The Alpha's Forbidden Luna

My Sister

Aria couldn't move.

For twenty-two years, she had believed she was alone.

She had grown up without a father.

She had never known she had a sister.

And now that sister was standing somewhere beyond the door.

"Aria."

The voice came again.

Soft.

Almost familiar.

Aria looked at Damon.

He was already standing.

"Stay behind me."

"No."

Damon looked at her.

"Aria."

"I'm going."

Cassian stepped between them.

"Let her."

Damon's jaw tightened.

"She could be dangerous."

Aria looked at him.

"Or she could be my sister."

That silenced him.

They walked into the main hall together.

The pack had gathered around the entrance.

Everyone was staring at the woman standing in the center.

She looked almost exactly like the woman from Aria's vision.

Long dark hair.

Pale skin.

Silver-gray eyes.

And on her wrist was the same crescent mark.

But there was one difference.

Lyra's mark had four stars.

Aria's had three.

The moment their eyes met, the hall became silent.

Lyra stared at Aria.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Lyra whispered,

"You're alive."

Aria swallowed.

"So are you."

Lyra smiled sadly.

"I wasn't sure."

Aria stepped closer.

"Why?"

Lyra looked around the hall.

"Because everyone who knew about us was told that one of us had to disappear."

Aria's heart tightened.

"Who told them?"

Lyra's eyes moved toward Damon.

"His family."

Damon immediately stepped forward.

"Careful."

Lyra didn't flinch.

"Your father knew about us."

Damon's expression hardened.

"My father is dead."

"That doesn't erase what he did."

The pack began whispering.

Cassian raised his voice.

"Everyone out."

The warriors immediately moved the pack members away.

Within moments, only Damon, Aria, Cassian, and Lyra remained.

Damon looked at Lyra.

"Explain."

Lyra folded her arms.

"I was taken from Silvermoon the night it fell."

Aria's breath caught.

"By whom?"

"Alpha Marcus Blackwood."

Damon stared at her.

"My father?"

Lyra nodded.

"He believed my blood could be used to control the Luna line."

Aria stepped forward.

"What about me?"

Lyra looked at her.

"Your mother hid you."

"Why?"

"Because she knew what he wanted."

Aria's voice shook.

"What did he want?"

Lyra hesitated.

"The power of the original Luna."

Damon frowned.

"There is no such power."

Lyra smiled faintly.

"That's what they wanted everyone to believe."

Aria looked at her wrist.

"What are the marks?"

Lyra walked closer.

"They are not just marks."

She gently touched Aria's wrist.

The moment their skin met, both marks began to glow.

Silver light filled the hall.

Damon stepped forward.

"Let go of her."

Lyra ignored him.

Aria suddenly heard a voice inside her mind.

Not Lyra's.

Not her own.

A woman's voice.

Their mother's.

My daughters.

Aria gasped.

Lyra pulled away.

"You heard her too."

Aria nodded.

"She's alive?"

Lyra shook her head.

"No."

"Then how?"

"The mark carries memories."

Aria stared at her.

"Why didn't you come for me?"

Lyra's expression broke.

"I tried."

"How?"

"I escaped three times."

"And?"

"They found me every time."

Aria's eyes filled with tears.

"Who?"

Lyra looked toward the doors.

"The people who are hunting you now."

Damon's expression darkened.

"Who are they?"

Lyra looked directly at him.

"The descendants of the old Luna guardians."

Cassian frowned.

"I thought they were extinct."

"They were supposed to be."

"Then why are they hunting Aria?"

Lyra's face became serious.

"Because she has something I don't."

Aria stared at her.

"What?"

Lyra looked at the stars on Aria's wrist.

"The third star."

Aria frowned.

"What does it mean?"

Lyra whispered,

"It means the Moon chose you."

Damon's eyes hardened.

"And you?"

Lyra looked down at her own mark.

"The fourth star means something else."

"What?"

She looked at Aria.

"It means I'm the one who can destroy the bond."

Silence.

Damon's face changed.

"Destroy what bond?"

Lyra looked between him and Aria.

"The bond between the Alpha and the forbidden Luna."

Aria's heart skipped.

Damon stared at Lyra.

"You knew."

"I've known since I was a child."

Aria turned toward Damon.

"What bond is she talking about?"

Damon didn't answer.

Lyra did.

"The Moon didn't choose Aria randomly."

She looked at Damon.

"It chose her because she is destined to become your Luna."

Aria's breath caught.

Damon's expression became unreadable.

"But if she accepts the bond..."

Lyra's voice lowered.

"She won't just become Luna."

Aria waited.

"What will she become?"

Lyra looked toward the moonlight coming through the windows.

"The first Luna powerful enough to challenge an Alpha's crown."

Before anyone could respond, a horn sounded outside.

Once.

Twice.

Then three times.

Cassian rushed toward the window.

His face went pale.

"Alpha."

Damon followed him.

"What?"

Cassian pointed toward the northern hills.

Hundreds of small lights were moving through the darkness.

Torches.

Too many to be a patrol.

Damon's expression hardened.

"How many?"

Cassian watched them approach.

"At least fifty."

Lyra stepped toward the window.

Her face changed.

"They found me."

Aria looked at her.

"Who?"

Lyra whispered,

"The Luna Guardians."

Then the first arrow struck the window.

The glass shattered.

Damon grabbed Aria and pulled her away.

Outside, a voice shouted through the night.

"Return the forbidden Luna!"

The packhouse shook as another arrow struck the wall.

Lyra looked at Aria.

"They aren't here for me."

Aria's heart pounded.

"They're here for you."

Lyra shook her head.

"No."

Her eyes met Aria's.

"They're here for you."