Lyralei floated in darkness and it felt like peace.

That's all there was really, just this quiet empty space where nothing hurt anymore and she didn't have to fight or run or fear what was coming next. She wondered if this was death, if dying meant floating forever in the quiet like this.

It wasn't so bad honestly, no pain cutting through her body, no Theron's breath hot against her ear whispering vile promises, no pack watching her with pity while doing nothing to help. Just peace and silence and the gentle feeling of drifting without purpose.

But the longer she floated here, the more something started to shift inside her chest and she realized with sudden clarity that she didn't want this anymore. Now that she was here in whatever this place was, she wanted to live again and the thought surprised her because she'd jumped off that cliff ready to die and be free even if freedom meant the end.

Now though, now she wanted another chance and the desperation of it filled her with something fierce and burning. One more try at life where she could be herself without hiding, without bowing, without pretending to be smaller than she was just to make everyone comfortable. She wanted to have that fuck it attitude she'd discovered right before she jumped, that wild reckless freedom of not caring what anyone thought.

Just one more chance, she thought desperately, please give me one more chance.

She didn't know who she was begging but she sent the prayer out into the darkness anyway, hoping someone might hear.

Then a voice cut through the silence and everything changed.

"How in the name of shadows did you get into this space?"

The voice was old, so ancient it sounded like it had been around since the world began and there was surprise in it but also something else. Something that made Lyralei's soul want to shrink back and hide because it sounded wrong, like a evil darkness that swallowed light whole.

"Wait." The voice paused like it was realizing something. "Oh no, no no no. Selene, you meddling bitch!"

Lyralei didn't know who Selene was but the way the voice said the name made it sound like a curse.

Then something grabbed her and it wasn't physical because she didn't have a body here but something was pulling at her essence, dragging her toward something that felt deeply wrong. Terror flooded through her and she tried to fight, tried to pull away but she was so weak, so tired, so close to just giving up.

That's when another presence appeared and this one felt completely different, warm like sunlight on skin or her mother's arms around her when she was small. It felt like hope and safety and home all mixed together.

The warm presence grabbed her hard and shoved her away from the darkness.

"Release her, Kragoth!" The warm voice was furious in a way that made the darkness shudder.

"So you really are picking a champion," the dark voice, Kragoth, said and she sounded outraged now. "After all this time sitting back and watching, you're finally choosing a side."

"I protect what is mine."

Kragoth laughed and it sounded like bones breaking, like death itself was amused. "Oh I'm going to enjoy this so much, I'll fuck it all up sister, watch how I corrupt your precious champion and turn everything you love to ash."

Her voice faded as Lyralei felt herself being pulled further away from the darkness.

The warm presence spoke to her now, gentle but urgent like time was running out. "I heard your prayer, child."

Lyralei tried to respond but she couldn't form words, her mind felt scattered and delirious like she was drunk on exhaustion.

"I am the one you call the Moon Goddess," the warm voice continued. "I have chosen you as my champion and you will unite the four Alphas to stand against the darkness that comes."

Then the goddess seemed to realize something and her voice shifted to concern. "Oh, oh dear, I forgot mortals can't stay in this space without help and you're in a near death state right now."

Panic spiked through Lyralei sharp and cold.

"Don't worry child, I'll fix this." Something warm flowed into her then, filling her up like water in a cup and it felt like pure light, like power that sang through every part of her being. "I bless you with my essence, you will be the one to bind all four Alphas together and you will be my champion against the shadow."

The goddess's voice shifted again, speaking in a different language that Lyralei couldn't understand but the words felt important, ancient and powerful. "Selenara."

The word meant nothing to Lyralei but it resonated through her soul like it was meant to be there.

"That is your true name now," the goddess said.

Then Lyralei felt herself being pushed hard toward something bright and loud and painful, like being shoved through a doorway made of lightning.

"Don't fail me," the goddess's voice was fading fast. "I'm taking a great risk banking on you but I believe in your strength, now go, live and fight."

Lyralei crashed back into her body like falling from a great height.

She gasped and water filled her mouth and nose, choking her. Her eyes flew open and she saw morning sky above her, bright and too real and painful to look at. She was cold, so fucking cold and wet and everything hurt everywhere.

"What the actual fuck!" The words burst out of her before she could stop them.

Everything that happened before she jumped flashed through her mind in quick succession, Theron's disgusting smile, the ceremony that was supposed to trap her forever, beating him bloody in front of everyone, the chase through the forest, the cliff edge, falling into darkness, dying.

Except she wasn't dead again and it was fucking daybreak.

Movement beside her made her react on pure instinct without thinking. A face loomed over her and she didn't think as she reacted immediately. She swung her fist with all the rage and fear and confusion in her body.

Her knuckles connected with something solid, a jaw maybe and the impact sent pain shooting up her arm.

"Fuck!" A male voice cursed sharply.

Lyralei scrambled to stand up and her legs were shaky and weak beneath her. She was in a stream with water rushing around her ankles and her dress was torn and soaked through, hanging heavy on her body. Her hair stuck to her face in wet tangles and every muscle screamed in pain from the fall and the cold but she was standing anyway.

"You fucking bitch!" The voice she'd hit was snarling now with rage. "I was trying to help you!"

Lyralei's vision cleared enough to take in her surroundings and what she saw made her freeze. Four men stood around her but they weren't just men, she could smell it on them, that distinct Alpha scent that was impossible to miss even through the water and her own exhaustion.

Four Alphas, all watching her with varying expressions.

What the hell?

One of them was holding his jaw where she'd hit him and he had dark hair and looked seriously pissed off about being punched. Another had red hair and was clearly trying not to laugh at the whole situation. The third had silver streaked through his black hair and was watching her like a soldier assessing a potential threat. The last had golden hair and green eyes that were studying her with disturbing intensity.

Then the red haired one burst out laughing, the sound bright and genuinely delighted. "So this is the girl the Moon Goddess sent to us." He sounded absolutely thrilled by the fact that she'd just punched one of them in the face. "I like her already."

That's when the memories hit her hard, that weird dream state with the darkness and the warm light, the goddess blessing her, giving her some name she couldn't understand, talking about uniting Alphas and being a champion.

Oh no, oh fuck no, this couldn't be real.

"Shut the fuck up," Lyralei said to the laughing one and she didn't care that he was an Alpha, didn't care about any of them really. She'd made a promise to herself before she jumped and she was keeping it, no more bowing, no more fear, no more giving a single fuck about what anyone thought of her.

The red haired Alpha looked surprised but still amused, like her telling him to shut up was the most entertaining thing that had happened to him in years.

Lyralei looked at all four of them, at these powerful Alphas who probably thought she was some gift from the goddess, some tool for them to use however they wanted.

"Whatever you're thinking I am," she said clearly and her voice was rough from the water but strong anyway, "I'm not, and you can all fuck off because I belong to no one."