Chapter 03: The Claim
2217 Words
The Silver Moon Pack's ceremonial grounds looked even more beautiful tonight than it had yesterday. White roses and moonflowers everywhere, candles floating in the air through magic, and hundreds of wolves dressed in their finest.
But Nova barely saw any of it.
All she could focus on was the whispers that followed her entrance. The shocked stares. The gasps.
"Is that Nova Sterling?"
"Who's that with her?"
"Oh my gods, that's Zane Blackthorn!"
"The Alpha King? What's he doing here?!"
Nova's hand tightened on Zane's arm. He glanced down at her, and though his expression remained neutral, his eyes softened slightly.
"Breathe," he murmured, too quiet for anyone else to hear. "You're safe."
The crowd parted before them like water. No one dared stand in the Alpha King's path. Nova held her head high, channeling every ounce of strength she had left. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break again.
At the head of the gathering, on the elevated platform, stood Tyler and Scarlett. The moment Tyler saw Nova, his face went pale.
"Nova?" Her name escaped his lips like a question, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Scarlett's red lips curved into a sneer. "Well, well. I didn't expect you to show your face here again after—" Her words died as her eyes landed on Zane. All the color drained from her face. "Alpha King Blackthorn?"
The crowd fell silent. Everyone knew who Zane was. The most powerful Alpha in the northern territories. A wolf who commanded armies and controlled billion-dollar empires. Ruthless. Dangerous. Untouchable.
And he was here. With Nova.
"Tyler Cross," Zane's voice carried across the grounds, cold and sharp as a blade. "I believe you rejected this woman yesterday."
Tyler swallowed hard. Even from a distance, Nova could see him trembling. "I... Alpha King, this is pack business—"
"Answer the question."
The command in Zane's voice made several wolves in the crowd lower their heads in submission. Tyler's knees actually buckled slightly.
"Yes," Tyler forced out. "I rejected her."
"Because she was weak." It wasn't a question. Zane's tone made it clear what he thought of that reasoning.
"She has no wolf!" Tyler's voice rose defensively. "She's wolfless, powerless. I couldn't—"
"You couldn't see past your own stupidity," Zane cut him off. "You had something precious, and you threw it away. Your loss, Cross. Because Nova Sterling is under my protection now."
The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Scarlett's face twisted with jealousy. And Tyler... Tyler looked like he'd been punched in the gut.
"Protection?" Scarlett stepped forward, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Surely the Alpha King doesn't waste his time on broken little Omegas. Nova is—"
"Careful," Zane said softly. But that softness held more threat than any shout. "Finish that sentence, and I'll consider it a personal insult."
Scarlett's mouth snapped shut.
Nova's heart was pounding. She'd expected Zane to defend her, but this? This was more than defense. This was a declaration.
"In fact," Zane continued, his arm moving from Nova's hand to wrap possessively around her waist, "let me make this perfectly clear to everyone here."
He turned to face the crowd, and his Alpha presence exploded outward. It was like standing next to a bonfire—overwhelming, powerful, impossible to ignore. Nova felt wolves all around them lower their heads in submission.
"Nova Sterling is mine," Zane declared, his voice carrying to every corner of the grounds. "My Luna. My mate. Anyone who disrespects her, disrespects me. And anyone who tries to harm her..." His eyes glowed with his wolf, black as midnight. "Will answer to me personally."
Silence. Complete, utter silence.
Then the whispers started. Shocked. Awed. Jealous.
Nova couldn't breathe. Had he just... had he just called her his Luna? In front of everyone?
Tyler's face had gone from pale to red. "This is insane! You can't just—she's nothing! A wolfless reject!"
"She's everything." Zane's voice dropped to a deadly quiet. "And you were too blind to see it."
"But I'm her fated mate!" Tyler shouted. "The Moon Goddess herself—"
"Made a mistake," a new voice said.
Everyone turned.
A figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the grounds. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with brown hair and amber eyes that gleamed in the moonlight. He wore combat gear—all black, with weapons strapped to his thighs and back. He moved with a predator's grace, and the scars on his visible skin told stories of countless battles.
