Aria's POV
The arrow appears out of nowhere.
One second we're walking through empty forest. The next, a silver-tipped arrow is buried in the tree trunk inches from my head.
I freeze. My heart stops.
"Don't move," a woman's voice commands from the shadows.
Luna Catherine steps in front of me instantly. Protective. Her eyes scan the trees.
"We mean no harm," she calls out. "We're seeking sanctuary."
"Everyone seeking sanctuary says that." Another voice. This one younger. Sharper. "Right before they lead hunters to our door."
More figures emerge from the forest. Women. At least a dozen of them.
All armed. All dangerous.
They move like warriors—silent, coordinated, deadly. They surround us in a perfect circle, weapons trained on our hearts.
My wolf stirs nervously. These aren't ordinary she-wolves.
These are survivors.
"State your business," says a woman stepping forward from the group.
She's tall. Muscular. A jagged scar runs from her left eye down to her jaw. Her dark hair is pulled back tight, and her eyes are hard as stone.
This is someone who's seen terrible things. Done terrible things.
Someone who won't hesitate to kill if we're a threat.
"My name is Luna Catherine Blackthorne," Luna says calmly. "This is Aria Winters. We're looking for Moonstone Refuge."
The scarred woman's eyes narrow. "How did you hear that name?"
"Alpha Thorne told us." Luna's voice stays steady despite the weapons pointed at us. "In Crossroads Town. She said if we needed sanctuary—"
"Thorne sent you?" The woman's posture shifts slightly. Less aggressive. But not friendly. "Why?"
Luna hesitates. Glances back at me.
I know what she's thinking. How much should we reveal? How much can we trust these strangers?
But the scarred woman's nose twitches. She inhales deeply.
Then her eyes snap to my stomach.
"You're pregnant," she says flatly.
It's not a question.
Heat floods my face. My hand moves protectively to my belly.
"Yes," I whisper.
The woman takes a step closer. The other warriors shift, watching her carefully.
"Who rejected you?" Her voice is hard. Angry. But not at me.
At whoever hurt me.
My throat tightens. "What?"
"You wouldn't be here if your mate claimed you." Her scarred face softens just slightly. "So I'll ask again. Who rejected you?"
Tears burn my eyes. I've barely spoken his name since the exile.
But something about this woman—about all these women—makes me feel safe enough to say it.
"Alpha Dominic Blackthorne."
The reaction is immediate.
Several women gasp. Others curse. One actually spits on the ground.
"Blackthorne," the scarred woman repeats, her voice dripping with disgust. "Of course."
"You know him?" Luna asks sharply.
"I know of him." The woman's jaw clenches. "The 'honorable' Alpha heir. So noble. So perfect." She looks at me with understanding that cuts deep. "Let me guess. He said the baby wasn't his. Called you a liar. Exiled you to save his precious reputation."
I can only nod. The words won't come.
"Bastard," she mutters. Then louder, to her warriors: "Lower your weapons. They're safe."
The circle of women relaxes. Arrows are lowered. Swords are sheathed.
But they still watch us carefully.
"I'm Raven," the scarred woman says. "Second-in-command of Moonstone Refuge. And these are some of our warriors."
"Some?" Luna echoes, looking at the dozen armed women.
Raven's lips twitch into an almost-smile. "We have forty-three she-wolves currently living at the Refuge. Most of them are rejected mates. Exiled omegas. Women whose packs threw them away like garbage."
Just like me.
"Thorne really sent you?" Raven asks, studying us more closely now.
"She found us in Crossroads Town," I say quietly. "She said she knew my mother. That she'd been waiting for me."
Something flickers across Raven's face. Shock. Recognition.
"Your mother," she repeats slowly. "Who was your mother?"
"Luna Celeste Moonwhisper."
The forest goes completely silent.
Every single warrior freezes. Some of them stare at me like I've grown a second head.
"That's impossible," one woman breathes. "The Moonwhispers are all dead."
"Not all of them," Luna Catherine says firmly. "Aria survived the massacre. She's been hidden for sixteen years."
Raven's eyes are locked on me. Searching. Studying.
"Silver in your hair," she murmurs. "I thought it was just the light. But it's real, isn't it?"
I nod. Since my wolf awakened, silver streaks have been spreading through my brown hair.
Just like my mother's, apparently.
"By the Moon Goddess," Raven whispers. She turns to her warriors. "We need to get them to the Refuge. Now."
"Is something wrong?" I ask nervously.
"Wrong? No." Raven looks at me with an expression I can't read. "But if you're who I think you are... we've been waiting a very long time for you to come home."
The Refuge appears like magic.
One moment we're walking through dense forest. The next, Raven pushes aside a curtain of vines and reveals a hidden compound.
Buildings made of stone and wood nestle between massive trees. Smoke rises from chimneys. Voices echo—women laughing, training, living.
It's beautiful. Safe. Hidden.
Home.
"Welcome to Moonstone Refuge," Raven says. "The only place in this territory where she-wolves make the rules."
We walk through the entrance. Women stop what they're doing to watch us pass.
Some look curious. Others look haunted. All of them look strong.
Survivors. Every single one.
My chest aches with recognition. These are my people. Women who've been hurt, rejected, cast aside.
Women like me.
"The main lodge is this way," Raven says, leading us toward the largest building. "Thorne will want to—"
She stops abruptly.
The door to the lodge has opened.
An old woman steps out into the sunlight.
