If the Moon Goddess had a sense of humor, it was a cruel one.
I knew this because while everyone else saw the moon as a blessing, it had spent most of my life proving otherwise. It watched silently as omegas were overlooked, dismissed, and paired off like afterthoughts. It never intervened. Never corrected mistakes.
And tonight?
Tonight, it decided to be creative.
The moon hung low and bright above the Nightfang pack grounds, glowing like it had something to prove. Silver light spilled across the clearing, illuminating hundreds of wolves gathered in neat, nervous clusters. Drums echoed through the forest—slow, rhythmic, ancient—each beat vibrating straight into my bones.
The Moon Bonding Ceremony.
The one night fate stopped pretending we had choices.
I stood at the very back of the clearing, exactly where an omega was expected to stand. Not hidden enough to be forgotten, but far enough that no one mistook me for someone important. My hands were clenched tightly in the fabric of my plain gray dress, already wrinkled from stress alone.
If anxiety burned calories, I'd be unstoppable.
"Relax," Lysa whispered beside me. "You look like you're attending your own funeral."
I snorted under my breath. "I might be."
She shot me a warning look. "Don't joke about that."
"I'm not joking," I muttered. "I'm preparing."
Lysa was my best friend and a beta—strong, respected, and absolutely not doomed tonight. Wolves like her had options. Wolves like me had expectations, and none of them were good.
Around us, unmated wolves whispered excitedly.
"I can feel something already." "My wolf is restless." "I heard the Moon Goddess favors courage."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
The Moon Goddess favored strong bloodlines, political convenience, and whatever caused the most chaos. Courage was optional.
The elders stepped forward, staffs raised, their faces grave like they were about to announce a war instead of a bonding ceremony. The chanting began—ancient words in a language older than the pack itself. The sound crawled under my skin, heavy and uncomfortable.
I lowered my head, murmuring a quiet, desperate plea.
Please don't notice me.
That was when everything went wrong.
The air shifted suddenly, thick and oppressive, like the forest itself had sucked in a breath. The chanting faltered. The drums slowed… then stopped.
Every wolf straightened.
Power swept across the clearing, undeniable and overwhelming.
I didn't need to turn around.
Only one wolf made the air feel like that.
Alpha Kael Nightfang had arrived.
A ripple of submission passed through the pack as wolves bowed their heads instinctively. Even I felt it—the Alpha pull, demanding respect whether I wanted to give it or not.
I hesitated.
Then, against every instinct screaming at me not to, I looked up.
He stepped into the moonlight like it had been waiting just for him. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His dark hair caught the silver glow, sharp features set in an expression carved from control and indifference.
The strongest Alpha in the northern territories.
Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable.
My stomach sank.
Of all the wolves in all the packs in all the territories, the moon really enjoyed bad timing.
I told myself to look away.
I didn't.
The moment my gaze met his, the world snapped.
Pain detonated in my chest, so sudden and violent that I couldn't even scream at first. My breath left me in a harsh gasp as fire tore through my shoulder, burning so hot it felt like my skin was splitting open.
"Oh—no," I choked.
My legs gave out, and I hit the ground hard, the pain spreading in waves that stole my senses. The world blurred. Sounds faded. All I could feel was the heat—alive, pulsing, deliberate.
Like the moon was laughing.
I clawed at my dress, fingers shaking as I pulled the fabric aside.
There it was.
Dark, unmistakable, glowing faintly beneath my skin.
A bond mark.
A mate bond.
I stared at it in horror. "You've got to be kidding me."
A stunned silence swept through the clearing.
Then chaos.
Gasps. Shouts. Disbelief.
"The Alpha?!" "With an omega?" "That has to be wrong!"
My vision swam as I lifted my head.
Kael stood frozen where he was, staring at me like I'd personally insulted the universe. His face had gone pale, jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might crack.
Shock flickered in his eyes.
Then anger.
Not at me.
At the moon.
For one brief, horrifying moment, I felt the bond respond—tightening painfully in my chest, as if recognizing him, reaching for him.
I hated it.
I hated that my soul recognized someone who looked at me like a mistake.
Elders rushed forward, voices raised, trying to restore order. Wolves whispered openly now, judgment sharp and unrestrained.
I stayed on my knees, heart pounding, shoulder still burning.
This wasn't a dream.
This wasn't a blessing.
This was a disaster written in silver light.
The Moon Goddess had chosen.
And apparently, she thought it was funny.