REJECTED UNDER THE BLUE MOON

I have always hated full moons. Not because they are ugly. They are beautiful. Too beautiful. Their silver light covers Silver Hollow Pack like a blessing from the Moon Goddess. Everyone smiles. Everyone laughs. Every young wolf looks up at the sky with hope shining in their eyes. Everyone except me. For them, the moon is a promise. For me, it is another reminder that I am different. I stood outside the healer's cabin before sunrise, my hands wrapped around a basket of fresh herbs. The morning air was cold, carrying the smell of pine trees and damp earth. Birds had only just begun to sing, but I had already been awake for hours. "Emily!" Old Martha's voice came from inside the cabin. "Yes, Ma'am." I hurried in and placed the basket on the wooden table. She barely looked at me. "You're late." I blinked. I knew I wasn't. I had arrived earlier than usual. "I'm sorry." She sighed loudly. "The fever medicine is almost gone. Grind those herbs. Then fetch water from the river." "Yes, Ma'am." I lowered my head and got to work. I had learned long ago that arguing only made things worse. Old Martha wasn't cruel. Not really. She simply believed what everyone else believed. A wolf-less girl would never become anything important. The sound of laughter drifted through the open window. I glanced outside. Three young wolves were walking past the cabin. One of them pointed at me. "There she is." "The girl without a wolf." "I heard she's twenty-two now." "So?" "My little sister shifted before she turned sixteen." The others laughed. I kept crushing the herbs. Don't listen. You've heard worse. Still... Their words always found a way inside my heart. My wolf had never answered. No howl. No voice. Nothing. Every child in Silver Hollow dreamed about the day they would first hear their wolf. I used to dream about it too. Now I wasn't sure I believed it would ever happen. By midmorning, I carried two heavy buckets back from the river. My arms ached, but I didn't stop. As I reached the center of the village, children were running around the square. One little boy tripped over a rock and fell hard onto the ground. The older boys laughed. I quickly set down my buckets and hurried over. "Are you hurt?" He rubbed his knee with watery eyes. "It hurts." I smiled softly. "Let's see." The skin was scraped, but it wasn't serious. I cleaned the cut with water from one of my buckets and wrapped it with a clean cloth I always carried. "There." He sniffled. "Will I still shift one day?" My smile froze. His mother hurried over before I could answer. She pulled her son behind her. "Don't bother Miss Emily." Her voice sounded polite. Her eyes didn't. She looked at me as though I carried bad luck. "Come along." The little boy looked back. "Thank you." I waved anyway. Even if his mother didn't want him near me. I picked up my buckets again. Sometimes I wondered if kindness was a weakness. But I didn't know how to become someone else. As I passed the training grounds, loud cheers filled the air. Young wolves fought in friendly matches while their families watched proudly. Every punch. Every dodge. Every shift into their wolves. Everything reminded me of what I didn't have. "Emily." I turned. My best friend, Selene, walked toward me with a bright smile. Her dark curls bounced as she ran. "There you are." "I've been looking everywhere." I smiled for the first time that morning. "You found me." "Of course I did." She grabbed one of my buckets. "I'll help." "You don't have to." "I know." She grinned. "But I want to." We walked together toward the healer's cabin. Unlike everyone else, Selene had never treated me differently. At least... not yet. "You look nervous," she said. "I am." She nudged my shoulder. "Tonight changes everything." I laughed quietly. "That's what people keep saying." "It does." She stopped walking and looked straight at me. "The Blue Moon only comes once every twenty years." "I know." "What if tonight is your night?" "My night?" "What if your wolf finally wakes up?" I looked away. "I stopped hoping for that years ago." She frowned. "Don't say that." "I'm just being honest." She reached for my hand. "The Moon Goddess hasn't forgotten you." I wanted to believe her. I really did. But hope was dangerous. Hope had disappointed me too many times. By afternoon, the entire pack buzzed with excitement. Women decorated the meeting grounds with white flowers. Hunters returned early from patrol. Children chased each other through the village while pretending to be mighty Alphas. Even Old Martha seemed happier than usual. "The Blue Moon Ceremony must be perfect," she muttered while arranging herbs. I quietly finished my work. No one asked if I planned to attend. Everyone assumed I would stand at the edge of the crowd like always. Watching. Never belonging. As the sun began to set, I slipped away from the village and climbed the small hill overlooking Silver Hollow. It had always been my favorite place. From here, I could see every rooftop. Every trail. Every tree. This was home. Even if home had never truly accepted me. The sky slowly turned orange. Then pink. Then deep blue. I closed my eyes. "Moon Goddess..." The words felt strange on my tongue. "I don't need to be special." The evening breeze brushed against my face. "I don't need power." Silence answered me. "I just want to know why." Why was I born without a wolf? Why did everyone look at me with pity? Why did I feel like I didn't belong anywhere? A tear slipped down my cheek before I quickly wiped it away. Crying wouldn't change anything. Footsteps echoed behind me. I turned. It was Noah, one of the patrol guards. He was breathing hard as though he had been running. "There you are." "What happened?" His eyes were wide with excitement. "They've arrived." "Who?" He stared at me like I had lost my mind. "The royal guards." My heart skipped. "No..." He nodded quickly. "The Alpha King is here." The quiet hill suddenly felt much smaller. The Blue Moon Ceremony was about to begin. And for the first time in my life... Fate was finally walking toward me.