Chosen as the Cursed Alpha's Seventh Bride

Emilia’s POV

By the time evening fell, the pack grounds had been transformed.

I stood at the window of our room, watching pack members arrive in groups. The amphitheater behind the pack house was lit with hundreds of torches, their flames dancing in the cool night breeze.

"Nervous?" Sebastian’s voice came from behind me.

I turned to find him already dressed for the ceremony. Dark pants and a simple black shirt that somehow made him look even more like the powerful Alpha he was.

"Terrified," I admitted.

He crossed the room and took my hands. "The first shift is painful. I won’t lie to you about that. But you’re strong, Emilia. Stronger than you know. And I’ll be right there with you the entire time."

"What if I can’t do it?" The fear came out before I could stop it. "What if Eve and I aren’t... compatible enough, or something goes wrong..."

"Hey." He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. "You and Eve are meant to be together. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes with these things. You’ll shift tonight, and it will be beautiful and terrifying and perfect."

"You sound very sure of yourself."

"I’m sure of you," he said.

A knock at the door interrupted us.

"Sebastian? Emilia?" Mila’s voice called. "Everyone’s ready."

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Let’s do this."

The walk to the amphitheater felt both too short and too long. Pack members lined the path, their faces curious and excited. I recognized some of them from around the pack house, but most were strangers.

"They’re all here for you," Sebastian murmured, his hand firm on my lower back. "To support you. To welcome you."

The amphitheater was even more impressive up close. Stone seats rose in a circle around a central stage, and every seat was filled. Hundreds of werewolves, all here to witness my first shift.

"Oh my God," I breathed.

"Breathe," Sebastian reminded me. "Just breathe."

He led me to the center of the stage, and the crowd fell silent. Titus and Mila stood at the front row, both beaming. Tiffany gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up, mouthing "You’ve got this!"

"Members of the Silver Moon Pack," Sebastian’s voice rang out, clear and commanding. "Tonight, we gather to witness something sacred. Emilia Taylor, my fated mate and your Luna, will complete her first shift."

A wave of excitement went through the crowd.

"We ask for the Moon Goddess’s blessing," Sebastian continued, "and offer our support and prayers to guide her transformation."

As if on cue, the pack members began a low, rhythmic chant.

"Eve?" I called inside my head.

"I’m here," she answered, her voice stronger than ever. "Are you ready?"

"No. But let’s do it anyway."

Sebastian’s hand squeezed mine once, then he stepped back, giving me space.

The moon was rising, full and bright, directly overhead. Its light seemed to pour down onto the stage, onto me, and suddenly my skin felt too tight.

"It’s starting," Eve said. "Don’t fight it. Let it happen."

The first wave of pain crashed through me. It felt like every bone in my body was cracking at once, like someone was pulling my muscles apart from the inside. My skin burned, stretched too thin over a body that wasn’t mine anymore.

I gasped, doubling over as my bones began to shift. It felt like my whole skeleton was breaking and reshaping itself, every nerve ending on fire.

"Emilia," Sebastian’s voice cut through the pain. "Look at me."

I forced my head up. He was pulling off his shirt, his eyes already starting to glow with his wolf.

"I’m shifting with you," he said. "Follow my lead. Let your wolf guide you."

Another flash of pain, sharper this time, and I fell to my knees. The chanting around us grew louder, more urgent.

"Keep going," Eve pushed me. "I know it hurts, but you have to keep going."

My hands hit the stage, and I watched in horror as my fingers began to grow longer, fur coming through along my arms. The pain was unbearable, worse than anything I’d ever imagined.

"I can’t," I gasped out loud. "I can’t do this."

"Yes, you can," Sebastian’s voice was closer now, rougher. "You’re almost there, love. Just a little more."

I looked up through teary eyes to see him mid-shift, his body twisting as his wolf took over. Watching him somehow made it easier. If he could do this, so could I.

"Clear your mind," Eve said gently. "Stop fighting. Just let go."

I closed my eyes and obeyed. The moment I stopped resisting, stopped trying to hold onto my human form, everything shifted.

Bones cracked and popped one after another. My spine curved, my legs bent backward, my face stretched into a muzzle. The pain reached a peak that made me want to scream, but then...

Silence.

I opened my eyes, and the world looked completely different. Sharper. Clearer. Full of scents and sounds I’d never noticed before.

I was standing on four legs.

"You did it!" Eve’s voice was full of joy. "Look at us!"

I glanced down at my paws. Large, with brown fur that shone in the torchlight. My entire body was covered in the same rich brown, and I felt powerful in a way I’d never experienced.

A huge black wolf approached me slowly. Sebastian. His wolf was massive, easily twice my size, with intelligent green eyes that I’d recognize anywhere.

"You’re beautiful," his voice came into my head through the mind-link, and I almost jumped. "A perfect wolf for a perfect mate."

"Sebastian," I said, testing the mind-link. "I can hear you."

"Of course you can. We’re mates." His wolf moved closer, rubbing his head against mine affectionately. "How do you feel?"

"Amazing," I admitted. "This is incredible."

Sebastian shifted back to human form, not bothering with clothes as he approached me. In the werewolf world, nudity after shifting was completely normal, but it still made me want to look away.

"Don’t you dare," he said through the mind-link with amusement. "You’re going to have to get used to this."

He addressed the crowd, his voice carrying across the amphitheater. "Emilia has completed her first shift successfully. Her wolf’s name is Eve."

More cheers.

"Now," Sebastian continued, "as Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, I formally invite Emilia Taylor to join our pack bond."

He knelt down in front of my wolf form, placing his hand on my head.

"Emilia, do you accept the Silver Moon Pack as your own? Do you swear to protect and serve this pack as Luna?"

Eve surged forward, lending me her voice. "I do."