Moon Chosen

I never should have come.

The thought echoed in my mind as I perched in the ancient oak overlooking the gathering. Below, hundreds of wolves from our pack and visiting territories filled the sacred clearing, their excited murmurs carrying up to my hidden spot among the leaves. I'd chosen this tree carefully-far enough to remain unnoticed, high enough to see everything, but still within the boundaries required for pack attendance.

Not that anyone would notice if I wasn't here. The pack runt, the orphan herb witch, the girl who lived in the shadows. That's all I'd ever been to them.

My fingers absently traced the worn leather of my mother's journal, filled with her careful notes about healing plants and wolf lore. The only thing I had left of her, besides her lessons about herbs and the wild places where they grew. Those lessons kept me fed, barely. Trading healing salves and poultices for scraps of food and clothes, hunting small game when I could. It wasn't much of a life, but it was mine.

Earlier that day, I'd spent hours gathering moonflowers by the creek, knowing their healing properties would be strongest during tonight's ceremony. The delicate white petals had reminded me of my mother-she used to weave them into my hair when I was small, before the fever took both my parents in one cruel winter. "Beauty can bloom in the darkest places, little moon," she'd say. I hadn't felt beautiful in a long time.

The drums began, deep and primal, calling us to witness. Kieran Blake would become our Alpha today, following his father's death three months ago. I'd seen him from afar, of course-everyone had. He was everything an Alpha should be: powerful, commanding, beautiful in that dangerous way of apex predators. But I'd never been close enough to really look at him. Why would I? Someone like him would never notice someone like me.

I remembered the day his father died. The whole pack had felt it-a tremor in our bonds, a collective gasp of loss. I'd been in the forest, gathering herbs, when the howls began. Even then, I'd stayed away from the mourning ceremonies. My presence would only have been an unwelcome reminder of my parents' deaths, of the pack's failure to care for their own.

The ceremony began, ancient words echoing through the clearing as Kieran took his vows. His voice carried clearly-strong, unwavering. "I swear by moon and blood to protect this pack, to lead with wisdom and strength, to-"

Pain shot through my chest like lightning.

I clutched at my sternum, nearly losing my grip on the branch. What was happening? The pain spread, molten and insistent, but it wasn't exactly pain-it was something else. Something that made my wolf stir and whimper, desperate to break free.

When I managed to open my eyes, my heart stopped.

Kieran was staring directly at me.

His eyes blazed Alpha gold, but there was no warmth in them. Only shock, quickly morphing into disgust as the same realization that was dawning on me hit him. No. No, it couldn't be. The moon wouldn't be this cruel.

But my wolf knew. My body knew. Every cell in my being was screaming one word: Mate.

Moving like someone in a dream, I slipped down from my perch. The crowd parted as I walked forward, their whispers sharp as knives. I heard them all too clearly with my enhanced senses.

"Is that the orphan girl?"

"The herb witch?"

"She's nobody."

"Look how small she is-her wolf probably can't even hunt."

"Isn't she the one who lives in that shabby cabin by the creek?"

"How dare she interrupt the ceremony?"

Beta Marcus tried to stop me, his massive frame blocking my path. But I was used to being small, used to slipping through spaces others couldn't. I darted past him, my eyes never leaving Kieran's face. Each step closer made the pull stronger, until it was almost unbearable.

I stopped before him, having to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. He was so tall, so powerful, everything an Alpha should be. And I was... me. But it didn't matter. The moon had chosen.

"Mate," I whispered, the word carrying in the sudden silence.

The crowd erupted. Some laughed. Others shouted in outrage. But none of that penetrated the bubble of connection between us-until she stepped forward.

Selene Blackwood, daughter of the Northern Pack's Alpha, radiant in ceremonial silver. She took Kieran's hand possessively, and I watched the spell break in his eyes. Of course-everyone knew they were meant to unite the packs through marriage. She was everything I wasn't: tall, strong, politically valuable. Perfect.

His face hardened into a mask of cold authority. "I reject you."

Three words. Just three words, but they shattered my world.

The pain was immediate and all-consuming. My wolf, who had always been so quiet, so submissive, suddenly surged forward with a howl of agony. The change took me before I could fight it, faster and smoother than ever before. No cracking bones or tearing muscle-just a smooth transformation into my other form.

