Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 293: Marked by Moonlight

Chapter 293: Marked by Moonlight

Nova’s POV

I didn’t breathe.

Couldn’t.

Before me stood a creature I never thought I’d see outside storybooks—massive, regal, terrifying... and breathtakingly beautiful.

Eldur.

No, Eldur’s wolf.

His fur was pure white, like snow under moonlight, glowing faintly with silver at the edges as if the stars themselves had laced it. His eyes—those same striking silver eyes—watched me with a calm, familiar warmth, filled with something ancient... and something tender.

I just stood there like a statue with a wildly hammering heart.

"Oh my God," I breathed.

My legs were trembling, like they were trying to decide whether to run or bow. This couldn’t be real. People don’t turn into wolves. I mean—yeah, Eldur told me, but I figured he meant metaphorically. Or at most, in a "I’m cursed and turn into a wolf during blood moons" kind of way.

But he literally changed. Bones. Body. Everything.

And now that wolf—Eldur—was walking toward me.

His heavy paws barely made a sound against the grass, and when he stopped just inches in front of me, he did something that made my breath catch.

He nudged my hand gently with his massive head.

I froze.

"E-Eldur?" I whispered.

The wolf huffed softly and looked up at me with a gaze so him, so full of mischief and something softer beneath it, that I felt my fear crumble like ash in the wind.

"I don’t know if I should touch you or run screaming," I whispered, half-laughing, half-terrified.

He tilted his head and made this quiet sound—like a grumble and a sigh—and nudged my hand again.

Slowly, heart hammering against my ribs like a desperate bird, I raised my fingers and let them brush against his fur.

Warm. Soft. Alive.

The moment I touched him, I swear the world tilted. His eyes closed briefly, and he let out this low, content growl that felt like music. His tail even gave a small wag, and I let out an incredulous laugh.

"You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?"

He opened one eye. Smugly.

God help me.

I was petting a giant magical wolf like he was a golden retriever and feeling like some fairy-tale princess with no business being this lucky. I kept stroking his fur, feeling the weight of the moment settle deep in my soul.

And then he lowered himself... all the way down, belly flat on the ground.

"Wait... are you—" I blinked. "No. You can’t possibly mean... you want me to ride you?"

He looked up at me and blinked.

"Oh my God, you do."

He snorted softly and turned his head, as if saying, Well, obviously.

I stared at him, then looked around at the moon-drenched forest, the magic that still lingered in the air, the way the night seemed to hold its breath for us. Was I seriously going to do this?

"I must be clinically insane," I murmured, then added, "But if you run straight into a tree, Eldur Daegon, I swear I’ll haunt you."

With an awkward chuckle and a whole lot of disbelief, I swung one leg over and climbed onto his back, gripping tightly into his thick fur.

"Okay. Ready. Ish. Please don’t let me die."

Then—he moved.

And my heart soared.

It was like flying.

The world blurred around us as Eldur ran, powerful and fluid. The wind rushed past my ears, pulling laughter from my lungs I didn’t know was hiding there. Trees danced by in streaks of green and silver, and the stars watched us like old friends.

I clung to him and threw my head back, screaming joy into the wild.

It was the most alive I’d ever felt.

For a brief, fleeting moment, everything else faded away—the pain, the past, the cold nights that stretched on forever, and that gnawing ache of never being wanted.

All that remained was now. The pulse of magic beneath me, the rhythm of a wolf’s powerful stride as he carried me through the night, his eyes full of something I hadn’t dared hope for—something that made me feel like I actually mattered.

I buried my face in his soft fur, the scent of the forest filling my lungs, and whispered, "What did I do to deserve you?"

We swirled through the forest, weaving between towering trees and dense foliage. Once, then again, we danced through the darkness. He soared over fallen trunks, effortlessly glided past glowing mushrooms that flickered like tiny stars, and brushed through patches of silver flowers that shimmered in the moonlight. With a grace that stole my breath, he brought us gently back to the clearing.

