Previously: After three weeks of brutal training, Sera faced her second awakening under the full moon. The transformation was agonizing, but she emerged as a massive silver wolf her true Moon Blessed form finally unleashed. But in the moment of her triumph, she sensed something watching from the shadows. The same red eyes from her nightmares...
---
I woke the next morning as a wolf.
Panic seized me immediately. I tried to speak, to call for Aldric, but only a low whine emerged from my throat. My body felt wrong too large, too powerful, covered in silver fur that caught the morning sunlight streaming through the window.
Calm down, I told myself, forcing my racing heart to slow. Aldric said the ability to shift back would come. Just... figure it out.
I closed my eyes and reached inward, searching for that same silver light that had carried me through the transformation. But instead of pushing it outward to enhance my abilities, I tried pulling it back. Condensing it. Returning my body to its human shape.
Nothing happened.
I tried again, concentrating harder. The power responded, but sluggishly, like trying to move through honey. My bones ached with the promise of change, but the transformation wouldn't complete.
"You're forcing it."
I spun toward the voice, my claws gouging deep furrows in the wooden floor. Aldric stood in the doorway, two steaming mugs in his hands, looking completely unfazed by the massive silver wolf currently destroying his spare room.
"First shifts always stick," he continued, moving to set one of the mugs on the floor within my reach. "Your body needs time to remember its human form. Trying to force the change will only make it harder."
I growled in frustration.
"I know. But you'll get it. Here." He settled into the chair, sipping his own tea. "Instead of pulling the power back, try thinking of your human form. Really visualize it. Every detail. Your face, your hands, the way your body moves. Don't force the change. Invite it."
I closed my eyes again, this time focusing on the image of myself as I'd been. Green eyes, auburn hair, the scar on my left knee from falling off a tree when I was seven. The feeling of human hands, human feet, standing on two legs instead of four.
This is who I am, I thought. This form is part of me too.
The silver light shifted. Instead of resisting, it flowed, responding to my mental image like water taking the shape of its container. My bones began to crack and reform still painful, but nothing like the agony of last night's awakening.
Fur receded. Claws became fingers. My spine shortened, restructured.
When I opened my eyes, I was human again, kneeling naked on the floor.
"Better," Aldric said, pointedly keeping his gaze on his tea. "There are clothes in the chest. Get dressed, then meet me outside. We have much to discuss."
---
Twenty minutes later, I sat across from Aldric in the training clearing, wrapped in warm clothes and nursing my own mug of tea. My body felt strange almost fragile after the power and strength of my wolf form. But also familiar. Comfortable.
"The transformation will get easier," Aldric said, reading my discomfort. "Right now, shifting takes conscious effort and concentration. Eventually, it'll be as natural as breathing. You'll be able to change forms in seconds, even in the middle of combat."
"How long until 'eventually'?"
"Weeks. Maybe months. It depends on how often you practice." He set down his mug, his expression growing serious. "But that's not what we need to talk about. You felt something last night. After your awakening. Something watching from the shadows."
It wasn't a question. Of course he'd noticed.
"Red eyes," I said quietly. "The same ones from my dreams. They were there, at the edge of the clearing, and then they just... vanished."
Aldric was quiet for a long moment, his weathered face grave.
"I was afraid of this," he said finally. "The second awakening didn't just unlock your Moon Blessed power. It also weakened the seal on your other bloodline. The Night Cursed heritage."
A chill ran down my spine despite the morning warmth. "You said that was just a possibility. That you weren't sure."
"I wasn't. Until last night." He stood, pacing with the restless energy of someone wrestling with bad news. "The presence you felt those red eyes that wasn't something external. It was internal. A manifestation of the shadow power beginning to stir."
"I don't understand. If it's my power, why did it feel like something separate? Something watching me?"
"Because the Night Cursed bloodline works differently than the Moon Blessed." Aldric turned to face me, his ancient eyes troubled. "Moon power comes from the Goddess it's light, healing, protection. It enhances what you are without changing your fundamental nature. But shadow power..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Shadow power has a will of its own. It whispers. It tempts. It tries to convince you to embrace darker impulses."
