Dreaming Under a Moonlit Sky

Even moonlight ceremonies had to be perfect.

Selene ran her fingers over the silver-threaded dress that lay on her bed, remembering how her mom talked of moonlight ceremonies- simply magical nights when bonds were made between chosen mates as they declared their love under the full moon's blessing. She's spent countless hours imagining her own, especially since Caden had started courting her six months ago.

"You're doing it again." Lila's voice floated down from the bathroom where she was arranging ceremonial flowers. "That dreamy smile. Thinking about a certain Beta?"

"Can you blame me?" Selene flopped onto her bed, careful not to wrinkle the dress. "Remember the bonfire last week? The way he looked at me when he gave me this?" She held up her wrist, the silver charm bracelet catching the morning light.

Lila's response was oddly delayed. "Yeah. I remember."

Something in her tone made Selene sit up. "Li? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Lila emerged from the bathroom, close but wouldn't quite meet her friend's eyes. "Just wondering if you've noticed anything... different lately?" 

"Noticed anything different?"

Before Lila could answer, there came a chorus of excited voices from the courtyard below. Selene ran over to the window. The younger members of the pack busily worked in preparations for the evening's ceremony, hanging lanterns and arranging seating. Marina was among them, her copper hair shining as she directed the scene with trained authority.

"Looks like Marina has really taken charge of the decorations," said Selene, little by little. "That's good of her." 

Lila made a weird noise that was neither good nor bad. "Good is hardly the word I would use."

"What does that mean?”

"Nothing, just…" Lila set the flowers down and seated herself beside Selene. "Haven't you found it strange why she's so interested in your ceremony? As far as I know, she does everything, right from flowers to sitting arrangements. She's being adamant about even turning the usual time of such occasions from midnight to sunset."

"Though really, she is very helpful," Selene muttered, not entirely convinced since a tiny lump had formed in her stomach. "Besides, he and Caden have been childhood friends, so it made sense that she wanted to be involved."

"At least a bit too involved in my view." Lila plucked one moonflower, absently shredding its petals. "Have you noticed how else she's been cropping up around the Beta's office nowadays? There's almost always some question about arrangements for the ceremony... "

The knot tightened. Now that Lila had brought it up, Marina had been visiting a lot recently. But surely that didn't mean…

That thought was cut short by a knock. Her mother came in, bearing an 'aged silk' wrapped parcel. "Look what came today! Your grandmother's…" She trailed off, looking between them again. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine," Selene answered quickly. "Just ceremony jitters."

Her mother's eyes narrowed as she set down the parcel and pulled out her phone. "Oh, that reminds me - didn't Caden mention to you about a change in the ritual order? He submitted it early this morning."

"Change? What 'change'?" 

"Mate declaration. He's asked permission to talk first, before you. It's unusual - back traditionally, the female speaks first, but..." She frowned at her phone. "Actually, the request came through Marina's office. I assumed he had discussed it with you." 

The knot in Selene's stomach expanded. A memory surfaced, with Caden and Marina huddled over papers in his office yesterday who fell silent when Selene entered. At the time, she'd assumed it was ceremony planning. Now... 

"I need to get out," Selene stood quickly. "Just... give me a minute?”

She fled down the corridor, her thoughts whirring. Each odd moment slotted into place, forming the uncomfortable image of Marina always being around. Caden's recent distraction. The changed time of the ceremony. Reversed speaking order.

Lost in thought, she almost collided with someone turning the corner.

"Careful, little wolf. " Marina steadied her, smiling perfectly as always. A folded paper slipped from her hand, landing face-up between them.

It was a draft of the mate declaration ceremony. But the name written beside Caden's wasn't Selene's.

Before she could make sense of what she had seen, though, Marina snatched it from her grasp. Diamond smooth. "Wrong draft," she said. "You weren't supposed to see that yet."

She walked away, leaving Selene frozen in the hallway, that last word echoing in her mind.

Yet.

Six hours until the ceremony and all of a sudden Selene wasn't sure she knew anything anymore.

—---

Selene forced the heavy doors of the pack archives open, trembling hands taking part in the act. She needed proof-evidence that would either eliminate all her hunches or confirm them. All these documents in the archives contained ceremonial documents, mate declarations included.

The musty room was silent aside from her speeding heartbeat as she moved just a gust of wind headed for the last shelf where all new worm-eaten declaring drafts accumulated. But then as soon as she rounded the last shelf, voices purled from the back corner. 

"Everything's arranged." Marina, the self- smug and satisfied voice, "The old fool thinks he's doing us a favor by changing the ceremony time.”

"Lower your voice," was the continued sharp retort from Caden. "If anyone's to-"

"They won't. Sweet, trusting Selene hasn't sensed a thing. Your little gift almost ruined everything. Anyway, it hasn't been in the plan," Caden muttered. "I just... she looked so happy at the bonfire. For a moment, I almost..."

"Almost what?" At that point, Marina's voice turned dangerous. "Had second thoughts? Need I remind you what's at stake?"

Selene leaned closer, barely breathing. What stake? What plan? 

A creak under her foot sounded from the floorboard. 

The voices halted. 

Heart pounding, Selene ducked behind a shelf as footsteps approached. Through a gap in the books, she watched Marina stride past, something gleaming in her hand - a key? An old letter? She couldn't quite see. 

Minutes later, Caden emerged from the back corner. But instead of following Marina, he hesitated. His hand brushed against the shelf, dislodging a small book that fell open at his feet. He stared at it for a long moment before walking away, leaving it there. 

When their footsteps faded, Selene crept forward. The fallen book was a collection of old pack laws. It had opened to a page about mate ceremonies, with one line underlined in faded ink: 

"A mate bond, once declared, supersedes all prior claims and arrangements."

Prior claims? Arrangements? 

A memory stirred from the previous month's pack council meeting. Fragments of binding contracts and northern alliance had trickled past her ears, but she had paid it no mind. Now, she wondered if she should have.

Returning to her room, Lila found herself pacing with an anxious heart.

"Where have you been? Your mother's looking everywhere! The ceremonial bath starts in an hour and-" Lila stopped suddenly, fetching her to observe the expression on her face. "What happened?"

"I need you to do something for me." Selene's voice remained steady even though her mind was swirling in chaos. "Find out everything there is to know about Marina's family. Especially anything related to northern packs."

"Why? What were you told?"

"Just a feeling." She picked up her grandmother's ceremonial dress; only now did she notice how its silver threads encircled each other in a pattern of chains instead of the usual moon phases. "Something bigger is happening tonight. And I don't think it has anything to do with love."

As if to support this, a howl echoed throughout the pack grounds-the incoming call of the visiting wolves. A group of the unfamiliar wolves was approaching the pack house through her window. An older wolf with Marina's coppertone hair led them.

Her father. The Alpha of the Northern pack. 

Selene unclasped the silver bracelet, allowing it to fall beside the dress. The sun was beginning its descent, putting shades of blood and gold in the sky. In three hours, she'd stand before her pack and declare her love.

Or perhaps, unearth something much darker.

She hoped very much to have the truth clear before it was too late.