The Moon Chosen

Aria Moonstone stood at the edge of the clearing , her eyes gazing up at the full moon that bathed the world in silver light. It was a sight she had seen a thousand times, yet tonight it felt different. There was something heavy in the air, a tension that crawled under her skin, whispering that this night could be the one where everything changed.

Her celestial blue eyes, so bright they seemed to glow under the moonlight, had always marked her as special. Her father, Alpha Lucan Moonstone, had always called them a gift-a reminder that she was destined for something greater. But no matter how many times she stared at the moon, waiting for the surge of power her lineage promised, it never came.

"Aria," a voice called, breaking her from her thoughts. Elias, her older brother, emerged from the shadows, his broad shoulders tense as always, his eyes sharp with a protective gleam.

"Still brooding?" Elias's voice broke her thoughts. Elias, her older brother, emerged from the shadows, his broad shoulders tense as always, his eyes sharp with a protective glea, His easy smile softened the edges of her frustration.

"I'm not brooding," she replied, though her tone said otherwise. "I'm thinking."

"About how to summon your powers?" he asked, leaning beside her. His tone was teasing, but his dark eyes held a flicker of sympathy. "The moon hasn't given up on you yet, Aria. Neither should you."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Easy for you to say. You're the perfect heir. Everyone loves you."

Elias sighed, turning to face her fully. "You're not just my sister, Aria. You're a Moonstone. You'll find your strength when the time is right. "Father wants you to join him. The council is waiting."

Aria nodded, though a sense of unease settled in her chest. Her celestial blue eyes, which had always been hailed as a mark of her destiny, only mocked her now. The daughter of Alpha Lucan and Luna Celine-the last daughter of the Moonstone bloodline-and yet, she had no powers. Not even a flicker of the elemental gifts that ran in her family's veins.

Her older brother, Elias, commanded the earth itself, his strength unyielding as the mountain he was born to protect. The pack adored him for his ability to shield and lead. But Aria? She was little more than a symbol of unfulfilled potential. Elias was the heir to the Moonstone Pack, and despite her bloodline, it was he who carried the weight of their future. She had been told all her life that she would one day inherit the power of the Moonstone legacy, but that power remained locked within her, as elusive as the very moon she longed to control.

"I'll be there in a moment," Aria said, offering him a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I just... need a moment alone."

Elias frowned but didn't argue. He knew better than anyone how she struggled with her lack of powers. He had seen it in her every day, a silent sadness in the way she tried-and failed-to connect with her true strength.

As Elias disappeared into the forest, Aria turned her gaze back to the moon, trying to focus. She reached deep within herself, searching for that spark she had been told would one day ignite, the spark that would make her truly Alpha material. But no matter how hard she concentrated, nothing happened. No surge of energy. No connection to the moonlight.

Before she could retry again, the sharp, echoing howl of the pack's sentry shattered the quiet. It was a call for assembly.

Frustration clawed at her chest, but she quickly pushed it away. She couldn't afford to let her weakness show. Not now. Not with the council waiting. Her father, Alpha Lucan, was a proud man, and the last thing she wanted was for him to see her falter in front of the others. The Moonstone Pack needed a strong leader, and she had to be that leader, even if the moon hadn't chosen her yet.

Turning away from the moonlit clearing, Aria made her way toward the heart of the pack's territory. The full moon illuminated the path before her, casting long shadows across the forest floor. She could feel the weight of her father's expectations bearing down on her. He had always said she was destined for greatness, but lately, those words had felt like chains rather than encouragement.

As she neared the pack's central gathering area, she heard voices drifting through the trees, low and tense. The council meeting was already underway.

"Aria," Elias said again, this time with a note of urgency in his voice. He was standing just outside the meeting hall, his expression unreadable. "The Silverfang Pack is here."

The Silverfang Pack.

Aria's heart skipped a beat. The very name stirred something within her-a mixture of curiosity and unease. The Silverfangs were notorious for their strength and ruthlessness, led by the infamous Alpha Asher Silverfang. He was everything Aria had been told to avoid: distant, cruel, and driven by power. The mere thought of him left a bitter taste in her mouth, and yet... There was something about his reputation that piqued her interest.

Elias stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, his grip firm. "Aria, please. Don't do anything reckless."

"I'm not a child anymore, Elias," she replied, her voice sharper than she intended. "I'll be fine."

Her brother hesitated, clearly wanting to argue, but he simply nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to enter the meeting hall. As Aria walked in, she could feel the weight of the gaze of the council elders, their eyes scanning her with the usual mixture of curiosity and judgment. She was the only daughter of the Moonstone Alpha, but her lack of powers made her an anomaly. They had all hoped for something more, for the power that was supposed to be hers by birthright. But she had nothing to show for it.

At the head of the table stood her father, his expression stern as he spoke with the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack. Aria's eyes locked on him immediately, drawn to the figure of Asher Silverfang.

Asher was everything she had imagined: tall, commanding, with stormy gray eyes that seemed to hold the fury of the heavens themselves. His chiseled features were sharp, almost predatory, and his presence alone seemed to make the air in the room thicken. She had heard rumors about him-about his brutal leadership and his rejection of the mate bond-but nothing had prepared her for how intense he looked in person. His aura radiated power, and for a brief moment, Aria felt small in comparison.

Asher's eyes shifted toward her, and a flicker of recognition passed between them. Aria's heart skipped, a jolt of energy coursing through her body. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced-a strange pull, an undeniable force that seemed to call to her from deep within.

Their eyes locked, and time seemed to slow. A strange warmth spread through her chest, and for a moment, the noise of the hall faded into silence.

No... it can't be.

Aria's breath hitched as realization struck her. The bond. The undeniable pull. She had read about it, dreamed about it, but never truly understood what it would feel like. And now, standing before her, was her mate.

Asher's expression darkened, his jaw tightening as he looked away.

"Alpha Silverfang," Aria's father, Alpha Lucan, greeted him, extending a hand. "Welcome to our territory."

It was him.

The fated mate her parents had spoken of.

But the bond wasn't mutual. Asher's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible sneer. Aria felt a cold shiver run down her spine, and in that moment, she realized something that made her heart sink: