.

I stopped walking.

Kael nearly walked into me.

"What is it?"

I didn't answer.

I was listening.

There was nothing to hear.

Ryder stepped over the boundary behind us and immediately looked around.

"Do you feel that?"

Ronan nodded.

"The barrier."

I frowned.

"What barrier?"

"The old territory has been sealed for generations."

I looked behind me.

The path we'd followed was still there, but the forest on the other side seemed strangely distant.

Like we had crossed into another world.

"Then how did we get through?"

Ronan looked at me.

"You opened it."

My stomach tightened.

"I did what?"

"The Moonborn bloodline is the key."

Kael's gaze moved toward the trees ahead.

"Then why would Selene leave a message leading Lyra here?"

"Because she wanted her daughter to find something."

"What?"

Ronan shook his head.

"We'll know when we get there."

I hated answers like that.

Everyone seemed to know something except me.

I continued walking.

The farther we went, the stranger the forest became.

The trees were enormous, their trunks covered in pale silver markings.

Some looked like writing.

Others looked like symbols.

I stopped beside one.

"What is this?"

Ronan studied it.

"An ancient Moonborn seal."

I touched it.

The symbol immediately lit up.

Everyone froze.

A second symbol appeared farther down the path.

Then another.

Then another.

One after another, the markings illuminated.

Creating a trail.

Kael stared at them.

"They're responding to her."

Ronan nodded.

"She's waking the territory."

I pulled my hand away.

The light disappeared.

"Can we stop saying things like that?"

Kael almost smiled.

"You'll get used to it."

"I don't think I want to."

"You don't have much choice."

I looked at him.

"You really know how to make someone feel better."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Clearly."

Ryder chuckled behind us.

Kael glanced at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You have something to say."

"I've never seen anyone speak to you like that."

I folded my arms.

"Should I be scared?"

Ryder shook his head.

"No."

Kael looked amused.

"She's not scared of me."

"I noticed."

We continued walking.

For a few minutes, nobody spoke.

Then I heard something.

A faint melody.

I stopped.

"What?"

Kael looked at me.

"Nothing."

I listened again.

There.

A soft humming.

Coming from somewhere ahead.

My heart began racing.

I knew that melody.

My mother used to hum it when I was little.

I couldn't remember the words.

But I remembered the tune.

"Lyra?"

I started running.

"Lyra!"

I ignored Kael.

The melody grew louder.

I pushed through a curtain of vines and stopped.

A stone structure stood in the middle of a clearing.

It looked ancient.

Half the walls had been swallowed by roots.

A silver crescent was carved above the entrance.

My heart pounded.

The humming was coming from inside.

"Mom?"

The sound stopped.

Silence.

I stepped toward the doorway.

Kael caught my arm.

"Wait."

I pulled away.

"What if she's inside?"

"We don't know what's inside."

"I don't care."

"I do."

I looked at him.

"I've spent ten years wondering if she was alive."

His expression softened.

"I know."

"No, you don't."

He didn't argue.

I took another step.

The silver crescent above the doorway began glowing.

A low vibration filled the air.

Then the stone doors opened.

Slowly.

By themselves.

Ryder whispered,

"That's not normal."

I stared into the darkness.

A faint silver light appeared inside.

And then—

A voice.

"Lyra."

My entire body froze.

I knew that voice.

I had heard it thousands of times in my memories.

But this wasn't a memory.

It was real.

"Mom?"

I stepped inside.

"Lyra."

Tears filled my eyes.

"Mom!"

I ran forward.

The chamber opened into a large underground room.

At the center stood a woman.

Her hair was longer than I remembered.

Her face was older.

But it was her.

My mother.

Selene.

Alive.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then she ran toward me.

She pulled me into her arms.

I broke.

All the anger.

All the confusion.

All the years of wondering.

Everything came crashing down.

"You're alive."

My voice barely came out.

"I'm sorry."

She held me tighter.

"I'm so sorry."

"Why?"

"I had no choice."

"You left me."

"I never wanted to."

"You were alive all this time."

"I know."

I pushed away from her.

"Then why didn't you come back?"

Tears filled her eyes.

"Because if I had, they would have found you."

"Who?"

She looked over my shoulder.

Her expression changed.

"Who did you bring here?"

I turned.

Kael stood in the doorway.

Ryder and Ronan were behind him.

The moment Selene saw Kael, her face went cold.

"Draven."

Kael stepped forward.

"Selene."

"You brought him here?"

I looked between them.

"You know each other?"

Selene's eyes remained on Kael.

"I know his family."

Kael's voice was calm.

"I'm not my father."

