No More Shadows

I was the finest barrier mage in the Blackrock Pack. My Alpha father promised I would be the next Moon Watcher. But at the ceremony, he led my twin sister Lila—a white wolf—up to the dais. Moonlight draped over her like she'd been hand-delivered by the goddess herself. My mother's eyes went red-rimmed. "A white wolf hasn't been born in a hundred years. Lila will protect us all." My brother puffed with pride. "She's the pride of the Fenraven bloodline." The pack knelt on one knee below, chanting her name over and over. I stood there, watching Lila glow like she'd swallowed the moon, and finally the words slipped out: "I laid every barrier around this pack. So why isn't the title mine?" My mother's smile flickered for half a second, then she smoothed down Lila's gown—like there was even a single wrinkle to fix. "Lila's a white wolf. You're an Omega. Can't you just let her have this?" My father's jaw went tight. "Lila will be Alpha one day. She needs the Watcher title for credibility." My whole life. Over and over. Let Lila have it. I thought becoming a Moon Watcher would finally prove I belonged to this family too. And now I was supposed to hand that over as well. But they didn't know. I already had an invitation from the Northern Alpha, asking me to come to Northfall. Chapter 1 Father raised his hand, signaling the ceremony to continue. Mother personally draped the Moon Watcher cloak over Lila's shoulders. It was supposed to have been woven for me. The collar had been embroidered with gold thread—Mara Fenraven. Three days ago, Mother had ripped it out. Stitched Lila's name over it instead. She hadn't forgotten who the cloak belonged to. She just erased me with her own hands. My brother Kael stepped down from the dais and reached out to me. "The Moon Seal." I didn't move. The Moon Seal was the key to activating the rune arrays. For seven years, I was the one who'd reinforced the Moon Tower's wards—kept every single vampire from setting foot in our pack. Lila couldn't even tell the simplest rune apart. What was she going to do with it? "The Seal only works for the barrier mage." I looked at my father. "Lila doesn't know how to set wards." Lila bit her lip softly, her voice sweet as honey: "Sister, I'll only wear it for the ceremony. Once it's over, I'll lend it back to you." She paused, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "You'll still be in charge of the border wards, of course." I almost laughed. Almost. "My Seal—given to you—then lent back to me?" Lila's eyes glistened instantly. "I'm just keeping it safe for you, sister. I would never really take something that belongs to you." I looked at the Watcher's cloak draped over her shoulders and felt nothing but absurdity. She took my title. Left me all the work. And still expected me to thank her for not taking everything. Kael huffed, stepped forward, and yanked the Seal from my palm. "It's just a formality. Stop stalling. We have a ceremony to finish." He turned and pressed it into Lila's hand. Lila beamed through her tears. "Thank you, brother." She climbed back up the dais, Seal clutched in her palm, and murmurs rippled through the pack below. "We've survived all these years because of Lila's wards." "I heard the arrays drain the wolf spirit constantly—she's been suffering in silence for so long." "Of course. Only a white wolf blessed by the Moon Goddess deserves to be a Watcher." My fists clenched. Rage burned hotter than the disappointment in my chest. Mother glanced at the crowd, then leaned in and muttered through a frozen smile: "Today is Lila's ceremony. Put on a happier face—this is for the Fenraven name." Father heard it and nodded like she'd said something wise. "Lila's wolf spirit is too fragile to handle the backlash. You're her sister—you'll keep handling the barrier work." Sister. I was only thirty minutes older. When I was little, Lila wanted my room. Mother told me to give it up. When I was sixteen, Lila didn't want the risk of being the barrier mage. Father told me to take her place. They said I'd be compensated. That it would all come back to me. And now they were taking the one title I had left. Mother was gazing up at Lila with adoring eyes. Father had already signaled the priest to continue. No one asked if I agreed. They assumed I'd keep carrying Lila's burden—just like I had for seven years. My voice cut through the air like a blade. "I won't be the barrier mage anymore." Silence crashed down. Father's face darkened. His Alpha pressure slammed into me—a suffocating weight that made my wolf spirit scream to submit. I ground my teeth. Held my ground. "No Seal. No title. I'm not maintaining the wards for Lila." "You dare defy your Alpha?" "I built those wards." We stood locked, neither giving an inch. Mother rushed between