The night Alpha King Draven Blackwood rejected me was the same night I discovered that being unwanted could hurt more than dying. The grand hall of Blackwood Castle glittered beneath hundreds of golden chandeliers. Silver candles burned along the walls, illuminating marble pillars carved with the symbols of the Seven Werewolf Kingdoms. Noble Alphas, their chosen Lunas, and powerful warriors filled the hall, their expensive clothes and jeweled crowns reflecting the light. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration. The annual Moonlight Gathering brought together the most powerful werewolves in the realm to honor the Moon Goddess and strengthen the bonds between the kingdoms. For me, however, it was a nightmare dressed in silk and gold. I stood near the enormous doors at the back of the hall, clutching the sides of a borrowed silver gown. The dress was too loose around my waist and too tight across my chest. My dark auburn hair had been pinned into an elegant style by one of the castle maids, but several strands had already escaped and fallen around my face. I had no jewelry except a small silver pendant hanging around my neck. It was the only thing my mother had left me. I touched it unconsciously, seeking comfort from the cold metal. Keep your head high, Seraphina, I reminded myself. You survived the Bloodmoon Pack. You can survive one evening. But the words felt hollow. I had been invited to the royal gathering only because my guardian, Alpha Marcus of the Bloodmoon Pack, had insisted that every member of his household attend. He claimed it would demonstrate unity between our pack and the royal family. The truth was much simpler. He wanted me there to serve the guests. Even in a castle filled with royalty, I was still the wolfless girl everyone considered useless. "Move out of the way!" A servant carrying a tray of crystal glasses shoved past me. I stumbled, catching myself against the wall before I could fall. "Sorry," I murmured. She didn't even look back. I swallowed the humiliation and stepped farther into the shadows. It had always been this way. For twenty-two years, I had lived among werewolves who could hear a heartbeat from across a room, smell fear on the wind, and transform into powerful beasts beneath the full moon. I possessed none of those abilities. At least, that was what everyone believed. I had never shifted. I had never heard a wolf inside my mind. I had never felt the magical connection that other werewolves described as the most natural thing in the world. The healers called me wolfless. The pack members called me defective. Alpha Marcus called me a burden. And I had learned to accept their judgment because I had no proof that they were wrong. A sudden murmur swept through the hall. The musicians stopped playing. Every conversation died at once. The enormous doors at the far end of the room swung open, and the royal guards struck their spears against the marble floor. "The Alpha King has arrived!" the royal herald announced. Everyone bowed. I lowered my head with the rest of them, but I couldn't resist looking up when the heavy footsteps approached. And then I saw him. Alpha King Draven Blackwood. He was taller than any man I had ever seen, with broad shoulders, black hair, and a face so striking it seemed almost cruel that one person could possess so much beauty. His black ceremonial coat was embroidered with silver thread, and a dark crown rested upon his head. But it was his eyes that frightened me. They were a deep, unnatural shade of silver, cold as winter beneath a cloudless sky. He carried himself with the absolute confidence of a man who had never been denied anything. Warriors moved aside before him. Alphas bowed their heads. Even the oldest nobles watched him with careful respect. He was not merely a king. He was the most powerful Alpha in the Seven Kingdoms, a ruler whose commands could start wars and whose displeasure could destroy entire bloodlines. They called him the Black Wolf. They said he had crushed three rebellious packs before his twenty-fifth birthday. They said he had never shown mercy to an enemy. They said his heart was as cold as the mountains surrounding his kingdom. Looking at him, I believed every word. Draven climbed the short staircase to the royal platform, where his advisors waited. Then he stopped. His head turned slightly. His nostrils flared. For one strange moment, his silver eyes searched the crowd. And then they found me. The world seemed to stop. Something sharp pierced my chest. I gasped, pressing a hand against my heart as an unfamiliar warmth spread through my body. The air filled with the scent of cedarwood, winter rain, and something darkly intoxicating. My knees weakened. A whisper rose from somewhere deep inside me, so faint that I almost mistook it for my own thoughts. Mate. I stared at the king. No. It couldn't be. I had never felt a wolf. I had never experienced a mate bond. I had spent my entire life being told that I was an empty shell, incapable of possessing the very thing that defined our kind. Yet the invisible thread pulling at my heart was undeniable. Draven's expression changed. For a fraction of a second, shock broke through his icy composure. His fingers curled around the edge of the royal platform. Then his face hardened. The warmth in my chest intensified, and a foolish, desperate hope rose inside me. Perhaps the Moon Goddess had not forgotten me after all. Perhaps I wasn't cursed. Perhaps, for once, I was allowed to belong to someone. Draven descended the platform. He walked directly toward me. The crowd parted to make way for him, and dozens of curious eyes followed his progress. I could barely breathe. My hands trembled at my sides, and the pendant around my neck suddenly felt hot against my skin. He stopped less than a foot away. Up close, he was even more intimidating. I had to tilt my head to meet his gaze. "Your Majesty," I whispered, lowering my eyes. He didn't answer. Instead, he inhaled sharply, as if confirming something he desperately wished wasn't true. His jaw tightened. "What is your name?" he demanded. "Seraphina Vale." "Your pack?" "Bloodmoon Pack, Your Majesty." A flicker of recognition crossed his face. "Marcus's ward?" My stomach tightened. "Yes." His expression became unreadable. