All Chapters of Dark Luna Rising: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

It was Erika’s fifteenth birthday, and the air outside was crisp with the promise of late autumn. As she stood in the doorway of the small house she’d grown up in, Erika waved to her mother, who was seated at the kitchen table, sorting through papers.“I’m heading to the park to meet Emily and the others,” Erika called over her shoulder. “I’ll be back before dinner.”Her mother looked up, her face softening with that familiar maternal affection. “Sure, it’s your birthday. Enjoy it with your friends. But there’s something I need to talk to you about later, when you get back, okay?”Erika nodded, distracted by the thought of meeting her friends. She'd planned to spend a fun evening with them, maybe swing by the ice cream shop afterward. As she stepped out into the cool afternoon, the world felt alive—unaware of the impending storm. Erika was different, though. She knew it. Her family was different. But she didn’t let that show when she was with her friends. Living in a small town, surr

The grand entrance to the mansion loomed before Erika as two servants pulled open the towering oak doors. The foyer was immense, with marble floors polished to a mirror-like gleam, gilded railings that spiraled upward to a grand staircase, and chandeliers dripping with crystals that caught and refracted the flickering light of candles. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but Erika couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d stepped into a cage, no matter how opulent its bars.Hugo ushered her forward with a gesture, his usual stoicism intact. “This way,” he said, his voice reverberating off the high ceilings. Erika clutched her bag tightly as they passed through halls adorned with oil paintings of Lycans in regal poses, their golden eyes seeming to follow her.At the end of the hallway, double doors opened to a study bathed in warm, golden light. A tall figure stood by the fireplace, his back to her. He wore a dark suit tailored to perfection, and his posture was rigid, exuding power.“Alpha,

The golden light of dawn filtered through the heavy brocade curtains of Erika’s chambers, bathing the room in warmth that felt at odds with her aching body and unsettled mind. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she shifted under the weight of the silken duvet. Her shoulder throbbed where Diego’s mark lay, a constant reminder of last night’s ceremony—unfinished, hollow, and far from what she had dreamed.A soft knock broke her thoughts. The door creaked open, and a young woman in a neatly pressed gray uniform stepped inside. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid, and she carried an air of quiet efficiency."Good morning, Luna," the maid said, bowing her head. "I am Astrid, your personal chambermaid. I’ve been instructed to assist you as you begin your duties here."Erika pushed herself up slowly, the motion stiffening her sore muscles. “Thank you, Astrid. It’s… nice to meet you.” She offered a faint smile, hoping to find some companionship in the rigid structure of her new li

The faint hum of a hairdryer filled the lavish dressing room as Erika sat before the mirror, her reflection a picture of serenity that belied the flutter of nerves beneath her composed exterior. The hairdresser worked deftly, sweeping her dark locks into an elegant updo accented with delicate silver pins shaped like crescent moons. Dunia stood behind her, hands clasped in front of her, her sharp eyes appraising every detail.“You must stand beside your alpha at all times,” Dunia said, her voice calm but firm. “When he walks, follow two paces behind. It’s the standard.” She leaned closer, her gaze meeting Erika’s in the mirror. “I trust Mathilda drilled this into you, but I don’t take chances.”“Yes, Mother Luna. I’ll remember.” Erika smiled faintly.“You’ll do more than remember,” Dunia corrected with a sly arch of her brow. “You’ll embody it. Grace, composure, and elegance at all times. They’ll be watching for cracks, my dear. Don’t give them any.”Erika inclined her head. “I shall b

A week had passed since the event at the Arcadium, and the moon had waned to a faint silver crescent. Erika mostly stayed confined to her chambers, seeking solace in the volumes she borrowed from the library. Her days were spent studying centuries of Di Rocco family history, a tapestry woven with tales of power, tragedy, and triumph. The faces from the portraits lining the mansion’s walls were no longer strangers. She now knew them as the alphas and lunas who had built the stronghold Diego ruled today.This morning, Erika’s fingers trailed the edges of a journal detailing the untimely death of Alpha Giorgio, Diego’s father. Giorgio had perished alongside his pack during a leisure hunt in the Gray Mountains. Official reports attributed the deaths to a freak encounter with wild boars, but whispers in the journal hinted at something far graver—a rogue ambush. The tragedy had shaken Valentia and devastated the Di Rocco clan, leaving a thirteen-year-old Diego to inherit the mantle of alpha