Chapter 4

The sacred clearing pulsed with energy as the full moon climbed higher, bathing the standing stones in a silvery glow that made everything feel alive. Celine’s heart hammered against her ribs, the faint scent of storm winds and dark pine still lingering in her nose. It was him. Cassian Link. The pull was undeniable now, a warm thread tugging low in her belly, connecting her to the alpha standing tall at the head of the gathering. She could barely breathe through the rush of it. After years of nothing, the Moon Goddess had finally answered.

  Around her, other wolves shifted restlessly, some pairing off with soft murmurs and touches as bonds clicked into place. The elders continued their chants, voices rising and falling like the wind through the oaks. Celine stole another glance at Cassian. He was scanning the crowd, his sharp features set in concentration, that commanding presence making the air feel thicker. Her father stood rigid beside her, but for once, Celine didn’t care about his disapproval. This was her moment.

  Lila edged closer to the center, her green dress catching the firelight, a confident smile playing on her lips. She kept shooting looks toward Cassian too, but Celine pushed the jealousy down. The bond didn’t lie. Scent didn’t lie.

  Cassian raised a hand, and the clearing fell into a respectful hush. His voice carried easily, deep and steady, laced with the authority of an alpha who had fought for his position. “Tonight, under the Goddess’s light, we honor the old ways. Bonds form where they are destined. Strength strengthens the pack. Riverfang’s delegates watch us—let them see Silvermoon’s power.”

  Murmurs of approval rippled through the warriors. Celine’s palms grew slick. The pull intensified, her skin tingling where the moonlight touched it. That inner warmth from before flared brighter, coiling in her chest like it wanted to break free. “Now,” she thought. *Please, let this be it.*

  The alpha stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the eligible wolves. When it landed on her, time seemed to slow. Their eyes locked, and for a heartbeat, she saw something flicker there, recognition? The same pull? Her breath caught. This was real. She took a small step toward the center, drawn by that invisible thread.

  But Cassian’s expression hardened. He turned slightly, addressing the whole gathering rather than her directly. “The mate bond is sacred, but so is the future of our pack. Alliances cannot be ignored.”

  Lila moved then, bold as ever, positioning herself near the alpha with a graceful shift of her shoulders. Whispers started. Celine’s stomach twisted, but she held her ground. The scent was unmistakable. It had to be him.

  Cassian continued, his tone measured but firm. “I have scented my mate tonight.” The words sent a jolt through Celine. Hope exploded in her chest, bright and fragile. She felt the eyes on her now, Sara’s wide with surprise, her father’s tense with something like anticipation.

  Then Cassian’s gaze fixed on Lila. “Lila Voss, daughter of Gamma Voss. Your strength and bloodline will serve Silvermoon well in the alliance with Riverfang.”

  The clearing erupted in a mix of cheers and shocked murmurs. Celine froze, the world tilting under her feet. No. That wasn’t right. The scent, the pull, it had led straight to him. She stepped forward again, voice barely above a whisper at first. “Alpha... Cassian. I felt it too. The bond…..”

  He looked at her then, really looked, and the dismissal in his eyes cut like claws. The crowd quieted, sensing the shift. Lila smirked, triumphant, slipping her hand onto Cassian’s arm as if she already owned the place.

  “Elara….wait, Celine,” Cassian corrected, his voice carrying to every ear in the clearing. He didn’t even bother lowering it. “You are the beta’s daughter, but the pack has seen your... limitations. A wolfless mate cannot stand beside an alpha. Not in these times. Not with threats at our borders and alliances hanging by a thread. You are weak. Unworthy of the bond.”

  The words landed like physical blows. Celine staggered back a step, her chest caving in. Gasps rippled through the pack. Someone laughed, sharp and cruel. Lila’s friends. Her father’s face went stone hard, but he said nothing, eyes fixed straight ahead as if she were already a stranger.

  “I... I scented you,” Celine managed, her voice cracking despite her effort to stay steady. The warmth inside her twisted painfully now, like it was dying. “The Goddess…”

  “The Goddess tests us all,” Cassian interrupted, his tone final, almost bored. “She has shown me my path. Lila carries the strength this pack needs. The bond I choose tonight is for Silvermoon.” He turned fully to Lila, who preened under the attention, her wolf clearly smug even in human form. Cassian leaned in, sealing it with a public mark of intent….his hand on her waist, a low growl of acceptance that echoed through the night.

  Humiliation burned through Celine hotter than any shift pain she’d imagined. The entire pack was staring. Warriors she’d served breakfast to, elders who’d known her since she was a pup, even the Riverfang delegates watching with detached interest. Whispers spread like poison: “Wolfless reject.” “Poor beta’s girl.” “Should’ve known.”

  Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back fiercely. She wouldn’t cry here. Not in front of them. Her father finally glanced her way, his expression a mix of disappointment and resignation. “Stand tall,” he’d said earlier. But how, when everything was crumbling?

  Lila caught her eye across the circle and mouthed, “Pathetic.” Then louder, for the crowd: “Some dreams were never meant to come true, cousin. Better you learn it now.”

  The ceremony continued around her like she was invisible. More pairings announced, blessings given, howls rising as wolves celebrated. Celine stood rooted for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the white gown now feeling like a shroud. The inner spark she’d felt earlier guttered out completely, leaving only cold emptiness.

  When the elders signaled the feast to begin, she couldn’t take it anymore. The laughter, the music starting up on drums and flutes, the scent of joy mixing with roasted meat, it all twisted the knife deeper. She turned and slipped through the crowd, head down, shoulders hunched against the pitying and mocking stares.

  The forest edge welcomed her like an old friend, branches snagging at her dress as she broke into a run. Tears came freely now, hot tracks down her cheeks. Her lungs burned, but she kept going, deeper into the trees, away from the lanterns and the life she’d never truly belonged to. The pendant bounced against her chest, a mocking reminder of her mother’s strength, the strength she’d never inherited.

  “Weak. Unworthy.” Cassian’s words replayed on a loop. The alpha she’d felt pulled toward had thrown her away in front of everyone. For Lila. For politics. For everything she wasn’t.

  Her foot caught on a root, and she stumbled, scraping her palms on the forest floor. The pain was distant, nothing compared to the ache in her soul. She pushed up, sobbing openly now, the full moon mocking her through the canopy gaps. Howls echoed from the clearing behind her…celebratory, belonging. None for her.

  Celine ran until her legs gave out near the pack border, the forbidden woods looming darker ahead. She collapsed against a tree, breath ragged, the silver light filtering down like judgment. The faint warmth tried to stir one last time, but it hurt too much. Everything hurt.

  In the distance, beyond the border markers, a different howl rose…low, lone, and wild. Not pack. Rogue territory. Dangerous. But in that moment, facing back toward the lights of Silvermoon felt far more terrifying.

  She didn’t know how long she sat there, broken and alone, but the night wasn’t done with her yet. Footsteps, heavy, deliberate, crunched through the underbrush nearby. A shadow moved between the trees, tall and powerful, carrying the scent of blood and wilderness.

  Celine’s head snapped up, heart seizing. Whoever, or whatever, it was, it had found her.