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then he leaned closer, his voice dropping so only I could hear him. "Tell me you feel nothing." My heart shattered a little at the question. I knew what he meant. The bond. The invisible connection between us. I should have lied. Something in his expression warned me that the truth would bring pain, but I had spent my life being punished for things I couldn't control. I was tired of pretending I felt nothing. "You're my mate," I whispered. His eyes flashed silver. A ripple of shock moved through the surrounding crowd. Someone gasped. Another person muttered a prayer to the Moon Goddess. The Alpha King had found his mate. And his mate was me. The wolfless girl. The girl nobody wanted. The girl who had never been considered worthy of standing in the same room as royalty. I watched Draven's face, waiting for him to deny it, to tell me I had misunderstood. Instead, he straightened and looked at me as if I were something disgusting beneath his boot. "Impossible." The word struck harder than a slap. I shook my head, barely able to speak. "But the bond-" "Silence." His voice cracked through the hall. Every conversation stopped. Draven turned toward the crowd, his face hard and merciless. "Apparently," he announced, "the Moon Goddess has chosen to play a cruel joke on me tonight." A few nervous laughs rose from the nobles. I stood frozen. He looked back at me. "Is this supposed to be my fated mate?" he asked, loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "A wolfless nobody from a minor pack?" The laughter grew. My face burned. I wanted to disappear. I wanted the marble floor to open beneath my feet and swallow me whole. But I couldn't look away from him. Because the bond was still there. Because beneath his contempt, I could feel the faintest echo of his own confusion. Because some foolish part of me still hoped he would change his mind. Draven stepped closer. "Look at me, Seraphina." I obeyed. His silver eyes were merciless. "Do you understand what it means to be the Luna of the Seven Kingdoms?" I swallowed. "I would learn." "Learn?" He gave a humorless laugh. "You cannot even shift into a wolf. You have no standing, no power, and no bloodline worthy of the royal house." "I can still-" "You can still what?" he interrupted. "Stand beside me while every Alpha in this hall whispers that their king has been cursed with an incapable mate?" Tears gathered in my eyes. I fought them back. "I didn't choose this," I whispered. "Neither did I." His words were cold enough to freeze the blood in my veins. Then he turned to face the assembled nobles. "Let everyone bear witness," he declared. "I, Draven Blackwood, Alpha King of the Seven Kingdoms, reject Seraphina Vale as my fated mate." The words fell like a blade. For one heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the bond tore. Pain exploded through my chest. I screamed. It wasn't a sound I recognized as my own. It tore from my throat as if someone had reached inside me and ripped out a part of my soul. My knees struck the marble floor, and I clutched my chest, gasping for air that refused to fill my lungs. The bond was breaking. I could feel it. A thread that had tied my heart to his was being severed, one agonizing strand at a time. Around me, the nobles watched in horrified fascination. Some looked away. Others whispered behind their hands. Nobody helped me. Nobody dared. I pressed my forehead against the cold floor, desperate for the pain to stop. Please, I begged silently. Please, Moon Goddess. I don't understand. What have I done wrong? A strange sensation stirred deep inside me. Something ancient. Something furious. For a single, terrifying instant, I felt a presence awaken beneath my skin. It was enormous and powerful, like a storm trapped behind a locked door. Then it vanished. I barely had time to notice it before another wave of pain swept through me. When I finally managed to lift my head, Draven was standing over me. He looked down without a trace of sympathy. "Take her away," he ordered. Two royal guards approached. I scrambled to my feet before they could touch me. "Don't." My voice was weak, but the word stopped them. Draven raised an eyebrow. I wiped the tears from my cheeks with trembling fingers. My entire body hurt, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of watching me collapse again. "Don't touch me," I repeated, looking directly at him. A dangerous silence settled over the hall. The Alpha King wasn't accustomed to being challenged. His eyes narrowed. "You would do well to remember whom you're addressing." "I know exactly who you are." My voice cracked, but I continued. "You're the man who just broke the heart of someone who never asked to be his mate." Something flickered in his expression. It disappeared so quickly that I wondered whether I had imagined it. "Remove her," he said again. This time, I didn't resist when the guards escorted me toward the doors. I walked with my head held high, even as every step sent fresh pain through my chest. I could hear the whispers following me. Poor thing. What did she expect? The Alpha King deserves a proper Luna. Perhaps the Moon Goddess made a mistake. I wanted to turn around and scream at them. Instead, I kept walking. I had spent twenty-two years allowing other people to decide my worth. I wouldn't give them another opportunity tonight. As I crossed the threshold, I heard a woman's voice rise above the murmurs. "Your Majesty, surely the bond should be investigated before-" "Enough, Lady Evelyne," Draven snapped. I didn't see the woman's face, but I heard the satisfaction in her silence. Someone had been waiting for this rejection. Someone was pleased that the Alpha King had cast me aside. The heavy doors closed behind me, shutting out the light, the music, and the kingdom that had watched me break. For several seconds, I stood in the corridor without moving. Then I began to cry. Not loudly. Not dramatically. I simply covered my mouth with one hand and let the tears fall because there was nobody left to impress. I cried for the little girl who had grown up believing she was defective. I cried for the young woman who had secretly prayed that the Moon Goddess would give her a reason to believe she belonged in this world. And I cried for the mate who had looked into my eyes and decided I wasn't worth loving. A guard cleared his throat behind me. "The Alpha King's carriage will not be taking you back to your pack," he said stiffly. "You'll need to arrange your own transportation." I stared at him. "Of course." Why would the king concern himself with the fate of a woman he had just publicly humiliated? I straightened my borrowed dress and walked toward the castle entrance. The night air struck my face as I stepped outside. Above the distant mountains, a full moon shone through the clouds, pale and beautiful. I had always loved the moon. As a child, I used to sit beside my mother's window and listen to her stories about the Moon Goddess. She had told me that every creature had a purpose, even those who couldn't understand it yet. One day, my little star, she had whispered, you will discover that the world has been wrong about you. I had clung to those words for years. Now, standing beneath the moon after my mate's rejection, I wondered whether my mother had been trying to comfort me with a beautiful lie. I touched the