Moonlight slipped through the cracks in the ceiling, falling across Nyx's sleeping face like silver threads.
The chill of the night seeped through her thin blanket, but she didn't move. She'd learned long ago that warmth was a luxury reserved for others, not for her.
The Alpha's daughter, living in the servants' quarters.
The irony was almost cruel.
The sharp clang of a bucket snapped her awake.
"Up!" barked one of the maids, tossing a dirty rag toward her. "Lady Morgana wants the floors clean before sunrise. And don't let Lady Cassandra see you, she's in a mood again."
Nyx sat up, pushing her dark hair from her face. Her wrists ached from yesterday's chores, her palms rough from scrubbing the same stones she used to run across as a child. Once, this pack house had been her home, now it was her cage.
But lately, the dreams had been different.
Her mother's face, soft eyes, a whisper of moonlight, and a voice that said her name like it was a spell:
"Nyx… the time is coming."
She'd wake each time trembling, her heart beating like something wild lived inside her. Maybe it did.
As she carried water to the hall, she paused near the grand staircase. The pack's crest hung above it, a silver wolf howling at a crown of flames. Her father had once told her it meant strength and unity. Now he barely looked at her.
From above came laughter, Cassandra's, light and cruel.
Nyx looked up just as her step-sister descended, wrapped in a crimson gown that shimmered with pride.
"Oh," Cassandra said sweetly, feigning surprise. "Didn't see you there, sister. Careful not to dirty the floor before the guests arrive. You do remember it's my birthday, don't you?"
Nyx lowered her gaze. "Yes, my lady."
The words tasted bitter.
Cassandra leaned closer, her perfume sharp as roses and poison.
"You should thank me, really. Mother wanted Father to send you away after that… little incident last night."
Nyx stiffened. "I didn't break the vase.."
"Of course you didn't," Cassandra cooed, brushing a strand of hair from Nyx's face. "But who will believe the servant girl?"
She turned and sauntered off, laughter echoing down the hall.
Nyx stood frozen. Then, something deep within her, a pulse, faint but fierce, stirred in her chest. The same warmth from her dreams flickered to life, glowing beneath her skin.
The bucket trembled in her grip, and the water rippled like it sensed her anger.
"Calm down," she whispered to herself, setting it down quickly.
The last thing she needed was another punishment.
But as she glanced out the window, her breath caught.
The sky, usually dark and empty, shimmered faintly with streaks of silver and gold. For a second, she swore she saw a shape moving across the moon, wings, vast and glowing.
Her pulse quickened.
"The time is coming…"
Her mother's voice echoed again, soft and haunting.
And somewhere far beyond the woods, in a palace carved from obsidian and flame, a man opened his eyes, golden, cold, and dangerous.
He'd felt it too.
The shift in the air.
The awakening of the girl destined to change everything.
Kael rose from his throne, his aura pulsing like lightning.
"So," he murmured, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "The prophecy begins."
*
*
By midmorning, the pack house buzzed with preparations for Cassandra's birthday banquet.
Servants rushed in and out with trays of wine and silk-draped tables. The scent of roasted meat and sweet honeybread filled the halls, making Nyx's empty stomach twist.
From the kitchen doorway, she watched them hang glittering banners, silver and red, the royal colors of House Varyn.
She'd helped stitch those banners last night, her fingers still sore from needle pricks. Yet when she passed by now, Morgana's voice sliced through the noise.
"Nyx," the woman called smoothly. "Do stand still, child. You look a mess."
Nyx froze. The woman's beauty was ageless, sharp as glass, silver hair in waves, eyes the color of dark wine. She smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
"You'll serve wine at the tables tonight," Morgana continued. "Stay quiet. Keep your head down. The last thing we need is our little… charity case drawing attention."
"Yes, Lady Morgana," Nyx murmured.
"Oh, and do not speak to our guests. Especially not the king when he arrives."
Her voice softened to a warning whisper. "He doesn't take kindly to filthy things beneath his notice."
Something in Nyx's chest stung, but she nodded and left before the tears could fall. She was used to it, used to being invisible, used to pretending her heart didn't ache when her father looked right through her.
Still, as she walked the corridors, she couldn't shake the heavy thrum in her veins, like something ancient and restless stirred inside her.
Night fell quickly.
The banquet hall glittered under chandeliers of floating candles. Music drifted like smoke through the air. Nobles filled the room, alphas, betas, witches, fairies, vampires, all gathered to honor Cassandra.
Nyx stood near the wall, dressed in a plain gray gown, a tray of golden goblets in her trembling hands. Her heart hammered as she caught glimpses of her father seated at the head table, smiling proudly beside Morgana.
Cassandra sat beside them, radiant in a crimson gown that caught the light like fire. Jewels sparkled in her hair, her smile bright and cruel.
"Make way!" someone shouted near the entrance. "The King of the Five Clans approaches!"
The room fell silent.
Even the air seemed to bow.
Nyx turned just in time to see him, Kael.
He moved like a shadow wrapped in moonlight, tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black armor traced with gold. His eyes were molten amber, sharp and cold as firelight. The air around him pulsed with quiet power.
