BLOOD OF THE MOON

Kae's pov. The day brightens with the full moon hanging high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the sprawling festival grounds. The sound of music and laughter with the scent of roasted meat filled the air, but my heart wasn’t in it; attending parties was one thing I was allergic to. I came here because my best friend, Lila, insisted I needed a night out. “Kae you can't be sulking all night. This is supposed to be fun!” Lila nudged me. “Is this the way to have fun? I don't think I'm interested, ” I muttered, crossing my arms. “This isn’t my idea of fun. ” Lila sighed. “It’s been weeks since you’ve let loose. Please, just try to enjoy yourself. Who knows? Maybe the moon will bring you some luck tonight. ” “I don't think such a thing will happen; no one cares about me; it has always been hard to find my mate, ” I said, looking sad. “Kae, come on! You can’t keep nurturing this pain forever, ” Lila teased, pulling me through the crowd. “The moon’s full, the pack’s celebrating and you look amazing. Let loose for once!” I gave her a weak smile, adjusting the hem of my navy dress. It was true—I hadn’t been myself since the rejection from my last mate, a betrayal that still burned. But tonight wasn’t about them. It was about forgetting. Or at least trying to. As we weaved through the crowd, I felt it. A pull. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, urging me to turn. And then I saw him. Thane Wilder. The Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack stood tall and commanding near the bonfire, his piercing green eyes scanning the crowd. When his gaze locked onto mine, the world seemed to fall away. My heart raced, and my wolf howled in my chest. He was magnetic, dangerous, and everything I should avoid. But I couldn’t look away. “Who's that?” Lila whispered following my gaze. “Oh, Kae, no that's Thane Wilder. He's dangerous even for an alpha” . “I wasn't…… ” I started, but Lila's knowing smirk stopped me. Before I could think better of it, Thane was walking towards me. The crowd seemed to part for him as if they, too, felt his power. “You're Kaeliope Jackson right?” he asked, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “I've heard about you before; it's nice meeting you in person. ” “You've heard about me?” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “I hope it's nothing too scandalous?” A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Depends on who you ask. ” “What do you mean?” I curiously asked. He swiftly interrupted. “Don't worry with time you'll understand” . “Can I get a dance? Or better still dance with me, ” he said, his voice deep and smooth. “What! Dance with you?” I blinked, stunned. “I don't dance with strangers” “Do I look like a stranger to you?” He said with his deep soft voice. “I said, dance with me. ” He offered his hand, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, I took it. As we moved together under the moonlight the music gradually faded. My heart beat heavily, feeling the electrifying warmth of his touch, which sent shivers down my spine, and the intensity in his eyes made it impossible to look away. “You look different. To be honest, you’re completely different, ” he said his voice barely above a whisper. “Different how?” He tilted his head, studying me. “I’m not sure yet. But I intend to find out. ” The banter was electrifying with an undeniable chemistry. By the end of the night, I found myself walking with him through the woods, away from the festival. The filter moonlight illuminated his sharp features through the trees. “Why me?” I asked softly, unsure why this powerful Alpha would even look twice at someone like me. “You intrigue me, ” he said simply, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “There’s something about you, Kae. ” His lips met mine before I could respond, and for once, I let myself be swept away. It was passionate, fiery, and unlike anything I’d ever felt. My wolf revealed in his touch, claiming him in a way my mind knew was dangerous. But in the quiet hours of the early morning, reality crashed down. I was surprised when I woke alone in the clearing where we’d spent the night, my dress rumpled and my heart racing. The sound of approaching footsteps made me sit up, hope fluttering in my chest. Thane appeared, his expression cold and unreadable. “This shouldn't have happened between us, ” he flatly said. “Between us? What do you mean by that?” I asked, my voice cracking. “It was a mistake, ” he continued with his words slicing through me. “You and I are from a different world, Kae. I can't have someone with a tainted bloodline tied to me” . My eyes rolled with tears, but I refused to let him see me cry. “You mean I'm tainted? Is that all I am to you? So am I just a mistake?” . He didn’t answer, his silence louder than any insult. As I was about to speak, he turned and walked out of my sight, leaving me shattered in the clearing; I could feel the pain flowing through my veins. “Last night was a different ball game. It wasn't my intention, but I promise it won’t happen again. You and I… we’re nothing. ” His words cut deeper than I thought possible. “Nothing? After everything, that’s all I am to you?” He crossed his arms, his silver eyes hard. “You should leave, Kae. Go back to your pack where you belong. ” I turned on my heel, looking humiliated and furious, and stormed away. The whispers of his pack followed me, their words sharp and cruel. “She’s not even a pureblood. ” “Did you hear about her tainted lineage?” “Of all people, why her? She isn't worth it” I became remorseful, clenching my fists and trying to block out their voices. My bloodline has always been a sore spot. Being half-human in a world of pureblooded werewolves made me an outcast, and now Thane had made it clear that I was beneath him. I stumbled back to the festival grounds, avoiding curious eyes and whispered conversations. “Kae, what happened?” Lila asked, catching up to me as I reached the edge of the forest. “You look— ” “Don’t, ” I interrupted, making my voice sharper than I intended. “I just need to leave. ” Lila didn’t press, her concern evident, but she let me go. As I stormed toward the exit, a strange warmth bloomed in my lower abdomen. It wasn’t pain, but something unfamiliar and intense. I paused, placing a hand on my stomach. My wolf stirred again, but this time, it felt different. Protective. Maternal. What had I done?