1: The Eighteenth Dawn

Nyx POV

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains of my room, casting golden stripes across my bed. I stirred at the warmth, then bolted upright as the realization hit me like a thunderclap.

Today was my eighteenth birthday.

Today, I would find my mate.

A grin tugged at my lips, giddy and uncontainable. I jumped out of bed, heart racing, excitement bubbling inside me like a soda bottle about to explode. The air felt electric, charged with promise — as if the Moon Goddess herself had blessed this day.

I threw open the balcony doors, and a soft breeze rushed in, lifting my long black hair off my shoulders. The Blackmoon Pack lands shimmered under the morning sun. Even the trees swayed with anticipation. Today was everything.

My eyes darted to the clock on the wall. 8:45 a.m.

My heart leapt into my throat.

The mating ceremony was supposed to start at 9 a.m..

“Shit!” I gasped.

I darted into the bathroom like a wolf on fire, splashing cold water on my face, brushing my teeth, scrubbing down like my life depended on it. And maybe it did. The whole pack would be there — Alphas, Betas, ranked wolves from visiting packs. Today was the biggest day of my life. Why the hell hadn’t Dad woken me up?

He knew this day meant everything to me. Ever since I turned sixteen, I’d dreamed of this — my first shift, my fated mate, my first everything.

No time to argue with the silence. I yanked on my dress — a light blue silk number that barely covered my thighs. It hugged every curve, bold and slightly scandalous. I didn’t care. Dad never commented on my outfits, so why start now?

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and smirked. Eighteen, blooming in all the right places. Slender waist, full hips, full chest, high cheekbones, and lips made to be kissed. I wasn’t just ready — I was made for this.

I smirked at my reflection in the mirror. "Let my mate find me and try not to fall to his knees or let him see me and just try to look away."

I reached for the small wooden box on my dresser and opened it gently. Nestled inside was my mother’s necklace — a vintage silver chain with a moonstone pendant, cool and luminous like the goddess herself. She had given it to me before she died.

To protect you when I no longer can.

I fastened it around my neck and whispered to the sky, “I hope you’re watching, Mom. Today… your daughter becomes someone’s Luna.”

Bounding down the stairs, I found my father, James Williams, lounging at the table like it was just another day. He was tearing into a plate of chicken wings, calm as you please.

“Morning, Dad!” I called, swiping one off his plate and biting into it. “Why didn’t you wake me? You know what today is!”

He didn’t even flinch. “Nyx, just because you’re eighteen doesn’t mean you’ll find your mate today. Glory didn’t.”

I rolled my eyes. “But I’m not Glory. I’m me. I’ve got everything she doesn’t. I'm beautiful, confident, and every guy in the pack wants me. You know how many boys, guys, men have tried to ask me out? I rejected all of them because I’m saving myself for my true mate — the one chosen by the Moon Goddess.”

Dad’s eyes finally met mine. Cold. Flat. Warning.

“If your mate turns out to be an Alpha,” he said slowly, deliberately, “especially Alpha Kael —reject him.”

I blinked in confusion. “What? Why?”

“No questions. Just stay away from him,” he snapped. And then, just like that, he stood up, grabbed his bag, and left. No explanation. No fatherly hug. Just a storm cloud in the shape of a man.

His voice carried something dark — something he wasn’t telling me.

His voice echoed in my head:

Reject him.

But why Kael? Why an Alpha?

Everyone knew who Alpha Kael was. The youngest Alpha Blackmoon had ever seen. Brutal. Untouchable. Devastatingly handsome. The kind of man you dreamed of touching but feared would ruin you in the same breath.

Huffing, I finished my snack and stepped outside, determined not to let his strange warning dampen my mood.

Whether my mate was an Alpha, Beta, Gamma — or even a rogue — I didn’t care. I just wanted to be claimed and be mated. My wolf had been restless for weeks, craving the bond, the touch, the connection that only a mate could provide. My skin tingled with anticipation as I imagined meeting him — my destined partner.

I shook off the chill crawling down my spine and stepped outside. Whatever his reasons, I wasn’t about to let my father’s cryptic warnings ruin today.

I decided to take a shortcut through the forest trail behind our territory to reach the ceremonial grounds faster. Everyone else would take the main road, but I knew this path like the back of my hand. I'd played here as a child with Glory. It was quiet, shaded, and usually safe.

Usually.

As I walked briskly through the thick underbrush, the chirping birds suddenly fell silent. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Something was wrong.

I sniffed the air. My heart skipped a beat.

A wolf.

the scent was thick, musty, and feral. Maybe rogue.

Panic hit me like ice water. I picked up my pace, trying to ignore the growing sense of dread curling in my stomach. Every instinct in me screamed that I was being hunted.

I broke into a run, my dress snagging on branches as I darted through the trees. My breathing grew ragged. The scent was getting closer. Too close.

I dared a glance back.

A black wolf burst from the shadows, its eyes glowing red and its teeth bared in a snarl. Its claws tore into the earth as it lunged forward, closing the distance between us.

I screamed and ran faster, praying to the Moon Goddess to protect me.

But as I ran, I slowed — something flickered in my mind. The wolf seemed familiar, like someone I knew. I whirled around to get another look, but it had already vanished into the darkness. I stood frozen, my thoughts racing. Who was that? And was it really trying to attack me — or something else?

I turned and continued walking, this time moving quickly. After a few minutes...

“Nyx!”

I turned to find Glory, striding toward me like she owned the world, hips swaying, eyes gleaming.

“You look stunning,” she said, tugging at my dress. “Ready to finally lose that precious V-card?”

I laughed breathlessly. “If he’s hot? Hell yes.”

Glory leaned in, her tone dark. “Just remember what I told you. Sometimes the Moon Goddess gets it wrong. Not all mates are blessings.”

My smile faltered. “Why would you say — wait... how did you get here? Aren’t you supposed to come from the other direction? Why are you on this side?”

Her expression flickered — just for a second. “Shut up. Whether I walked through air or water, that’s none of your concern. Is it a crime to follow my best friend to her mating ceremony?”

Before I could push further, another voice cut through the trees.

“Nyx. A word.”

I turned to see my father — again — standing with a bag in hand. Grim. Cold.

He led me away from Glory with a tight grip on my elbow. “Let me repeat myself — listen carefully.” His tone was cold, clipped. “If the Moon Goddess turns to makes Alpha Kael your mate tonight, you must reject him immediately.”

My mouth dropped open. “But why do you keep repeating this?”