Chapter 1
The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in shades of orange and red. Above the trees, the skies were clear, and distant stars began to twinkle overhead. The Moon was already up, impatient to start its daily trek. Birds chirped quiet songs, and crickets began their evening tunes.
Walking quietly through these woods was a large black wolf, whose presence was hidden from the world around him, as if he weren’t there. His name was Theo, the Great Alpha of these lands and one of the most powerful wolves. Blessed by the Moon Goddess, he had gifts meant to protect everyone under his care. Tasked with maintaining peace and order among the packs, Theo’s authority was respected by most — and even feared by some.
He strolled through the woods, returning home after being called away to settle a dispute between two lesser packs. Though he was a seasoned warrior, he had spent his recent years dealing with petty squabbles. And now, the silence that was all around him was welcoming. In the woods, there was no one to fear his size, no one to curry his favor. There was no one but him and his wolf.
But then, he stopped, his feet suddenly frozen to the ground, unable to move. The wolf sniffed the air, noticing that the breeze had died down and the creatures of the woods were silent. Theo looked around, realizing he had somehow wandered to the edge of the forest. He looked at the runes etched into one of the trees, marking the borders of the Riverbed Pack lands. With a confused growl, he looked out to the grassy clearing before him, and in the distance, he noticed the large pack house. However, as he continued to survey the area, his gaze finally landed on a girl who stood out in the grass, staring back at him.
His heart skipped a beat, and his mind raced. Could she sense him? One of Theo’s gifts was the ability to hide his scent and presence as if he were invisible. Yet, here she was, staring right at him. His wolf spirit, Amarok, stirred restlessly within him. An urge tugged at his chest, pulling him forward, stopping when he was only a few feet from the child.
Theo took a deep breath, and the smell of juniper filled his nose, bringing thoughts of winter and warmth. He shifted into his human form, smoothing out his clothes with furrowed brows.
“Mate” — the word echoed in his mind. He stared at the young girl, his eyes wide and in disbelief. The child’s hair was a light blonde, and her eyes were a pale blue that seemed to glow even in the fading light of the sunset.
Meanwhile, the girl looked up at Theo with a curious stare. He had dark brown hair slicked back without any stray strands in sight. His green eyes looked stern, and his gaze was hard, but this did not seem to bother the child. Rather than being afraid of the stranger, she smiled, her face brightening with her happy expression.
As Theo stared at the girl, he felt something foreign surging through him — it was the mate bond, an unbreakable connection decreed by the Moon Goddess herself. It was rare, almost unheard of, for a Great Alpha like him to find a mate so young. Not only that but for his mate to be a child, it seemed almost improbable.
Suddenly, the Great Alpha could smell wolves as they rapidly approached them. When he shifted from his wolf form, he inadvertently stopped masking his presence, alerting the whole pack that he was there. They likely mistook him for a stranger — possibly even a rogue in their lands.
Before he could do anything, the wolves abruptly stopped. Theo wondered if they had realized he was the Great Alpha, but as he studied them, he noticed they were struggling to move, as if frozen in place. His attention snapped back to Calliope, noticing her eyes were no longer blue but were now glowing white. Her small hands clenched into fists as an unseen force rippled outward, freezing the wolves in their tracks.
“Mate,” she said aloud, the sound sending a tingle through Theo. Listening to her confirm their connection only further confused him. How? How could someone as young as her feel their mate bond? He knelt down to the ground, getting eyes level with her.
“What is your name, Little Wolf?” He inquired curiously.
“Calliope,” she answered as she leaned in closer to Theo, her nose lifting slightly as she smelled the air.
“And how old are you, Calliope?”
“Five,” she responded while holding up five fingers.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Theo, of course!”
She knew his name. Not only that, but she was controlling over a dozen wolves, keeping them frozen. Her smell, the way her voice sounded… all this sent his emotions spiraling into a storm within his mind.
“This can’t be what a mate bond feels like,” he thought to himself.
“Calliope!” Someone called out from a distance.
Theo looked up, noticing two people running from the pack house. But before they got close, they were frozen in place.
“Are you doing this, Little Wolf?” Theo knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it. He needed to know if she was aware of everything that was going on.
“I am.” Her voice was steady and sure, almost as if someone else was speaking. Her wolf… Theo was certain that it was her wolf spirit who responded.
“And are those two your parents?”
Calliope turned to look, unaware of who she had frozen. All she knew was that she wasn’t allowing anyone near them, no matter who they were. After a moment, she turned back to Theo and nodded her head.
