Chapter 100: Moonlit Vows

The air was thick with the scent of pine and impending war. Clouds churned above the treetops, veiling the blood moon that pulsed with supernatural energy. Serena stood at the cliff’s edge, a spot that had once been her sanctuary. Now, it felt like the eye of the storm.

She had faced traitors, rogue wolves, ancient curses, and secrets that had nearly broken her. And still, she stood.

Behind her, footsteps—steady, familiar.

Elias.

He didn’t say her name right away. He just stood there, watching her like he was memorizing her all over again. She felt the weight of his gaze like a second moon on her skin.

“You’re not going to jump, are you?” he finally asked, his voice low and gravelly.

She let out a dry laugh, not taking her eyes off the swirling clouds. “No. I’m not the girl who runs anymore.”

He moved beside her, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. “No. You’re the woman who makes the whole damn forest kneel.”

Serena turned to him, his silver-blue eyes locking with hers. The look between them was molten—sharp with memory and heavy with the ache of things left unsaid. He looked tired, but resolute. His jaw was tight. His hands clenched at his sides, as if he were holding back everything he wanted to say.

“I thought I could live without this,” he said quietly. “Without you. I thought I had to.”

Her lips parted. “But you didn’t.”

“No,” he said. “I was a fool.”

There was silence—rich, humming silence—and then he stepped closer, closing the space between them. He lifted his hand and tucked a curl behind her ear, his knuckles brushing her cheek.

“I’ll fight for you,” he whispered. “Even if it means going up against Theron, the elders, or the moon goddess herself.”

Her breath caught.

“You left once,” she said. “And it nearly broke me.”

“I won’t leave again. Not unless you ask me to.” His eyes shimmered, raw and honest. “Serena, I love you.”

The words hit her like a wave. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear them until they left his lips.

She stepped into him, placing a hand over his heart. “Then show me. Not just here, not just now. Every day. Every storm.”

He cupped her jaw and leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. Their breaths mingled, their bond vibrating between them like a live wire. The pull was magnetic—ancient and primal. When his lips met hers, it was soft at first. A kiss born of longing, full of apology and promise. But then it deepened—hungry, desperate, burning with everything they’d buried.

When they finally pulled apart, she was breathless.

“I hate how much I still want you,” she murmured.

“And I love how much you still try to resist me,” he replied with a crooked smile.

Just then, a howl echoed through the forest. It wasn’t a cry of fear—but a signal. The blood moon was at its peak.

Serena turned toward the woods. “It’s time.”

They arrived at the sacred circle together. Evelyn was already there, regal and composed in her silver cloak. Theron leaned against a twisted tree trunk, his expression as sharp as broken glass. His dark gaze flicked from Serena to Elias and back again.

“Well, well. The lovers have reunited. How sweet.” His voice was mocking, but underneath, Serena sensed the crack in his armor. Desperation.

“I’m not here to play games,” Elias growled.

“Good,” Theron said, stepping forward. “Neither am I. The moon is full. The challenge must be answered.”

Evelyn’s voice cut through the tension. “And so it shall be. But this is no ordinary trial. The Alpha throne has never belonged to just one bloodline—it belongs to the one chosen by the moon. And tonight, she watches.”

The pack had gathered now, circling the sacred ground. Murmurs rose as Serena stepped forward, her presence commanding. The markings on her skin—the ones that had appeared weeks ago—glowed softly beneath the moonlight.

“I will not let this pack fall into darkness,” she declared. “Theron, if you seek power through bloodshed, then know this—I won’t let you claim what was never yours to begin with.”

Theron shifted. Not just in stance—his bones cracked, body elongating into the monstrous form of his beast. Black fur, eyes like molten gold, claws gleaming.

Elias didn’t wait. He shifted too, his silver wolf emerging with a roar that echoed across the trees. Larger, stronger—made of moon and might.

But Serena didn’t shift.

Not yet.

Instead, she stepped into the center of the circle, arms outstretched, eyes burning.

“Enough,” she commanded.

Both beasts froze.

From her hands, silver fire spread across the earth like roots of lightning, forming protective runes around the circle.

“I am not just a Luna. I am not just a vessel for fate. I am the Alpha the moon chose.”

And as she said it, her shift came—not painful or wild like the others, but seamless. Her wolf was radiant. White as snow, eyes like stars, markings glowing across her pelt.

The crowd gasped.

Theron faltered.

Elias stood beside her, his head lowering in a silent vow.

And Serena—Serena howled.

Not in fear. Not in fury.

In declaration.

This was her reign.