I heard the gasps. Even in my wolf form, I was small-barely larger than a regular dog. But my fur was pure white, marked with silver, and my eyes... I caught a glimpse in someone's shocked face: they blazed blood red.

My wolf took control then, turning us away from the mate who didn't want us. We ran, ignoring the shouts behind us, ignoring everything but the need to escape this pain.

Through the trees we flew, our small size allowing us to slip through spaces larger wolves couldn't follow. Behind us, I heard the commotion of the ceremony dissolving into chaos. Someone called for pursuit-Beta Marcus, probably-but my wolf knew these woods better than anyone. We'd spent years learning every hidden path, every secret hollow, while gathering herbs and avoiding the pack.

The full moon rode high above, its light catching on my white fur like flames on snow. The rejection burned through every nerve, every muscle, but my wolf pushed harder, faster. We needed to get away, to hide, to heal. Already I could feel the mate bond trying to form, even as it was simultaneously being torn apart by the rejection. It felt like being ripped in two.

We ran until we reached the creek where I'd gathered moonflowers that morning. The white petals glowed in the moonlight, beautiful and untouchable-like everything else I couldn't have. My legs finally gave out, and I collapsed by the water's edge.

The change took me again, leaving me human and shivering in the midnight air. I curled into myself, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to tear me apart. My wolf whimpered in our shared mind, as lost and broken as I was.

"Why?" I whispered to the moon. "Why would you make me his mate if I'm not worthy of him?"

Only silence answered, broken by the gentle sound of falling water. I didn't know then that this night would change everything-not just for me, but for the entire pack. I didn't know that my red-eyed wolf was more than just a curse, or that rejection wouldn't be the end of my story with Kieran Blake.

I only knew that I had to survive this pain. And somehow, find the strength to keep running.

Kieran

The moon mocked me.

I stood at my father's... no, *my* office window, staring at the silver orb that had just destroyed years of careful planning. My fingers clenched around the crystal tumbler, whiskey burning untouched at the bottom. The mate pull throbbed in my chest like an open wound, each pulse a reminder of *her*.

Luna Martinez. The pack runt. My mate.

"You had no choice," Selene murmured, lounging on the leather sofa, every inch the future Luna she was supposed to be. "The Northern and Silver Creek packs need this alliance. One little witch can't destroy generations of pack tradition."

Before I could respond, Marcus burst through the door without knocking, his usual composure shattered. The fury rolling off him filled the room with the scent of storm clouds and rage.

"Out," he growled at Selene, his beta authority crackling in the air.

Selene rose gracefully, though I caught the flash of anger in her eyes. "I'll leave you two to talk, darling," she purred, touching my arm as she passed. The contact felt wrong, like oil on water.

The door hadn't fully closed before Marcus rounded on me. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"Watch yourself, Beta," I warned, though the title felt hollow after fifteen years of friendship.

"No, you watch yourself," Marcus snarled, closing the distance between us. "You just rejected your mate. Your *mate*, Kieran. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

The mate pull twisted sharply, as if emphasizing his words. Somewhere in the territory, Luna was hurting. My wolf clawed at my insides, desperate to go to her.

"I did what was necessary," I ground out, knuckles white around the tumbler.

"Necessary?" Marcus barked a harsh laugh. "I've spent twenty years searching for my mate. Twenty years, Kieran. And you just threw yours away like she was nothing."

"She's not nothing," I snapped, then immediately regretted the admission.

"No, she's not," Marcus said quietly. "I saw her tonight. That white wolf... there's old magic there. Power. But more importantly, she's your *mate*. Sacred. Chosen by the moon itself."

I downed the whiskey in one burning gulp. "The pack needs-"

"The pack needs a strong Alpha," Marcus cut in. "And you're stronger with her. You know that. I can already feel the pack bonds straining."

He was right. The gossamer threads that connected me to each pack member felt stretched thin, vibrating with uncertainty. The rejection had weakened everything.

"The Northern alliance-"

"Fuck the Northern alliance!" Marcus slammed his hand on my desk. "Your father raised you to be a politician, but he's gone, Kieran. And you're not just rejecting Luna – you're rejecting yourself. Your wolf. Everything an Alpha should be."

