Ashwood was a town lost in shadow — a place where fog hung low over crooked streets, and ancient trees whispered secrets to the wind. It was the kind of town where people looked over their shoulders, where stories of things lurking just beyond sight slipped from lips in hushed tones. To most, it was nothing but a sleepy backwater. To seventeen-year-old Aria Rivers, it was home — a cage she longed to escape.
Tonight, the rain fell thick and relentless, hammering the cracked pavement and drumming on the rusted rooftops like a warning. Lightning fractured the sky, momentarily bathing the streets in stark, cold light before plunging them back into darkness.
Aria didn't care about the storm. She didn't care about the cold that soaked her thin hoodie or the way her shoes squelched with every hurried step. Her breath came in short, panicked bursts as she ran, heart pounding like a wild drumbeat beneath her ribs.
She darted through an alley behind the old library — a place she'd never ventured before. The smell of wet earth and decaying leaves filled the air, mixing with the sharp tang of iron that seemed to cling to her skin. Somewhere deep inside, something had woken up. Something ancient. Something wild.
Her fingers scraped against the cold, iron fence that guarded Ashwood's forgotten cemetery. The gate groaned as she pushed it open, stepping onto the shadowy path where gravestones jutted like broken teeth from the earth.
Aria paused, her breath clouding in the chill night air. The silence here was thick, almost suffocating. She felt eyes on her — unseen but unmistakable. Then, out of the corner of her vision, two silver lights blinked in the darkness.
She whipped around, heart slamming against her chest. Standing at the edge of the forest was a figure—a man, tall and lean, cloaked in shadows. His eyes shone like moonlight on steel, cold and impossible.
A low, guttural growl rumbled deep in her throat — but it wasn't hers.
The man stepped forward, his voice smooth and dark. "You don't belong here, Aria."
Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to stand tall. "Who are you?"
"I am Lucien Draven," he said, "Alpha King of Ashwood — and the one who's been waiting for you."
A shiver ran down her spine. How did he know her name? Before she could answer, he vanished into the mist, leaving behind claw marks slashed deep into the bark of a centuries-old oak tree.
Aria sank to her knees, the rain mixing with tears she hadn't realized she was holding back. Her life was about to change, and she had no idea how much danger lay ahead.
---
The Morning After
Dawn crept over Ashwood, washing the town in muted shades of gray. Aria woke in her small, cluttered bedroom above her mother's bakery, sunlight slipping through cracked blinds. The storm had passed, but the night's events lingered in her mind like a half-remembered dream.
Her mother's voice called up from the kitchen. "Breakfast's ready, Aria. You're going to be late for school if you don't hurry."
Aria dragged herself out of bed, the weight of exhaustion heavy on her. She glanced at the mirror and barely recognized the girl staring back — eyes rimmed with dark circles, hair tangled and wild.
At school, everything felt strange — like she was moving through a fog. Friends chatted around her, but she barely heard them. The echo of Lucien's voice haunted her.
"Alpha King… waiting for me."
No one else seemed to notice the subtle shift in the air — the way shadows stretched a little longer, the strange flicker of movement at the edge of vision.
During history class, Aria's mind wandered to the legends she'd read about — stories of the Moonborn, a mysterious bloodline of werewolves with powers thought lost to time. It was impossible. She wasn't like that. Was she?
---
The Awakening
That night, as the moon rose full and bright, Aria found herself drawn to the woods beyond town. The trees swayed in the wind, their leaves whispering secrets just beyond hearing. The air was thick with magic, electric and raw.
She reached the clearing — the same place where Lucien had disappeared. Her skin prickled as the moonlight touched her face, and suddenly, a searing pain flared through her chest.
Her vision blurred, and the world tilted. She collapsed to her knees, gasping as an ancient force surged within her — awakening powers she never knew she had.
When the pain finally ebbed, Aria's eyes snapped open. They glowed silver.
She was no longer just a girl from Ashwood. She was something more. Something dangerous.
---
The Alpha's Warning
A shadow detached itself from the trees. Lucien stepped forward once more, his presence overwhelming. "You're marked, Aria. The Moonborn blood in you has awakened. You are bound to me."
Fear and fury warred inside her. "I don't belong to anyone."
His gaze softened — just a flicker — before hardening again. "This bond is ancient and unbreakable. You will learn to accept it… or it will consume you."
Aria stood, trembling but defiant. "Then I'll fight."
Lucien's lips curled into a dark smile. "Good. You'll need to."
The wind howled, the forest seemed to hold its breath, and beneath the moon's watchful eye, the girl who was once ordinary took her first step into a world of shadows, power, and destiny.