Iris POV
Celeste's wrist felt like a twig in my hand as I held her frozen in place. The letter opener clattered to the floor, and I could smell her fear mixed with something else. Something dark and magical that didn't belong to her.
"You're hurting me," Celeste whimpered, but I couldn't let go.
Power was flowing through my body like electricity. My vision had changed - I could see magical traces shining around Celeste's phone like purple smoke. The traces led straight to her window, out into the bush where danger was hiding.
"What did you tell him?" I asked, and my voice sounded strange. Stronger.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
But I could feel her lies like they were real things. Another new ability that scared me. Ever since the mate ceremony three days ago, my body had been changing in ways that made no sense.
I was stronger now. Fast enough to catch Celeste's blow before she could blink. And I could sense things - emotions, lies, and magical energy that normal wolves couldn't discover.
"You called Viktor Shadowmoon," I said, not asking anymore. "You told him about the ceremony."
Celeste's face went white. "How could you possibly know that?"
Because I could smell his magic on her phone. Because I could see the dark energy sticking to her like shadows. Because something inside me was waking up, and it knew things I'd never learned.
"Let me go," Celeste screamed, trying to pull away.
I released her wrist and stepped back, suddenly scared of my own power. What was happening to me? Three days ago, I couldn't have overcome a butterfly. Now I felt like I could lift a car.
"Celeste, you have to warn Alpha Damon," I said desperately. "If Viktor is coming during the ceremony—"
"I'm not warning anyone," Celeste growled, rubbing her wrist. "You want to know the truth? I hope Viktor takes you away. I hope he makes you disappear forever."
Her words hit me like a slap. I'd always known Celeste didn't like me, but this was pure hate.
"Why do you hate me so much?" I whispered. "I never did anything to hurt you."
"You existed!" Celeste screamed. "Your whole pathetic life has been a lie, and you don't even know it!"
"What do you mean?"
Celeste's smile was cruel and pleased. "You really don't know, do you? You have no idea who you really are."
Before I could ask what she meant, footsteps pounded down the hallway. Kieran burst through the door, his eyes wild with fear.
"Iris, thank the Moon Goddess," he gasped, pulling me into his arms. "I felt your fear through the bond. What happened?"
"She attacked me," Celeste lied instantly. "Look at my wrist! She grabbed me with supernatural strength!"
Kieran's eyes darkened as he studied Celeste's red marks. "Iris wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't what? Use dark magic?" Celeste laughed bitterly. "Ask her how she knew I'd been on the phone with someone. Ask her how she could smell magic on my phone."
Kieran looked at me with confusion and increasing worry. "Is that true?"
I nodded pathetically. "I don't understand it either. Ever since the ritual, I can sense things. Smell magic. Feel lies."
"That's impossible," Kieran said. "Omega wolves don't have enhanced abilities."
"Unless she's not really an omega," Celeste said proudly.
Before anyone could react, Asher and Zane appeared in the doorway. Their faces were grim, and I could feel stress radiating from all three brothers through our shared bonds.
"We need to talk," Asher said quickly. "All of us. Now."
"What's wrong?" I asked, but I already knew. The same sense that had helped me catch Celeste was now screaming that danger was coming.
"Border patrols found tracks," Zane said quietly. "A lot of them. Moving toward the pack house."
"Viktor?" Kieran asked.
"Has to be," Asher agreed. "They'll be here before midnight."
My stomach dropped. Midnight was when the official Luna ceremony was going to happen. The ceremony that would make me their legal mate and pack Luna.
"He's coming for me," I realized. "That's why Celeste called him."
All three brothers turned to look at Celeste, whose face had gone completely white.
"I didn't—" she started to lie, but Zane cut her off.
"I can read your guilt," he said coldly. "You betrayed your own pack."
"For what?" Asher asked. "What did he promise you?"
Celeste lifted her chin firmly. "A better life than watching some omega steal everything that should be mine!"
"Everything?" Kieran's voice was dangerously quiet. "You think being Luna is just about having a title?"
"It's about power," Celeste snapped. "It's about respect. It's about not being forgotten!"
I understood her feelings better than I wanted to. I'd spent eighteen years being unnoticeable, watching other people live the lives I dreamed about. But I'd never considered betraying harmless people to get what I wanted.
"Celeste, you have to help us," I begged. "Viktor isn't going to make you Luna. He's going to hurt everyone in this pack."
"I don't care," she said coldly. "As long as you don't get to be Luna either."
The brothers traded looks that made my skin crawl. They were planning something, and I could feel their determination through our ties.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"We're thinking we need to get you somewhere safe," Kieran said strongly. "If Viktor is coming for you specifically—"
"No," I interrupted. "I'm not hiding while the pack gets hurt because of me."
"Iris," Asher said softly, "you don't understand how dangerous this is."
"Then explain it to me!"
Zane stepped forward, his dark eyes serious. "Through the mate bond, I can sense your power growing. You're not just an omega, Iris. You're something much more important."
"What do you mean?"
Before anyone could answer, Elder Sage appears in the doorway. Her face was pale with concern.
"Iris, child, we need to get you to the sacred grove immediately," she said hurriedly.
"Why?" Kieran demanded.
"Because Viktor isn't just coming to take her," Sage said grimly. "He's coming to kill her during the blood moon ritual."
"What blood moon ritual?" I asked, confused.
Sage's next words made my blood freeze.
"The one that will use your death to open doorways between dimensions and release every supernatural monster that's ever been banished from our world."
The room went totally silent except for my racing heartbeat.
"But," Sage continued, her voice shaking, "there's something Viktor doesn't know. Something I've kept secret for eighteen years."
"What?" we all asked at the same time.
Sage looked directly at me with tears in her old eyes.
"You're not just part Silver Wolf, Iris. You're the last Pure Silver Wolf in existence. And tonight, under the blood moon, you have the power to either close those doorways forever... or accidentally tear them wide open."
I felt like I was falling even though I was standing still. " I don't understand."
"Your mother didn't die in childbirth," Sage whispered. "She was killed by Viktor's agents the night you were born. But before she died, she used the last of her magic to hide your true nature until your eighteenth birthday."
"Why?" I breathed.
"Because Viktor has been hunting Pure Silver Wolves for decades," Sage said. "Their blood can either save the world or destroy it, depending on how it's used."
The room started spinning. I reached out blindly and felt strong arms catch me - all three brothers moving to support me at once.
Through the pack bond, I could suddenly sense Alpha Damon's terror as he realized what was coming. I could feel Luna Elena's desperate prayers to the Moon Goddess. I could smell Viktor's dark magic getting closer by the minute.
But worst of all, I could feel something waking up inside me. Something old and powerful and completely beyond my control.
"Sage," I whispered as silver light began to glow from my skin, "what happens if I can't control whatever's inside me?"
The old woman's face sagged with grief.
"Then Viktor won't need to kill you to end the world," she said quietly. "Because you'll do it yourself."
And that's when the howls started outside.
Viktor had arrived early.
And I could feel my power starting to spiral totally out of control.