MasukThe pack felt the power that was unleashed before they understood it.It began as a strange clarity, like fog lifting from the atmosphere that previously overshadowed everywhere. Wolves blinked and looked around, suddenly aware of things they had always sensed but never could name.The old tensions they had about her surviving softened immediately. The buried grudges in their hearts suddenly loosened. The truth about Aria and the immense power she has was gently exposed to their hearts, and they couldn’t fight it.Aria stood at the center of it all. She did not command it or force what they were experiencing. Her power was simply doing all that, effortlessly.The night was long. Everyone kept talking about what happened and how the moon goddess herself spoke over the land. News had traveled far and wide; it was so crazy and chaotic. The Alpha’s mother, Selene, was forced to bow at Aria’s feet under the command of the goddess.It felt like the pack was cleansed with some supernatural p
TRIAL THREE - THE SACRED TEMPLEThe Forbidden NightThe night the moon turned silver-white, the world held its breath as if someone had paused.This was an important event that happens only once a year. It is the time when the moon sheds its familiar glow and becomes a brighter and older figure that has been glowing from ancient times.On that night, the sacred temple awakened, and on that night, no living soul was meant to cross its threshold. Not warriors, priestesses, Lunas, Betas, or even Alphas are permitted because of the immense and sacred power looming across it.Selene stood before the council with a thin and sharp smile. She had gathered everyone for the third test after the second win. She had been silent for days when the Alpha asked for the third trial until the evening of the previous day, when she sent the notice out to everyone.Her robe glittered in the room, her crown well seated on her sleek hair. It was obvious she had taken her time picking out her outfit. It was
The arena had not yet recovered from the shock.Aria still lay in Damien’s arms, her breathing uneven, her skin streaked with dust and sweat. Damien held her as if she were something precious he refused to let slip away again. His voice was low, a rumbling anger beneath the soft worry.“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself that far,” he murmured. Aria tried to smile. “I… won, didn’t I?”“You terrified me,” he corrected gently. “Don’t do that again.”Across the arena, Selene’s expression twisted like something sour in her mouth. She had expected Aria to fall, to bleed, and to fail. But instead she had risen.Naomi lay defeated, Selene’s “perfect soldier” brought down by an Omega girl.Selene stood slowly, chin lifting with dangerous grace. Her voice was cold and sharp like broken glass.“So she survives one fight,” she said loudly. “Must be luck, nothing more.”Damien’s head shot up. His eyes darkened with warning. “Mother,” he said, “leave.”Selene’s nostrils flared, but she turned with
TRIAL ONE: THE BATTLE WITH NAOMIEvery time the moon climbed high above the mansion, when the guards switched shifts, and the hallways grew silent, Aria found Damien waiting for her in the empty training hall. He always stood there, shirtless or half-dressed, his body wrapped in faint healing marks from the intense journey he had been through. The low lanterns made his yellow eyes glow darker, scarier, and hungrier.“Again,” he said, stepping toward her with slow, steady footsteps. “Your stance is too open. Anyone could knock you over.”Aria tightened her jaw and tried to correct her position. She lifted her hands, squared her feet, and attempted the defensive pose he had taught her hours ago, the night before that, and the night before that.Damien circled her like a wave trying to swirl the raging waters. “Better,” he said softly. “But not good enough.”She let out a breath. “I’m trying.”“I know.” His voice gentled. “I also know you can give more.”He moved behind her and adjusted
Snow covered the courtyard that morning. The sky was a soft grey, the kind that made every breath come out as fog. Wolves gathered in long rows, silent but curious, as the main gates creaked open.Selene stepped through. She looked thinner than before, her once-perfect braids now undone, her robes replaced by travel-worn furs. But her eyes were sharp, proud, and calculating; they had not changed. Not even exile could dim them.Damien stood at the front of the courtyard, with Aria at his side. Their hands were close, almost touching, but not quite. The tension between them hummed like a quiet storm.Selene’s gaze flicked first to her son. Then, sharply to Aria. Aria bowed respectfully. “Welcome home, Luna Selene.”Selene did not return the greeting. Her chin lifted, and her eyes swept over Aria like she was examining a stain on the floor.Damien noticed, and his jaw tightened. “Mother,” he said calmly. “You asked for a hearing. You have it.”Selene smiled, a thin, dangerous smile. “Tha
The gates slammed shut behind Selene.The echo carried all the way through the northern courtyard; it was very sharp and rough, like the last note of a broken song. Damien stood there for a long moment, his shoulders stiff, his jaw clenched so hard a pulse jumped at the side of his neck.Aria didn’t speak yet. She knew this was not the time for words. Sometimes silence was the only gentle thing left.Damien exhaled slowly, releasing a shudder through his chest. “It’s done,” he said, not as a whisper or a victory.Aria stepped closer. His back was still bruised from the attack, and even though his wounds had mostly healed, some pains lived deeper than the skin.“Are you alright?” she asked softly.“No,” he admitted. There was no point lying. At least, not to her. “She’s my mother, Aria. And I just..”“You protected me,” she said before he could finish. “You protected the pack.”Damien turned to her then. His eyes were tired, red at the edges, touched with something old... something wou
|Aria|The choking smell of herbs slowly filled my nostrils and it didn’t clear up no matter how much I tried to breathe it away. My hands and legs felt numb and heavy. A thick, musky haze clung to the air like a damp woolen cloak. The scent of crushed sage and smoldering juniper clung to my nose.
The fume coming from the turned bowl filled the air, and my body shook tremendously. My knees buckled as I inhaled the substance, and I knew what it was instantly. He had just poisoned my body and my wolf.My weak body couldn’t take it further. Blood trickled down my nose as I tried hard not to vom
|Damien|A lot of time had passed, and I turned the entire pack upside down with my men but she was nowhere to be found. All my clothes were soaked with sweat. I had extended my smell gland to capture a wide range of smells to the point it got strained, but there was nothing like her scent. The sce
She stood there with a terrified look on her face. Lupus, my wolf, threatened to jump out due to the immense anger, but I fought back to keep him intact. At least, not in front of the terrified little girl.Her limbs and fingers shook simultaneously as she contemplated moving closer to be with her







