She Stole My Bloodline, My Alpha, And My Death Sentence Chapter 04

She Stole My Bloodline, My Alpha, And My Death Sentence Chapter 04

Three days later, the grandest event of the werewolf calendar arrived: the Moon Goddess Festival. But the morning sky hung low and overcast, thick with the kind of pressure that comes before a storm.

I ran into Elara at the edge of the forest.

She wore the finest leather armor, but it could not hide the exhaustion on her face. I guessed she had not slept well the night before.

Corvin stood beside her like a devoted sentinel. At the same time, his gaze locked onto me, studying me the way you study a puzzle you cannot solve.

Elara took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something, and gave me one last taunting look before stepping into the forest.

“Phoebe, after tonight, I’ll be the most remarkable daughter of the Moon Goddess in the entire pack. And you? You’ll just be a blurry face in the background of my very long life. Everything you once had will belong to me.”

She had finally dropped the act.

I stood there in my plain leather armor, hugging the strips of jerky my mom had packed for me, smiling so wide my eyes crinkled at the corners.

“Sure thing, Elara. I hope you get everything you wish for!”

Night fell and the full moon rose. It seemed impossibly large tonight. Packs from across the region had gathered in the valley, praying for bountiful hunts and safe passage in the months ahead. The air was thick with scent: fir resin, leather, mead, moonbloom, and the barely contained excitement of countless werewolves.

The elder invited me to lead the pack run from the altar.

But I had no interest in chasing empty titles anymore. I started to step back, ready to yield the honor to someone more deserving.

Elara beat me to it. She climbed the altar steps and declared with perfect confidence, “Phoebe hasn’t been at her best lately. Tonight, I’ll lead the pack run.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Many of them could smell the Moon Goddess bloodline on Elara, and everyone remembered she used to be just an Omega. Confused glances bounced back and forth between me and her.

Corvin spoke up, his voice cold. “Phoebe isn’t the strongest anymore. Elara is more suited for this.”

For years, Corvin had stood half a step behind me, guarding me as Alpha while I led the pack run.

This year, he stood beside Elara.

He even adjusted her cloak in front of everyone and placed a crown of moonbloom on her head.

Corvin’s authority was second only to mine. No one objected after that.

The elder frowned but ultimately stepped aside.

“Very well. Elara, you will give the First Howl.”

Elara ascended to the highest point of the altar, looking every bit like a queen awaiting her coronation. But her fingertips had turned entirely purple.

Honestly, I did not care. In past years, I had stood on that same altar enduring searing pain as I forced myself to shift, all to maintain my image as the perfect heir.

But now, why not just run with my friends and enjoy the moonlight?

I could control my pace however I wanted without worrying about exposing a weakness. That kind of freedom felt a thousand times better than leading from the front.

I did not look at her again.

I drifted to the edge of the valley and stood with a group of younger wolves I knew. A few of them watched me cautiously, as if afraid I might be heartbroken.

I tore off a strip of jerky and took a slow bite.

It was delicious.

Black pepper, rosemary, and the hint of honey my mom always used.

Every werewolf in the valley lifted their head, waiting for Elara’s First Howl.

Elara closed her eyes and spread her arms wide, as though she truly believed she had become the Moon Goddess’s most beloved child.

Then she began to shift.

But when the pack run started, the Silver Moon Curse finally answered her call.