MIA'S POV

Every wolf smells blood, fear and lies.

Today smells like all three.

I’m standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, and I can’t stop smiling. The dress fits perfectly. An off-shoulder ivory silk that Maya spent three months hand-embroidering just for me. The pattern lines are beautifully lined, just as she promised.

My wolf stirs beneath my skin. Restless. But I smile anyway.

“You’re going to be the most beautiful Luna this pack has ever seen,” Maya whispers, adjusting my veil. Her eyes are wet.

Mine too.

“Stop, you’ll make me cry before the ceremony.”

She laughs, dabbing at her face. “Too late.”

The mate bond hums between Damien and me - even though he’s in the Alpha’s quarters getting ready - I can feel him, all excited, proud, and nervous. It’s been like this since my eighteenth birthday two years ago, when our bond snapped into place. The kind of bond you look once and nod - right. That’s the Goddess’s choice.

We have forever now.

A knock. And Amara enters. The air shifts slightly. Her scent is sweeter than usual. Almost cloying.

My wolf stirs, uneasy.

“Mia,” Amara breathes, pressing her hand to her chest. She’s wearing a pale pink dress, making her look ethereal. Angelic. “You look like a dream.”

“Thank you for being here.” I mean it. She’s been my friend since we were children. The gentle one. Always so soft.

“I brought you tea,” she says, holding out a delicate cup. Mother’s cup. The one with tiny blue flowers. “Your mother’s blend. For good luck.”

Emotions swirl within me. Mom died three years ago during a rogue attack. This blend was hers. Chamomile and honey with something I never quite figured out.

“Awwn…Amara…” I can barely speak.

“She’d want you to have something of hers today.” Her voice is soft. Kind. “Drink it. For her.”

The tea smells right. Chamomile and honey.

But beneath it - something faint.

My wolf stirs. Alert now.

I look at Amara. Her smile is gentle and genuine.

I’m being paranoid. Probably nerves of the ceremony.

Maya is fastening my bracelet. Someone is asking about flowers. Normal ceremonial chaos.

I drink it.

The tea is warm. Sweet. And perfect.

My wolf finally settles.

See? Nothing.

“Better?” Amara asks.

“So much better.” I smile. “Thank you.”

She squeezes my hand in acknowledgment.

Thirty minutes later, I’m walking down the aisle of the sacred grove.

Three hundred wolves sit in organized rows, every rank accounted for. Warriors far back. Elders at the front. Children scattered around their parents, barely containing their excitement. The entire Silver Eclipse pack is gathered to witness this.

Damien stands at the altar in traditional black. Alpha heir ceremonial dress that’s been passed down many generations. His eyes lock onto mine and the mate bond flares instantly - hot and bright.

My Alpha. My mate. My forever.

Adrian stands beside him as Best Beta. War scarred. He came back differently two years ago. Harder. But today, he’s smiling. That’s rare for him.

I reach for Damien. He takes my hand in his, and I feel his wolf brush against mine protectively.

“You’re shaking,” he murmurs.

“Happy shaking,” I whisper back.

The Elder begins with ancient words in old tongue. Talks about our bond and the Moon Goddess’s blessing, about Luna and Alpha becoming one and the duty of leadership.

I’m drowning in Damien’s eyes. Cute, beautiful eyes. The future I see there.

Pups, pack runs, growing old together…

“Do you, Mia Ashwood, accept this bond before the Goddess and pack?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Alpha Damien Cross, accept this bond before the Moon Goddess and this pack?”

“I do.”

"Then by the power of the -"

My stomach snaps.

Sharp. Wrong.

The world tilts sideways.

My wolf lunges to the surface. Something’s wrong.

“Mia?” Damien’s voice sounds distant.

The bond flares with alarm. I feel him trying to reach me, asking what’s wrong.

My hands are tingling. Going numb.

This isn’t nerves.

Damien catches me as my knees give out. Gasps ripple across the crowd. His hands are on my face, my shoulders, keeping me upright.

“Get the healer!” he commands with Alpha authority. “NOW!”

But whatever this is, it’s spreading. Up my arms. Into my chest. My heart shatters. Too slow. Too fast. I can’t tell which.

What’s happening to me?

“Damien.” I grab his shirt. Desperate. Terrified.

His face is above mine. Devastated. The bond is screaming between us. He’s trying to pull my pain into himself through the bond, but he can’t.

Around us, wolves have gathered, shouting, panicking. Maya’s scent spikes with serious fear.

Adrian is barking orders around with his soldier instincts. Everybody is doing something.

“Stay with me,” Damien begs. “Mia, stay with me. We have forever, remember?”

I want to tell him that I’m trying. I’m fighting. Really.

But my lips won’t move.

The bond is fraying. I can feel it unraveling. Strand by strand.

No.

Please no.

Not the bond please.

My wolf howls inside. Desperate. Dying.

The world is fading around me. Damien’s voice is breaking. The pack’s fear of loosing their Luna is thick in the air.

The sound Damien makes isn't human. Nor wolf’s.

It's something worse.