"You're saying it's evil."
"No. I'm saying it's dangerous." He returned to his seat, leaning forward intently. "The Night Cursed weren't inherently evil any more than the Moon Blessed were inherently good. But their power fed on darker emotions rage, hate, the desire for dominance and destruction. The stronger those feelings, the more powerful they became. And eventually, many of them lost themselves to it. Became the very monsters the Goddess had to seal away."
I thought about the rage I'd felt when Marcus rejected me. The satisfaction I'd taken in imagining his humiliation. The way the red flicker of power had pulsed stronger in those moments of anger.
"So what do I do?" I asked. "How do I keep it from taking over?"
"The same way you master any power through discipline and control." Aldric's voice was firm. "Your Moon Blessed heritage gives you an advantage. The light and shadow are meant to balance each other, if you can learn to wield them properly. But you have to be vigilant. The shadow will always be there, whispering, offering you easy power if you just give in to your darker impulses."
"And if I do give in?"
"Then you become what the Goddess feared most. A creature of pure destruction, drunk on power, incapable of mercy or restraint." His eyes held mine. "I've seen it happen, Seraphina. Watched good wolves consumed by shadow until there was nothing left of who they once were. I won't let that happen to you."
The weight of his words settled over me like a physical thing. I'd been so focused on getting stronger, on proving everyone wrong, that I hadn't considered what that strength might cost.
"There's something else you need to know," Aldric continued. "The presence you felt last night the red eyes that was just the shadow power announcing itself. Testing you. Seeing if you're strong enough to contain it. But there will be others who sensed your awakening. The surge of ancient power you released when you transformed it would have been felt by anyone sensitive to such things within a hundred miles."
My stomach dropped. "You mean other wolves? The packs?"
"Possibly. But I'm more concerned about those who hunt beings like you." He stood again, moving to the cabin. When he returned, he was holding a leather-bound journal, its pages yellowed with age. "After the Goddess sealed the ancient bloodlines, she tasked certain wolves with hunting down any who might still carry that heritage. They called themselves the Purifiers. Most people think they're just a myth now, but."
"They're real," I finished, my mouth dry.
"They're real. And they're patient. They've spent centuries waiting for ancient power to resurface. When it does..." He didn't need to finish the sentence.
"So what do I do? Hide here forever?"
"No. You're not ready to face them yet, but you will be." Aldric set the journal aside. "Your training isn't complete. You've unlocked two layers of your power basic enhancement and your wolf form. But there are deeper abilities still sealed away. Abilities that will make you strong enough to face whatever comes."
"How many more layers?"
"At least three, possibly four. Your healing ability, which is partially active but not fully unlocked. Your capacity to manipulate moonlight itself that's a Moon Blessed signature power. And your shadow abilities, which are still almost completely sealed." He paused. "The final layer is what the legends called 'transcendence.' The ability to merge both bloodlines into something new. Something the Goddess never intended but couldn't prevent."
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is. Which is why we're not attempting it until you've mastered everything else." Aldric's expression softened slightly. "But that's future worry. Right now, you need to focus on control. Learning to shift at will. Maintaining your wolf form for extended periods. And most importantly, learning to suppress your power signature so you don't broadcast your presence to every sensitive creature in the territory."
"More training," I said with a sigh.
"More training," he agreed. "But different training. You've proven you can fight. Now you need to prove you can blend in. Which brings me to your next test."
---
"Absolutely not."
I stared at Aldric like he'd lost his mind. We were standing in his cabin, and he'd just laid out the most insane plan I'd ever heard.
"It's the perfect opportunity," he insisted. "The Underground Rings are always looking for new fighters. You'll make money, gain combat experience against actual wolves instead of just me, and learn to control your power in high-pressure situations."
"The Underground Rings are illegal fighting pits where wolves bet on brutal matches that sometimes end in death," I shot back. "How is that a learning opportunity?"
"Because you need to learn how to fight without killing." His tone was patient but unyielding. "Right now, when you access your full power, you have two settings: hold back completely, or obliterate your opponent. You need to find the middle ground. The Rings will force you to calibrate to use just enough power to win without revealing what you really are."
