Page 2

I woke up on my sixteenth birthday to the sound of wolves howling.

Not just any howl-the howl. The one every young shifter dreams about, the one that signals the Awakening.

It was tradition in Ashmoon. On the night of your sixteenth birthday, your wolf awakens under the full moon-and if the Moon Goddess wills it, so does your mate bond.

And this year... it was mine and Jace's turn.

I stared at my ceiling, breath tight, heart pounding.

I wasn't ready.

Not for the shift. Not for the bond.

And definitely not for the truth.

Because deep down, I knew.

If Jace was my mate...

He'd never accept it.

?

By the time the sun set, the entire pack was gathered in the moon clearing. Bonfires flickered, drums beat like heartbeats, and the scent of pine smoke wrapped around us. Everyone wore white, a symbol of purity and rebirth-except for the Alphas, who stood in ceremonial black.

I stood barefoot at the edge of the circle, toes curling in the cool grass, arms wrapped around myself. My stomach twisted in knots.

Then Jace stepped out beside me.

He looked... breathtaking.

Tall, golden-skinned, and calm in that effortless Alpha way, with his hair a little too messy and that silver pendant around his neck catching the firelight. He gave me a wink.

"Nervous, New Moon?"

"Terrified."

He laughed and bumped my arm with his. "We got this."

I smiled, even though my hands were shaking.

Then the drums stopped.

And the Elders called our names.

"Luna Rayne of the Ashmoon Pack."

"Jace Theron, son of Alpha Kellan."

We stepped into the center of the circle. My heartbeat pounded louder than the crowd. The moon overhead glowed silver-blue, heavy with power.

A ripple passed through me. My bones trembled. My chest burned. My wolf stirred-restless, awake.

I gasped. The world tilted. My vision blurred and snapped into clarity.

And then... I smelled him.

Jace.

His scent-cedar and firelight and everything I'd ever wanted-hit me like a tidal wave.

The bond roared to life.

He's mine.

He's my mate.

The Moon chose him for me.

I looked up at him, everything inside me shaking.

His eyes met mine.

And then... everything shattered.

He flinched.

Took a step back.

"No."

The word echoed louder than any howl.

"No," he said again. "This-this isn't right. You're an omega."

The crowd went quiet.

My breath caught in my throat. "Jace..."

"I can't accept this," he said. "I won't. I'm sorry, Luna."

And just like that, he walked away.

No apology. No explanation.

Just rejection-sharp and brutal and final.

The bond inside me cracked. My knees buckled. I didn't even shift that night. My wolf howled from somewhere deep in my soul.

Not for the pain.

But for what we'd lost.