Alphated : The forgotten Luna

ALPHATED!

CHAPTER ONE

THE NAME ON THE SACRED REGISTER

The night Xander Sanguinara was born, the moon turned red.

Across the seven territories of the werewolf kingdom, wolves abandoned their hunts, guards deserted their posts, and ancient creatures that had slept beneath the mountains for centuries opened their eyes. Every wolf capable of shifting felt the strange force ripple through their blood, a power so old and terrifying that even the oldest Alphas dropped to their knees.

In the royal capital, the bells of the Blood Moon Palace rang thirteen times.

No one dared ask why.

They already knew what the thirteenth bell meant.

A royal heir had been born.

And the Mating Fate would soon reveal the name of the woman destined to stand beside him.

Inside the royal birthing chamber, Queen Seraphina Sanguinara lay against a mountain of silk pillows, her face pale with exhaustion. In her arms rested a baby boy with a shock of dark hair, tiny clenched fists, and golden eyes that had opened far too early.

King Lucien stood beside the bed, staring at his son with an expression no one had ever seen on his face before.

Fear.

The king had conquered rival packs, crushed rebellions, and forced powerful Alphas to bow before his throne. He had never feared an enemy.

Yet as he looked into his newborn son's eyes, he felt something ancient stir beneath his skin.

The Moon Goddess had marked the child.

And whatever she had planned for him would not be ordinary.

"He's beautiful," Seraphina whispered.

Lucien brushed a finger over the baby's cheek.

"He's a Sanguinara," he replied. "He will be more than beautiful. He will rule."

The queen smiled faintly. "And when the time comes, he will find his mate."

At those words, the room fell silent.

Behind the royal couple stood the High Priestess, an elderly woman dressed in silver robes. Her name was Elowen, and she had served the royal family for longer than anyone could remember.

She approached the bed carrying a black wooden box.

"Your Majesties," she said, bowing her head. "The Sacred Register is ready."

Lucien's expression hardened.

"Must it be done tonight?"

"The law of our ancestors is clear. Every royal heir must be entered into the register at birth. His destined mate must be recorded before the first sunrise."

"And if the register refuses to name one?"

Elowen's gaze lifted slowly.

"Then the kingdom will have a problem greater than any war."

The king looked down at his son.

For generations, the Sanguinara dynasty had ruled through the sacred bond between an Alpha and his fated mate. Their power was believed to be strongest when the Moon Goddess herself approved their union.

No royal heir had ever been permitted to reject the Mating Fate.

No royal heir had ever been recorded without a mate.

And no royal heir had ever been born beneath a moon that bled red.

"Proceed," Lucien commanded.

Elowen placed the wooden box on a small table and opened it.

Inside lay a thick, ancient book bound in black leather. Silver symbols covered its surface, glowing faintly as though moonlight had been trapped beneath the skin of the cover.

The moment the book was opened, every candle in the chamber went out.

Seraphina gasped.

The baby began to cry.

Then the Sacred Register opened its pages by itself.

One by one, silver letters appeared across the blank parchment. Names of ancient bloodlines shimmered before disappearing, replaced by symbols no living wolf had seen in centuries.

Elowen stumbled backward.

"No," she whispered.

Lucien immediately reached for his sword.

"What is it?"

The High Priestess did not answer. She stared at the page as though the dead had risen from their graves.

A name appeared.

ROSE LUNA.

The letters burned silver, then turned the color of fresh blood.

For one terrible moment, the entire palace shook.

Far beyond the kingdom's borders, a young woman screamed in her sleep.

And somewhere in a quiet village where wolves were believed to exist only in fairy tales, a baby girl opened her eyes beneath a window filled with moonlight.

Elowen dropped to her knees.

"Impossible."

The king seized her arm. "Explain yourself."

"That bloodline was erased."

"What bloodline?"

She looked up at him, terror making her voice tremble.

"The Lunar bloodline."

Lucien went still.

Every child in the kingdom knew the story of the Lunar bloodline. Centuries earlier, a family possessing power older than the royal dynasty had disappeared during a war that nearly destroyed the werewolf world. Their blood could command forces no ordinary wolf could control. Their descendants were said to possess the ability to awaken the oldest magic of the Moon Goddess.

