BLOOD OATH

Veronica

I fell into darkness, but it wasn't empty. A forest materialized around me, ancient and vast. Moonlight filtered through leaves that shimmered like silver coins. My feet touched soft moss, and I realized I could stand without pain. My body felt whole again, strong.

Then I saw her. A silver wolf, magnificent and glowing, stepped out from behind a massive oak tree. Her eyes were the same shade as mine, amber with flecks of gold. I knew her instantly, even though she'd died giving birth to me.

"Mama?" The word came out small, childlike.

The wolf's form shimmered, and suddenly a woman stood before me. Beautiful, with long dark hair and those same amber eyes. She wore a white dress that moved like water.

"My daughter," she said, her voice like wind through trees. "My brave, broken daughter."

"I don't understand." Tears streamed down my face. "Why are you here? Am I dead?"

"Not yet." She moved closer, cupping my face with translucent hands. "But you will be, if you don't listen carefully."

"I'm trying to survive, Mama. I'm trying so hard, but I'm not strong enough."

"You are stronger than you know." Her expression hardened. "Catherine's family cursed our bloodline, Veronica. Fifteen years ago, they made a deal with a dark witch. They wanted our pack's power, our lands, our legacy."

My blood turned to ice. "What kind of curse?"

"A curse to weaken our wolves, to make us vulnerable. Your father discovered it, and started investigating." Her eyes filled with sorrow. "That's why he disappeared. They killed him before he could expose them."

"No." I shook my head violently. "No, he can't be dead. He can't be."

"Catherine's father slit his throat and buried him in the eastern woods." My mother's voice broke. "And now they're coming for you. For Henry. They want to destroy our line completely."

"Henry." Panic clawed at my chest. "I have to protect him."

"You will." She gripped my shoulders. "But first, you must survive. There is a pack far from here, hidden in the northern mountains. Your father had allies there, wolves who knew the truth. Find them. They will help you break the curse."

"How? I can barely stand. My wolf is dying."

"Your wolf is not dying." Her form began to fade. "She's waiting. Waiting for you to remember what you are."

"Mama, wait! Don't leave me!"

"You are the daughter of Alphas, Veronica. Wolfsbane and moonlight run through your veins." Her voice grew distant. "Do not die quietly. Make them remember your name."

I woke up gasping. The servant's quarters were dark, cold. But something had changed. Inside me, my wolf stirred, not just a flutter this time, but a growl. Weak, yes. Damaged, absolutely. But alive. The door creaked open. I tensed, but it was Margaret again, her face pale in the moonlight streaming through the window.

"I shouldn't be doing this," she whispered, pressing something into my hand. "But your father saved my daughter once. I owe him everything."

I looked down. A yellowed envelope, sealed with my father's crest.

"Where did you find this?"

"Hidden in the library, behind his favorite books. I've kept it safe all these years, hoping..." She swallowed hard. "Hoping he'd come back for it. But he never did."

My fingers trembled as I broke the seal. Inside, my father's handwriting, bold and familiar:

If you're reading this, I'm gone. Catherine's father, Marcus, has been working with a witch named Morgana. They've cursed our bloodline, weakening our wolves generation by generation. I've found proof, but I need time to gather more evidence.

There is a pack in the northern mountains, the Shadowfang Pack. Their Alpha, Magnus, is a true ally. If something happens to me, go to them. They will protect you.

Stay strong, my little wolf. Your mother's blood runs through you. You are stronger than any curse.

I love you. Always.

I pressed the letter to my chest, tears flowing freely.

"Thank you," I whispered to Margaret.

She nodded and slipped away into the darkness.

I sat there, clutching the letter, feeling my wolf wake up more with each passing moment. They killed my father. They cursed my bloodline. They took everything from me.

But I was still here. Still breathing. Still fighting..The door burst open hours later. Morning light streamed in, harsh and bright. Two guards grabbed my arms, hauling me to my feet.

"Time for the ceremony," one grunted.

They dragged me through the house, past the rooms I'd once called home, past Henry's bedroom where I could hear him laughing with Catherine. They pulled me outside where the entire pack had gathered.

Hundreds of wolves stood in a circle around a raised platform. Richard stood at the center, looking every inch the Alpha in his formal robes. Catherine stood beside him, wearing a white dress like a bride.

Like a Luna.

The guards threw me onto the platform. I landed hard, my knees cracking against the wood. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"Silence!" Richard's Alpha command rang out. "Today, we witness the end of one union and the beginning of another."

I struggled to stand, using the platform's edge for support. My vision swam, but I forced myself upright.

"This woman," Richard gestured at me with disgust, "is no longer fit to be Luna. She is weak, broken, unable to fulfill her duties to this pack."

"Liar," I said quietly. His eyes flashed. "What did you say?"

"I said you're a liar." My voice grew stronger. "I gave everything to this pack. To you. To our son. And you repay me with betrayal."

Catherine stepped forward, her hand on her stomach. "The pack needs a strong Luna. I'm carrying Richard's heir, a child who will be born from strength, not weakness."

The crowd murmured. Some looked uncomfortable, others nodded in agreement.

"Begin the rejection," Richard commanded.

The pack elder stepped forward, an ancient wolf with gray in his beard. "Alpha Richard, do you reject your mate, Veronica, daughter of Alpha Marcus?"

"I do," Richard said without hesitation.

"Luna Veronica, do you accept this rejection?"

The words stuck in my throat. If I said them, the mate bond would shatter completely. I would lose whatever small protection it still offered.

But if I didn't, they would force me.

"I..." Pain exploded through my chest. The curse, my damaged wolf, the stress, everything hit at once. I collapsed, coughing. Blood sprayed across the white platform.

"Pathetic," Catherine sneered. "She can't even complete a simple ritual."

"Say the words, Veronica," Richard growled.

I looked up at him through the blood and pain. "No."

His face twisted with rage. "Then you'll die unsaid."

"Guards!" Catherine's voice rang out. "Take her body to the forest. Let the rogues finish what nature started."

"No!" Someone in the crowd shouted. I couldn't see who. But the guards obeyed. They grabbed me, dragged me off the platform. The crowd parted as they hauled me past, some people crying, others looking away.

They took me to the forest edge where the trees grew thick and dark. Snow covered the ground, fresh and white, and they threw me into it like garbage.

"Have fun dying," one guard laughed.

They left me there, bleeding into the snow. The cold seeped into my bones. My blood pooled around me, turning the white red. My wolf whimpered, trying desperately to help, but she was too weak.

This is it, I thought. This is how I die. Alone in the snow, betrayed and broken. My vision faded. The sky above me blurred. I felt myself slipping away. Then I heard it. Footsteps. No, paw steps. Heavy, powerful, getting closer. A shadow fell over me, massive and dark.

I forced my eyes open and saw it. A wolf, but not like any I'd ever seen. Huge, easily twice the size of a normal Alpha, with fur so black it seemed to swallow light. Its eyes glowed silver in the dim forest light. It lowered its enormous head, and I felt its breath, hot against my frozen skin. Then gently, carefully, it lifted me in its jaws and began to run..