The Substitute Mate: Rise, luna! Rise!Chapter 1
VIENNA'S POV
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an amber glow over the Ambersy Pack's territory. Today was our 16th birthday-mine and my twin sister Victoria's. The celebration was in full swing, the air thick with laughter and the scent of roasted meats. I stood to the side, watching Victoria being in the center of adoration from our pack members. She was always the favorite, the golden child.
"Happy Birthday, Victoria!" an elder exclaimed, handing her a beautifully wrapped gift.
"Thank you, Elder Maris," Victoria beamed, her eyes twinkling. She had awakened her wolf at 15, a rare gift that had elevated her status in the pack. Meanwhile, I stood in her shadow, still wolfless and weak.
"Happy Birthday, Vienna," someone said, almost as an afterthought. I forced a smile and nodded, trying to ignore the sting of being overlooked.
Just as the evening began to wind down, a blood-curdling howl shattered the festive atmosphere. Chaos erupted as rogue wolves, led by the strongest of their kind, stormed our pack's land.
"Ambush!" My father, the Alpha, roared. "Defend the pack!"
Our warriors scrambled, but something was wrong. They struggled to shift. They tried so hard, but nothing happened! Suddenly, panic swept through the crowd.
I saw how they paled just realizing how dangerous our situation was. Even my Alpha of a father could not shift to his wolf form when he was the strongest in the pack.
"Someone put something in our food! We've been poisoned!" The Beta shouted, his voice tinged with fear and anger. "We can't shift!"
In our human forms, we were at a grave disadvantage. The rogues— fully shifted and ferocious—tore through our ranks. I watched in horror as my father fought bravely, only to be overwhelmed. The strongest rogue in their line, a massive beast with cold, ruthless eyes, slashed at him, his claws tearing through flesh and bone. My mother, the Luna, tried to reach him, but she too fell under the rogue onslaught.
"Father! Mother!" I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by the sounds of battle. Tears blurred my vision as I saw them both collapse, their blood soaking the ground. I tried to rush to them, but a warrior pulled me back.
"Be careful, Vienna! It's dangerous!" He urged, moments before a rogue wolf leaped at him, jaws snapping. He fell, lifeless, and the rogue turned its gaze on me.