silver pendant at my throat. "Did you know?" I whispered into the darkness. "Did you know this would happen?" The pendant grew warm beneath my fingers. I frowned and pulled it away from my skin. For one fleeting second, a thin line of silver light flickered across its surface. I blinked. The light was gone. Before I could examine it, a violent wave of dizziness swept over me. I caught the stone railing and squeezed my eyes shut. A sound echoed inside my head. Not a voice. Not exactly. It was a low, distant growl, powerful enough to make the hairs on my arms rise. I jerked upright. "Who's there?" The courtyard was empty. Moonlight spilled across the cobblestones. The royal guards stood at their posts, and the wind rustled through the dark trees beyond the castle walls. Nothing moved. Yet I could feel something watching me. Something that knew my name. Something that had been waiting. I backed away from the railing, my heart pounding. Then a whisper brushed through my mind. Rise, daughter of the forgotten bloodline. I froze. The words were unmistakable. I had heard them. Somewhere deep inside me, something answered with a surge of heat that rushed through my veins. My fingers tightened around the pendant. "What is happening to me?" I whispered. No answer came. Only the moon watched from above. I didn't know it then, but the rejection that had shattered my life was also the beginning of something far greater. The Alpha King believed he had rejected a powerless woman. He believed he had escaped a fate beneath his station. He believed I would return to my pack, bury my shame, and spend the rest of my life remembering the night he deemed me unworthy. He was wrong. Because somewhere beneath my pain, beneath the years of humiliation and the silence I had mistaken for weakness, something ancient had begun to awaken. And when it finally rose, the Seven Kingdoms would learn a truth their king had never imagined.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pain. It was no longer the sharp, unbearable agony that had torn through my chest the previous night. Instead, it lingered like a deep wound, spreading through my ribs and settling somewhere beneath my heart. I opened my eyes slowly. A cracked ceiling stared back at me. For several seconds, I couldn't remember where I was. Then the events of the previous night came rushing back. The royal gathering. The Alpha King. The rejection. My hand flew to my chest. The bond was gone. I couldn't feel Draven anymore. There was no invisible pull connecting us, no warmth reminding me that somewhere in the world, my fated mate existed. There was only an emptiness that seemed too large for my body to contain. I turned my face toward the window. Morning sunlight filtered through the dirty curtains of the small room I had rented at an inn outside the royal city. The room smelled of damp wood and old blankets. A single wooden chair stood beside a narrow table, and my borrowed silver gown lay crumpled on the floor. It was a humiliating contrast to the magnificent castle where I had been rejected only hours earlier. I sat up carefully. My head throbbed. "Wonderful," I muttered. "Rejected by the most powerful Alpha in the world, and now I'm sick." I attempted a small laugh, but it came out broken. There was a knock at the door. I froze. "Who's there?" "Breakfast delivery." I exhaled and climbed out of bed. My legs were still weak, and I had to hold the wall as I crossed the room. When I opened the door, a young innkeeper stood outside with a wooden tray. "You're awake," she said. "Apparently." She handed me the tray, but her eyes lingered on my face. "Are you feeling better?" I hesitated. "Was I that bad last night?" The woman's expression softened. "People have been talking about what happened at the castle." My stomach tightened. Of course they had. By now, the entire royal city probably knew that the Alpha King had rejected his fated mate. And that his fated mate was a wolfless nobody. "I see," I whispered. The innkeeper lowered her voice. "Don't listen to them. What happened wasn't your fault." I looked at her. It was such a simple sentence. Yet nobody had said those words to me the previous night. "Thank you." She nodded and started to leave. Then she paused. "One more thing. A royal messenger came here early this morning. He asked whether a woman named Seraphina Vale was staying here." My fingers tightened around the tray. "What did you tell him?" "That I didn't know anyone by that name." I stared at her. "Why?" She shrugged. "I didn't like the way he asked." For the first time that morning, I smiled. "Thank you." After she left, I closed the door and leaned against it. Why was the royal family looking for me? Draven had made his position perfectly clear. He had rejected me before the entire kingdom. Surely he had no reason to concern himself with where I went afterward. Unless he wanted to make certain I never returned. The thought made my chest ache. I placed the tray on the table and forced myself to eat. The bread was stale, and the tea had gone cold, but I swallowed everything. I needed strength. I needed to return to Bloodmoon territory, collect what little belonged to me, and find somewhere else to live. I couldn't remain in the royal city. Not when every street and every conversation might remind me of him. By midday, I had left the inn. The journey to Bloodmoon Pack would take several hours by carriage, but I couldn't afford one. I had spent most of my savings on the room, and the innkeeper had kindly allowed me to leave without paying the full amount. So I walked. The road stretched through a forest of towering pine trees. Sunlight filtered through the branches, creating golden patterns on the ground. Birds sang above me, and the distant sound of a flowing stream occasionally broke the silence. Normally, I would have found the journey peaceful. Today, every sound irritated me. I could hear the wings of birds fluttering high above the trees. I could hear the rustle of tiny creatures beneath fallen leaves. Once, I even heard a squirrel chewing something on a branch several yards away. I stopped walking. That was strange. My hearing had never been particularly good. In fact, I had often struggled to hear conversations unless people spoke directly to me. But now, the forest sounded as though it were whispering. I shook my head. Perhaps I was simply exhausted. I continued walking. A few minutes later, an unfamiliar scent drifted toward me. Blood. Fresh blood. I stopped again. My nose wrinkled. I had never been able to distinguish scents as clearly as ordinary werewolves, but this smell was so strong that it made my stomach turn. Then I heard a growl. I spun around. A large grey wolf emerged from the trees. My breath caught. Rogues. I had heard stories about them all my life. Werewolves who had abandoned