Nova's breath caught. Not because of his appearance, though he was striking. But because the moment their eyes met, she felt it.
That pull. That connection. Just like with Zane.
What the hell was happening?
"Who are you?" Tyler demanded, though he'd taken a step back. This new wolf radiated danger.
"Asher Kane," the man said, his eyes never leaving Nova. "Commander of the Northern Wolf Guard."
More gasps from the crowd. The Northern Wolf Guard was legendary—an elite force of warriors who served the Alpha King. And this man was their commander.
Asher walked forward, completely ignoring Tyler, until he stood in front of Nova. Up close, she could see his amber eyes more clearly. There was something wild in them. Something that called to a part of her she didn't understand.
"You," he said softly. "I've been looking for you."
"Me?" Nova's voice came out as a whisper. "Why?"
Asher reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted. When she didn't, his hand cupped her cheek. The moment he touched her, warmth flooded through Nova's body. The rejection mark, which had been a constant ache, soothed even further.
"Because you're mine too," Asher said.
The crowd exploded.
"What?!"
"Two mates?!"
"That's impossible!"
But Nova barely heard them. She was too busy staring at Asher, then at Zane. Both of them were looking at her with the same intensity, the same possessiveness.
"I don't understand," she said, her head spinning.
"Neither do I," Zane admitted, his arm still around her waist. "But I feel it. The bond."
"So do I," Asher said. His thumb brushed across Nova's cheek. "My wolf recognized you the moment I saw you last night."
"Last night?" Nova frowned. "But we didn't meet last night."
"You didn't see me," Asher corrected. "I was in the forest. On patrol. I felt your pain..." His jaw clenched. "Your rejection. And my wolf went crazy. I tracked your scent, but by the time I found you, he—" He nodded at Zane. "—had already taken you."
"So you followed us," Zane said. It wasn't a question.
"Damn right I did." Asher's eyes flashed. "If she's my mate, I'm not letting her out of my sight."
"She's MY mate," Zane growled.
"She's MINE!"
"Excuse me," Tyler's voice cut through their argument. "But Nova is MY fated mate! This is all wrong! She can't have two mates! It's—"
"Actually," another voice interrupted. This one was softer, cultured. "She can."
A third man emerged from the crowd. He was slender compared to Zane and Asher, with golden hair and kind green eyes. He wore an elegant suit and carried himself with quiet confidence. But there was something about him—a gentle power—that made people step aside.
"Dr. Elias Reed," someone whispered. "The pack healer."
Elias approached the platform, his eyes fixed on Nova. And damn it, she felt it again. That pull. That impossible connection.
No. No, this couldn't be happening.
"Elias," Zane said carefully. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to examine the rejected wolf," Elias said. "I heard about yesterday's ceremony. Rejection marks can be fatal if not treated properly." His green eyes softened as they met Nova's. "But now that I'm here, I understand why you called me, Zane. You needed confirmation."
"Confirmation of what?" Nova asked, her voice shaking.
Elias climbed onto the platform, and the crowd watched in stunned silence as he approached Nova. "May I?" He gestured to her chest, where the rejection mark burned beneath her dress.
Nova nodded, too confused to refuse.
Elias pressed his palm against her heart, and green light glowed beneath his hand—healing magic. Nova gasped as warmth spread through her chest, soothing the last of the rejection pain.
But more than that, she felt connected to him. Just like with Zane and Asher.
Elias's eyes widened. "It's true," he whispered. "The old bloodline. The prophecy."
"What prophecy?" Nova demanded. "What's happening to me?!"
"You're special," Elias said gently. "More special than anyone here realizes. Your blood—it's not normal wolf blood. It's—"
"Enough."
The fourth voice that interrupted was cold, commanding, and came from above.
Everyone looked up.
On the roof of the ceremonial building stood a figure cloaked in darkness. As they watched, he jumped—a fall that should have broken bones—and landed gracefully on the platform. The moonlight revealed him fully.