Alpha Wyatt and Luna Evelyn, the leaders of the Riverbed pack. Theo wasn’t close to them or familiar with their people, but he knew they were loyal and never caused him any trouble. With a furrowed brow, he looked back to Calliope.
“We need to talk with your parents, so I’ll need you to unfreeze everyone,” he requested in a gentle tone.
“They might still harm you,” she murmured, twisting her hands together nervously.
“I think everyone has realized who I am, Little Wolf,” he reassured her with a warm smile. “They wouldn’t dare.”
Although she was still reluctant, Calliope finally nodded her head. She closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, they were blue again. Everyone unfroze and stumbled as they regained their footing. The warriors took a few steps back, giving the Great Alpha some space, but none dispersed. Only Calliope’s parents dared to approach.
Evelyn bent down, quickly pulling Calliope to her side. Wyatt stepped in front of them, looking at the Great Alpha warily. Theo was a strong wolf, some would even say dangerous, and it made them wonder why he was there — why he was talking to their daughter. But neither dared to speak first, not with the Great Alpha present. Finally, Theo turned his gaze from Calliope to Wyatt.
“We should go inside and talk.”
Though it was a request, it was not optional. Wyatt nodded and reluctantly led the way back to the pack house. Calliope pulled away from her mother, her little hand reaching for Theo instead. Sparks passed between their hands, sending shocks rippling through their bodies. Theo looked down at Calliope as something shifted within him, stirring his wolf spirit. All of a sudden, his confusion was gone, as was his fear and anxiety, replaced by an overwhelming need to protect — to shield this little girl from any harm. The instinct was primal and radiated deep from within his soul.
“All these years alone, and we finally find her, and she’s a child?” Theo inquired to his wolf spirit.
“Her wolf spirit… I can feel her,” Amarok muttered, speaking almost to himself rather than Theo. “I-I can see memories... dreams... she is the last one.”
“The last one? What do you mean?” Theo questioned with a confused tone, but his wolf spirit only repeated the same thing.
Once inside the pack house, Wyatt led the group into a small but private sitting room. Theo sat on a couch, Calliope sitting beside him without any hesitation. Wyatt and Evelyn exchanged nervous glances as they watched their child interact with the Great Alpha.
“Calliope, come sit with us,” Evelyn pleaded with a trembling voice. She reached out a hand, but Calliope acted as if she didn’t hear her, remaining firmly by Theo’s side. Evelyn’s eyes welled with tears, and she exchanged a desperate glance with Wyatt, but before he could do anything, Theo impatiently motioned for them to sit.
“I don’t understand what has happened here tonight. To be honest, I had not intended to come here,” Theo began, suddenly feeling nervous as he spoke. “But something, perhaps the Moon Goddess, pulled me here.”
“I don’t understand, Great Alpha,” Wyatt responded warily.
“Well, it would seem your daughter, Calliope, is my mate.”
Wyatt and Evelyn both stood abruptly, but Calliope had frozen them before they could speak or move. Her eyes were glowing white once again, and this time, her parents noticed, too.
“Little Wolf,” Theo murmured as he looked at her. “Their reaction is normal. Let them go so we can talk.”
Calliope glanced up at Theo, her face showing no emotions. Her white eyes locked onto his green ones, silently searching for answers to an unspoken question that lingered in her mind. After a moment, she blinked; her eyes turned blue again, and her parents were unfrozen.
“What do you mean, mate?!” Wyatt’s voice boomed with anger.
“She’s just a child; this is sick!” Evelyn added, her tone filled with concern and disbelief.
Theo allowed them their outburst, tolerating their anger as they processed his words. After a minute, he raised his hand, demanding silence. Once Wyatt and Evelyn settled back down, Theo took a deep breath.
“Yes, she is young,” Theo continued, trying to ease their worries. “But you both just witnessed her power — Calliope has gifts far beyond her years. The Moon Goddess herself must have a plan for her. How can you have any doubt that she is destined to be the Great Luna?”
“But you’re old! She’s five!” Evelyn interrupted angrily, her voice cracking as she spoke. Her eyes darted between Theo and Calliope, as if searching for some sign that this was all a misunderstanding.
“I’m 138,” Theo scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, I am not here to claim Calliope, mark her, or mate with her. So please, calm down.”
“What are you here to do then?” Wyatt’s voice was tense, and his hands were clenched into fists. “If she’s your mate, what are your intentions with her?”
