chapter four

Chapter Four

Zeyric’s POV

The council chamber was heavy with tension and the scent of dominance.

Thirty-three Alphas sat in a wide circle around the obsidian fire pit, their pack symbols stitched boldly into the sashes they wore. Flames flickered in the center, fed by enchanted wood that hissed and glowed blue. The heat didn’t bother me. I had far more pressing things to deal with than fire.

“My King,” Alpha Joran of the Timber Fang pack began, leaning forward, voice gruff, “raids along the southern border have increased. Rogues no longer run alone. They’re organized, using tactics we’ve never seen.”

Several heads nodded in agreement, murmurs rumbling like distant thunder.

“They’ve begun targeting healer caravans,” another Alpha said. “We lost two last moon. My people are frightened. They want to know what the Crown intends to do.”

I clasped my hands behind my back, stepping forward to address them all. My voice was calm, controlled.

“We’ve confirmed the rise in rogue activity. I’ve dispatched elite warriors to the borders. But this isn’t just about defense.” I met each Alpha’s gaze, one by one. “It’s about unity. This kingdom has stood fractured for too long. Some of you hoard resources. Others ignore calls for aid.”

A few shifted in their seats, uncomfortable.

“Let me be clear,” I continued. “The Red Moon rises today. The magic it brings will not only strengthen our wolves, it will heighten everything. Emotions, instincts, aggression. If there was ever a time to present a united front, it is now.”

Silence.

Then Alpha Maelorthe head of the Moon Rock pack, Astria’s old pack spoke.

“My King, I understand the need for unity. But we all know some packs carry burdens that weaken the rest of us. We cannot pretend we are all equal when some produce nothing but mouths to feed.”

My jaw tightened. Bastard.

I gave him a cold smile. “Every pack has its use. And every Alpha will stand equally under the Red Moon. If any pack is found to be dragging the kingdom down, I assure you they’ll answer to me. Personally.” I growled at him.

Maelor bowed slightly, but his eyes gleamed with something bitter. I didn’t forget the rumors surrounding his treatment of his pack members. Especially one girl in particular. Who came to my territory for shelter.

I pushed the thought aside. Now wasn’t the time.

“The moon demands balance,” I said. “And I intend to restore it.”

There were murmurs again, this time more thoughtful, less resistant.

I dismissed the meeting with a nod to my Beta, who began ushering the Alphas toward their assigned guest quarters.

One by one, they filed out grumbling, debating, posturing as they went.

I remained behind, staring into the blue flames, my reflection distorted in their glow.

The Red Moon was coming.

And something deep inside me stirred.

Something ancient.

Something waiting.

Later That Night

The wind had changed.

I stood at the edge of my private terrace, high above the Pack House. The moon hadn’t risen yet, but the sky was pregnant with its coming. The air shimmered with restless energy, thick with something primal.

“ She's close,” Maelen grunted impatiently.

“She?” I asked, though I already knew.

“Our soul bond. The mark. The mate. She walks these grounds. Breathe deeper. You'll feel her,”. Lokar, my demon, whispered.

I closed my eyes and inhaled.

There. Subtle… but unmistakable. A scent like fresh hot-baked gingerbread, wild earth, and something ancient. Not perfume. Not magic. Her.

My body tensed, blood roaring like a storm in my ears. My claws threatened to break through my skin.

“Moon above…” I muttered, fingers curling around the cold iron of the railing. The blood in my veins hot and rushing.

We were made for her, my wolf rumbled. Fated. Tied by the Red Moon itself. The pull is only beginning. We’ll lose control if we don’t find her.

I dragged a hand down my face. “There are hundreds of people here tonight. How do we find her without tearing this place apart?”

You don’t. I will. The beast’s voice darkened. Let me rise. Let me hunt. Let me claim.

I gritted my teeth. “We do this my way. Not like a crazed rogue tearing through the crowd.”

But I couldn’t lie.

Every cell in my body screamed to move. To run. To search every room until I found the girl whose soul whispered to mine across the bond.

I stared into the mirror. My eyes were flickering between bloody red and pure black the colors of my wolf and demon.

“She’s not just any mate,” I whispered.

No. She is the key. To us. To our salvation.

A vision hit me then her eyes in the dark, wide with recognition. The soft gasp of her breath. The press of her palm against my chest.

The burn where the bond would mark us both.

I stumbled back, shaking.

“We meet tonight,” I murmured, chest heaving.

We mark tonight, my wolf growled, savage and certain. And no force in this realm or the next will keep us from her.

The wind howled around the Pack House, echoing the truth I could no longer deny.

SHE'S HERE,

And the hunt had already begun.

Astria’s POV

There was something wrong with the air.

Not wrong, exactly… just different. Heavy. Alive. Like it had secrets. Like it knew something I didn’t.

