Novel & Cerita Bride Under The Moonlight

Tia and Lia held things they would put on Clara for our wedding and coronation. I forced my smile at them and left the room. I trusted them with the task that I gave them. I returned to my office and changed my suit. I went to the place where the event would take place. Vincent was carrying Clara's bridal style and laid her on the altar. I sat next to her, and we all waited for the moonlight. The moon goddess said that the moonlight would help Clara to come back. We all stood there, waiting for her return. Clara's POV

At the peak of the pointed roof, the crescent moon symbol shone like polished silver. Aria stood just inside the bridal tent at the edge of the temple clearing, her heart pounding. The white dress Lisa had helped her into fit like a dream—long, flowing, and elegant, the bodice adorned with lace and delicate beadwork that shimmered under moonlight. The skirt flared around her in graceful layers, trailing behind her like liquid light.

she asked. “No happy family nonsense?” I smiled. “I assure you, I have no desire to play happy families. I simply want an heir.” “An heir?” she said. “Are you royalty or something?” I ignored that too. “So,” I asked, “do we have a deal?” I sweetened the offer. Private housing. A car. Total privacy. She smiled. “Fine. Add it to the contract.” Then she asked, “Where are you from anyway?” “Upstate,” I said. “A place called Fell Village.”

She buried herself under her blankets, letting the silence consume her as she tried to ignore the pounding of her own heart. In the dimness of her room, as daylight faded and the shadows grew long, Channary clutched her pillow, sinking deeper into her shame. The Moon had betrayed her, left her vulnerable, her mate unclaimed. She was the Alpha’s daughter, Moon-Kissed and blessed, yet here she was, abandoned and marked only by the emptiness of broken promises.

The priest began his declaration. "Dear Moon Goddess! Tonight, we gather before you to witness and bless this couple about to enter the sacred bonds of matrimony. According to your will, from this day forward, they shall become each other's Mate, loving, supporting, and trusting each other. May the Moon Goddess bestow your blessings upon this couple, may the moonlight bathe them, and may the wolves within their souls unite as one." As the priest's words fell, the transparent skylight in the building's roof slowly opened. The radiant moonlight flowed into the pure white structure, casting a shimmering glow in the floral sea.

My fingers ran along spines, brushing faded lettering until one title stopped me cold: "Moon Brides & The Marked." I pulled it down, careful not to snap the decaying spine, and laid it across the table. Inside: sketches. The first page showed a woman on her knees, hair streaming back like it was caught in wind, a crescent moon carved behind her ear—and a man on fire in front of her. My stomach turned. The next few pages were worse. “The Moon Bride,” it read, “is chosen by divine design, not by fate’s whim. Her bond is not forged by desire—but by divine necessity. To stabilize or to destroy.”

“What can we do?” The scene before us changes until I see the castle in one of our lifetimes. We stand on the edge, staring at the valley under the bridge. This castle was built into a cliff side, with the bridge going over something that looks more like a canyon than a valley to me. Valeria stands beside me, once again her hand in mine as we watch the invaders coming. At least our backs are protected and we can see them coming head on. “This is it, my love,” she whispers. “They’re coming for us. Our midnight is coming.”

The sound of crickets colored the quiet night breeze. “Brothers, today a new member joins our family—a neophyte, a cub. We, the Mountain Forest Moon Tribe, accept you as one of our own,” he howled once more, followed by his brothers. I stood there, wrapping my head around the blur of events. Those uneven smiles felt excessively friendly and strange. I looked at dad for a response, but he was too busy downing a few more rounds of that distasteful substance. “As a new member of our family, you get to savor the first taste,” the tribesman lifted the metallic lid of the blackened cauldron. “Go on, don’t be shy. Stick your hand in.”

I guessed, her attempts of being nice to me paid off well—she officially became Nathan’s girlfriend at the very night they visited the spring. I heard Nathan told my mom about the night the pack went to bail on the Full Moon celebration to go to the spring and proved the fairy tales about Moon Goddess. He swore he didn’t hear any of my howling that time because they were trying to make an offering so the Moon Goddess would appear before them. However, while the Goddess didn’t appear, Selene was convinced that Nathan was her mate.

There is no celebration in our families more important than today. The bright light coming from the moon easily peeked through the window of the room. My white wedding dress, a cascade of silk and lace, danced and swayed with each step I took towards the window. I pressed my palm against the cool jamb, seeking a moment of solace from the storm of emotions swirling within me. The full moon, usually a beacon of cool silver, hung low in the sky, its usually gentle light replaced by an ominous, blood-red hue. I took a deep breath. It was a fitting omen. Perhaps, for a day that would forever alter the course of our families' histories.