The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting gold and crimson light over the Moonfang territory.
At the edge of the forest, just beyond the border patrols, a figure emerged from the shadows—cloaked in silence, her presence unfamiliar yet deeply unsettling.
Two guards stationed near the training field turned, catching a scent on the wind.
"Who the hell—?" one of them muttered.
The woman stepped into the clearing, her feet bare, her hair cascading in loose waves. Her silver eyes glowed like moonlight, her aura sharp and commanding. A long, torn cloak wrapped around her like a shroud, but the energy pulsing off her was unmistakable.
One of the guards stumbled back, growling defensively. "State your name! You've crossed into Moonfang land!"
The woman didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Her scent, once faint and buried under years of submission and shame, now carried royal weight. Ancient. Untamed.
It was Selene Blackwood.
And she was no longer broken.
"Blackwood?" the younger guard's voice cracked. "But you were—Damien said you—"
"I was rejected," Selene said calmly. Her voice no longer trembled. "But I am not yours to reject anymore."
Before either could respond, she walked past them.
Neither guard moved.
They couldn't. Her presence rooted them in place, like prey caught in the gaze of a predator. And deep in their wolves, something ancient stirred—something that told them this woman outranked even their Alpha.
—
The Pack House was just as she remembered: towering, proud, and filled with wolves who never once looked her in the eye unless it was to mock or sneer.
Today, they stared for another reason entirely.
Selene marched through the gates.
The whispers began instantly.
"Is that…?"
"She's back?"
"Didn't Alpha Damien reject her?"
"What's with her eyes?"
No one stopped her.
She moved with silent authority, her posture regal, back straight, as if the air around her parted to make way.
In the training yard, a pack of warriors froze mid-spar. Their Alpha was there—Damien Thorn—shirtless and sweating from combat, his muscular form tense as he sparred with Beta Jace.
Selene's gaze locked on him.
He turned, frowning.
His jaw tightened the moment he recognized her.
"Selene," he growled, disbelief lacing his tone. "You dare return?"
She stopped a few paces from him, eyes meeting his without fear. "Why not? I was born in this pack. You rejected me, Damien. Not exiled me."
"I should've," he snarled. "You were a mistake from the start."
Behind him, Elira appeared, draped in a silk robe, lips curled in amusement. "Someone's clinging to the past."
Selene didn't spare her a glance.
Instead, she turned to the gathered pack. "Listen well. I returned not to reclaim a title I never asked for. I am no longer a candidate for your Luna. The Moon Goddess has revealed who I truly am—and it is far above what any of you imagined."
Damien laughed harshly. "Oh? And what exactly are you now, Selene? A rogue with delusions of grandeur?"
She stepped forward, her eyes blazing silver. The ground beneath her feet seemed to hum.
"I am the last blood of the Royal Alpha Line. My father wasn't a traitor—he was executed because he carried a legacy others feared."
Gasps echoed around the training yard.
Even Jace looked uneasy.
Selene raised her hand, palm glowing with silvery flame. "You feel it, don't you? The bloodline your ancestors tried to erase. The bloodline your council thought was gone."
Damien's face twisted in confusion… and something else. Fear.
"You lie," he said, but it sounded unsure. "There hasn't been a Royal Alpha in over a hundred years."
"Until now."
Silence fell like snow.
Selene exhaled slowly. "I came only to retrieve what was stolen. My father's crest. The ring that marks his lineage. And the truth about his death."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "You think I'll just hand over ancient artifacts because you claim to be royal?"
"No," she said. "I don't expect you to hand them over."
Suddenly, her aura exploded outward—a shimmering wave of energy that hit the surrounding warriors like a thunderclap. Most staggered, some even dropped to one knee, overwhelmed by the pressure.
Even Damien faltered for a moment before he steadied himself, baring his fangs.
"What the hell are you?" he growled.
"I am your reminder," she said, "that even Alphas can be replaced."
She turned away, walking toward the exit without waiting for a response. "You rejected me once, Damien. That was your first mistake."
She paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"Your second was thinking I wouldn't rise higher than you ever could."
Then she vanished into the shadows.
—
That night, around a fire in the ancient ruins at the edge of the territory, Selene knelt before the stone altar of her ancestors. She placed her hand on the cold surface, whispering an old prayer her mother once told her—one never meant to be spoken aloud.
The earth trembled faintly.
And in the dark… something answered.
A glowing mark appeared on her wrist—the Royal Alpha Sigil.
She clenched her fist.
It was time to gather allies. Time to reclaim what was rightfully hers. The other packs would soon know: the Royal Bloodline lived—and it had returned to lead.
Not as a Luna.
But as an Alpha Queen.