Fated to the Alpha I Feared

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

The moonlight slipped through the tall palace windows as Aira woke in her chamber — heart racing, palms sweaty, still haunted by the dream.

A crown.

Chains.

Kaelan, on his knees.

And a vampire... whispering her name.

She sat up with a gasp.

"Just a dream," she told herself, gripping the edge of the mattress. But her gut said otherwise. The more she dreamed, the more real they began to feel — not like memories, but warnings.

A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Lady Aira?" a soft voice called. "I'm Isla. One of your attendants. The Queen has sent your gown for the banquet."

Aira opened the door slowly. A girl about her age stood outside, holding a silver tray and a nervous smile. Her scent was oddly calming — lavender, vanilla, something gentle.

"Thanks," Aira muttered, letting her in.

Laid across the tray was a shimmering pale blue dress laced with threads of moonstone. Aira's breath caught. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen… and the most terrifying.

"Everyone will be watching tonight," Isla said carefully, laying out accessories on the vanity. "They'll be curious. Some will be supportive. Others… not so much."

Aira raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"You're a Luna. But you weren't raised by the pack. Some see that as a threat. Others think you're too weak for the prophecy."

"Are you one of them?" Aira asked, blunt as ever.

Isla smiled softly. "I think the ones who underestimate you will regret it."

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

Kaelan stood in the royal war room, being laced into his formal armor. His cousin Ardyn lounged on a velvet seat nearby, sharpening a dagger and looking amused.

"So, your mate finally arrives," Ardyn drawled. "Is she as helpless as they say?"

Kaelan didn't reply.

Ardyn smirked. "You really don't like people talking about her, huh?"

"She's not helpless," Kaelan said coldly. "She's unaware. There's a difference."

Ardyn twirled the blade. "You're starting to sound like a man who cares."

Kaelan gave him a look that shut him up.

A soldier entered. "The princess is being prepared for her entrance, your highness."

"Good," Kaelan said. "Make sure no vampires are inside the palace perimeter. If even one gets close, I'll know."

"Yes, Alpha."

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

The palace ballroom took her breath away.

Thousands of candles floated in midair, casting soft gold light across polished obsidian floors. The glass ceiling revealed the rising moon — not full yet, but almost. Nobles in elaborate gowns and tailored suits whispered behind masked faces, their eyes glowing subtly in the dim.

And then the music stopped.

The announcer's voice rang out:

"Lady Aira Moon Estrada of the Luna Bloodline — royal guest of Her Majesty Queen Seraphina, and fated mate to Prince Kaelan Black."

The entire room turned.

Aira's heart stuttered in her chest.

She stepped forward in the moonstone dress, back straight, trying to ignore how everyone was watching her like a specimen. Kaelan stood across the room, tall and dark and unreadable, his crown resting lightly against his black hair.

When their eyes met, the crowd faded.

She took one step toward him—

And nearly tripped as a sharp pain stabbed through her side.

She gasped, steadying herself. Her bracelet—the one Caleb gave her—was burning hot against her wrist.

Something was wrong.

Kaelan was already moving, pushing through the crowd to reach her. She clutched her ribs, sweat beading on her forehead as her breath grew short.

Then she saw him.

Across the ballroom, dressed like a nobleman, but wrong. Too pale. Too still.

Eyes glowing red.

Vampire.

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

He felt it before he saw it.

Aira's energy faltered, her body weakening. The scent of her blood flared. She was in pain.

He shoved past nobles and reached her just in time, catching her as she swayed.

"Easy," he murmured.

"Something's here," she whispered. "He's… watching…"

Kaelan turned — and locked eyes with the pale man near the west wall.

He didn't belong here. Kaelan's wolf snarled instantly.

Vampire.

The bloodsucker smirked… and vanished into the shadows.

Kaelan's voice boomed across the ballroom.

"Seal the exits. No one leaves."

His guards moved instantly.

Queen Seraphina rose from her throne, face unreadable. Aira clutched Kaelan's coat, her legs barely holding her.

"The vampires were warned," Seraphina said.

"They don't care," Kaelan growled. "She's marked. They'll k

eep coming."

And in that moment, Aira knew the Crescent Banquet wasn't just a ceremony.