Every creature in the hall lowered their heads. Even Morgana's smirk faltered for a breath.
Nyx's heart stopped.
For a heartbeat, Kael's gaze swept across the crowd, unreadable, detached, until it landed on her.
And the world shifted.
The tray in her hand trembled; her breath caught in her throat. His golden eyes burned through her like lightning finding its mark. He didn't blink. Didn't move.
But his aura flared, wild, crackling, as though some invisible bond had snapped into place.
Cassandra rose from her seat, smiling like a queen already chosen. "Your Majesty," she purred, lowering her head. "It is an honor to,"
Kael's voice cut through hers. Deep. Commanding.
Who is she?"
The entire room froze.
Morgana frowned, following his gaze. "Your Majesty, that's no one.."
"Her name," Kael said, eyes never leaving Nyx. "Now."
Nyx's pulse thundered in her ears. The air felt too thin, her hands too small to hold anything steady. She wanted to hide, but she couldn't. Something stronger held her still.
Morgana's smile turned brittle. "She's just one of our servants, Your Majesty. Nothing more."
Kael's gaze darkened.
"You lie."
The words fell like a blade.
For the first time in her life, Nyx saw fear flicker in Morgana's eyes.
The room buzzed with whispers, nobles exchanging looks, tension thick enough to choke on. Kael finally tore his gaze from Nyx and turned to Gabriel.
"Alpha Gabriel," he said slowly. "I will speak with you. Privately."
Alpha Gabriel stood quickly, pale and confused, but nodded.
Kael walked past Nyx, close enough for her to feel the pull of his aura , powerful, ancient, and strangely familiar. The moment he passed, her tray shattered against the floor, goblets spilling crimson wine like blood.
And as she dropped to her knees to clean the mess, her mother's voice echoed faintly in her mind once more:
"The time has come, my daughter
The music faltered after the King's sudden command, but slowly, it resumed , though no one dared breathe too loudly. The royal guests returned to uneasy chatter as Kael and Alpha Gabriel disappeared through a pair of gilded doors.
Nyx's hands shook as she cleaned the spilled wine. Her breath came fast, shallow.
Why had he looked at her like that?
Like he knew her.
Like he'd found something he'd been searching for all his life.
She squeezed the rag until her knuckles turned white. She couldn't think like that, not when Morgana's glare burned into her from across the hall. The woman's smile was gone now, replaced by something sharp and simmering.
Nyx lowered her head and worked faster, pretending not to notice.
Behind the closed doors, Kael stood before Gabriel, his golden eyes cutting through the Alpha's carefully measured politeness.
"She's not just a servant," Kael said flatly. "Her scent, it carries power I haven't felt in centuries."
Gabriel swallowed hard. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, that girl is my… my daughter. She has no power. She was born frail, unfit for the pack. My second wife has raised her out of pity."
Kael's gaze flickered, unreadable. "And yet her presence bends the air around her."
He stepped closer. "You've hidden something, Alpha. Something you fear."
Gabriel's throat tightened. "I… I only did what was necessary."
Kael turned away, silent for a moment. Then he said, "Prepare her. She leaves with me at dawn."
Gabriel's head snapped up. "Your Majesty?"
"I don't repeat myself," Kael said, his tone final. "She belongs under my protection now."
And with that, he left, cloak sweeping behind him like a shadow with purpose.
-
When the banquet finally ended, Nyx was the last to leave the hall. Her knees ached, her body numb, her heart thudding like a trapped bird.
As she passed through the corridor, she paused, drawn to the open balcony overlooking the dark forest. The moon hung high, full and blinding. For a moment, the world was silent, and she let herself breathe.
Then, a voice.
Low, deep, commanding.
"You."
She froze.
Kael stepped from the shadows, the moon gilding the edges of his armor. His eyes gleamed like molten fire, fixed on her as though she were the only thing in the universe.
Nyx bowed quickly, fear spiking in her chest. "Your Majesty...I didn't mean to.."
"Look at me."
The words were soft, but they held the weight of command. She lifted her eyes, and time stilled.
For a breathless moment, neither spoke. His gaze searched her face, every flicker of light across her features.
"Your name," he said finally.
"Nyx," she whispered. "Nyx Gabriel."
Something shifted in his expression, just slightly. Recognition? Relief?
He exhaled slowly, as though the word itself carried meaning beyond her understanding.
"Nyx," he repeated, tasting the name. "So it begins."
Her heart pounded. "What… begins?"
But he didn't answer. Instead, he turned to leave, his cloak billowing in the cool night air.
Just before he vanished into the shadows, his voice reached her again, quiet, deliberate.
"Be ready by dawn. Your life here is over."
And then he was gone.
Nyx stood frozen on the balcony, the wind catching her hair, her mind a storm of disbelief and fear.
She looked up at the moon, her mother's moon, and for the first time, it didn't look distant. It looked alive. Watching. Waiting.
In the distance, thunder rumbled softly, though the sky was clear.
Something had awakened.
Something powerful.
And Nyx knew deep down, nothing would ever be the same again.