Sandra_Otuah_Bosu

On her sixteenth birthday, Rory’s world shatters. Haunted by strange dreams, shadowy visions, and the voice of a wolf inside her, she discovers she isn’t human at all—she’s **Moonborn**, a rare werewolf born under a powerful celestial omen.

But Rory’s awakening isn’t just a rite of passage—it’s a threat. Hunted for powers she doesn’t yet understand, lied to about her past, and torn from the only family she’s ever known, Rory is forced into a hidden world of wolves, politics, and secrets where trust is deadly and betrayal is survival.

At the center of it all is **Aerie**, the fierce, male wolf spirit inside her—an anomaly in itself. But Aerie isn't just a guide. He has his own agenda. And buried deep inside Rory’s soul, something older and far more dangerous stirs… something even Aerie fears.

Now summoned to the elite Moonfang Academy, Rory must navigate rival packs, ancient prophecies, and a forbidden bond with a boy who knows more than he’s letting on. With war looming and her true nature unraveling, Rory has to decide:

Is she just a girl caught in a prophecy?
Or is she something more?

The Moonborn

The music thumped before I even reached the end of the street.

Maya's house was glowing. Strings of fairy lights flickered across the lawn like fireflies, and colored spotlights washed the driveway in rotating pinks and purples. People poured in through the open door, laughter and voices spilling out like floodwater. Someone had tied metallic balloons to the gate, and a chalkboard sign near the porch screamed *"Sweet Seventeen: Maya's Magical Night!"*

It was too loud. Too bright. Too many things.

I stood at the edge of the sidewalk for a full minute, clutching the hem of my black cardigan like it might anchor me to something solid. I'd straightened my hair, put on mascara, even borrowed one of Luna's less sparkly tops. But I still felt like a shadow pretending to be a girl.

But the silence made me feel hollow, like I was waiting for something to fall from the sky and crack me in half.

Music pulsed through the floorboards, the bass rattling my ribs. The living room had been transformed—streamers, LED lights, a punch bowl already half-empty, and girls taking selfies against a backdrop covered in fake stars. Someone squealed near the kitchen. A group of guys shoved each other near the stairs, half-drunk already.

No one looked at me. Or maybe they did, and I just didn't notice. My body was buzzing too much. I couldn't tell if it was nerves or… something else. Something sharper under my skin.

I wove through the crowd, heading toward a quieter corner. I didn't know why I came.

Leaning against the far wall, half-shadowed by the sliding doors that led to the backyard.

Dark jacket. Jeans. Head tilted slightly down as he looked at his phone, lit by the soft blue of the screen. He didn't look like he belonged here either. Like he was *apart* from it all, the same way I felt every day.

Just leave, I told myself. You came. That's enough.

But then—he looked up. Straight at me.

And for a second, we *saw* each other.

He blinked. Slowly. Then gave a small nod. Not friendly. Not flirty. Just… aware. Present.

Before I could chicken out, my feet moved.

I ended up beside him, heart knocking in my chest like a trapped bird.

I blinked. "You knew I was invited?"

He shrugged. "Everyone was talking about it." A pause. "Didn't think you'd show, though."

He gave a small smile—crooked, subtle, but real. "It's loud," he said. "Want to go outside?"

We stepped out into the backyard, where the music was quieter, dimmed by glass. The night was cold and soft, the sky cloudy, the air thick with mist and perfume and grass.

"Didn't expect to see you here," I said, trying not to sound breathless.

"Didn't expect to come," Caleb replied. "But… felt like something was pulling me."

He glanced at me, eyes unreadable. "I don't know. Weird vibe lately. Dreams. Static in the air. Maybe I'm just tired."

"You feel it too?" I asked, quietly.

His brow furrowed, like he hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Forget it," he muttered.

But I couldn't. Because the air *had* felt different lately. Heavy. Like the whole world was holding its breath.

Caleb looked at me again. Longer this time.

"Rory… you're different lately."

But before I could answer, a loud scream burst from inside the house.

Chapter 8