The official history claimed the entire bloodline had been destroyed.

The unofficial history claimed the royal ancestors had made certain that no Lunar heir would ever rise again.

And now, the Sacred Register had chosen one.

For the king's son.

"Read it again," Lucien ordered.

Elowen shook her head. "The register does not make mistakes."

"Read it!"

She turned back to the page.

Beneath Rose Luna's name, another line appeared.

XANDER SANGUINARA.

A silver thread of light stretched between the two names, joining them in a circle that glowed brighter with every passing second.

The baby's crying stopped.

His golden eyes fixed on the register.

Then, for the first time in the history of the Blood Moon dynasty, the Sacred Register spoke.

"Two bloodlines. One bond. One crown. One betrayal."

The book slammed shut.

The candles reignited.

And the moon returned to its ordinary silver color.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Then King Lucien spoke.

"Who is Rose Luna?"

Elowen swallowed.

"I don't know, Your Majesty."

"Find her."

The command was quiet, but the guards standing outside the chamber heard it clearly enough to understand that their king had just declared a hunt.

"Find every child bearing that name. Search the seven territories. Search beyond our borders. I want to know where she was born, who her parents are, and whether she knows what she is."

"And if she does?" Elowen asked.

Lucien's gaze returned to his son.

"Then we must decide whether she will become the greatest blessing this kingdom has ever received..."

His jaw tightened.

"...or the reason it falls."

He turned toward the guards.

"One more thing. No one speaks of this night. The name in that register must never reach the ears of the royal council."

But the king had made one mistake.

He believed the secret belonged to him.

He did not know that, at that very moment, someone inside the palace had heard every word.

And that person was already preparing to make sure Rose Luna would never reach the throne.

---

Eighteen years later, Rose Luna had three problems.

The first was that she was late.

The second was that her mother had disappeared before breakfast, leaving behind a note that said she had gone to settle an urgent family matter.

The third was the ridiculous dream she had experienced the previous night.

In the dream, a boy stood beneath a red moon, dressed in black, with golden eyes that seemed to look straight through her. He had called her by name, even though she had never seen him before.

Then he had reached for her hand.

And a voice she could not identify had whispered, When the moon finds you, run.

Rose had woken up with her heart racing and a strange silver mark glowing faintly on her wrist.

By morning, the mark had vanished.

The dream, unfortunately, had refused to leave her mind.

"Rose! If you miss that bus, don't expect me to drive you to school!" her mother called from somewhere downstairs.

Rose rushed out of her room, clutching a piece of toast between her teeth while trying to shove her books into her bag.

"I'm coming!"

"You said that five minutes ago!"

"Then why are you still shouting?"

"Because you are still upstairs!"

Rose rolled her eyes, grabbed her phone, and ran down the staircase.

At eighteen, she had perfected the art of surviving on very little sleep, arguing with her mother over absolutely nothing, and pretending she had her life under control.

She was average in almost every way that mattered.

She had no royal blood, no secret fortune, no mysterious abilities, and certainly no interest in ancient legends.

She was simply Rose Luna, a girl who wanted to graduate, get into a good university, and convince her mother that moving every few years was not a normal way to live.

At least, that was what she believed.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked when she reached the kitchen and found the front door open.

Her mother stood outside beside a waiting car, speaking to a man Rose had never seen before.

The man wore a dark suit and stood so straight that he looked uncomfortable simply existing.

When he noticed Rose, his gaze dropped to her wrist.

For a brief moment, his expression changed.

It was small enough that Rose might have missed it if she had not been watching him.

Recognition.

Then fear.

The man immediately looked away.

"Who is that?" Rose asked.

"Someone helping me with an important matter," her mother replied.

"What important matter?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "You always say that right before something happens."

Her mother gave her a tired smile and walked over to straighten the collar of Rose's shirt.

"Listen to me carefully. Go straight to school today. Don't wander around after classes, and don't accept rides from strangers."

Rose stared at her.

"Mom, what is this? A kidnapping documentary?"

