Chapter Two: The Moon's Revelation

The silver moon hangs perfectly and brightly over the sacred forest and gives it a wonderful glow through the old oak outside. Aria clings to the rough bark of a large tree at the end of the ritual, her ribs piercing her heart like a longing for freedom. The Moon ritual - the holiest night in her group’s calendar - takes place before her and is full of mysterious glory.

She shouldn’t be here, Omega didn’t have a license, but that wasn’t her intention. They are used to staying in the shadows, serving, purifying and remaining invisible. But tonight, there is something that attracted her, a charm that she couldn't resist, she couldn't say or ignore it. Her wolf was constantly under her skin, aroused more than ever.

The group formed a concentric circle around an old stone altar in the middle of a forest, where elder Moira wore a white ceremonial dress that seemed to shine in the moonlight. The hierarchy was presented in perfect order: Alpha Kale and the Pack Elite Warriors are in the inner circle, Beta and his family are in the second circle, and the puppies rest like a wave on the pond.

  Aria is not part of this circle; her place was in the kitchen; she cleaned the kettle and took an empty cup.

But tonight, an old power draws from her bones and whispers her name through the folds of the leaves. Hope is nonsense, dreams are dangerous, but it remains.

   "Tonight, under the divine light of Mother Moon, the goddess reveals her divine will," and the voice of old Moira spreads in the forest with supernatural clarity. 

"We’ve been waiting for this moment for 25 years, and tonight the true companion of Alpha will be revealed." 

 She sighs at the gathered wolves, and Aria feels her lungs contract. 

Traditionally, the exact age of the moon goddess Kale indicates that a marital relationship is 25. For those who are scheduled, the Birthday Wolf may appear earlier. Some were not blessed.

 Kale stands under an altar in the moonlight. 

His black hair glows silver and his powerful figure exudes power, making him the youngest alpha in Shadow Claw history. Even in a distant shelter, Aria can see the tremendous tension on her shoulders, and her hands are bent sideways to become comfortable.

 He was nervous, a discovery that surprised him. Alpha should not show weakness or fear of anything. However, the pack has a hard jaw and his usual safety attitude is a bit tense.

 “Next month, Shadow Claw will help our Alpha have a baby and lead our team to a new era of prosperity.” 

 Moira raised her arms and said to the moon. The ancient hermitage around the neck began to shine with a supernatural glow.

 “Reveal your choice, goddess.” 

 The air was filled with magic; Aria's skin was shattered by electric current, and her wolf trembled wildly in her heart. Something was wrong, or rather, something was happening.

 Before the storm, electricity broke through the forest like lightning.

 The old henchmen shone even more, casting dancing shadows on the faces of the assembled packs. When the light started to flash, its scent hit its face at…...

Aria, who was in the shadows and dared not suddenly stand out. Her instinct is to flee, but her feet are fixed in the woods.

 The silence that followed was deafening.

Three hundred eyes stared at her with astonishment. At the center of the supernatural interest, Aria was vulnerable and exposed, and her usual servant’s clothes seemed bad for the rituals of members of the royal group. She wanted to sink to the ground, disappear and wake up from the cruelest dream you can imagine.

 "No".  

Alpha Kyle words were as a physical blow. His face becomes pale and his black eyes open in terror. "No, it is impossible. "

Elder Moira's arms fall to the side and the light disappears in a short time. But there was some damage. The goddess of the moon spoke and her message was clear. Omega’s humble servant is hardly tolerated by the wolves and is destined to be his bearer.

 "She chosen by the goddess of the moon," said Moira in a trembling voice, Aria Blackthorne, the true companion of Alpha Kyle Morrison.

The forest is confused.

"It’s definitely a mistake!"  Lyric's voice broke.

"I don’t see anything! She is nothing! "

"Why become Omega Moon?"   The others scream.

 Aria’s leg broke. She collapsed on a log, passed through a rough shell and bent into the forest ground. This union, which was silent until now, has suddenly found life between them. She can feel Kyle’s shock, disgust and hopeless denial. The connection is shocking, beautiful and terrifying.

 

Through the connection, she experienced her perspective - seeing herself through her eyes. Small, insignificant, entirely wrong for the position which fate had imposed upon him.

"The prick that brought you breakfast, which was never good, would stand by your side as an equal?        It was ridiculous. It was a horrible thing."

Kale approached her, each step heavy as the pack increased their anger. His beautiful face was distorted by something between anger and panic, his wolf domination shining out into the waves. But Aria could not keep calm because the blessing or the curse of the moon goddess had changed something deep in her.

He sat down on his feet and rocked softly, and for the first time in his life he found his alpha-glance.

"It's wrong," he said his voice sounded through the haunted grove. "The goddess made a mistake. She must not be real. "

The pain penetrated Arias' chest. Not just an emotional pain, but a physical torment as the discarded connection began to tear apart her soul. She puts a hand on her heart.

"The goddess of the moon does not make mistakes, Alpha Kale," said elder Moira calmly, but his words reached all ears.

Kale's hands shook. 

"So, explain to me how a worthless omega must be my moon!  How can anyone without descent, without power, without value lead this pack by my side!"

Every word was a dagger, a braided belt, love and hate that fought for power. She tried to defend herself, stood up, but what could she say? Everything he said was true, at least at first glance.

"Maybe," Lyric echoed, "the moon goddess is testing our alpha wisdom."

Kale's expression changed. "Yes, a test, a challenge. "

The piece crumbled on the edges. Aria sighed and bent as the torment passed. Kale's determination has been strengthened.

"Alpha " warns old Moira, "Rejection of a marriage bond blessed by the Goddess results to…… "

"I have to put up with it." said the cold alpha. "Some mistakes are very costly. "

Thanks to his connections, Aria felt at the moment that he had made his decision.

He will reject her tomorrow.

She will have been his partner for several hours.

Again, impossibly, the future Shadow Claw Pack Moon.

But when she found his cold, determined gaze, Aria knew with crystal clarity that her world would end at dawn.