their packs or been banished from their territories. Some were harmless wanderers, but others were violent creatures who attacked anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. This one looked anything but harmless. Its fur was matted, and a deep wound ran along its shoulder. Yellow eyes fixed on me as its lips pulled back, revealing sharp teeth. I took a step backward. "Easy," I whispered. The wolf growled. I turned to run. It lunged. I screamed and threw my arms over my face. But the expected impact never came. Instead, a strange force erupted from my body. A burst of silver light exploded through the forest. The wolf was thrown backward as though an invisible hand had struck it. It crashed against a tree, landed heavily on the ground, and whimpered. I stared at my hands. They were glowing. Not with ordinary light. Silver energy moved beneath my skin, forming delicate patterns around my wrists and fingers. "What...?" The glow intensified. A wave of warmth spread through my chest, and the ground beneath my feet trembled. I stumbled backward. The wolf struggled to stand, but the moment it looked into my eyes, it lowered its head. It wasn't attacking anymore. It was bowing. My heart hammered against my ribs. Why was a rogue wolf bowing to me? I stared at it, unable to understand what I was seeing. Then another sensation filled my mind. A voice. Deep, feminine, and impossibly old. You are awake. I gasped. "Who's speaking?" Your blood remembers what your mind has forgotten. I pressed my hands against my temples. "Stop! Who are you?" There was a pause. Then the voice answered. I am the one they buried beneath your silence. My knees weakened. Before I could ask another question, the silver light vanished. The wolf lifted its head. For a brief moment, our eyes met. Then it turned and disappeared into the forest. I stood alone on the road, trembling. My hands looked normal again. No silver light. No strange markings. Nothing to prove what had happened. But I knew I hadn't imagined it. Something inside me had changed. Something powerful. And I had no idea how to control it. By the time I reached Bloodmoon territory, the sun was beginning to set. The familiar wooden gates stood between two enormous stone pillars carved with the image of a howling wolf. Beyond them lay the pack village where I had spent most of my life. Smoke rose from chimneys. Children ran along the paths, chasing one another while older wolves returned from their daily patrols. It should have felt like home. Instead, I felt like a stranger. The guards at the entrance recognized me immediately. One of them, a broad-shouldered warrior named Gareth, folded his arms. "Well, look who's back." I lowered my eyes. "Good evening, Gareth." He laughed. "Did the royal castle send you packing?" The second guard snorted. "Maybe the king finally discovered what the rest of us already knew." I said nothing. Gareth stepped closer. "Tell me, Seraphina. Is it true?" I frowned. "Is what true?" "That the Alpha King rejected you in front of the entire royal court?" My throat tightened. "Yes." He burst into laughter. "I knew it! Imagine thinking a woman without a wolf could become the Luna of the Seven Kingdoms." The second guard joined him. "At least the king has some sense." I looked at them. I wanted to tell them that I hadn't asked for the bond. That I hadn't begged the Moon Goddess to choose me. That I hadn't done anything to deserve the humiliation. But I was tired. So I walked past them. "Where do you think you're going?" Gareth called. "Home." He laughed again. "Home? You should be grateful Alpha Marcus still allows you to stay here." I didn't turn around. I had heard worse. At least, I thought I had. The packhouse was unusually busy when I arrived. Warriors stood outside discussing something in low voices. Several servants carried baskets toward the kitchens, while a group of young werewolves gathered near the staircase. I tried to slip inside unnoticed. "Seraphina!" I stopped. A familiar voice called my name. I turned to see Alpha Marcus descending the staircase. He was a tall man in his late forties, with dark brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and sharp green eyes. He wore the black uniform of the Bloodmoon Alpha, complete with a silver wolf insignia on his chest. His expression was anything but welcoming. "Where have you been?" he demanded. I swallowed. "At the royal gathering, Alpha." "I know where you were. I asked why you are returning now." "I had to find somewhere to stay after-" "After the king rejected you?" The words echoed through the entrance hall. Every conversation stopped. I lowered my head. "Yes, Alpha." Marcus laughed without humor. "How embarrassing." My fingers curled around the strap of my small bag. "I'm sorry." "Sorry?" He stepped closer. "Do you have any idea what you've done to this pack?" I looked up. "What do you mean?" "Your foolish appearance at the royal gathering has made Bloodmoon a laughingstock." I stared at him. "I didn't choose to be his mate." "And yet you were foolish enough to acknowledge the bond publicly." "He asked me to tell him whether I felt it." "And you couldn't keep your mouth shut?" I felt something twist inside me. "I thought the Moon Goddess had chosen-" "Don't mention the Moon Goddess!" he snapped. I flinched. Marcus looked around at the watching pack members before lowering his voice. "You have embarrassed this pack for the last time. The king has made his decision. You are not his Luna, and you never will be." I stared at the floor. "Understood." "Good. Your belongings have been moved out of the main quarters." My head lifted. "Moved where?" "To the servants' building. You'll sleep there until I decide what to do with you." I struggled to understand. "But my room-" "Was never yours. You were permitted to stay here because of your mother. Don't mistake charity for entitlement." My mother's name struck me like a blow. "Please don't bring her into this." His eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone." I immediately lowered my head. "I'm sorry." "Go to your new room." I turned away. As I climbed the staircase, I heard two women whispering behind me. "She actually thought she could become Queen Luna." "Imagine being rejected by the Alpha King. How humiliating." I kept walking. But something was different this time. For the first time in my life, their words didn't make me feel entirely powerless. There was a strange warmth beneath my skin, as though a small flame had been lit inside me. I didn't understand it. I only knew that when I reached the servants' building, the old wooden door opened before I touched it. I froze. A faint silver shimmer passed across the handle. Then it disappeared. I glanced over my shoulder. Nobody had seen. I entered the room and closed the door. It was tiny, with a narrow bed, a