Chapter 4

The night outside suddenly brightened. The moon’s light, once soft and subtle, intensified, flooding the room with a radiant, silver glow. The torches flickered and dimmed until the moonlight was the only source of illumination.

The crowd fell silent, confusion spreading like wildfire. Eyes darted toward Alyssa, expecting something else, something grand. But it wasn’t Alyssa the moonlight enveloped. It was Seraphine.

A collective gasp rippled through the hall as the silvery light gathered around Seraphine, wrapping her in an otherworldly glow. She felt the warmth of the moon's power settle over her, like an old friend returning home. The light pulsed, alive, powerful, almost as if it had been waiting for this very moment.

"What’s happening?" someone whispered.

The elders exchanged uneasy glances. "The prophecy was fulfilled with Alyssa..." one of them murmured, uncertainty seeping into his voice.

But the light did not falter. It only grew stronger, swirling around Seraphine until her entire body shimmered with the moon’s radiance. Her silver hair gleamed brighter, her once-hidden power now fully awakened. She took a deep breath, feeling a primal connection with the moon, a bond so ancient and deep that it resonated within her very bones.

Alyssa’s triumphant expression faltered as she took a step back, her golden eyes narrowing in confusion. The pack, once firmly in Alyssa’s corner, began to murmur, their voices filled with awe and uncertainty.

The Alpha rose to his feet, his voice shaking with disbelief. "This... this can't be."

Suddenly, Seraphine's body began to shift. Bones cracked, muscles stretched, but there was no pain. Only power. Her transformation was seamless, effortless, as if she was born for this moment. Her wolf form emerged—massive, majestic, and bathed in the moon's light. Her fur glowed with a deep, ethereal silver, and at the center of her forehead was a crescent moon, glowing softly.

The hall was silent, every eye fixed on Seraphine.

One of the elders stepped forward, his voice trembling. "The crescent moon... it’s the mark of the true chosen one."

The Alpha’s face twisted in fury and disbelief. "This wasn’t supposed to happen! Alyssa is the chosen one!" he shouted, but his voice faltered as the undeniable truth hung heavy in the air.

Seraphine’s stepmother, her face pale and twisted in anger, hissed from the side of the room. "No! She’s nothing! Just a useless orphan!" Her voice cracked with desperation, but no one listened.

Alyssa, now trembling with rage, charged toward Seraphine. "This is my night!" she roared. "The prophecy is about me!"

But before she could reach her sister, a pulse of moonlight shot from Seraphine, sending Alyssa stumbling back. The crowd gasped as Alyssa, once so confident and powerful, faltered before the undeniable strength radiating from Seraphine.

An elder’s voice broke the stunned silence. "We were wrong. The true warrior of the Moon has revealed herself. Seraphine is the chosen one."

The pack murmured in agreement, the shift in their loyalty palpable. Seraphine, the once-overlooked orphan, now stood as the Moon Goddess's chosen warrior.

Alyssa growled, her golden eyes flashing with humiliation. "This isn’t over!" she spat, but the power of the moon had already spoken.

The Alpha, his face pale with shock, could only stare. “What have we done?” he whispered to himself. The once-celebrated prophecy was nothing compared to the truth that now stood before them.

As Seraphine stood tall, bathed in the moon’s light, she felt the power of the Moon Goddess settle around her. It was not a choice she had made, but one that had been made for her. She was the true warrior of the Moon.

The Great Hall was thick with tension, the silence only broken by the slow, steady breathing of the pack as they processed the Moon Goddess’s decree. Alpha Kael stood at the center, his disbelief plain on his face. His voice was tight with anger, shaking with a fury barely held in check.

“No… This cannot be. Seraphine is not the one. It’s Alyssa. It’s always been Alyssa,” he said through gritted teeth.

He strode toward Seraphine, towering over her. His eyes burned with contempt as he glared down at his youngest daughter, his voice low but sharp as a blade.

