THE NIGHT THE MOON CHOSE A QUEEN

The Royal Moon Ball of the Northern Country was unlike anything Aitana had ever imagined.

The palace glowed beneath the night sky, its towering walls carved from stone and ice, reflecting moonlight like a living crystal. Chandeliers made of frozen glass hung high above the grand hall, casting soft silver light over nobles, alphas, betas, and envoys from powerful packs across the lands.

Aitana stood near the edge of the hall, her hands clasped tightly before her.

She wore a simple yet elegant gown of pale silver, chosen to honor the Blue Moon Pack. Her white hair fell loosely down her back, and when she lifted her gaze, her purple eyes shimmered like captured starlight. She felt exposed—small among so many powerful figures—but her wolf remained alert, restless, pacing inside her as if sensing something just beyond reach.

The moment King Byron entered the hall, everything changed.

The air shifted, heavy and charged.

King Byron of the Northern Country walked with quiet authority, his presence commanding attention without effort. Conversations fell silent as he passed. His dark attire contrasted sharply with the pale glow of the palace, his posture strong, his gaze sharp and observant.

Then his eyes met hers.

The world stopped.

Aitana’s breath caught painfully in her chest. Her wolf surged forward with a force so sudden she nearly gasped aloud. Moonlight flared around her feet, rippling across the polished floor like liquid silver.

Across the hall, King Byron froze mid-step.

His heart slammed against his ribs as a powerful pull seized him—ancient, undeniable, and overwhelming. His wolf roared inside him, demanding, recognizing.

Mate.

Aitana clutched her chest as warmth flooded through her veins, spreading from her heart outward. The bond snapped into place with a silent force that made her knees weaken.

“No…” she whispered, panic and awe colliding.

King Byron crossed the distance between them before he fully realized he was moving. He stopped only inches away, his gaze locked onto hers, searching her face as if afraid she might vanish.

“You feel it too,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.

Aitana swallowed hard. “I do.”

Whispers erupted around them.

A king… and a girl from a distant pack.

Before anyone could speak further, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the hall.

“Silence.”

The pressure was immediate.

Every wolf bowed instinctively as the grand doors opened.

Kalaini, the Supreme Queen, entered the hall.

Her presence was overwhelming—her all-white wolf aura visible even without shifting, her eyes glowing pure white like moonlight distilled into form. At her side walked Ilai, the Supreme King, calm and unshaken, his hand resting lightly at Kalaini’s back.

Kalaini’s gaze swept the room before landing on Aitana.

Then she smiled—slow, knowing.

“So,” Kalaini said, her voice soft yet carrying effortlessly, “the White Wolf reveals herself at last.”

Aitana dropped to one knee without thinking, her heart pounding. “Your Majesty.”

Kalaini stepped closer, studying her carefully. “Daughter of a beta… rejected by one fate… chosen by another.”

She turned to King Byron. “The mate bond does not make mistakes.”

King Byron straightened. “I will honor it.”

Kalaini nodded once. “Good. You will need her.”

Later that night, the blood pact was formed—ancient magic binding packs and crown together. As ritual knives were set aside and oaths spoken, Aitana felt the bond with Byron steady, warm, grounding.

When the hall finally emptied, Byron found Aitana alone on a moonlit balcony.

“I never meant to overwhelm you,” he said softly.

Aitana looked at him, her purple eyes calm but searching. “I thought my destiny had already rejected me.”

Byron lifted her hand carefully, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “Then it was wrong.”

The moonlight responded, wrapping around them both.

Aitana’s white wolf stirred peacefully for the first time in weeks.

Far away, unseen, Aurora—Damian’s mate—felt a strange chill run through her, as if something powerful had shifted beyond her reach.

The moon rose higher.

And the Northern Country gained its future queen.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***