CHAPTER FOUR

ALUNA'S POV

The moon rose slowly over the clearing, silver light spilling over the pack hall and bathing the forest in an eerie glow. 

Tonight wasn’t just any night—it was my sixteenth birthday, the night of the full moon, the night when the wolfless would awaken their wolves and the mateless would finally meet their mates. My chest throbbed with anticipation.

I had spent weeks imagining this moment. I had pictured the first spark of wolffire in my veins, the first scent of my mate tracing me across the clearing, the thrill of knowing that at last I would belong. My stomach fluttered like a caged bird, part excitement, part anxiety, as I adjusted the ceremonial white robe draped over my shoulders. The elders’ robes shimmered with silver, their embroidered moonstones catching the pale light, reflecting back the importance of the night.

Around me, the pack murmured, arranging themselves in a wide circle. 

Older wolves who had already found their mates circled in the shadows, watching with curiosity, some with amusement, some with pride. Grace, my sister, stood at my side, perfectly composed, her smile sharp and knowing. 

She didn’t glance at me. 

That was normal for her. She had always thrived on my discomfort, even if subtle.

The drumbeat started, deep and resonant, vibrating through my chest and syncing with my pulse. 

One by one, the wolfless stepped forward, heads high, eyes closed, calling the wolf within.

I watched, my heart racing, as one of my peers shivered, fur sprouting along her arms, nails sharpening, a low growl rolling up her throat. 

Her wolf had awoken, and her eyes glowed with a golden fire. 

She howled, lifting her face to the moon, and I felt an almost magnetic pull toward her—her wolf answering the call, connecting with the energy in the clearing.

Another wolf, a boy from the neighboring clan, froze mid-step as his scent reached across the circle. 

His eyes widened as he caught the trace of his mate’s presence. 

She stepped forward, tracing the invisible thread of bond, and when they finally met, he lifted her face gently, pressing a trembling kiss to her lips. 

A cheer erupted. I swallowed hard. That could have been me. That should have been me.

My excitement burned hotter, each new pair of bonds strengthening the longing in my chest. I imagined the same happening for me—the warmth, the connection, the joy of finally belonging. 

My hands clenched the soft folds of my robe. My wolf would awaken tonight, I was sure of it.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. 

The ritual continued, one by one, each wolf finding their bond, each mate embraced in light and scent. And still, nothing happened for me.

 No shiver. No surge of power. No scent of a mate teasing my senses. I swallowed a lump of panic, forcing myself to stay upright. Maybe I was just delayed. Maybe it would come in the final moments.

Finally, the drumbeat paused. Silence stretched across the clearing, oppressive and heavy. My chest tightened. 

I heard a hush ripple through the gathered pack. All eyes slowly turned toward me.

Gabriel stepped forward, tall and confident. 

He is one of the pack warriors, but he is among Grace friends and lackey. 

Grace followed closely, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. My stomach flipped. This was it—the moment I had been waiting for all my life.

“Aluna,” Gabriel called, voice smooth, clear, commanding attention. “Where is your wolf?”

My throat tightened. I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came. No warmth surged through my veins. 

No wolf answered my call. My heartbeat accelerated, panic bubbling up, and I shook my head silently.

He laughed, low and mocking, and the sound cut into me like ice. “Nothing? Really? You stand here expecting a miracle and you bring… silence?”

The circle of watchers murmured, some stifling laughter, others shaking their heads. Humiliation prickled across my skin, sharp and unrelenting. 

I felt my cheeks burn, my hands trembling at my sides. At the corner of my eyes I saw Grace walked to Wilson and leaned closer to Wilson, whispering something, and he smirked.

“You’ve waited for this day,” Gabs said, voice cutting through the clearing, “and yet, you have nothing. You bring shame even to yourself.”

I felt my chest tighten, a knot of hurt and disbelief. I had imagined this night as radiant, magical, my wolf singing for me, my mate finally finding me. 

And now, all I felt was raw, aching emptiness.

“Is that all you can do?” I finally whispered, voice shaking. “Judge me? Mock me? I… I will awaken. I just… I don’t know how yet.”

Gabriel's smile twisted into something cruel. “Awaken? You? The pack has waited centuries for a proper mate. You… you are nothing. Worthless. No bond, no wolf, no future.”

The words tore at me. My stomach turned, my knees threatening to buckle under the weight of everyone’s gaze. 

But I refused to fall. 

I had to stand, even if my heart was breaking.

Then a voice, very familiar and commanding, cut through the hum of the gathering. “Stop.”Every head turned.

 Wilson appeared at the edge of the clearing, tall, broad, commanding presence, eyes sharp and gray, glowing faintly under the moonlight. And by his side stood grace.

My chest skipped a beat, an inexplicable pull tugging at me. He stepped forward, eyes locking with mine, and I felt… something.

“You,” he said, voice low but powerful. “You are indeed a disgrace, I can't say am disappointed thou, I just wished I could make it hurt more”.

I looked at him with confusion all over my face, as I wonder what he meant with what he was saying.

Wilson stepped closer and said loud enough for everyone to hear “Aluna is my mate” 

Shock froze me. My throat tightened, my hands reaching instinctively forward, wanting to touch him, wanting to confirm the impossible. “What… what do you mean? I… I feel nothing. I… I—”

He stepped back sharply, his eyes hardening, and I felt a cold wave of rejection wash over me. “Don’t pretend,” he said. “You do not belong to the mate bond. I… I reject you. As the future Alpha of this pack, I reject you, Aluna Froster, as my mate and Luna.”

The words cut deeper than any blade. The ache in my chest flared, raw and unyielding, pain I had never known. I stumbled, barely catching myself, tears spilling freely. I had dreamed of this, longed for this, and now… nothing.

“I… I won’t accept that!” I cried, reaching toward him, desperate, shaking. “I… I can't feel it… but….”

The air around me thickened. His eyes glowed fiercely, the aura of his alpha power pressing against my mind, my will, my very heart.

 The ache of rejection intensified, and I felt it sear through every nerve.

“Accept it,” he commanded, voice sharp as steel. “Or the pain will consume you.”

I gasped, struggling, tears blurring my vision. My chest heaved. My heart screamed. 

I wanted to defy him, to believe in something, anything, that would make this moment not real. But the pressure of his power was absolute. I swallowed, sobbing, and whispered brokenly, “I… accept it.”

The moment I spoke the words, the weight lifted, leaving behind a hollow emptiness. 

My hands fell to my sides, trembling. 

I was empty, my dreams shattered, my hope extinguished.

Then he turned his head, nodding toward Grace. “Grace from now on is chosen future Luna and mate.”

Grace stepped forward, and they both kissed, right in front of me. With a perfect smile on her face, radiating triumph.

 My chest constricted, pain flaring again, sharper, crueler. 

The crowd erupted in applause and whispers, but I heard nothing. 

My world had narrowed to the space between the two of them and the jagged ache in my heart.

I sank to my knees, head bowed, trying to hold the pieces of myself together. 

The wind stirred through the clearing, the silver moonlight cold on my skin, and I whispered into the night, bitter and broken. “Someday… someone will see me. Someday… someone will matter to me.”

And then I noticed a shadow at the edge of the clearing, just beyond the light of the moon. 

Someone watching. Someone wai

ting. And though my heart was shattered, a spark of fear and curiosity ignited.

Who was that?

I didn’t know. But I would find out.