"You have no right to this power, Seraphine. You’ve always been a mistake. A disgrace to this pack."

Seraphine felt the familiar sting of his words but stood firm, bolstered by the warmth of the moon’s energy that now surrounded her like a shield. For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel small in her father’s presence. She didn’t feel afraid.

"I never wanted this, Father. But it’s not up to you. This is the will of the Moon Goddess," she replied quietly.

The pack watched, torn between loyalty to their Alpha and the undeniable truth of the prophecy. Whispers of confusion rose from the crowd, while others turned to Alyssa. She stood frozen, her fists clenched at her sides, eyes flashing with betrayal and jealousy.

"You’ve taken everything from me, Seraphine. You don’t deserve this!" Alyssa hissed, her voice rising in fury as she stepped closer, her eyes burning with rage. "I was supposed to lead the pack! I was supposed to be the chosen one! And now you come and take it all away?"

Seraphine met her sister’s glare with cold indifference, her silver eyes flickering with a strange calm. "I didn’t choose this, Alyssa. The Moon Goddess did."

As the moonlight poured over them, the truth became undeniable. It wasn’t Alyssa’s moment. The power, the mark of the Moon Goddess, was being bestowed upon Seraphine. The pack gasped as realization dawned. The forgotten daughter, the one cast aside, was the true heir to the prophecy.

A soft, ethereal voice echoed through the hall, the Moon Goddess’s words reverberating in the air: "The prophecy spoke of the Alpha’s daughter. It did not say which one."

The hall was still. Seraphine’s white hair shimmered under the moon’s glow, her silver eyes gleaming with a newfound power. She had always been seen as a curse, but now the truth was clear. Her white hair, once thought to mark her as cursed, was a symbol of her connection to the Moon Goddess.

Seraphine felt the moon’s energy flowing through her veins, sharpening her senses and enhancing her strength. But it wasn’t just physical power—there was something deeper, a spiritual force she had never known. She could feel the thoughts and emotions of the pack around her, could sense the energy that connected all living things.

Her transformation was complete.

Stepping forward, Seraphine addressed the pack, her voice strong and unwavering. "I am Seraphine, and I am the one chosen by the Moon Goddess."

The pack stared in awe. Alpha Kael, still reeling from the revelation, knelt before his daughter, followed by the elders and pack members. Their voices rose in unison, echoing through the hall: "We shall serve you, daughter of the Moon Goddess."

Seraphine stood tall, her white hair flowing behind her, her eyes still glowing faintly with the moon’s light. Her power was now undeniable, and the pack could no longer reject her.

"This pack has lived in fear of what it does not understand. I was cast aside, neglected because of my appearance. But I am not a curse. I am the Moon Goddess’s chosen. And from this night forward, the Moonclaw Pack will change."

The crowd parted as the elders approached. The eldest, a wizened woman draped in fur, bowed deeply to Seraphine. "Forgive us, child. We did not see what was right before our eyes. The prophecy is clear now. You will lead us into a new era."

Seraphine nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of her new identity. The power she had gained came with a price, and she could feel the burden of leadership settling on her shoulders. But she was resolute. "There will be no more hatred, no more division. We will stand together as a pack. For those who cannot accept the Moon Goddess’s will..." Her gaze shifted to Morganna, whose face was twisted in fury and fear. "There will be consequences."

As Seraphine stood, her transformation complete, Jake watched from the shadows of the hall, his face pale and his heart heavy with regret. He had rejected her—his former mate—believing her to be weak, believing Alyssa was the better choice.

Now, he could only watch in stunned silence as Seraphine stood, glowing with the power of the Moon Goddess, far beyond anything he had imagined. He whispered to himself, his voice filled with guilt: "I was a fool. She deserved better… so much better."

But it was too late. Seraphine no longer needed him, no longer sought his approval. She was the chosen one, and he was nothing more than a painful reminder of the past she had outgrown. Seraphine had risen to her destiny, and Jake knew—he had lost her forever.