The Moon Chose Me Twice

Chapter Six — The Crown Beneath My Skin

I stared at my wrist.

The two crescent moons were gone.

In their place was a black crown.

Three sharp points.

A thin silver line running through the center.

I couldn't breathe.

"What is that?"

Nobody answered.

Kael was still holding me.

Lucian stood frozen beside us.

Darius looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

Even Elder Malachi had dropped his staff.

Then he whispered:

"The Crown of the First Moon."

My heart pounded.

"What does that mean?"

Malachi looked at me.

"It means the prophecy was wrong."

I swallowed.

"How?"

"The girl wasn't meant to carry the Moon's power."

He took a trembling breath.

"She was meant to become it."

Silence.

I stared at him.

"I don't understand."

Darius stepped forward.

"Your mother wasn't a Moonborn."

I frowned.

"You said she was."

"I was wrong."

He looked at my wrist.

"She was the last vessel of the First Moon."

My stomach twisted.

"And me?"

His eyes met mine.

"You're the next."

The room seemed to disappear.

"No."

My voice was barely audible.

"I'm just a werewolf."

Malachi shook his head.

"You were never just a werewolf."

I looked at Kael.

He was staring at me differently now.

Not with pity.

Not with fear.

With something else.

Awe.

I hated it.

"I don't want this."

Lucian stepped closer.

"You didn't choose it."

"Then why me?"

"Because your bloodline chose you."

I looked at him.

"You knew."

He hesitated.

"I suspected."

"You knew!"

His eyes filled with regret.

"I didn't know everything."

"But you knew enough to search for me."

"Yes."

I stepped away from everyone.

"All of you lied to me."

No one denied it.

That hurt more than anything.

---

Outside, the pack was in chaos.

The Blood Moon wolves had disappeared after Serena's transformation.

But they had left destruction behind.

Broken windows.

Burned trees.

Blood across the ground.

And dozens of injured wolves.

I walked through the ruins in silence.

Everyone stared at me.

Some bowed their heads.

Others stepped away.

I heard whispers.

"She's the First Moon."

"She's dangerous."

"She'll destroy us."

I stopped.

For years, I had been invisible.

Now everyone was looking at me.

And I had never felt more alone.

Lila approached slowly.

Her eyes were red from crying.

"Amara."

I didn't look at her.

"Go away."

She stopped.

"Please."

"You lied to me."

"I know."

"You watched me grow up."

"Yes."

"You knew everything."

"Not everything."

I turned.

"Enough."

She started crying.

"I was scared."

"So was I."

"I wanted to tell you."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because they threatened my family."

I stared at her.

"Who?"

"The Blood Moon."

"And you chose them over me."

"No."

She shook her head.

"I chose to keep you alive."

I laughed bitterly.

"By spying on me?"

"I was supposed to report when your mark appeared."

"But you didn't."

"No."

"Why?"

She wiped her tears.

"Because somewhere along the way..."

Her voice broke.

"...you stopped being my assignment."

She looked at me.

"You became my family."

I didn't know what to say.

I wanted to hate her.

Maybe part of me still did.

But another part remembered every birthday.

Every secret.

Every night she'd stayed awake when I was sick.

Every time she'd defended me.

I looked away.

"I need time."

She nodded.

"I'll give you that."

Then she walked away.

---

That night, I couldn't sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the woman beneath the red moon.

The First Moon.

Her voice echoed inside my head.

You are the next.

I sat beside the window.

The moon was silver again.

Peaceful.

Almost innocent.

A knock came at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

Lucian.

I hesitated.

"Come in."

He entered quietly.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he sat across from me.

"You hate me."

I looked at him.

"I don't hate you."

"You're angry."

"Yes."

"You should be."

I frowned.

"That's all you're going to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

He looked down.

"My father found out about you when you were born."

I listened.

"He believed the prophecy meant you would destroy the werewolf world."

"So he wanted me dead."

"Yes."

My heart tightened.

"But your father disagreed."

"Why?"

"Because your father believed the prophecy had been misunderstood."

I frowned.

"How?"

"Your father believed you weren't destined to destroy the world."

"What did he think?"

Lucian looked into my eyes.

"That you were destined to end the war between wolves and the Moon."

I swallowed.

"Then why did he hide me?"

"Because the Blood Moon wanted to use you."

"Use me for what?"

"To awaken the First Moon."

I looked at my wrist.

"The crown."

He nodded.

