Elara’s POVThe moment the High Priestess’s chant filled the air, I felt it—that pull. A deep, bone-cracking force that clawed its way out of me, as if something long buried had decided it had slept enough.The drums shook the ground beneath my feet. The blue moon’s light bathed me in silver, and suddenly, it wasn’t just light. It was heat, fire—a blaze that licked across my skin. My body arched against my will, every nerve screaming.I gasped, my vision blurring. The pack’s faces melted into shadows, voices echoing like whispers in a cavern. The only thing tethering me was Kael’s voice—steady, commanding, wrapping around me like chains made of steel and warmth.“I’m here. Anchor to me.”I clung to that voice, though my body betrayed me. My bones cracked loudly, my knees buckling. Pain ripped through me, sharp and merciless—but beneath it, something else stirred. It was a presence—no, not just a presence.“I’m here.”The thought wasn’t mine, yet it was. It was my wolf.The one I thoug
Kael’s POVThe morning of the blue moon dawned sharp and cold, the kind of chill that seeped into bones and reminded everyone of what was at stake. My entire pack moved with a restless energy, preparing for the ritual as if the very air was heavy with expectation.And maybe it was. The blue moon came only once every decade, but this time it was more than a celebration. Tonight, Elara would either rise as the silver wolf or lose her wolf forever, and if she failed, I would lose the bond that already tethered me to her in ways I couldn’t explain.I stood at the balcony of my quarters, watching as pack members carried baskets of herbs, jars of oils, and bowls of water blessed by the priestesses. Smoke from early fires curled into the sky, sharp with the scent of sage and cedar. The grounds were already being decorated with symbols of the goddess—woven silver threads, crescent-shaped stones, and runes etched into the soil with salt.Behind me, a soft rustle pulled me from my thoughts.Ela
Kael’s POVIt was just a day before the blue moon.The pack would have rituals to celebrate and to pray to the goddess, but a lot would be going on that day. I still hadn’t gotten through to Elara, and Storm told me that she had been avoiding a lot of public reaction more than usual.Milo also told me that she was called into Liora’s room and came out looking like she had seen a ghost.I sat at my desk as I drank all the information in.This was getting out of hand. We were about to get the silver wolf—my better half. It was something people did not think was possible. I didn’t even think it was possible. I had given up on getting a mate; that was why the council chose Liora to be my chosen mate.I was the midnight wolf, Liora was the red wolf. We both were rare species, but for the past year, the silver wolf had never been seen. The last one died after her mate was killed.The door to my office was pushed open. I looked up to see Storm.“Did you not hear me knock?” he asked.“Just co
Liora’s POVThe little mouse trembled in front of me, her eyes wide, her lips pressed together like she feared even her breath would betray her.Elara, an omega nobody—yet somehow she had captured whispers, the kind I didn’t ignore.I let her go with a smile, a sweet curve of my lips that I knew would haunt her long after she left my chambers. Fear was such a delicious scent, lingering on her like perfume.It confirmed everything I already suspected: there was more to her than she dared admit.As the doors closed behind her, I leaned back into my velvet chair, tapping a manicured finger against the rim of my goblet. The red wine swirled, dark and rich, but not nearly as intoxicating as the thought gnawing at the back of my mind.A prophecy. The silver wolf who was a threat to my reign. And that trembling little servant girl might be at the center of it.The Blue Moon was only two nights away. The sacred night when wolves found their strength renewed, when new wolves surfaced, bonds so
Elara’s POVThe past few days have been the worst for me. Every touch made me jump, every stare made me wonder who knew. My head spun with questions.What was going to happen in the next two days? Shouldn’t I be happy? I was finally getting my long-awaited wolf.“Elara…”I slowly looked up to see who was calling me. It was Mara.“Mara?” I got up from the floor I was scrubbing and rushed to hug her. I hadn’t seen her since I began working here in the infirmary, and I missed her badly. She hugged me back, and before I knew it, tears were flowing down my cheeks.“Hey… don’t cry,” she said as I sniffed, staining her dress with tears.“I’m sorry, I just miss you too much,” I said, and she nodded, wiping the tears from my face.“I’m sorry also. I shouldn’t have done what Dr. Storm wanted, but… sorry, I’ve said too much.”I looked at her, confused, but before I could say anything, she changed the topic.“Hmm, what is going on with you?”I looked at her. I knew she had a lot to say, but she d
Elara’s POVThe door creaked open, and Storm stepped into the infirmary. His frame nearly filled the space, the faint lantern light outlining the sharp edges of his shoulders. His gaze flickered from my sweat-drenched sheets to my trembling hands, and I knew I must have looked like a wreck.“Elara,” he said again, softer this time, as if speaking too loudly might shatter me.I forced a shaky smile, tugging the blanket higher to hide the fact that my knees were still quivering. “I’m fine,” I whispered, though my voice betrayed me. It cracked like thin ice under too much weight.Storm’s brows drew together. “You don’t look fine.”“I said I’m fine,” I snapped, sharper than I intended. Guilt coiled in my chest immediately. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t push. That was the thing about Storm—he had this quiet way of reading people, but he rarely forced his way into places you didn’t want him.He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Nightmares?”I swallowed hard, my throat dry