He had long dark blue hair pulled into a ponytail, sharp features, and eyes of the deepest purple Nova had ever seen. He wore traditional robes that marked him as one of the old families. Ancient magic hummed around him.
"Orion Night," Elias breathed. "The Prophecy Keeper."
Orion's purple eyes scanned the crowd with disdain before landing on Nova. For a long moment, he just stared at her. Then, finally, he spoke.
"The prophecy has begun," he said. "The Star-Moon Luna has awakened."
"Star-Moon Luna?" Scarlett laughed shrilly. "That's just a myth!"
"All myths have truth," Orion said coldly. He approached Nova, and she saw something flash in his eyes—surprise? Recognition? "You are the one the stars foretold. The Luna who will bond with not one, but five Alphas."
Five.
The word echoed in Nova's mind.
"Five?" she repeated numbly. "But that's—"
"Impossible?" Orion's lips curved in the faintest smile. "No. Just rare. The last Star-Moon Luna lived a thousand years ago. She was bonded to five Alphas, and together, they saved the wolf world from destruction." His purple eyes burned into hers. "And now, history repeats."
"This is insane!" Tyler shouted. "She can't have five mates! She's MINE!"
"She was never yours," a fifth voice said.
This time, the voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Then, all the electronic devices in the area—phones, cameras, the ceremonial screens—flickered to life. On every screen appeared the same face.
Silver-white hair. Ice-blue eyes. A smirk that promised chaos.
"Hey, little Luna," the face on the screens said. "Miss me? Oh wait, we haven't met yet. I'm Kai Frost. And before anyone asks—yes, I'm her fifth Alpha. Nice to meet you all."
The screens switched to show footage—Tyler and Scarlett, in compromising positions, discussing how they'd planned Nova's humiliation together. How they'd always known she was Tyler's fated mate, but Scarlett had wanted him anyway. How they'd plotted to break Nova so thoroughly she'd never recover.
The crowd's gasps turned to outrage.
"That video is fake!" Scarlett shrieked.
"Is it?" Kai's voice came through the speakers. "Because I have about fifty more just like it. Oh, and Tyler? Your bank records are very interesting. All those payments to dark witches for false mate-bonding spells? Yeah, those are public now too."
Tyler's face went white as a sheet.
"You see, Nova," Kai continued, his ice-blue eyes staring directly into the camera, "these assholes didn't deserve you. But don't worry. Your five Alphas? We're going to treat you like the queen you are."
The screens went dark.
Nova couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Five Alphas. A prophecy. A Luna who could save the world.
This couldn't be real.
But when she looked around, she saw them. Zane, with his arm still protectively around her waist. Asher, standing guard like a warrior ready to fight the world. Elias, with his gentle, healing presence. Orion, watching her with those mysterious purple eyes.
And somewhere out there, Kai Frost, the mysterious hacker who'd just destroyed her ex's life in a matter of minutes.
Five Alphas.
All claiming she was theirs.
"I need to leave," Nova said suddenly. "I need—I can't—"
"Nova—" Tyler started.
"Don't," she snapped, and was shocked by the strength in her own voice. "Don't you dare say my name. You rejected me. You called me weak, powerless, unworthy. Well, guess what, Tyler?" She looked at him with all the anger and hurt she'd been holding back. "Maybe I am those things. Or maybe I'm everything you were too blind to see. Either way, you don't get to claim me now."
She turned to the crowd, her voice ringing clear.
"I don't know what this prophecy is. I don't know why these five Alphas think I'm their mate. But I know one thing—I'm done being treated like I'm nothing."
And with that, Nova Sterling walked off the platform.
Behind her, five Alphas exchanged glances. Then, as one, they followed.
Leaving Tyler Cross standing alone, watching the woman he'd rejected walk away with five of the most powerful wolves in existence.
And realizing, far too late, that he'd made the biggest mistake of his life.
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**End of Chapter 03**
- Writer
