The Rejected Sister Who Became the Alpha King's Luna

"Are you deaf? I said Elara just ran into the Shadow Woods!" Tara hissed, shoving my shoulder to get my attention.

"The forbidden zone? Is she insane?" Mira asked, dropping her polishing cloth.

I froze. The ceremonial silver bowl slipped from my grasp, clattering against the stone altar. Water spilled over the ancient runes, soaking my sleeves.

"When did she leave?" I asked, grabbing Tara's forearm.

"Two minutes ago," Tara squeaked, shrinking back from my grip. "She sprinted right past the guards during the shift change. Just took off without a single word."

"Did anyone try to stop her?"

"Gael yelled at her, but she ignored him. She looked frantic. Like she was racing against a clock."

I released Tara's arm. My pulse hammered a rapid rhythm against my ribs.

*She went to the woods.*

*She knows.*

A sharp vision pierced my skull. Searing pain. A silver blade twisting in my back. Elara standing over me, wearing a crown woven of night-shade, her voice laced with poison.

*"Thanks for the prince, sister. I'll take it from here."*

In that past life, I was the one who wandered into the woods. I found the bleeding Prince. I stopped his hemorrhage. I became the kingdom's savior.

And Elara spent three years plotting in the shadows until she stole my title, my mate, and my life.

Now, she was sprinting straight toward the clearing. She was stealing the starting line.

The shock evaporated from my veins. A cold, sharp calm settled over my skin.

"Let her go," I said.

Mira stared at me, her eyes wide. "But the elders will punish her! The wolves out there—"

"I said, let her go."

"Lyra, she could die!"

"She won't die," I replied, turning back to the altar to pick up the fallen bowl. "She knows exactly what she's doing."

A heavy horn blast shattered the morning air.

The ground trembled beneath our boots. The plaza erupted into chaos as members of the Thorne pack scrambled out of the way.

"The Black Wolf Cavalry!" a guard shouted from the watchtower. "Open the iron gates!"

Massive dire wolves, coats black as pitch, stormed into the courtyard. Armored riders sat atop them, carrying the silver-moon banners of the Royal House. The beasts snarled, their massive paws cracking the paving stones.

The lead rider pulled his mount to a halt. The wolf snapped its jaws, silencing the murmuring crowd.

"Hear this!" the commander barked, lifting his visor. "Alpha Prince Kaelen has been found!"

Whispers swept through the plaza like wildfire.

"He survived the ambush?" Mira whispered, clutching her hands to her chest.

"Silence!" the commander roared. "The Prince survived. And he has found his savior. He returns now to present his chosen bride."

"Bride?" Elder Faron gasped, stepping out from the sanctuary steps. "He chooses a mate today? But the trials—"

"The Royal decree stands," the commander interrupted. "The one who saved the Royal bloodline shall share the throne. No trials are necessary."

The crowd parted, forming a wide