Chapter 4 Ceremony Night

• The ceremonial drums echoed through the stone walls of Bobby's windowless cell, their rhythmic beating a reminder of what awaited in the pack's central square. Chad's Alpha ceremony had begun, and with it, the countdown to Bobby's fate.
• She paced the cramped confines of her cell; the key Lulu had given her burning against her palm. Twenty-four hours had passed since the unexpected visit, yet doubt gnawed at her resolve. Lulu had always been kind, different from her cruel brother, but trust had become a luxury she couldn't afford. This could still be an elaborate trap.
• "Why would she risk everything to help me?" Bobby whispered to herself, running her thumb over the key's jagged edge.
• The being inside her stirred restlessly. "Because even wolves have consciences."
• Bobby's laugh held no humor. After seeing her mother's lifeless body and seeing the pack's cold indifference to Madeleine's murder, she found loyalty difficult to believe. No one questioned the lie, believing the execution justified.
• The memory of her mother's still form, the way no one had even offered comfort to a grieving daughter, haunted every breath. She shuddered.
• The drums grew louder, more insistent. Above, Chad would be receiving the ceremonial markings, accepting the mantle that would make him untouchable. Soon, he would come for her.
• During her month of imprisonment, Chad had visited often, each time growing bolder in his threats and touches. His obsession had evolved from childhood torment to something far more sinister.
• "I'll break you eventually," he had promised during his last visit, tracing a finger down her cheek. "You'll submit to me, little wolf. Willingly, or by force."
• Bobby had spat in his face then, earning a backhand that had split her lip. The wound had healed quickly—one advantage of her werewolf heritage—but the humiliation burned bright.
• "It's time," the voice in her head urged. "We need to move."
• Bobby pressed her ear to the metal door, listening. The corridor beyond seemed empty—Lulu had promised everyone would attend the ceremony. With trembling fingers, she inserted the key.
• The lock turned easily. Too easily.
• The hallway, dimly lit by wall-mounted torches, stood empty. Bobby slipped out, keeping close to the shadows, her heart pounding so loudly she feared it might give her away. The south exit lay three corridors and two flights of stairs away—a path she had memorized during her initial captivity.
• Bobby quickened her pace, bare feet silent against the stone floor. At the first corner, she paused, every sense alert. The way ahead seemed clear.
• She rounded the corner and froze.
• Chad stood blocking the corridor, arms crossed, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Two enforcers flanked him—Marcus and Dane, both known for their brutality. Bobby's heart hammered against her ribs, the brief taste of freedom turning bitter in her mouth.
• "Did you really think it would be that simple?" Chad's voice carried mock disappointment. "My dear sister isn't nearly as clever as she believes."
• The key fell from Bobby's numb fingers, clattering against stone. "You knew."
• "Of course I knew." Chad stepped forward, the smirk widening. "Lulu's been planning this rescue for weeks. Did you honestly think she could hide anything from me?"
• Rage and despair warred in Bobby's chest. Another trap. Another betrayal disguised as hope.
• "The touching thing is, she actually thought she was helping," Chad continued, circling her like a predator. "My sweet, naive sister. She has no idea what you really are."
• Bobby backed against the wall, mind racing for escape routes that didn't exist. "What are you talking about?"
• "Oh, we'll discuss that later. Much later." Chad gestured to his enforcers. "Take her.”
• Marcus lunged first. Bobby dodged. Her fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering backward. Dane caught her from behind, wrapping thick arms around her torso.
• "Feisty," Chad observed with cruel amusement. "I'll enjoy breaking that spirit of yours."
• Bobby drove her elbow into Dane's ribs, earning a grunt of pain. She twisted free, only to have Marcus recover and tackle her to the ground. The two enforcers pinned her arms as Chad approached.
• "The isolation chamber should teach you proper respect," Chad informed her, crouching down until they were eye to eye. "Don't worry, I'll deal with you properly once I'm officially Alpha. We'll have a much more... intimate discussion about your future here."
• The threat in his voice made Bobby's skin crawl. She spat in his face, earning a vicious backhand that split her lip.
• "Drag her back," Chad ordered, wiping his cheek with disgust. "Make sure she understands that any further escape attempts will result in... consequences for anyone who might have helped her."
• The implication was clear—Lulu would pay the price for Bobby's defiance.
• Marcus and Dane hauled Bobby to her feet, their grips painful and unforgiving. Each step toward the isolation chamber felt like another nail in her coffin.
• "This isn't over," Bobby snarled over her shoulder.
• Chad's laughter followed them through the corridors. "Oh, little wolf, it hasn't even begun.”
• They dragged her back through the hidden passage, and toward the isolation chamber—a cell even smaller and more oppressive than her previous cell, windowless and thick with the stench of fear. Previous occupants had carved desperate messages into the stone—pleas, prayers, and final words that would never reach loved ones.
• The enforcers shoved her inside, slamming the door with finality that echoed in her bones. New shackles, heavier than before, bit into her wrists and ankles.
• Bobby slumped against the wall, defeat weighing heavier than the iron chains. She had been so close to freedom, so desperate to believe in Lulu's kindness. The betrayal cut deeper than physical pain.
• Some time had passed. The drums fell silent, replaced by distant cheering and howling. The ceremony continued without interruption, Chad's ascension proceeding as planned.
• “We're going to die here,” the voice in her head whimpered.
• Bobby closed her eyes, fighting tears she refused to shed. "I'm sorry, Mom. I tried.”
• Then she heard them—footsteps approaching. Not the heavy, careless stomp of the guards. These steps were careful, measured.
