CHAPTER ONE : IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN

ELARA'S POV

It is starting.

The beginning of the rest of my life.

I am so anxious and excited, it feels like I am about to fall apart.

I can hear the howls outside and they are literally shaking the air. Deep and loud and wild. Like the forest itself is breathing. My heart beats with it. Fast. Loud. Almost painful.

I won't lie… I am terrified. Scared. What if something goes wrong, what if… he realizes I am not good enough.

No. I can't think like that. I can't let it show. Everyone is watching me. Waiting. I can't show weakness

I grip my dress tighter. My fingers won’t stop shaking. The silk material gums to my skin, it is too heavy, too white and even though I keep telling myself that everything is fine… that I am fine, a part of me just can't seem to settle.

Like it is expecting the worst

It is supposed to be perfect. Tonight is supposed to be beautiful. The night I become his.

But then I hear it. The whispers.

“She’s too soft.”

“She won’t last a moon with him.”

“She’s not built for this.”

My chest burns but I don't shake, I keep my eyes on the path as I walk down the aisle. I cannot let them see how their words make me feel.

Then I see her.

Lyra.

My helper in all these leading up to today. She has been a great help… but I have never been able to settle around her. She bothers me. And I don't know why.

She is standing in the corner, close to the door of the hall. Everyone else is smiling, but hers… hers is small and strange. It is off. Not fake, but not kind either. Like she knows something. Like she’s already laughing inside.

Our eyes meet. Just for a second. But it’s enough.

Something shifts in my stomach. A cold twist.

I take a breath. Step forward. The drums start. It starts slow at first and then it gets faster. The wolves howl again, their voices going through the open roof. The ground vibrates. The stars feel closer. It’s all too much and too bright, but I keep walking.

At the end of the hall, Darius waits.

My mate

My love

My life.

Goddess. He looks unreal under the moonlight. Tall with broad shoulders and eyes like gold set on fire. I notice his jaw tighten the moment he sees me, but it is not anger. It is something else. Something I can’t name.

Something I feel too. It goes deeper than love. Deeper than desire.

I finally -finally- reach him and he smiles. Small. Careful.

“You look…” He begins to say but stops, like he is searching for the right word. “You look like the moongoddess made you herself.”

“She made all of us, Darius,” I want to laugh. I don’t. “Anf you are kind of late with that compliment.”

He chuckles, and for a second, everything fades. The hall feels lighter. The drums slow down.

Lyra steps forward then. She’s holding the blessing wine. She is dressed in a dark red gown, the color is like blood caught in sunlight.

“Here you go,” she says softly. Her voice is smooth, almost sweet. “Drink.”

Her fingers brush mine when she hands me the cup and I feel it then. That prickle. Like static under my skin. My heart stumbles.

I blink and it is gone. Maybe it is just nerves. Maybe it is nothing.

Maybe.

I raise the cup to my face and watch as the wine glows faintly under the moon. It smells like smoke and flowers. I take a sip. Warm. Heavy. Then I pass it to Darius.

He doesn’t drink it right away. Instead, he takes the cup from me and he looks deep into my eyes and whispers, “From your hands, my heart finds peace.”

The pack howls again. Louder. The sound fills everything. Darius drinks. The crowd cheers.

I’m supposed to feel happy. I’m supposed to feel safe. But I can’t stop looking at Lyra.

She’s standing too still. Watching too close. I notice as her father, former Elder Rhane, catches her eye. They share a look. Quick, but I see it. A tiny shift. A secret sliding between them.

No one else notices. Not even Darius.

The seer moves forward. She is an old woman wrapped in layers of pale silk. Her hands shake as she lifts them toward us. Her eyes are already clouded, but then they start to flicker. White. Like lightning behind her skin.

Her breath catches. Her whole body freezes.

The music stops.

Everyone looks at her.

“Seer?” Lyra whispers.

The seer’s lips part, but no sound comes. Her eyes roll back. For one second, her face twists. Like she’s seeing something no one should ever see. Then she gasps and drops her hand.

“I…” Her voice cracks. “The moon blesses this bond.”

The crowd cheers again. Like nothing happened. Like they didn’t just see her flinch like that.

But I saw it.

I felt it.

Something is wrong.

Something is seriously wrong.

The night keeps moving. The feast starts. Laughter and dancing and endless wine. I try to relax. I try to breathe. Darius is beside me, smiling, joking with the other alphas. He looks fine. Perfect.

But every few minutes, I catch Lyra watching us. Her smile never fades.

Hours pass. The fires burn low. The moon hangs tired in the sky. My feet ache, my cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

Then I hear the sound. A small crack. Like glass breaking.

I turn to see Darius standing by the table. The wine glass in his hand has shattered. Silver shards fall, scattering across the floor.

“Darius?” I call out as I get to my feet.

He doesn’t answer.

His chest rises too fast. His hands curl into fists. His eyes… his eyes aren’t gold anymore. They flicker black, like ink spreading in water.

“Darius,” I say again, louder this time.

He looks at me. And for a moment, I swear it’s not him looking back. Something else is staring through him. Something dark and wild.

“Run,” he growls.

Then he drops to his knees.

The hall explodes in screams.