The day of the ceremony dawned bright and clear. Aria stood in her room, looking at herself in the mirror. She wore a simple white dress that Lyra had helped her pick out, symbolic of a new beginning. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders, and Maya's crescent moon pendant rested against her collarbone.
A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Aria called.
Elena entered, carrying a small wooden box. "I brought you something. It's tradition for new pack members to wear the pack symbol during the ceremony." She opened the box to reveal a silver bracelet etched with a crescent moon intertwined with a nightshade flower.
"It's beautiful," Aria breathed as Elena fastened it around her wrist.
"It represents what we value most. The moon for our wolf nature, the nightshade for resilience.
