Chapter 1: Persuasion

Ophelia's POV

The letter looked innocent. It was in a plain white envelope. Her name was written across the front in a beautiful black script.

Ophelia Roberts

Her address was printed neatly underneath. So, it certainly was for her.

There was no return address. Far stranger, the envelope was sealed with silver wax, an emblem of a full moon and a howling wolf stamped into it.

Ophelia stared at the letter for a long while. It sat on the kitchen table innocently enough. It didn't seem bewitched. It didn't snarl or snap at her. It didn't flutter around the room. It just laid in wait.

That seemed more menacing.

Ophelia considered calling her mother. She would know what to do. Ophelia's mother always knew what to do.

Ophelia considered calling her father. Nothing took him by surprise or rattled him. He was wise and patient.

In the end, Ophelia called no one. She would handle this herself.

Taking a silver letter opener from the junk drawer in her kitchen, she walked to the table and sat down in front of the letter. As unceremoniously as possible, she opened the letter.

"The faculty and staff of Luna Plenum University would like to congratulate you on your acceptance to this prestigious program. Please use the enclosed supply list to prepare for the upcoming semester. Your dorm assignment will be displayed at Frasier Hall on move in day. We look forward to seeing you beginning June 7th of this year."

Ophelia couldn't help but read the letter out loud, though there was no one home to hear her.

She read the letter four more times. Five was her lucky number.

This was not meant for her.

She did not apply to a Luna Plenum University. She had not applied to any university at all. Well, she had, seven years ago, and been accepted. And graduated with a degree in journalism three years ago. She did not need to go to another university. She did not need to start all over.

It seemed impossible for a person to get an acceptance letter to a school they never applied to, but after checking the name and address on the envelope four more times, she realized it could only mean her. She was the only Ophelia Roberts she knew, and certainly the only one at this address.

She should call her mother. That would be a good idea.

Ophelia dialed her mother's phone number, listening to the phone ring as her heart thudded in her chest.

"Ophelia?" her mother answered.

"Mom. I got a letter today."

"Is this a guessing game?" her mother teased.

"Well, I suppose it is because I don't understand what this letter is about."

"Oh, Ophelia. Did you get your letter?" her mother asked, tone changing instantly.

"I'm not sure what you mean by my letter."

"Yes, you do. You know exactly what letter I'm talking about. You got a letter from Luna Plenum today, didn't you?"

Ophelia furrowed her brows, unsure of how her mother would know that already.

"Yes, actually," Ophelia answered slowly.

"Ophelia. I am so, so proud of you." Her mother sounded like she was choking back tears.

"Thank you, Mom, but I'm not sure what for," Ophelia mused.

"Luna Plenum only excepts the most extraordinary females of our kind. Their entire mission is to find out where the lost Lunas went. Ophelia, this is huge!"

The lost Lunas.

That was a story Ophelia hadn't considered in a very, very long time.

There was a time when the strength of packs wasn't just dependent on their alphas. They had mates, true, Goddess blessed mates.

Ophelia had often wondered what it would be like to know that the Goddess designed one person perfect for you. That their very being cried out for you in the deepest chambers of their heart.

The problem was, the female half of these mated pairs, the Lunas, they had stopped appearing.

The concept of having a mate was as good as fiction.

Maybe that's all it was, a fairytale. Maybe women truly were the weaker sex, and there hadn't been one born that was worthy of the title. Alphas hadn't stopped appearing, but Lunas were nonexistent.

There was some belief that the loss of Lunas made the entire race of shifters weaker. A lot of the older generations claimed that shifters were losing their place in this world because of the lack of strong female role models. A Luna didn't lead a pack, but her wisdom and perspective were valued, and revered even.

What would it be like to be a Luna?

It didn't matter. There had been a mistake.

Ophelia wasn't a Luna. She wouldn't help with the return of the lost Lunas. She was not extraordinary.

She was just Ophelia.

Ophelia had not been at the top of her class. While she wasn't at the bottom, she certainly had subjects she struggled with. She didn't consider herself especially athletic, and her abilities were mediocre at best. There was nothing special about her.

How would this school know about her at all?

That's how she knew something was amiss. There was no reason a school she'd never heard of had heard of her.

Besides, she couldn't just up and leave. She had a job here, an apartment. She didn't love her job and her lease was up at the end of May, but it didn't matter. She still had a life here she didn't know if she was willing to abandon.

"Ophelia? Are you there?" her mother asked, breaking Ophelia from her contemplation.

"Yes, sorry, Mom. I'm here," she answered, a little distant still.

"We have to go to the store. We'll get all of your supplies at once. How long until you're supposed to move in?" her mother bubbled.

"June seventh. But, Mom, I'm a grown woman. I can buy the supplies myself. And I don't even know if I want to go."

"You don't know if you want to go? Ophelia, you must. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You deserve this," her mother encouraged. "Let me take you shopping. You can consider then."

"I'll think about it."