Luna's Point of view

I never liked crowds. I never liked ceremonies either.

The ceremonial grounds of Crescent Moon Pack buzzed with energy and polished formality, a stark contrast to the quiet of my small cottage near the forest. The ground was hard beneath my boots, the air thick with the scent of pine, bonfire smoke, and the underlying dominance of pack pheromones. My kind, Omegas, usually stood in the back, unseen and unheard, just how the hierarchy liked it. We were tolerated, not respected.

Yet tonight, I was summoned.

“Are you sure I should be here?” I murmured to Raven, standing stiffly beside me. She wore a frayed cloak like mine, but she had a better way of shrinking into the background. I envied that.

Raven rolled her eyes and elbowed me gently. “You’re part of the pack. You show up, keep your head down, and try not to glare at everyone. Easy.”

“I’m not glaring.”

“You always look like you’re glaring.”

I snorted quietly, but my gaze drifted toward the front of the clearing. The elders stood in a semicircle, dressed in long robes that shimmered under the moonlight. Behind them, a raised platform with an obsidian stone altar sat like a throne. And then he stepped onto it.

Alpha Kaiden.

His presence was a physical force. Broad-shouldered, tall, every step he took exuded command. His golden eyes scanned the crowd with practiced disinterest until....

He looked at me.

I stiffened, my breath caught in my throat.

Our eyes locked. A shiver crawled up my spine, and I couldn’t look away. His gaze didn’t waver. It burned, assessing me like I was something unexpected and unwelcome.

And then it was gone. He turned away.

I inhaled sharply. “What the hell was that?”

Raven leaned closer. “Did he just stare at you?”

I nodded, heart still pounding. “I don’t know why.”

The ceremony began. Elder Grey’s voice boomed as he called for silence, speaking of strength, loyalty, and legacy. I barely heard him. My ears rang. My pulse thundered. Something felt wrong.

“And now,” Elder Grey continued, “Alpha Kaiden has words for his pack.”

Kaiden stepped forward again. The clearing fell into complete stillness. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath.

“There’s been unrest,” Kaiden said, voice low but firm. “There are whispers of betrayal. War. Darkness spreading beyond our borders.” He paused, golden eyes gleaming. “A prophecy long kept secret must now be revealed.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Kaiden’s jaw clenched. “The Moon Priestess once spoke of a girl, an heir to forbidden power. Magic blood. Witch blood. This girl would be the mate of an Alpha. Her power could save us… or destroy everything.”

My stomach dropped.

No. No, no, no.

“I always thought the prophecy was a myth,” Raven whispered, tense beside me.

I couldn't speak. My fingers had gone numb.

Kaiden’s voice dropped lower. “That girl… is among us.”

He turned to face the crowd, scanning again.

And then he pointed.

At me.

Gasps echoed. Whispers exploded like wildfire.

I froze, paralyzed, unable to breathe as every face turned toward me.

“No,” I whispered.

Elder Grey stepped forward, gesturing for silence. “Her name is Luna. Born of witch descent. Daughter of Serena Elwyn. She has hidden in plain sight, her power dormant… until now.”

Kaiden’s gaze seared into mine again. There was no warmth in his eyes. Only contempt.

“Approach the altar,” he commanded.

I couldn’t move. My legs were lead.

Raven gave my hand a squeeze. “Go. I’m right here.”

I took one step. Then another. The crowd parted slowly, like I were something dangerous. Untouchable. I reached the altar and stood before Kaiden, heart hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it.

He leaned down, his voice barely audible to anyone else. “You’re her. The Omega freak. Fate must be mocking me.”

“Fate didn’t ask me either,” I snapped, before I could stop myself.

Something flickered in his eyes. Surprise… and fury.

“You’ll meet me after the ceremony,” he growled.

“What for?”

“To sign the contract.”

I stared. “What contract?”

Kaiden turned back to the crowd without answering. “The prophecy has been revealed. The girl has been found. We proceed as the Moon Goddess commands.”

The rest of the ceremony blurred. I couldn’t remember what Elder Grey said, nor the chants that followed. I only felt heat in my veins. Eyes on my back. Judgment everywhere.

Later that night, I stood in the Alpha’s private chamber, with marble floors, velvet drapes, and weapons on the walls. Kaiden paced like a caged beast, fury radiating off him.

“You’ve known about your bloodline all this time?”

“No.” I crossed my arms. “I didn’t even know my mother was a witch. She died when I was three.”

Kaiden narrowed his eyes. “That blood makes you a threat.”

“That blood saved me. It kept me alive when your precious pack left me to rot.”

His jaw twitched.

I stepped closer, matching his glare. “Why me? Why now? What do you want from me?”

He walked to a desk, snatched a parchment scroll, and slammed it down in front of me. “This. A mating contract. You sign it, you’re bound to me. Not by love, but by duty.”

My chest tightened. “You think I’ll just agree to that?”

“You will. Because if you don’t, the elders will force the bond. And if you run, the pack will see it as betrayal.”

I stared at the parchment. The golden ink shimmered like blood under candlelight. My name was already written. Luna Elwyn.

“You hate me,” I whispered.

His face darkened. “I hate what you are. But I need what’s inside you.”

My hands trembled. Every instinct screamed at me to run. But I couldn’t. Not now.

I picked up the quill. “If I do this, I’m not your possession.”

Kaiden’s eyes flared. “Don’t test me, witch.”

“I’m not your witch,” I hissed and signed.

The second the ink sealed, the contract flared with light and vanished.

Bound.

I felt it. A pull in my chest. A tether, invisible but heavy.

Kaiden turned away without a word.

Then a knock, frantic, sharp.

A warrior burst into the room. “Alpha! There’s an attack on the southern border. Rogues, two dozen, maybe more.”

Kaiden’s eyes blazed. “Sound the alarm. Prepare the warriors.”

The warrior fled.

Kaiden glanced at me, then paused.

“Stay here. Don’t move until I return.”

He was gone in a blur of movement.

Alone in the massive room, I stood by the flickering fire, hand still tingling from the contract.

I was his. But not loved. Not wanted. Just needed.

Outside, the war drums began to sound.

I turned to the window and saw the glow of fire far off in the woods.

And I felt it, deep in my bones.

Something dark had arrived.

And this was only the beginning.