The Path Lit by Moonlight

< Seraphina's P.O.V. >

The moonlight slanted through the tall arched windows of Lykae Mansion, pooling like liquid silver across the polished floor of my bedroom. I stood before the mirror, brushing a hand over the deep blue velvet of my cloak. My fingers trembled—not from the cold—but from the whirlwind inside my chest.

Was I really going? Was I truly going to meet Rowan tonight?

My brain screamed no. Everything about this felt off, from the strange tone of his letter to the place he chose—Hollow Gorge, a place no noble lady would ever tread, let alone at midnight.

And yet… my heart fluttered at the thought of him. Rowan. My fiancé. The alpha who'd chosen me. He loved me. Didn't he?

I was fastening the silver clasp of my cloak when I heard the door creak open.

"Lady Sera, what in the moon's name are you doing?", came the familiar voice of Elara, my maid and childhood friend. She stepped in with her usual graceful stride, arms folded, a brush tucked behind her ear. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of my travel cloak.

I hesitated. "Rowan… he asked me to meet him.", I said, my voice soft, almost apologetic.

Elara raised an eyebrow. "Now? At midnight? He's never once asked to meet you like this before. Why now?"

I looked away, suddenly feeling the tightness in my chest grow heavier. Her words made too much sense. "I don't know… maybe he wants to surprise me...", I offered, though the words rang hollow.

Elara walked over and sat me down, beginning to braid my hair with gentle fingers. "If he's surprising you, then it better be with a ring, not a riddle..", she muttered. "You're the daughter of a beta—soon to be a luna. This isn't the kind of invitation you accept blindly, Sera."

I stayed quiet, chewing on my lower lip.

After a moment, Elara softened. "Maybe… he's finally going to propose properly..", she said, attempting optimism. "You've always dreamed of it, haven't you? Perhaps he wants to make it special."

I smiled faintly at that, the little girl inside me daring to hope again. "Maybe that's it," I whispered.

Still, why Hollow Gorge?

I turned toward the window. The moon was full and glowing, casting a ghostly white light over the courtyard below. The stars shimmered like the watchful eyes of ancient gods. And as I stared, I could almost see the outline of him—my divine father—within the moon's glow. The same strong brow, the same serene eyes that had always made me feel safe.

"I'll be okay..", I whispered. "He's watching over me."

Drawing my hood over my head, I tiptoed toward the hallway, my boots silent against the marbled floor. But just as I reached the grand staircase, I halted.

There—at the bottom—stood my father, Cedric Lykae.

His tall figure was silhouetted against the candlelight, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. My heart stopped.

He never waited up. He was always the quiet protector, stern but just. What was he doing here?

"Where are you going at this hour?", His voice, deep and calm, echoed off the stone walls.

My mouth went dry. "I… I'm going to meet Rowan.", I replied timidly, trying to stand straighter beneath his gaze.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Meet where?"

I hesitated, heart thundering. "A… a late-night café, near the river bend."

His eyes narrowed. For a moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched so long it was deafening. I could feel the tears sting behind my eyes—not from guilt, but the shame of lying to him.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, another presence entered—the one person whose warmth always melted the tension in our home–my mother, Elareth Lykae.

"Why is everyone whispering at midnight?", my mother asked, stepping out in her nightgown, her auburn hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulder.

When she saw me cloaked and ready to leave, her brows knitted. "Seraphina? What's going on?"

"I…", I began, fumbling with words I couldn't string together. "...Rowan invited me out."

"Now?" Her voice rose slightly in concern. "Sweetheart, it's dangerous. Why would he—"

"She's grown now..", Father interrupted softly. He turned to my mother but kept his eyes on me. "She's going to be married in a few months. We must… trust her."

There was a rare tremor in his voice that made my heart ache.

He coughed once, looking away, then back at me. "But you must return before dawn, Sera. No exceptions."

"I will.", I whispered.

He cleared his throat again. "Elara..", he called out as she approached from behind, "...see that a carriage is prepared. Make sure she has guards nearby, even if from a distance."

"Yes, Lord Alaric.", Elara replied with a bow.

My father looked at me once more—his eyes misting. "Safe journey, my daughter."

He turned, muttering something about needing sleep, and disappeared into the hallway.

Mother stepped forward, pulling me into a warm embrace. Her fingers curled around my shoulders as she looked into my eyes. "He's just not good at saying it. But your father loves you more than anything."

"I know..", I whispered against her shoulder.

She kissed my forehead, smiling. "Go on now. Don't keep your alpha waiting."

I stepped out into the night, the mansion behind me glowing like a beacon of warmth. A sleek, obsidian carriage waited just beyond the gate, the driver already holding the door open. The moon hung high overhead, and for a moment, I stood frozen—caught between the safety of everything I knew and the strange, thrilling darkness that called to me.

Looking up, I whispered, "Thank you, Father… for this family, for this moment. I'll come back soon."

And with that, I stepped into the carriage, unaware that this night would change everything.

***************************************

The world outside my carriage was still, drenched in the soft glow of moonlight, painting silver veins across the trees. I rested my temple against the glass pane, letting the coolness ground my racing thoughts. The moon followed us like a silent guardian, and I could almost feel His gaze—the divine, loving gaze of my father... not the one who raised me, but the one who created me.

