Aria stood frozen between two choices - run back to help Ren or follow Moira toward her fate. Another scream tore through the night. Her heart beat. "I have to help him," she decided, turning away from Moira. "So be it," the witch whispered, fading into mist. "We'll meet again when the moon is full." Aria ran down the path, Ren's amber pendant burning against her skin. She found him circled by four wolves, his shirt torn and bloody, but still fighting. "Run!" he yelled when he spotted her. Lyra smiled wickedly. "Too late for that."
A massive black wolf burst through the trees, sending Lyra's followers fleeing. Alpha Thorne had arrived, his eyes blazing with rage. Behind him came Kael, already half-shifted, and Dax moving quietly like a shadow. "Father," Ren gasped, holding his side. Alpha Thorne changed back to human form, his face thunderous with rage. "What is the meaning of this? An attack on my son?" Lyra dropped to her knees. "Alpha, I caught them coming back. I was only trying to—" "Silence!" Alpha Thorne roared. "Return to the house. All of you will be dealt with." The walk back was tense and quiet. Aria felt Kael's disapproving eyes burning into her back. When they reached the house, Alpha Thorne ordered everyone to the dining hall. "We will discuss this incident over dinner," he ordered. "Tonight was to be a celebration of our Luna candidates. Instead, I find betrayal and defiance." Aria sat between Kael and a bandaged Ren.
Dax took a seat directly across from her, his gray eyes unreadable. Lyra and her father, Beta Rayne, sat at the far end, heads bowed. Servants brought platters of roasted meat and veggies. No one spoke. The clinking of silverware rang in the tense silence. Finally, Alpha Thorne spoke. "Explain yourselves." Lyra immediately started into her version of events. "The omega seduced Ren to leave pack grounds. I was protecting pack interests—" "Lies!" Ren growled, wincing at the pain in his side. "Aria has a name," Kael said suddenly, startling everyone. "And she'll speak for herself." He turned to Aria, his green eyes challenging. "Won't you?" Aria felt everyone's eyes on her. This was Kael's test. Her throat went dry. "I went willingly with Ren," she admitted, her voice small at first, then getting stronger. "We trained, then visited Crescent Cliffs. We were returning when Lyra and her friends attacked us unprovoked." "She lies!" Lyra shouted. Aria felt something shift inside her.
The pendant warmed against her chest. Her fear disappeared, replaced by a strange, powerful calm. "I don't lie," she said, standing slowly. "You attacked us with four wolves against two. You told them to make me disappear." Her voice rang clearly through the hall. "You're the liar, Lyra." Gasps echoed around the table. Omegas never spoke this way to higher-ranked dogs. Kael's lips curved into a small, pleased smile. "How dare you!" Beta Rayne roared. "This omega has forgotten her place!" "Perhaps," Alpha Thorne said carefully, "it's you who's forgotten your place, Beta." He turned to Lyra. "Did you order an attack on a Luna candidate?" Lyra paled. "I... Alpha, she's an omega. She can't possibly—" "Answer the question," Dax interrupted, speaking for the first time. "Did you order the attack?" The room went quiet. Lyra's face twisted with hate as she stared at Aria. "Yes," she finally spat. "And I'd do it again. She doesn't belong here." "Then neither do you," Alpha Thorne stated. "You will be confined to your quarters until I decide your punishment." Guards removed a screaming Lyra from the hall. Beta Rayne followed, his face ashen. Aria sat down, legs shaking. Under the table, Kael's hand found hers and squeezed briefly. "You did well," he whispered. "Perhaps there's more to you than I thought, little omega."
The rest of dinner passed in a blur. Aria's mind raced between Ren's hurt, Moira's warning, and the strange feeling still coursing through her body. When finally released, she fled to her room. Sleep came fitfully. In her dreams, Aria stood in a moonlit clearing. A woman with sparkling violet eyes approached. "Remember who you are," the woman said, touching Aria's face. Pain burst behind her eyes. Images flashed—a baby wrapped in silver cloth, a rite under a blood moon, violet eyes just like the woman's, a pack torn apart by war. "You are not what they've told you," the woman whispered. "Your blood carries power beyond their understanding." "Who am I?" Aria asked. The woman smiled sadly. "My daughter." Aria woke with a start. Dawn light seeped through her window. Something warm trickled down her face. She touched her cheek and her fingers came away red with blood. A knock heard at her door. Kael entered without waiting for an answer. "Training begins at—" He stopped, eyes widening at the blood on her face. "What happened?" "Just a dream," Aria said, quickly wiping her face. Kael crossed the room in three strides, grabbing her chin and studying her face. "Dreams don't make you bleed." His touch sent heat through her body. The mark on her wrist pulsed. "I'm fine," she insisted, pulling away. "You're not," Kael said, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it.
"But you were strong last night. I respect strength." He moved closer, his green eyes intense. "Today's task will be harder. We're going to the Moonstone Temple." "Why?" "To test your connection to each of us," Kael stated. "The mate bond can be... influenced by certain rituals." Aria's heart raced. "You mean forced?" A strange look crossed Kael's face. "I would never force you, Aria. But I will win you." He leaned down, his lips nearly touching hers. "Last night you showed everyone you're not just a weak omega. Today, you'll show them you're worthy to be my Luna." Aria held her breath, stuck between fear and a strange excitement. "Get dressed," Kael demanded, stepping back. "Pack for three days. The practice begins at moonrise." After he left, Aria noticed a silver box on her desk that hadn't been there before. Inside was a note in beautiful script: "Remember who you are. Midnight. Whispering Grove." Next to the note lay a dagger with a handle made from bone.