The moon was brightly shining in the sky when I crossed the border into Dark Moon Valley. I could already feel it before even seeing it—the intense vibration beneath the ground, the fresh crackle of the wind. It radiated energy that could sharpen one's instincts and set their head straight.
Two long years had passed, yet the land still remembered me. I moved like a small figure, more like a shadow, staying low as the trees became fewer. I caught a glimpse of the pack's ceremonial circle as I moved closer.
Flames flickered in tall metal candle holders. Weres gathered in groups, some fully dressed, others half-dressed, revealing tightened muscles and bright eyes glowing in the firelight.
It was the evening of the rite, and no one had invited me—not even my mother. I shouldn't have come, but I guess family bonds are stronger than fear. My mother stood at the center of everyone, dominant in her Luna cape and adorned with woven leather and bone. She looked back before I could even step out of the shadows.
"Riya?" Her voice was torn like a strap.
Suddenly, everyone turned, fixing their eyes on me, repositioning mid-step and whispering among themselves. She moved through the circle and drew me into a warm embrace without a second thought. Her touch felt stabilizing and warm.
"You came."
"I shouldn't have."
"You're back. That's all that matters."
A guttural sound broke the silence, and my body stiffened. From behind my mother came two men—wolves in human form. I had never prepared for the awkward feeling of staring into their eyes, although I had seen them in pictures. The twins.
Jayden walked as if he owned the pack. His hair was radiant in playful disorder. His eyes, like amber sunlight, looked straight at me, as if the owner had kissed me in a dream.
Aiden was a blend of light and darkness, with broad shoulders and deep scars running down the side of his rib. He looked like a survivor, someone who had endured things no one should. Our eyes met, and something inside me shifted; my body's temperature increased, and my heart thundered. Murmurs spread among the crowd.
"She's untouched."
"Unclaimed."
"No scent bond, but…"
Jayden stepped closer. "You smell wrong," he murmured, a wild glance sweeping down my neck. "And yet, I want to bite you anyway."
My mouth widened. "Charming."
"Careful." Aiden's voice was low. "She doesn't belong to you."
"Oh?" Jayden smiled. "Do you?"
Another guttural sound came from deep within Aiden's chest.
My mother stood between them. "Enough, this is not the time." But it was too late. The moon shone fiercely, illuminating us in silver light. Somewhere in the trees, a wolf cried out, then another, then…another.
The sound didn't come from the surface; it came from within, causing the twins to freeze. An unseen presence wrapped around us, suffocating and warm. The fire burned higher, and sparks soared into the air like stars breaking loose.
Jayden withdrew, widening his eyes in surprise. "This is not possible."
Aiden drew a fist. "It's a mistake, nothing more."
But the crowd began to murmur again. "Moon-chosen... two? That's forbidden."
I collapsed to my knees, but Jayden caught me before I hit the ground, grabbing me tightly by my waist. His face was only a few inches away from mine.
"This is going to ruin everything," he whispered.
Aiden, more authoritative, said, "Let go of her."
"I'm not the one who marked her."
"I didn't either."
They both held me, pulling me to themselves as if their touch could tilt fate one way or the other. Elders began to argue, and chaos grew in the crowd. And I? I felt my world crumble into two.
Welcome back, Riya. You were never meant to survive.
As the fire rose higher, the elders continued shouting over one another. The pack members withdrew, forming a loose, trembling ring around me, Jayden, and Aiden.
Then came a louder roar, a wave of energy shaking the ground as Alpha King Darius emerged from the staircase behind the Luna. The ground seemed to tilt beneath his presence. His coat was as black as mourning smoke and flowed with grace like shadow around him. He wore a silver crown that shone in the moonlight.
"Enough!" His voice pierced through the crowd. Silence fell like a sharp sword blade. The twins unconsciously stepped back, releasing me from their grip. At that point, I fell to my knees, crashing onto the wet grass. My mother rushed forward, but Darius held up a hand, and she froze.
He walked gracefully into the crowd and stopped in front of me. "Riya of the Night Stalkers," he said with calm menace. "Do you know what this fate holds?"
Tears dropped from my eyes. "I didn't ask for this."
"That doesn't matter. Fate isn't transactional."
"I'm not ready," I whispered. "I don't even want this. Please let me go." Darius looked straight into my eyes. "The moon marks it... But the void mark?" He brushed my shoulders with gloved fingers. Beneath my dress was the shadow brand, the twin brands, one lunar silver and the other ink black. They burned like fire under my skin. "No one survives being marked by both. You should be dead."
The crowd murmured in astonishment. "She still bears both seals," one man from the crowd said hoarsely. "That hasn't been seen since the Crimson War," another added. "It means prophecy."
"No," Darius chimed in. "It means war." He turned to face the crowd. "My stepdaughter has been fated to two alphas, twin brothers, her stepbrothers and the heirs to this valley. She carries both scents now."
"Do you know what that means?" he spat with rage. "We are at the edge of the mating fracture. If both males claim her, half the valley will follow each. Blood will spill. Our unity..."
Jayden stepped forward. "Then we'll have to make our choices. Let us decide. Who is willing to..."
"No, we're not," Aiden disagreed. "Don't speak for me." Everyone began to panic. I looked at my mother's face and cursed myself for ever coming to this valley; I should have stayed back at the company's servant yard.
Darius raised both arms. "If either of you touches her again before the convergence, you shall face my wrath." Then he turned to me again. "Look, Riya, your twin never died, did she? She was sent beyond the border. And you?" He came closer, raising my jawline. "You were supposed to die in her place."
Those words stung my ears. Jayden reached towards me, and his seal glowed in answer to mine.
"This has already been orchestrated; it is destiny," my mother cried out.
"Siarah," Darius called out her name. "We would read from the moon's sacred book."
One of the men standing nearby came closer and opened the large, bluish-black book that glittered in the bluish light.
"If the twins consummate the bond before the crescent eclipse, the curse of dual sovereignty will fall, and not even the moon will intervene. The valley will tear itself in half; she is one... and two. She is moon-chosen. She is void-born, and in her lives her twin."
"No..." I whimpered. "Please stop."
"Take her inside with you, Siarah," Darius commanded.
I walked into the mansion with my mom. People started returning to their homes, leaving behind the burning fire, varieties of food, and an unwanted prophecy.