Chapter 4: The Moon of Awakening

​The sun was beginning to set over the jagged cliffs of the Citadel, painting the sky in bruises of purple and gold. Elara stood on the balcony of her new suite, watching the waves crash below. She felt a strange, rhythmic thrumming in her blood, a restless energy she had never felt before.

​A heavy knock sounded at the door, and Ryker entered, followed by his three brothers. They weren't wearing their usual business suits; they were dressed in traditional leather tunics embossed with the silver wolf head of the Thorne line.

​"Is it time to go to Ashwood?" Elara asked, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and anticipation.

​Ryker shook his head, his silver eyes catching the rising light of the moon. "Not yet. Before we go to Ashwood, we need to do something. Something that has been waiting fifteen years."

​"What is it?" Elara asked, her brow furrowed.

​"Today is the Full Moon, Elara," Finn said, his usual playful grin replaced by a look of deep intensity.

​"I know," Elara whispered, looking down at her hands. "In Ashwood, the Full Moon was when I was forced to stay in the cellars. They said my 'silence' would offend the Moon Goddess."

​Silas growled, a low, vibrating sound of pure fury. "In the Obsidian Pack, the Full Moon is not a time for hiding. It is the time for the Crown."

​"What’s that?" Elara asked, her heart beginning to race.

​"You'll see," Ryker replied, reaching out his hand. "Trust us, little sister."

​They led her deep into the bowels of the Citadel, through hidden passages where the air grew cool and smelled of ancient earth. Finally, they reached the Chamber of Ancestors.

​The roof of the chamber was not stone, but a massive, enchanted crystal dome. Directly above them, the Full Moon hung like a giant, glowing pearl. As the moon reached its zenith, a single, concentrated beam of moonlight shot down, hitting a stone dais in the center of the room.

​"The Ashwood Pack thinks a wolf’s power comes from their shift," Orion explained gently as they circled the dais. "But the Thorne bloodline is older than the shift itself. We are children of the Moon's shadow."

​He stepped forward, holding a ceremonial dagger made of bone. "In the light of the Full Moon, your blood will recognize its own."

​One by one, the brothers performed the ritual.

​First was Finn. He sliced his palm, letting his warrior-alpha blood fall into the silver chalice on the dais. "I give my strength to the sister who was lost. May my speed be her shield under this moon."

​Next was Silas. "I give my vision to the sister who was hidden. May my shadows guard her path."

​Then Orion. "I give my life-force to the sister who was broken. May my breath be her healing."

​Finally, Ryker stepped into the beam of moonlight. He cut his hand deeply, his blood glowing with a faint, iridescent light as it hit the chalice. "I give my command to the sister who is Queen. My throne is her footstool, and my life is her sword."

​The mixture in the chalice didn't look like blood anymore. Under the direct light of the Full Moon, it began to boil and swirl, turning into a liquid silver that mimicked the glow of the moon above.

​"Drink, Elara," Ryker commanded, his voice echoing through the chamber like thunder. "The Moon Goddess has been waiting to reclaim her daughter."

​Elara took the chalice. As her fingers touched the cold silver, the restlessness in her blood turned into a roar. She drank the liquid in one draught.

​The effect was instantaneous

​The beam of moonlight hitting the dais suddenly expanded, engulfing Elara in a pillar of pure, white radiance. She didn't scream; instead, she let out a long, melodic breath as the "silence" in her soul was shattered.

​Inside her mind, a massive, snow-white wolf with eyes like stars finally opened its eyes.

​I am here, the wolf whispered.

​A wave of silver energy exploded from Elara, knocking the heavy stone benches back and making the obsidian walls crack. Her hair began to glow, and a silver crescent moon appeared on her forehead before fading into her skin.

​Ryker, Orion, Silas, and Finn didn't move. They stood their ground, their eyes wide with awe. As the light faded, they saw her.

​Elara stood taller, her shoulders back, her eyes no longer blue, but a swirling, ethereal silver that matched Ryker’s. The aura she projected was so heavy, so royal, that it made the very air in the room bow.

​"The Coronation is complete," Ryker whispered.

​He dropped to one knee, bowing his head. One by one, the other three brothers, the most feared Alphas in the world knelt before their sister in the silence of the moonlit chamber.

​"All hail the Luna of Obsidian," they spoke in a unified rumble.

​Elara looked at her hands, which were now glowing faintly. The fear of Valerius, the memory of the servants' quarters, and the pain of the rejection were gone. In their place was a cold, calm certainty.

​"Rise, my brothers," Elara said. Her voice carried the weight of a thousand years of royalty. "The moon is high, and we have a debt to collect in Ashwood."