Shatter Me

Chapter 2

"Chapter 2: Alone in the Dark

The stone walls of the dungeon closed in around Luna, their cold, unyielding presence a constant reminder of the chains that bound her. She stood in the corner of the small, dimly lit cell, her back pressed against the rough, damp stone, staring into the shadows. The flickering torchlight from the hallway barely reached the dark recesses of her mind, where the memories of the last few hours kept playing like a broken record.

Her rejection of Zane had been the final act in a long string of betrayals. His coldness, his arrogance, the way he treated her as nothing more than an accessory—it had all been building up to this moment. And yet, despite the strength she had mustered to stand up to him, Luna couldn’t help but feel the sting of the loss.

She placed her hands against the cold stone, the silver chains still clinking at her wrists, a constant reminder of the prison she was in. The wolfbane coursed through her veins, dulling her senses, but she could still feel the faint pull of her powers. It wasn’t enough to break the chains, but it was enough to remind her that she wasn’t as weak as they thought.

""How did I get here?"" Luna whispered to herself, her voice a rasp in the stillness. ""How did I let him take so much from me?""

She had been his for years—his obedient mate, his loyal Luna, his perfect image of power. But all along, there had been cracks in that image, cracks she had ignored because she had loved him. And in the end, that love had been her downfall. The harsh reality of his betrayal burned like a wound that wouldn’t heal.

Luna closed her eyes, leaning her head against the stone wall. She could still hear his voice echoing in her mind. ""You’ll never be anything without me.""

She felt a surge of frustration, followed by a sudden wave of something she hadn’t felt in a long time—anger. Anger at him, at herself, at the whole damn pack that had treated her as nothing more than a piece on a chessboard. ""I will be more than he ever thought I could be,"" she muttered, her lips curling into a small, determined smile.

The room around her seemed to grow darker, the walls closing in as the emotional weight pressed down. She couldn’t stay here, trapped in the shadows of Zane’s rejection. She had to get out. She had to rise above the life they had tried to trap her in.

She breathed deeply, forcing herself to focus, to push past the pain. It was then that she felt it—a presence, a quiet energy that stirred within her, deep and ancient, something far beyond the Luna magic she had been born with. It was something more, something that had been dormant within her, hidden beneath years of obedience and submission.

A flicker of her power stirred, and Luna felt a surge of warmth travel through her veins, fighting against the wolfbane. It was just a spark, but it was enough to ignite a new understanding within her.

""I’m not weak,"" she whispered, her voice growing stronger with each word. ""I’m not broken.""

She stood taller now, the chains rattling as she moved. Her hands trembled as she felt the stirrings of something ancient and powerful within her. She didn’t know what it was yet, but she could feel it—an energy that wasn’t just about being the Luna. It was something deeper. Something that had been waiting for this moment to awaken.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing closer, and Luna tensed. The door to her cell creaked open, and the faint light from the hallway spilled into the darkness.

A guard stepped inside, his eyes flickering nervously as he looked at her chained form. Luna didn’t flinch, meeting his gaze with a calm intensity that made him hesitate.

""The Alpha wants to see you,"" the guard muttered, his voice rough with apprehension.

Luna’s heart skipped at the mention of Zane. ""Tell him I’m not interested.""

The guard shifted uneasily, his eyes darting around. ""It’s not a request,"" he said, his tone suddenly more forceful.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. ""Then you’ll have to drag me,"" she said, her voice low and steady. She wasn’t about to let Zane have the satisfaction of seeing her broken.

There was a tense moment before the guard stepped back, his expression one of reluctant submission. ""Fine,"" he muttered. ""But you won’t be able to avoid him forever.""

As the door shut again, Luna was left alone in the cell once more. The weight of his words lingered in the air, but it did little to shake her resolve. Zane may have control of the pack, but she had control of herself now. And that was all she needed.

Hours Later

Luna paced the stone floor of the cell, her mind racing with thoughts of escape. She had known this day would come. The day when she would have to break free. But what she hadn’t expected was the pull of something more. Her powers, the ones she had always kept hidden beneath the surface, were waking. The visions—fragments of futures she could barely understand—were beginning to surface.

""You’re more than this,"" she whispered to herself, her breath steady and calm despite the chaos swirling inside her.

The anger that had driven her before began to shift, settling into a cool, calculating focus. She would escape. She would rise. She would be more than the mate Zane had discarded, more than the Luna who had been cast aside.

But to do that, she would need help. Help from those who were also cast out, from the ones who had been betrayed by their own packs. The rebels.

""I’ll find them,"" Luna said quietly, her voice laced with determination. ""And when I do, I’ll make sure Zane regrets ever thinking he could break me.""

As her resolve hardened, a new spark of energy flickered within her—something stronger than before, something that spoke of the power she was yet to fully understand. But she could feel it. This was the beginning. And she would be ready."