#3 The Night the Moon Remembers

Daeira POV

Of course they make an entrance.

Kade shows up with a Barbie on his arm, she's platinum blonde, boobs so perky they defy gravity, and a face that probably cost a fortune. Joelle. Pack princess and self declared future Luna. Two of her clone friends trail behind her like they share one brain cell.

Saria arrives a breath later, latched onto the arm of Karric, the thick necked, golden boy son of another Alpha. She’s all teeth and fake laughter, practically vibrating with the thrill of being seen.

And then they see me. Oh, fuck. Their eyes lock on me like wolves spotting a rabbit with a limp. I brace myself, chin low, my hands steady, tray full of drinks balanced like it’s my only defense.

They stalk over, already snickering. “Oh look,” Saria says loudly, voice dripping sugar and venom. “The servant slut showed up. What a treat.”

“Didn’t know the rats had dress codes,” Joelle adds, her voice all false sweetness and pure spite. “That burlap is doing nothing for your figure, sweetheart.”

“You should hide in the shadows, Dee,” Kade says, sneering as he yanks a drink off my tray. “No one wants to see your nasty ass.”

They laugh. All of them. Every word makes my blood boil hotter, my heartbeat louder, my restraint thinner. Just two more hours. Bite your tongue, Dee. Smile and serve. You’re almost out.

Joelle leans in like she’s going to whisper something. Instead, she “accidentally” spills her drink down the front of me. Sticky, cold liquid clings to my dress and skin. The laughter erupts like fireworks. I stand there, drenched, burning with rage, my fingers trembling around the tray. My eyes flash silver. Just for a second.

Shit. Shit. Keep your head down. I clench my jaw so tight it aches, and stare at the dirt.

“Oops,” Joelle chirps, all innocence and poison. “You might want to mop that up, mutt.”

Kade and Joelle start dry humping in front of the fire like it’s a damn performance. The rest of the crowd joins in, dancing, howling, grinding to the pulse of the drums.

I walk to the bar like a ghost. I use the small metal sink to wash off as much of the drink as I can, scrubbing at my skin with shaking fingers. They don’t even see me. But they’ll remember me.

I grab another tray and make the rounds again, face blank, eyes cold. More insults thrown like casual greetings. “Omega trash.” “Try not to shed in the drinks.” “Bet she still wets the bed.”

I hand them their poison and keep walking. I’ve survived worse. I’ve survived everything. Eventually, I slip away. No one notices me leave. No one cares where I go. Good.

I move through the forest like breath, the soft hum of the blood moon above my head. The music fades behind me, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves and the whispers of the old trees.

I speak to them as I walk. “Hey again, old ones,” I murmur, my voice gentle. “Made it through another one. Barely.”

I step into a clearing and the breath leaves my body. Moonlight spills across the grass like melted silver. The trees form a circle around me, still and sacred. I drop to my knees in the center. Then I lay back my, arms spread, hair tangled in the wildflowers, and stare up at the sky.

Midnight. Let it come. The first thing I feel is a buzz in my ears, like the air itself is speaking. Then pressure. Like my whole body is being pressed into the earth,y bones shifting,y blood singing.

I blink. My limbs are heavy. My chest is tight. My eyes sting.

My head falls back, and the world goes white. When I open my eyes, I’m no longer in the forest. I’m standing in a place made of moonlight and starlight. A field that glows like it remembers heaven.

And in front of me stands a woman so ethereal it hurts to look at her. Long white hair floats around her like mist. Her eyes are galaxies. Her skin glows like the inside of a pearl. And her voice, when she speaks, sounds like a song made from sorrow and fire.

“Daughter,” she says. “You’ve come.” I stumble back. “What the fuck…” She smiles gently. “I am Selene. The Moon. Your goddess. And you, Daeira… have been hidden too long.”

She steps forward and touches my forehead. And everything comes back. The garden. The screams. The fire. My mother. My father. The soldiers. The forest. Her. Me. My magic. My training. My bloodline. My name.

I fall to my knees, sobbing and shaking, my body trembling with fury and grief and truth. Selene kneels and gathers me in her arms like a mother should.

“I am so sorry,” she whispers. “I could not interfere. Not fully. But I hid you. And now, the time has come. You are the prophecy child. The last white wolf of the Seralyn line. The world is breaking, and you must rise.”

When I wake… I’m different.