I wanted to argue further, but he had a point. My fight with Garrick had proven that. I'd either been barely keeping up or overwhelming him with impossible speed. No in-between.
"Plus," Aldric added, "you'll need money if you plan to eventually leave here and establish yourself in the outside world. The Rings pay well for winners. Very well."
That caught my attention. I'd been so focused on getting stronger that I hadn't thought about practical considerations. I had almost nothing to my name a few pieces of clothing, my mother's locket, and whatever coins remained in Aldric's pouch.
"Where are these Rings?" I asked reluctantly.
"The closest one operates in Millbrook that human city about fifty miles south. They hold fights three nights a week. Mostly Betas and low-level Alphas, though occasionally someone stronger shows up." He pulled out a worn flyer from a drawer. "They're always recruiting. You'd fight under a false name, keep your face partially covered, get in and get out. No one needs to know who you really are."
I studied the flyer. It advertised "The Howling Pit Where Legends Are Born and Fortunes Are Won." The artwork showed two wolves mid-combat, surrounded by cheering crowds.
"How do you even know about this?" I asked.
Aldric's smile was grim. "I've been alive for two hundred years, child. You learn where all the dark corners are."
"And you think I'm ready for this?"
"I think you're as ready as you'll ever be without real combat experience." He met my eyes. "This isn't optional, Seraphina. You can't stay hidden in these woods forever. Eventually, you'll need to interact with the wolf world again. Better to start in a controlled environment where everyone is using false names and no one asks questions."
He was right. I hated it, but he was right.
"Fine," I said. "But I'm not going alone. You're coming with me."
"Wouldn't dream of leaving you unsupervised." Aldric's expression turned calculating. "We'll need to do something about your appearance, though. Your face isn't well-known outside Ashwood territory, but we can't risk someone recognizing you. And we'll need a good alias."
"What's wrong with Seraphina?"
"Everything. It's too distinctive, too memorable. You need something common. Something that won't stick in anyone's memory." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "How about... Luna?"
I nearly laughed. "Luna? Really? That's the most generic wolf name possible."
"Exactly. There are probably fifty Lunas in any given territory. No one will think twice about it." He pulled out a small wooden box from another drawer. "As for your appearance..."
The box contained hair dye, temporary cosmetics, and colored contact lenses the kind humans used for fashion.
"You've been planning this," I accused.
"I've been preparing for multiple scenarios," he corrected. "Now sit down and let me work. If we're doing this, we're doing it right."
---
Two hours later, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.
My auburn hair was now jet black, cut shorter and styled in a way that made my face look sharper, harder. Aldric had used the cosmetics to add subtle changes a slightly different eyebrow shape, contouring that altered my facial structure just enough to make me look like a stranger. The green contact lenses hid my distinctive eye color.
I looked older. Tougher. Like someone who belonged in an underground fighting ring.
"Perfect," Aldric said with satisfaction. "With your face partially covered during fights, even your own family wouldn't recognize you."
The mention of family sent a pang through my chest. A month ago, the thought of them not recognizing me would have hurt. Now, it felt like armor.
Let them not know me. Let them think Seraphina Ashwood had died in the Forbidden Woods. The girl they'd rejected was gone.
Luna was someone else entirely.
"We leave tomorrow night," Aldric said. "That gives you a day to practice your shift and work on suppressing your power signature. The last thing we need is for you to walk into that arena broadcasting ancient power like a beacon."
"How do I suppress it?"
"The same way you learned to extend your awareness just in reverse. Pull the power deep inside, wrap it in mental shields, make it invisible to outside senses." He demonstrated, and suddenly his presence usually so sharp and defined became muted, almost ordinary. "It's crucial you master this. One whiff of Moon Blessed or Night Cursed power, and the Purifiers will descend on that arena like wolves on wounded prey."
No pressure at all.
---
I spent the rest of that day and the following morning practicing. Shift to wolf, shift to human, suppress power, release it, extend awareness, retract it. Over and over until the movements became smoother, more natural.