Theo glanced at Calliope, pondering the same question. What could he possibly do with a mate so young? What would others do to her once they found out?
“I just feel an overwhelming urge to protect her. I have no desires or intentions of a sexual nature. This isn’t what I expected when I thought of a mate bond. Look, this whole situation is difficult to explain. Yes, I am much older, but look at me! If you didn’t know me, you’d think I was just a man in my early twenties. We Greats can live for a long time, and Calliope will be no different. The Moon Goddess has entrusted her with the same responsibilities I have: to protect and lead.”
“Are you going to take her from us?” Evelyn questioned as tears brimmed the edges of her eyes.
“Not yet,” Theo answered with a shake of his head. “It wouldn’t be safe. Calliope cannot move to the Royal Moon Pack until she can shift. While we may not be at war now, and it’s been over 30 years since we were, I don’t trust that the Sun Wolves wouldn’t move to kill her if they found out about her. They dare not approach me or my mother, but a child who can’t shift? Your pack would be swarmed.”
“Do we need to go into hiding? Should we send her far away?” Wyatt inquired with concern and worry.
“No,” Theo replied firmly. “Continue living your life as you have been. Swear your warriors, your pack, to secrecy. No one will suspect a thing from a pack going about its normal life. I won’t say a word, and neither should you. However, I will send two members from my pack to join yours. They will be protectors in my stead and teachers for Calliope.”
“We have a teacher here — a school that Calliope attends,” Wyatt interjected.
“They will not be here to teach her to read or write,” Theo explained as he looked down at the child sitting beside him. “These two will teach her how to control her gifts, help her grow, and discover her full potential. They will guide her in becoming a Great Luna.”
Wyatt and Evelyn exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. How could their daughter be the Great Luna? But they saw it; Calliope possessed a power unlike any other wolf — unlike anyone but the Great Alpha.
“Why has she revealed her powers now?” Wyatt wondered aloud. “Why now does she show herself as the Great Luna? And why does it have to be our child?”
“I suspect my presence triggered her wolf to reveal itself,” Theo theorized with a shrug. “But I was about her age when my first gifts emerged. It’s a sign of a powerful Great... or so they say. As for why her? That’s the Moon Goddess’ doing. I have no control over who my mate is, just as you have no control over who you’re paired with.”
“So, for the next thirteen years, we live our lives normally? How do we explain the transplants from your pack?” Wyatt continued his questions, his focus now shifting to Calliope’s safety.
“The two members I send will integrate seamlessly into your pack,” Theo assured them. “I typically send out several members of the Royal Moon Pack each year, putting them with others as a way to keep the bonds strong between our packs. As for Calliope, her training will be discreet. No one outside of your people needs to know.”
“Also, I hate to cause more tension, but it won’t take thirteen years before she can shift,” Theo continued with a firm shake of his head. “I shifted when I was sixteen, not eighteen. The wolf spirits of the Greats are too powerful to hold in until we are of age. But don’t worry. Our laws state that you cannot mark nor mate with someone under eighteen. Those laws apply to me, too. And, as I’ve said before, I have no carnal desires for Calliope. None whatsoever. All Amarok wants to do is protect her, to put her in a bubble far away from others.”
Wyatt took Evelyn’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze as they listened to Theo. They seemed to communicate silently, mind linking to one another before nodding in agreement.
“I won’t lie, Great Alpha,” Wyatt stated cautiously. “This is all too much and hard to grasp. But we do understand that Calliope has been blessed. We cannot deny that. We will keep all of this a secret. What she can do will not leave these pack lands. And, reluctantly, I can see you only care for Calliope’s safety, which is something everyone can agree on.”
“I can assure you, this has caused me a great deal of confusion, too,” Theo insisted as he stood. He took a deep breath, glancing out the window, noticing how dark it had become. “Well, before it gets too late, I need to continue on my way. My companion is waiting to meet me at the Crimson Pack House. We will continue our journey home from there.”
Calliope stood, quickly taking Theo’s hand in hers in an attempt to stop him. A pain tugged at his heart, making it difficult for him to leave.
“Don’t worry, Little Wolf,” he said with a gentle squeeze. “We shall meet again. And when we do, you shall be stronger.”
Calliope slightly nodded, releasing his hand and returning to her mother. Evelyn scooped her up, holding the child tightly in her arms. The three of them watched as Theo stepped outside, his scent and aura vanishing as he shifted into Amarok. They watched him take off, running into the woods and disappearing beyond the tree line.
