The Substitute Mate: Rise, luna! Rise!

VIENNA'S POV

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an amber glow over the Ambersy Pack's territory. Today was our 16th birthday-mine and my twin sister Victoria's. The celebration was in full swing, the air thick with laughter and the scent of roasted meats. I stood to the side, watching Victoria being in the center of adoration from our pack members. She was always the favorite, the golden child.

"Happy Birthday, Victoria!" an elder exclaimed, handing her a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Thank you, Elder Maris," Victoria beamed, her eyes twinkling. She had awakened her wolf at 15, a rare gift that had elevated her status in the pack. Meanwhile, I stood in her shadow, still wolfless and weak.

"Happy Birthday, Vienna," someone said, almost as an afterthought. I forced a smile and nodded, trying to ignore the sting of being overlooked.

Just as the evening began to wind down, a blood-curdling howl shattered the festive atmosphere. Chaos erupted as rogue wolves, led by the strongest of their kind, stormed our pack's land.

"Ambush!" My father, the Alpha, roared. "Defend the pack!"

Our warriors scrambled, but something was wrong. They struggled to shift. They tried so hard, but nothing happened! Suddenly, panic swept through the crowd.

I saw how they paled just realizing how dangerous our situation was. Even my Alpha of a father could not shift to his wolf form when he was the strongest in the pack.

"Someone put something in our food! We've been poisoned!" The Beta shouted, his voice tinged with fear and anger. "We can't shift!"

In our human forms, we were at a grave disadvantage. The rogues— fully shifted and ferocious—tore through our ranks. I watched in horror as my father fought bravely, only to be overwhelmed. The strongest rogue in their line, a massive beast with cold, ruthless eyes, slashed at him, his claws tearing through flesh and bone. My mother, the Luna, tried to reach him, but she too fell under the rogue onslaught.

"Father! Mother!" I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by the sounds of battle. Tears blurred my vision as I saw them both collapse, their blood soaking the ground. I tried to rush to them, but a warrior pulled me back.

"Be careful, Vienna! It's dangerous!" He urged, moments before a rogue wolf leaped at him, jaws snapping. He fell, lifeless, and the rogue turned its gaze on me.

I froze, paralyzed by fear, waiting for death. Just as the rogue lunged, a blur of fur and teeth intercepted it—Victoria. She stood in front of me to protect me.

Victoria! My sister... She had shifted, her golden wolf glistening in the moonlight. Maybe she hadn't eaten poisoned food and she could still shift!

"Sunshine, run!" She yelled, her voice a growl as she fought off the rogue. I hesitated, torn between fleeing and helping her.

No... I can't just leave her here! What if I lose her too? No, I can't! But what can I do?!

Victoria's strength was unmatched, but the rogues outnumbered her. I watched in helpless agony as they overpowered her. She let out a pained howl as one rogue sank its teeth into her neck, her body collapsing to the ground. It all happened too fast, within seconds.

"No! Victoria! Sis!" I screamed, my heart shattering as I rushed to her side. Her eyes, once full of life, now stared blankly at the sky.

I closed my eyes, welcoming the death that was sure to come.

Moon Goddess, what sin did I do for you to give me such a life? Please, let this be a nightmare. Please!

Suddenly, the sound of howls and snarls intensified. I opened my eyes to see a new group of wolves, led by a powerful black wolf with piercing blue eyes, tearing through the rogues. Alpha Luther Casimir of the Lockheart Pack. He and his warriors slaughtered the rogues with a ferocity I had never seen, turning the ground into a river of blood.

As the last rogue fell, Luther shifted back to his human form, his eyes blazing with fury and grief. He spotted me kneeling beside Victoria's body and strode over, his face a mask of rage.

"Why the fuck did you survive?" He spat, his voice venomous. "How could you, a useless person without a wolf who can't protect her pack and family, deserve my lover's sacrifice?"

I flinched at his words, my heart breaking all over again. "Alpha Luther, I-"

"Shut up," he growled, his eyes cold. "I won't let you off so easily. Take her away!" He ordered his warriors.

As they grabbed me, I looked back at the ruins of my home, my family gone.

If I had known what would happen, I would have wished that it was me who died.

Instead of my sister.