The truth in his words cut deep. I turned back to the window, unable to meet his gaze. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?" Marcus's voice softened slightly. "I felt it too, you know. When she transformed. The whole pack did. That kind of power... it's meant to complement yours. To make you both stronger."

A howl pierced the night – high, lonely, full of pain. My wolf surged forward so violently I had to grip the window frame to stay upright.

"Listen to her," Marcus pleaded. "Really listen. That's your mate suffering. And for what? Politics? Your father's plans?"

"Get out," I whispered, my voice raw.

"Kieran-"

"That's an order, Beta."

Marcus was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with disappointment. "Your father wanted you to be a strong Alpha. But strength isn't just about making hard choices. Sometimes it's about making the right ones."

He left, closing the door quietly behind him. The soft click felt more damning than if he'd slammed it.

Another howl split the night. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, the mate pull a physical agony in my chest. My wolf was crying, mourning what we'd thrown away. The whiskey couldn't burn away the taste of her name on my tongue.

Luna. Mine. Not mine.

The moon continued its silent judgment as pack bonds stretched thinner with each of her cries. I'd chosen duty over destiny, politics over passion. Now I had to live with the consequences.

Even if they destroyed us both.

The elders were waiting. I could feel their impatience humming through the pack bonds, but I couldn't bring myself to move from the floor. Not yet. Not while Luna's howls still echoed through the territory, each one a dagger to my chest.

A knock at the door. Different this time – lighter, hesitant.

"Alpha?" It was Sarah, the youngest of the pack healers. Her scent carried worry and... fear? "I'm sorry to disturb you, but... it's about Luna."

My head snapped up. "What about her?"

"She's..." Sarah swallowed audibly. "The rejection is affecting her differently than we expected. Her magic... it's doing something strange to the forest."

I forced myself to my feet, ignoring how my wolf snarled at the movement away from Luna's direction. "Explain."

"The moonflowers are blooming out of season. All of them. Everywhere she runs, they're bursting open. And the herbs in her garden... they're growing and dying in cycles, like they're breathing. Elder Rebecca says she's never seen anything like it."

The mate pull tugged sharply, as if trying to draw me to witness this phenomenon myself. I dug my claws into my palms again, using the pain to focus.

"Keep watching her," I ordered, hating myself for the words. "But don't approach. That's an order for the whole pack."

"Yes, Alpha." Sarah paused at the door. "But... she's in pain. We can all feel it."

*I can feel it more than any of you*, I wanted to shout. Instead, I straightened my shoulders. "The council is waiting."

The walk to the council chamber felt longer than ever. Pack members scurried out of my way, their eyes downcast, their submission tinged with uncertainty. They could sense the wrongness, the way the rejection had corrupted what should have been a night of celebration.

Selene waited outside the council doors, her silver dress gleaming like a battle standard. "There you are, darling. I was beginning to worry." She reached for my arm, but I stepped away, unable to bear her touch while Luna's pain sang through my blood.

"Not now, Selene."

"But-"

"I said not now." My voice carried the Alpha command without meaning to, making her flinch.

Inside, the council chamber felt like a tomb. Five elders, five judges, their faces carved from stone. My father's empty seat at the head of the table made my chest tight in a different way than the mate's pull.

"Alpha Kieran." Elder Rebecca spoke first, her ancient voice carrying the weight of tradition. "The pack bonds grow weaker with each passing hour. Explain yourself."

I stood before them, shoulders back, chin high. Every inch the Alpha they needed me to be. Every inch the son my father had raised. Every inch a liar.

"The pack's needs come first," I recited, the words tasting like ash. "The alliance with the Northern Pack is crucial for our survival."

"The pack's needs?" Elder Rebecca's laugh was brittle as dead leaves. "Look around you, young Alpha. Look what your choice has already wrought."

She gestured to the windows, and for the first time, I noticed the strange light filtering through. The moon's usual silver glow had taken on a reddish tinge, as if reflecting Luna's wolf eyes. Or perhaps reflecting her pain.

"This is temporary," I insisted, but my words sounded hollow even to my own ears.

"Like these are temporary?" Elder James thrust a handful of reports across the table. Pack incident reports, their pages still warm from the printer. My fingers shook slightly as I picked them up.