broken wardrobe, and a small window overlooking the forest. A dusty blanket lay on the mattress. I placed my bag on the floor and sat down. For several minutes, I simply stared at the wall. Then I noticed something. My pendant was glowing. I pulled it from beneath my dress. The silver surface had changed. Fine markings covered its edges, forming symbols I had never seen before. I traced one with my fingertip. The moment I touched it, a sharp flash of light filled the room. And suddenly, I was no longer alone. I was standing in a vast hall. Its walls were made of white stone, and enormous silver pillars stretched toward a ceiling filled with stars. Moonlight poured through a circular opening above me. At the center of the hall stood a woman. She was tall and beautiful, dressed in a flowing white gown. Her long silver hair fell around her shoulders, and her eyes shone with a light brighter than the moon itself. I recognized her without knowing how. The Moon Goddess. I dropped to my knees. "Please," I whispered. "Am I dead?" The woman approached me. "No, child." Her voice was gentle, but it carried the weight of centuries. "Then where am I?" "Within the memory your blood has protected." I stared at her. "I don't understand." She extended one hand. A silver light appeared above her palm, forming the shape of a wolf. The creature was magnificent, with thick silver fur and glowing blue eyes. It stood taller than any ordinary wolf, and a delicate crescent-shaped marking shone on its forehead. I couldn't breathe. "Is that... me?" The goddess nodded. "Your wolf has slept for a reason." I shook my head. "But the healers said I was wolfless." "The healers saw only what they were permitted to see." "Who would hide something like that from me?" The goddess's expression darkened. "Those who feared what you might become." A cold sensation crept down my spine. "Why?" "Because your bloodline carries an ancient power. A power that existed long before the Seven Kingdoms were divided." I looked at the silver wolf again. "Why didn't you tell me?" "Some truths must remain hidden until the time is right." "Was my rejection part of your plan?" The goddess fell silent. I rose to my feet. "Was it?" Her gaze softened. "No one forced Draven Blackwood to reject you. That choice was his alone." My chest tightened at the sound of his name. "Then why did you allow the bond?" "Because the bond revealed a truth that even the Alpha King does not understand." "What truth?" The goddess stepped closer. "That the woman he considered unworthy may be the only one capable of saving his kingdom." I shook my head. "I don't want to save him." The words came out before I could stop them. "He humiliated me. He broke our bond in front of everyone. Why should I help him?" "Because your destiny is greater than your pain, Seraphina." I looked away. "Destiny is just another word people use when they want me to suffer." For the first time, the goddess smiled. "Then learn to make your own choices. Power does not exist to control you. It exists to give you the freedom to choose." She raised her hand. The silver wolf stepped forward. It approached me slowly and lowered its enormous head. A warm sensation spread through my body. Then a voice entered my mind. I have waited a long time for you. My breath caught. "Who are you?" The wolf's blue eyes glowed. My name is Nyra. I reached out. My fingers touched its silver fur, and an explosion of light surrounded us. The goddess's voice echoed through the hall. "Awaken, Seraphina Vale. Remember who you are." The vision shattered. I woke with a gasp. I was back in the servants' room. My hands were pressed against the floor, and the air around me shimmered with silver light. But this time, the power didn't disappear. It moved through my body like a river breaking through a dam. My bones ached. My muscles tightened. A strange pressure filled my chest, followed by a sensation I had never experienced before. Something was inside me. Something alive. Seraphina. I froze. The voice was no longer distant. It was clear. It was speaking directly into my mind. "Nyra?" Yes. I pressed a trembling hand against my mouth. I could hear her. I could actually hear my wolf. After twenty-two years of silence, I was no longer alone inside my own body. Tears filled my eyes. "You're real." I have always been here. "Why couldn't I hear you before?" Because someone sealed our connection. My smile faded. "Someone?" Yes. Someone feared what we would become. Before I could ask another question, a loud crash came from outside. I jumped to my feet. Voices echoed through the courtyard. "Alpha Marcus!" A warrior was shouting. "Alpha, we have a problem!" I hurried toward the window. A group of warriors had gathered near the main gate. Several carried weapons, and Marcus was standing among them, looking toward the forest. "What happened?" he demanded. The warrior pointed toward the trees. "There are rogues at the eastern border. They've crossed into our territory." Marcus's expression darkened. "How many?" "At least twenty. And they're not behaving like ordinary rogues." A low growl escaped one of the warriors. "Then we drive them out." Marcus nodded. "Gather the patrol teams. Nobody enters the forest alone." I watched them prepare. Then I heard something else. A growl. Not from the warriors. Not from the forest. From somewhere deep inside me. Nyra stirred. Danger. I backed away from the window. "What?" They are coming for us. My heart began to race. "Who?" But before Nyra could answer, the first scream tore through the evening air. The packhouse erupted into chaos. Warriors rushed toward the gates. Women hurried to gather the children, and the sound of shifting bones filled the courtyard. I stood frozen in the doorway. Then something moved between the trees. A pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness. A rogue wolf stepped into the moonlight. It looked directly at me. Its lips pulled back, exposing its teeth. Then, instead of attacking, it lowered its head. Another wolf emerged behind it. Then another. One by one, the rogues stepped into the clearing. And every single one of them bowed. I stared in disbelief. What were they doing? Nyra's voice filled my mind. They recognize their queen. My blood ran cold. "Queen?" Before I could understand what she meant, a deafening howl echoed across the territory. The sound was so powerful that every wolf in the courtyard stopped moving. Marcus turned toward the forest. His face drained of color. Then he looked directly at me. For the first time since I had known him, Alpha Marcus looked afraid. Not angry. Not disgusted. Afraid. And I suddenly realized that he knew something about me. Something he had spent years trying to keep buried.

