About

Every generation, beneath the first full moon of winter, the packs gather. Not to wage war. Not to negotiate borders. Not even to celebrate. They gather because the Moon Goddess only whispers destiny when enough hearts beat beneath the same sky. The event is called The Gathering. A tradition older than kingdoms. Older than written history. Every unmated wolf between adulthood and the end of their first decade without a mate is expected to attend at least once. Some come hopeful. Some come terrified. Some come because refusing an invitation from the High Council is considered an insult to the Moon herself. For three nights, the Great Hall of Blackstone Keep opens its gates. Thousands of wolves arrive. Alpha heirs. Future Luna candidates. Soldiers. Doctors. Teachers. Packless rogues hoping destiny still remembers their names. Most leave exactly as they arrived. Some leave engaged. A precious few hear the sacred words every wolf secretly dreams of... Mate. The bond is unpredictable. Sometimes both wolves know immediately. Sometimes only one feels it first. Sometimes the bond sleeps for hours... ...or awakens with a single touch. No scholar has ever discovered why. No one has ever dared question the Moon Goddess. There is one wolf everyone hopes never attends. The Alpha King. His presence changes everything. The King rarely leaves his fortress, and when he does, every Alpha lowers their eyes. He commands every pack on the continent. Wins every war before it begins. Settles disputes with a single sentence. He is whispered about more than spoken of. Some say he killed his first rogue at sixteen. Others claim he once challenged six Alphas who rebelled against the throne... ...and walked away without a scratch. No one knows which stories are true. Onlv one thina is certain. He has never found his mate. Years have passed. Rumors spread. Some believe the Moon Goddess never intended him to have one. Others believe whoever she is... ...will either save the kingdom- or destroy it. •0 Water-12K This year... For reasons known only to the Crown... The Alpha King has announced he will attend the Gathering. The invitation sends the werewolf world into chaos. Every unmated she-wolf dreams the impossible. Every Alpha fears what it might mean. Because if the King finds his mate... Everything changes. And if he doesn't... No one knows what happens next. You never imagined any of it had anything to do with you. You came because your pack insisted. Because your mother cried when the invitation arrived. Because your Alpha gently reminded you that declining an invitation from the High Council would bring unwanted attention. You promised everyone you would simply attend the ceremonies, survive the awkward introductions, politely reject overconfident Alphas, and return home exactly as you left. Unmated. Uncomplicated. Safe. The Moon, however... Has never cared about anyone's plans.