Chapter 1 Blood Moon Betrayal

Nyra's POV

The moon was full tonight, and it was casting an ethereal glow over the clearing where generations of our pack had celebrated the Blood Moon Festival. Tonight, the air thrummed with magic and possibility.

Everyone was gathered, chit-chatting while the music kept playing. Aroma of sweet food filled the air, but the nerves flaring in my stomach didn't give it a chance.

I stood at the center of it all, smoothing down my dress that I'd spent weeks selecting. My dark was all down and adorned with the traditional silver leaves that marked me as a potential Luna. I was also wearing the silver necklace with a pendant that Draven gave me on my eighteenth birthday when we first acknowledged our bond.

"By the Goddess, stop fidgeting," Selene chided. She's been my best friend since childhood, almost like a sister. Her green eyes sparkled with warmth as she adjusted one of my silver leaves. "You're going to wear a hole in that beautiful dress."

"I can't help it," I whispered, watching the pack members mingling and dancing, "Something feels... different tonight."

Selene's laugh was light, musical. "Of course it does. It's not every day your childhood sweetheart claims you as his Luna." She squeezed my hands. "Draven adores you, Nyra. Everyone can see it in the way he looks at you."

I wanted to believe her. The bond between Draven and me had always been as natural as breathing. We'd grown up together, learning to shift beneath the same moon, running through these very woods until our paws were sore. I still remember the first time he'd kissed me, both of us barely sixteen, hidden behind the pack's training grounds. He'd tasted like wild berries and sunshine.

But lately, darkness has crept into our perfect story. Whispers followed me through the pack grounds, rumors that the Elders wanted Draven to consider other options, to forge alliances that would strengthen our pack's position. I'd tried to ignore them, but they clung to me like morning mist.

Draven wouldn't betray me, right?

"What if the Elders," I started.

"Stop." Selene's voice was firm. "The Elders can't override a fated mate bond. You know that." She brushed a strand of hair from my face, "Tonight's going to be perfect. You'll see."

The ceremonial drums began their ancient rhythm, deep and primal, silencing the festivities. My eyes locked on the raised platform that would witness another milestone in our pack's history.

Draven walked in, and my breath caught in my throat. He moved with the fluid grace of an Alpha, power rippling beneath his skin. His dark hair gleamed under the moonlight, and his storm-gray eyes held the strength that had made him the youngest Alpha in our pack's history. The sight of him still made my heart race, just as it had when we first met.

The Elders were right by his side, their faces as unreadable as stone.

Draven raised his hand, and the last whispers died away. His voice carried across the clearing, strong and sure. "Tonight, we gathered under the Blood Moon, sacred to our kind since the first wolf heard the Goddess's call." His words resonated with authority, making my wolf stir beneath my skin. "It is a time of truth, of new beginnings, and of destiny revealed."

Anticipation crackled through the air like lightning. I felt Selene's hand slip from mine as she stepped back, giving me space for what should be my moment.

Draven's eyes found mine in the crowd, and for a heartbeat, everything else faded away. But then I saw it, a flicker of something in his expression that made my blood run cold. Guilt. Pain. Resignation.

No. Please, no.

His jaw tightened, and when he spoke again, his words shattered my world. "Tonight, as Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, I must make a declaration." He paused, and at that moment, I knew. I knew with devastating certainty what was coming. "I, Draven Black, reject you, Nyra Storm, as my fated mate."

And my entire world came to a halt. That's not what he was supposed to say. This is not how things were supposed to happen. The crowd's gasps seemed distant, underwater. My chest constricted, my lungs struggled to draw breath.

"No, no" I rasped, frozen to my spot.

This can't be happening. This had to be a nightmare.

But the nightmare wasn't over.

Draven turned, extending his hand not to me, but to Selene. My best friend. My sister in all but blood. She glided forward with practiced grace, taking his hand as if she'd done it a thousand times before. No hesitation. No surprise.

"I declare Selene Crawford as my chosen Luna," Draven announced without any ounce of care towards me, his voice carrying a finality that made me feel like throwing up. The nausea was back and it had a good reason.

The betrayal cut deeper than any blade. Selene stood beside him, radiant in a dress I suddenly realized was new, a dress meant for this moment. She'd known. All this time, while helping me prepare, while soothing my fears, she'd known.

"Why?" I asked Draven, tears streaming down my cheeks.

My legs trembled beneath me as I stumbled backward. "You knew," I choked out, my voice raw as I turned to Selene. "You planned this."

Selene's smile was gentle, almost pitying. "It was never personal, Nyra," she said softly, her fingers intertwined with Draven's. "It's just how things had to be. The pack needs this alliance."

The words hit me like a slap. Never personal? She'd been at my home just yesterday, helping me choose jewelry for tonight. We'd laugh together, share secrets, dry each other's tears. And all along...

I couldn't breathe. The crowd's stares felt like brands on my skin. Some faces showed shock, others pity, and a few, the ones that hurt the most, showed something like satisfaction. How many had known about them? How long had they all been laughing behind my back?

"Nyra, wait," Draven called after me, but his voice held no command, no real desire to stop me.

I ran.

The forest swallowed me whole, branches slapping my face as I ran. Thorns were tearing the expensive dress, but I didn't care. I just kept running, each step taking me further away from the life I'd thought was mine. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn't slow down. I couldn't.

The physical pain was almost welcome, it gave me something to focus on besides the gaping hole in my chest where my heart used to be. How could they do this? Draven, who'd promised me forever under this very moon. Selene, who'd held my hand through every joy and sorrow since we were pups.

A sharp cramp in my lower abdomen made my steps stutter, forcing me to stop. Nausea hit me so hard as my eyes felt dizzy that I had to quickly rest on a tree. This sickness had been growing stronger over the past two weeks, but I'd been too caught up in tonight's preparations to face what it meant.

Now, alone in the dark forest, the truth couldn't be denied any longer. My hand drifted to my stomach, still flat but harboring a secret that changed everything.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered to the night, the words both a blessing and a curse. Draven's child grew within me, a child who would never know their father, never hold their rightful place in the pack.

The realization hit me. I couldn't stay. Not here, where every tree held a memory of Draven, where every path would remind me of Selene's betrayal. Not with a child who would be born into shame and whispers.

I wiped my tears with trembling hands, forcing steel into my spine. "I have to leave," I declared to the silent forest. "And I'm never coming back."

But the forest wasn't as empty as I'd thought.

A low growl cut through the night, followed by the unmistakable scent of rogues, wolves without pack, without honor, driven mad by their isolation. My heart lurched as shadows moved between the trees, drawing closer.

Terror gave me new strength as I ran, one hand pressed protectively against my stomach. The sounds of pursuit grew closer, snapping branches, heavy breathing, the slide of claws against bark.

"Moon Goddess," I prayed, my voice breaking, "protect us. Please, protect my child."

The rogues' snarls grew louder and hungrier. My legs burned with exhaustion but I pushed on. I had to survive. Not just for myself anymore, but for the innocent life within me.

I didn't look back. I couldn't. I just kept running without any assurance of surviving the night.