The Luna Awakening

Aria's POV

I glare at the diamond jewelry set. It sparkles as the light hits it, its luster refracting brilliantly and pulling in my attention.

"It's beautiful," I whisper, my lips widening into a smile.

With gentle hands, I place the necklace around my neck. It fits perfectly, sparkling under the light. Just beautiful. A wave of excitement surges through me, like a thousand butterflies all swarming up in my belly. With this gesture, my feelings for Lucien intensify.

I return the necklace back into the box and put it away in my wardrobe. Excited to see everyone, I freshen up and hurry down for breakfast.

I glare at Mum, dishing out instructions for the maids to carry out. She looks busy, so caught up with planning that she doesn't notice me at first.

"Mum," I say, shifting her focus towards me. She smiles and urges me to come closer for a hug. We hug while she pulls away to look at my face, her face lighting up as she moves my forehead closer to plant a kiss.

"Happy birthday, my dear," she says. " Mila has sensed Alera. She can't wait to see her pup." I smile while she continues. "I can't believe you're turning eighteen already and on such an auspicious day like today."

I pull her closer, my arms wrapping around hers. "I'm excited as well, Mum."

"You're indeed one lucky child, dear. The Moon Goddess has truly blessed you," she says, while we make our way towards the dining room.

"Thanks, Mum," I say, and we drop into our seats to eat breakfast. I look around for any sign of Dad or Lucien, but I don't see them around.

Curious, I proceed to inquire about their whereabouts. "Mum, what about Dad and Lucien? I don't see them around."

"Honey, they're at the council meeting. You know how it is during any Full Moon event. The pack has to plan well for this auspicious event." I raise my brows in approval.

She proceeds to stand to her feet. "They might take some time, dear, but don't worry. They'll be back soon. So eat and get some rest, okay." She leans in closer and kisses me on the head.

"Thanks, Mum." My lips curl into a reassuring smile, while she snuggles my shoulder in a one-sided hug before leaving.

Once done, I return to my room. In dying need to hear Lucien's voice, I open up our mind link. It's my first time, and I'm so excited. I try once and it connects instantly.

"Happy birthday, Aria. I see you finally got your wolf," he says, causing me to blush at his words.

"You bet I did," I tease, while I sense his soft chuckle echo through our mind link.

"I got to go, Aria, I'm in a meeting. See you soon," he says and disconnects our mind link. I bury my head in a pillow, muffling my squeal as my legs kick out with excitement. I can't wait for what today will bring.

In the evening,

It's time for my party. I slip into a silver metallic-colored gown, paired with the diamond jewelry Lucien gifted me earlier. My hair is packed in a top bun with light makeup sitting perfectly on my face.

The pack beautician finishes my whole look and proceeds to take her leave. I glare at my reflection in the mirror, beautiful just like I expected it to turn out.

The party is to take place in our pack hall, a few meters away from the pack house. A lot of wolves, from the lowest ranking to the higher ranks, are in attendance. Alphas from other packs are coming too.

I feel happy, but at the same time a nervous feeling surges through me. "Keep it together, Aria... it's your big day," I say, releasing the tension setting in. I can't believe I get to see so many people today.

Satisfied with my look, I head down to go to the venue. At the end of the stairs stand Mum, Dad, and Lucien, all dressed and ready for the party.

Once I approach the stairs, a small surprised gasp escapes their lips. I smile at the surprised look on their faces while I descend the stairs with grace.

Once down, everyone comes to compliment my look. "Wow, Aria, you look beautiful, dear," Mum says, pulling me in for a hug.

"You bet she does," Dad adds. Mum breaks away from the hug, surveying my whole look once more before attempting to leave.

"Okay kids, come on now, we don't want to be late." She takes Dad by his hand and they leave together. I turn to see Lucien still staring, his eyes wide in surprise.

"And you, Mr Alpha," I say, and he snaps back to reality. "What do you have to say to the birthday girl?" He moves forward, hands in his pocket, while he mutters.

"Wow, I'm impressed. You look gorgeous," he says, and I blush at his words... while I feel a soft tingle inside.

"Shall we?" Lucien says, and I proceed to snake my hand around his. We chuckle as we exit the packhouse.

We arrive at the pack hall. It's beautifully decorated. We enter, and it's magnificent, more beautiful than the outlook.

The room is filled with wolves of different ranks and Alphas from different packs. I almost tense up, seeing so many people in attendance.

As I slip into the room, it erupts into wows and shocked gasps. Everyone's eyes narrow in on me like I'm some kind of celebrity. I slowly navigate my way into the crowd. I notice I'm slowly becoming the center of attention. I hear someone whisper, "Who is she?" while another person answers, "She's the princess of the Silver Moon Pack."

I don't stay to hear them dally about me when someone with a familiar voice calls out to me. It's Chloe. Raymond is also with her. They close in on me and their expressions are just as surprised as everyone else's.

"Wow. Aria, you look beautiful," Chloe says, holding my hands out to glare at my dress.

"Wow. Aria, you look incredible," Raymond adds.

"Thanks, guys," I reply.

Just as we continue talking about how good I look, my eyes catch a gleam of Mara with her minions. She doesn't say anything, just a long lingering stare, and before I know it, she's out of sight.

My heart cuts in my chest. For one, I'm scared she might sabotage the party. Then I remember-she couldn't even if she wanted to. Today is a sacred day and doing that attracts dire punishment. Soon the feeling in my mind slowly fades away.

Chloe pulls me away to meet with other people. In her words, "Everyone has to see how beautiful you look." Sounds cute, I think to myself. The party kicks up in full swing with music, entertainment, games among the young wolves, and even paired-couple dancing.

I'm not left out of the fun, as I'm forced to take a break whenever I have too much fun. Mara keeps her gaze fixed on me throughout the entire party, but I ignore her. Being the center of attention feels great, and now I understand why she fought so hard to have it. I mean, you can't really blame her.

Then comes the moment we've all been waiting for, the Full Moon. Dad orders that the glazed panel of the rooftop be raised. The room falls into silence. Once raised, we see the night creep in, then the starlight follows before the Silver Full Moon in her glory.

Everyone cheers in excitement. Her gaze above us is magnificent. Under the moon's glow, I feel a strong pull inside, the scent of sandalwood and something dark lingering around me.

Something suddenly awakens in me. Alera starts to howl inside.

"Mate," she says.

Mate? The bond begins pulling me in his direction. Wherever he is, I'm sure he feels it too.

I stop right next to him, my eyes widening in surprise. It's Lucien. He's our mate. It feels like a dream come true. Lucien turns and our gazes lock in on each other.

Alera howls in excitement, because she has seen her mate. I don't hold back anymore when I utter the word,

"Mate."