The Last Moon Queen
1024 Words
The night the Moon Goddess was supposed to bless Lyra...
She rejected her instead.
---
The Silver Moon Pack stood beneath the sacred Moonstone, waiting for the annual Mate Ceremony.
Hundreds of wolves filled the courtyard.
Excitement shimmered in every eye.
Tonight, every unmated wolf would discover the person chosen by fate.
Lyra stood quietly at the back of the crowd.
She wore a simple white dress.
No expensive jewelry.
No title.
No family beside her.
Only hope.
For years, she had dreamed of this night.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
She would finally belong somewhere.
---
"The Alpha has arrived!"
A loud voice echoed across the courtyard.
Every head turned.
Alpha Kael walked into the ceremony wearing a black suit embroidered with silver wolf symbols.
Tall.
Handsome.
Powerful.
The strongest Alpha in the Northern Territories.
Women held their breath as he passed.
Men lowered their eyes in respect.
His icy blue gaze never lingered on anyone.
Until...
It stopped on Lyra.
Her heart skipped.
His wolf had noticed her.
---
The High Priest raised the Moonstone toward the sky.
A silver light descended from the full moon.
The entire courtyard became silent.
"Moon Goddess..."
The priest whispered.
"Reveal the sacred bonds."
Silver threads of light spread across the gathering.
One after another, glowing marks appeared on the wrists of mated pairs.
Cheers erupted.
Laughter filled the air.
Then...
A brilliant silver beam shot directly toward Lyra.
At the exact same moment...
Another beam struck Alpha Kael.
Gasps echoed across the courtyard.
"The Alpha's mate..."
"It's Lyra!"
"No way..."
"An orphan?"
Lyra's breathing stopped.
Her wrist burned.
A beautiful crescent moon appeared on her skin.
She slowly looked at Kael.
He was her mate.
The Moon Goddess herself had chosen him.
For one perfect heartbeat...
She believed destiny had smiled upon her.
Then Kael spoke.
"I reject her."
Silence crashed over the ceremony.
Lyra felt as though the world had disappeared beneath her feet.
The bond on her wrist cracked.
Pain exploded through her chest.
Someone screamed.
Only after several seconds did she realize...
It was her.
Kael looked at her without emotion.
"My Luna will never be a nobody."
"I refuse this bond."
The crowd erupted into whispers.
"Poor girl..."
"She was rejected in front of everyone."
"How embarrassing."
Lyra fought to remain standing.
Every word cut deeper than a blade.
She looked into Kael's eyes, searching for regret.
She found none.
Only cold determination.
Above them...
The full moon disappeared behind dark clouds.
As thunder rolled across the sky...
No one noticed the ancient silver mark hidden beneath Lyra's rejected mate mark begin to glow.
The silver glow beneath Lyra's rejected mate mark pulsed only once.
Then it disappeared.
No one seemed to notice.
No one...
Except an old woman standing at the very edge of the ceremony.
Hidden beneath a black cloak, her silver eyes widened with disbelief.
"It awakened..."
She whispered.
"So the prophecy was true."
Before anyone could notice her, she melted back into the shadows.
---
Lyra's knees finally gave way.
She collapsed onto the cold stone floor.
The pain wasn't only in her heart.
Every rejected mate felt the bond break.
But this...
This felt different.
It was as if something deep inside her was trying to wake up.
She clutched her chest, struggling to breathe.
---
The High Priest stared at Alpha Kael.
"You understand the consequences of rejecting the Moon Goddess's chosen mate?"
Kael's expression never changed.
"I do."
"I reject Lyra Ashwood before the Moon Goddess and my entire pack."
A cold wind swept across the courtyard.
The sacred Moonstone suddenly lost its glow.
Several elders exchanged uneasy glances.
Something about this rejection felt... wrong.
---
"Leave."
Kael's voice was emotionless.
"You are no longer welcome beside me."
Laughter erupted from several members of the pack.
"I knew she'd never become Luna."
"An orphan becoming our queen? Ridiculous."
"She should be grateful the Alpha even looked at her."
Every cruel word struck like another wound.
Lyra slowly forced herself back to her feet.
Tears blurred her vision.
But she refused to let them see her cry.
She turned away without another word.
If fate didn't want her here...
Then neither did she.
---
Rain began falling the moment she stepped beyond the pack gates.
Within seconds, her white dress was soaked.
She kept walking.
No destination.
No plan.
Only away.
Far behind her, the celebration resumed as if nothing had happened.
Music returned.
Laughter echoed through the night.
The Silver Moon Pack had already forgotten the girl they had humiliated.
---
Hours later...
Lyra reached the edge of the Whispering Forest.
Every child knew the stories.
No wolf entered after sunset.
Those who did...
Never returned.
She looked back one final time.
The lights of the Silver Moon Pack shimmered in the distance.
Not a single person had come after her.
Not even her mate.
A bitter smile crossed her lips.
"So this..."
"...is what being rejected feels like."
She stepped into the forest.
---
The trees seemed alive.
Silver mist drifted between ancient trunks.
The deeper she walked, the quieter the world became.
Even the rain stopped.
Suddenly...
A howl echoed through the darkness.
Not one wolf.
Many.
They surrounded her.
Golden eyes slowly appeared between the trees.
One.
Three.
Ten.
More than twenty wolves emerged from the shadows.
Their massive bodies dwarfed ordinary werewolves.
Their fur shimmered beneath the moonlight.
Lyra backed away.
"I don't want trouble..."
The wolves didn't attack.
Instead...
Every single one lowered its head.
She froze.
"What..."
The largest wolf stepped forward.
Its silver fur glowed brighter than the others.
Its eyes never left hers.
Then, in a voice that echoed directly inside her mind, it spoke.
"Welcome home... My Queen."
Before Lyra could react, a blinding silver light erupted beneath her feet.
The ancient mark hidden beneath her rejected mate bond blazed to life.
Far away...
Inside the Silver Moon Pack...
Alpha Kael suddenly collapsed to one knee.
A searing pain tore through his chest.
His wolf howled in panic.
"You rejected the wrong mate."
Kael's eyes widened.
For the first time in his life...
Fear entered his heart.
- Writer