The entire Bloodmoon Pack had fallen silent. Twenty rogue wolves stood at the edge of the clearing, their heads lowered toward the servants' building where I stood frozen in the doorway. Their bodies were tense, their tails still, and their ears pressed respectfully against their heads. They weren't bowing to Alpha Marcus. They weren't bowing to the warriors who had gathered with weapons drawn. They were bowing to me. My fingers curled around the doorframe. "This can't be happening," I whispered. Inside my mind, Nyra stirred. It is happening, Seraphina. You are finally being seen. I swallowed hard. What do they want from me? They recognize the blood flowing through your veins. I stared at the wolves. One of them, a massive black rogue with a scar running across its muzzle, took a single step forward. Every warrior in the courtyard raised his weapon. "Stay back!" Marcus commanded. The black wolf ignored him. Its golden eyes remained fixed on me. Then, to my astonishment, it lowered its body until its chest nearly touched the ground. A low whine escaped its throat. The other rogues followed its example. I could barely breathe. These were dangerous creatures who had crossed into our territory without permission. Under ordinary circumstances, the pack warriors would have attacked them immediately. Yet not one of the wolves showed any aggression toward me. It was as though they were waiting for me to speak. "Alpha Marcus," I called, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Why are they doing this?" He turned toward me. For a moment, I saw something in his expression that I had never seen before. Fear. Pure, unmistakable fear. Then he covered it with anger. "Get inside, Seraphina!" "But-" "Now!" His command struck the courtyard like a whip. Several pack members flinched. Ordinarily, I would have obeyed without question. Marcus had spent years teaching me that challenging an Alpha was foolish, especially when you were a wolfless nobody with no one to protect you. But something inside me refused to move. The silver wolf within my mind raised her head. Do not bow to fear. I took a breath. "I'm not going anywhere until someone explains what's happening." The courtyard went utterly silent. One of the warriors stared at me as though I had suddenly grown a second head. Marcus's face darkened. "Have you lost your mind?" "No," I answered. "I'm beginning to think everyone else has been lying to me." His expression changed. Only for a second. But it was enough. I saw the truth in his eyes. He knew something about me. Something important. Something he had deliberately hidden. Before I could question him further, the black rogue lifted its head and spoke. "Forgive us, Silver Heir." I stumbled backward. The words hadn't come from its mouth in the ordinary way. They had entered my mind, clear and unmistakable. I had heard werewolves communicate through mind links before, but only pack members and those connected by special bonds could usually share thoughts so easily. This rogue wasn't a member of Bloodmoon. Yet I had understood it perfectly. "Did you just speak to me?" I whispered. The wolf bowed its head again. "Through the ancient blood, my queen." My queen. The words sent a shiver down my spine. Marcus moved between us. "Enough!" he roared. "You have entered Bloodmoon territory without permission. Leave before my warriors tear you apart!" The black wolf slowly turned its golden eyes toward him. "You have no authority over her blood, Marcus Hale." The Alpha went rigid. I stared at him. Hale? Marcus's surname was Hale, but the rogue had spoken his name as though it were an accusation. "What does that mean?" I demanded. Marcus didn't look at me. "Attack!" he ordered. The warriors surged forward. Chaos erupted. Several wolves shifted in mid-stride, their bodies twisting into enormous beasts. Warriors charged toward the rogues, weapons raised, while frightened pack members fled toward the main house. But the rogues didn't attack. They scattered through the clearing, dodging the warriors without inflicting a single wound. The black wolf moved with astonishing speed, slipping between two attackers before leaping onto a fallen tree. "Stop!" I screamed. Nobody listened. A warrior raised his silver-tipped spear toward a young grey rogue. The wolf was cornered. Its hind leg was injured, and it couldn't escape quickly enough. Something inside me snapped. "STOP!" The word erupted from my throat with a force I had never experienced. Silver light exploded across the clearing. Every wolf froze. Every warrior stopped mid-motion. The weapons in their hands trembled as an invisible pressure swept through the courtyard. Dust rose from the ground, and the torches along the packhouse walls flickered violently. My chest burned. I looked down at my hands. Silver markings had appeared beneath my skin, spreading from my wrists toward my fingertips like delicate branches. The light intensified. Then every werewolf in the clearing dropped to one knee. Every single one. Including Alpha Marcus. I stared at him in disbelief. The most powerful man in my life was kneeling before me. The man who had ordered me around, humiliated me, and treated me like a burden was now unable to meet my eyes. I couldn't understand it. I hadn't commanded them to kneel. I hadn't even known I possessed the power to stop them. "Seraphina," Marcus whispered. For the first time, he sounded afraid to speak my name. "What have you become?" I looked at him, my heart pounding. "I think the better question is what have you been hiding from me?" He opened his mouth. Then closed it again. And that silence told me more than any answer could have. The silver light faded slowly. The warriors began to move again, looking around in confusion. Several staggered to their feet, their faces pale. The rogues remained kneeling. I could feel the power withdrawing from my body, leaving me weak and breathless. Nyra's voice echoed inside my head. Be careful, Seraphina. Power without understanding can destroy the one who carries it. I swallowed. Then teach me. I will. But first, you must discover why your blood was hidden. My gaze returned to Marcus. He was standing now, brushing dust from his uniform. His expression had hardened, but the fear in his eyes remained. "Everyone back to your duties," he ordered. Nobody moved. Marcus's voice grew louder. "That is an order!" The warriors slowly dispersed, although many continued to stare at me. The black rogue approached the clearing's center. "Silver Heir, we have searched for you for many years." I took a cautious step forward. "Who are you?" "My name is Kael. I am the leader of the Moonshadow Rogues." I glanced at the other wolves. "Why are you called rogues?" "Because the kingdoms have branded us as outcasts. We refused to kneel to corrupt rulers, so they stripped us of our territories and drove us into the wilderness." "Why are you looking for me?" Kael lowered his head. "Because you