Ceremony of Mates

The sacred temple buzzed with chatter—some familiar voices, others foreign. Laughter and whispers filled the ancient space like smoke, thick and suffocating. The moment I stepped inside, everything stopped.

It was like someone had hit pause on reality.

Heads turned. Fingers pointed. One woman even spat in my direction.

I should’ve expected it. It’s always like this. Ever since I failed to shift into my wolf form, I’ve been the pack's walking shame. In Moonrose, being a gamma was a curse. But being wolfless? That was unforgivable.

No matter how sharp my senses were, no matter how fast or strong I was—I wasn’t one of them. So I lived away from them. Hidden, unwanted, unseen.

But today was different. Today, they looked at me with something worse than disgust—curiosity, suspicion, and hunger. Some men’s eyes glinted with something darker. And still, I knew the truth: even if I met my fated mate tonight, he’d never claim someone like me.

I found a shadowy corner at the back of the temple, far from the main crowd, and pulled my cloak over my face. Out of sight, out of their mouths.

The Alpha—who once treated me like a sister—stood at the center, preparing to begin the ceremony. The delay was expected. As always, they waited for the moon to rise. The sacred light that triggered the bonds of fate.

I didn’t care about any of it. I was here only out of respect. An order from the Alpha was still law.

But then it started again.

The heat.

Sharp pain surged through my body. The ache was unbearable, searing beneath my skin. I bit down on the herbs I’d hidden in my pouch—roots I’d discovered years ago that dulled the burn. But this time, they did nothing.

The moon began to creep through the clouds. Every silver beam sent another wave of heat crashing over me. My gown clung to my soaked skin, my breath shallow.

Then—darkness.

I collapsed into something between sleep and vision, my body falling but my mind floating.

I stood in a vast white expanse, endless and blinding. Light stretched in all directions. Then I heard her.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Selene,” the voice echoed.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” I asked the silence, panic bubbling in my chest.

“You’re in a vision,” the voice replied calmly. “And you won’t leave until I tell you what you must know.”

Before I could respond, a figure appeared—a version of me, but... more. White hair. Glowing eyes. Otherworldly beauty.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you,” she said, placing her hand on my shoulder. Instantly, my panic faded. The heat vanished. My breathing slowed.

“Who are you?”

“I am Selene, as are you. To others, I am known simply as their wolf. Have you wondered why you don’t have yours?”

“Yes,” I breathed. “I’ve always wondered. I have the senses, the strength... but I can’t shift. Why?”

“Because you’re not ordinary. You are Moon-Blessed. A rare kind of werewolf born with a connection to the moon itself. I haven’t revealed my true form to you yet because you're not ready. When you embrace your power—fully—I will appear.”

She turned and pointed. I followed her gesture and saw it: a battlefield. Screams. Flames. Blood soaking the earth. Nature decaying around corpses.

“This is the future if the darkness isn't stopped.”

“What darkness?” I asked.

“Ancient forces. Twisted by dark magic. They've been leeching the world for centuries, sacrificing life in exchange for power.”

I swallowed hard. “What does this have to do with me?”

“You must stop them.”

“Why me?”

“Because you are the only one who can,” she said softly. “And you won’t be alone. He will be with you.”

“Who?”

“Your mate.”

I blinked. “You’ve seen him?”

“He’s close. Very close. And powerful. Selene, no matter what happens, trust him. There will be betrayal. Even those close to you will turn. But he—he is your anchor.”

Before I could ask more, her form flickered and began to fade.

“No! Don’t go—tell me more!”

The vision shattered, and I was back in the temple. Dozens of eyes stared at me. Males—both unmated and mated—looked at me with wild lust. The heat had returned, but worse now. My control over my scent was slipping fast.

Then it happened.

They howled.

Every unmated male in the ceremony howled in unison.

The Alpha stormed toward me, his voice booming in command. “Selene! What sorcery is this?”

His tone dropped everyone around me to their knees.

Everyone except me.

Gasps rang out.

“She’s using blood magic!”

“She resisted the Alpha!”

“You’re hurting them—hide your scent!”

“I’m trying! I can’t!” I choked, barely able to speak.

“Of course you can’t. You’re wolfless. Get her out of here!”

The crowd’s fury rose. Guards advanced.

One reached for me—but as his hand touched my burning skin, he recoiled with a cry. “She’s scorching hot!”

“Selene, leave now,” the Alpha snapped, his patience gone.

“I— I can’t move,” I whispered. My legs were rooted to the earth. A hush fell.

Talking back to an Alpha was a death sentence.

The Alpha’s expression hardened. “You were a stray we took in. Don’t mistake kindness for privilege. Guards, rid us of her.”

Swords were drawn.

A blade came down—only to be stopped mid-air by a sudden shield of white light. Gasps rang out.

Someone loosed a silver arrow.

“STOP!” I roared, my voice no longer my own. A powerful aura burst from me, slamming into the crowd. Wolves collapsed under its weight. Lightning cracked the sky. Rain poured down.

“She’s a witch!” someone shrieked.

Then the energy shifted.

It was like the world itself held its breath.

The wolves parted.

A figure walked through them—calm, composed, cold.

The Lycan King.

Kieran Duskbane.

The stories hadn’t done him justice. His presence was thunder wrapped in shadow. He moved like a god among mortals.

Without hesitation, he stepped through the white shield that had kept everyone else out. His hand brushed mine.

Cold.

And then—blessed relief. The heat vanished. The fire died down. My pheromones faded.

I looked up into the eyes of the man who had just calmed the storm inside me.

He stared down at me, his voice rough and deep.

“She is my mate.”