Chapter 1
In the depths of my underground laboratory, candlelight flickered unsteadily, casting shadows of ancient runes across stone walls.
I bent over the ancient scroll, my amber eyes reflecting the flame's glow as I studied the mysterious symbols.
"The pure inheritor of the moon goddess bloodline shall awaken true power under the full moon..." I whispered the ancient text, my brow deeply furrowed.
My quill scratched rapidly across paper, recording crucial information when suddenly—
The sharp nib sliced across my fingertip! A single drop of blood fell instantly, landing directly upon the prophecy stone that gleamed at the center of my desk.
Silver light erupted in a blinding flash! The entire laboratory blazed bright as daylight!
I gasped, watching in stunned disbelief as the prophecy stone's surface revealed intricate moon goddess markings—the sacred triple seal that blazed with unprecedented intensity!
"This can't be possible..." My voice trembled as I stared at the impossible sight before me. "My bloodline... it's supposed to be diluted, barely detectable..."
I was carrying the purest concentration of moon goddess blood!
Terror flooded through me like ice water. All these years, I'd assumed my bloodline was too weak to matter, too thin to be of any political significance. The clan elders had always focused on Moira's obvious manifestations—her silver hair, her ice-blue eyes, her ceremonial transformations.
But this... this raw power coursing through the prophecy stone... this meant I wasn't just a carrier of royal blood. I was potentially more powerful than anyone suspected.
I frantically gathered the prophecy stone, my heart thundering: "If the chieftain discovers this level of concentration..."
For two agonizing days, I buried myself deeper in research, trying to understand what I'd discovered.
The ancient texts spoke of hidden bloodlines, of powers that could remain dormant until triggered by specific circumstances. Some individuals could carry the strongest concentrations while showing the least obvious signs.
Meanwhile, whispers began circulating through the clan.
"Have you seen Moira lately? She's been acting strange..."
"I heard she was spotted near the human territories again..."
"The chieftain looks troubled. Something's wrong."
Each rumor made my stomach clench tighter. If Moira was truly involved with a human, if she was about to disgrace our bloodline, then my secret discovery would become a ticking bomb.
The clan would need a replacement. And if they tested me...
I spent sleepless nights staring at the prophecy stone, watching it pulse with silver light at my touch. The power was intoxicating, terrifying, and completely unwanted.
On the third morning, the summons came.
The tense atmosphere in the chieftain's hall filled me with dread.
I stood among the crowd, my hands trembling slightly as I remembered the prophecy stone hidden in my chamber.
The chieftain's imposing figure appeared on the throne, his commanding presence instantly silencing all sound in the hall. His face was darker than I'd ever seen it.
"My people!" The chieftain's voice boomed like thunder through the hall. "I have momentous news to announce!"
My heart hammered against my ribs.
"Moira..." His voice carried fury and disappointment, each word striking like hammer blows. "My heir, possessor of pure moon goddess blood, has secretly pledged herself to a human scholar, completely betraying our lupine traditions!"
What?!
The hall erupted in gasps and shocked murmurs. My sister... she'd actually done it. The whispers had been true.
"To save our clan from the moon goddess's curse," the chieftain's gaze pierced through me like a blade, his authority crushing down like a mountain, "I command Isla to immediately perform the blood bond ceremony with young Alpha Rowan!"
In that instant, my entire world collapsed.
The irony was crushing—here I was, possibly carrying stronger bloodline than Moira ever had, and I was being thrust into this role not because they knew my true power, but because they assumed I was a pale substitute.
The chieftain continued, "Bloodline cannot be defied! The moon goddess's will cannot be resisted! You are Moira's sister, carrying the same sacred heritage—you must shoulder this responsibility!"
I tried to speak, to protest, but the words died in my throat. If I revealed my discovery now, it would only make everything worse.
The chieftain cut through my silence: "This is an order, not a discussion!"
"Tonight at the full moon, the blood bond ceremony will proceed as scheduled." The chieftain's final words fell like a death sentence.
That evening, seething with anger and despair, I pushed open Moira's chamber door.
The room lay shrouded in darkness, curtains drawn tight. Moira sat on her bed's edge, silver-white hair cascading disheveled over her shoulders, ice-blue eyes brimming with tears.
Seeing me, she immediately broke down.
"Isla..." She rushed toward me, sobbing. "I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I've ruined your life!"
I watched her coldly, suppressing the fury in my heart: "Yes, you certainly have ruined everything."
"I know I'm selfish!" Moira clutched my hands desperately, her nails digging into my skin. "I knew the chieftain would make you replace me, but I still chose to run away! I love that human—I can't live without him!"
"Love?" My voice cut like an icy blade. "Do you know what the price of your love is? It's my entire life!"
The bitter irony twisted in my chest—she was sacrificing me for love, never knowing that I might be more qualified for this role than she ever was.
Moira's sobs intensified: "Isla, you understand my heart best... Please, I beg you to take care of Rowan for me. He's a good man, worthy of love..."
"Take care of Rowan?" My voice was almost a roar. "You mean, love a man whose heart belongs only to you? Live forever in your shadow?"
"What about me?" I demanded coldly. "What about my life? My dreams?"
I never sought love, only freedom to pursue my research, but now even that will be stripped away!
And worse—I'd have to hide this terrible secret forever, pretending to be the weaker sister when I might be the strongest of us all.
The ancient moon goddess altar appeared solemn and sacred under brilliant moonlight.
Rowan approached the altar in white ceremonial robes. His handsome features appeared pale in the moonlight, silver-gray eyes filled with anguish and resignation.
When our gazes met, I saw the same resistance and anger reflected back. We were both sacrifices to this bloodline politics.
The moon priestess emerged from the shadows, holding a silver ceremonial blade: "In the moon goddess's name, blood connects, souls merge, life and death united!"
Rowan and I each extended our wrists. The sharp blade sliced across skin, blood slowly dripping into the central silver chalice.
"Drink each other's blood to establish eternal covenant."
Rowan drank first, then passed the cup to me. He whispered softly: "I will try to be a good mate, even though my heart..."
"I understand." I took the chalice calmly. "We are both prisoners of fate."
As that warm blood flowed down my throat—
An unprecedented force crashed through my soul!
The power that had been hiding within me suddenly roared to life, amplified a thousandfold by the blood bond ritual. I felt my consciousness battered by immense energy, while Rowan's emotions flooded my mind like a tidal wave.
But there was something else—something that made Rowan's eyes widen in shock.
He could feel it too. The raw power coursing through our connection, far stronger than anything he'd expected from "diluted" bloodline.
This connection... far exceeded the scope of ordinary blood bonds!
"The ceremony is complete!" the priestess proclaimed loudly.
But Rowan and I remained locked in that shocking connection, both realizing that this bond had revealed far more than either of us had bargained for.