"Not yet."

The words landed heavily.

I looked at my mother.

"Mom."

She finally looked at me.

"Your father is dangerous."

"I know."

"No."

She shook her head.

"You don't."

She took my hands.

"The man you call Alpha Darius isn't simply protecting his family's power."

"Then what is he doing?"

Selene glanced toward the walls.

"He's searching for the First Bloodstone."

Ronan stiffened.

"You found it?"

Selene looked at him.

"Not yet."

Kael frowned.

"What is the Bloodstone?"

Selene turned to me.

"It's the source of the first Moonborn pact."

I stared at her.

"What happens if someone finds it?"

"Whoever controls it can sever the bond between the Moon Goddess and the Alpha bloodlines."

My eyes widened.

"So the Alpha families would lose their power."

"Yes."

Kael looked troubled.

"That's why my father has been searching for it."

Selene nodded.

"He's spent years trying to find it."

"Then why hasn't he?"

"Because the Bloodstone responds only to the Moonborn."

I looked at my hands.

"Me."

Selene nodded.

"Yes."

Silence settled over the chamber.

I suddenly understood.

The mark.

The visions.

The wolves bowing.

The barrier opening.

Everything.

"That's why they want me."

"Yes."

"That's why you hid me."

"Yes."

"That's why Kael rejected me."

Selene looked at him.

Kael lowered his eyes.

"Yes."

I stared at him.

"You knew."

"I knew enough."

"Did you know my mother was alive?"

Kael hesitated.

"No."

Selene interrupted.

"He didn't."

I looked at her.

"Then who did?"

She didn't answer.

That silence told me enough.

"Your father."

Kael's head snapped toward her.

"What?"

Selene stepped away.

"Darius knew I was alive."

Kael's face changed.

"How?"

"Because he was the one who imprisoned me."

My breath caught.

"You were imprisoned?"

"For years."

"Where?"

Selene looked toward the chamber walls.

"Here."

I stared at the ancient room.

"You've been here all this time?"

"Not exactly."

She walked toward a stone wall.

Her fingers traced one of the markings.

"There are passages beneath this territory."

She pressed her palm against the wall.

A hidden doorway opened.

Cold air rushed out.

"There are places even Darius doesn't know about."

Kael looked toward the passage.

"How did you survive?"

Selene looked at him.

"Someone helped me."

"Who?"

She didn't answer.

Ronan stepped forward.

"I know."

Selene looked at him.

"You shouldn't have come."

Ronan's expression hardened.

"I couldn't let her walk into this alone."

My eyes moved between them.

"You two know each other."

Selene sighed.

"Yes."

"How?"

Ronan answered.

"Your mother saved my life."

Selene shook her head.

"That's not the whole story."

"What is?"

She looked at me.

"Ronan was the one who helped me escape."

My mouth fell open.

"Then why didn't you come for me?"

Selene's eyes filled with tears.

"Because I couldn't."

"Why?"

She reached toward my face.

I didn't move away.

"When I escaped, Darius gave me a choice."

"What choice?"

"He threatened to kill you."

My breath caught.

"He told me that if I returned for you, he would find you."

"So you stayed away to protect me."

"Yes."

I looked down.

Part of me wanted to be angry.

Another part understood.

But there was still one question.

"Why now?"

Selene's expression became serious.

"Because you're awake."

"What does that mean?"

"Your powers have awakened."

"I noticed."

She almost smiled.

"There's more."

"Of course there is."

She took a deep breath.

"Your awakening has been detected by every Alpha bloodline."

My stomach dropped.

"Every one?"

"Yes."

Kael stepped forward.

"Then we have to move."

Selene shook her head.

"There's nowhere to run."

"What do you mean?"

"The awakening has already started the prophecy."

Ronan went pale.

"Which prophecy?"

Selene looked directly at me.

"The one the Alpha families spent centuries trying to prevent."

I felt cold.

"What prophecy?"

She took my hand.

"The Moonborn will return."

She looked toward Kael.

"And she will choose the Alpha who either saves the packs..."

Her voice lowered.

"...or destroys them."

Silence.

I looked at Kael.

He stared back at me.

Neither of us spoke.

Then a deep roar shook the chamber.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Ryder drew his weapon.

"What was that?"

Selene's face drained of color.

"They found us."

Kael immediately moved toward the entrance.

"Who?"

Selene grabbed my hand.

"The Dravens."

Another roar shook the walls.

Then came a voice from outside.

Calm.

Familiar.

Terrifying.

"Selene."

My blood ran cold.

Darius.

He had found us.

And this time, he wasn't coming to take me quietly.