SOLD TO SIX ALPHA'S

Chapter 16: The Moon Goddess

The sky went completely silent.

I stood frozen beneath the enormous silver moon.

Two glowing eyes stared down at me.

Not human.

Not wolf.

Something far older.

Something that made every Alpha in the courtyard lower his head.

Even my mother fell to one knee.

"Mother?" I whispered.

She didn't look at me.

"Don't challenge her."

My heart pounded.

"Why?"

"Because she is the one being our kingdom has feared for centuries."

The voice from the sky returned.

"Lyra."

My name sounded like thunder.

I forced myself to look up.

"What do you want?"

Kael immediately stepped beside me.

"Lyra, don't."

But I couldn't retreat anymore.

I'd spent eighteen years running from people who wanted to control me.

I was done.

"What do you want from me?"

The silver eyes narrowed.

"Your power."

The answer was immediate.

"Why?"

"Because it belongs to me."

My wrist burned.

The six seals lit up at once.

I cried out and dropped to my knees.

Kael caught me.

"Fight it!"

"I am!"

The Moon Goddess's voice echoed across the kingdom.

"You cannot fight what you were created to become."

I looked up.

"Created?"

My mother suddenly stood.

"Don't listen to her!"

The Moon Goddess turned her gaze toward Elara.

"You have lied to your daughter long enough."

Elara's face went pale.

"What lie?"

I looked at my mother.

She couldn't meet my eyes.

My heart sank.

"Mother?"

She remained silent.

I stepped away from Kael.

"Tell me."

Elara finally looked at me.

"You weren't born naturally."

The courtyard went silent.

"What?"

Her voice trembled.

"You were created from Moon Goddess blood."

I couldn't breathe.

"You mean..."

"You are not completely human."

Luna stirred inside me.

She's telling the truth.

I looked at my hands.

The silver veins beneath my skin were glowing.

"What am I?"

Elara's eyes filled with tears.

"The first Moonborn."

The Moon Goddess smiled.

"My daughter."

I shook my head.

"No."

The words came out weakly.

"I am my mother's daughter."

The Moon Goddess's voice softened.

"You are both."

I looked at Elara.

She walked toward me.

"I loved you from the moment I held you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wanted you to have a normal life."

I laughed through my tears.

"A normal life?"

I looked around.

"Nothing about my life has ever been normal."

Elara lowered her head.

"I know."

Suddenly, the Moon Goddess raised her hand.

A beam of silver light descended toward me.

Kael stepped in front of me.

"Don't touch her."

The Moon Goddess's voice became cold.

"Move, Alpha."

Kael didn't move.

The six Alphas gathered around me.

Darius shifted first.

Zayne followed.

Lucian and Cassian stood beside them.

Even Rowan, wounded and barely standing, rose to his feet.

The Moon Goddess stared at them.

"You would challenge me?"

Kael's eyes flashed.

"We protect her."

The Goddess laughed.

"You are nothing beside me."

The silver light struck.

All six Alphas were thrown backward.

"Kael!"

I ran toward him.

He was unconscious.

Blood trickled from his forehead.

Something inside me snapped.

I stood.

My six seals burned.

The ground cracked beneath my feet.

"Leave them alone."

The Moon Goddess looked at me.

"Or what?"

I raised my hand.

"I'll fight you."

My mother grabbed my arm.

"Lyra, you can't."

"Why?"

"Because she's a goddess."

I looked at the six Alphas lying behind me.

Then I looked at the sky.

"Maybe."

The silver light gathered around my body.

"But I'm her daughter."

The Moon Goddess's eyes widened.

For the first time, she looked afraid.

"You don't understand what you're awakening."

I smiled through my tears.

"Then I'll learn."

The six seals exploded with light.

The entire Moon Kingdom shook.

The clouds split apart.

And a massive silver wolf appeared behind me.

Luna.

But she wasn't the wolf I had known.

She was enormous.

Ancient.

Her eyes burned like stars.

The Moon Goddess stared at her.

"Impossible."

Luna stepped forward.

You wanted your power back.

Her voice echoed through the kingdom.

Then come and take it.

The Moon Goddess screamed.

The sky cracked.

Silver lightning struck the palace.

And suddenly, the voice of the Moon Goddess disappeared.

Silence returned.

I looked at Luna.

"What did you do?"

She turned toward me.

I awakened.

I swallowed.

"And now?"

Luna looked toward the dark mountains.

Now we prepare for war.

A horn sounded in the distance.

Then another.

Then hundreds.

My mother looked toward the horizon.

Her face became pale.

"What's wrong?"

She whispered:

"Malric has gathered every enemy of the Moon Kingdom."

Kael slowly opened his eyes.

"How many?"

Elara looked at the approaching army.

"Enough to destroy the kingdom."

I stared at the horizon.

For the first time, I didn't feel afraid.

I felt ready.

Then a messenger came running toward us.

"Your Majesty!"

I turned.

"What happened?"

He fell to his knees.

"Malric has captured someone."

My heart tightened.

"Who?"

The messenger looked at me.

"Your father's location has been discovered."

My blood ran cold.

"And Malric is taking him..."

He swallowed.

"...to the execution grounds."

I looked at Kael.

Then at my mother.

Then toward the distant army.

My father had waited eighteen years to see me.

I wasn't going to lose him now.

I stepped forward.

"Prepare the army."

Elara stared at me.

"Lyra..."

I looked back.

"I'm going to war."

And somewhere beyond the mountains, Malric's laughter echoed through the night.