His face lived in that moon.

The face of my father… not the one who raised me, but the one who chose me from the heavens.

I closed my eyes for a heartbeat, inhaling softly, and then opened them to speak—not aloud, but within.

I inhaled deeply and allowed my memories to drift through the fog of time. If I were to truly begin this tale—my tale—perhaps I should start from the beginning.

"My name is Seraphina Lykae..", I whispered softly to the moon. "I was not born to be ordinary. I was chosen… created… marked by a god. The god of werewolves himself—Lunaris."

I remembered the stories my mother had told me—how it all began with a dream. Both my parents, Cedric and Elareth, ordinary nobles of the Lykae pack, had received visions on the same night—visions of the divine realm, and the golden wolf god, Lunaris, stepping through the veil of light. He came to them with a purpose. Both of my parents saw the divine light—Lunaris, shrouded in silver mist, appeared and said:

"I wish to bring a daughter into this world..", he had said, glowing like a thousand suns. "A child who will carry my divinity and cleanse the rotting core of this realm. She will walk among mortals, but she will carry the blood of gods. She will bring balance to the cursed hearts of this realm. You have been chosen, for your hearts are untainted and your love is true."

My mother, terrified yet honored, said yes. And nine moons later, under the rare celestial alignment of the Crimson Moon and Wolf Star, I was born. I was born, wrapped in a silver mist, crying not in fear, but as if commanding the wind to know me.

The temple bells rang across the land that day.

A priestess, sensing the divine pulse in my cries, came running from the sacred Temple, falling to her knees as she declared, "This child is the blessed daughter of Lunaris. The Divine Wolf's will shall walk in flesh again."

The world shifted around me ever since.

My childhood was filled with laughter and light—chasing butterflies in moonlit gardens, riding on my father's shoulders, falling asleep with my head in my mother's lap while she hummed lullabies only the divine could have whispered into her soul.

I remember the skies seemed to bend for me. The wolves in our forest—wild and fierce—would lay at my feet like lambs. I spoke to the stars in whispers only I understood. My parents called me their miracle. The temple called me The Moon's Breath.

But I… I was just a girl.

A girl who longed to play in the grass, who chased wolf pups and stained her dresses with berry juice. A girl who loved music and embroidery and slept with a dagger under her pillow—not for violence, but because I was told someday, I'd have to wield it for others.

Then came the lessons. The rituals. The divine awakening.

My teen years were carved with training—lessons on power, control, the divine laws of balance. I could heal wounds with a kiss to the skin. I could calm raging beasts with a touch. But the more I grew, the more I became a symbol. And symbols are not allowed to falter. Not allowed to cry.

At fifteen, I was told my true mate would appear. I waited. I hoped. But none came.

Most she-wolves find their mates between fourteen and sixteen. I did not. Not even the silver thread of destiny reached for me.

And that was when Rowan entered the picture.

He too had no mate. The son of the Alpha. Proud, sharp, arrogant—but beautiful. His father approached mine, saying the gods surely paired us without the mark. "Some bonds are soul-deep, not skin-marked," he had said.

Our engagement was arranged. And I believed... truly believed... that it was love.

Suddenly, my thoughts were yanked back to the present as the carriage jolted violently. My hand flew to the seat for balance.

"What's wrong?" I called out, my voice more startled than I liked.

The driver—a stout man named Mullen—leaned in from the open window. "An old woman, my lady. Standing dead center in the path. She won't move."

I blinked. "An old woman?"

"Yes, my lady. Alone. She looks... strange."

Without thinking, I opened the carriage door and stepped into the night. My cloak swirled behind me like a pool of shadows as I approached the hunched figure.

She stood with her back to us, shoulders shaking as if she were cold—or perhaps weeping.

"Ma'am?" I said softly. "Are you alright?"

She turned.

Her face was lined with deep, carved wrinkles like the bark of an ancient tree. One eye was pale and clouded, but the other... it gleamed with the sheen of the moon. A scar ran down her cheek.

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she studied me. Her gaze crawled over my face, pausing at my eyes.

"You're going to Hollow Gorge," she croaked, not a question—but a knowing.

I stiffened. "Yes... I mean, it's a meeting... nothing dangerous..."

"Danger walks ahead of you, child," she interrupted. "And if you step where shadows dance, the light behind you may never reach you again."

My heart began to beat faster.

"I—Who are you?"

She gave me a toothless smile and, with a shaky hand, reached toward the side of my carriage. "I'm just... a hungry soul." She gestured at the food crate.

With trembling fingers, I opened the compartment and handed her some fruits and bread.

She took it, almost reverently.

"Bless your soul..", she muttered. Then her tone darkened. "But remember this, moonchild. Not all who smile love you. And not all who wait... are worthy."

Before I could speak again, a sudden gust of wind burst through the trees.

I shielded my eyes—and when I looked again, she was gone.

Vanished. Not a whisper. Not a scent.

Even Mullen was staring, pale and bewildered.

My fingers clutched the edge of my cloak tightly.

I looked up once more at the moon.

"Divine Father...", I whispered. "Please stay with me."

And with that, I stepped back into the carriage, unsure whether I was moving toward destiny—or destruction.

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End of Chapter Two.

To be continued...