Nova waited until midnight when the pack slept. The blue glow on her wrist had faded, but her skin still tingled where the mark had appeared. More importantly, Zane's note burned in her pocket all evening. When Cook finally started snoring, Nova slipped from her tiny room behind the kitchen. Outside, the winter moon hung bright and full, lighting her way. The note from Zane had only five words: "Library. Midnight. Use the tunnel." Nova had no idea what tunnel he meant. She'd been sneaking into the library for years and never seen one. Her heart beat fast as she crept past the warriors' rooms. If found outside after curfew, an omega would face punishment. But something about her strange meeting with the Alpha and then Zane made her brave tonight. The library stood silent in the moonlight. Nova pushed the heavy door open, wincing at its creak. Inside, the familiar smell of old books calmed her jitters. She climbed the spiral stairs to her secret spot, touching the silver locket around her neck for courage. "You came." Nova jumped, nearly falling back down the stairs. Zane stepped from the darkness, his tall figure blocking the moonlight from the window. Unlike his brothers, who were always in training clothes or fancy pack outfits, Zane wore simple clothes—dark pants and a green shirt that matched his eyes. "You scared me!" Nova whispered. Zane's lip twitched like he might smile. "Sorry. Not many wolves come here, especially at night." "Except you," Nova said, suddenly feeling shy. Why would an Alpha's son talk to an omega? "And you." Zane stepped closer, studying her face. "How long have you been sneaking in here?" Nova paused. Was this a trick? "A few years," she revealed. "What do you read about?" "Everything. History. Pack rules. Old stories." She didn't mention the curse books. Zane nodded. "Show me your favorite hiding spot." Nova blinked in surprise but led him to her window spot. She pulled out her special book from under the floorboard, then froze. Should she really show an Alpha's son? "I won't tell," Zane said softly, as if reading her thoughts. Nova gave him the book. "Ancient Wolf Bloodlines and Curses." Zane's eyes widened as he flipped through pages. "Where did you find this?" "Back corner, bottom shelf. Nobody ever looks there." He studied the Triple Moon picture. "This symbol... you're drawn to it?" Nova nodded. "It's in my dreams sometimes. A frozen wolf howling under three moons." Zane closed the book carefully. "Nova, do you know what tomorrow's ceremony really means?" "The Mate Reveal? It's when dogs find their fated pairs. Everyone knows Selene expects to match with one of you three." Zane's face clouded. "My father has his plans. But the Moon Goddess has hers." He glanced at her wrist where the blue glow had been. "Have you noticed anything... strange lately?" Nova's hand covered her wrist. "No," she lied. Zane studied her for a moment. "I need to show you something. The tunnel." He led her down the stairs and behind a huge bookshelf. With a push, the shelf swung open like a door, showing a dark passage. "How did you—" "I've spent more time here than anyone," Zane said. "Follow me." Nova paused only a second before ducking into the tunnel. It was pitch black except for a small light Zane carried. The walls were rough stone, and the floor sloped downhill. "Where are we going?" Nova whispered. "The true library." After what felt like ages, they reached a wooden door with strange symbols carved into it. Zane put his hand on the center carving—a wolf with antler-like marks above its head. The door swung open. Nova gasped. The room beyond was twice the size of the upper library. Books lined every wall from floor to sky. Glass cases held old scrolls. In the middle stood a round table with a map carved into its surface. "What is this place?" Nova breathed. "The Alpha Knowledge Chamber. Only pack leaders and their heirs know about it." Zane watched her carefully. "No omega has ever been here." Nova stepped back. "Then I shouldn't—" "But you belong here. I feel it." Zane led her to a specific shelf. "These books are about curses. Real curses that have affected wolf packs for ages." Nova ran her fingers along the spines, joy bubbling inside her. One book seemed to call to her—a small volume bound in blue leather. When she touched it, the spot on her wrist tingled again. "This one," she whispered. The book's title was simple: "The Luna Curse." Nova opened it, hands shaking. Inside was a detailed drawing of the Triple Moon symbol and beneath it, words written in an old language. "I can't read this," she said. "It's Ancient Wolf. Most can't read it anymore." Zane pointed to a paragraph. "This talks about a curse put on a powerful bloodline. Their wolves would look weak, their scent would mark them as omega, but in truth, they carried the strongest Alpha blood." Nova's heart skipped. "Why would someone curse their own family to seem weak?" "Protection. If your enemies think you're safe..." "They leave you alone," Nova finished. She turned the page and gasped. There was a picture of a female wolf with a crescent mark on her wrist—exactly where Nova's blue glow had appeared. "Zane, this looks like—" A loud howl cut through the night, close to the library. They both froze. "Patrol guards," Zane whispered. "We need to leave." Nova clutched the book. "Can I take this?" Zane paused, then nodded. "Hide it well. If anyone finds you with it—" "They won't." Nova slipped it into her dress pocket. They rushed back through the tunnel. Just as they reached the main library, voices echoed from the door. "Someone's inside. I saw a light," a rough voice said. Zane pulled Nova behind a shelf. "Back exit. Through the history part," he whispered. "I'll distract them." "But you'll get in trouble—" "I'm the Alpha's son. They won't question me." He squeezed her hand. "Go. And Nova? Whatever happens tomorrow at the ceremony... be brave." Nova wanted to ask what he meant, but footsteps approached. She slipped between shelves toward the back door. Behind her, she heard Zane greeting the guards. "Evening check. Couldn't sleep so I came to read." Nova escaped into the night, heart pounding as she raced back to the kitchen rooms. The book felt heavy in her pocket. Safe in her tiny room, she pulled out "The Luna Curse" and a small candle. The flame cast dancing shadows as she looked for pages she could understand. Near the back, she found a page in everyday language. It explained a ritual under the Triple Moon that could break any curse. The final line made her blood freeze: "When the omega shows her worth, when the heir finds his truth, when the mate bond defies pack law—only then will the frozen wolves be free." Nova's hands shook. Frozen wolves—just like in her dreams. And tomorrow was the Mate Reveal Ceremony. She turned to the final page and found a family tree. Most names were faded, but at the bottom, one name stayed clear: "Nova Moonblood." Her name. Not Nova Reed, the orphaned omega girl who cleaned pots. Nova Moonblood. The book slipped from her hands as the blue glow returned to her wrist—brighter now, forming a perfect crescent moon shape. Outside her window, clouds parted to show the winter moon, full and bright. Tomorrow everything would change. What she didn't see was Selene watching from the shadows outside her window, eyes narrowed with hate as she spotted the glowing mark. "So it's true," Selene whispered, slipping away into the darkness. "Time to end this before it begins."
