ECLIPSE

Episode 4—The Alpha's Daughter.

By Thursday, the note had disappeared from my thoughts.

Mostly.

I had thrown it away the night before.

Or at least, I thought I had.

I didn't believe in mysterious messages.

I believed in people playing stupid jokes.

I believed in coincidence.

And I definitely believed in the fact that Blackwood Academy had too many bored teenagers with too much free time.

So when I woke up and found the same three words written across the corner of my bedroom mirror, I stared at them for several seconds.

THE MOON REMEMBERS.

I blinked.

Then I rubbed my eyes.

The words were still there.

I reached for a cloth and wiped the mirror.

Nothing.

Just glass.

I stood there for another moment.

"Okay."

I pointed at my reflection.

"We're not doing this."

My reflection looked unconvinced.

Neither was I.

---

By the time I reached school, I'd convinced myself it was nothing.

That lasted approximately twenty minutes.

"Luna."

I looked up from my locker.

Maya was standing beside me.

"You're late."

"I'm aware."

"You look weird."

"Thanks."

"You know what I mean."

I shut my locker.

"I didn't sleep well."

"Nightmares?"

"No."

That wasn't exactly true.

I hadn't dreamed.

I'd simply spent most of the night waking up for no reason.

Every time I opened my eyes, the moon was shining through my window.

It had felt...

closer.

I shook the thought away.

"Come on."

We walked toward class.

Halfway there, a group of girls came around the corner.

I recognized them immediately.

Serena Vale was in the middle.

Adrian's younger sister.

If Adrian was the golden boy of Blackwood, Serena was the golden girl.

Beautiful.

Confident.

Popular.

And completely aware of all three.

She stopped when she saw me.

"Luna."

I kept walking.

She stepped in front of me.

"Can I ask you something?"

Maya crossed her arms.

"You usually do."

Serena ignored her.

"Did you apply for the Moon Ceremony?"

I frowned.

"No."

"Why not?"

I almost laughed.

"The ceremony is for wolves."

"I know."

"So why would I apply?"

Serena tilted her head.

"Maybe you were hoping they'd make an exception."

A few girls behind her laughed.

I felt Maya tense beside me.

I smiled.

"Maybe."

Serena's smile faded slightly.

"You're not funny."

"I wasn't joking."

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Serena stepped aside.

"Enjoy your day."

We walked past.

Maya waited until we were out of earshot.

"I hate her."

"Join the club."

"You should've said something worse."

"I thought about it."

"Why didn't you?"

"I have excellent self-control."

She stared at me.

"Since when?"

"Since never."

She laughed.

And just like that, the tension disappeared.

---

The Moon Ceremony was the biggest event on the Blackwood calendar.

Once a year, the entire territory gathered beneath the full moon.

Young wolves who had recently shifted were formally recognized.

Those who had reached adulthood were introduced into their assigned roles.

And the strongest Alpha families competed in ceremonial challenges.

I had never attended willingly.

I usually found an excuse to stay home.

This year, however, my mother had other plans.

"You are going."

I stared at her across the dinner table.

"Why?"

"Because you're part of this pack."

"I'm also part of this pack every other day."

"Luna."

That tone.

The one that meant the conversation was over.

I sighed.

"Fine."

She smiled.

"Thank you."

I looked at her.

She looked unusually relieved.

I didn't understand why.

It was just a ceremony.

Nothing more.

---

Friday afternoon arrived quickly.

The entire school was buzzing.

Everyone was talking about the ceremony.

What they were wearing.

Who was challenging whom.

Which Alpha families would be attending.

Maya was practically vibrating with excitement.

"I'm wearing the black dress."

"You said that last year."

"This one is different."

"How?"

"It has pockets."

I looked at her.

"That's your definition of fashion?"

"Absolutely."

I laughed.

Then someone bumped into me.

Hard.

My books fell.

I looked up.

Serena.

She didn't apologize.

She simply looked down at my books.

"Careful."

I crouched to pick them up.

"Was that an apology?"

"No."

"Thought so."

She walked away.

Maya helped me gather my things.

"One day you're going to punch her."

"Probably."

"Can I watch?"

"Obviously."

We both laughed.

Then I noticed something.

One of my books had fallen open.

A page I'd never seen before was visible.

There was a drawing in the margin.

A circle.

Half covered by darkness.

And beneath it, written in faded ink:

ECLIPSE.

I stared.

My smile disappeared.

Maya noticed.

"What?"

I quickly closed the book.

"Nothing."

She frowned.

"Again with nothing."

"It's just a drawing."

"Then why do you look terrified?"

"I'm not."

I shoved the book into my bag.

I didn't tell her.

I didn't tell anyone.

Because I had a strange feeling that if I said the word aloud...

something might hear me.

---

That evening, the Moon Ceremony began.

The entire territory gathered beneath the enormous old oak at the center of Blackwood.

Hundreds of wolves stood beneath the moonlight.

Music played.

Torches burned.

Families gathered together.

And for the first time in years, I didn't feel invisible.

I felt watched.

I looked around.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Then the Alpha stepped onto the ceremonial platform.

Everyone became silent.

His gaze travelled across the crowd.

Past the elders.

Past the warriors.

Past the families.

Until it stopped on me.

He didn't look away.

Neither did I.

I couldn't explain the feeling that suddenly settled over me.

It wasn't fear.

It wasn't recognition.

It was something stranger.

Almost like standing in front of a locked door...

and realizing you had the key.

The Alpha looked away.

The ceremony continued.

I exhaled.

Then the moon passed behind a cloud.

For less than a second, the entire world seemed to darken.

And somewhere behind me, a voice whispered:

"She's here."

I turned.

Nobody was there.

I looked toward the sky.

The cloud moved.

The moon returned.

And I told myself I hadn't heard anything.

Again.