The Spirit Luna: Fragmented Soul

The Pack

Cadence POV

I couldn’t avoid him any longer. Every thought, every pulse of my wolf, kept dragging me toward Regan. I had to talk to him. To explain the spirits I had been seeing and the fear building like wildfire in my chest at the thought of my first shift — only two days away.

When I finally approached him in the lounge, he looked up from a book, those deep blue eyes studying me with that familiar calm authority. My chest heaved, and I realized I had been holding my breath the entire walk over.

“Regan,” I said, voice trembling, “I… I’m scared. The spirits, the shift… I don’t know what’s happening, and I can’t do it alone.”

He set the book aside and gestured for me to sit, his expression softening. “Cadence… I’ve been waiting for you to stop avoiding me. You don’t have to do this alone. Let me explain what I know.”

I swallowed hard, nodding.

He began quietly, carefully. “Your mother… she was a white wolf. It's one of the rarest we’ve ever known. She wasn’t just any wolf — she served the Moon Goddess. Her spirit guided those who were taken before their time, helping them find the path to the afterlife. You are her daughter. You carry her legacy.”

My breath hitched, my wolf humming beneath my skin, sensing every truth in his words. “I… my mother… she was a spirit guide?”

“Yes,” he said. “The white wolf is a legend among wolves, humans… and even the spirits themselves. When a great evil arose in our world, she was meant to restore the balance — to ensure that nature, life, and death stayed in harmony. Necromancy is real magic, Cadence. Evil wolves abandoned the Moon Goddess long ago. They corrupted the process and twisted it. That’s why you’ve been seeing the spirits… because the balance has been disrupted, and you are meant to restore it.”

I felt like the air had been sucked from my lungs. My hands trembled. My wolf shivered beneath my skin, echoing my fear.

“I… I can’t,” I whispered, voice cracking. “I’m not ready for this. I can’t do it alone.”

Regan’s hand rested lightly on mine, grounding me. “You won’t be alone. Not ever. That’s why I’m introducing you to my pack. They’ll help, guide you, and protect you.”

“Your pack?” I repeated, voice barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t even know what that means.”

“They’re wolves like me,” he said. “And they understand your awakening, your responsibilities. They won’t overwhelm you. And Cadence… there’s something you’ll hear often: Luna. You’ll learn what it means when the time is right.”

I frowned, confused, but didn’t ask. I trusted him — or at least, I thought I did.

.....

I hadn’t expected Regan to take me somewhere like this. His car wound through quiet streets, then along a dirt road flanked by dense trees. Twilight draped the forest in gold and shadow, the air rich with pine and earth. My wolf throbbed beneath my skin, restless, alert, sensing a kinship in the energy around us.

“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“You’ll see,” he said, his eyes on the road, calm and unreadable. “I want you to meet my pack. They’ll help guide you through your shift and protect you when you awaken. You’re not alone in this.”

I swallowed, heart pounding. “Your pack… like wolves?”

“Yes,” he said. “But they’re more than just wolves. They’re like family — Alpha and Beta, trained and bonded. You’ll understand soon.”

The car stopped in a small clearing, a large lodge nestled among ancient trees. Warm light spilt from windows, spilling into the dusk, smoke curling from the chimney. The place seemed alive, pulsing with energy I couldn’t name but could feel. My wolf stirred, curious and slightly nervous, sensing something familiar.

We stepped inside, and I was greeted by a flurry of activity — figures moving with confidence, wolves shifting to human form, laughter, the faint scent of cedar and leather. My breath caught.

“This is them,” Regan said, stepping forward, his presence protective, authoritative. “Cadence, meet my pack.”

Eyes turned toward me. Each wolf seemed to study me carefully, assessing, measuring, and sensing. One stepped forward — tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and alert amber eyes. “I’m Jar, you know me already” he said, voice easy but firm. “Regan’s Beta. Welcome.”

“Hi,” I murmured, feeling suddenly small, self-conscious. My wolf hummed softly in my mind, reminding me to stay calm and to observe.

Another figure approached — a woman, elegant and strong, eyes like molten gold. “You must be Cadence,” she said gently. “We’ve heard… much about you. About your awakening.”

I nodded, overwhelmed. My pulse raced, both anxious and exhilarated. “I… I’m not sure I’m ready,” I admitted. My wolf whispered in agreement, sensing the weight of the truth I carried.

“You will be,” Regan said, placing a hand lightly on my back. “We’ll guide you. You’re not doing this alone.”

They led me through the lodge, introducing each member briefly — a mix of humans and wolf forms, all exuding power and calm assurance. Their energy was different, alive in a way that made my own wolf stir with recognition. I felt… at home. And terrified.

One of the pack members, a woman with silver-streaked hair, muttered under her breath, “Luna…” I caught the word and frowned, but didn’t ask. Regan gave me a quick glance, protective, warning me not to pry — not yet.

We settled in a side lounge, warm light, and soft couches. Regan gestured for me to sit, his wolf close, protective. My own wolf hummed, excited and alert, responding to the energies around me.

“You’ll be safe here,” he said quietly, as if reading my thoughts. “And you’ll learn. But for now… just observe, breathe, and let your wolf adjust.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. I was entering a world I hadn’t known existed, filled with power, danger, and possibility. And though I was terrified, I felt a strange spark — a recognition, a promise. I wasn’t alone.

---

Later that night, as sleep claimed me, I found myself in a strange dream. My wolf was there, sitting across from me in a forest bathed in pale moonlight. Its white fur shimmered, and its eyes glowed like liquid silver.

“You’re scared,” it said, voice deep and echoing in my mind rather than through sound.

“I am,” I admitted. “I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t even know who I’m meant to be when I shift.”

“You’ve always known,” it replied gently. “That’s why you wanted to be a crime scene analyst. You wanted to help the lost. To put the unsettled to rest. Now you’ll do the same for spirits… and for the world.”

I blinked, stunned. “So… that’s why I’ve always wanted this… the solving, the investigation… the order?”

“Yes,” it said. “It was your destiny before you even knew you had one. You were preparing yourself without realizing it.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “But the spirits… the evil… the shift… I don’t know if I can do it.”

“You can,” my wolf assured me. “You have the legacy of the white wolf in your blood. And when you awaken, you will know yourself fully. Trust me. Trust yourself. Trust the Moon Goddess.”

I exhaled, finally feeling a strange sense of clarity through the panic. My wolf’s pulse aligned with mine, a soft thrum of reassurance. I wasn’t ready yet — no, not entirely — but I understood why I had been drawn to forensics, to solving, to uncover the truth. It had always been preparation for this moment.

And now, two days from my first shift, I realized I would have to face it. Not alone. Not entirely. But with guidance, with my wolf, and… perhaps, with Regan.