"Your father stole the Moonstone because it was the only thing capable of suppressing your power."

I touched the pendant hanging around my neck.

"So this kept me normal."

"Yes."

"Then why did it stop working?"

"Because you were rejected."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"The first mate bond was part of the seal."

I slowly understood.

"When Kael rejected me..."

"The seal broke."

"And the second bond?"

Lucian's expression changed.

"That was never a normal mate bond."

My heart skipped.

"What is it?"

He moved closer.

"It's a bond between you and the First Moon."

I stared at him.

"Then why do I feel something when I'm near you?"

His eyes softened.

"Because your power is connected to mine."

"How?"

He hesitated.

"My mother was a Moon Guardian."

I frowned.

"What's that?"

"Guardians were chosen to protect the First Moon's vessels."

I looked at him.

"Your mother protected my mother."

"Yes."

"And you?"

"I inherited the bond."

I stared at him.

"So you were never my second mate?"

He shook his head.

"Not exactly."

My heart sank.

"Then what are you?"

He looked at me.

"Your Guardian."

The word echoed through my mind.

Guardian.

Not mate.

Not Alpha.

Something else.

"Then why did my wolf call you mate?"

Lucian's expression became unreadable.

"Because the Moon doesn't always distinguish between protection and possession."

I frowned.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It will."

"When?"

"When you remember."

I stared at him.

"Remember what?"

He reached toward my wrist.

I didn't stop him.

His fingers touched the black crown.

Pain flashed through my body.

Suddenly, I heard a heartbeat.

Not mine.

His.

Then another.

Mine.

They synchronized.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The room filled with silver light.

Lucian pulled his hand away.

His eyes widened.

"What?"

I looked down.

The crown had changed.

A tiny silver crescent appeared at its center.

Lucian whispered:

"That's impossible."

"What?"

He looked terrified.

"The bond is evolving."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're not becoming the First Moon."

I stared at him.

"Then what am I becoming?"

Before he could answer, the door burst open.

Kael stood there.

His face was pale.

"Amara."

I stood.

"What happened?"

He looked at Lucian.

Then back at me.

"It's Serena."

My stomach dropped.

"What about her?"

"She's gone."

"Where?"

Kael swallowed.

"She took someone."

"Who?"

His eyes met mine.

"Lila."

I froze.

"No."

"She left a message."

He handed me a piece of black cloth.

A symbol had been burned into it.

The same black crown on my wrist.

Then words appeared beneath it.

COME ALONE.

My heart pounded.

"Where?"

Kael looked toward the forest.

"The old Moon Temple."

Lucian immediately shook his head.

"You're not going."

I turned toward him.

"I'm going."

"It's a trap."

"I know."

"Then why would you go?"

"Because Lila is there."

Kael stepped forward.

"I'm coming."

I looked at him.

"No."

"Amara—"

"You rejected me."

His expression tightened.

"I know."

"You chose Serena."

"I know."

"So this time, I'm choosing."

He stared at me.

I turned toward Lucian.

"And you're staying too."

He frowned.

"Why?"

"Because if you are really my Guardian..."

I held up my wrist.

"...then you need to trust me."

Neither man spoke.

I walked toward the door.

Then stopped.

Something inside me whispered.

Don't go to the temple.

I froze.

The voice wasn't the First Moon.

It was my wolf.

It's not Lila they want.

My heart began racing.

It's you.

I looked back at Lucian.

"Something is wrong."

He immediately moved toward me.

"What?"

"I don't think they're using Lila as bait."

Kael frowned.

"Then what?"

I looked down at the black crown.

"I think..."

The mark suddenly burned.

"...they want me to walk into the temple willingly."

A voice echoed through the walls.

Soft.

Female.

Familiar.

Good girl.

I froze.

I knew that voice.

My mother's.

But she was dead.

Or so I'd been told.

The voice whispered again.

Come to me, Amara.

I dropped the cloth.

Lucian caught my arm.

"What's wrong?"

I looked at him.

"My mother."

Kael's face changed.

"What about her?"

I could barely speak.

"She's alive."

The lights in the room went out.

And from somewhere deep inside the forest...

a woman's voice began singing the lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was a child.

The lullaby I had never told anyone about.

Not even Elara.

My blood ran cold.

Because there was only one person who could know that song.

My mother.

And suddenly, I understood the terrible truth.

The woman beneath the red moon hadn't been a memory.

She had been calling me.

All along.