Sector 3: All vegetation growing at accelerated rates

Sector 7: Pack bonds unstable, younger wolves reporting physical discomfort

Sector 9: Wildlife behaving erratically, drawn to areas of recent Luna Martinez sightings

"She's just one wolf," I growled, but the mate pull flared at my lies. "Small. Weak. She can't-"

A commotion outside interrupted me. The council chamber doors burst open, and Marcus strode in again, his face grim.

"You need to see this," he said, not bothering with titles or formalities. "All of you."

The scene at the pack borders stunned even me into silence. Where Luna had fled into the forest, a path of moonflowers stretched as far as the eye could see, their petals glowing with an inner light. But it wasn't just the flowers. The trees themselves seemed to bend toward her trail, as if drawn by her passage. And the air... it crackled with ancient magic, power that called to my wolf like a siren's song.

"Still think she's weak?" Marcus muttered, low enough that only I could hear.

Elder Rebecca touched one of the moonflowers, and it chimed softly, releasing a shower of luminescent pollen. "In all my years," she whispered, "I've never seen such power. The old magic... it awakens at her touch."

"The Northern Pack brings warriors," Elder Sarah spoke up, her young voice carrying clearly in the night air. "But she brings magic we'd thought was lost to time. Which is truly more valuable to our survival?"

The mate pull surged again, and this time I couldn't hide my physical reaction. I doubled over, claws extending involuntarily. Through the haze of pain, I heard Selene's sharp intake of breath.

"Kieran?" Her hand touched my shoulder, and my wolf nearly snapped at her. Wrong touch. Wrong scent. Wrong mate.

"Don't," I managed to growl.

Another howl split the night, closer this time. The moonflowers trembled in response, their glow intensifying. And beneath our feet, I swore I could feel the earth itself pulse in rhythm with Luna's cries.

"The choice is made," I forced out, straightening despite the agony. "The alliance stands."

"Then may the Moon Mother have mercy on us all," Elder Rebecca sighed. "Because you've just rejected not only your mate, but perhaps the most powerful wolf our pack has seen in generations."

I turned away from their judgmental stares, from Marcus's disappointment, from Selene's calculating gaze. But I couldn't turn away from the mate pull. From the knowledge that with every step Luna took away from us, she took something vital with her. Something that belonged to me - to us - by the moon's own choice.

The night stretched ahead, dark and endless, filled with the song of her pain and the answering chorus of a forest awakening to her power. And somewhere in the darkness, a white wolf ran, leaving magic in her wake and taking my heart with her, whether I admitted it or not.

Luna

The yarrow refused to yield its healing properties.

I stared at the wilting plant in my hands, trying to ignore how my fingers trembled. Once, coaxing medicine from herbs had been as natural as breathing. Now, like everything else since that night, it felt wrong. Broken.

"Come on," I whispered, pushing what little energy I had into the plant. "Please."

The yarrow's leaves curled inward, rejecting my magic. Just like-

No. I wouldn't think about him. About the rejection. About how every heartbeat felt like glass in my chest. About how he might force me to leave if my magic kept spiraling out of control.

The thought made my hands shake harder. Already, plants were responding strangely to my presence. Moonflowers blooming out of season. Vines creeping across walls unbidden. What if it got worse? What if-

A knock at my cabin door made me jump, the yarrow falling from my nerveless fingers. No one had visited in the three days since the ceremony. Not that I'd expected them to.

"Luna?" The voice was hesitant. Sarah, the young pack healer. "I... I have a patient who needs help."

My wolf stirred for the first time since our run, interested despite her pain. Healing. Purpose. Something to focus on besides the agony of rejection and the terrifying way my magic seemed to have a mind of its own now.

"Coming," I called, hastily wiping my hands on my worn jeans. They still trembled.

Sarah stood on my porch, shifting nervously. Behind her, supporting a limping teenager, was Beta Marcus. His presence made my wolf curl into herself, remembering how he'd tried to stop us that night.

"What happened?" I asked, professional mask sliding into place. Inside, fear clawed at my throat. If my magic acted up in front of the Beta...

"Training accident," Marcus answered, his eyes studying me too intently. "Thomas here thought he could take on two dominants at once. His knee's swollen worse than any normal injury should be."