She's ancient—her hair is pure white, her face deeply lined. But her eyes are sharp. Alert. Powerful.
She wears simple robes, but authority radiates from her like heat.
Every warrior around us immediately bows their heads.
Whoever this is, she's important.
The old woman's eyes sweep over Luna Catherine. Then they land on me.
And she goes completely still.
"Impossible," she breathes.
She walks forward slowly. Each step is careful, like she's approaching something sacred.
When she's right in front of me, she reaches out and touches my face with trembling fingers.
"Celeste's eyes," she whispers. "Rowan's jawline. And the silver..." Her voice cracks. "By the Goddess. You're real."
"I don't understand," I say quietly.
The old woman's eyes fill with tears.
Then, to my absolute shock, she drops to one knee.
A warrior gasps. Raven's mouth falls open.
"What are you doing?" I ask frantically. "Please, stand up—"
"Eclipse Alpha," the old woman says clearly. Formally. "We've been waiting sixteen years for your return."
The entire compound goes silent.
Every she-wolf in sight drops to one knee.
Even Raven. Even Luna Catherine.
"Eclipse?" I look around wildly. "I'm nobody. I'm just—"
"You're the last of the silver bloodline," the old woman says, rising to her feet. Her tears spill over. "The daughter of the most powerful Alpha and Luna in history. And according to the prophecy..." She glances at my stomach. "You're about to become the most powerful wolf alive."
My head spins. "What prophecy?"
"The one your mother made before she died." The old woman takes my hands in hers. "She saw the future. Saw you surviving. Saw you carrying a child who would restore the Moonwhisper line."
"That's impossible," I whisper.
"Is it?" She smiles through her tears. "Your wolf awakened when you got pregnant, didn't it? Your fur turned silver. Your power increased."
How does she know that?
"The silver bloodline is unique," she continues. "Our powers are tied to creation. To life. When you became pregnant, you unlocked abilities that have been dormant since birth."
"What abilities?"
"That's what we're going to discover." The old woman releases my hands. "But first, introductions. My name is Elder Mira. I was your mother's mentor. Her friend. And I've been protecting this Refuge for sixteen years, waiting for you to come home."
"But I don't even know how to be a regular wolf," I protest. "How can I be some kind of... Eclipse Alpha? What does that even mean?"
"It means," Raven says from behind me, her voice filled with awe, "that you're not just an Alpha. You're the Alpha. The one who rules during the eclipse. The one who holds power over both light and shadow."
"Every hundred years," Elder Mira explains, "a silver bloodline wolf is born with this gift. Your mother was one. Her grandmother before her. And now you."
I shake my head. This is too much. Too fast.
"I'm just Aria," I say desperately. "I'm an omega. I can barely control my wolf. I'm pregnant and alone and—"
"You're not alone anymore." Elder Mira's voice is firm. Kind. "You have an entire Refuge of she-wolves who will protect you. Train you. Help you."
"But why?" Tears stream down my face. "Why do you care? You don't even know me."
"Because your mother saved my life," Elder Mira says softly. "She gave everything to protect the wolves who couldn't protect themselves. And before she died, she made me promise to find you. To keep you safe. To help you become who you were meant to be."
She gestures to the compound around us.
"This Refuge exists because of her. Every woman here owes their life to the Moonwhisper Pack's sacrifice. And now..." She smiles. "Now we get to repay that debt."
I'm crying openly now. Overwhelmed. Terrified. Hopeful.
"I don't know how to be what you need me to be," I whisper.
"You don't have to know yet." Elder Mira pulls me into a gentle hug. "You just have to be willing to learn."
For the first time since my exile, I feel safe.
Truly, completely safe.
I'm about to nod, about to accept, when a tremor runs through my body.
Sharp. Painful. Wrong.
My hand flies to my stomach.
"Aria?" Luna Catherine is at my side instantly. "What's wrong?"
Another tremor. Stronger this time.
My knees buckle. Raven catches me before I fall.
"The baby," I gasp. "Something's wrong with the baby."
Elder Mira's face goes pale.
"Get her inside," she commands. "Now!"
Warriors rush forward. They lift me carefully and carry me toward the lodge.
My vision blurs. Pain lances through my abdomen.
"What's happening?" I cry out.
Elder Mira runs alongside us, her face grim.
"Your power is awakening too fast," she says. "The baby is triggering a transformation your body isn't ready for."
"Will the baby be okay?"
She doesn't answer.
And that terrifies me more than anything.
They carry me into the lodge. Lay me on a soft bed. Women surround me—healers, I think.
The pain intensifies. I scream.
"Hold on," Elder Mira says, gripping my hand. "Just hold on."
Through the agony, I see her eyes widen.
"What?" I gasp. "What is it?"
She stares at my stomach. At the faint silver glow spreading across my skin.
"The baby," she whispers. "By the Goddess. The baby isn't just Moonwhisper and Blackthorne blood."
"What do you mean?"
Elder Mira's voice shakes.
"Your child is bonding with your Eclipse power. Absorbing it. Growing with it." She looks at me with shock and awe. "Aria, you're not just carrying an Alpha heir. You're carrying the first True Eclipse wolf born in three hundred years."
The room spins.
"What does that mean?" I whisper.
"It means," she says slowly, "that when this baby is born, every pack in the world will want it. To control it. To kill it. Or to use it as the ultimate weapon."
My blood turns to ice.
"And Dominic Blackthorne," Elder Mira continues, her face grave, "is about to discover he rejected the most powerful mate bond in history."