It was bait.

And she was the trap.

💨EPISODE 3: The Crescent Banquet (Part 2/4)💨

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

The room locked down in seconds.

Guards secured the marble doors while royal spellcasters activated protective runes around the ballroom. Noble guests huddled in corners, murmuring anxiously. Most had never seen a vampire, let alone one bold enough to enter royal territory.

But Kaelan didn't care about them.

His full attention was on Aira.

She lay against his chest, barely conscious, her skin pale and slick with sweat. The silver bracelet on her wrist had turned black, smoke rising from it like burning metal.

"Get this off her," Kaelan ordered.

Isla rushed forward with shears. As soon as the bracelet snapped, Aira gasped and arched like she'd been shocked.

Kaelan caught her, holding her tight as her body trembled violently.

"She's rejecting it," Isla whispered. "The ashwood… It's clashing with the bond."

"Clashing?" Kaelan hissed. "It was supposed to protect her."

"It was meant to delay her wolf," Isla replied. "But now that she's in your presence—and in the palace—the shift is pushing forward."

Kaelan looked down at Aira.

The mark on her side—crescent-shaped and silver—was glowing through the dress. Her pulse raced unnaturally fast, her temperature rising.

"She's close," he muttered.

"Close to what?" Isla asked.

"To her awakening."

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

It felt like drowning.

Like fire and ice ripping through her veins. Like something massive inside her was trying to claw its way out.

Aira gasped, clutching Kaelan's arms, her fingernails digging into his skin.

Visions flashed through her mind—

Teeth. Blood. Silver moons. Her mother's voice screaming in a language she didn't understand. Wolves howling.

Then Kaelan's voice cut through it all, low and steady:

"I've got you."

His warmth anchored her. His scent—wild, cedar, a hint of smoke—wrapped around her like protection.

She blinked.

And her vision sharpened.

Every flicker of candlelight. Every breath. Every heartbeat in the room. She could hear them. Smell them. Even the fear.

Her muscles stopped shaking. Her breath slowed.

She looked up at Kaelan, stunned.

"What… just happened?"

Kaelan searched her eyes. "Your wolf is stirring. You're not human anymore."

POV: Queen Seraphina Black

Seraphina watched from the high throne, her fingers tapping the carved stone armrest.

"She's responding faster than expected," she said to her mate, King Aldric.

"She's also unstable," Aldric replied. "If she shifts for the first time inside the palace, she could destroy half the hall."

"She won't," the Queen said.

"You don't know that."

Seraphina's eyes glimmered. "I don't have to. She's Luna-born. Her power is guided by emotion, not rage."

A guard whispered something in her ear.

Seraphina nodded sharply.

"The vampire has been tracked to the mirror halls," the guard said. "Should we send hunters?"

"No," she said coldly. "Send Kaelan. With her."

The guard hesitated. "With… the girl?"

"She's the bait," Seraphina said. "Let her be the blade, too."

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

"Excuse me?" Aira said, pulling away from Kaelan. "You want me to go after the vampire?"

"It's not a request," the Queen said from across the hall.

Aira turned. "I'm not some bloodhound you can command."

"You are Luna-blooded," Seraphina replied. "And you've just awakened. That gives you an advantage. Vampires thrive on confusion. But you—" her eyes narrowed—"you smell like prophecy."

Aira looked at Kaelan. "And you're okay with this?"

Kaelan stepped forward. "I'll go with you. You won't be alone."

Aira swallowed.

A part of her wanted to scream and run. Another part—the one that had growled earlier, the one that now saw too clearly—wanted to hunt.

The vampire had attacked her bond.

And something inside her wanted to rip him apart for it.

She nodded slowly. "Let's end this."

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

Kaelan and Aira moved swiftly through the halls of mirrors, guided only by scent and instinct.

Aira's senses had exploded wide open.

"I can smell him," she whispered. "It's… disgusting. Like rotting roses and cold ash."

Kaelan nodded. "That's how they mask themselves."

Aira touched the walls as they passed, her fingers trailing over glowing runes. Her footsteps were faster now. Quieter. Her pupils were thinner—slightly slitted.

She was changing.

Kaelan had never seen a shift begin so fast. It should've taken days. Weeks. But Luna blood didn't follow rules.