I gestured them inside, noting how Sarah's eyes widened at the abundance of flowering plants that had overtaken my small cabin since that night. They grew wild now, responding to my turbulent emotions rather than my will. Each new bloom felt like evidence that could be used against me.

"On the couch," I directed, already reaching for my supplies. The familiar motions helped steady my hands, but I couldn't stop glancing at the writhing vines along the walls. Would Marcus report this to his Alpha? Would this be what finally drove me from the only home I'd ever known?

Thomas whimpered as Marcus helped him sit. The knee was indeed swollen, angry red lines spider-webbing from the joint. Not a normal training injury at all.

"You fought with James and Peter, didn't you?" I asked, recognizing the magical signature in the wound. The two dominant wolves were known for fighting dirty, embedding magic in their attacks.

Thomas nodded miserably.

"I thought so." I reached for the wound, then hesitated. Would my magic even work now? The yarrow's rejection still stung. And worse – what if it worked too well? What if it revealed just how much I'd changed?

"You can do it," Sarah whispered, and I realized she'd seen my hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hands on Thomas's knee. Immediately, my senses lit up with wrongness – twisted magic tangled in the muscle and bone. Before the rejection, I would have teased it out gently, a delicate healing that would leave no trace.

Now... now my magic felt different. Stronger. Wilder. Dangerous.

The plants around us began to stir, responding to power they sensed. A vine of moonflowers – which shouldn't even be growing indoors – crept across the floor toward us. My heart pounded. If the Alpha saw this, saw how I couldn't even control simple healing magic anymore...

"Luna?" Marcus's voice held a warning note.

"It's fine," I said, though it wasn't. Nothing was fine. My magic was changing, growing into something I didn't understand and couldn't control. Something that might get me exiled if I couldn't master it. "Just... different."

I closed my eyes and reached for the healing magic, praying I could keep it gentle. It came in a rush, not the gentle stream I was used to but a torrent. The moonflower vine wrapped around Thomas's leg, its blossoms glowing red-silver. I tried to pull back, to moderate the flow, but it was like trying to stop a flood with my bare hands.

Thomas gasped. Sarah made a small, shocked sound. Even Marcus took a step back.

When I opened my eyes, the swelling was gone. So was any trace of injury. And Thomas... Thomas was staring at me with a mixture of awe and fear. The same fear I felt growing in my own chest.

"That was..." Sarah breathed. "I've never seen healing like that."

"Neither have I," I admitted quietly. The power thrumming under my skin felt foreign. The rejection hadn't weakened my magic as I'd expected. Instead, it had transformed it into something ancient. Something wild.

Something that might very well get me banished if I couldn't learn to control it.

Marcus's calculating gaze told me he was thinking the same thing. How long until he reported to his Alpha? How long until I was called before the council to explain why plants grew wild at my touch and healing magic poured out like a storm?

I fought to keep my hands steady as I helped Thomas stand. One day at a time. That's all I could manage right now. One day at a time, and pray that I could master this new magic before it cost me everything I had left.

Marcus cleared his throat, still watching the glowing moonflower vine. "You've always been talented, Luna, but this is..."

"Different," I finished softly, drawing away from Thomas. "I know."

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "The magic feels..."

"Wild," Thomas blurted out, then immediately ducked his head when Marcus shot him a sharp look. "I mean... thank you for healing me."

I forced a smile I didn't feel. "Just be more careful with your training partners next time."

"About that," Marcus said, his deep voice taking on an official tone that made my wolf bristle. "James and Peter shouldn't have been using enhanced attacks during practice. I trust you'll report any lingering effects?"

The question carried weight beyond simple concern for Thomas's health. I recognized the careful probe for what it was – the Beta testing how much of a threat I might pose.

"Of course," I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the fresh wave of fear. "Though there shouldn't be any. The healing was... thorough."

Sarah stepped closer, her healer's curiosity overtaking her initial hesitation. "How did you do that with the moonflowers? I've never seen plant magic integrated into healing before."

"I didn't exactly mean to," I admitted, watching as the vine slowly retreated. "It just... happened."

"Things just 'happening' could be dangerous," Marcus observed quietly. "The Alpha will need to-"

"I'll learn to control it," I cut in, perhaps too quickly. The plants around us shivered in response to my spike of anxiety, and I forced myself to take a deep breath. "I mean... I'm working on it."

