I was born with the weight of a prophecy on my shoulders. A prophecy that had been whispered through generations, shaping my fate long before I could walk, before I could speak, before I even had the chance to decide who I wanted to be.

I am Alicia Silvermoon, only daughter of Alpha Darius and Luna Selene of the Silvermoon Pack. A pack known not just for its wealth, but for its wisdom. We thrive in diplomacy, in strategy, in the balance of power and peace. And yet, fate has bound me to a pack that stands for everything we are not.

The Wolfsbane Pack. Ruthless. Unyielding. Feared.

And at its center—Alec Wolfsbane.

Born on the same day, at the same time as me, he is my fated mate. Destined to rule by my side, to merge our packs into a force unlike any before. A legend waiting to be fulfilled.

But what if I’m not enough to fulfill it?

I met Alec for the first time at fifteen, during the Gathering—the night of our first shift. It was supposed to be an honor, a rite of passage, but no one had warned me about the pain.

My bones snapped like twigs, muscles tearing and reforming in ways I could barely comprehend. I gritted my teeth, refusing to scream, but the agony threatened to consume me.

"Alec," I gasped, forcing words past the fire in my lungs. "This is torture! Did you know it would be this bad?"

Beside me, Alec grunted, his own form shifting, breaking, rebuilding. "No," he admitted, voice rough with pain. "But don’t fight it. Breathe through it. The more you resist, the worse it gets."

For ten excruciating minutes, I clung to his words, forcing myself to surrender to the change. And then, finally, it was over.

I stood on four legs, my silver fur gleaming under the moonlight, black-tipped ears twitching at every sound. Across from me, Alec loomed—taller, darker, a creature of midnight with silver ears that glowed like the edges of a blade. The Devil Wolf, they called him.

The Alpha of Alphas.

We circled each other, our instincts humming in sync. But as I looked into his hazel eyes, something unfamiliar stirred within me. A heat. A pull. A desire that both terrified and thrilled me.

Then, without thinking, I ran.

I didn’t stop to question why. I just knew that if I let him get too close, I would lose something—some part of myself I wasn’t ready to surrender.

But Alec chased me. Of course, he did. He was a hunter by nature, a predator with his eyes locked onto his prize.

I should have been afraid. I wasn’t.

I ran not out of fear, but defiance. If he thought I would roll over and submit just because the moon had chosen us, he had another thing coming.

And then—everything changed.

A scent cut through the night, stopping me in my tracks. Pinewood and eucalyptus. Sharp, wild, intoxicating. It wrapped around me, seeped into my skin, called to something deeper than instinct.

I turned and saw him.

A wolf unlike any I had ever seen before. Black fur laced with silver down his spine and paws, golden eyes watching me with an intensity that sent a shiver through my core.

Who was he?

Why did I feel as though I already knew him?

I stepped forward, drawn to him, but before I could get close, Alec was there—barriers raised, teeth bared, a growl rumbling from his chest.

Mine, his stance declared.

No.

I wasn’t his. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

The strange wolf held my gaze, unafraid, unyielding. I knew with every fiber of my being that he was no threat, but Alec didn’t see it that way.

He lunged, ready to chase, to attack.

I blocked him.

For the first time, I bared my teeth at my fated mate, my growl cutting through the tension. I would not let him dictate my choices. I would not let him control me.

Alec’s shock was evident. He hesitated, caught between fury and disbelief, but in that moment, the strange wolf turned and disappeared into the night.

Gone.

I should have felt relief. Instead, I felt… empty.

The others arrived soon after. My father. My mother. Alec’s father. They demanded explanations, and Alec was quick to give his version.

"Your young Luna let a rogue escape."

The words were meant to wound. To make me seem weak.

But I met my father’s gaze and spoke with quiet certainty. "He was just a boy. No threat to anyone."

Alec’s father wasn’t convinced. He insisted on sending trackers, but deep down, I knew they wouldn’t find him. He was gone, lost to the shadows.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

That my destiny—our destiny—was no longer as certain as we had all believed.

Alec resented me for my defiance. I resented him for thinking he had a right to my obedience.

But more than anything…

I resented the prophecy that had bound me to a fate I was no longer sure I wanted.