The silence in the Alpha's house was almost deafening, but for Vitor, it was the only sound he could bear anymore. He stood before the window of his study, gazing out over the territory of the Silver Claws Pack. At twenty-eight, he should have been in his prime. His long brown hair was pulled back carelessly, and his green eyes — once bright with the joy of a young leader — now carried deep shadows beneath them and a coldness that unsettled even the most seasoned wolves.
Inside him, Eros, his black wolf, growled in discontent. Eros was no ordinary wolf — he was imposing, a beast born of shadow who, since the death of his mate, rarely surfaced unless it was to destroy something.
"You need to eat, son." Elza's gentle voice broke Vitor's trance.
He didn't turn around. At fifty, Elza still carried the dignity of a Luna, even though she'd passed the title years ago.
Her wolf, Mili, was known for her sweetness, but Vitor knew his mother was suffering just as much as he was.
"I'm not hungry, Mom," Vitor answered, his voice rough.
"Your father is worried. The elders are in the great hall. They won't wait any longer, Vitor. It's been two years."
Vitor finally turned, a bitter smile crossing his lips.
"Two years since the world ended, you mean."
His mind drifted, the way it did every night, to that fateful day. The smell of blood and smoke. The vampire attack had been swift and brutal. He could close his eyes and see Valentin, his younger brother — only twenty-four — fighting with a courage that didn't match his playful nature.
Valentin died a hero, trying to protect Luara, Vitor's mate.
Luara. The memory of her was an open wound. She'd been twenty-six, the same age as him at the time. She had wavy brown hair and eyes in a soft shade of violet that looked like a summer sunset. She wasn't a warrior. Luara had been the soul of the pack — the she-wolf who cared for orphans and brought peace to disputes.
When the mate bond shattered with her death, Vitor felt as though his own soul was being ripped from his chest. That same night, he lost his brother and the woman he loved. And the pack lost its Betas, including young Kaue.
"Vitor?" Elza stepped closer, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "I know it hurts. Losing a fated mate is a curse that few survive. But you are the Alpha. Silver Claws is growing weak without a Luna. The pack's power is tied to the balance between its ruling pair."
"I don't want another, Mom. No one can replace what the Moon Goddess gave me."
"No one will replace Luara in your heart," said Jonas, entering the room. The former Alpha, at sixty, was still a robust man. His wolf, Lucius, was a legend in the region.
"But the throne can't stay empty. The vampire attacks on our borders are increasing. We need a strong Luna — someone who can lead the women and strengthen our protective magic."
Jonas walked to his son and placed a hand on his neck, a gesture of dominance and affection.
"Luis and Alfredo, my former Betas, agree. Alex and Rafael, your current Betas, feel the pressure too. The pack needs a symbol of hope. If the Goddess hasn't given you a second chance yet, we need to choose one by strength."
Vitor let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of an invisible crown on his head. He thought of Alex, his loyal Beta, who also carried the pain of losing his brother-in-law in the attack. The grief was a virus that had infected all of them.
"What are the elders proposing?" Vitor asked, knowing there was no way out.
"A competition. A trial of merit," Jonas explained, his expression grave. "Two months from now, all transformed and unmatched she-wolves from our pack and our allied packs will be eligible to compete. This won't be a debutante ball, Vitor. It'll be a test of strength, courage, and leadership. The winner will be crowned your Luna and your wife."
Vitor felt his stomach knot. Marry by contract? Marry a stranger just because she was a good fighter? It felt like an insult to Luara's memory. But as he looked at the people outside, at the families that depended on his stability, he knew he couldn't be selfish forever.
"Fine," Vitor said, his voice cold as ice. "Hold the competition. But make one thing clear: I don't promise love. I promise a title and protection. If she wants to be the Luna of a broken wolf, let her earn it."
Eros growled inside him, a dark agreement. The black wolf didn't want another female, but he wanted blood and power to protect what remained.
"I'll tell Alex to prepare the announcement," Jonas said, looking relieved, though sad for his son. "Alfredo is already eager. His daughter, Kendra, has been training like a woman possessed."
Vitor shrugged. He barely remembered Kendra — only that she was the daughter of one of his father's former Betas. To him, they were all faceless shadows against the image of Luara.
"You can go," Vitor said. "I need to run. Eros is restless."
Without waiting for a reply, he left the study and descended the mansion stairs at full speed. When he reached the courtyard, he didn't stop. He sprinted toward the dense forest that surrounded the pack's headquarters. Halfway there, his clothes tore and his bones cracked in a painful but familiar transformation.
In seconds, a massive black wolf with green eyes leaped over a fallen trunk. Eros took control. He ran until his lungs burned, howling at a moon that hadn't yet risen, crying out for a peace Vitor believed he would never find again.
He didn't know it, but miles away, in a modest house on the edge of the territory, a gray she-wolf named Lila also felt the weight of destiny.
The competition had been decided, and the gears of the Moon Goddess were beginning to turn once more, promising fire and blood for the Silver Claws Pack.
Vitor stopped at the top of a cliff and stared at the horizon. Two months. In sixty days, he would have a new woman at his side. He swore to himself that he'd keep his heart locked away, but fate, as he would soon discover, didn't care about the oaths of a grieving Alpha.
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