—- Chapter 1 Today was supposed to be my mating day. The day Cain Blackfang would mark me as his Luna, in front of the whole Ashveil Pack. We’d trained together since we were pups. Everyone said we were the perfect match. Future Alpha and Luna. Balanced. Predictable. Safe. I smoothed down the front of my cloak for the hundredth time and glanced toward the entrance again. Still no one. Not a single soul had shown up-not my parents, not my brother Dax, not even Cain.
Just me, standing alone in the silence. T pulled out my phone and checked for the fifth time. No new messages. My thumb hovered over Cain’s name before I called again. Tt rang twice, then went to voicemail. Istared at the screen, unsure whether to laugh or throw it —- against the stone wall. Then the pack announcement flashed across it: [WELCOME HOME ERIS DARKTHORNE] Avideo auto-played. There they were-my family. All of them.
Gathered at the arrival gates of the northern ridge, where the skycrafts landed. My father beamed, my mother teared up, and Dax had lifted Eris into a spinning hug. Even Cain was there, standing just behind her. Eris’s golden hair glinted under the lantern lights. Her arm curled tightly around Cain’s like she belonged there. She always did. My chest burned. Amoment later, my phone buzzed again. This time it was Cain.
“Stop being dramatic, Vera,” he said, his voice dry, like T’d called to complain about the weather. “We’ll do the ceremony later. Eris just got back from Alpha training at Wolfsbane Academy -” The line cut. —- I stared at the screen, my claws itching to come out. Around me, the ceremonial hall remained silent, filled only with the soft rustle of moonflower petals falling to the floor. I looked down at the cloak I’d spent hours sewing silver threads into.
It pooled around me now like shed fur, like something I didn’t deserve to wear. I slipped it off and left it there. The Stormveil Packbuzzed with noise when I returned. Someone had roasted meat on the back grill. Eris’s perfume floated through the halls-rose and sweetleaf, strong enough to push every other scent away. Laughter echoed from the main room. A celebration, loud and thoughtless. No one noticed when I slipped inside through the kitchen door.
Iwent straight to my room, sat on the edge of my bed, and stared at the list I’d written in my journal. A simple list. Every time I’d been forgotten. Overlooked. Passed over. I added another entry at the bottom:
