CHAPTER 1: DESTINY DEFINED
1282 Words
5 Years Ago.
They were alone on the terrace building at the centre of Silver Crest, the moon hanging low and full, washing the stones in silver light. Zanny sat with her legs drawn close, her cloak wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Selene leaned against the balustrade, watching the distant training grounds where Clay’s warriors sparred even at night.
“He doesn’t even know how powerful he is when he’s quiet,” Selene said softly, a smile playing on her lips. “Most men boast. Clay doesn’t. He stands there, like the world already belongs to him.”
Zanny smiled faintly. “That’s what unsettles people. He doesn’t need to demand loyalty. It comes to him.”
Selene turned to her, her eyes bright with a mix of admiration and longing. “I love how steady he is. When everything feels like it could fall apart, he doesn’t waver. Being near him feels like safety.”
Zanny’s gaze drifted to the moon. “I love his restraint. The way he carries the weight of the pack without complaining. He’s lonely, Selene. Even when surrounded by wolves, he stands alone.”
Selene laughed quietly. “That loneliness is exactly why you should marry him.”
“Why not you, my dear friend?” Zanny asked with a smile.
“Aha!” Selene exclaimed. “I am still your slave, a widow, and I am not from here.”
Zanny looked down, “Don’t be too harsh on yourself.”
“You should marry him. The man is lonely and lacks relevance,” Selene said.
Zanny looked at her then, surprised. “You think marriage is a kindness?”
“I think it’s protection,” Selene said, lowering her voice. “For you. For him. You know the council is restless. There are enemies watching Silver Crest. Clay needs a Luna with strength, and you need an Alpha no one would dare challenge. Together, you’d be untouchable.”
Zanny studied her friend carefully, searching her face for doubt and finding none. “You speak as if this is a choice.”
Selene shrugged lightly. “Isn’t it?”
Zanny’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “I am royalty, Selene. My bloodline was blessed long before Clay was born. The Moon Goddess marked me as Luna the moment I took my first breath.”
Selene’s brows lifted. “So you’ll accept?”
Zanny rose slowly, her presence suddenly heavier, more commanding. “It isn’t about acceptance. Clay has no choice. The bond will be sealed whether he resists it or not. This marriage isn’t for protection. It’s destiny.”
Selene looked away then, her fingers tightening around the stone railing. “Destiny,” she repeated softly.
Zanny reached out and squeezed her hand, trusting, unaware of the shadow that flickered briefly in Selene’s eyes. “He will be a great Alpha,” Zanny said. “And I will be the Luna he needs.”
Selene forced a smile. “Yes,” she said. “Exactly what he needs.”
Above them, the moon burned brighter, silent witness to a friendship balanced on a truth that would one day shatter them both.
The ladies decided to retire to their chambers. They had seen enough and admired a man who took no notice of them.
The fire had burned low, leaving the chamber washed in soft amber light. Zanny sat on the edge of the cushioned bench, absently turning the silver ring on her finger, her thoughts far from the quiet room. Selene stood nearby, arms folded, watching her with an unusually serious expression.
“Zanny,” Selene said at last, breaking the silence. “There’s something you need to consider.”
Zanny looked up. “You sound like you’re about to scold me.”
Selene smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“From Clay?” Zanny asked, half amused.
Selene moved closer, lowering her voice as if the walls themselves might listen. “From what he could become.”
Zanny’s smile faded. “Clay is disciplined. He controls his wolf.”
“He controls it now,” Selene said carefully. “But Alphas carry more than authority. They carry hunger. Bloodlust comes with power, especially when war or challenge is involved.”
Zanny straightened. “Are you saying he would hurt me?”
“I’m saying no one truly knows what lives inside an Alpha when the moon is high, and the pack demands strength,” Selene replied. “Even the best of them can lose themselves.”
Zanny studied her friend’s face, searching for fear, for exaggeration, for jealousy. She found none. Only concern.
“I won’t be helpless,” Zanny said quietly. “I was raised to be more than an ornament beside a throne.”
Selene nodded, relief flickering across her features. “Then promise me something.”
“What?”
“Learn to defend yourself,” Selene said. “Not because Clay is cruel, but because power changes people. If the day ever comes when his instincts outweigh his reason, I want you to be able to stand your ground. Not as his Luna, but as his equal.”
Zanny exhaled slowly. “You speak as if you expect darkness.”
Selene reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I expect reality. And in this world, love alone is never enough to keep a woman safe.”
Zanny held her gaze, a quiet resolve settling in her chest. “Then I will learn,” she said. “Not out of fear… but so I never have to kneel.”
Selene smiled then, satisfied. “Good,” she said softly. “Because queens who can fight are never easily broken.”
Suddenly, they hear a low but angry growl.
“Did you hear that?” asked Selene.
“I thought I was the only one hearing that sound. It is not a wolf, and it’s surely a sign of black magic,” replied Zanny.
The wind changed.
It came first as a low vibration beneath their feet, a subtle tremor that made the stones hum. Zanny stiffened, her instincts flaring before her mind could catch up. Selene’s grip tightened on her hand.
“Do you feel that?” Selene whispered.
The fire behind them made a series of soft, explosive sounds and went out all at once, plunging the chamber into moonlit darkness. The forest and beyond went unnaturally still. No insects. No night birds. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Then the bushes at the edge of the chambers began to part.
A massive shape stepped forward.
It was neither a wolf nor a full beast. Its shoulders rose higher than a warhorse’s back, muscles rolling beneath dark, matted fur that shimmered faintly with bloodlight. Its eyes burned a vicious amber, locked on them with intelligent hunger. Long claws scraped against stone as it lowered itself, lips peeling back to reveal fangs wet with saliva.
Zanny’s heart slammed against her ribs.
Selene slowly moved in front of her, voice trembling but firm. “Don’t run.”
The beast growled, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated through Zanny’s bones. It crouched, hind legs coiling, ready to spring. The air filled with the scent of blood and rage.
Zanny felt something stir inside her, sharp and unfamiliar, like a locked door beginning to c***k open. Her breath came shallow as the beast’s gaze flicked between them, calculating and choosing.
One heartbeat passed, then another
The beast lunged.
And at that moment, Zanny realised, in that frozen instant, that everything Selene had warned her about had just become terrifyingly real.
- Writer
