Chapter 001

"I promise, Lola, this isn't a lie!" Kira's hurried, panicked voice startled me out of my reverie. She thrust her phone in my face as I looked across at her, our wide eyes meeting.

My gut roiled, so I stepped back and murmured, "You have to be kidding me." "What is meant to be here?"

An image of an antique symbol appeared on the screen; it was a ragged, round pattern that seemed to have come from some dusty old book of mythology. I didn't know why it felt so familiar, but I recognized it right away. It seemed as though a ghost was stroking my flesh.

Kira's voice lowered, full of an intensity I hadn't heard in a long time, and she continued, "It's on your wrist, Lola." It's the mark. The one about which everyone talks.

The mark. It had always seemed to me like a strange birthmark. When I was younger, I had a strange little swirly thing on my wrist that gradually diminished with age but never entirely vanished. Now, however, as I stared at Kira's phone, the uneasiness in her voice tore at me like an unavoidable warning.

I mumbled, "I don't get it," and reflexively rubbed my wrist, even though the mark was concealed by my shirt sleeve. "What even does this mean?"

A mixture of terror and awe flared in Kira's eyes. "Lola, it means everything. You are the one, you are. The Luna.

My chest constricted. I gasped. My veins pounded with heat, but I was unable to identify what was causing it. "Cease. What on earth are you discussing?

She chewed her lip and looked around the packed cafe as though she was waiting for someone to come out and validate everything she said. She wasn't playing games, as seen by the stiffness in her posture.

She leaned closer and said, "Do you recall the stories we used to hear as kids?" Something flickered in her eyes, perhaps guilt? Fear?—However, she maintained eye contact. What about the werewolf stories? Who would save them all, the Luna?

A chuckle escaped from my innermost being. It wasn't a true laugh, though. It was uneasy and hollow. “This is crazy, Kira. You are discussing fairy tales and folklore. Luna? What on earth is meant by that?

Kira didn't recoil. Before I could respond, she grabbed my wrist and roughly pulled my sleeve up, revealing the mark. I attempted to move away, but she resisted with a hard, resolute grip.

Now that I could see it, the mark appeared to be pulsing with its own life. A dark, whirling crescent with jagged edges that felt like they were burning into my flesh. My heart started racing in ways I couldn't comprehend since the ragged pattern was exactly the same as the one on her phone. I stared at the symbol, feeling as though the blood was dripping from my face.

"What is this?" My voice broke. "What am I going through?"

At first, Kira remained silent. Her eyes darted nervously to the entrance, but she was too busy looking about the room. You're not aware of what this signifies, are you? You are more than just a human. You don't know what's going to happen, Lola.

I went cold. Suddenly, I felt as though something was choking my lungs, making the air around me feel heavy and thick. My surroundings were blurry as my heart pounded in my ears. "Am I not human?" More to myself than to her, I muttered. "What does that mean to you?"

With hardly a breath in her voice, Kira drew closer. "Lola, you're a part of something old. You have a link to them, to the pack, from birth.

My thoughts were racing as I stood there. "Pack? Are you referring to wolves? I chuckled once more, but it was a tentative and feeble sound.

Kira, however, wasn't giggling. She stepped closer, her lips quivering, her face pallid. My chest tightened in alarm as I noticed that she was trembling now as well. "No, Lola. Not only wolves. Werewolves. You are their destined partner, their Luna. They have been waiting for someone like you.

My knees went weak under me as the words struck me like a punch to the gut. I was having trouble breathing. Kira refused to move when I attempted to push her away. "You've lost it," I exclaimed, frantically shaking my head. "I'm just a girl," I said. I am not unique.

For a brief period, Kira's eyes softened. Then they stiffened in an instant. "You must comprehend. They have been trying to find you. for many years. You were concealed. avoided them. I couldn't help but notice the intensity with which her eyes met mine. "There's a reason why you were marked, Lola. You cannot break free from the curse that ties you to them.

Deep within my bones, I sensed a sharp tug that felt like a magnetic force even though I couldn't see it. The feeling came suddenly and powerfully through me. As though my body were now recognizing something it had been waiting for, my breathing was shallow and my heart was racing frantically. Something ancient. Something hazardous.

Then, as though the cosmos itself had chosen to heighten my anxiety, the café door suddenly flew open.

The atmosphere changed. My entire body stiffened. Even though my intellect was screaming for me to run, I was immobile.

A man came in. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had a dark, seething intensity that caught my eye right away. I couldn't help but notice the intensity with which his dark, stormy, and keen eyes fastened upon mine. I knew him, although I had never seen him before. I knew him from the bottom of my heart.

The connection, that earlier magnetic pull, suddenly clicked into place.

Kael.

I was having trouble breathing. Every muscle seemed to be stuck in place, as if my body were electrified. I knew the man even though I had never met him before. The weight of the ancient relationship was crushing me, and I could feel it. It was more than a sensation. It was authentic. He was genuine.

The world seemed to tilt as he stepped toward me. I hardly heard Kira say, "Lola, don't," and I hardly noticed her whisper.

I was unable to take my eyes off Kael. As he drew closer, his every motion purposeful and predatory, my heart pounded in my chest. The oddest thing happened: I felt as though I was melting into him, becoming a part of him. I could feel the heat of his stare pressing against my skin like a physical force.

A surge of energy rushed through me as Kael's fingers touched the symbol on my wrist.

"Lola," he said in a deep, dark, and powerful growl. "You don't know what you just woke up to."

The door slammed behind him, and everything went dark before I could react, before I could even fully understand what was happening.

I felt as though a weight had descended upon me. My eyesight blurred and I felt lightheaded, but before I could scream, I felt like I was being drawn into something—someone.

Kael's sharp eyes were the last thing I noticed before everything turned black.

And I was certain that my life had just taken a drastic turn for the worst.