Adriel's POV
The night the Moon Goddess chose my mate, the air tasted like silver and fear.
Torches formed a ring around the ceremonial clearing, their flames flickering and swaying, as if the very fire itself acknowledged the force building overhead. Wolves filled the space—Alphas in dark cloaks, Betas standing tall at their sides, Omegas as I pressed toward the edges.
Beneath my bare feet, the ancient stones were chill and carved with symbols that were more ancient than I could recall. Every breath I took felt borrowed.
Tonight was the Mating Ceremony.
Tonight, destiny would speak.
I kept my head lowered, as Omegas were taught to do, but my heart would not be quiet. It hammered against my ribs, hopeful and terrified all at once. I had dreamed of this night since I was a child—of the Moon Goddess's light, of the bond igniting, of finally belonging to someone who would see me and choose me.
I told myself not to hope too much.
Hope was dangerous for wolves like me.
"Stand ready," Elder Kael called, his voice carrying across the clearing. "The Moon Goddess descends."
A hush fell so complete I could hear my own blood rushing.
The moon above us swelled, growing impossibly bright, flooding the clearing with white fire. Wind tore through the trees. The torches flared blue. And then—she came.
Light poured down like a living thing, shaping itself into a woman formed of moonfire and stars. Her eyes were endless. Her presence pressed against my soul, gentle and crushing all at once.
I dropped to my knees with the rest of the pack.
Moon Mother, I prayed silently. Please… be kind.
"The time has come," the Moon Goddess said, her voice echoing inside my bones. "Fate will be revealed. Bonds will awaken. Hearts will be tested."
One by one, wolves were called forward. Names echoed. Light flared. Gasps and murmurs followed as bonds ignited—some joyful, some shocked, some quietly resigned. I watched mates find each other, watched hands clasp, watched futures take shape.
Each time, my chest tightened.
Not yet, I told myself. Be patient.
Then the clearing went still again.
"Alexander Nightshade," the Moon Goddess called.
The name rippled through the pack like thunder.
Alex stepped forward.
Alpha of the Nightshade Pack. Heir to one of the oldest bloodlines. Strong, commanding, untouchable. Even the moonlight seemed to cling to him differently, carving sharp lines across his face, catching in his dark hair and steel-gray eyes.
I had known him most of my life.
He had trained me once. Corrected my stance. Taught me control when my wolf surged too hard. He had been distant, disciplined—never cruel, never kind. Just… above me.
He did not look at me now.
"The mate chosen for you," the Moon Goddess said, her gaze sweeping the crowd, "will test your pride, your strength, and your heart."
A strange unease settled over me.
My skin prickled.
"Adriel."
For a heartbeat, I thought I'd imagined it.
Then every eye turned toward me.
The world tilted.
Me?
A low murmur spread through the pack—confused, disbelieving, sharp with judgment. My legs trembled as I stood. I felt suddenly exposed, painfully small in my simple ceremonial dress, my bare feet rooted to the stones.
I took one step forward.
Then another.
With each step, something inside me stirred—warmth blooming in my chest, pulling me toward Alex like gravity. My wolf surged, recognizing him instantly, joy and awe crashing through me so hard it stole my breath.
Mate.
The word echoed in my soul.
Alex finally looked at me.
For one terrible moment, something flickered in his eyes like surprise, maybe even recognition. The bond flared between us, invisible but undeniable, tightening around my heart like a promise.
Relief flooded me.
He feels it too.
I stopped a few feet away from him, hands clenched at my sides. I wanted to smile. Wanted to cry. Wanted to believe that the Moon Goddess hadn't made a mistake.
"The bond has been revealed," the Moon Goddess said. "Will you accept..."
"I reject her."
The words hit like a blade.
Gasps erupted around us.
I stared at Alex, certain I'd misheard. My ears rang. The bond inside me screamed, recoiling in pain.
"You cannot," Elder Kael said sharply. "The bond..."
"I reject her," Alex repeated, his voice cold and clear. "Before the pack. Before the Moon, I can't be bound with a weak omega."
Silence crashed down, heavier than before.
My knees nearly buckled.
Alex took a step back from me, his expression hardening into something I didn't recognize. Disgust? Anger? Shame?
"She is weak," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "An omega. An anomaly. She does not belong at my side."
Each word landed with cruel precision.
"I will never accept a mate like her."
The bond shattered.
Pain ripped through me, raw and searing, like something vital had been torn out of my chest. I gasped, clutching at my heart as whispers exploded around us.
"Mistake"
"Impossible"
"An omega"
I looked at Alex, searching for anything—regret, doubt, mercy.
There was nothing.
"You're nothing but a mistake," he said, his voice edged with hate. "And I refuse to be bound to you." Never.
The Moon Goddess did not speak.
Her silence was worse than condemnation.
I couldn't breathe.
I turned away before anyone could see me break.
I ran.
I ran through the clearing, through the trees, through the sound of my own heart shattering. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. The pack watched me go—some with pity, some with satisfaction, none with kindness.
Behind me, the bond burned and bled.
Ahead of me, only darkness waited.
I didn't know where I was going.
Only that I could never stay.
And as the moon watched from above—silent, merciless—I didn't see Alex take a single step after me. Not then. Not yet.
As I crossed the boundary of pack land, something ancient stirred deep inside me—answering the broken bond with a power that pulsed, awakened, and hungry.
And somewhere behind me, Alex Nightshade finally felt it too.