I stood in front of the mirror, my fingers twitching at the hem of the flowing wine-red gown Mariah’s mother had helped me into. It shimmered softly in the light, delicate embroidery catching the glow like tiny stars. My white hair that shone in the moonlight was pulled back loosely, soft curls brushing my shoulders, and for the first time in moons… I felt beautiful.

But inside?

Restless.

My chest rose and fell quicker than it should’ve. My breath came in little shivers I couldn’t explain.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mariah asked, adjusting the cuff of her beautiful dark green dress. Her parents were still in the other room, fussing with last-minute touches, so it was just the two of us by the window.

I nodded slowly. “I… I don’t know. It’s like something’s crawling beneath my skin. Like something’s trying to wake up,” I said, terrified.

Mariah looked at me, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “You think it’s about the ceremony?”

“It has to be,” I whispered. “The Red Moon. The magic. All the packs. It's like… the air is whispering. Like it knows something's going to happen tonight.”

She came closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve been through so much, Astria. Maybe it’s just nerves.”

I opened my mouth to agree, but

A sharp, hot pull rolled through my chest, like a string deep inside me had just been tugged hard.

I staggered.

“Astria?” Mariah caught my elbow, eyes wide.

“I’m fine,” I lied, pressing a hand to my heart. “Just a weird… chill.”

But it wasn’t cold.

It was warm. Burning. Spreading.

It felt like my soul had just tilted toward something. Toward someone.

I looked out the window, where the last fingers of sunlight faded behind the hills. The first stars blinked into place, and high above, the faint glow of red began to bloom on the edge of the sky.

The Red Moon was rising.

And whatever I was, whoever I was supposed to become was changing with it. I could feel it in my bones, and it scared me.

Mariah’s mother called from the other room, cheerful and elegant as always. “Girls! The car’s ready! Let’s not keep the Moon waiting!”

Mariah winked at me, grabbing her shawl. “Come on. Let’s go make history.”

I nodded, smoothing down my dress even though my hands trembled.

Because something was going to happen tonight.

I didn’t know how I knew.

But I could feel it in my bones. In my blood.

Something was coming for me.

And I wasn’t sure if I was ready… or already too late.

---

Zeyric’s POV

The ballroom shimmered under the soft golden light, every surface polished, every dress and robe a ripple of elegance. Laughter floated like perfume, and the music of some ancient tune laced with the wild drums of the northern packs echoed from the stone walls like a heartbeat.

Dancers twirled across the marbled floor. Voices mingled. Goblets clinked.

I stood near the carved archway, still, coiled like a beast on the edge of something unspeakable. Maelen and Lokar… they were too quiet.

Too aware.

She’s here.

The growl echoed in my head like thunder behind a sealed door. The wolves didn’t speak often. But when they did… the world shifted.

I scanned the room again. My heart thudded, primal and raw. My senses strained, sifting through perfumes and emotions. Searching for something. Someone.

The silence inside me tightened.

Then like smoke in the wind I felt her.

Not fully. Not clearly. Just a brush. A tug in the space beneath my ribs.

And my beasts went mad.

Mate. Ours. The soul bond. Mark her. Now.

I clenched my jaw, hands twitching. I could barely breathe.

And then.

“She will come to you tonight.”

The voice cut through my frenzy like a blade of calm. I turned sharply.

Yzora.

The pack Seer moved through the crowd like a vision, her deep violet robes trailing behind her, her eyes glowing softly like starlight. Her presence silenced the world around her. Even my wolves quieted.

I bowed my head slightly. “Yzora.”

She smiled. Not warm. Not cold. Just… timeless. “Your Majesty,” she said, voice laced with a knowing edge. “The moon has waited long enough.”

I studied her face. “You’ve seen something.”

“I’ve seen everything.” She stepped closer. “The curse upon your soul, the one that split your beasts, bound your bond, and shadowed your reign, it ends tonight.”

My chest tightened. “You’re sure.”

“It was prophesied long before your birth. And now, the Red Moon aligns. Tonight, the forest will sing. Your soul will burn. And the Daughter of the Goddess will rise.”

I blinked. “Daughter of the—?”

She tilted her head, eyes gleaming. “She’s already here, Zeyric. Closer than you think. The gods themselves wove this bond. And the moment you meet her eyes… the curse breaks.”

For a second, I couldn't breathe.

Everything in me... recognized those words. The beasts stirred again, pacing, aching.

Mate.

Yzora stepped back into the shifting crowd. “I suggest you find her before the run begins. Or the forest will do it for you.”

Then she was gone.

But her words stayed etched into the thrum of the earth itself.

I looked toward the double doors that led outside. Toward the forest. Toward fate.

And for the first time in centuries… I felt the curse tremble.

She was here.

And tonight…

She becomes mine.