[POV: Hayden]
For days, the Rebirth Feast had loomed in my thoughts like a storm cloud—full of energy, anticipation, and one very specific, gnawing uncertainty.
I’d planned every detail. The music, the moonlit garden setting, the ceremonial toast. But the moment that mattered most—the announcement of my chosen Luna—was the one I couldn't stop obsessing over.
Would she be there? Would she understand? Would she look at me with that wide-eyed expression of hers—the one that made my chest ache and my wolf howl with recognition?
I’d spent the last three nights tossing in bed, remembering her face during the last celebration.
The delicate curve of her smile. The shimmer of moonlight in her silver-blonde hair. The dress that hugged her body in a way that nearly had me dragging her away from the crowds just to breathe again.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t look quite as captivating this time. I needed my head to be clear. And I was already more nervous than I wanted to admit.
Which was stupid. I was the Alpha of Crimson Fang. I'd faced down enemy packs, rogue invasions, and traitors in my own ranks without flinching. But this?
This made my palms sweat.
As the sun dipped below the treetops and the lanterns lit the garden in flickering golden halos, I stood with my Beta Aaron at the edge of the gathering, scanning the sea of faces for her.
And Aria was nowhere. Aaron noticed my restlessness.
“She’s not here yet?” he asked casually, sipping from his silver flask.
I didn’t answer, just kept my gaze moving through the crowd.
“Maybe she’s late,” he added. “Or maybe she’s avoiding you.”
I shot him a warning look.
He raised a brow. “Should I start preparing for your emotional collapse now or after you announce your Luna?”
I exhaled slowly through my nose. “Don’t push me, Aaron.”
He grinned. “Look, I’m just saying, you look like you’re about to go into battle, not crown a Luna.”
I didn’t respond. Couldn’t. Because he was right. It felt exactly like battle. And I hadn’t even spotted the girl yet.
Aaron sobered slightly and lowered his voice. “You’re really scared, aren’t you?”
I turned to him. “I’m scared shitless.”
If he had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have said it. But Aaron had earned that truth.
He was the one who’d dragged me out of my grief after Annabeth. The one who pulled me back when I stopped believing in bonds, in future, in anything.
He just gave me a half-smile. “She’s not going to hate you for that, Hayden.”
“I’m not worried about hate,” I said, jaw tight. “I’m worried she’ll walk away.”
Aaron clapped me on the back. “Even if she does… you’re still the Alpha. Your decision is final and even she couldn’t doubt it.”
I didn’t reply. Because that wasn’t the point.
When the time came, I stepped forward to address the pack.
The music faded. Lanterns flickered. Every eye turned toward me.
Still no sign of her.
I cleared my throat, lifted my glass, and let my voice carry through the moonlit garden.
“Tonight,” I began, “we celebrate the Rebirth. A tradition to mark survival, strength, and the forging of a future from the scars of the past.”
The crowd murmured in agreement.
I scanned them one more time—and then, finally—there.
Aria.
Standing with Noelle, Emmett, and Russell near the edge of the garden. Her arms were crossed, her glass half-full, and her brows drawn slightly, as if she was either deep in thought or trying not to throw the drink at someone.
Her hair was pulled back, soft strands falling around her face. She wore a dark green dress again—the same shade she’d worn the night of the last feast—and it struck me like a memory crashing into my ribs. And she was wearing the necklace that I gave her.
She wasn’t smiling. But Goddess, she was beautiful. And I realized at that moment—she had no idea what was coming.
I took a breath.
“This year, the pack has not only survived—we’ve grown.” I continued. “We’ve welcomed new warriors, strengthened our alliances, and proven that Crimson Fang does not bow, bend, or break.”
A few wolves let out proud howls. I looked straight at Aria.
“And now, it’s time to give this pack what it needs most. A Luna.”
She blinked. Her brows rose slightly.
I lifted my glass higher, my voice steady but strong.
“I name Aria of Crimson Fang—my chosen Luna. The one who has earned her place not just beside me, but above every shadow cast against her.”
A beat of silence fell. And then the garden erupted.
Cheers, applause, howls of approval broke around me—but all I saw was her.
Aria’s head snapped up, eyes wide, frozen in place like the world had tilted beneath her.
She looked at me—not with pride, or joy, or even anger. She looked shocked.
Like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.