Thomas shifted awkwardly on his newly-healed leg. "It doesn't feel dangerous. It feels... kind of nice, actually. Like spring."

"Spring doesn't belong inside houses," Marcus countered, but his expression had softened slightly. "Luna, you know I have to report this."

My heart clenched. "I know," I whispered, then straightened my spine. "But I'm still the pack healer. Magic or no magic, altered or not, I have responsibilities."

"No one's questioning your dedication," Sarah interjected, shooting Marcus a look that surprised me with its boldness. "Right, Beta Marcus?"

He sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "No, we're not. But Luna... be careful. The council is already unsettled by recent events. This could..."

"Make things worse?" I finished bitterly. "Believe me, I know. Is there anything else you need? Any other signs of my instability you'd like to document?"

The words came out sharper than I'd intended. A potted herb on the windowsill suddenly sprouted thorns.

"Luna," Sarah murmured, distress coloring her tone. "He's just doing his job."

"And I'm just trying to do mine," I replied, exhaustion seeping into my voice. "Despite everything."

Marcus studied me for a long moment. "You know," he said finally, "some might see this development as a gift rather than a curse."

"Those people," I responded quietly, "probably haven't seen the Alpha's face when something disrupts his perfectly ordered world."

The words hung in the air between us. Sarah inhaled sharply. Thomas looked at his feet. And Marcus... Marcus's expression held something that might have been pity.

"Come on," he said to Thomas, gesturing toward the door. "Your mother will be wondering where you are. Sarah?"

She hesitated. "I could stay, help you organize your herbs..."

The offer of companionship almost broke me. "Thank you," I managed. "But I think I need some time alone."

"Of course," she nodded, but pressed a small pouch into my hands. "Chamomile. For sleeping. The normal kind – no magic required."

I clutched the pouch like a lifeline. "Sarah..."

"I know you do not have many friends or none at all, i will be your friend if it pleases you" she whispered fiercely. "No matter what anyone says. No matter what... changes."

After they left, I sank to the floor among my wild, uncontrolled plants. The moonflower vine crept back toward me, its blossoms still faintly glowing.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered to the empty room.

The only answer was the soft rustle of leaves as my magic continued to transform the world around me, one bloom at a time.

A knock at the door startled me from my misery. My heart lurched – had Marcus returned already with orders from the Alpha?

But the scent that drifted through the cracks was familiar in a different way. Mae. The pack's eldest female, though she held no official position.

"I know you're in there, little healer," she called, her gravelly voice tinged with amusement. "And I know why you're sitting on the floor feeling sorry for yourself."

Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because that's exactly where I found your grandmother thirty years ago, when her magic changed."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I scrambled to my feet, yanking the door open. "What did you say?"

Mae stood on my porch, her silver hair gleaming in the afternoon light. Her eyes – still sharp despite her advanced age – fixed on the rioting plants behind me.

"Well," she mused, "yours seems a bit more... enthusiastic than hers was. May I come in?"

I stepped back wordlessly, mind spinning. My grandmother had died before I was born. I'd always been told my healing gifts came from her, but no one had ever mentioned...

"Your plants are afraid," Mae observed, settling into my one comfortable chair. "They're trying to protect you."

I looked around at the thorny growths, the twisting vines. "They're out of control."

"No." Mae's voice was firm. "They're responding exactly as they should. You're the one fighting it."

"Fighting what?" The words came out more desperately than I'd intended. "I don't understand what's happening to me."

"Sit," she patted the ottoman beside her chair. "It's time you learned about the White Healers."

A chill ran down my spine. "The what?"

"You've noticed your wolf's coloring, I assume? Rather distinctive, especially for one so recently... transformed."

I wrapped my arms around myself, remembering the shock of seeing my reflection that night. My wolf had always been grey, unremarkable. But after the rejection...

"White as moonlight," Mae nodded, as if hearing my thoughts. "Just like your grandmother's. Just like mine, once upon a time."

"Yours?" I whispered.

She smiled, and for a moment I glimpsed the young woman she must have been. "Oh yes. Though I was never as powerful as you're becoming. The gift shows itself differently in each generation. Your grandmother's affinity was with herbs – she could grow anything, anywhere. Mine was with bones and blood. But you..."

