Aria’s POV

    s

    The hall was alive with the scent of anticipation, coppery from blood and the faint tang of wolf fur. Torches lined the wide marble floor, their mes dancing in reflection off polished obsidian pirs. Elder warriors, their faces etched with age and wisdom, sat in rigid silence, eyes sharp as hawks. Around them, the younger warriors shifted with barely concealed excitement, a low hum of growls and whispers threading through the room like a living

    current.

    I walked through it all, my hands held gently but firmly by the Omega attendants, each step weighted with the echoes of the past three years. My gown, woven of midnight–blue silk and embroidered with silver threads that shimmered like stars, brushed against the polished floor. My wolf, Sia, trembled beneath my skin, restless and coiled like a spring. I kept her caged, just barely, forcing my breath steady as the crowd’s gaze pressed down on me.

    At the center of the hall, the altar rose in solemn majesty. A circr stone tform, carved with the phases of the moon, caught the torchlight in a way that made it seem as if the moon itself had descended into the chamber. Moonstones embedded along its rim glowed faintly, pale and cold, yet alive. I could feel the weight of it–the history of every Luna who had stood there, every oath sworn in silver light.

    The elders watched me with quiet intensity, some nodding approvingly, others scrutinizing every movement. The warriors nking the aisle stiffened, their paws brushing against the hilts of their swords, the scent of their bloodlust mingling with reverence. I had been one of them for so long; I knew the eyes that admired, the eyes that feared. And tonight, all of that would converge onto me.

    Then Aedric stepped forward, tall,manding, a shadow of gold in the torchlight. His gaze locked onto mine, his aura radiating control, dominance, and an unspoken hunger that made Sia snarl in caution. He reached out, his hand warm, strong, brushing my wrist first, teasingly, drawing a spark from Sia and me both. My pulse leapt.

    “You are ready,” he said, his voice low,manding, and I could smell the predator beneath his Alpha control. He slid his hand over mine, but when I didn’t fully yield, he tightened his grip just enough to remind me I could not resistpletely.

    The Moon Ring hovered above the altar, a silver halo that would crown me, seal me as Luna, bind me to him. The attendants began their chant, low and resonant, in the ancient tongue of the Western Pack. Every word vibrated in my bones. Sia surged, coiling and pressing against my ribs as if she wanted ito /itear free. I swallowed, forcing myself to step closer to the altar, each motion measured, though Aedric’s hand now pressed against mine like an anchor and a chain.

    s

    Aedric leaned closer, murmuring, “Feel the power, Aria. Feel what it means to be mine.” His fingers brushed my knuckles, sending sparks up my arm, tugging not only at my body but at Sia, at something deep and primal inside me. He pulled me a half–step forward, then another, guiding me to the Moon Ring with a possessive insistence that made my wolf growl in frustrated caution.

    “Do not resist,” hemanded softly, and I could feel the weight of his scent, strong and intoxicating, pressing into me. I wanted to pull away, to run, to leap into the wild and leave the ceremony behind, but my purpose today kept me tethered. The wolf inside me coiled tighter, muscles tensing, ws scratching at the urge to erupt.

    He slid his hand up my arm, brushing the soft curve of my shoulder, a delicate yet undeniable im, and I froze. My breath caught. My instincts screamed, my heart thumped erratically, but I held steady. I could not yet give in–not here, not now. My wolf whined in protest.

    “Good,” he murmured, sensing my hesitation and tightening just slightly again, a predator testing the bounds of his prey. “You are mine, and tonight, the pack will see it.” His voice carried through the hall, a warning and a im, his dominance radiating outward, brushing the other wolves like a wave.

    I forced a deep breath, letting Sia settle just a fraction, and took the next step toward the altar. Aedric’s grip never loosened. His thumb brushed mine in a slow, deliberate caress, his scent wrapping around me like chains of fire. The crowd watched, some murmuring, some stiffening in anticipation, all aware of the tension coiling between us like a drawn bowstring.

    The Moon Ring glimmered above the altar, silver and cold, and I could feel the pull of destiny pressing on my shoulders. Aedric’s eyes never left mine, the unspokenmand clear: belong to me, now and forever. I nodded slightly, swallowing the tight knot in my throat, forcing Sia into silence, even as every instinct screamed that my freedom–and my truth–was elsewhere.

    I was poised ito /ispeak the oath but…

    “…Aria… you are mine!”

    The words tore through the hall like a de. My breath caught. Every wolf in the chamber froze mid–growl. My heart leapt violently, Sia screaming beneath my ribs, ws raking against my restraint. I spun around, almost stumbling on the polished marble, and there he was- Lucien. His golden eyes zed, an Alpha storm incarnate, and his scent crashed into me in wild, intoxicating waves. My wolf screamed recognition, pure, urgent, untamed.

    The elders stiffened immediately, their paws twitching toward weapons, eyes narrowing. The younger warriors growled low in warning, nostrils ring. And Aedric…

    His fangs glinted in the torchlight, and a low, guttural growl rolled from his chest. “Lucien! What… are you doing here?” His voice was sharp, brittle with anger, and his aura snapped

    9:09 Fri, Sep 12

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    outward like a whip, challenging Lucien with the full force of his Alpha dominance.

    s

    Lucien stepped forward, unfazed, chest rising and falling with controlled power. The scent of his wolf assaulted every sense, golden and sharp, unrestrained. My knees trembled, Sia writhing beneath my skin, desperate to leap, to im, to answer the pull that had haunted my blood for years.

    Before Aedric could roar again, a shimmer of shadow appeared near the entrance. Professor Maeryn stepped into the hall, her cloak whispering like silk in the torchlight. Her hands rose, weaving subtle magic, creating a protective ward around the altar. “I brought him,” she said, calm andmanding. “It was my doing, Aria. He is here because of me. And now… the five- year bond, the Alpha’s promise–it is time you know the truth.”

    b9:10 /bFri, bSep /b12