• Bobby scrambled to her feet when the metal door creaked open, preparing to face perhaps Chad returning to gloat. Instead, a hooded figure slipped into the chamber, closing the door softly behind them. The scent—wildflowers and rain—didn't belong to anyone Bobby recognized.
• The stranger knelt in the darkness of the windowless cell. "Robin."
• No one had called her that in weeks. The name sounded foreign, almost sacred. Bobby blinked, wary.
• "Who are you, and what do you want?" she demanded, pressing herself against the wall.
• The figure raised a finger to unseen lips, then pushed back the hood. The faint torchlight from the corridor revealed a woman's face—middle-aged, with striking features and eyes that seemed to shift colors like rippling water.
• "Someone who remembers what your mother sacrificed and wants to set you free." The woman knelt before her, producing a small vial from beneath her cloak. "Drink this. It will give you strength for what comes next."
• Bobby's hands trembled as she stared at the offered liquid. "Why should I trust you? Chad knew about Lulu's plan. This could be another trap."
• The woman's expression grew grim. "Sweet Lulu thinks she's protecting you. She doesn't realize her brother has been watching her every move, waiting to see what she would do."
• Cold dread pooled in Bobby's stomach. "It was a trap.”
• "Chad allowed her to play the hero. He wanted to see if you'd take the bait, reveal any allies." The woman's eyes flashed with anger. "He underestimated the moon's pull, though. Tonight, everything changes.” She pressed the vial into Bobby's palm. "I am not here on his orders.”
• "Then whose?"
• "My own conscience," the woman replied, her fingers brushing against Bobby's wrist. "And a promise I made to your mother long ago."
• Something about the woman's voice resonated with Bobby's wolf, causing it to stir beneath her skin, more insistent than ever before. The liquid burned going down, yet almost immediately, Bobby felt energy coursing through her veins.
• "What does that mean?" Bobby whispered as strength returned to her limbs.
• "It means you're more than you know." The woman helped her to her feet, producing a key to unlock the shackles. "Much more."
• Bobby remained skeptical even as the metal fell away from her wrists. "The guards?"
• "Drugged, though the effects won't last long." The woman worked quickly; her movements practiced. "Chad's ceremony begins in earnest now. Everyone is preparing. This is your only chance."
• The ceremonial drums grew louder, punctuated by howls that made Bobby's skin crawl. Chad was accepting his birthright in the central square while she rotted in this cell, awaiting whatever torment he had planned for rejecting their mate bond.
• "Why would you help me?" Bobby asked, rubbing circulation back into her freed hands.
• The woman hesitated, then pushed back Bobby's sleeve. There, on the inside of her forearm, a perfect crescent moon shimmered faintly, silver against her skin. Bobby stared in shock—she had always assumed it was merely a birthmark.
• Memory flickered: her mother's gentle touch, warnings to cover her arms, never let anyone see.
• "You carry the moon's mark," the woman explained. "Madeleine kept you hidden, protected you from those who would use or destroy you. The time for hiding has ended."
• Bobby had always thought the mark was merely a birthmark, never questioning its perfect shape or placement. Now it seemed to pulse with inner light.
• "What does it mean?"
• "Questions for later, child. The ceremony has begun its final phase." The woman pressed a small bundle into Bobby's hands—bread, water, a torn cloak, and something unexpected that made Bobby's heart race: Madeleine's healing journal. "Trust no one until you reach the Northern Territories. Find the Onyx Moon Pack—they will protect you."
• They moved through the dungeons past unconscious guards and empty cells. At the stairs leading to the main level, the woman stopped.
• Distant howling echoed through the stone walls, followed by answering calls—the ceremonial calls that preceded an Alpha's ascension. Chad's voice rose above the rest, already commanding obedience.
• "I can go no further without being recognized." The woman touched Bobby's mark once more. "Head east through the forest until you reach the pack border. Once you cross it—"
• "I become a true rogue," Bobby finished, the weight of that reality settling on her shoulders.
• "Yes. Yet you'll also be free to become what you were meant to be." The woman's eyes held depths Bobby couldn't fathom. "When the moon rises, don't fight the shift."
• The woman shoved open a hidden door, revealing a narrow passage that led toward freedom. Bobby stumbled forward, every muscle protesting after weeks of confinement.
• "Thank you," Bobby managed, though questions burned in her throat.
• "Save your gratitude for when you're truly free."
• Bobby slipped up the stairs, keeping to shadows as she navigated through the nearly empty pack house. Outside, twilight bathed everything in purple shadows. The pack's central square glowed with torchlight and activity in the distance, the ceremony creating a beacon that drew every pack member's attention.
• She ran, ignoring the pain flaring across her back with each movement. The forest welcomed her, branches seeming to part as she passed.
• Beneath the protective canopy, she paused to catch her breath and get her bearings. East would take her toward the border—she needed only to follow the moon's path.
• 'I need to shift,' she realized suddenly. ‘In wolf form, I could cover more ground.’
• The problem remained what it had always been—Bobby had never successfully shifted. Despite feeling her wolf's presence since thirteen, the transformation had remained beyond her reach. Many in the pack whispered she was broken, defective, further proof of her unworthiness as an outcast omega.
• "Come on," she pleaded with herself, stumbling over exposed roots. "Now or never."
• She focused inward, searching for that connection pack members described—the inner presence, the other half of her soul. For agonizing seconds, she felt nothing.
• Above her, the crescent moon suddenly blazed with ethereal light, its silver radiance piercing through the forest canopy to bathe her in celestial fire. The mark on her wrist burned with answering luminescence.
• Then, like a match striking in darkness, something sparked within her chest.