The moon's voice

Althea's POV

The palace was silent, the kind of stillness that settles after stormy hours. Maximus's arm was wrapped around my waist as I lay in his bed—our bed now. His breathing was steady, grounding, and for a time, I let it lull me.

But as I drifted toward sleep, something pulled me down deeper than rest.

A glowing white fog surrounded me. The world fell away in silence, and I felt my feet touch soft, silver-lit grass beneath a night sky unlike any I'd ever seen.

The stars pulsed like breath. The moon was impossibly full, its light washing the world in calm and power.

I turned slowly, and there she stood.

Selene.

The Moon Goddess.

Tall, ethereal, with silver-white hair that floated like mist and eyes that shimmered like twin moons. She wore a flowing gown of stars and smoke, her presence neither cold nor warm—but vast.

I couldn't breathe.

"Althea," she spoke, and my name in her voice sounded like wind through ancient trees, like the first howl ever given to the night.

I dropped to my knees. "Goddess…"

Her hand lifted slightly. "Rise. There is no need to bow to what already lives within you."

I rose, trembling.

"You know my name?"

"I know every child born of moonlight. But you... you carry more."

My pulse thudded in my ears. "More?"

She stepped closer, her bare feet never quite touching the ground. "Lunara, your wolf, is not just a gift. She is my blood. She is descended from me—untouched by mortal chains, undiluted by time."

I stared, wide-eyed. "She… she's part of you?"

"She is your inheritance," Selene said. "You are not of lowborn wolves. You were placed where you were needed—to survive until the time came."

A lump formed in my throat. "So my parents…?"

"They are your real parents.I chose you for Lunara because you are strong."

The pieces fell like shattered glass inside me. All those years, I thought I was nothing. A burden. An unwanted mouth to feed. But I had been fire disguised as ash.

I looked up again. "Why now? Why tell me this now?"

"Because the time is short," she said, her voice darkening. "A shadow grows in your land. The same darkness that claimed the rogue in flame and ash has its roots in ancient betrayal."

Her eyes turned stormy. "The power you carry… the divine blood in Lunara… it will not awaken fully until you complete the bond."

I froze. "You mean… until I'm marked?"

She nodded. "Until you are mated—fully. Body and soul. To the black wolf."

"Maximus."

"He is not just your mate. His wolf, Caelum, was born from my son's line. Together, you are the only ones who can withstand the darkness that is coming. A union of heaven and flame."

A chill ran through me. "What is coming?"

She turned her face upward. "An ancient enemy. One who once challenged the balance of wolves and gods. He walks the world again, through shadows and ashes. His name is forgotten by many, but you will know him by his hunger—for chaos, for control, for blood."

I swallowed. "Will we survive?"

"That is up to you," she said gently. "But know this: when your wolves unite in true bond, you will awaken the full depth of your power. You will burn with moonfire. You will become what you were always meant to be."

She reached forward and touched my brow with two fingers.

A silver light rushed through me, burning bright, filling my limbs with heat, with clarity. I cried out, my body arching with the sensation—and the vision shattered.

I bolted upright, gasping.

Maximus stirred beside me instantly, his hand already gripping my waist protectively. "Althea?"

I turned toward him, breathing hard. "I saw her. The Moon Goddess."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"She came to me in a dream. Or maybe something more. It wasn't just sleep—I felt her power, Max. I felt Lunara shift in me. She—she said Lunara is descended from her. From Selene's own bloodline."

He sat up, eyes narrowing in wonder. "She's a direct descendant?"

I nodded. "And she said… to awaken that power fully, I have to complete the bond."

His jaw tightened. "You mean mating?"

"Yes. All of it. Marking."

He was quiet for a long moment. "Did she say why?"

"Because we're not ordinary wolves, Maximus. You and I. Caelum and Lunara. She said your wolf comes from her son's line. Our union—our bond—it's part of a prophecy. We are the only ones who can stop what's coming."

His brows furrowed. "The rogue… the one who turned to ash. That was just the beginning?"

I nodded, eyes filling with dread. "She said an old enemy is rising. Someone who once challenged the gods. He's walking the world again, hidden in the chaos."

Max's hand cupped my cheek. "Did she say his name?"

"No. Only that he hungers for blood and chaos. That we'll know him when he comes."

He exhaled slowly. "You saw all this in a dream?"

"It felt more real than any memory I've ever had."

He was silent again, processing. Then finally, he said, "And you… how do you feel about what she said?"

I looked down at our hands, then up into his eyes.

"I'm scared. But I'm not running. Not this time."

He smiled faintly, pride flickering in his gaze. "Then we face this. Together."

I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his. "She said we'll become what we were always meant to be."

He pulled me close, kissing me softly, reverently.

"We already are."