Her eyes tracked the moonflower vine as it crept closer, drawn to our conversation. "You have an affinity for life itself, it seems."

"That's not-" I shook my head. "I can't even control it. The Alpha will-"

"The Alpha," Mae cut in, "knows nothing of our history. None of them do, not anymore. They've forgotten what it means when a healer's wolf turns white. When the old magic awakens."

"What does it mean?"

Mae leaned forward, her expression intense. "It means, my dear, that you are exactly what this pack needs. Whether they know it or not. Whether *he* knows it or not."

A bang from outside made us both jump. Mae's expression shifted to one of concern.

"We should go to the dining hall," Mae suggested, her eyes too knowing. "You haven't eaten properly in days."

My stomach twisted. "I can't. Everyone will-"

"Avoid you? Whisper? Stare?" She stood, offering her hand. "Better to face it now, with me, than alone later."

She was right, of course. But knowing that didn't make it easier when we entered the dining hall and the usual dinner chatter died. Wolves who'd known me my entire life suddenly found their plates fascinating. Others openly shifted away as we passed.

My wolf whimpered. *Pack. Family. Why?*

"Head high," Mae murmured. "You've done nothing wrong."

We collected our food in silence. I tried not to notice how the serving wolf – Katie, who'd come to me just last week for help with her morning sickness – refused to meet my eyes.

The only table with space was near the back, close to the council's private dining room. Mae steered me toward it, her grip on my arm brooking no argument.

I'd barely taken two bites when the voices drifted out.

"The Northern Pack's delegation arrives next week," a male voice – Elder Richards – said. "Everything must be perfect."

"The mating ceremony preparations are well underway." The female voice was Selene's mother, Amanda. "My daughter has chosen the traditional red and gold theme, of course. Very fitting for a future Luna."

The food turned to ash in my mouth. My wolf howled in our shared mind, the sound full of such anguish that several nearby wolves flinched.

"Kieran seems... distracted lately." Elder Richards again. "The rejection bond-"

"Will fade," Amanda cut in sharply. "That's what rejection is for, after all. Once he and Selene complete the mating ceremony, any lingering effects will disappear. The pack will have a proper Luna, one who understands her place."

The fork in my hand bent. Around us, the potted plants that decorated the dining hall began to wither.

"Breathe," Mae whispered. "Just breathe."

But I couldn't. Because Selene's voice had joined the conversation, sweet as poison.

"I've chosen my dress already," she was saying. "White, of course. Pure. Untainted. Not like..." She laughed softly. "Well. We all know what happened with *her*."

The glass of water beside my plate shattered.

Heads turned. Whispers started. Through the blur of tears I refused to let fall, I saw Katie take an actual step back from our table, fear plain on her face.

"I can't," I choked out. "Mae, I can't-"

"Luna?"

The new voice was young, uncertain. I looked up to find Sarah standing there, a tray in her hands. Behind her, Thomas shifted nervously.

"We thought..." Sarah glanced at the other tables, then lifted her chin. "We thought we might join you?"

"There's plenty of other seats," someone called out. "Empty ones. Away from the *reject*."

My wolf snarled, but before I could say anything, Thomas surprised me.

"Good," he said loudly. "Then no one will mind if we sit here. Since you're all so busy avoiding the healer who saved my leg today. The one who's helped every single one of you at some point."

He sat down firmly beside me. Sarah took the seat opposite, her usually shy face set in determined lines.

"The plants," Mae murmured in warning.

I looked around and realized the withered plants were now growing thorns. Long, sharp ones, pointed toward the other tables.

"Sorry," I whispered, trying to rein in my pain, my power. "I'm trying to control it."

"Don't apologize," Thomas said fiercely. "Not for this. Not for them."

But I could still hear them in the council room, discussing flowers and guest lists and how lovely Selene would look beside him. My wolf was clawing at my insides, desperate to run, to hide, to do anything to escape the knowledge that in one week, we would watch our mate bind himself to another.

Sarah reached across the table and gripped my hand. "We're here," she said simply. "Whatever happens, we're here."

The thorns slowly retracted. Not because I was any less broken, but because for the first time since that night, I wasn't completely alone.

Even if next week would shatter what was left of my heart