The Great Hall of the Midnight Eclipse was a monument to power and intimidation. Giant pillars of obsidian supported a ceiling that seemed to touch the stars, and the floor was polished to such a high sheen that it reflected the violet flames of the torches like a dark mirror.
I stood at the right hand of the throne, a position reserved for the Alpha's most trusted. I wore a gown of midnight blue silk that clung to my curves, with silver filigree along the collar that matched the coin hanging at my chest. My hair was braided back with silver threads, exposing my neck—and the jagged, fading scar of the rejection.
I didn't hide it anymore. I wore it like a battle scar.
"The envoys of the Silver Moon Pack," a herald announced, his voice echoing through the chamber.
The massive iron doors groaned open. Three men walked in, dressed in the gold and white tunics of my former pack. In the center was Elder Silas, a man who had known my father, yet had been the first to spit on my name when I failed to shift. Beside him was Gideon, one of Kaelen's top enforcers—the same man who had dragged me to the border and called me a Null.
As they approached the throne, they didn't see me at first. Their eyes were fixed on Valerius, who sat on his throne with a terrifyingly calm grace, his violet eyes glowing with predatory amusement.
"Alpha Valerius," Silas spoke, bowing deeply. "We thank you for receiving us. We come on behalf of Alpha Kaelen Vancour to resolve a... delicate matter."
"Speak," Valerius commanded, his voice a low rumble that made the shadows in the room dance.
"A sacred relic, the Eye of the Moon, went missing from our treasury on the night of the last ritual," Silas said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "We have reason to believe that a banished member of our pack, the girl Skaya Miller, took it in an act of petty vengeance. We are here to take her back to face trial."
I felt a cold, sharp laugh bubble up in my chest. I stepped forward, out of the shadows and into the flickering light of the torches.
"The Eye of the Moon?" I said, my voice cutting through the air like a blade. "That dusty old sapphire hasn't been out of its case in fifty years. You're losing your touch, Silas. If you wanted to kidnap me, you should have come up with a better lie."
The three men froze. Their heads snapped toward me, their eyes widening in utter disbelief. Silas's jaw dropped, and Gideon actually took a step back, his hand instinctively going to his sword.
"Skaya?" Silas gasped. "You... you're alive?"
"Disappointed?" I tilted my head, a predatory smirk playing on my lips. "You threw me to the wolves—literally—and yet, here I am. And as you can see, I didn't bring your 'relic' with me. Mostly because I was too busy trying not to bleed to death from the wound your Alpha gave me."
Gideon recovered his composure first, his face twisting into a sneer. "You're still a brat, I see. It doesn't matter how you survived. You are a subject of the Silver Moon, and you are accused of theft. Come with us now, Null, or we will take you by force."
Valerius's aura suddenly exploded. The temperature in the room plummeted, and frost began to bloom on the obsidian pillars. The pressure was so immense that Silas and the others were forced to their knees, gasping for air.
"You speak of force in my hall?" Valerius whispered, leaning forward. His voice was death itself. "You call my Second a 'Null' in my presence?"
"Your... Your Second?" Silas stammered, his face pale as ash. "Alpha, you cannot be serious. She is a wolf-less girl! She is a liability!"
"Is she?" Valerius looked at me, a dark glint in his eyes. "Skaya, show them what a 'liability' looks like."
I didn't need to be told twice. I closed my eyes and reached for the silver flame. I didn't think of Kaelen this time; I thought of Gideon's hand on my arm as he threw me into the dirt. I thought of Silas's silence as I begged for mercy.
The silver light erupted from my skin, brighter and colder than before. It wasn't just a glow; it was a physical force. The floor beneath me cracked as ice crystals shot out in every direction. My eyes snapped open, glowing with a brilliant, molten silver that seemed to pierce through the very souls of the men before me.
I moved.
To the humans and the wolves, I was a blur. I appeared in front of Gideon before he could even draw his breath. I gripped his throat with my hand, my obsidian claws digging into his skin just enough to draw blood.
"Am I a Null, Gideon?" I hissed, my voice echoing with a dual-tone—half-human, half-ancient beast.
Gideon's eyes were wide with primal terror. He could feel the cold radiating from me, a cold that threatened to stop his heart. "What... what are you?"
"I am the nightmare you created," I whispered.
I tossed him back effortlessly. He hit the stone floor and skidded a dozen feet, stopping only when he hit the base of a pillar. Silas was trembling so hard he couldn't even speak.
"Go back to Kaelen," I said, standing tall, the silver light slowly receding but the power still thrumming in my veins. "Tell him that Skaya Miller died in the Blackwood Forest. Tell him that the woman who stands here now owes him nothing but a debt of blood. And tell him that if he wants his 'relic', he can come and try to take it from the Midnight Eclipse himself."
Valerius stood up, walking down the steps of the throne. He placed a possessive arm around my waist, pulling me against his side. The contact sent a surge of warmth through me, stabilizing my power.
"You heard her," Valerius said to the envoys. "Get out of my territory. If I see a Silver Moon uniform on my land after sunrise, I will hang your entrails from the border trees as a warning."
Silas didn't wait. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed the groaning Gideon, and practically ran for the doors.
As the heavy iron gates slammed shut behind them, the silence in the hall was deafening. The Midnight warriors who had been watching from the shadows were silent, their expressions a mix of fear and newfound respect.
I felt the adrenaline begin to fade, leaving me leaning heavily against Valerius. He didn't let go. He turned me to face him, his violet eyes searching mine.
"You did well, Little Flame," he murmured. "But you know this isn't the end. Kaelen won't let this go. Not after hearing you've become a weapon in the hands of his rival."
"I know," I said, my voice hardening. "He'll come. And I want him to. I want him to see me standing beside you. I want him to realize that by rejecting me, he gave me the power to destroy everything he loves."
Valerius leaned in, his lips grazing my forehead. "The Lunar Convergence is in two weeks. All the packs will be here. Every Alpha will see your power. Are you ready for the world to know what you are?"
I looked at the silver coin at my neck, then back at the man who had seen my worth when no one else did.
"I don't care about the world, Valerius," I said, my hand sliding up his chest to rest on his heart. "I only care about the fire. And right now, I'm ready to watch the whole world burn if it means I can see Kaelen's kingdom in ashes."
Valerius smirked, a dark, predatory look that made my heart race for a very different reason.
"Good," he whispered, his grip on my waist tightening. "Because a Queen should never have to settle for anything less than a total massacre. Now, let us prepare for the war you've just started."