Back to the tree that glowed with soft fairy lights, casting a warm, ethereal glow into the cool night air.

Back to where it started.

I I stumbled off his back, my legs unsteady, and collapsed onto my knees, the rush of adrenaline still coursing through me. I couldn’t help it—laughter spilled out, breathless and wild, and a few rogue tears threatened to escape.

"That was... I mean—wow. No words," I managed to gasp, swiping a hand through the mess of hair sticking to my face. "Ten out of ten. Would totally recommend. Best Uber ride ever."

Eldur let out a low, almost amused grunt, taking a few leisurely steps away from me. And then, just like that, he changed.

Bones cracked, fur retracted, muscles rippled beneath skin.

And in the blink of an eye...

He was standing there.

Very naked.

"Oh, for heaven’s—Eldur!" I yelped and threw my hands over my eyes. "Seriously?! A little warning would be nice!"

He laughed—soft and wicked.

"You’re the one who insisted on looking," he said casually, pulling on his hoodie and jeans like this was the most normal thing in the world.

"I did not—!"

"You did," he teased, walking back toward me. "It’s okay. My body is yours, Nova."

My mouth dropped open. "Wha—excuse me?!"

He grinned smugly. "You heard me."

My cheeks caught fire. "I—you are—oh my God. You’re ridiculous.

His He was on the verge of speaking—likely about to deliver another devastating line—but then something changed.

His smile wavered.

His eyes darkened, not with anger, but with something much deeper, something intense that felt like it could pierce right through me.

It was as though he was looking at me for the first time—really looking at me.

"Eldur?" My voice was softer now, the playful edge from before slipping away. "What’s going on?"

He didn’t say a word.

Instead, he moved closer. Slow, deliberate steps that filled the space between us, each one charged with an undeniable purpose.

Then—without warning—he pulled me into his arms. Tight. Secure. As if the world outside didn’t matter at all.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Eldur...?" I whispered, the question hanging in the air.

And then, he kissed me.

Not with the gentle, hesitant touch of someone unsure. No.

This was fierce. This was wild. This was desperate.

It was like he’d been waiting for centuries, like time itself had conspired to bring us to this moment, and now, he couldn’t—wouldn’t—wait any longer.

His lips pressed against mine with a kind of reverence, a hunger that stole my breath. His fingers tangled in my hair, the other hand finding its place at the small of my back, pulling me closer, as if he needed to anchor me to him, as if the idea of letting go was unthinkable.

I surrendered to him. Completely. Unconditionally.

When we pulled away, our breath came in ragged gasps, the world around us fading into a blur.

His silver eyes were locked on mine, intense and searching.

"Nova," he breathed, his voice trembling. "Can I... mark you?"

"What?" I blinked, confused. "Mark... me?"

He cupped my face in his hands, his touch desperate, almost pleading.

"It’s... a werewolf thing," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "When we find someone—the one the moon goddess has chosen for us, the one we want for eternity—it’s how we bond. You don’t have to. Not unless you want—"

"Wait—forever?" I repeated, my head spinning with the weight of his words.

His thumb gently traced my cheek, his gaze softening. "You’re everything, Nova. And I know I’m not great with words, especially without sounding like a complete lunatic, or possibly... maybe conjuring a storm—"

"Possibly?"

"—but I’m yours, Nova. And I want you to be mine. If you’ll have me."

My heart skipped a beat.

His eyes—so raw, so vulnerable, so painfully honest—bore into mine. There was fear there, too. Fear of rejection, of losing me.

And in that moment, everything felt real.

"Yes," I whispered before I even fully understood what I was saying. "I don’t completely get it, but... yes. I trust you, Eldur."

A flicker of something—gratitude, relief, maybe even hope—passed through his eyes.

Then, without another word, his lips parted slightly.

And to my biggest surprise, his fangs descended.

I felt like I was hallucinating.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

My breath hitched in my throat.

His hand settled gently on the curve of my neck, warm and steady, as he leaned closer.

And I knew, deep down, without a doubt—

Everything was about to change.

Forever.

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