THE MOON GATHERING

The full moon rose slowly over Moonridge territory, bright and cold against the dark sky.

Its silver light spread across the clearing, touching every tree, every cabin, every wolf.

Tonight was important.

Everyone knew it.

Ariana stood just outside her cabin, staring up at the moon. Her chest felt tight, her thoughts

heavy.

Tonight will change everything.

Marcus’s words echoed in her mind.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

She didn’t know what he meant.

But she felt it.

Something was coming.

Something she couldn’t stop.

Ariana took a slow breath and smoothed her dress. It was simple, but clean and neat. She

wanted to look my best tonight.

Not for the pack.

For Marcus.

Maybe this was the moment he would finally explain everything.

Maybe he had been distant because he was planning something important.

Something good.

She held onto that hope tightly.

It was the only thing keeping her steady.

***

The clearing was already filled when Ariana arrived.

Wolves stood in groups, talking in low voices. The air buzzed with energy, but it didn’t feel like

a celebration.

It felt… tense.

Ariana noticed it immediately.

Some wolves glanced at her, then quickly looked away.

Others whispered behind their hands.

She ignored it.

She had to.

She lifted her head and walked forward, her steps calm and steady, even if her heart wasn’t.

At the center of the clearing stood a raised platform. It was where the Alpha spoke during

important gatherings.

Marcus was already there.

Tall. Strong. Confident.

Exactly as an Alpha should be.

For a moment, Ariana just looked at him.

Memories filled her mind: his smile, his voice, the way he used to stand beside her.

The way he used to look at her.

She pushed the memories aside and stepped forward, taking her place beside him.

As she reached him, Marcus didn’t look at her.

Didn’t greet her.

Didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

Ariana’s chest tightened.

Still… she stayed.

Because this was where she belonged.

Or at least, where she thought she did.

***

The voices around them slowly faded as Marcus stepped forward.

The clearing grew quiet.

Every wolf turned their attention to him.

Ariana stood still, her hands clasped gently in front of her.

“Tonight,” Marcus began, his voice strong and clear, “we gather under the full moon as one

pack.”

A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd.

Ariana kept her gaze forward, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling growing inside her.

“This pack has faced many challenges,” Marcus continued. “And it will face more in the future.”

His voice was steady.

Confident.

But something about it felt… distant.

“As Alpha, it is my duty to make the best decisions for our future.”

Ariana’s heart began to beat faster.

Decisions.

He had said that before.

Her fingers tightened slightly.

“And tonight,” Marcus said, pausing briefly, “I will make one of those decisions known.”

The air seemed to freeze.

Ariana felt it.

The shift.

The moment everything began to fall apart.

She turned her head slightly, looking at Marcus.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Please…

Marcus finally moved.

But not toward her.

He stepped forward and extended his hand.

“Selene,” he called.

Ariana’s breath caught.

From the crowd, Selene stepped forward.

Calm.

Confident.

Beautiful.

Every step she took felt like a strike against Ariana’s chest.

The wolves around them watched closely, some with curiosity, others with quiet approval.

Selene reached the platform and took Marcus’s hand without hesitation.

The contact was natural.

Familiar.

It felt as if it had been decided long ago.

Ariana felt the world tilt.

No.

No, this wasn’t happening.

“Selene has proven her strength and loyalty to this pack,” Marcus said.

His voice echoed in the silence.

“She has shown the qualities needed to stand beside an Alpha.”

Ariana couldn’t breathe.

Her ears rang.

Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear anything else.

“She will stand with me,” Marcus continued, “as my chosen mate… and the future Luna of

Moonridge.”

The words shattered everything.

Gasps spread through the crowd.

Some wolves nodded.

Others whispered.

But Ariana didn't hear any of it clearly.

All she could hear was that one sentence:

Chosen mate.

Not her.

Never her.

Her hands trembled.

Her body felt cold.

Slowly, she stepped forward.

