"Does that mean... those dreams I’ve been having... they weren’t just dreams?"

Odesse’s voice was barely a whisper, cutting through the heavy silence that had settled in the state room. The old woman didn’t answer immediately. She leaned back into the wingback chair, the deep-tufted leather sighing under her weight. She looked exhausted, as if the act of remembering had aged her another decade in a single afternoon.

"They were never just dreams," she said, reaching for her staff. Valex sat there, the words looping in his mind like a song he couldn’t quite catch the lyrics to. He looked around the room, half-expecting the walls to look different. He stood up slowly and walked towards Odesse.

"So what you’re saying is that Odesse is not just a wolf but of royal blood?" The high chief confirmed, "Yes, that is right. She isn’t human; she is of wolf blood, strengthened by the moon spirit as passed down from her mother."

Odesse blinked slowly, her head tilting like a confused animal, her brow furrowing as if she were trying to solve a problem in her head. "Wait... so you’re saying that... but that doesn’t make any sense." She paused, "My mum was human; she never had any supernatural powers, and my dad was human too. My mum died, and no spirit protected her."

The high chief took a slow breath, speaking in a soothing, steady hum. "Althea broke the covenant; she severed it by herself." Odesse’s jaw tightened, a small muscle twitching in her cheek.

"Althea ran away from the palace after my father wanted her to marry Valex’s uncle." Odesse looked at Valex in shock and then back at the high chief. "But she was in love with your father, a human, the royal boot cleaner, Jarek. My sister didn’t want anything to do with the moon spirit blood; she just wanted to live a normal life. She found peace after running away to the Silverclaw pack and living among humans. Then she gave birth to you. But one day, after an endless search for her, my father found her and had her and your father killed."

The world didn’t just stop for Odesse; it tilted. A high-pitched ringing started in her ears, drowning out whatever was being said. She watched the elders lips moving, but the sounds were just echoes in a canyon. Tears began flowing down her cheeks, and her throat felt like it had been seared shut. Gravity suddenly decided to pull from the left. The walls tilted at an impossible angle, and the ceiling seemed to rush toward her face. Immediately, she crumpled like a house of cards.

Valex rushed to her, panic rising in his voice as he shouted her name, but the sound didn’t even make her eyelids twitch.

Odesse found herself alone in a forest, illuminated by moonlight. She looked around, her hands trembling and her heart racing uncontrollably. "Master Valex, hello... is anyone there?" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She wiped her face with her palm and rubbed her head.

A cold yet gentle voice answered her. It wasn’t a shout; it sounded like moonlight striking a mirror—fragile, luminous, and impossibly calm. "Why do you fear, child?"

Odesse looked around in shock and fear, startled by the voice. "Who’s there?"

"Your breathing is too heavy and unbalanced," the voice continued. "How do you wish to control it when you feel distressed, my child? Why don’t you look up?"

Slowly, Odesse turned her gaze upward. A white glowing light descended, hovering around her.

"What are you?" she cried in fright.

The light spoke calmly, "I am the Moon Spirit, your guide. It seems you have finally unlocked your powers to communicate with me, my child."

Odesse stepped back slowly, her voice shaking. "What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you. I am here only to help and guide you," the Moon Spirit replied.

"Why didn’t you help my parents? Why didn’t you protect them?"

The light suddenly shone brightly, causing Odesse to shield her eyes with her arm and bend low. As the brightness dimmed, she raised her head and uncovered her eyes, now wide with wonder. The Moon Spirit had transformed; she did not stand on the ground, she hovered a few inches above it, a figure carved from the purest winter frost. Her skin had the sheen of a pearl, and her hair resembled a long, silent silver flowing like starlight around her feet. She didn’t have a face so much as a suggestion of one, beautiful and distant, as ancient as the craters on the moon’s surface.

Odesse couldn’t believe her eyes; her mouth was agape, and her eyes sparkled with awe. The spirit moved forward. "Your mother broke our bond, so I had no right to protect her. Moon Spirits do not hold emotional connections to mortals, so I could not interfere. But you, my child, I protected on that day. I held you back; I made you invincible to those men." She moved closer and lifted Odesse’s chin. "Do not cry, child. Your destiny is only beginning. You will wake up and fight your enemies, and I will guide you. You are an Alpha, an Alpha Queen."

