#3 The Night the Moon Remembers

Daeira POV

Of course they made an entrance.

Kade showed up with a Wolf Barbie on his arm, she was platinum blonde, had boobs so perky they defied gravity, and a face that probably cost a fortune. Joelle. Pack princess and self-declared future Luna. Two of her clone friends trailed behind her like they shared one brain cell.

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

And then they saw me. Oh, fuck. Their eyes locked on me like wolves spotting a rabbit with a limp. I braced myself, my chin low, my hands steady, the tray of drinks balanced like it was my only defense.

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

“Didn’t know the rats had dress codes,” Joelle added, 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 sneered as he yanked a drink off my tray. “No one wants to see your nasty ass.”

They laughed. All of them. Every word made 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 leaned in like she was going to whisper something. Instead, she “accidentally” spilled her drink down the front of me. Sticky, cold liquid clung to my dress and skin. The laughter erupted like fireworks. I stood there, drenched, and burning with rage, my fingers trembling around the tray. My eyes flashed silver, just for a second.

Shit. Keep your head down. I clenched my jaw so tight it ached and stared at the dirt.

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

Kade and Joelle started dry humping in front of the fire like it was a damn performance. The rest of the crowd joined in, dancing, howling, and grinding to the pulse of the drums.

I walked to the bar like a ghost and used the small metal sink to wash off as much of the drink as I could, scrubbing at my skin with shaking fingers. They didn’t even see me. But they would remember me.

I grabbed another tray and made the rounds again, face blank, eyes cold. More insults were thrown like casual greetings.

“Omega trash.”

“Try not to shed in the drinks.”

“Bet she still wets the bed.”

I handed them their poison and kept walking. I’d survived worse. I’d survived everything.

Eventually, I slipped away. No one noticed me leave. No one cared where I went. Good.

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

I spoke to them as I walked. “Hey again, old ones,” I murmured softly. “Made it through another one. Barely.”

I stepped into a clearing, and the breath left my body. Moonlight spilled across the grass like melted silver. The trees formed a circle around me, still and sacred. I dropped to my knees in the center, then laid back, my arms spread, my hair tangled in wildflowers, and stared up at the sky.

Midnight. Let it come.

The first thing I felt was a buzz in my ears, like the air itself was speaking. Then pressure, like my whole body was being pressed into the earth, my bones shifting, my blood singing.

I blinked. My limbs were heavy. My chest was tight. My eyes stung.

My head fell back, and the world went white. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in the forest. I was standing in a place made of moonlight and starlight, a field that glowed like it remembered heaven.

And in front of me stood a woman so ethereal it hurt to look at her. Long white hair floated around her like mist. Her eyes were galaxies. Her skin glowed like the inside of a pearl. And her voice, when she spoke, sounded like a song made from sorrow and fire.

“Daughter,” she said. “You’ve come.”

I stumbled back. “What the fuck…”

She smiled gently. “I am Selene. The Moon. Your goddess. And you, Daeira… have been hidden too long.”

She stepped forward and touched my forehead. And everything came 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 fell to my knees, sobbing and shaking, my body trembling with fury and grief and truth. Selene knelt and gathered me in her arms like a mother should.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered. “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 woke, I was different.

My body felt whole. Strong. My curves felt fuller. My limbs were heavy with power. My skin was warm and humming. My hair was thicker, falling like silk down my back. I stood in the moonlight, glowing.

And then I heard her....not Selene. Her. My wolf. She whispered 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 giggled in response. “You’re my kinda girl already!”

I could see her in my mind’s eye, wagging her beautiful fluffy white tail. It made me smile. I knew I had a wolf.

The forest started calling my name. Literally.

“Deeeee!”

“Dee?”

“She went this way!”

Their voices echoed through the trees like sirens, frenzied and panicked. I could hear Saria screeching, and Joelle snarling. I didn’t stop. I didn’t breathe. I sprinted barefoot across the mossy forest floor, the moonlight lighting my path, my blood humming like thunder.

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

“No,” Lunaryn growled. “You need to shift.”

I stumbled. “Now? Are you insane?”

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

I slowed to a stop, my chest rising and falling like I was already burning from the inside out. Then I felt it. The heat. The pressure. The rip in my spine like the universe was pulling itself apart.

Pain surged through every bone in my body, but I didn’t scream. I never screamed. Pain was an old friend by now. This was just... evolution.

My skin shimmered, my muscles twisted, and the sound of cracking bones echoed through the trees like firewood splitting.

And then it was done.

I stood in the moonlight as her.

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

I was Lunaryn. And Lunaryn was me. We ran.

The wind howled around us as we tore through the trees, faster than I’d ever moved. Every step was freedom. Every leap was vengeance.

We reached the edge of the Bloodmark estate within minutes, too fast, too smooth, and I slowed near the courtyard perimeter.

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

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

“Nice touch,” I muttered.

“You’re welcome,” she purred.

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

“DEE!”

“There she is!”

“We found her!”

Shit.

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

Right in front of everyone. The music stopped. The fire crackled. All eyes landed on me.

Shoving. Laughter. Sneers.

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

“What a freak!”

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

Breathe, Dee. Let them talk. It’s almost over.

Then Kade stormed toward us, already sniffing the air, and he stopped cold. His body locked up. His chest heaved. And then, his eyes went wide with rage.

“No,” he said. “No no no no no!!”

He stared at me like I’d just slit his throat with a smile.

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

The crowd gasped. Lunas clutched their pearls. Some girl sobbed for no reason. Danika looked like she’d just swallowed a fistful of ash.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t cry. I just smiled, cold, beautiful, and fucking unbothered.

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

The moment the words left my mouth, I felt it. The bond snapped like a whip. A crack in my chest that ached for a heartbeat, then... silence. Relief. Freedom. Fucking finally.

Kade stared at me like I’d just shattered reality.

Danika screamed, “NO!”

And then I shifted, right there, in front of the entire pack and their precious guests. My body erupted in light, fur flowing like silk, eyes glowing like the moon itself. Lunaryn howled.

It was the sound of ancient power. Of rage. Of return.

Then we ran. I didn’t wait for applause. I didn’t let them react.

We bolted for the manor, tore through the halls, and burst into my room. I snatched the bag I’d packed, the cash, blackmail files, two energy bars, and one shitty pocketknife.

Then I was gone. Back through the woods. Into the night.

Away from them all.

“We are not prey,” Lunaryn whispered.

“No,” I whispered back. “We’re the fucking reckoning.”