The river ran still, but Aria's reflection churned with chaos.
Her eyes—silver, glowing like twin moons—stared back at her from beneath the water's surface. The shimmer rippled, and for a heartbeat, her reflection smiled.
But she hadn't.
Aria stumbled back, heart slamming in her chest. Her breath came in sharp gasps. She blinked, looked again.
Normal.
Just her own brown eyes.
No glow. No whispers.
Nothing.
She dipped her hands back in the river, hoping the cold would shock the fear away. But the voice she'd heard still clung to her mind like smoke.
You're not safe here.
---
When she returned to the cabin, Kade was sharpening a blade on the porch. He looked up the second she stepped into view.
"You went to the river," he said, not a question.
Aria crossed her arms. "How did you know?"
"I can scent you."
She frowned. "That's creepy."
He smirked. "Get used to it. Your scent changes when you're scared."
"I'm not scared."
"Yes, you are," he said quietly. "What did you see?"
She hesitated. "My reflection. My eyes… changed. And there was a voice."
Kade stood, expression darkening. "What did it say?"
"That I'm not safe here."
Kade didn't speak for a long moment. Then he turned and walked inside.
She followed.
He pulled an old book from a chest and flipped it open. The pages were yellowed and hand-written in some looping, archaic script.
"You've heard the term Moonborn," he said. "But you don't know what it means."
"I figured it was some werewolf VIP bloodline."
"It's more than that," Kade said, laying the book flat so she could see. "Moonborns were the first wolves—not turned, but born from the union of magic and moonlight. They were rare even in the beginning. Gifted. Feared. Hunted."
He flipped to a page showing a drawing—an infant wrapped in shadows, with glowing silver eyes.
Aria stared at it. Her heart stuttered.
"I've seen that image," she whispered. "In a dream."
"Not a dream," Kade said. "A memory."
Aria looked at him. "You think I'm one of them?"
"I don't think. I know."
He reached for her arm gently. "There's something I need to check. May I?"
She nodded.
He rolled up her sleeve, brushing his fingers along her inner forearm.
At first, there was nothing.
Then—under his touch—a symbol flared.
A crescent moon.
Silver. Glowing.
She gasped.
Kade exhaled, like something heavy had just clicked into place. "The Moonborn Mark."
"Why is it only visible now?"
"Because it responds to proximity. To other wolves. Or to blood awakening."
Aria stared at the mark, mesmerized. It pulsed softly with her heartbeat.
"Why would anyone hide this from me?"
Kade looked grim. "Because it's a death sentence."
---
Later, they sat around the fire. Reid joined them, uncharacteristically quiet.
"I've only met one Moonborn before," he said. "My uncle. He shifted when he was ten. Could hear the thoughts of others. Knew when storms were coming. The pack feared him."
"What happened to him?" Aria asked.
"He was murdered."
Kade cut in. "The Thornspire Pack has been killing Moonborns for generations. They believe the bloodline is unnatural. That it corrupts the wolf order."
"And now they know about me," Aria murmured.
"They don't know yet," Kade said. "But if your mark glowed when you were alone, that means your awakening has started. It won't stay hidden much longer."
"So what do I do?" she asked. "Hide? Run?"
"No," he said. "You train. You prepare. And when the time comes—you fight."
---
Her training intensified.
Each morning, she learned to channel her instincts.
Each night, she practiced fighting in darkness.
Her mark began to appear more often—glowing faintly when her heart rate spiked, or when she got angry, or when Kade touched her.
One evening, after a long sparring session, she stood outside alone under the stars. Her muscles ached. Her skin glistened with sweat.
And yet… she'd never felt more alive.
"You're stronger every day," Kade said, stepping up behind her.
Aria smiled faintly. "You sound surprised."
"Not surprised. Proud."
She turned to him. "Tell me something."
"Anything."
"Why did the Moonborn vanish? If they were so powerful, why didn't they just… fight back?"
Kade hesitated. "Because power draws fear. And fear turns allies into enemies."
He moved closer.
"Most Moonborn died before they ever got to understand their gifts."
Aria looked up at him. "Do you think I'll survive mine?"
Kade's jaw clenched. "I don't just think it—I'll make sure of it."
The air between them thickened.
And then—his hand cupped her cheek.
Their lips met.
Not tentative.
Not hesitant.
Like the collision of two stars destined to burn together.
Her mark flared between them.
Kade pulled back first, breathing heavily. "We're bonded now. Not just fated. Chosen."
"What does that mean?"
"It means there's no going back."
---
But fate had other plans.
That night, Aria woke to whispers again.
Only now… they weren't in her head.
They were inside the room.
A figure stood by her bed—hooded, tall, cloaked in darkness.
She bolted upright. "Who—"
The figure held up a hand, and the shadows seemed to bend toward him.
"You don't know me," he said. "But I know you, Moonborn."
"Get out," she said, voice shaking.
"I came to warn you. You're not the only one awakening."
"What?"
"There are others. In other towns. Other packs. You're not alone. But they're dying."
She froze. "Why?"
"Because something is coming," the figure said. "And you're the key."
"To what?"
He smiled beneath the hood.
"To ending the curse."
Then he vanished—into nothin
g but smoke.
---
Kade burst in seconds later, claws bared. "I smelled magic—what happened?"
Aria looked at him, eyes wide.
"There are more like me," she said.
And then her mark burned—bright, silver, alive.