us, panic bleeding through her composure. "Today is Lila's big day—don't make a scene in front of the pack. Finish the ceremony. We'll talk about this at home." The priest resumed the chant. Above the Moon Tower's core, Lila's name ignited in silver flame—letter by letter. That night, I didn't go home. I was done waiting for a place that would never give me one. I sent a message to the Northern Alpha—the one who'd invited me. One sentence: "Does your pack accept an Omega as Moon Watcher?" Chapter 2 Three days after I sent the letter, the Northern Alpha, Cyrus, arrived at Blackrock Pack. The North was the strongest pack in the pack. Cyrus also held a ruling seat on the Wolf Council. Father rushed the elders to the Moon Tower to receive him. Lila stood at the very front in her Watcher cloak, the Moon Seal gleaming against her chest. Her silver-white hair caught the morning light like she'd been born to stand there. I was at the back of the line, almost swallowed by the crowd. When Cyrus stepped into the Moon Tower, the crisp scent of cedar cut through every wolf's pressure like a blade. Father bowed first. The elders followed. Cyrus's gaze swept across the crowd—but passed right over Lila at the front. Landed on me. "Mara. It's been a while." I didn't expect him to address me first. Three years ago, I'd gone to the North as a visiting barrier mage. A vampire attack had broken out on the tundra—I'd drawn new runes on the Northern Moon Tower on the spot and sealed the breach myself. Cyrus had watched the entire thing from the tower that day. Now he looked at the cloak on Lila's shoulders. His brow dropped a fraction. Then his eyes found mine again. "Blackrock's finest barrier mage is you—so why isn't the Moon Watcher title yours?" I opened my mouth. Father jumped in before I could. "Lord Cyrus, Lila carries the white wolf bloodline—blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. She is far better suited to protect the pack than an Omega." Mother jumped in right after. "Lila has been handling the barrier work all these years. Mara only assists occasionally." Kael puffed his chest. "Lila's constitution is weak because she's been draining her wolf spirit maintaining the arrays—she never once complained to the pack." The elders chimed in one by one, heaping praise on Lila's sacrifice. I listened to them weave lie after lie. My fingers curled tight. Lila was indeed a rare white wolf. But she'd been frail since birth—her wolf spirit practically useless. The first time she tried drawing a rune, she passed out for an entire day. In seven years, she'd never once stepped foot into the Moon Tower's core ward. A true white wolf wouldn't be that helpless. But everyone just said her bloodline hadn't awakened yet. If Cyrus asked her to demonstrate on the spot, every single lie would crumble. But this was an official pack meeting. Blackrock was my home. The Fenravens were my family. I kept my mouth shut. Cyrus studied Lila for a long moment. Said nothing. He seemed to see right through it all—but didn't call it out in front of everyone. He walked straight through the crowd and stopped in front of me. "I'm giving you my formal answer now—to your email last night." Everyone turned to look. "The North values strength above all. We judge by ability, not bloodline." He leaned down, close to my ear. The scent of cedar swallowed every other sound in the room. "I don't believe Lila's barrier skills are stronger than yours." His voice was soft enough that only I could hear—but firm enough to leave no room for doubt. "The runes on Blackrock's Moon Tower are identical to the ones you left in the North three years ago. Mara—you will always have a place with us." My nose burned, sudden and sharp. "Take your time to think it over," Cyrus said. "I trust you'll make the right call." He paused, holding my gaze. "He who cannot obey himself will be commanded by others." His words hit like sparks in the dark—burning through the fog in my chest. Here, I would always be Lila's sister. But maybe I didn't have to be. Cyrus left at dusk. Lila finally returned the Moon Seal to me. I looked down. A new name was carved into the back of the silver seal. Lila Fenraven. My thumb traced the engraving—slowly—until the sharp edge bit into my skin. "Why did you carve her name on it?" Mother wouldn't meet my eyes. Like she was explaining, or making excuses for them. "The head elder said the Seal should record the Watcher's name. It's just a few extra letters—doesn't affect how you use it." I turned to Lila. "You think your name belongs on this Seal?" Her eyes instantly went red. She grabbed the obsidian blade off the table. "If it bothers you that much, sister, I'll scrape it off." She raised the blade to the Seal. "Even if it ruins the Watcher's symbol—I don't want