THE SHADOWS OF THE MOON

CELINE'S POV Tristan's words kept echoing in my head long after he had left me. "Your dreams are mine, and I am not narrow-minded." I pressed a trembling hand against my chest, a foolish grin spreading across my face in the silence of my room. My heart felt lighter than it had in years, as though a weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying had suddenly been lifted. All my life I had felt like I was... in the background. Unseen. Unheard. The quieter twin, the one who dreamed too big, who dared to want something different. And yet, in a single night, that changed. For the first time, I wasn't alone with those dreams. For the first time, someone looked at me and didn't laugh or dismiss me. Tristan listened. Tristan believed. He didn't see my wish of becoming a doctor as foolish or selfish-he saw it as possible. He saw me. And in that moment, he wasn't just my mate. He was my anchor, my shield, my safe place. The one who made me feel like my dreams mattered, like I mattered. Now, I think I understand. I understand why Seraphina had been so eager to find her mate, why she spoke about it with such longing. The other half of your soul-that's what everyone called it. But now that I had found mine, I finally knew what it meant. To have someone who could look into you and know your deepest needs, to want to share your burdens without being asked. Someone who would never expect you to shrink yourself to fit in, but would make space for you to grow. My chest swelled with excitement, almost to the point of bursting. I couldn't keep this inside any longer. I needed to tell Seraphina. She would understand, wouldn't she? She'd be happy for me-she had to be. Maybe she'd even laugh with me about how fate had decided to pair me first, when she had always been the one waiting with more anticipation. But this wasn't something I could control. I hadn't chosen it. Fate had. Surely Seraphina would see that. I hugged myself, warmth curling in my chest. With my heart racing, I pushed the door open and padded down the hall, ready to share my happiness. But as I turned the corner, the sound of hushed voices stopped me. My parents' low tones carried through the air, mixed with Seraphina's broken sniffles. "I don't understand... why?" she whispered, her voice cracking. My father's reply was softer, almost pained. "It's complicated, Seraphina. You'll understand in time." I froze in place, my smile faltering. My sister sat between them, her eyes shimmering with tears. The sight made my heart ache. But when her gaze flicked up and landed on me, something shifted. She hastily wiped her tears, straightened her shoulders, and in her eyes... there was no sadness anymore. Only a sharpness, a flicker of something like hatred that I had never seen before. I took a tentative step forward, my voice soft but urgent. "Sera-" She shot up so quickly her chair scraped against the floor, the sharp sound making me flinch. Without sparing me a glance, she turned her back, shoulders trembling as though she was trying to hide the evidence of her tears. My lips parted, but the words caught in my throat. That was when I noticed my mother's eyes on me. The look she gave me was unlike anything I'd seen from her before-part pity, part warning, and something else I couldn't quite name. A silent plea for me not to push, not to pry. It chilled me in a way I didn't expect. My heart squeezed uncomfortably in my chest. "Is something wrong, Dad? Why was Seraphina crying?" I asked, my voice fragile, desperate for some sort of explanation. But the silence that followed was louder than any answer. No one looked at me. My father kept his gaze fixed on the table, jaw tight, his hands clasped together as though holding something back. My mother's eyes softened but stayed downcast, as if she couldn't bear to meet mine. I swallowed hard, confusion burning through me. "Why won't anyone tell me what's happening?" Finally, my father's voice cut through the air, low and firm, but not unkind. "Celine, it would be best if you stop meddling in your sister's affairs." The words stung. They felt like a door slamming shut in my face. I blinked, struggling to understand. Meddling? I hadn't done anything. I just wanted to help. I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood, forcing back the protest rising in my throat. If no one wanted to tell me, then what could I do? I turned away slowly, retreating into the shadows of the hallway. The weight of unspoken truths pressed heavily on my chest, wrapping around me like a suffocating cloak. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the house itself had grown colder, more distant. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. And the worst part was... everyone knew it but me. ________________________________________ The next morning, Seraphina and I walked side by side to school, but it didn't feel like it. Her silence was louder than any words. She didn't glance at me, didn't smile the way she usually did when we shared inside jokes along the way. The coldness coming off her was unbearable. "Did I... do something wrong?" I whispered as we neared the gates. She didn't even look at me. "No." The single word was sharp, clipped, final. Then she walked away, leaving me standing there, staring after her, hollow inside. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone-even with my twin just a few steps ahead of me. ________________________________________ Later that afternoon, at the packhouse, Seraphina threw herself into training with the other wolves. I lingered on the sidelines, pretending to watch but feeling utterly invisible. My chest ached with a loneliness that burned deeper than before. Everyone's attention was on Seraphina-the strong one, the chosen one. And me? I was just... there. I needed Tristan. I slipped quietly into the halls of the packhouse, keeping my footsteps light. The air inside felt heavy with secrets, but I didn't care. My heart led me. I just wanted to see him, even for a moment. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the shadows, pulling me into a dim, empty room. I gasped, but before I could cry out, his familiar scent washed over me and I relaxed. "Tristan," I whispered. He smirked, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. "You scared?" "I thought-" "I like meeting you like this," he cut me off, his tone lower, almost playful. "It feels like we're doing something forbidden, even though we're not." My lips parted, my heartbeat stumbling. His words shouldn't thrill me the way they did, but they did. They made me feel alive, like I was part of some secret world only he and I shared. For a while, we stayed there, close enough that I could hear the steady rhythm of his breath, his fingers brushing mine in quiet reassurance. In that stolen moment, the loneliness faded. But when I finally stepped out into the hallway, smoothing down my clothes and forcing a casual smile, my world shattered again. Seraphina stood there. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable, but her eyes-oh, her eyes were blazing. She had seen. And in that instant, I knew whatever was already wrong between us had just grown into something far, far worse.