Chapter 5 The Moonlit Dream

The tension from the meeting lingered long after Aria had left the Silverfangs' encampment. Her thoughts twisted like the windstorm that had roared through the Silverfang territory earlier that day-wild, uncontrollable, and forceful. As the Moonstone Pack made their way back to the heart of their forest, Aria couldn't shake the coldness that clung to her skin. She could still feel Asher's distant gaze, his rejection cutting deeper than she'd like to admit. But what bothered her the most wasn't the rejection itself.

It was the hollow space inside her, a gnawing emptiness where she once believed a connection to him could exist.

When they finally arrived back at the Moonstone stronghold, the sky had darkened, and the first stars began to twinkle faintly in the vast expanse above. The forest felt alive under the soft moonlight, the trees whispering secrets on the cool evening breeze. Yet, there was no peace in Aria's heart.

Her father, Alpha Lucan, had retreated into his study, leaving Aria with only her thoughts and the occasional rustle of leaves to keep her company. Her brother, Elias, had gone off to join the pack's warriors, preparing them for the inevitable battles ahead. Though their territories had formally united, it was only a matter of time before the rogue vampires would strike, and they all knew it.

Aria wandered into the woods, her steps light but purposeful. Her mind was still reeling, but she needed something-anything-that could calm her. She needed to feel connected to the very thing that had always been her comfort: the moon.

As she moved deeper into the forest, the moonlight grew more pronounced, the trees thinning out into a wide clearing. It was here that Aria felt her most at home, where the lunar energy hummed with a power she could never quite grasp. She closed her eyes, tilting her face toward the sky, letting the soft silver glow wash over her.

I should feel at peace here, she thought. But why does it feel so empty?

She exhaled slowly, letting the cool air fill her lungs, trying to push away the anxiety. But then, something shifted. A flicker of energy pulsed through her veins, faint at first but growing stronger. Her heart raced. She felt it again-an energy, unfamiliar but undeniable, stirring beneath her skin.

She glanced down at her hands, her fingers trembling slightly as they glowed faintly in the moonlight. A soft, silvery light shimmered around her as if she had become one with the night itself. For the first time in her life, Aria felt that elusive power inside her stir, like a long-forgotten part of herself awakening.

Her breath hitched. The dream she had the previous night-she hadn't imagined it. It was real. The power that had been dormant within her had started to come to life.

Before she could process the surge of energy, a voice broke through the silence. "You should be careful, Aria."

Aria froze. The voice was smooth and confident but filled with an undertone of warning. She turned quickly, her heart pounding.

Standing in the shadows of the trees was none other than Asher.

Her stomach flipped, and she almost stepped back. What was he doing here? She hadn't expected him to follow her.

His eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, a storm swirling within them. He looked like he had stepped out of a dream-his sharp features illuminated by the silvery light, his stormy gray eyes reflecting the turbulent emotions he never allowed to surface. His presence was overwhelming, like a tempest on the horizon.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice more breathless than she intended.

Asher's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I was just... watching."

Aria swallowed. She had no idea what he meant by that, but she didn't trust herself to ask. She could feel the heat of her own emotions rising-confusion, frustration, but also something else. She couldn't put it into words, but Asher's proximity only seemed to heighten whatever it was. Her body hummed with an unspoken pull toward him, a magnetic force she couldn't deny, despite everything.

"You shouldn't be here," she said sharply, her voice more commanding than she intended.

Asher didn't flinch. Instead, he took a step closer, his gaze locking with hers. "Maybe I should. Maybe you need someone to understand what you're going through."

Aria's heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself. His words-though strangely comforting-sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to push him away, to reject his presence just as he had rejected their bond, but there was something about his voice, something in the way he looked at her, that made her falter.

"I don't need your pity, Asher," she finally muttered, though the words felt hollow.

Asher's gaze softened just a fraction, the storm in his eyes momentarily dimming. He took another step closer, his voice low. Asher clenched his fists, fighting the primal instinct roaring within him: Mate. "I'm not offering pity. I'm offering to understand."

She wanted to argue, to tell him that he couldn't possibly understand what she was feeling, but before she could speak, a sharp, pulsing pain shot through her head. It was sudden, dizzying like a sharp crack of lightning splitting the air.

Aria gasped, stumbling back. Her hands flew to her temples as if trying to hold the pain at bay, but it only intensified. Her vision blurred, and she felt herself sway on her feet. The energy she had felt earlier, the power that had awakened inside her, was now spiraling out of control.

"Aria-" Asher's voice was suddenly frantic, but it felt distant like he was calling from the bottom of a deep well. "What's happening?"

"I don't-" Aria tried to say, but the words dissolved on her tongue as the pain grew. Her hands trembled as the light around her pulsed brighter, erratically.

The world around her seemed to shift, and in that instant, she felt something she hadn't expected-something that was neither power nor pain.

Asher's presence. His stormy energy. It was like a tether, pulling at her, binding her to him.

And then, just as quickly as it had come, the pain receded. Her vision cleared, and she found herself staring up at Asher, his expression filled with concern and something else-something deeper that Aria couldn't quite place.

"What... was that?" Aria breathed, still reeling.

Asher's gaze flickered to the glowing light surrounding her hands, then back to her face. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I think... you're starting to understand what you truly are, Aria."

The words hung between them, heavy with meaning, and Aria could only stare at him, her heart still racing. Was he right? Was this the beginning of something that would change everything?

And if so... was she ready for it?