Chapter 3: Blood on the moon

The Moon Festival was supposed to be beautiful.

For days, the pack had prepared. The courtyards of Moonstone were decorated with silver lanterns and white banners, fluttering against the night breeze. Wolves whispered about the celebration as though it was sacred—an offering to the Moon Goddess, a promise of loyalty and strength.

For me, it was supposed to be a chance.

My first chance to show them I could be their Luna.

I stood before the long mirror in the chamber they had given me. It wasn’t really mine, Kael had never offered me his own rooms. This one was smaller, plainer, tucked away at the far end of the hall. Still, I tried to make it mine.

Tonight, I wore a dress of pale silver that shimmered when I moved. I had braided my hair myself, fingers fumbling as I tried to make it neat. My wolf stirred under my skin, nervous, restless.

“They’ll see,” I whispered to my reflection. “They’ll see I belong.”

When I walked out into the courtyard, heads turned. For once, I told myself it wasn’t out of scorn. For once, maybe, they would see more than weakness.

Kael was already there.

He stood at the center, tall and commanding, dressed in black with a silver clasp at his shoulder. The firelight gleamed against his sharp features, and the crowd seemed to bend around him, drawn to his presence.

When his eyes found mine, he didn’t smile. He didn’t soften. But he didn’t turn away either.

For some reason, that small mercy felt like hope.

The night began with music. Wolves played drums and flutes while others danced in the open square. Food lined the tables, roasted meat and spiced bread. Children ran past me, laughing, their parents pulling them close when they realized who I was.

I forced myself not to flinch.

Instead, I kept my head high, moving through the crowd as though I belonged there. Some wolves nodded stiffly, others whispered behind their hands.

I found myself standing near Kael.

He spoke with his beta, Ryn, about patrols, his voice low and sharp. When he noticed me, his gaze flickered, then he gestured toward the seat beside him.

It wasn’t warmth. It wasn’t affection. But it was acknowledgment.

And that, for me,it was enough.

The ceremony began when the moon reached its highest point.

A hush fell over the crowd as Kael’s parents, Alpha Roderic and Luna Selene, stepped forward. They were both proud, regal, the kind of leaders who carried dignity in their very stance.

They lit the great silver brazier in the center of the courtyard, the fire leaping high into the night. The pack howled as one, the sound shaking the air.

I felt it, deep in my chest. For the first time, I let my voice join theirs. My howl carried into the sky, raw and trembling, but real.

And for a moment, I believed.

I believed I could belong.

Then the scream came.

It cut through the music. Through the laughter. Through the fire.

A cry of terror from the far side of the courtyard.

Chaos followed. Wolves shouted, rushing toward the sound. The air filled with the scent of blood—thick, metallic, sharp enough to choke on.

My heart seized. I shoved through the crowd, skirts tangling around my legs, my wolf thrashing under my skin.

And then I saw.

Kael’s parents lay on the ground, their throats torn open, blood pooling around them.

The world tilted.

“No…” The word tore from me, broken. “No, no, no…”

Kael dropped to his knees beside them, his hands trembling as he touched their faces. His howl ripped through the night, a sound of pure grief and fury that froze me where I stood.

Wolves gathered, some wailing, others snarling.

Then someone shouted.

“There! Look!”

I turned—and froze.

A dagger lay on the ground near the bodies. Its handle smeared with blood. Its scent—my scent clung to the steel.

My breath caught. My head shook violently.

“No! That’s not mine! I didn’t…”

But the crowd had already turned.

Dozens of eyes blazed with suspicion. Wolves snarled, their hackles raised. I stepped back, heart pounding.

“Liar,” a voice hissed.

I turned and saw her.

Lyall.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, her dark eyes gleaming, her lips curved into a faint smile that no one else seemed to notice.

My stomach dropped.

Lyall… my friend. My only friend.

She met my gaze, lifted her chin, and said, “I saw her. I saw Fianna near them before the attack.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“No!” My voice cracked. “That’s not true! I wasn’t…”

But no one listened.

Because Kael was rising to his feet.

His face was twisted with grief, his eyes burning with rage.

He turned toward me.

The world seemed to fall silent.

“Kael…” My voice broke. “Please, I swear on the Goddess, I didn’t—”

He moved faster than I could breathe.

His growls sent cold shivers down my spine. I stare at the man before me, my long lashes battling across my vision.

He's staring at me, cold brown eyes sizing me up like I was a pig.

In a heartbeat, his hand was around my throat, lifting me off my feet. My back slammed against the wall, his grip crushing. His eyes were wild, his teeth bared.

“Take her to the dungeons,” he roared. “Now!”

The crowd surged forward. Hands grabbed my arms, dragging me away. My lungs burned, my throat raw, my heart shattering.

Anger. Hatred. Disgust.

These emotions swirled on Kael's face as he regarded me.

My fleeting gaz

e caught a smirk on Lyall’s face.

Calm. Cold. Smiling.

The realization of what was happening hit me hard and I felt my heart tremble