The spirit moved past Odesse, and Odesse turned to ask, "Please, explain to me—why do I have this mark?"

The Moon Spirit faced Odesse, saying, "That mark binds you and Valex together. You both had to be united to unlock your full potential. You are the one who will help break his curse."

Odesse’s mouth fell open, her expression blank. "Cursed... what do you mean by that?"

The spirit slowly transformed back into the light, her voice echoing, "It’s time to go back, my child. Nighttime is approaching, and the shadows creep at midnight. But know that I will always guide you."

Odesse looked up, shouting, "No, wait! Don’t go! I still have questions!"

Odesse jerked awake, clawing at her chest, her fingers tingling against her skin as she sat up with a harsh, ragged gasp. It was the sound of someone breaking the surface of deep water. Her lungs burned, and a cold sweat slicked her skin, making the sheets cling to her like a second skin. She stared into the darkness, her chest heaving, waiting for the phantom weight on her chest to disappear. Her eyes closed shut, and she struggled to open them. Slowly, she looked around and saw she was in her bedchamber, but the blinding light hurt her eyes.

Then the doors opened, the creaking sound piercing through her ears. She shouted in agony.

Valex rushed to her side. "Odesse, calm down. It’s me, Valex." He sat on the bed and held her, reassuring her. "It’s okay; I’m here."

Feeling his hard but comfortable chest, she looks up at him. Raising her shaking and weak hands slowly, she touched his face. Valex looked at her and smiled warmly. "I’m happy you’re awake now, Odesse."

Odesse spoke weakly, "Master Valex, my dream..."

He interrupts her softly, "It’s okay. You need to rest; everything is okay."

Odesse tries to speak with more strength. "No, no! Shadows... I... I can destroy them. I met her." Valex’s concern was evident on his face. "What are you saying, Odesse?"

She released herself from his arm slowly and tried to sit upright. "The Moon Spirit. I met her. I can fight the shadows; I can keep them away."

Valex looked at her thoughtfully. "How so, Odesse?"

She smiled and took his hands warmly. "Just trust me, Master Valex. I’ll fix everything. I’ll break your curse; everything will be fine."

Valex’s gaze was a physical weight, warm and steady, never wavering from her face. There was a quiet, shimmering intensity in his eyes—the kind of look that made the rest of the room disappear. Odesse smiled, her thumb grazing his cheek as she held his face. Her other hand stayed locked with his, a warm presence that made his pulse skip. As she moved closer, the world narrowed down to the space between them.

She kissed him, and for a second, Valex forgot how to breathe. He didn’t fight it... he surrendered like a stone sinking into a lake. He melted into her, his hands leaving hers to find the narrow curve of her waist. He didn’t pull her roughly; instead, his fingers curled around her hips with a deliberate, trembling reverence, drawing her close enough to feel the frantic beat of his heart. He kissed her back, a deep, silent confession of everything he hadn’t been able to say. It wasn’t a rough movement; it was a silent plea for her not to let go, building heat, his touch certain and possessive in the gentlest way.

The air between them was warm, shared in the tiny space where their foreheads met. Odesse closed her eyes, leaning into him as if his skin were the only thing keeping her upright. "I love you, Master Valex." The words were soft. She didn’t pull away; she just stayed there, letting the confession hang in the air, already at peace with the silence she expected to follow.

But Valex didn’t let her retreat into silence. He tightened his hold on her waist, his voice raspy and close. "I love you too, Odesse."

Her breath hitched. For a heartbeat, her mind struggled to process the words. It felt like hearing a bell ring in a dream, it didn’t seem possible, yet the vibration of it hummed through her very bones. She didn’t simply hug him; she collided with him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt, as if she were trying to merge into his shadow. A sob of relief, caught in her throat. The distance she had prepared to keep between them vanished. She squeezed him so tight that she could feel his heart hammering against her own, a twin rhythm proving she wasn’t dreaming.