On the night of the full moon celebration, the entire pack gathered in a large clearing decorated with lanterns and flowers. Long tables were piled with food, and a bonfire blazed in the center. Music played from somewhere, cheerful and inviting.
I wore the blue dress Emma had insisted I take, and I left my hair down, silver streaks visible for anyone who cared to notice. I was tired of hiding what I was.
"You look beautiful," Emma said when she found me. "Come on, let's eat before all the good stuff is gone."
We filled our plates and found seats at one of the long tables. Around us, pack members laughed and talked, celebrating the full moon and their community. Children ran between tables, playing tag. Couples danced near the fire. Wolves shifted and ran into the forest, answering the moon's call.
It was everything Silverwood's gatherings had pretended to be but never were, genuine joy and connection.
"Speech time," Jake said, nodding toward the center of the clearing.
Ezra stood by the fire, and the crowd gradually quieted, turning their attention to their Alpha. He looked powerful in the firelight, confident and commanding but also approachable.
"Another full moon," he began, his voice carrying across the clearing. "Another month of growth and challenges met. I want to thank all of you for your continued dedication to this pack. For working together, supporting each other, and showing the world that a different way is possible."
Cheers erupted. Ezra smiled, waiting for them to settle.
"We've welcomed new members this month," he continued, and his eyes found me in the crowd. "Wolves seeking sanctuary and a better life. That's what The Nightshade is, a place where anyone who shares our values can find home. Where strength doesn't mean cruelty, and where everyone has worth regardless of their rank."
More cheers. I felt my throat tighten with emotion. This was what a pack should be. This was what I've always dreamed of but never believed could exist.
"Now enough serious talk," Ezra said with a grin. "Let's celebrate!"
The music swelled and people began dancing. Emma grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the dancers. I protested that I didn't know how, but she just laughed and spun me around anyway.
I was breathless and laughing when the song ended. Then the music shifted to something slower, and couples paired off. I started to retreat to the tables, but a hand touched my shoulder.
"Dance with me?" Ezra asked.
I stared at him in surprise. The Alpha asking me to dance? "I don't know how," I admitted.
"Neither do I, really," he said with a smile. "We'll figure it out together."
He led me into the dancing area, his hand warm on my lower back. We swayed awkwardly for a moment, trying to find a rhythm.
"Sorry," I said when I stepped on his foot. "I warned you."
"It's fine," he assured me. "I'm more worried about crushing yours."
We continued our clumsy dance, and despite my embarrassment, I found myself relaxing. Being close to Ezra felt... right, somehow. That strange energy between us hummed with contentment.
"You're settling in well," Ezra observed. "Drake says you're a dedicated student. Margaret says you have natural healing abilities. Emma says you're a good friend."
"People here have been kind," I said.
"Because you deserve kindness." His voice was firm. "I know you don't believe that yet, but you will."
"How do you know what I believe?"
"Because I've seen wolves who've been broken by cruel packs before. They all have that same look, like they're waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the kindness to be revealed as a trick." His green eyes met mine. "But it's not a trick, Nessa. This is real. You're safe here."
I wanted to believe him. Some part of me was starting to.
The song ended, and we separated. But the warmth of his touch lingered, and I found myself watching him the rest of the night, drawn to him in a way I didn't fully understand.
The celebration continued late into the night. Some wolves shifted and ran under the full moon, answering its primal call. I felt the pull too, my wolf eager to join them.
I slipped away from the crowd and into the forest, letting the transformation take me. My silver wolf emerged, larger and more powerful than any normal wolf should be. I ran through the trees, reveling in strength and freedom.
Other wolves ran nearby, part of the pack's full moon run. A massive dark blonde wolf appeared beside me, Ezra in his wolf form. He was huge, clearly an Alpha, but I was nearly as large. We ran together, matching pace, not speaking but communicating through body language and shared experience.
It felt perfect. Right. Like this was what I was meant to be doing, running under the full moon with a pack that accepted me, an Alpha who respected me.
We ran for hours, until the moon began to set and exhaustion finally claimed us. The wolves gradually returned to the clearing, shifting back to human form and claiming their clothes from where they'd left them.
I shifted back near the tree line, suddenly very aware that I was naked and Ezra was nearby also getting dressed. I quickly pulled on my dress, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.
"That was incredible," I said, trying to sound casual.
"You're fast," Ezra noted, pulling on his shirt. "Faster than most Alphas I've run with. Your bloodline must carry speed as well as strength."
"Apparently." I finished dressing and turned to find him watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "What?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away. "It's just... you seem more yourself tonight. Less guarded. It's good to see."
I realized he was right. For the first time since leaving Silverwood, I let myself relax completely, and had stopped waiting for something bad to happen.
We walked back to the pack house together, the celebration winding down around us. Pack members were heading to their rooms, exhausted but happy. Children were being carried by their parents, already asleep.
"Thank you for tonight," I said when we reached my door. "For the dance. For the run. For everything."
"You don't need to keep thanking me," Ezra said softly. "You're pack now, Nessa. This is what pack does, we take care of each other."
He started to walk away, then paused. "That energy between us, I heard back from one of my contacts. A scholar who studies ancient bloodlines. He said it might be a recognition bond."
"What's that?"
"It's rare, almost mythical. It happens when two wolve's destinies are intertwined, when they're meant to face something significant together. It's not necessarily romantic, but it's powerful. It means we're connected somehow, that our paths are meant to cross." Ezra looked troubled. "I don't know what it means for us specifically. But I thought you should know."
Recognition bond. Intertwined destinies. The words echoed in my mind long after Ezra left and I closed my door.
I got ready for bed, my body pleasantly tired from the dancing and running. As I lay down, I thought about everything that had happened. I found sanctuary. I found a pack that treated me with respect. I found an Alpha who seemed to understand me.
But I also found something more complicated, a connection to Ezra that I didn't understand and couldn't explain. A bond that suggested our futures were linked in ways I couldn't predict.
I fell asleep thinking about green eyes and the feeling of running under the moon with a wolf who matched my pace perfectly.