Zyra paced up and down her room ,her muscles still humming with the thrill of the fight. Damn Omega. Liora had no business stepping onto the Border ground, yet she stood there like she belonged—like she wasn't beneath her, i am an Alpha and she is just an omega , she should know her place even if she is also a true blood.
"You should have tortured her more."
Kael , zyra's beta , childhood friend and warrior said with his sharp voice, cutting through the tension still lingering in the air. Zyra turned to face him, her Beta's golden eyes burning with frustration.
"She had no right to be there," he continued. "And you. why did you hesitate?"
Zyra clenched her jaw. "I didn't hesitate."
Kael scoffed. "You let her walk away."
Her fingers curled into fists. He was right. She should have put Liora in her place. But something about the way their wolves had clashed, the way her instincts had screamed not yet, made her stop.
It infuriated her
"Stop questioning me kael" she snapped.
Kael sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe not. But you need to hear this." He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "The Fated Moon is tonight."
Zyra groaned. "Spare me."
Kael smirked. "You're not getting out of it."
The Fated Moon—an ancient night where mates were revealed by the Moon Goddess. A binding, sacred event. Zyra had never cared for it. She had no interest in some forced connection that would make her weak.
She was an Alpha.
Alphas didn't need mates.
And the fact that the Moonveil Pack shared the same sacred ground made it even more unbearable.
Kael's smirk widened. "I can already see you sulking when the Goddess decides your fate."
Zyra rolled her eyes. "The Goddess decides nothing for me."
As she said those words, something inside her stirred and she didn't like it one bit.
Before she could detangle herself from the feeling, a messenger knocked.
"Come in" zyra urged
The messenger knelt and went on to deliver a message "The Elders and your mother summon you, Alpha."
Zyra sighed, already knowing what this was about. She shot Kael a look. "If they try to lecture me about mates, I'm ripping someone's throat out."
Kael chuckled. "Be nice. They raised you."
That much was true. After her mother died, her mother's Beta and elders had taken her in, shaping her into the Alpha she was today. Her mother's Beta, whom she now referred to as mother, was the only one whose words she actually listened to, the elders being just lucky.
Which was exactly why she was dreading this conversation.
---
The room smelled of aged parchment and burning incense. Zyra stood before the Lunarion Elders, her arms crossed as they regarded her with knowing expressions.
"You know why you're here," the eldest of them said.
Zyra exhaled. "If this is about the Fated Moon—"
"It is," another elder cut in. "It is time."
"For what?" She challenged .
"To be mated."
Her stomach twisted, but she kept her face blank.
"An Alpha cannot rule alone," the first elder continued. "The pack needs two leaders—the Alpha and her Luna."
Zyra scoffed. "I've led alone just fine."
One of the elders shook their head. "A pack is strongest when its Alpha has balance. You are powerful, Zyra. But even the strongest warriors need something to anchor them and handle their ruts , we are tired of you wrecking every Omega you have slept with in your rut, only your fated mate can handle how you do it, which I have always wanted to ask how….."
"Enough" Celestine a Hazel eyed middle aged woman , the late luna's Beta spoke out with her eye on the elder ,"whom zyra plays with or how she plays with them is none of your business, we all know zyra doesn't have a thing for men, there is no need to voice it as a concern In this matter."
Zyra immediately bit back the retort rising to her lips after hearing her mother speak on her behalf.
"My dear", celestine called out , "having a mate is a blessing and the elders are not wrong, you need one , so i want you to relax and prepare okay?"
But mother… zyra wanted to protest again
"No zyra I will not listen to you now, go and rest , you look so unkept" she Cut in.
Defeated , zyra sighed If they believed a mate was necessary… maybe they were right.
Maybe.
Her fingers twitched at her sides.
She hated this.
But she nodded. "Fine. I'll prepare for tonight."
Celestine smiled. "Good."
As Zyra turned to leave, something in her gut whispered that this night would change everything.
And for the first time in her life—
That unsettled her.
‐‐‐
Very deep in the forbidden forest, there was a village and in it's edge, a fortress stood tall and mighty. It looked ancient , bathed with shadows and little moon light glazed on it.
