

Description
A feast crowns Arida's rise beside Sorin, Alpha of Obsidian Pines-until a midnight coup led by Varek leaves Sorin murdered and Arida hunted. Wounded and alone, she escapes into forest, where a stranger stops her killing blow and names the truth she refuses to face: he is Riven, her fated mate and a long-exiled wolf. Survival forges reluctant trust. Pursued by zealots sworn to "order," they fight, bleed, and fall into a bond neither can deny. A messenger from allied packs reveals Hardik lives and gathers resistance. In a hidden camp, Arida confronts a harsher lesson: strength without mercy becomes Varek's mirror. With Riven at her side and Hardik's loyalists at her back, she leads raids that spare the coerced, protect the weak, and dismantle the tyrant's grip. When victory comes, Arida rejects vengeance, offering amnesty and reform. In choosing justice over fury, she proves herself a good, compassionate leader.
Chapter 1
Nov 14, 2025
Arida's POV
The bonfire crackles between us and the night sky. Music thrums through the clearing, drums beating in rhythm with my pulse. I stand beside Sorin, his silver fur gleaming in the firelight, his brown eyes warm as he squeezes my paw.
Around us, the pack celebrates. Food covers every surface. Laughter rises and falls like waves. Children chase each other between the adults, their yips of joy cutting through the deeper conversations.
I am happy. Content. The best hunter Obsidian Pines has ever known—obsidian-furred with cold blue eyes that could track prey for miles—and somehow, impossibly, I found my mate in our future Alpha.
Sorin leans close, his breath warm against my ear. "You're thinking too much again."
"I'm thinking the right amount," I whisper back.
"You're waiting for something to go wrong."
He knows me too well. I turn to face him fully. "Nothing's going wrong tonight."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
He grins, boyish and beautiful, then almost bites my shoulder playfully. His silver fur catches the firelight as he moves, making him look almost ethereal against the darkness. I swat at him, laughing despite myself.
"Behave. Your father's watching."
Sorin straightens, composing himself. "Right. Important pack business."
Across the clearing, Hardik rises to his feet. The old wolf is scarred from decades of battle, his limp’s pronounced, as he moves to the center. But power radiates from him still. He earned his authority through endless blood and wisdom.
His howl cuts through every sound. The drums stop. Conversations die. Even the insects go silent.
Hardik's voice is raspy, but it carries to every corner of the forest. "Today is a great day. Our celebration is not for nothing."
The pack presses closer, forming a tight circle around the bonfire.
"I've been the tribe's leader for many years," Hardik continues. "And I can tell you with authority, it takes many rare and even unique qualities. Courage, strength, wisdom, and—last but not least—love."
My heart hammers. This is it.
"My son has earned the respect of many and has proved himself in battles, in council, and now in his dedication." Pride colors every word. "I could not have been more proud to say that he has truly earned this honor and our reverence." He pauses, his gaze finding Sorin's. "Please, son, come."
Sorin's paw tightens around mine for one more moment before he releases it. He walks forward with confidence, every inch the Alpha he was born to be.
"A year ago, I found my true love." His smile is radiant. I smile back, unable to help myself. The crowd roars their approval. "She was stronger, smarter, more quick-witted, and more attentive than anyone else I met. There are no words to describe the happiness I felt when I understood she would be my mate."
My throat tightens with emotion.
"I have everything to thank you for, my Arida," Sorin says, his eyes locked on mine. "Everything my father said is true. I earned it. But so did you and earlier than I."
Wait.
"And thus I name you not just Luna but an Alpha of our pack. Hunter and Huntress united."
Silence crashes over the clearing like a physical thing.
I stop breathing. Alpha? Not Luna. Alpha.
The crowd stares. Some mouths hang open. Others exchange uncertain glances.
Then someone starts clapping. Others join in, and the sound builds. Not everyone is enthusiastic, but they're clapping. They're accepting it.
Satisfaction surges through me like fire. Finally. Recognition for what I've always been. The best hunter. The strongest warrior. The rightful Alpha.
I walk forward with my head high. This is everything I've earned. Every hunt. Every victory. Every moment I've proven myself superior.
I raise my paw high, letting the firelight catch my obsidian fur. "For Obsidian Pines!"
"For Obsidian Pines!" The pack echoes back with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but I barely notice. They'll follow. They always do.
Sorin's hand finds mine again. He leans close. "You deserve this."
"I know." I grin at him, wild and free. "We're going to be unstoppable."
"Together."
Hardik claps Sorin on the shoulder, then embraces me. "You've earned this, huntress. Lead them well."
"I will," I promise. Not a doubt in my mind.
The celebration continues. Music. Dancing. Feasting. Pack members approach to offer congratulations. Some seem genuinely happy. Others are more reserved, but that's their problem. They'll see soon enough that I'm the leader they need.
A few wolves keep their distance, huddled in small groups. Probably the traditionalists who can't handle change. Let them sulk. Strength speaks louder than their whispers.
Hours later, Sorin and I finally escape to our hut. The moment the door closes behind us, I pull him close.
"Tonight was perfect," I say.
"You were perfect." He kisses my forehead. "You're an Alpha now. My equal. Everything I promised you."
"We're going to change everything." Energy still thrums through me. "No more outdated rules. No more holding back the strongest just because they're female."
"The pack will thrive under our leadership," Sorin agrees. His arms wrap around me, solid and sure. "I love you, Arida."
"I love you too."
We fall into bed, exhausted but exhilarated. Sorin's breathing evens out almost immediately. I lie awake longer, mind racing with plans. Strategies. Ways to prove to any doubters that I'm exactly where I belong.
The forest sounds filter through our window. Familiar. Safe. Home. I close my eyes with a smile on my lips. Eventually, sleep claims me too.
I wake to the sound of splintering wood.
My eyes fly open. The door hangs at an angle, half torn from its hinges. The window shatters inward, glass spraying across the floor.
Sorin's scream rips through the darkness.
I lunge toward him, but hands grab me from behind. Multiple sets. They wrench my arms back, slamming me face-first into the bed.
"Sorin!" I shriek.
He is on the floor. Three wolves surround him. Kicking. Clawing. I watch one bring his foot down on Sorin's ribs. The crack echoes.
"Stop!"
More hands pin my legs. I thrash, bucking, trying to throw them off. Someone's weight presses down on my back, crushing the air from my lungs.
Sorin's eyes find mine across the blood-splattered floor. Brown. Beautiful. Dying.
He tries to speak. Blood bubbles from his lips instead of words.
"Sorin!"
This can't be happening. Not after everything. Not tonight.
The attackers don't stop. They just keep hitting him. Keep hurting him.
Keep killing him.
And I can't do anything but watch.

From Luna to Alpha
30 Chapters
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