My body feels whole. Strong. My curves fuller. My limbs heavy with power. My skin warm and humming. My hair thicker, falling like silk down my back. I stand in the moonlight, glowing. And then I hear her..Not Selene. Her.

My wolf. She whispers her name into my soul like a promise.

"Hello beautiful! I'm Lunaryn! The last white wolf spirit! Now that I'm here, it's time to fuck shit up!" I giggle in response, "You're my kinda girl already!" I can see her in my minds eye, wagging her beautiful fluffy white tail. It makes me smile. I knew I had a wolf.

The forest starts calling my name. Literally.

“Deeeee!”

“Dee?”

“She went this way!”

Their voices echo through the trees like a siren wail, frenzied, panicked. I can hear Saria screeching, Joelle snarling. I don’t stop. I don’t breathe. I’m sprinting barefoot across the mossy forest floor, the moonlight lighting my path, my blood humming like thunder.

“I need to get my things,” I mutter. “The files. The cash. I need to go.”

"No," Lunaryn growls. "You need to shift."

I stumble. “Now? Are you insane?”

"Your first shift. Under the blood moon. There will never be a better moment."

I slow to a stop, my chest rising and falling like I’m already burning from the inside out. And then I feel it. The heat. The pressure. The rip in my spine like the universe pulling itself apart. Pain surges through every bone in my body, but I don’t scream. I never scream. Pain is an old friend by now. This is just... evolution.

My skin shimmers, my muscles twist, and the sound of cracking bones echoes through the trees like firewood splitting. And then it’s done. I stand in the moonlight as her.

White fur like snow kissed by starlight. Silver glowing eyes. Massive. Sacred. Terrifying.

I am Lunaryn. And Lunaryn is me. We run.

The wind howls around us as we tear through the trees, faster than I’ve ever moved. Every step is freedom. Every leap is vengeance. We reach the edge of the Bloodmark estate within minutes, too fast, too smooth, and I slow near the perimeter of the courtyard.

The celebration is still going. Bonfire raging. Wolves laughing. Alphas and Lunas sipping drinks and making fake ass speeches.

I duck behind a thick bush and let Lunaryn pull back. My body shifts again, thankfully clothed. Somehow, the burlap monstrosity is still intact, thanks to Lunaryn’s magic.

"Nice touch," I mutter. "You’re welcome," she purrs.

I’m about to slip around the outer edge when the voices cut through again.

“DEE!”

“There she is!”

“We found her!”

Shit. They break through the trees behind me like a pack of rabid hyenas, Saria, Joelle, their entourage. And then Joelle’s hands are on me, yanking me forward into the center of the courtyard.

Right in front of everyone. The music stops. The fire crackles. All eyes land on me.

Shoving. Laughter. Sneers.

“She was hiding in the woods!” Joelle cackles.

“What a freak!”

“Still wearing rags like a good little servant,” Saria sneers.

Breathe, Dee. Let them talk. It’s almost over. And then Kade storms toward us, already sniffing the air, and he stops cold. His body locks up. His chest heaves. And then, his eyes go wide with rage.

“No,” he says.

“No no no no no!!”

He stares at me like I just slit his throat with a smile.

“There’s no fucking way you’re my mate!” he bellows. “The goddess hates me! I, Alpha Kade Vane of Bloodhowl Pack, REJECT YOU as my mate and Luna!”

The crowd gasps. Lunas clutch their pearls. Some girl sobs for no reason. Danika looks like she’s just swallowed a fistful of ash. I don’t flinch. I don’t cry.I just smile. Cold. Beautiful and fucking unbothered.

“I, Alpha Daeira Seralyn, last of the Seralyn white wolves, accept your rejection.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I feel it. The bond snaps like a whip. A crack in my chest that aches for a single heartbeat, then... silence. Relief. Freedom. Fucking finally. Kade stares at me like I just shattered reality.

Danika screams, “NO!” And then I shift. Right there. Right in front of the entire pack and their precious guests. My body erupts in light, fur flowing like silk, eyes glowing like the moon itself. Lunaryn howls.

It’s the sound of ancient power. Of rage. Of return. Then we run. I don’t wait for applause. I don’t let them react.

We bolt for the manor, tear through the halls, and burst into my room. I snatch the bag I packed, cash, blackmail files, two energy bars, and one shitty pocketknife.

Then I’m gone. Back through the woods. Into the night.

Away from them all.

"We are not prey," Lunaryn whispers.

"No," I whisper back. "We’re the fucking reckoning."