Moonbound: Rebirth Of the Alpha

Chapter2:Fragments of the Past

“She’s not breathing!” someone barked high above the sound of panicked voices as my eyes fluttered open.

The last thing I remembered feeling was the cold bite of water, sharp and unforgiving. It surrounded me, pressing into my lungs. My chest burned from the lack of oxygen and the effort it took me to breathe. The frantic pounding of my heart was the only sound I could hear. My arms flailed weakly against the overwhelming tide, but it was no use. The ocean dragged me under, swallowing me whole.

A sudden surge of power and then...nothing.

A sharp pressure hit my chest, again and again, forcing water out of my lungs in violent spurts. I coughed, the motion ripping through my body as I struggled for air. The faint sting of saltwater lingered in my throat as I struggled to open my eyes.

“Come on,” a deeper voice urged, steady and calm despite the surrounding commotion.

I blinked against the blinding sunlight. A man hovered over me, his dark hair plastered onto his forehead, his face a mixture of exhaustion and determination. His hands pressed against my chest once more, and I gasped, air flooding my lungs like life itself.

“She’s alive,” the man said, his tone softening with relief.

I rolled to my side, coughing violently as seawater spilled from my lips. My whole body trembled, the kind of shaking that came from a deep fear I couldn’t explain.

“Take it easy,” he said, his voice close. His hands hovered over me like he wasn’t sure if I needed help or space.

I looked up at him, my vision still blurry. It was Darren. “What...what happened?”

“You almost drowned,” he said matter-of-factly. “The waves dragged you under.”

I vaguely remembered drowning. But the more I tried to recall how I’d ended up here, the more my mind pushed back with something else entirely. Images flashed in my head like a broken tape: a battlefield soaked in blood, faces contorted with rage and fear, and a moon so red it looked as though it bled into the night sky.

“Are you hurt?” Leah asked, her tone laced with genuine concern.

I flinched, her voice breaking through the haze. “I—I’m fine,” I stammered, though my body betrayed me, shivering uncontrollably.

“Aurora, you’re not fine. You need to—”

Before she could finish, I scrambled to my feet. My legs wobbled beneath me, but the surge of adrenaline pushed me forward. “Thank you, but I need to go.”

“Wait!” they both called after me, but I was already moving.

I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew I couldn’t stay there. The salty breeze clung to my wet skin as I stumbled away from the beach, my thin swimwear doing little to protect me from the chill in the air. Their voices faded behind me, but the memories that had surfaced refused to disappear.

Battle cries. The feeling of betrayal. The overwhelming need to protect.

Each foreign thought hit me like a blow, disorienting and painful. My breaths came out in ragged gasps as I clutched my head, as if trying to control the storm inside.

By the time I reached the edge of the beach, the setting immediately changed. Neon lights flickered overhead, casting an unnatural glow against the early evening sky. The scent of oil, exhaust, and fried food assaulted my senses. A blast of sounds followed—the blaring of car horns, the murmur of conversations, the occasional bark of a dog.

This was no forest. This was a city.

The realization hit me like a slap. My heart raced as I turned in a slow circle, taking in the familiar, yet unfamiliar skyline. Skyscrapers loomed above, their glass exteriors reflecting the fading sunlight. Crowds of people bustled around me, completely unaware of the turmoil raging inside my head.

They barely spared me a glance.

I had no idea where I was.

No, that wasn’t entirely true. I knew this wasn’t home. My home was green and alive, a place filled with towering trees and hidden streams. This? This was a disaster a world of steel and noise.

I stumbled into the street, my bare feet scraping against the rough asphalt. A car screeched to a stop, the driver shouting curses as I rushed past. The unfamiliarity of it all made my head spin with confusion.

And then I smelled it.

Them.

It was faint at first, but unmistakable—a scent that sent a shiver down my spine. Wild, raw, and ancient. My senses sharpened as I scanned the crowd, searching for the source.

Three men stood near the edge of an alleyway, their eyes locked on me with unnerving intensity. They didn’t belong here. Their presence felt as out of place as my own.

I hesitated, the small part of me screaming to run. But something about them...something felt familiar.

Swallowing my fear, I took a cautious step forward. “Excuse me,” I called out, my voice unsteady. “Can you help me?”

One of them, a tall man with sandy hair and a leather jacket, tilted his head as if amused. “Help you?” he repeated, his tone mocking.

“Yes,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “I—I don’t know where I am. Please.”

The man exchanged a glance with his companions, a silent conversation passing between them. The smallest of the trio, slim and sharp-eyed, smirked.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the sandy-haired man asked, stepping closer.

“No,” I admitted. “I’m not.”

The air around them shifted. What had once felt vaguely familiar now carried an edge of danger. My instincts screamed at me to back away, but my feet wouldn’t move.

“You smell like us,” the slim one said, his voice low.

“What?” I asked, confusion lacing my tone.

“Werewolf,” the third man growled, his eyes darkening.

The word hit me like a physical blow. Werewolf. The term resonated with something deep inside me, something buried and forgotten.

“I don’t—” My voice faltered as the sandy-haired man lunged forward, his grip like iron as he grabbed my arm.

“You don’t belong here,” he hissed, his face mere inches from mine.

Panic surged as I struggled against his hold. “Let me go!”

His companions closed in, their expressions predatory. “We can’t do that,” the slim one said, his smirk widening. “Not until we figure out what you really are. At least till our Alpha does.”

I thrashed against their grip, but it was no use. They were too strong, their hands like shackles. My pulse thundered in my ears as the memories surged again—battle cries, blood, betrayal.

And then, the red moon.

“No!” I screamed, the sound raw and desperate as I fought against the tide of fear threatening to overwhelm.

The sandy-haired man tightened his grip, his voice cold and unyielding. “You’re coming with us.”