"I'm serious, Rose."

Something in her mother's voice made the joke die on her tongue.

Her mother rarely looked frightened. Even when they had been forced to leave their previous home with barely enough time to pack, she had kept smiling, promising that everything would be fine.

But now her fingers trembled as she touched Rose's cheek.

"Promise me."

Rose's stomach tightened.

"I promise."

Her mother pulled her into a hug that lasted a little too long.

Then she stepped back.

"Good girl. Now go, before you miss your bus."

Rose walked away reluctantly, turning once to look back.

Her mother was still standing beside the car.

And the strange man was watching Rose as though he had just seen a ghost.

---

Across the country, at the heart of the werewolf kingdom, Xander Sanguinara stood before a mirror while three servants argued over his clothes.

"The black suit, Your Highness," one insisted.

"The silver one," another countered. "The royal council expects you to look appropriately ceremonial."

"The royal council can marry the silver suit if they love it so much," Xander said.

The servants froze.

His personal guard, Marcus, turned away to hide a smile.

Xander adjusted the cuffs of his black shirt and reached for his watch.

At eighteen, he was already the most powerful young Alpha in the seven territories. His wolf had awakened earlier than expected, his strength exceeded that of wolves twice his age, and his temper had become the subject of countless whispered conversations among the royal staff.

He was handsome, wealthy, and heir to a throne that had been waiting for him since birth.

He was also completely uninterested in becoming the king everyone expected him to be.

Especially because of one irritating little detail.

He had no idea who his fated mate was.

For eighteen years, the royal family had kept the Sacred Register locked beneath the palace. Xander had been told that his mate's identity would be revealed at the proper time, but every attempt to obtain an answer had ended with his father ordering him to be patient.

Xander hated patience.

He hated secrets even more.

"Marcus," he said.

"Your Highness?"

"What happens if I refuse the Mating Fate?"

Marcus's smile disappeared.

"You're not serious."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"You look like a man who wants to start a war before breakfast."

"Then answer the question."

Marcus hesitated.

"According to the ancient laws, the royal heir cannot reject his destined mate without consequences."

"What consequences?"

"No one knows. It has never happened."

Xander laughed without humor.

"Convenient."

He turned away from the mirror, but before he could say anything else, a sharp pain struck his chest.

He grabbed the edge of the dressing table.

For one second, the room disappeared.

He saw a girl standing beneath a silver moon, her dark hair moving in a wind he could not feel. He could not see her face clearly, but something about her presence made his wolf stir violently inside him.

Then she lifted her wrist.

A silver mark glowed against her skin.

Xander's breath caught.

The vision vanished.

"Your Highness?" Marcus stepped forward. "Are you all right?"

Xander straightened slowly.

His heart was beating too fast.

"What day is it?"

"Your birthday, sir."

"And the council meeting?"

"In one hour."

Xander looked toward the tall windows.

Beyond them, the moon hung pale in the morning sky, though the sun had already begun to rise.

His wolf paced inside him, restless and alert.

For the first time in eighteen years, it spoke with a clarity that made every other thought disappear.

Mate.

Xander went completely still.

Then he smiled.

It was not a happy smile.

It was the kind of smile that appeared on a hunter's face when the prey he had been searching for finally left a trail.

"Marcus," he said, reaching for his jacket.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Find out why the Sacred Register has been sealed for eighteen years."

Marcus blinked. "But the king-"

"I don't care what my father said."

Xander headed for the door.

"And Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"If anyone tries to stop me, remind them that the next king of the Blood Moon dynasty does not ask permission to discover the truth about his own life."

He left the room before Marcus could respond.

Far away, Rose Luna was stepping onto a crowded school bus, completely unaware that a prince she had never met had just felt the first stirrings of their bond.

She did not know that an ancient book carried her name.

She did not know that powerful wolves had been searching for her since the night she was born.

And she certainly did not know that the boy from her dream was about to turn her ordinary life into a battle between destiny and the secrets her mother had spent eighteen years trying to protect.

Because the Sacred Register had made its choice.

And the heir of the Blood Moon was coming for his mate.