Chapter 3: The Moon Chooses
1083 Words
My heart forgot how to beat.
The entire world faded until there was nothing left except the man standing across the sacred circle.
Caelan Draven.
The Alpha King.
His storm-grey eyes were locked on mine, and for a moment, neither of us moved.
The strange voice echoed through my head again.
Mate.
I stumbled back a step.
No.
That couldn't be right.
Not me.
Not the girl without a wolf.
I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.
The warmth I had felt earlier was stronger now. It spread through my body like a quiet fire, making my skin tingle.
Around me, wolves began whispering.
"Did you feel that?"
"The Moon Goddess has chosen another pair."
"I wonder who it is."
Selene looked at me with wide eyes.
"Emily?"
I couldn't answer.
I couldn't even breathe properly.
Across the circle, Caelan still hadn't looked away.
For the first time since he arrived, the calm mask on his face cracked.
Only for a second.
Surprise flashed through his eyes.
Then confusion.
Then something I couldn't understand.
His Beta stepped closer to him and whispered something.
Caelan didn't answer.
He was still looking at me.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Why was he looking at me like that?
The High Elder stepped into the center of the sacred circle.
His white robe brushed against the stone floor as he raised both hands toward the Blue Moon.
"The Moon Goddess blesses those who stand before her tonight."
The crowd fell silent.
"The sacred bond shall reveal itself."
Everyone lowered their heads.
I tried to do the same, but something pulled my gaze back toward Caelan.
It felt as though an invisible thread connected us.
The harder I tried to ignore it, the stronger it became.
My chest tightened.
Then...
For the first time in twenty-two years...
I heard another voice.
Soft.
Gentle.
Female.
Emily...
I froze.
The voice came from inside me.
Tears filled my eyes.
"No..." I whispered.
My wolf.
It had to be.
She wasn't gone.
She had been there all along.
Sleeping.
Waiting.
"Emily?"
Selene touched my arm.
"You don't look well."
Before I could answer, a sharp gasp spread through the crowd.
One after another, heads turned toward me.
Confused voices filled the air.
"Look at her."
"What is that?"
"Her neck..."
I frowned.
"My neck?"
Selene stared at me in shock.
"There... your birthmark."
I reached for the left side of my collarbone.
The small crescent-shaped mark I had carried since birth felt warm beneath my fingers.
A silver light shone through the fabric of my dress.
The glow grew brighter every second.
The whispers became louder.
"I've never seen that before."
"What does it mean?"
"Is that...?"
"No... It can't be."
The High Elder's eyes widened.
For a brief moment, real fear crossed his face.
He quickly hid it.
But I saw it.
Why was he afraid?
My questions were cut short as another wave of warmth rushed through me.
This time, it reached my heart.
A pull.
Gentle but impossible to ignore.
It guided my eyes back to Caelan.
He looked as if he were fighting something inside himself.
His jaw was clenched.
His hands were closed into fists.
The veins in his neck stood out.
His Beta leaned closer again.
"My King..."
Caelan lifted one hand, silencing him.
He took one slow step forward.
The crowd parted immediately.
Every eye followed him.
He stopped only a few feet away from me.
I had imagined meeting my mate a thousand different ways.
None of them looked like this.
He was taller than I remembered.
Close enough that I could see the faint scar above his right eyebrow.
Close enough to notice the tiredness hidden deep inside his eyes.
He studied my face quietly.
Not with anger.
Not with kindness.
As if he were trying to solve a puzzle.
I swallowed hard.
Should I say something?
Should I bow?
My mind went completely blank.
The mate bond pulsed between us again.
His eyes darkened.
For one impossible moment, I thought I saw warmth there.
Hope bloomed inside me before I could stop it.
Maybe...
Maybe the Moon Goddess hadn't forgotten me after all.
Maybe this was the reason my wolf had stayed silent for so long.
Maybe everything was finally about to change.
The High Elder cleared his throat.
His voice echoed across the gathering.
"It appears the Moon Goddess has revealed another sacred bond."
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
The Elder looked toward Caelan.
"Your Majesty..."
He paused.
"Do you recognize your fated mate?"
The question hung in the air.
Every pair of eyes turned toward the Alpha King.
Even mine.
My heart pounded so loudly I thought everyone could hear it.
Caelan looked at me again.
His expression became unreadable.
Seconds passed.
They felt like hours.
Finally...
He spoke.
"I do."
The words were quiet.
But they struck me harder than thunder.
A smile slowly spread across Selene's face.
Around us, excited whispers broke out.
"The Alpha King has found his mate."
"This is unbelievable."
"The Moon Goddess has truly blessed Silver Hollow."
Someone actually started clapping before another person joined in.
I couldn't believe it.
Neither could my heart.
It felt too perfect.
Too impossible.
I lowered my eyes, trying to hide the tears gathering there.
For the first time in years...
I felt seen.
Not as the wolf-less girl.
Not as the pack's disappointment.
Just...
Emily.
The girl chosen by fate.
The High Elder raised his hands again.
"Then according to our sacred laws, step forward and accept the blessing of your union."
My pulse raced.
I took one careful step toward Caelan.
He didn't move.
Another step.
Still nothing.
The crowd watched with growing excitement.
Only when I was a few feet away did I notice something change.
The warmth in his eyes disappeared.
His face became cold again.
His shoulders stiffened.
His jaw tightened.
A strange fear settled in my chest.
The invisible bond between us suddenly felt heavy.
Painful.
His gaze drifted past me for just a second.
Toward the High Elder.
The old man's expression was impossible to read.
But something about the look they exchanged made my stomach twist.
It lasted only a heartbeat.
Then Caelan looked back at me.
His face held no warmth.
No happiness.
No relief.
Only conflict.
Only silence.
My smile slowly faded.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Then Caelan took one slow step backward.
My heart dropped.
He opened his mouth.
"I..."
- Writer