are the last living heir of the Silver Moon bloodline." The words seemed to drain the warmth from the air. I shook my head. "No. That's impossible." "Your mother was our queen." My fingers went numb. "My mother was a healer." "That was the life she chose after fleeing the kingdom." I stared at him. My mother had died when I was twelve. I remembered her as a gentle woman with warm hands and a beautiful voice. She had treated injured pack members, gathered herbs from the forest, and told me stories about the Moon Goddess. She had never spoken of being a queen. She had never mentioned a Silver Moon bloodline. She had never told me that I was anything other than an ordinary girl. "You're lying," I whispered. Kael didn't flinch. "I wish I were." I turned toward Marcus. "Tell him he's lying." Marcus looked away. My heart began to pound harder. "Marcus?" He remained silent. "Tell me!" My voice echoed through the clearing. He closed his eyes briefly before looking at me. "Not here." A bitter laugh escaped my throat. "Of course. You always have a reason not to tell me the truth." "Seraphina, you don't understand what you're dealing with." "Then explain it!" He glanced toward the rogues. "Come with me." "No." His jaw tightened. "This isn't a request." I stared at him. For years, those words would have been enough to make me lower my head and follow him. Not anymore. "If you want me to come with you, you'll tell me the truth first." His expression darkened. Then Kael spoke. "She has a right to know." Marcus rounded on him. "You have no right to interfere in the affairs of my pack." "Your pack?" Kael growled. "You mean the territory you stole your way into after betraying her family?" The clearing erupted in whispers. I felt as though the ground had shifted beneath my feet. "Betraying my family?" I repeated. Kael turned toward me. "Your mother entrusted you to Marcus because she believed he would protect you." My stomach twisted. "She knew him?" "He swore an oath to her." I looked at Marcus. "Is that true?" He said nothing. Kael continued. "But instead of protecting you, he kept you ignorant of your heritage. He allowed you to believe you were wolfless because he feared what would happen if your powers awakened." I could barely hear him over the pounding of my heart. "Why would he do that?" "Because if you discovered your true identity, you would have the right to challenge the rulers who destroyed your family." I stared at Marcus. "Who destroyed my family?" His face had turned ashen. "Enough," he said quietly. "No." My voice trembled. "Not this time. I want the truth." Marcus looked at me for a long moment. Then he said the words that shattered the last remaining piece of my childhood. "Your mother was not merely a healer, Seraphina." He swallowed. "She was Queen Elara of the Silver Moon Kingdom." The world seemed to tilt. I gripped the railing beside me. "Queen Elara?" "Yes." "My mother was a queen?" Marcus nodded reluctantly. I shook my head. "No. She would have told me." "She intended to. But circumstances changed." "What circumstances?" He looked toward the castle. "Your mother's kingdom fell when you were seven years old. Her enemies hunted her, and she fled with you. When she became gravely ill, she entrusted you to my care." I stared at him. "She died of an illness." Marcus's silence lasted too long. A terrible feeling settled in my stomach. "Didn't she?" His eyes shifted away from mine. "Your mother died under circumstances I cannot explain without revealing matters that could endanger you." I stepped toward him. "Did someone kill her?" "Seraphina-" "Did someone kill my mother?" My voice broke on the final word. Marcus's expression tightened. "I don't know." It was the worst answer he could have given me. Because I knew he was hiding something. I could see it in the way his hands clenched and the way he refused to look directly into my eyes. Kael lowered his head. "Your mother's death was no accident, my queen." Tears blurred my vision. "Who did it?" "Those who feared your bloodline." I wiped my cheeks angrily. "And you expect me to believe that you protected me?" Marcus flinched. "I did what I believed was necessary." "You let them call me defective!" "I kept you alive!" "You let everyone humiliate me!" "Because the truth would have made you a target!" I recoiled. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I laughed bitterly. "So you decided it was better to make me hate myself." Marcus's expression crumpled. Only briefly. But I saw it. And for the first time, I realized that whatever secrets he had kept, they had not left him untouched. That didn't excuse what he had done. It didn't erase the years I had spent believing I was worthless. And it certainly didn't make me trust him. I turned away. "I need to be alone." "Seraphina, wait." I kept walking. "Seraphina!" I didn't stop. Behind me, Kael's voice rose above the murmurs. "We will remain at the edge of your territory until you are ready to hear the rest." I didn't answer. Because I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would scream. I spent the next hour sitting beside the stream behind the packhouse. It was the one place I had always gone when life became unbearable. As a child, I used to sit there with my mother while she gathered herbs along the banks. She would tell me stories about silver wolves who could command the wind and hear the voices of ancient spirits. I had always thought those stories were fairy tales. Now I wondered how many of them had been memories disguised as bedtime stories. I dipped my fingers into the cold water. My reflection stared back at me. The same auburn hair. The same brown eyes. The same face I had seen in mirrors for twenty-two years. Yet everything had changed. I wasn't wolfless. I was the daughter of a queen. I carried an ancient bloodline. And the people who had raised me had hidden the truth. A soft rustle came from the bushes. I lifted my head. "Who's there?" A young woman stepped onto the path. She had long blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and the elegant bearing of someone who had never needed to struggle for anything. Her name was Evelyne, the daughter of a powerful Beta family and one of the most admired women in Bloodmoon Pack. She was also the woman who had laughed with the other nobles when Draven rejected me. I straightened. "What do you want?" Evelyne glanced toward the packhouse. "I heard about what happened." "Then you've heard enough." She approached and folded her arms. "You're making a mistake by entertaining those rogues." I stared at her. "Excuse me?" "They're dangerous. They want to use you." I almost laughed. "And you know this because?" "Because everyone knows the Silver Moon bloodline is cursed." My fingers tightened around the edge of my dress. "Who told you that?" She hesitated. Then she shrugged. "It's common knowledge." "No, it isn't." Her expression hardened. "Listen, Seraphina. Whatever you think you've discovered, you should forget it. