Written In The Moon

Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Esme's pov

My paws thudded against the floor as I sprinted toward Zayan's wolf, my heart burning with rage. He was losing the fight, pinned beneath another wolf, his fur matted with blood.

A sudden weight slammed into my side, sending me skidding across the tiles. Hot breath seared my neck, and a deep growl rumbled through my attacker’s chest.

"Go back," a commanding voice echoed in my head. I looked up surprised that it was not an attacker at all, it was the Luna.

I struggled against her hold, but her piercing eyes, dark as night, froze me in place. Reluctantly, I bowed my head, submitting to her authority.

Before I could retreat, a bullet whizzed past my ear, the sharp c***k echoing in the chaos. Pain tore through my shoulder, and I staggered. I growled fiercely, looking around for who had shot me.

The Luna shoved me mentally. "Now!" Her voice rang in my mind, firm and unyielding.

"I can’t leave them!" I protested, baring my teeth.

"You have to," she replied, "You cannot fight here, you'll die, Esme. Follow your mother. Protect the others."

Her words made my fur bristle, but I knew she was right. Ahead, my mother’s brown wolf leapt at an enemy, her movements fierce and calculated. Just behind her, my sister Primrose—small in her gray wolf form—whimpered, her flank bleeding from a deep gash.

The sight grounded me.

I turned and charged toward them. The wolf attacking my mother didn’t see me coming. With a low snarl, I lunged, sinking my teeth into its hind leg. Together, my mother and I brought it down, its pained yelp silenced in seconds.

Panting, I stepped back as my mother glanced at me, her golden eyes filled with relief. "Let’s go," her voice urged through the mental link.

But I hesitated. The scent of blood in the air, the adrenaline coursing through my veins— begged me to stay, to fight, to avenge what I’d lost today.

Another wolf snarled nearby, its crimson-streaked muzzle snapping toward us.

My sister nudged me sharply, breaking my trance. “Esme, now!”

I tore my gaze away and sprinted after them. My paws hit the ground in unison with theirs as we made for one of the hall’s shattered doors.

Two wolves stood guard, their snarls low and menacing. Fear and bloodlust filled the air, mingling with the smoke of destruction. It was utter chaos.

I wanted to stay and fight, primal instincts kicking in, but the Luna's orders echoed in my head, and with one last growl, I dashed out with them.

I paid no attention to my surroundings, my vision red, and the breeze whizzing past as I ran after the wolves before me. My shoulder ached but I ignored it.

We wound up in the forest, the dense vegetation getting denser and harder to navigate. At the back of my mind, I knew I couldn't make it through this place in my human form. It got harder to keep up, and once again, I was thankful for my enhanced sense of smell.

When we finally burst through the forest, the bright light I was expecting to see was non-existent, clouded by the heavy mist hanging in the air.

Before us were towering stone walls, darkened with age and lined with carvings of ancient runes. I moved forward with the wolves in front of me until I was close enough to see the fierce-looking wolves at the gates.

One of them looked right into my eyes and nodded, and immediately, the gate slid open.

"Go in," he growled.

The moment I stepped through, the gate shut, and I yelped. That thing looked too heavy to move that quickly.

I was met with vaulted ceilings and stone walls inside, a stark contrast to all the chaos outside. The walls echoed with the sounds of paws and low growls, and voices.

I suddenly felt calm and protected. I exhaled as my bones shifted again, and my frame rose from the ground. I felt a soft fabric over my back and looked up to see Primrose.

"Mum says we'll be safe here," she said, hugging herself. She had a huge cloth wrapped around her body.

I pulled mine around me snugly, looking around in shock. “Where is this place?”

Lit torches lined the walls—strange, because I had never actually seen torches being used. They seemed to be the main source of light here, stretching as far as I could see.

"It's the fortress," my mother’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to face her, immediately noticing that she was no longer wearing her lilac gown. Instead, she wore a simple black dress.

"Come with me, they're handing out clothes to everyone."

We followed her in silence through the hallway to a courtyard filled with people. I was handed an oversized shirt and shorts, and my sister a cream gown.

I changed into the clothes, feeling deflated. Minutes ago, I had been dressed in an elaborate wedding dress, feeling like a princess, and now I couldn't be sure if I'd survive this day.

If my mother was right, and this place was actually safe, and it turned out that the attackers didn't come in here to kill us, then my worry for Zayan would—he was still out there, fighting and getting hurt.

Now that the rush of adrenaline had faded, I was faced with the harsh reality. I had no guarantee that he'd come back to me alive, and here I was, safe and sound. At this rate, would there even be a Zayan for me to get married to?

There was a movement beside me as my sister sat down and handed me a cup of water.

I shook my head. "Posy, my wedding was a disaster." I whimpered.

She let out a sigh and put her arms around me. "I'm so sorry, Esme. I'm so sorry."

When my mother settled beside us and hugged us both, I let myself cry my eyes out.

---

“Tread carefully”, Luna Rhianna cautioned as we made our way through the rubble.

The attack had ended an hour ago, with our forces able to chase the enemy back, but much harm had been done. My heart pounded as I moved through the destruction, blood and bodies everywhere.

What if Zayan is among them? I thought, devastated. If I had been told a wedding had happened here, I would never have believed it.

There were also paramedics in their blue uniforms, checking each person and moving those who were still alive on stretchers.

"Where are the injured kept?" Luna Rhianna asked one of them, her voice trembling slightly. I thought she had stayed to fight, but she had shown up at the fortress with an update on how the battle was going. She'd also come with a team to treat the minor injuries.

"Follow me," the man replied.

He led us to a different building that reeked of the sterile smell of drugs. It was terrible that I hoped Zayan was here, but it would be better than him being among those bodies.

We entered a wardroom, and I gasped, my breath knocked out of me. Alpha Wyatt lay on a bed, machines beeping around him and an oxygen mask on his nose.

A bandage was wrapped around his head, soaked with blood, and one arm hung limp. I felt the Luna take my hand in a firm grip as a soul-shattering sob escaped her lips.

Beside the Alpha was Zayan.