Chapter 3 The Weight of Destiny

The room felt heavy, the air thick with tension as Aria sat across from Dominic, his words still echoing in her mind. "To rule with me. To be mine." They clung to her like a shroud, wrapping around her thoughts and squeezing the breath from her chest.

She had always known her life wasn't ordinary. Growing up in foster care, jumping from one temporary home to the next, she'd learned to be adaptable, resilient. But nothing in her past had prepared her for this moment, for the sudden onslaught of revelation that threatened to tear apart the world she thought she knew.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, watching her closely. His eyes were a mix of curiosity and expectation, as if he were waiting for her to understand something that only she could grasp. It was both unnerving and strangely comforting, like the pressure of a deep breath before diving into the unknown.

Aria's mind spun, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of information. A Moonborn. Luna. A prophecy. All of it sounded like the kind of thing she'd read in a fantasy novel, not something that had anything to do with her.

"Why me?" she finally asked, her voice a little more steady than she felt. "Why do you think I'm this Luna-whatever that is?"

Dominic's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, he looked... vulnerable. It was strange to see someone like him-someone so powerful, so composed-show even the faintest crack in their armor.

"You were born with a connection to the Moon. It's a rare gift, one that's passed down through bloodlines that have been hidden for centuries," he said, his voice low but full of conviction. "You're the key, Aria. To everything. To balance, to power, to the future of our kind."

Aria's heart stuttered at his words. Balance? Power? What could she, a girl who had barely scraped by in the human world, have to do with that? She had no experience with the supernatural. No idea how any of this worked. And yet, there was something undeniable about the way his words stirred something deep inside her.

"That's... that's a lot to take in," she murmured, shaking her head slightly as she tried to process the weight of what he was saying. "I don't even know what that means. What do you want from me? To just accept this... fate?"

Dominic's lips curled into a slow, almost predatory smile, but his eyes remained serious. "I want you to understand. I want you to embrace what you are, Aria. You were never meant to be ordinary. You were always meant to lead."

The idea of leadership felt foreign to her. Aria had spent her whole life fighting to stay invisible, to blend in, to avoid standing out. But now, with every word Dominic spoke, that illusion shattered a little more.

"I don't understand why this has to be about... power," she said, her voice faltering as she tried to make sense of it. "Why can't it just be about me? About who I am, not some destiny that's been written for me before I even had a chance to live my life?"

Dominic's expression darkened, and for a brief moment, the intensity in his eyes made her feel small, insignificant. But there was something else there-something almost sorrowful, as if he understood exactly what she was feeling.

"Because it's never just about you, Aria," he said softly, almost too softly. "You're not the only one who has been bound by this fate. The Council, the packs-they all have a stake in this. What happens next will change everything for them, too. You're the last piece of the puzzle, and whether you accept it or not, your life will never be the same. Your choices will have consequences far beyond you."

Aria swallowed hard. Her mind raced, trying to catch up with the enormity of it all. It wasn't just about her. It wasn't just about a fairy tale romance or some simple contract. It was about the fate of an entire world she didn't even know existed-one that had been hidden from her until now.

She wanted to run. To walk out that door and never look back. But deep down, she knew that wouldn't be possible. Not anymore.

"Why don't you just tell me everything?" she asked, her voice steadying with the force of her own determination. "The prophecy, what Luna means, why it matters. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing here. You're talking about something bigger than me, something I don't understand, and I need to know."

Dominic leaned forward, his eyes never leaving hers. His expression softened again, the intensity ebbing away as he considered her words.

"Alright," he said finally, his voice low. "The prophecy is old, Aria. It's something that has been passed down through generations, whispered in the shadows of our world. It speaks of a Moonborn-a woman born under the right celestial alignment, with the ability to tip the scales between the old order and the new. A woman who can bring together the divided packs, unite them under one banner."

His eyes darkened as he spoke, the weight of his words settling heavily in the room. "But there's more. The prophecy also speaks of a great war-a war between the Council and the rebels who believe the old ways should be destroyed. The Council wants to maintain control, but the rebellion... They want to tear everything down, burn it all to the ground. And you, Aria, you're the one who will decide which side wins. You're the one who can either preserve the balance or destroy it."

Aria's breath caught in her throat as the gravity of his words sank in. She was the key. She was the one who could either save or destroy everything. It felt like too much, too fast. She wasn't ready for this. She didn't even know how to begin to understand what it all meant.

"But why me?" she whispered, the question rising unbidden on her lips. "I'm just... I'm just me. I've never done anything to be special. Why would I be the one to decide this?"

Dominic's gaze softened once more, and for the first time since she'd met him, he looked almost vulnerable. "Because you are more than you know, Aria. You were chosen for this, whether you believe it or not. The powers that be have been waiting for you. Your connection to the Moon isn't a coincidence. You were born to lead, to wield power, and to make this choice. It's in your blood. And the moment you accept it, everything will change."

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths. Aria's heart raced as she processed the weight of what he'd said. She didn't want to be this person-the one who had to make these impossible decisions. She just wanted to be Aria, to live her life in peace. But there was no turning back now. The world she had once known had slipped through her fingers, and there was no way to retrieve it.

Finally, she looked at Dominic, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of fear and resolve. "So, what now?"

He leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a small but knowing smile. "Now, you make your choice."

The weight of it settled around her like an invisible cloak. She had no idea what the right choice was, but one thing was clear-her life would never be the same again.

And the world of wolves, power, and destiny was waiting for her to step into it.