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." I rose to my feet. "Why does everyone keep telling me that?" "Because you're being foolish!" "Or perhaps you're afraid I'll discover something you don't want me to know." For a moment, Evelyne said nothing. Then she stepped closer. "You think discovering that your mother was a queen makes you important? It doesn't. You're still the woman Draven rejected." The words struck a nerve. But this time, I didn't let them wound me. "You're right," I said quietly. "He rejected me." Evelyne smiled triumphantly. "But that doesn't mean I have to spend the rest of my life begging for his approval." Her smile faltered. I continued. "And if my bloodline is as dangerous as everyone claims, perhaps you should be more concerned about what happens when I finally learn how to use it." Evelyne's face paled. For the first time, I saw genuine fear in her eyes. She turned sharply and walked away without another word. I watched her disappear between the trees. Something told me that she knew more than she was willing to admit. And I intended to find out what. Night fell over Bloodmoon territory. I returned to the servants' room, exhausted from everything I had learned. My head was filled with questions, and every answer seemed to lead to another secret. I sat on the bed and removed my pendant. The silver markings had disappeared, but the metal remained warm against my palm. "Nyra?" I am here. I exhaled. "Tell me the truth. Am I really a queen?" You are the daughter of one. "Does that make me a queen too?" Blood gives you a claim. What you do with it will determine whether you deserve to rule. I considered that. "Can I trust Kael?" He has sworn himself to your bloodline. But an oath does not make a person incapable of mistakes. "What about Marcus?" Nyra was silent for a moment. He has done things you may never forgive. My chest tightened. "Did he know my mother was going to die?" I cannot see every memory hidden from us. But I know this: your mother's death is connected to the power sleeping inside you. I stared at the pendant. "Then I need to awaken it." You must be careful. Your power is ancient, and you have no training. If you force it to emerge before you understand it, it may consume you. I swallowed. "Then teach me." I will. A sudden knock sounded at the door. I quickly hid the pendant beneath my dress. "Who is it?" "Open the door, Seraphina." Marcus. I hesitated before crossing the room and opening it. He stood in the doorway alone. For several seconds, he simply looked at me. Then he said, "We need to talk." I stepped aside reluctantly. He entered and closed the door behind him. "I owe you an explanation," he began. I folded my arms. "More than one." "I know." He pulled the wooden chair toward the bed and sat down. The gesture was so unusual that I couldn't stop staring at him. Alpha Marcus never sat in the presence of someone he considered beneath him. Tonight, he looked like a man carrying a burden that had become too heavy to bear. "Your mother came to me when you were seven," he said. "She was wounded, exhausted, and being hunted by people who wanted her bloodline destroyed. She begged me to hide you." "Who was hunting her?" "Members of the royal court. Powerful families who believed the Silver Moon heirs threatened their authority." "Was Draven's family involved?" Marcus went still. It was a small reaction. But I saw it. "Why would you ask that?" "Because Draven is the Alpha King. If my mother was a queen, I want to know whether his family had anything to do with her death." Marcus stood abruptly. "Stay away from that family." My heart began to pound. "Why?" "Because you don't know what they are capable of." "Neither do I know what you're capable of." He looked at me sharply. I held his gaze. "Did Draven's family kill my mother?" Marcus's expression became unreadable. "I cannot answer that." "Or you won't?" He closed his eyes. "I swore to your mother that I would protect you, even if it meant you hated me." I felt something cold settle in my chest. "You should have protected me by telling me the truth." "Perhaps." It was the first time he had admitted that he might have been wrong. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. He moved toward the door. "Tomorrow morning, you will begin training with the pack warriors." I frowned. "What?" "Your powers have awakened. You must learn to control them." "You expect me to train with the same people who spent years laughing at me?" "I expect you to survive." He opened the door. Then he paused. "There is something else you should know." I waited. "News of your awakening will reach the royal court before dawn. If Draven learns that the Silver Moon heir is alive, he will come looking for you." My stomach tightened. "Why would he care?" Marcus looked back at me. "Because the royal family has spent fifteen years searching for the last heir of the Silver Moon Kingdom." The room seemed to grow colder. "Fifteen years?" He nodded. "And now that your powers have awakened, they will know exactly where to find you." He left before I could ask another question. I stood in the doorway, unable to move. Draven had rejected me because he believed I was powerless. But if Marcus was telling the truth, the royal family had been searching for me long before I ever met the Alpha King. Why? What did they want from me? And what had my mother died trying to protect? I closed the door and leaned against it. For the first time since the rejection, I wasn't thinking about the pain Draven had caused me. I was thinking about the truth. About my mother. About the kingdom that had fallen. And about the people who had spent years making certain I never discovered who I was. I walked to the window. Beyond the packhouse, the forest stretched beneath the moonlight. Somewhere in the darkness, Kael and his rogues were waiting. I touched my pendant. "I won't be helpless anymore," I whispered. Nyra's voice rose within me, steady and proud. Then we begin tonight. A silver light flickered beneath my skin. This time, I didn't recoil. I lifted my chin and watched the moon rise over Bloodmoon territory. The Alpha King had rejected me. My guardian had lied to me. My mother's kingdom had been destroyed. But I was no longer the wolfless girl everyone could humiliate without consequence. I was Seraphina Vale, daughter of Queen Elara, heir to the Silver Moon bloodline. And I would uncover every secret they had buried. Even if the truth destroyed the Seven Kingdoms. Even if it led me back to the man who had broken my heart. Because before I could decide whether to forgive Draven Blackwood, I needed to discover whether his family had murdered my mother.