At the highest tower , a single room flickered with candle light . The scent of fine aged wine and something primal and darker filled the room.
Seated on a throne of bones , Veyron Deuce. The Vampire King of centuries, existing for many years and generations ,yet he never ages , his crimson eyes gleaming like fresh blood, under the silver glow of the moon
"The Fated Moon For centuries I have waited for that Omega , maybe the goddess thought I would die by the time she would reveal her , she took a long time" he smirked. "The Moon Goddess doesn't know when to give up , does she?" His voice was rich, deep and laced with amusement.
A low chuckle came from behind him , Valden, the Vampire king's second in command ,his loyal and obedient informant , stood in the dim light , his dark cloak damped from the night's Journey of spying on the werewolves, he brought his master what he loves the most , information and Werewolf blood.
Veyron turned to him slowly, his eyes raking over the young man's slender form , "You've done well , My good boy." he purred , his tone dipped into something dangerously sweet.
He rose from his throne in a single swift move, it was as if a shadow came to life , his presence so overwhelming, in one quick move , he was upon valden – pinning him against the cold stone wall.
A sharp inhale left Valden's ips, but he didn't move , not an inch, he wouldn't dare. Not when his master's voice is so hypnotic and gets him wrapped up .
"You deserve a reward" veyron murmured and tilted valden's chin up with a single finger. "And I do enjoy rewarding my pets…"
His lips brushed against Valden's Jaw , teasing , deliberate, a promise and a threat ,all in one. He trailed lower and stopped at his neck , feeling his pulse quicken with anticipation and fear.
Then he smirked ,knowing the effect he had on the boy , very cruel and sinister.
In one swift move the vampire king dropped him on the Bed….
‐‐‐
The air was thick with tension as both packs arrived at the border grounds—the only place the Moon Goddess reveals the fated bonds.
The Moonveil Pack stood to the right, their warriors cloaked in silver and blue, their expressions unreadable. Liora, at the front, felt her heart hammer against her ribs.
To the left, the Lunarion Pack gathered, their presence dark and imposing. Zyra stood tall, arms crossed, her face carefully void of emotion.
Though the two packs despised each other, they had no choice but to obey the Goddess's will. Once every twenty years, the Fated Moon called them to this sacred ground. If they wanted to find their mates, they had to endure each other's presence.
A great circle of open land stretched between them, bathed in the moon's silvery glow. No shadows, no cover—only fate, waiting to be revealed.
The whispers began.
The Moon starts shining brightly which signifies the beginning of the ritual.
The time had come.
Everyone fell silent , the gathered wolves observed the full moon hung high above them, its glow so bright that it casted bright light like silver sheen over the grounds. The air shifted and was instantly filled with thick ancient power that sends a feeling of excitement and shiver through even the most hard headed warriors.
Then, it began.
Soft hums echo through the grounds, like a song carried by the wind, it vibrates across the sacred grounds. The moonlight grew bright and brighter till it reached its brightest, almost blinding the wolves, the ground starts to tremble with the energy.
One after the other, the unmated wolves felt it, a string tugging their chests, pulling them to the ones they love and the ones they are to love ,warmth spreads through their veins.
Liora's breath seized. Her wolf twirled, she was restless, yearning. The sensation was intoxicating like wine, like a call she couldn't say no to.
Zyra, who stood amongst her pack, felt it too. Her wolf let our a deep growl as an invisible force cuddled her, pulling her toward something or someone.
The moonlight intensified , swirling like fog, seeking out the chosen fated mates. Gasps echoed across the field as wolves met the gaze of their mates—some with joy, others with surprise.
And then, it happened.
The moonlight shore and fell on two figures.
Their own was more like horror and surprise.
Liora.
Zyra.
Their eyes locked from afar , and in that moment
They knew ..
It was undeniable and unmistakable
The bond had engulfed them, invisible but unbreakable. Liora's breath left her lungs. Zyra's hands clenched into fists.
The Goddess had spoken.
Fate had chosen.
And the worst part?
They were each other's mates.