The gates of Silver Claw Pack rose before me like a wall of judgment. Wolves crowded around, their eyes sharp, their whispers louder than the wind. My stomach churned as I stepped forward, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
"Why bring her back, Alpha?" one of the elder wolves demanded, his voice cutting through the murmurs.
"She's a traitor! She's cursed!" another hissed.
I lowered my gaze, my heart hammering in my chest. These were the same faces I had grown up with. Some had laughed with me, played with me, shared little victories and small joys. Now they stared like I was the plague itself.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I refused to cry, refused to show them the fear that threatened to shake me to my bones. I had endured worse than their words before.
Alpha Leon stepped forward, his presence commanding silence instantly. Every eye in the crowd turned to him, but I could feel him staring at me, weighing me like a prize — or a weapon.
"Our pack bleeds because of the sins of the past," he said, his voice low but steady. "I asked the Moon Goddess how we could be healed. She told me the answer… is the blood of the Red Moon Child."
I froze. My pulse skipped a beat. Red Moon Child… That's me. The words felt heavy on my chest, like a weight I couldn't lift. The pack murmured, disbelief and fear twisting their faces.
One elder stepped forward cautiously. "Will the ritual… kill her, Alpha?"
Leon's lips curved faintly, almost cruelly. "No. I only need her blood. As long as she does not try to escape, she will be fine. Besides, I would not want my late brother's child dead."
I felt my chest tighten at those words.My mind raced, trying to piece together what that meant. My wrist burned, and I looked down. A faint red glow pulsed beneath my skin — a mark I had not noticed before, alive and throbbing as if it had a heartbeat of its own. so she would stay in the mansion for now with me and my wife until the ritual
The guards stepped forward and guided me toward the mansion. Its walls towered over me, elegant and imposing, and yet every stone seemed to whisper of cages and confinement. Each step made the weight of my banishment press heavier on my shoulders, but I refused to let it break me.
Elena stood at the mansion's entrance. My aunt. The familiarity of her face made the pit in my stomach twist even tighter. She gave me a small smile, composed and calm, but there was something I could not read — a shadow beneath her warmth, hidden guilt or fear, I could not tell.
"You're safe here, Aria. For now," she said softly.
I nodded, my lips pressed into a thin line. I had known Elena. I had grown up with her, loved her like family. There was no surprise in seeing her again, only the tension of not knowing whether she was a friend or another obstacle.
She guided me through the long corridors of the mansion. The walls gleamed with polished wood and silver sconces, but I could feel the coldness behind the beauty. The pack whispered warnings and disapproval around me, telling me I would have work, chores, and endless eyes watching my every move. Their words tried to shake me, but something inside me stirred — something stronger than fear.
For the first time in weeks, I was alone in a room of my own. Moonlight streamed through tall windows, falling across the floor and touching my wrist. The mark burned faintly red, but this time, instead of panic, a spark flared in my chest. This mark doesn't control me. It doesn't define me.
I pressed my hands to the wooden table in the center of the room and drew a deep breath. I could feel the weight of the prophecy, the judgment of the pack, the danger of Alpha Leon's plan… and still, I felt something new. Power. Determination. Quiet fire.
I whispered to myself, letting the words echo in the stillness of the room.
I don't know what Alpha Leon is planning… My hands tightened into fists. But one thing is for sure… I won't let him win.
The mansion was silent, but I could feel eyes watching. Not just the pack. Not just my aunt. I didn't know who else might be hiding in the shadows, waiting for a mistake, waiting for me to falter. But that fire inside me would not be snuffed out.
I moved to the window and stared at the moonlight reflecting off the mansion walls. The glow of my mark caught the silver on the floor, pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat. Two weeks. That's all I had until the Red Moon. Two weeks to endure. Two weeks to prepare.
And I would not waste a single moment.
I was not just the Red Moon Child. I was Aria Moonstone. And no matter what Alpha Leon, the pack, or fate itself planned for me… I would survive. I would fight. I would endure.
And I would not let him win.