CHAPTER ONE

ALUNA'S POV

The morning sun barely touched the treetops, but I was already awake, heart pounding with a mix of hope and nerves I could barely contain.

 Today wasn’t just any day. In a few months, I would finally turn sixteen—the day every wolf in our pack waited for, the day we were said to awaken our wolves and find our mates. 

For years, I had pictured it: the moment my wolf rose, fierce and golden-eyed, my mate appearing as if the universe itself had arranged it.

I dressed quickly in a simple tunic, feeling the worn fabric against my skin. Grace had left a note on my bed this morning, her writing sharp and precise. “Don’t bother me today, Aluna. I have my preparations to attend to.”

I folded the note, letting the edges curl between my fingers. Grace. Always first, always perfect. Sometimes I wondered why I even tried to matter in her world. But I shook the thought away. Today, I would finally matter.

“Aluna!” The sharp voice of Mother echoed down the hall. She always managed to catch me in the smallest moments of delay. “Are you awake or do I have to drag you?”

“I’m awake, Mother,” I called, forcing a cheerfulness I didn’t quite feel. My voice cracked slightly, betraying my nerves.

“You’d better be,” she snapped. “You have chores to finish before the elders arrive. Don’t forget your duties. This pack does not reward laziness.”

I nodded, my stomach twisting. It was always the same. Even as I grew, even as the days counted down toward my sixteenth birthday, my accomplishments were never enough. 

I tied my hair back and left the room, pretending I didn’t feel the weight of her eyes on me.

The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of the forest. Birds flitted between the branches, and the sun’s light danced across the dew-soaked grass. I took a deep breath, trying to anchor myself to the beauty of the day. 

It was supposed to be a day of hope. Instead, every step I took through the pack grounds felt heavy, as if the stones themselves were trying to hold me back.

“Aluna.” I flinched at the voice. Wilson, the Alpha’s son, stood leaning casually against a tree, his usual smirk in place. I forced a smile, though my stomach turned.

“Morning,” I said softly, keeping my hands folded in front of me.

“You look… anxious,” he remarked, tilting his head. “Is this because of your birthday? Counting down the days until you finally get your wolf?”

“Yes,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I… I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

He laughed lightly, a sound that felt both teasing and unsettling. “Careful, Aluna. Expectations can be dangerous.”

I frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

He shrugged, eyes glinting. “Just don’t be disappointed when reality doesn’t match the dream.”

I swallowed, the pit of my stomach twisting. Wilson had always been polite, even kind on rare occasions, but there was an edge to his voice today, a shadow beneath his usual charm.

I tried to shake it off and focused on the chores Mother had assigned. Scrubbing the training grounds, organizing herbs for the healer, and fetching water from the stream kept my hands busy but not my mind. 

Every so often, I caught Grace passing by, laughing with her friends, her golden wolf already visible in the subtle shimmer of her aura. The pack’s whispers followed her like shadows. “Grace, the perfect one. The future Luna.”

I swallowed my envy and looked away, gripping the bucket tightly. My wolf hadn’t come yet—not that anyone knew I even hoped it would. I had always been… different. Weak. Wolfless, they whispered behind their hands. “Cursed,” some said quietly. I hated that word. Hated the way it followed me, taunting me, reminding me that I didn’t belong. But still, I hoped. Always.

By midday, the sun was high, and the pack’s younger members gathered in the training grounds, eager for the elders’ inspection. I lined up with them, my heart thudding so loudly I was certain everyone could hear. Wilson approached, walking between the rows of children, his eyes scanning the group like a predator evaluating prey.

When he stopped in front of me, my breath caught. He tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Aluna. You’re almost sixteen, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He raised an eyebrow. “Excited?”

I nodded, smiling. “I’ve dreamed of this for so long. I can’t wait to see my wolf, to finally know… everything.”

His smile faltered for a fraction of a second, just long enough for me to notice. Then it returned. “I hope your dream comes true.” Something about the way he said it made me uneasy, but I forced myself to believe in the hope I had carried all my life.

The elders gathered then, their eyes sweeping over us with the weight of centuries of authority. 

I lowered my head in respect, keeping my expression neutral. Grace stood nearby, her wolf peeking through her aura, her posture perfect, her smile radiant. Mothers and fathers whispered among themselves, praising her beauty and readiness. And me? I felt invisible, just another child on the line, another shadow.

The morning stretched on in a blur of instructions, drills, and whispered advice. I tried to laugh when the younger ones tripped over roots, tried to keep my eyes bright when Grace received compliments I would never hear. My throat burned, my heart ached with the constant reminder that nothing I did seemed to matter.

Yet I held onto my dream. Sixteen was close. I could almost feel it, like a pulse beneath my skin, a moment waiting to arrive that would finally make all the waiting worthwhile.

When I returned to the small clearing near our cabin at midday, I noticed Mother watching me from the porch, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. “You seem restless today,” she said. “Don’t get too full of yourself. The elders will decide your worth soon enough.”

“Yes, Mother,” I said, bowing slightly. Inside, my chest tightened. The faint sting of her disapproval followed me like a shadow, but I refused to let it crush me. I would not let her words dictate the joy I still carried. Not today.

Grace appeared then, her golden hair glinting in the sunlight, her smile too wide, too perfect. “Don’t forget to fetch the herbs for the healer, Aluna. And try not to trip over anything this time.”

I forced a laugh, my fingers curling around the basket of supplies. “I’ll be careful,” I said.

Her laughter followed me as I walked to the forest edge. It felt like a blade slicing through my resolve. 

I clenched my jaw. No. I would not let it touch me. Not today. Today, I would focus on what mattered. My birthday was coming, and with it, the hope I had carried all my life.

But as I stepped into the forest, a cold wind rustled the trees, whispering through the leaves in a way that made the hairs on my neck stand. I paused, glancing around, heart pounding. 

A strange unease settled over me. Perhaps it was nothing, but the feeling would not leave.

I picked up the pace, pushing through the underbrush, hoping to lose the chill. My thoughts raced. Sixteen. My wolf. My mate. Everything I had waited for. Would it finally be my turn?

The shadows seemed to stretch around me, the forest unusually quiet. I felt eyes on me, though I knew no one was there. 

Every step made my stomach tighten, a premonition I could not name.

By the time I reached the small clearing with the stream, my hands were trembling—not from the walk, but from anticipation. I knelt by the water, letting it run over my fingers, imagining what the elders would see when the moment came. 

My wolf. My mate. The life that would finally be mine.

And then, just as the sunlight broke through a gap in the trees, I felt it—a presence. Not human, not yet. Something watching. Something aware. I froze. My breath caught.

A rustle behind me.

I spun around, heart hammering, every nerve on edge. 

The forest was empty. 

Yet the feeling lingered, pressing against me like the weight of a storm.

Something was coming. 

Something I could not yet name.

And I had no idea whether it would bring joy, or shatter everything I had ever hoped for.