Moonbane was… different.

They all stared fascinated, not with disdain and disgust like my pack members. Even though I knew it was because they saw Valeria and not Viara the witch.

Emeric let me down, and I brushed off my dress. “I’m afraid I can't go any further, this ceremony is she-wolves only.”

Goosebumps rose on my skin. I was more frightened by the female population than the male population. The males in my pack couldn’t be bothered, but the females made it their core duty that I was a reject.

The great hall was alive with quiet chatter as the pack gathered to honor tradition. Despite the absence of the Alpha, the female elders insisted that the baptism and crowning must proceed. This was the ritual that would bind me, or rather, bind Valeria, to the Moonbane Pack.

In the center was a wide bath filled with rose petals and a milk-like substance. A sudden pain bloomed in my chest as I began to have flashes of my sister.

‘It’s okay, Viara, it’s for the better of our pack.’

They all wore blindfolds around their eyes, giving me a sense of privacy. I sighed, shrugging my dress off and stepping into the bath. The she-wolves came close and began to mutter incantations as their hands skimmed the surface of the water.

Pain erupted. My body arched.

“AAAH!” I screamed, whimpering as they held me down. I could feel bonds and ties unraveling and new ones forming. Sealing me to the Moonbane Pack.

Tears dripped from my eyes as I groaned in pain. Each wash, each whispered prayer felt like I was shedding Viara, becoming Valeria piece by piece.

If this was how they initiated new wolves, I couldn’t begin to imagine what they did to traitors. They must never find out they’ve been cheated.

When they finished, they wrapped me in fine linens, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The golden waves framed my face perfectly, a perfect mask.

“May the moon goddess bless you, Luna, and keep your bond with the Alpha strong.”

I shivered.

The Cursed Blind Alpha.

I was his bride.

As I stepped out of the ritual chamber and into the open, the pack members looked at me with warm smiles and kind eyes.

“You look so beautiful, the moon goddess has blessed us,” a young she-wolf said softly, her voice full of admiration.

Another male nodded. “Her golden hair makes her look like a deity.”

“Maybe she will save us all,” someone else whispered.

Their words stung, not because they doubted me, but because they belonged to Valeria.

My sister. My lost twin.

I forced a smile and nodded, swallowing the ache that settled deep in my chest.

The baptism and branding ceremony continued. I knelt as water was poured over my hands and forehead. The elders chanted blessings of protection and strength, blessings meant for Valeria.

Most of them looked at me with eyes full of pity.

“She looks like a doe,” one whispered. “Such a pity.”

I didn’t bother reading too much into it.

Emeric stood nearby, his eyes sharp and watchful. He kept glancing around nervously, as if expecting someone.

But no one came.

No one except the whispers.

To them, I was Valeria.

No one outside our pack even knew the Alpha had twins. I was never allowed to greet guests. I looked hideous, they said. A bringer of bad luck.

Emeric extended his arm. “I will escort you to the bridal chambers now, Luna Valeria.”

I hesitated. But then I could almost hear my father’s voice hissing down my ear:

“One wrong move and we are all dead.”

The bridal chamber was softly lit by dozens of flickering candles. Heavy velvet curtains hung over tall windows, and the air smelled faintly of pine and smoke. A roaring hearth cast dancing shadows on the walls.

I paced quietly, hands trembling as the weight of the night settled on me.

A sudden knock broke the silence.

Oh moon goddess.

This was actually happening.

What would he be like? I heard he carried a walking stick… What if he smacked me with it?

The door creaked open.

He stepped in.

The Cursed Blind Alpha.

The candles flickered violently, and all but one went out.

Only a single light remained, flickering near where I stood.

I heard his footsteps, steady and slow, drawing closer.

My heart throbbed in my chest.

He came into view, tall, cloaked in shadows and black. A half-mask covered the left side of his face.

But the moment his gaze caught mine, I froze.

His eyes.

One was molten gold, burning with silent fury.

The other, obsidian black.

“You’re shaking like a leaf,” he said, voice low, deep, and strangely teasing.

My breath caught.

And then my eyes dropped.

There was no walking stick.

Oh moon goddess.

The Alpha wasn’t blind.

And in that moment, everything I thought I knew shattered.