The forest felt different tonight.
It wasn't just the wind whispering through the trees.
It was watching me.
Every step I took away from the pack grounds felt lighter, yet heavier at the same time. The bond Adrian had broken still ached faintly in my chest, but it no longer controlled me.
Something else did.
Something stronger.
My wolf was no longer silent.
She was awake.
"Run," she urged softly.
And I did.
I ran deeper into the forest than I had ever gone before. Branches snapped beneath my feet. The cold air burned my lungs, but I didn't slow down.
I felt powerful.
Alive.
The moment I reached the ancient stone clearing, the air shifted again.
This place was forbidden.
Sacred.
Only Alphas were allowed to shift here.
But tonight, the moonlight poured down on me like it belonged to me.
My knees buckled as a surge of energy ripped through my body.
Pain followed.
But it wasn't weakness.
It was transformation.
My bones cracked.
My vision blurred.
Silver light exploded around me.
I screamed—
And then I shifted.
When I opened my eyes, the world looked different.
Clearer.
Sharper.
I looked down at my paws—
Silver fur shimmered under the moonlight.
Larger than any wolf I had ever seen.
Stronger.
Royal.
An Alpha aura radiated from me naturally.
No.
Not just an Alpha.
Something beyond that.
Miles away, I felt it—
The entire pack froze.
Adrian felt it too.
Our broken bond flared painfully, not as a mate connection…
But as submission.
And for the first time in his life—
He felt small.
I lifted my head toward the sky and howled.
The sound was powerful enough to shake the trees.
This was no ordinary awakening.
This was destiny correcting itself.
And Adrian had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
The howl didn't just echo.
It commanded.
Birds flew out of the trees in panic. Smaller wolves in nearby territories whimpered and lowered themselves instinctively.
Power rolled off me in waves.
I could feel every heartbeat within miles.
Every movement.
Every breath.
This was not the strength of a normal Alpha.
This was something older.
Ancient.
A memory stirred inside my wolf.
"The First Line," she whispered.
Images flashed in my mind — silver wolves standing above all others, rulers chosen directly by the Moon Goddess. A bloodline thought to be extinct.
Until now.
Back at the pack grounds, chaos had erupted.
"What was that?" someone shouted.
"It came from the forbidden clearing!"
Adrian stood frozen, his golden eyes wide. The pressure in his chest grew heavier with every second.
His wolf paced restlessly.
That power…
It felt dominant.
Superior.
Impossible.
He tried to move forward — but his knees nearly buckled.
Submission.
The realization hit him like a blade.
He wasn't standing above me anymore.
He was standing beneath me.
I slowly shifted back into human form, the silver light fading gently from my skin.
I wasn't shaking.
I wasn't weak.
For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
The rejection had not broken me.
It had unlocked me.
I looked toward the direction of the pack one last time.
"They will come for answers," my wolf murmured.
"And when they do," I replied softly, "they will kneel."
The wind carried my scent back toward the territory — stronger, richer, undeniable.
Let them feel it.
Let him feel it.
Tonight, I was rejected.
Tomorrow—
They would realize who they lost.
And when that day came…
Mercy would not be guaranteed.
I didn't return to the pack that night.
Instead, I built a fire near the ancient stones and watched the moon slowly descend across the sky.
For years, I had begged silently for a wolf.
For strength.
For acceptance.
And now that I had all three…
I felt no joy.
Only clarity.
Footsteps echoed faintly in the distance.
They were coming.
Of course they were.
No Alpha could ignore a power surge like that.
I didn't run.
I didn't hide.
I stood.
When the first figure emerged from the trees, it wasn't Adrian.
It was the Elder.
His aged eyes widened the moment he saw me.
Then slowly—
He bowed.
Not out of respect.
Out of instinct.
Behind him, more wolves arrived.
Warriors.
Betas.
And finally—
Adrian stepped forward.
His expression was no longer cold.
It was shaken.
Conflicted.
Threatened.
The air between us tightened.
"You felt it," I said calmly.
It wasn't a question.
He swallowed.
"What are you?" he demanded.
I stepped closer.
The ground seemed to hum beneath my feet.
"I am what you rejected."
Silence fell again.
The Elder spoke carefully, voice trembling.
"That aura… It belongs to the lost bloodline."
A ripple of shock passed through the wolves.
Adrian's jaw clenched.
"That bloodline is extinct."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Clearly," I said softly, "it isn't."
A low growl built in my chest — not aggressive, but dominant.
Every wolf present lowered their gaze.
Even Adrian.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
And so did everyone else.
Power had shifted.
Tonight was no longer about rejection.
It was about succession.
And the throne—
Was no longer his alone.