Chapter 4 A Glimpse of the Luna

The forest still whispered the memory of his humiliation.

Every breath Aiden took scraped like broken glass. Every step through the underbrush was a reminder that he had lost—again.

His pack had moved on, celebrating their victory with feasts and wine. He had no place among them tonight. He walked aimlessly beneath the watch of the rising moon, its pale silver light washing over his torn clothes and bruised skin.

But there was something strange in the air—an energy humming like the low thrum of a distant heartbeat. It pulled at him, steady and insistent.

Aiden followed it.

Through the trees, the world changed. The forest thickened, the air sharpened with frost though it was early autumn. The scent of lilies and smoke drifted on the breeze. He stepped into a clearing that seemed almost untouched by time.

At the center stood a small lake, smooth as glass, reflecting the moon like a silver mirror. Mist coiled across its surface, glowing faintly.

And then he saw her.

She stood at the water’s edge, barefoot, her silver hair falling in loose waves down her back. The moonlight clung to her like a second skin, outlining every curve of her graceful form. Her cloak shimmered as if woven from starlight itself.

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen—regal, radiant, and utterly untouchable.

The Silver Luna.

Aiden’s breath caught. He had heard of her in whispers—Selena, the Silver Alpha’s Luna, destined by the Moon Goddess herself. A symbol of power and purity. The woman every Alpha dreamed of, and every Omega feared.

And yet… he felt it instantly.

That pull.

That impossible, dangerous connection thrumming through his veins like wildfire.

His wolf stirred inside him, whining softly.

Mate.

The word thundered through his soul.

Selena lifted her head sharply, her silver eyes snapping toward him. For a heartbeat, the world stopped.

Those eyes—cold and ancient, but bright as twin moons—met his, and Aiden felt his heart seize.

Pain and wonder mingled in his chest. The bond pulsed to life, threads of invisible light weaving between them. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t look away.

She frowned slightly, as if feeling it too.

“Who are you?” Her voice was smooth, commanding. A voice that could make kings kneel.

Aiden stepped forward before he could think. “I—I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just—”

“Spying?”

Her tone turned sharp, suspicion lacing her beauty. The air around her shimmered; her aura flared with silver power. Aiden fell to one knee instinctively, his body trembling from the force of it.

“No, Luna,” he whispered. “I swear it. I was lost.”

She studied him for a long, piercing moment. “Lost… or searching?”

The words struck too close. His throat tightened.

“I don’t know anymore,” he admitted quietly.

Something flickered in her eyes—pity? Interest? He couldn’t tell.

“Stand,” she commanded.

He did, though his knees shook.

Selena moved closer, her presence wrapping around him like cold fire. He could smell her now—night-blooming jasmine, snow, and something wilder beneath it all. His heart hammered so loudly he was sure she could hear it.

When she was close enough to touch, she stopped. Her gaze swept over his face, lingering on the faint crescent mark that had begun to glow faintly at his wrist.

Her breath hitched. “That mark…”

Aiden looked down, startled. The light from the symbol was pulsing softly in rhythm with his heartbeat.

“I don’t understand,” he murmured. “It appeared after I—”

“Enough,” she cut him off, voice trembling with restrained emotion. She turned away, gripping her cloak tightly. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Aiden hesitated. “But—”

“I said leave.”

Her tone snapped like ice breaking.

He bowed his head, pain stabbing through him like claws. The bond screamed at him not to turn away, not to let her vanish. But her command bound him stronger than instinct.

He took a step back. Then another. The mist thickened between them, but he couldn’t stop staring at her—this impossible vision who felt both divine and devastatingly human.

And then she said something he almost didn’t hear.

“I can’t… feel this again,” Selena whispered, more to herself than to him. “Not after what it cost me.”

Aiden froze. “Feel what?”

She turned sharply, eyes flashing silver. “Go, Omega. Before they find you.”

“Who—?”

A howl cut through the night. Deep, powerful, echoing across the lake. The kind of sound that made blood freeze.

Selena’s expression hardened. “You have to run.”

From the shadows beyond the trees, crimson eyes gleamed.

Aiden’s heart lurched. He knew those eyes.

“Damian,” he breathed.

The Crimson Alpha stepped into the clearing, his presence dark and electric. He was shirtless, his muscles catching the moonlight like carved steel, his gaze locked on Selena—not Aiden—with a hunger that made the air crackle.

“Well, well,” Damian drawled, his smirk slow and dangerous. “I wondered where you slipped away to, Luna.”

Selena’s jaw tightened. “You have no right to follow me.”

“No right?” He stepped closer, his voice low. “You forget who saved your pack from ruin. Or do you only remember when it’s convenient?”

Aiden instinctively moved between them. “She said leave her alone.”

Damian’s eyes flicked toward him, amused. “Ah. The Omega who can barely stand without trembling. How touching.”

“Don’t,” Selena warned, her voice like a blade. “He’s under my protection.”

That caught Damian’s attention. His smirk faded into something darker, sharper. “Your protection?”

Aiden felt the tension rise like a storm.

“Since when does the Silver Luna protect an Omega?” Damian asked softly. “Or is there something else between you two?”

Selena’s lips parted, but no sound came.

Damian’s smirk returned, crueler than before. “How fascinating.”

He moved closer until the air between them hummed with threat. “Maybe I should remind you, Luna, that not all bonds are blessed by the Moon.”

His gaze slid to Aiden, crimson eyes narrowing. “And this one… feels cursed.”

Selena’s silver power flared, forming a shimmering barrier between Damian and Aiden. “Enough!”

The shockwave sent ripples through the lake, scattering mist like feathers.

Damian only laughed. “Fine. Protect your little stray. But the Moon’s games always end in blood, Selena. Remember that.”

He turned, melting back into the trees, his laughter echoing long after he was gone.

Selena’s shoulders slumped, her glow dimming.

Aiden stepped closer, heart pounding. “Luna, I—”

“Don’t speak,” she whispered, her voice barely steady. “You’ve already done enough.”

The wind stirred again, carrying the scent of rain and iron. She looked at him once more, eyes soft but haunted.

“If you value your life, Aiden Vale,” she said quietly, “forget this night. Forget me.”

Before he could answer, she turned and vanished into silver mist, leaving only ripples on the lake where her reflection had been.

Aiden stood there long after she was gone, the moonlight cold against his skin, the echo of her voice still burning in his chest.

He looked down at his wrist. The mark glowed brighter now—alive.

And for the first time, he realized the truth that would change everything:

The Silver Luna was his fated mate.

And the Crimson Alpha wanted her too.