Chapter 44 FOURTY four
The grand hall was packed tight with wolves. Everyone wore their best clothes—silk dresses, sharp suits, shiny shoes. The air smelled like flowers, wine, and nervous sweat. The Bloom Ceremony was almost over, but the most important part was still coming: the Moon Goddess’s final announcements. Everyone wanted to know who belonged to who.
The One walked through the crowd in Koda’s body. His black suit was still perfect, even after the garden. He moved like a shadow, eyes scanning every face. He hated all of them. Their stupid smiles. Their hope. Their weak little dreams of mates and forever. He wanted to crush it all.
Then he bumped hard into someone.
“Watch it—” he started, but stopped when he saw who it was.
Kai.
Koda’s younger brother. Same dark hair, same sharp jaw, but Kai’s eyes were bright and warm. He was smiling big, like he had just won something.
“Koda! There you are.” Kai grabbed his shoulder like they were real brothers. “They’re about to call me up next. After that, it’s Harper’s turn.”
The One’s stomach twisted. He frowned deep. Kai kept talking, excited.
“I mean, can you believe it? The Moon Goddess might finally show me my mate. And then Harper… maybe she’ll get hers too. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”
The One’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth hurt. He knew Kai’s secret. He had seen it in Koda’s memories—the way Kai looked at Harper when no one was watching. The way his eyes softened. The way he always found excuses to be near her. And worse: Kai knew about the kiss in the dungeon. Koda had told him once, late at night, drunk on moonberry wine. Kai had laughed it off then, but The One saw the jealousy flash in his eyes.
No.
No silly love story was going to ruin this night.
If the Moon Goddess said Harper belonged to Kai, everything would break. The claiming The One needed would become impossible. Kai would stand between him and full control of this body. Kai had to go. Before the moon even finished her work.
The One forced a tight smile. “Yeah. Perfect.”
Kai didn’t notice the cold edge in the voice. He clapped The One on the back again. “Come on, let’s go to the front. I want you to see this.”
The One followed, but his mind was already moving fast. Plans. Poisons. Accidents. Anything quick and quiet.
Everyone gathered closer to the big stone platform in the center of the hall. Alpha Darius stood tall at the front, Samantha beside him in a gold dress. Harper was somewhere in the back, still getting ready. The One spotted her for a second—fixing her hair, smoothing her torn dress like nothing had happened in the garden. She looked calm. Too calm.
The Moon Goddess’s voice suddenly filled the hall. Not loud like thunder, but everywhere—like wind inside your bones.
“Next.”
Alpha Darius stepped forward. His voice boomed. “Kai Blackthorn. Come forward, my son.”
Kai walked up fast. His shoulders were straight, head high. He looked proud. Happy. The crowd clapped and whispered. Some girls sighed. Kai stopped in the middle of the moonlight circle. He closed his eyes and waited.
The One rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. Pathetic.
He lifted his hand. Snapped his fingers once.
Darkness.
Every light in the hall went out at the same time—candles, chandeliers, even the glowing moonbeams from the high windows. Black. Total black.
People screamed. Gasped. Bumped into each other.
“What happened?”
“Where are the lights?”
“Is it an attack?”
“Someone get the Alpha!”
Chaos. Perfect chaos.
The One smiled in the dark. Small. Sharp. He started moving forward, silent, toward Kai. One quick twist of the neck. One slice with the hidden blade in his sleeve. Done. No one would see in this black.
But then—
A bright white light exploded.
Not from candles. Not from windows.
From above.
The whole hall lit up like daytime. Silver-white. Pure. Holy.
The One’s eyes widened. He hissed under his breath.
“What a furry freak.”
The Moon Goddess’s light. She was here. Watching. Blocking him.
He tried to step forward again.
A big body blocked his path.
Alpha Darius.
His father’s face was calm, but his eyes were sharp. “Koda. Stay close. We don’t know what’s happening.”
The One wanted to rip his throat out right there.
Darius smiled anyway. “I can’t wait to see who Kai gets as mate. He’s been waiting for this moment his whole life.”
Samantha appeared from the side, her gold dress shining in the goddess light. She looked at The One—looked at Koda—and gave a soft smile.
“Hope you don’t feel too bad, love. You didn’t get your mate tonight. Doesn’t mean you can’t find one next time.”
The One’s blood boiled. “Oh, spare me.”
He turned and walked away fast. Angry steps. Fists tight. People moved out of his way when they saw his face.
Behind him, Darius whispered to Samantha. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just sad.”
Samantha nodded. “Poor boy.”
Meanwhile, Harper was walking through the side corridor. She had slipped away from the crowd to fix herself up. Her wolf was restless inside her—pacing, whining, begging to be let out. Maybe if the Moon Goddess showed her a mate tonight, it would calm the beast. Maybe it would help her feel normal again.
She stopped at a mirror. Touched the small bite mark on her neck from the garden. It was already healing. She sighed.
“Harper.”
A voice. Soft. Whispery.
She spun around.
Nothing. Empty corridor.
“That’s strange,” she muttered.
She kept walking. Faster now.
“Harper… Harper…”
The voice came again. But this time it wasn’t one voice.
It was many.
“Harper, Harper, you belong to us.”
“Us… us… us…”
Harper grabbed her head. Pain shot through her skull like needles.
“You are one of us. One of us.”
“The power lies within you, Harper… Harper…”
“Noooooo!”
She screamed loud. The sound bounced off the stone walls.
The voices laughed. Soft. Creepy.
Then one voice cut through all of them.
Stronger. Closer.
“Harper.”
She froze.
That voice wasn’t the whispers.
It was him.
The One.
She turned slowly.
He stood at the end of the corridor. Black suit. Red glow in his eyes—faint, but there. His face was calm, but his smile was dangerous.
Harper’s heart slammed against her ribs.
“You,” she whispered.
“Me.” He stepped closer. Slow. Like a wolf stalking prey. “You heard them, didn’t you?”
She didn’t answer.
“They’re calling you. The old blood. The forgotten line. You’re not just some pretty little wolf, Harper. You’re something more. Something they want back.”
“Stop it.”
“They want to wake you up. Use you. But I got here first.”
He was close now. Too close.
Harper backed up until her back hit the wall.
The One reached out. Touched her cheek with one finger. Cold.
“You think kissing me will save Koda forever? Cute. But the moon is still up. The night isn’t over. And Kai…” He laughed low. “Kai won’t last long if he tries to claim what’s mine.”
Harper slapped his hand away. “Touch me again and I’ll scream so loud the whole pack hears.”
“Go ahead. Scream. Let them come. Let them see what’s really inside their precious Koda.”
His eyes flashed full red for a second.
Harper felt it—the pull. Not the mate bond. Something darker. Something hungry.
But she didn’t run.
She stepped forward instead.
Right into his space.
“You want me?” she asked, voice steady. “Then fight for me. Not like this. Not hiding behind tricks and shadows. Face me. Face Koda. Face all of us.”
The One stared at her.
For one long second, he didn’t move.
Then he laughed again—quiet this time.
“You really are something, Harper.”
He leaned in. Lips almost touching hers.
“But the night is young. And I’m not done playing.”
He pulled back.
Turned.
Walked away into the dark corridor.
Harper stood there, breathing hard.
The voices were gone.
But she knew they weren’t finished.
Neither was he.
And somewhere in the hall, the Moon Goddess’s light still burned bright.
Waiting.
Watching.
The night was far from over.