Suddenly, Aira stopped.

"He's close," she whispered.

From the mirror ahead, a pale figure stepped out—calm, beautiful, and utterly wrong.

"I've waited so long to meet you, Luna," the vampire purred. "You smell divine."

Kaelan growled, stepping in front of her.

"You're trespassing on royal land."

The vampire laughed. "And you brought your little pet. How cute."

Aira's eyes narrowed. Her breath hissed. Her skin rippled with energy.

The vampire noticed—and his smile vanished.

"You're awakening."

"I'm not your prey," Aira said coldly.

The vampire lunged.

Kaelan shifted instantly, claws bursting from his hands.

But Aira was faster.

She moved like a blur—like something no longer human.

Her fist connected with the vampire's jaw so hard he crashed through the mirror wall behind him.

Kaelan froze.

She

stared at her own glowing hand in shock.

"What… was that?"

Kaelan looked at her with something between fear and awe.

"Your wolf," he said softly.

"And she's angry."

💨EPISODE 3: The Crescent Banquet (Part 3/4)💨

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

The shards of the mirror wall clattered to the ground as the vampire rose, cracked bones already healing.

His smile returned—wider this time. Hungrier.

"Oh, little Luna…" he said, licking blood from his lip. "You're going to taste just like your mother."

Aira froze.

"What did you say?"

Kaelan growled, stepping in front of her. "Don't."

But it was too late.

The vampire tilted his head, red eyes glowing. "She screamed when she died, you know. That pathetic Luna bloodline. Always bleeding. Always begging."

Aira's vision blurred.

Not from fear. From fury.

Something inside her snapped.

Her skin prickled, spine arching. Her fingers flexed, cracking with energy. And deep in her chest, something ancient howled to be released.

Kaelan turned just in time to see her eyes shift.

Not gold.

Not silver.

White.

The light of the moon itself surged behind her eyes.

Then she moved—faster than even Kaelan could track.

One second she stood behind him. The next, she was driving her fist into the vampire's chest, her hand glowing like fire.

The vampire screamed—a sound more beast than man—as his body convulsed under her touch.

"You don't speak about her," Aira hissed, twisting her wrist.

Then with a blinding flash, her power erupted.

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

Kaelan shielded his eyes as white light exploded from Aira's body, throwing the vampire across the hall and into a solid stone column, shattering it completely.

The scent of burning blood filled the air.

Kaelan blinked, stunned.

Aira stood in the center of the hall, her hair lifted slightly by static, eyes still glowing white, her breath steady.

She didn't look scared anymore.

She looked… unstoppable.

The vampire groaned, trying to crawl away, his limbs twitching unnaturally.

Aira stepped forward.

But Kaelan caught her wrist.

"That's enough," he said gently.

"He threatened my family," she snapped.

"I know," Kaelan said. "But if you kill him here, in the royal halls, you'll be giving the vampire lords an excuse for war."

Aira's hand trembled.

"He deserves worse."

"He will get it," Kaelan promised. "But not tonight."

Guards rushed in, silver chains already glowing with spell runes. They bound the vampire, dragging him away as he hissed and spat curses in an ancient tongue.

Aira didn't look away until the creature vanished into the shadows.

Then she turned to Kaelan.

"Tell me everything," she said. "About my mother. About what they did."

POV: Queen Seraphina Black

From her viewing mirror, the Queen watched the entire battle unfold.

"She awakened faster than any Luna before her," she said quietly.

Aldric stood beside her. "You used the vampire as bait."

"I needed to trigger her blood."

"And if she'd died?" he asked.

Seraphina's jaw tightened. "She wouldn't."

"She could have."

"She didn't," she said sharply. "And now the court has seen her power. The nobles who doubted her will reconsider."

"And Kaelan?"

Seraphina was quiet for a moment.

"He's already falling," she said. "But he doesn't know it yet."

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

Later that night, Aira sat alone on the balcony of her royal chamber, staring at the rising moon.

Her entire body still hummed with power.

"I felt it," she whispered to the sky. "I felt… her."

She didn't know if it was her wolf… or her mother's spirit… but something within her had risen. Fierce. Protective. Ancient.

The door behind her creaked open.