you to be upset." The tip barely touched the metal before Mother lunged forward. "Don't be ridiculous! A Watcher's name can't be erased once it's carved—it's tradition!" Kael's voice came down hard. "Lila needs this title to unite the pack. It's for the family. Why do you always have to make everything about you?" Family. Again. I lifted my head to my father. "Then give me the silver fir pack east of the Moon Tower. That was supposed to be the Watcher's land." Lila clutched her cloak instinctively. "No—that pack will eventually merge with the Alpha's jurisdiction." Father didn't even hesitate. "Lila is the future Alpha. Fenraven land stays with her." The land they'd once promised me as compensation. Just words thrown out without meaning. Not a promise at all. Whatever faint hope I'd been clinging to—died that night. I sent my formal reply to Cyrus. Short. Clean. Like the cut I'd finally decided to make. I've made up my mind. I'm joining the North. Chapter 3 I had three days left before I left for the North. Before dawn broke, the border alarm shattered the silence. A scout wolf burst into the Alpha estate, armor soaked in blood. "The vampires are crossing the Blackwater River—we need the Moon Tower barrier now!" Silence dropped like a hammer. Every head turned to Lila, draped in her Watcher cloak. Her face went pale. She took half a step back without thinking. Then my father, my mother, and Kael—all their eyes slid past her and landed on me. Mother rushed over, her voice low. "Mara, get to the Moon Tower. Activate the barrier." I raised an eyebrow. "Lila's the Moon Watcher. She should be the one going." Kael grabbed my wrist and yanked me into a corner, out of sight. Father, Mother, and Lila trailed behind like shadows. "The pack is facing a crisis—this isn't the time for your tantrums!" Kael snapped. "You're the only one who can drive the barrier!" Father let his Alpha pressure bleed out, faint but sharp. "You're a Fenraven. Protecting Blackrock is the Alpha family's duty—non-negotiable." I looked at the Watcher robe on Lila's shoulders. The title was hers. The glory was hers. Only when danger came knocking did responsibility magically become mine. Mother took my hand, softening her tone. "We know you've been wronged. Once we push the vampires back, the family will make it up to you." She paused, like she needed to be clear. "But the silver fir pack stays as it is. Everything else is up for discussion." A laugh almost slipped out of me. Almost. Compensation. Again. When Lila took my room, Mother promised me a forest cottage next year. When Kael gave Lila the moonstone necklace Grandmother left me, he said he'd buy me a new one. When I was sixteen and Father made me the barrier mage in Lila's place, he swore I'd get the silver fir pack when I came of age. None of those promises ever came true. "I'll activate the barrier." I pulled my hand back. "But you'll say it in front of the entire pack—I'm the Moon Watcher." Mother's face went rigid. Before my father could speak, Lila was already unpinning her cloak. "If it matters this much to you, sister, I'll give it back." Tears welled up on cue. She held out the cloak and Seal, right to my face. "I'll give up being Alpha heir if you'll just save the pack." Her fingers stayed curled tight around the fabric's edge. Kael grabbed Lila's hand. "Enough!" He looked at me like I'd disappointed him. "Lila is a white wolf—once in a century. If she's not Alpha, Blackrock will never regain its standing." "You're really going to steal her Watcher title? Mara, do you even care about family honor anymore?" I laughed. Turned to walk away. Footsteps pounded behind me. A second scout wolf staggered in, three claw marks gouged deep across his chest—bone visible. "The vampires crossed the Blackwater. If the barrier doesn't go up now, the outer villages are lost." I stopped. I could walk away from the Fenravens. But the pack—the pups, the families—they had nothing to do with this. I turned to head for the Moon Tower. A gasp ripped through the air behind me. Mother swayed, face pale, collapsing into Lila's arms. Then Alpha pressure crashed onto my shoulders like a mountain. My knees slammed into the ground. My wolf spirit howled in agony. Father looked down at me. "Restrain her. Take her to the Moon Tower." I didn't even get a word out before guards hauled me up and dragged me through the gates. The stone door ground shut behind me, sealing me in the tower's base. I pressed my palms to the core array. Not because of my father's order. But because beyond the barrier—there were innocent wolves who had no part in this. Runes awoke one by one, draining my wolf spirit raw. Silver fire seared through my veins. Every layer I lit felt like my soul was being torn open. I ground my teeth and pushed the last of my