“Marcus…” Her voice came out softer than she expected.

The sound of it barely reached him.

But he heard.

He turned his head, finally looking at her.

For a brief second,

Something flickered in his eyes.

But it was gone just as quickly.

Replaced by something hard.

Distant.

Controlled.

“What are you saying?” Ariana asked, her voice shaking now. “This… this isn’t real.”

A heavy silence fell again.

Every wolf was watching.

Waiting.

Ariana’s chest rose and fell quickly.

“You told me…” she continued, her voice breaking, “you told me I would stand beside you.”

Marcus’s expression didn’t change.

“That was before,” he said.

The words were simple.

Cold.

Final.

Ariana felt them like a blade.

“Before?” she repeated weakly.

“Yes.”

No explanation.

No apology.

Nothing.

Just one word that erased everything.

Ariana shook her head slowly. “No… there has to be a mistake.”

Her gaze moved to Selene.

“Selene… you know this isn’t right.”

Selene met her eyes calmly.

“There’s no mistake,” she said.

Her voice was steady.

Almost gentle.

But there was no kindness in it.

Only certainty.

Ariana’s stomach twisted.

She turned back to Marcus.

“Please… just explain it to me,” she said, desperation slipping into her voice. “Tell me why.”

For a moment, Marcus said nothing.

The silence stretched.

Heavy.

Painful.

Then,

“This is what’s best for the pack.”

Ariana stared at him.

Her heart broke completely.

“That’s it?” she whispered. “That’s your reason?”

Marcus didn’t answer.

Didn’t deny it.

Didn’t try to comfort her.

And in that moment,

Ariana understood.

It was never about her.

It was never about love.

It was always about power.

A soft laugh escaped her lips.

But it wasn’t filled with humour.

Only pain.

“I gave everything to this pack,” she said quietly. “To you.”

No one spoke.

No one moved.

“And you couldn’t even tell me the truth.”

Her voice grew steadier now.

Not stronger.

But clearer.

Marcus’s jaw tightened slightly.

“Ariana,” he said, his tone warning, “this isn’t the time—”

“No,” she cut in, surprising even herself. “When is the time, Marcus?”

A few wolves shifted uncomfortably.

No one had ever interrupted the Alpha like that before.

But Ariana didn’t care.

Not anymore.

“You made your decision,” she continued. “In front of everyone.”

Her eyes burned, but still, she refused to cry.

“So let me understand it.”

Marcus’s gaze hardened.

“You don’t need to understand,” he said. “You need to accept it.”

The words hit harder than anything else.

Accept it.

Accept being replaced.

Discarded.

Forgotten.

Ariana felt something inside her crack.

Not her heart.

Something deeper.

Something quieter.

Something that had been holding her together until now.

“I see,” she said softly.

Her voice was calm.

Too calm.

It was the kind of calm that comes just before everything breaks.

The crowd watched in silence.

Waiting for her to fall apart.

Waiting for her to cry.

Waiting for her to beg.

But Ariana didn’t do any of those things.

She simply stood there.

Looking at Marcus.

Seeing him clearly for the first time.

Not as the man she loved.

But as the man who chose to break her.

And then,

very slowly,

She stepped back.

Creating distance between them.

Between herself and the life she thought she had.

The moonlight fell over her, pale and cold.

And for the first time,

Ariana felt completely alone.

***

As the silence stretched, Marcus turned back to the crowd.

“The decision is final,” he said firmly.

The gathering began to shift again.

Whispers returned.

Movement resumed.

But for Ariana,

Everything had already ended.

And deep in her chest,

A quiet realisation settled in.

This wasn’t just a change.

This was the beginning of something much worse.

Something she couldn’t escape.

As she turned away from the platform, one thought echoed

in her mind:

This was only the start.

And somewhere behind her,

she could feel it,

eyes watching her.

Not with pity.

But with something else.

Something darker.

Something waiting.

And she didn’t know yet,

that the worst was still to come.