Tonight is my wedding day. The moon hung like a silver crown above us, vast and yet solemn, watching us as though She herself waited to pass judgment.I stood in the clearing beside Xavier, trembling from being nervous, breathing rugged. Every breath was a war between awe and fear. The torches hissed and swayed in the wind, their flames dancing to some ancient rhythm I didn't understand. The elders stood in a wide circle, their robes brushing the ground, their faces covered by the shadow of their hoods.And beyond the elders was the pack members. Hundreds of eyes staring at us. None of them was kind.Their whispers swirled like smoke through the cold night air."She doesn't even have a wolf and yet she's getting married to our alpha.""A cursed one would be our luna.""What has the Goddess done?"Each word burned into my skin but Xavier stood tall, shoulders squared, expression unreadable as stone. The torchlight revealed sharp edges along his face, carving him from shadow and flame. Even now, I couldn't tell if he was proud or angry, only that his presence seemed to pull the air itself around him.Elder Rowan stepped forward, his old voice rising like cracked thunder."Before the Moon Goddess, we gather to witness the union of Alpha Xavier Woelfoshade and his fated mate, Samantha Rose of the Azure Moon Pack."The faintest hiss ripple through the crowd when he said my name but I heard it. Elder Rowan continued, ignoring it. "The bond between mates is sacred. It is not just flesh or a promise. It is the weaving of souls. Those chosen by the Moon Goddess are bound beyond death itself."He turned to Xavier. "Do you, Alpha Xavier, accept your fated mate, and vow to protect her with your life?"Xavier's jaw flexed once. His answer was steady, formal, but devoid of tenderness."I do."The Elder turned to me. "And you, Samantha Rose, do you accept your fated mate and vow to honor the bond?"My mouth was dry, my voice caught in my throat. For a heartbeat, I saw every face staring back, mocking me, and then I saw Xavier. The man who had once looked at me like I was light itself, before fear and duty hardened him."I do," I whispered.The Elder nodded, stepping back. "Then let the bond be sealed."He motioned for us to extend our hands. A ceremonial blade was produced. It looked small, silver, etched with the mark of the Moon.Xavier went first, slicing a clean line across his palm, his blood trickling down. Crimson against the silver light. Without flinching, he held his hand out to me.I hesitated. My heart pounded like a trapped bird."Samantha," he murmured, low enough so only I could hear. "It's alright."Something about the way he said it broke through the storm in my chest. His voice was soft and steady, yet assuring. I took the blade, pressed it to my skin. It bit deep enough to draw blood, sharp enough to remind me that even sacred things could hurt.When our palms met, warmth surged through me.A current that felt alive, electric, and ancient shot up my arm, through my veins, and into my heart. My breath caught as the world tilted.The crowd faded. The wind silenced.For a moment, it was only him. Just us.Our blood mingled, our souls touched, and the Goddess's voice whispered somewhere deep within:"You are bound."Light burst from where our hands met, silver threads swirling between us, wrapping around our wrists, our hearts, our souls. It burned and soothed all at once, like the first breath after drowning.The Elders began to chant a haunting hymn that vibrated through the ground. The flames bowed low as though the Goddess herself had stepped closer.And then, something changed.A fierce gust of wind tore through the clearing, and put out half the torches. The chanting broke. The light between our hands flared bright, then darkened, flickering like a dying star.A murmur rippled through the pack. Elder Rowan's head snapped up. "What is this?"I gasped as pain lanced through my chest. For a heartbeat, I saw a flash. A woman's silhouette bathed in moonlight, her eyes burning gold."Two paths… one heart."The vision vanished as quickly as it came, leaving me dizzy and cold.Xavier caught my arm before I could fall. His grip firm and steady, but his eyes, those silver-gray eyes held something I'd never seen before. Fear.The torches flared back to life. The chanting resumed, shakier now, and uncertain.Rowan's voice wavered. "The bond is sealed."The crowd began to cheer, or maybe jeer. I couldn't tell. My pulse roared too loudly in my ears.But I knew one thing: whatever had just happened now wasn't normal.As the ceremony ended, wolves came forward to bow before their Alpha. None bowed to me. Most didn't even look at me. Some spat near the dirt at my feet, pretending it was by accident.Through it all, Xavier's hand stayed behind my back. To anyone watching, it might have seemed protective. To me, it felt like containment.When the last Elder offered the Goddess's blessing and the crowd began to disperse, Xavier leaned close. His voice was low, careful."Something went wrong."My heart stuttered. "What do you mean?"He didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on my mark, on the new mark glowing faintly at my wrist, shaped like a crescent flame instead of the usual full moon."That symbol," he murmured. "It's… not the mark of the Azure Moon."I looked down. He was right. It shimmered faintly gold instead of silver, alive with light.Rowan approached, his eyes wary. "Alpha, Luna, I need a word."We followed him to the altar. His face, normally composed, was pale under the moonlight."The Goddess has not marked her as one of us," he said quietly. "This… this is something else. A rare sign. Perhaps a warning."Xavier frowned. "Explain."Rowan hesitated. "I have only seen it once before on a she-wolf destined to bridge two Alphas."The words hit me like a blade. "Two Alphas?" I whispered.Rowan nodded solemnly. "A child of prophecy, chosen to unite divided packs. But the last one…" He trailed off, eyes darkening. "She didn't survive the choosing."My stomach dropped. "What are you saying?"He looked between us. "That the Moon Goddess has chosen your mate for something beyond this pack. Something beyond you."Xavier's expression hardened. "That's impossible."But his voice trembled—just enough for me to hear.When Rowan left, silence settled between us. The air was colder now, heavier.Finally, Xavier turned to me, his voice quiet but sharp. "Whatever this means, you'll say nothing to anyone. Understood?"I stared at him, the words sticking like thorns in my throat. "You think I'd use this against you?""I think the pack doesn't need more reason to fear you."And he was right. They feared me. Not respect, not love. Fear.I nodded, even though something inside me fractured. "Understood, Alpha."He looked at me for a moment too long and turned and walked toward the packhouse without a word. I stood alone in the clearing, the mark on my wrist pulsing like a heartbeat that wasn't mine.The bond was sealed. The prophecy awakened.And for the first time, I realized the truth: This wasn't the end of my suffering.It was only the beginning.