strength into the final rune. The barrier flared to life. I collapsed at the center, unconscious. I don't know how long I was out. No healer came. No family member checked on me. I pulled myself up along the stone wall and stumbled out of the Moon Tower. Deafening cheers crashed into my ears. Lila stood in the middle of the crowd, Watcher's cloak and Moon Seal gleaming under the moonlight. "The Watcher saved us!" "The white wolf's blessing—that's why the vampires couldn't breach the pack!" My eyes burned. My voice came out hoarse—I tried to shout over them. "It was me who activated the—" A hand clamped over my mouth. Dragged me into the shadows. Mother. Her voice was as cold as her face. "This is Lila's moment to build her prestige. Don't you dare steal it." Father shot me a flat look from the side. "A few words of praise. And you still can't see the bigger picture?" I looked at them. No anger left. Just hollow. Three more days. Then I was gone. They didn't need to know. They didn't deserve to. Chapter 4 When I got back to my room, I went looking for the moonstone my grandmother had left me. It was the last thing she'd given me before she died. I'd kept it with me for seven years. Every time the barrier backlash hit, that stone was what healed my wolf spirit. But I tore through my entire room and couldn't find it anywhere. I headed to the main hall to ask my mother. She was brushing Lila's hair. And around Lila's neck hung a new necklace. a pendant of gray-blue moonstone. I recognized it the second I saw it. "Who said you could take my things?" My voice wasn't loud. But the whole hall went dead quiet. Lila's hand flew to the pendant. Mother frowned. "The vampires just attacked—do you really have to make a scene right now?" I looked at her. A laugh slipped out. "The vampires are gone." I pointed at the barrier still glowing in the distance. "And the one who pushed them back—was me." Lila's fingers tightened around the stone. Mother's honesty came faster than I expected. "Lila was stationed outside the Moon Tower all day. Her wolf spirit took a hit. That's why she's wearing the moonstone." "I was the one in the core array taking the backlash." I held my mother's gaze, word by word. "Not Lila." Mother opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Kael's voice went cold. "Lila is going to be Alpha. Her wolf spirit can't afford any risk." Same story. Every time. Because Lila was a white wolf, everything came to her without effort. And I was just an Omega. In their eyes, I existed to live in Lila's shadow. Lila suddenly unclasped the necklace and held it out. "If it bothers you that much, sister, I'll give it back." Her hand got halfway to me—then her face drained white. She clutched her chest and started coughing violently. "Lila!" Mother grabbed the necklace and fastened it back around her neck. "Don't be foolish!" Mother wrapped herself around Lila like armor. "Your wolf spirit can't take any more strain." Lila leaned into Mother's arms, breathing shallow, nodding weakly. I watched them. And whatever warmth I had left—froze solid. Every single time. All Lila had to do was cry or cough, and everyone rushed to her side. Whether my own wolf spirit was broken—never crossed their minds. "Give it all back. Everything." They all froze. I looked around the room. "The moonstone. The pack. The Watcher title. Give me every single one. If even one thing is missing—I will never take on another ounce of responsibility for this family." Father's face went dark. Dangerous. "I am the Alpha." His eyes pinned me down. "What I choose to give you—that's yours. What I don't—you don't get to take." My nails bit into my palms. So that was how they really saw it. I turned to my mother one last time. "Do you think that too?" She looked away. "Mara, Lila's been fragile since birth. Just be a little more understanding." Kael added coldly, "You used to be so reasonable. What happened to you?" I didn't bother answering anymore. Mother saw my silence and took it as surrender. Her tone softened. "We'll find you a new moonstone. Then we'll give this one back. No more fighting, alright?" I nodded. "Fine." She looked relieved. She didn't know I wasn't agreeing to wait. I was agreeing to stop waiting. I stayed home for two days. On the third morning, I packed my bag. The family had all gone with Lila to inspect the silver fir pack. I left without a sound—like I'd never been part of the Fenravens at all. I reached the border marker at dusk. Cyrus was already there, waiting. My wolf spirit gave out. My knees buckled—and he caught me before I hit the ground. "Mara." His voice was low. "Welcome to the North." The scent of cedar steadied something in my chest. I held on to him and crossed the boundary stone. Blackrock. The Fenravens. All of it—left behind.