By evening, I could shift forms in under a minute. Not the instant transformation Aldric had promised would come eventually, but fast enough to be useful.
The power suppression was harder. My first attempts were too extreme—I'd lock down the power so tight I couldn't access it at all. Other times, I'd leave gaps that let my presence bleed through. But gradually, I found the balance. A mental shield that contained my power without cutting me off from it entirely.
"Good enough," Aldric declared as the sun began to set. "You won't fool anyone who's really looking, but in a crowded arena full of amped-up wolves, you should blend in. Now get some rest. We have a long journey ahead."
But I didn't rest. I stood in the training clearing as moonlight painted silver patterns on the ground, thinking about what tomorrow would bring.
A month ago, I'd been Seraphina Ashwood the defective heir, the family embarrassment, the girl who couldn't even manage the most basic function of wolf kind.
Tomorrow, I'd step into an arena as Luna a mysterious fighter with power she couldn't fully explain and a past she couldn't share.
It should have terrified me.
Instead, I felt alive. Electric. Like I was finally becoming who I was always meant to be.
In the distance, a wolf howled. Just a normal wolf, but the sound resonated in my chest, calling to the beast I'd only just learned to unleash.
I closed my eyes and reached for the silver light. The transformation came easier this time, my body remembering the shape, the power, the rightness of my true form.
When I opened my eyes, I stood on four legs, my silver fur gleaming in the moonlight.
And for the first time since that horrible night of rejection, I felt complete.
---
Somewhere in the darkness beyond the clearing, red eyes watched and waited.
The shadow power pulsed once a heartbeat of hunger and anticipation.
Soon, it whispered in a voice only I could hear. Soon you'll need me. And when you do, little wolf, you'll understand what real power feels like.
I growled, pushing the voice away. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the shadow was right.
Eventually, the light wouldn't be enough.
Eventually, I'd need the darkness too.
---
The next evening, Aldric and I set out for Millbrook as the sun painted the sky in shades of orange and red. I'd packed light just a change of clothes and my mother's locket, which I tucked inside my shirt where no one would see it.
The journey took most of the night, even moving at enhanced speed through the forest. Aldric set a punishing pace, testing my stamina, ensuring I could maintain my power suppression even while physically exerted.
By the time we reached the outskirts of Millbrook, I was exhausted but exhilarated. The city lights blazed ahead of us, a human settlement large enough that wolves could move through it without attracting too much attention.
"The Howling Pit is in the warehouse district," Aldric said, pulling a worn jacket over his training clothes. "We'll enter separately you as a fighter looking for work, me as just another spectator. If anyone asks about your history, keep it vague. You're a drifter, pack-less, looking to make some money. Nothing more."
"And if I win?"
"When you win," he corrected with a slight smile, "you'll have made your first step into this new life. You'll have proven you can control your power in front of others. And you'll have earned enough money to start building your independence."
I adjusted my hood, ensuring my face was partially shadowed. My heart hammered with nervous energy.
This was it. The beginning of my return to the world.
Not as Seraphina Ashwood, the rejected daughter.
But as Luna, the Silver Ghost.
"Ready?" Aldric asked.
I thought about Marcus's cruel words. My family's silent rejection. The years of being treated like I was broken.
"More than ready," I said.
And together, we walked into the neon-lit darkness of Millbrook, toward the Howling Pit and whatever waited inside.
---
💜 Thank you for reading Chapter 6!
⭐ VOTE if you're HYPED to see Sera fight in the Underground Rings!
💬 COMMENT: Luna is born! What do you think will happen at the Howling Pit? And are you Team Moon Power or Team Shadow Power? (I'm lowkey fascinated by that shadow whispering to her... 👀) Drop your predictions below!
📚 ADD TO LIBRARY so you don't miss the action!
Next Chapter: "The Howling Pit" - Luna enters her first underground fight and discovers that controlling her power in front of a bloodthirsty crowd is harder than she imagined. Plus, an unexpected familiar face shows up at the arena... someone from her past who might recognize her despite the disguise.
---
End of Chapter 6