The hall erupted into chaos.
Alphas shouted over each other, their voices clashing like thunder. Guards rushed toward the corner where the silver-eyed girl had been standing. Servants scattered, their faces pale with fear.
I stood frozen, my heart pounding. The mark on my chest was still burning, pulsing with silver light. I could feel it in my bones, in my blood, in the deepest part of my soul.
She wants what is hers.
The girl's words echoed in my mind. She had spoken with such certainty, such ancient authority. She knew something. Something about me. Something about my past.
But she was gone.
I spun around, searching the hall for any sign of her. The corner where she had been standing was empty. No shadows. No footprints. Nothing.
"Where did she go?" I demanded.
The guards exchanged confused glances. "There was no one there, Your Highness," one of them said. "We saw nothing."
"Nothing?" I stared at him. "She was right there! You saw her. Everyone saw her!"
The guard shook his head. "I saw nothing, Your Highness. Only shadows."
I looked around the hall. The Alphas were staring at me with expressions of disbelief. The priestess was clutching her broken bowl. King Aldric was pale and trembling.
And Isolde was watching me with cold, calculating eyes.
"The girl," I said, my voice shaking. "The girl with the silver eyes. She was right there."
"I'm afraid there is no girl," Isolde said smoothly. "You must be exhausted, Selene. The ritual can be draining. Perhaps you should rest."
"I'm not imagining things!" I shouted. "She was there! She spoke! You all heard her!"
Silence.
No one answered.
I looked at Silas. He was staring at me with an unreadable expression. His ice-blue eyes were fixed on mine, and I could see something flickering in them—something I couldn't name.
"I saw her," I said, my voice desperate. "I know I did. Tell them, Silas. You saw her too."
Silas didn't answer. He just kept staring at me.
"He saw nothing," Isolde said. "No one saw anything. You are exhausted. The ritual can be overwhelming for someone of your... humble background."
The words stung. "My background isn't humble. I'm the daughter of—"
"You are a rogue," Isolde interrupted, her voice sharp. "You were found stealing bread in the streets of Lunaris. You may carry the mark of the Moon Wolf Queen, but that does not make you a queen. Not yet."
The Alphas murmured among themselves.
"She has a point," one of them said. "The girl is a rogue. How do we know she didn't steal the mark somehow?"
"You can't steal a mark from the Goddess," the priestess said, her voice steady.
"Then how do we know it's real?"
"The ritual confirmed it."
"Rituals can be faked."
I clenched my fists. "I'm not lying. I'm not pretending to be something I'm not. I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be brought here. I didn't ask for this mark."
I touched my chest, where the mark was still pulsing beneath my gown.
"I just want to know the truth. I want to know who I really am."
The hall fell silent.
Then Silas spoke.
"Enough."
His voice was low and commanding, cutting through the chaos like a blade. The Alphas fell silent. Isolde's smile flickered.
Silas stepped toward me, his ice-blue eyes never leaving mine. "You want the truth?" he said. "Then come with me."
I stared at him. "What?"
"Come with me," he repeated. "I will show you what you need to know."
Isolde stood abruptly. "That is not appropriate, Silas. The girl is under my protection. She will remain—"
"The girl is the daughter of the Moon Wolf Queen," Silas interrupted. "She is not under anyone's protection. And if I want to speak with her, I will."
Isolde's eyes narrowed. "You forget yourself, Alpha King."
"I forget nothing," Silas said coldly. "I know exactly who I am. And I know exactly who she is."
He turned to me and extended his hand.
"Come," he said. "Before I change my mind."
I looked at his hand. It was large and strong, the hand of a warrior. I had every reason to refuse. I didn't trust him. I didn't trust anyone in this palace.
But I also didn't have a choice.
I took his hand.
---
He led me through the palace in silence.
I followed him through corridors and staircases, past guards and servants who bowed as we passed. He didn't speak. He didn't look back. He just walked.
I couldn't stop staring at him.
Even from behind, he was imposing. His shoulders were broad, his stride confident, his presence commanding. This was a man who was used to being obeyed. A man who had fought and killed and clawed his way to the top.
I wondered what he wanted with me. I wondered if he was a threat or an ally.
Finally, he stopped in front of a door. It was old and heavy, made of dark wood carved with images of wolves and the moon.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"My chambers," he said.
I froze. "Your chambers?"
"I need to speak with you privately." He pushed the door open. "And I don't want anyone listening."
I hesitated. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"Probably not," he agreed. "But I don't care."
I stared at him. He didn't look like he was joking.
"Come in," he said. "I promise I won't bite."
"Unless I ask you to," I muttered.
He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing." I stepped past him into the room. "What do you want?"
He closed the door behind us.
---
His chambers were simpler than I expected. No gold. No tapestries. Just a bed, a table, and a window overlooking the city. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting warm shadows across the walls.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to a chair.
I sat. He sat across from me.
For a long moment, he didn't speak. He just stared at me with those ice-blue eyes, his expression unreadable.
"You're not what I expected," he finally said.
"Neither are you."
A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "No. I suppose not."
He leaned forward. "The girl you saw in the hall. She's real."
I blinked. "You saw her too?"
"Of course I saw her." His eyes hardened. "I saw her and felt her power. She is... something else. Something old. Something dangerous."
"Do you know who she is?"
He was silent for a moment. "There are stories about her," he said slowly. "Some call her the Oracle. Others believe she's only a legend. I don't know what she truly is."
I frowned. "Then why did she speak to me? Why did she call me Moon Queen?"
"Because you carry the mark of the Moon Wolf Queen," he said. "What that truly means... no one knows."
I touched my chest. "But I'm not—"
"You are." His voice was firm. "The ritual proved it. The mark proves it. The girl's words prove it." He paused. "You are the woman the prophecy speaks of. Whether you become Lunaria's salvation... or its ruin... no one can say."
I shook my head. "I don't want any of that. I didn't ask for any of it."
"Destiny doesn't care what you want." He stood and walked toward the window. "You cannot run from this, Selene. You cannot hide. The Doom Moon has recognized you. The girl has spoken to you. And I..."
He stopped, his jaw tight.
"And you what?" I whispered.
He turned to face me. "Something changed the moment I saw you in that hall. Whatever it is... I've never felt anything like it before."
I felt the mark on my chest pulse. "I felt it too."
He stared at me for a long moment. Then he shook his head.
"This is a mistake," he muttered. "You should go."
"Silas—"
"Go."
I stood, my legs trembling. I walked toward the door, my heart pounding.
And then I heard his voice behind me.
"Selene."
I stopped. I didn't turn around.
"Be careful," he said. "There are people in this palace who will use you. Isolde. Seraphine. Even the Alphas." He paused. "Don't trust anyone."
"I don't trust anyone," I said.
"Good." His voice was cold. "That might keep you alive."
I opened the door and walked out.
---
I made it back to my chambers before the pain hit.
The mark on my chest flared, burning with silver light. I gasped, clutching my chest. The pain was intense—like fire and ice, tearing through my veins.
I collapsed onto the bed, my body trembling.
And then I saw her.
The silver-eyed girl was standing in the corner of my room.
She was smiling.
"Run while you still can," she whispered.
Before I could move, the mark on my chest blazed with silver fire.
A pulse of ancient power surged through me, racing beyond the walls of my room as though answering a call older than time.
Somewhere in the palace... something awakened.
The candles in my room flickered wildly.
Then everything went still.
I blinked.
The silver-eyed girl was gone.
I was alone once more.
-
END OF CHAPTER 4