Kaelan stepped out, two mugs in his hands.

"Tea," he said. "No poison. You can relax."

She gave a tired smile. "Didn't know you made tea."

"I don't," he admitted, handing her one. "But I'm trying."

They sat in silence for a while, sipping quietly under the stars.

"I saw what you did," he said finally. "With the vampire. No Luna has ever shown power like that before a full transformation."

"Is that what's coming?" she asked. "A full shift?"

Kaelan nodded. "Soon. Maybe the next full moon. Or sooner, if the bond deepens."

She glanced at him. "And what happens then?"

He met her gaze.

"Then you'll stop fearing who you are."

She hesitated.

"Did you know the vampire would say that? About my mother?"

Kaelan looked away.

"I knew she was hunted. I didn't know by who."

Aira set her mug down.

"I want to find the ones who di

d it," she said. "I want the truth. Not palace whispers. Not fairy tales."

Kaelan nodded.

"Then we'll find it."

And for the first time… she believed him.

💨EPISODE 3: The Crescent Banquet (Part 4/4)💨

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

Aira stood in the center of the royal garden as dawn touched the horizon, her skin still tingling from last night's chaos.

The vampire had been taken to the dungeons beneath the palace. Whispers of her powers had already begun circulating the halls. Some called her a miracle. Others — a threat.

She didn't care.

All she wanted now… was answers.

Kaelan had arranged a meeting. A formal introduction to the court. The Queen's idea, of course. Present the Luna. Show she could be civilized. Show she wasn't a wild thing summoned by the Moon.

Isla helped her into a gown the color of storm clouds, laced with silver threading. Her hair was pinned into soft waves, a moonstone comb tucked behind her ear.

"You look like her," Isla said quietly.

Aira turned. "Like who?"

Isla hesitated. "Your mother."

Aira's breath caught.

"You knew her?"

"Not well," Isla admitted. "But she used to pass through the lower halls when she visited. Always kind. Always smiling, even when the nobles whispered behind her back."

"What did they whisper?"

"That she was dangerous."

Aira's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because she was too powerful… and not afraid to love a man outside the royal bloodline."

POV: Kaelan Raven Black

Kaelan waited on the palace balcony overlooking the banquet courtyard. Nobles filled the long stone table, sipping enchanted wine and smiling with too many teeth.

He didn't trust most of them.

Especially not the guest who had arrived unannounced.

A pale woman with crimson eyes, dressed in black velvet and silver lace.

Lady Mirielle Voss.

A vampire.

But not just any vampire.

She was the daughter of Lord Vexar — the vampire lord responsible for the blood war two decades ago.

Her presence here was an insult.

A test.

A declaration.

Kaelan's jaw tightened as Aira appeared at the courtyard entrance. The nobles turned like wolves scenting prey. But she didn't flinch.

She walked down the steps like the moon herself sent her.

When she reached Kaelan's side, he offered his arm. She hesitated — then took it.

Gasps fluttered through the crowd.

"I thought she was human," someone whispered.

"She nearly killed a vampire last night," someone else replied. "She's not human anymore."

Kaelan guided her to the Queen's table. She remained quiet, but her eyes scanned every face.

Until they landed on Mirielle.

And stopped.

POV: Aira Moon Estrada

The woman was too still.

Too poised.

And her eyes—

She'd seen them before.

In her dreams.

Mirielle Voss lifted her glass. "To new beginnings," she said smoothly. "And to the rise of a Luna no one expected."

Aira didn't blink.

"Have we met?"

Mirielle smiled with perfect lips. "Not in this life."

Chills rippled down Aira's spine.

Kaelan stiffened beside her.

Queen Seraphina leaned in. "Lady Mirielle is here as a guest under diplomatic treaty. You will be polite."

"I'll be as polite as she is honest," Aira replied.

Mirielle chuckled. "Oh, she does have teeth. Excellent."

The Queen raised her glass. "Then let us begin the banquet."

POV: Mirielle Voss

Mirielle studied the girl from across the table.

So much like her mother.

Same eyes. Same fire.

But stronger.

The Luna's daughter hadn't just inherited the gift — she

had doubled it.

She smiled to herself.

This one might actually survive.

And that… would make things very interesting.