"Aria," he said softly. "Today is your birthday."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded nevertheless.
"The moon is full tonight," he added, his voice quiet. "You will attend the ceremony."
"Of course, Elder," I replied, puzzled. All eighteen-year-olds attended the ceremony. It was essential.
He leaned in, smelling gently. "You already feel it, don't you? "The change."
My heartbeat skipped. "What change?"
Elder Malin's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. "Very interesting." He reached inside his pocket and retrieved a little pouch. "Wear this tonight."
I accepted it hesitantly. Inside was a simple moonstone pendant with a leather cord.
"But this is for—"
"Wear it," he interjected. "Hide it under your clothes if you must, but wear it."
Moonstones were precious. They aided our connection to the Moon Goddess during ceremonies. However, they were only given to wolves from influential families (Alphas and Betas). Not Omegas like me.
"Why?" I questioned.
Elder Malin glanced at Mira before returning his attention to me. "Because someone is harboring secrets about you, child. And tonight, those secrets may be revealed."

~

I never mattered in our pack. Omegas like me serve, submit, and survive. We don't dream of love. We don't dream of power.

She was the future Luna. I was just the girl who watched from the shadows.

But everything changed on my 18th birthday.

I felt the bond. I met my mate.

One of the Alpha's sons.

But the Alpha has triplets, and I felt the mate bond with all three and it seems the three of them felt it too — three perfect warriors, three powerful Alphas, three secrets buried beneath the surface.

One of them is my destiny.

One of them is lying.

And one of them might be the death of me.

The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes... but this time, I think she might've given me too much to handle.

The shadow beast's claws missed my head by inches.


"Storm, dive left!" I shouted to my dragon partner as another thing swooped down from above us.


Storm twisted through the air like a bolt of lightning, his silver scales sparkling even in the dark sky. We'd been fighting these shadow monsters for what felt like hours, and I was starting to get tired.


"There are too many of them!" I yelled over the sound of wind and roaring critters.


The Shadow Lord's flying beasts looked like giant bats, but with teeth like sharks and eyes that glowed red in the darkness. They kept coming at us from all directions, and every time we knocked one down, two more took its place.


"Jax, behind you!" Storm called out in my mind. That's how dragons and their riders talked to each other - without words.


I spun around just in time to see a huge shadow creature diving straight at us. Its mouth was open wide, showing rows of sharp teeth that could bite a person in half.


Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: The Dragon's Fury