power of the moon goddess

10

Chapter Nine: Shadows in the Hall

The next morning, the Academy buzzed.

The whispers weren’t just about Aria being Damien’s mate anymore. They were about power. About what she’d done in the training ruins. Someone had seen the scorch marks. Someone always did.

“Moonborn,” they called her now—some with awe, others with jealousy.

At breakfast, her table remained mostly empty. Except for Damien.

He sat beside her like a silent warning, daring anyone to come close. His presence screamed possessive and protective, but Aria didn’t mind it—not entirely. She hadn’t told him about the voice in the dark. Not yet.

Not until she knew it wasn’t just in her head.

---

Later that day, in Magical History class, the lights flickered.

Mr. Vale—tall, pale, and way too charming for someone who taught out of dusty books—paused mid-lecture.

“Power fluctuations,” he murmured. “Curious…”

He turned slowly to face Aria, and his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Miss Whitaker, would you be so kind as to stay behind after class?”

Every student turned to stare.

Damien’s eyes narrowed from the far side of the room, jaw tight.

Aria’s heart thudded.

---

When the room emptied, Mr. Vale shut the heavy oak doors behind him.

His voice dropped, smooth as velvet.

“You’ve awakened something, girl. Something very old.”

Aria frowned. “If this is about the magic yesterday—”

“It’s not,” he interrupted. “It’s about your bloodline.”

She froze. “What do you mean?”

He stepped closer. “There’s more to the Moonborn legacy than you’ve been told. The Moon Goddess... she wasn’t the only power that touched your soul. There was another.”

His hand moved, and suddenly a symbol flared in silver fire across the floor—a circle with thorns and stars. The air snapped cold.

“That symbol,” Aria whispered. “I saw it in my dream.”

He studied her. “You’re not just Moonborn. You’re Moon-bound.”

“What’s the difference?”

“The Moonborn wield power. The Moonbound... are power. Chosen. Cursed. Hunted.”

Before she could respond, the door slammed open.

Damien.

His wolf side was dangerously close to the surface.

“She’s done here,” he growled, stepping between her and the teacher.

Mr. Vale raised both hands, amused. “Careful, Alpha. She’s not just yours anymore.”

---

That night, Aria couldn’t sleep.

She stood by the tall dorm window, watching the stars above the forest.

Moonborn. Moonbound. Cursed. Chosen. Hunted.

The voice in the dark. The glowing symbol. The burning inside her bones.

It was all connected.

And someone—or something—was coming.

She could feel it in her blood.