Rise of the Betrayed Luna(blood moon)

Tonight was supposed to be the most important night of Seraphina's life,her eighteenth birthday, the night she'd finally meet her fated mate.Everyone in the Bloodfang Pack had gathered for the Moon Ceremony, a sacred event held only under the light of the full moon. Bonfires burned in large circles, crackling as their flames licked the sky. The scent of roasted meat, pine, and herbs hung heavy in the air. Wolves from every corner of the territory stood dressed in their finest clothes, eyes full of expectation. They had come not just for the ceremony,but for her.

Seraphina Rivers stood alone at the center of the Moon Clearing, her white dress glowing like starlight under the moon's gaze. It clung softly to her curves, the long skirt billowing in the night breeze. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart pounding so loud she could barely hear the drums that beat in rhythm with the moon's pull.

She could feel their eyes on her. Some were kind, proud, smiling at her with warmth. Others looked at her with curiosity or quiet envy. But none of that mattered. Not the stares, not the whispers, not even the pressure of being the healer's daughter.

All that mattered was him,Alpha Kaein

Alpha Kaien.

He stepped out of the crowd, commanding and tall, his black leather armor fitting perfectly on his broad shoulders. The silver Alpha crest gleamed against his chest. His dark hair was slightly tousled, like he had run his fingers through it. And his eyes;those deep midnight eyes locked onto hers as he approached.

Time seemed to slow.

The bond snapped into place. She felt it in her chest, a jolt like lightning. Her breath caught, and her entire world narrowed down to the man walking toward her.

Her mate,Alpha kaien

The crowd held its breath. A hush fell as Kaien came to stand before her. For a moment, Seraphina swore she saw something in his eyes recognition, warmth, maybe even regret.

She reached out her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her heart was wide open.

This was it.

The sacred words. The moment she'd waited her whole life for.

But then...

He didn't take her hand.

He didn't say the words.

Instead, his jaw clenched. His eyes turned cold.

His voice rang out, clear and emotionless.

"I reject you, Seraphina Rivers, as my mate."

The world stopped spinning.

Her hand froze midair. Her breath vanished from her lungs.

The crowd gasped. A chorus of whispers followed, sharp and cutting like blades in the dark.

Seraphina stared at him. She blinked, trying to make sense of what she'd heard.

"No..." she breathed, shaking her head slowly. "Why?"

Kaien looked away. Not down, not to the side-away from her, as if she were nothing. As if they hadn't grown up in the same pack. As if he hadn't sat by her side when she was ill with fever at thirteen. As if he hadn't once held her hand and said she looked beautiful under the moonlight.

"You're not strong enough to be my Luna," he said. His voice was flat. Cold. Final.

"I need someone who can rule beside me. Not a fragile girl who hides in the healer's hut."

The words hit harder than any physical blow.

The crowd murmured louder now. Some gasped. Some nodded. Others looked at her with pity or worse, with smirks on their faces.

Seraphina's knees trembled, and for a moment she thought she would collapse. But she didn't. Not here. Not in front of them. Not in front of him.

She blinked back the tears that burned in her eyes. Her wolf, usually so calm and kind within her, howled in pain. The bond between them began to tear, clawing across her soul like jagged glass.

Kaien didn't flinch. He turned his back and walked away.

Just like that.

Her mate.

Gone.

Her heart didn't just break-it shattered into tiny pieces, each one cutting deeper than the last.

The ceremony continued around her like she didn't exist. Some whispered cruel things. Others stared like she was diseased, cursed.

Her mother, Liora, rushed to her side.

"Come, my child," she said gently, wrapping a shawl over her shoulders. "Let's go home."

But Seraphina shook her head. Her lips pressed tight.

She turned and ran.

Barefoot, she dashed into the forest, leaving behind the firelight, the noise, the betrayal. Her feet hit the earth hard, twigs scratching her legs, branches snagging her dress. She didn't care.

She ran until her lungs burned and her throat was raw. The forest swallowed her.

Tears finally spilled, mixing with dirt and sweat. The wind howled through the trees as thunder rolled in the distance.

She kept running until she stumbled into a part of the forest she didn't recognize. A small clearing hidden by twisted trees and thick fog.

She fell to her knees in the mud, breathless.

Her dress was torn, her hands scraped. But the real pain was inside.

"I'm nothing," she whispered. Her voice cracked like a broken bone.

The rain began to fall. Cold. Hard. Soaking her hair, her skin, her bones.

But something strange stirred in the air.

The wind shifted. The scent of ozone rose up, sharp and wild.

The clouds above churned like angry waves. The moon began to darken, swallowed by storm.

And then-lightning split the sky.

A blinding flash of silver and white struck the very spot where she knelt.

Seraphina didn't scream. The air left her body.

The light swallowed her whole.

And then, there was silence

Total, deafening silence.

No wind. No rain. No forest.

Only the dark.

Only the quiet.

Only the girl who had been rejected and left for dead under a cursed moon.

But fate was not done with her yet.