The knife clattered to the floor as Talia stumbled back, eyes wide with fear.
"What are you?" she whispered.
Aria's heart hammered against her ribs as the silver glow from her eyes lit up the small house. She felt strange - powerful and frightened at the same time. The pendant burned hot against her skin.
"Stay away from me," Aria warned, her voice deeper than normal. She didn't know herself.
Talia backed toward the door. "This isn't over," she hissed before running out.
Aria ran to the small mirror on the wall. Her eyes shined like liquid moonlight, pulsing with each beating. She touched her face with shaky fingers.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered.
There was no time to figure it out. The sun was setting, and the Moon Ceremony would begin soon. Aria quickly changed into clean clothes and tucked the charm safely beneath her shirt. Whatever was happening, she knew one thing - she had to be at that event.
The Moonstone Circle stood at the center of a small area. Twelve smooth stones made a perfect ring around a larger stone in the middle that glowed with a faint blue light. Pack members gathered around, their faces serious in the growing darkness.
Aria's stomach twisted with nerves as she neared. She spotted Jaxon first, standing between his brothers. His warm brown eyes found hers instantly, and he gave her a small nod. Kade noticed and frowned, his green eyes narrowing. Lucian simply watched her with cold calculation.
Alpha Darius stood by the center stone, his massive form creating long shadows in the torchlight. Elder Rowan stood beside him, barefoot as always, his cloudy eyes seeming to look right through Aria.
"Come forward," Alpha Darius ordered.
Aria stepped into the circle, aware of every eye on her. She looked for Mira but couldn't find her anywhere. A chill ran down her spine.
Three other eighteen-year-olds joined her - two Beta boys and a Beta girl. They all looked excited. Aria felt like she might throw up.
"Tonight, these young wolves will meet their true selves under the blessing of the Moon Goddess," Alpha Darius announced. "The wolf spirit will awaken, and their place in the pack will be sealed."
Elder Rowan stepped forward, his white hair glowing silver in the moonlight. "When you touch the Moonstone, your wolf will rise. Listen to her voice. Accept her strength."
The first Beta boy went forward, put his hand on the stone, and closed his eyes. After a moment, he gasped and smiled. The pack cheered. The second Beta boy and the girl had similar feelings - a moment of connection, a gasp of joy, and then celebration.
Then it was Aria's turn.
"The omega," Alpha Darius said, his voice flat.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Aria felt her face burn. She caught sight of Talia at the edge of the circle, her golden eyes filled with hate.
"Place your hand on the stone," Elder Rowan directed gently.
Aria approached the Moonstone. Up close, she could see swirls of light moving beneath its surface like live smoke. She took a deep breath and put her palm against the cool surface.
Nothing happened.
More whispers. Someone snickered.
Then the pendant under her shirt began to burn. The Moonstone suddenly blazed with white-hot light, so bright that people cried out and covered their eyes. Aria tried to pull her hand away, but she couldn't move. Pain shot through her body like lightning.
"What's happening?" Alpha Darius asked.
"The silver wolf awakens," Elder Rowan said, his voice filled with awe.
Inside Aria's mind, something broke free. A massive silver wolf crashed against the walls of her awareness, howling with fury after years of being chained. Aria screamed as her bones began to shift.
"Stop the ceremony!" someone yelled.
"No!" Elder Rowan ordered. "She must complete the bond!"
The pain was terrible. Aria fell to her knees, her hand still stuck to the stone. The light rushed through her veins, turning them silver beneath her skin.
Through tear-filled eyes, she saw the triplets push forward. Jaxon reached her first, his face twisted with worry.
"Aria!" he called.
When he touched her shoulder, a shock wave knocked him back. Kade and Lucian rushed to his side, but all three froze when they looked at her again.
Her body was changing, but not like a regular shift. Silver light poured from her eyes and mouth. The pendant around her neck floated upward, suspended by some unseen force.
"The mark of the royal bloodline," Elder Rowan breathed. "The Silver Wolf Queen."
The pack exploded in chaos. Some fell to their knees. Others backed away in fear. Alpha Darius stood motionless, his face pale with shock.
In her mind, Aria heard a voice - old and powerful.
Finally free. They tried to keep me chained, little one. They feared what we could become.
"Who are you?" Aria gasped.
I am Sylas. I am you. The last daughter of the Silver Moon Pack.
Images flashed in her mind - a grand pack house burning, wolves fighting, a baby girl being taken away by a woman with auburn hair. Mira.
"Make it stop!" Aria begged as more memories rushed in - memories that weren't hers.
The triplets moved together now, making a triangle around her. When they each put a hand on her, the pain suddenly eased. The light from the stone lessened.
"What's happening to her?" Kade asked, looking at Elder Rowan.
"The prophecy," the old man said simply. "One mate to unite three heirs. Silver eyes to lead the way."
As the pain faded, Aria felt a new sensation - three separate pulls toward the triplets. Like unseen strings tying her soul to theirs.
"I feel it," Jaxon whispered, looking at her with wonder.
"Impossible," Kade growled, but his hand tightened on her shoulder.
"Fascinating," Lucian whispered, his ice-blue eyes wide.
The light finally died down. Aria collapsed, but the triplets grabbed her before she hit the ground. Together, they lowered her gently.
The pendant settled back against her chest, but something had changed. The small wolf cut into the silver now seemed alive, its tiny eyes glowing.
"Take her to the Alpha house," Alpha Darius ordered. "No one speaks of what happened here tonight!"
As Jaxon lifted her into his arms, Aria caught sight of a person at the edge of the clearing. Calyx, the rogue boss, watching with a smile that sent chills down her spine.
"You're finally awake, my queen," he mouthed before disappearing into the darkness.
Darkness swept over Aria as she lost awareness, but not before she heard Sylas whisper in her mind:
The war starts now. And you, little one, are the prize they all seek.