THE MOON LUNA GODDESS

THE ROGUE ALPHA WHO CLAIMS ME

CHAPTER 2: THE ROGUE ALPHA WHO CLAIMS ME

Pain was the first thing I felt.

Not the heartbreak. Not the betrayal.

Pain. Sharp. Hot. Dragging me through thorns.

Someone was carrying me.

Arms under my knees and back, solid as stone.

Moving fast through the Dark Forest.

I tried to open my eyes.

Gold light burned behind my lids.

My arm was on fire.

The new Luna marks from the Moon Luna Goddess pulsed.

Like they had a heartbeat of their own.

Like they were alive and angry.

"Stop fighting me," a voice growled above my head.

Deep.

Rough.

Like gravel and smoke.

"Unless you want the rogues to catch us."

I went still.

Because he was right.

The howls were closer now.

Dozens of them.

Circling.

Getting louder.

Hungry.

The man carrying me didn't smell like my pack.

He didn't smell like obedience.

Or silver chains.

Or fake smiles.

He smelled like rain on dirt.

Like blood.

Like freedom.

Like the first night I ever dreamed of escaping.

When I was 9 and hid in the woods for 3 days.

Because Aunt Vera locked me out again.

We stopped.

He set me down behind a fallen tree.

Gentle, even though his hands were shaking with rage.

I could feel it in him.

The anger wasn't at me.

It was for me.

For every scar.

For every chain.

For every "worthless" they ever called me.

When I finally forced my eyes open, I saw him.

Tall.

Taller than Damien.

Taller than any wolf I'd ever seen.

Black hair falling over his forehead.

Scars cutting across one cheek.

Three of them.

Like claws.

And eyes.

Not gold like Damien's.

Silver.

Like the moon.

Like mine.

He was wearing rogue leathers.

Worn.

Scarred.

No pack mark.

No collar.

But his shoulders had the kind of weight.

That said he commanded more wolves.

Than Damien ever dreamed of.

More than the Alpha King.

"You're hurt," he said.

It wasn't a question.

I looked down.

The chains had torn my wrists open.

Blood was dripping onto the leaves.

Dark.

Steady.

Pooling.

"They said I was worthless," I whispered.

My voice sounded like a stranger's.

Broken.

Small.

Like a child.

The rogue alpha's jaw ticked.

Muscle jumping.

"Worthless?"

He laughed, but there was no humor in it.

Only rage.

Pure, burning rage.

"The entire forest felt you, little one."

"The Moon Luna Goddess turned the sky white for you."

Little one.

No one had called me that.

Since my mother died.

Since she held me and said "you're my moonlight."

The word cracked something in my chest.

Something I thought was already dead.

"The rogues are coming for that power," he continued.

Crouching in front of me.

His knees in the dirt.

Like I was worth kneeling for.

Like I was worth bleeding for.

"And so is every Alpha in 12 territories."

"Once word spreads."

"You lit up the Blood Moon."

"Like a signal fire."

I pulled my knees to my chest.

The gold on my Luna marks flared.

It hurt.

It felt like it was trying to get out.

Like it was trying to burn the chains off.

"I don't want it."

"I don't want any of it."

"I just want"

I couldn't finish.

Because what did I want?

Damien?

No.

The bond was dead.

I felt the ashes of it.

In my chest.

Cold.

Empty.

"You want to live," the rogue finished for me.

His voice was soft now.

Not soft like weak.

Soft like a blade in velvet.

He reached out and grabbed my bleeding wrist.

I flinched.

Old habits.

18 years of flinching.

But his touch was warm.

And the moment his skin met mine, the bleeding stopped.

The wound sealed.

The Luna marks dimmed.

Like they recognized him.

Like they were bowing.

Like they knew him.

"What are you?" I breathed.

His silver eyes met mine.

And I felt it again.

That pull.

Not a mate bond.

Something older.

Something dangerous.

"The mistake the *Moon Luna Goddess* made 22 years ago."

He leaned in, and I could feel his breath on my face.

Smelled like pine and storm.

And something else.

Power.

"I'm the Alpha the pack was supposed to fear."

"And you're the Goddess."

"They were supposed to kneel to."

A branch snapped behind us.

The rogue moved faster than thought.

He shoved me behind him.

And stood.

Pulling a silver dagger from his boot.

The blade caught the moonlight.

And glowed.

Six rogue wolves stepped into the clearing.

Big.

Scarred.

Eyes red with bloodlust.

They were smiling.

Because they could smell my blood.

Because they could smell my power.

Because they could smell weakness.

"Well, well," the lead rogue sneered.

Looking at me behind the alpha.

"The Moon's little secret."

"Hand her over, Kael."

"And we might let you live."

Kael.

So that was his name.

It fit him.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

Mine.

The rogue alpha didn't move.

"You don't get to touch her."

His voice was flat.

Dead.

Final.

"Or what?"

The rogue laughed.

"You're packless too."

"Just like her."

"Just like trash."

Kael tilted his head.

And then he smiled.

It was not a nice smile.

It was the smile of a wolf.

About to tear out a throat.

"Trash?"

His voice dropped low.

Dangerous.

"I'm the Alpha who burned down 3 packs last winter."

"I'm the monster your Alpha warns you about at night."

He stepped forward.

Putting himself between me and them.

"And you just threatened what's mine."

What's mine.

The words hit me harder.

Than Damien's rejection.

Harder than the rock.

Harder than 18 years of "worthless".

The fight was fast.

Brutal.

Kael moved like lightning.

Silver flashed.

Wolves screamed.

Blood sprayed the leaves.

By the time it was over.

Five rogues were on the ground.

And the sixth was running.

Kael didn't chase him.

He let him run.

To spread the word.

To spread fear.

Kael was breathing hard.

Blood, not his, dripped from his dagger.

He turned back to me slowly.

Like he was afraid I'd run.

Like he was afraid I'd scream.

I didn't.

I couldn't.

My legs were shaking.

But not from fear.

From power.

The gold on my Luna marks was burning again.

Hotter.

Brighter.

"You're bleeding," I whispered.

"It's not mine," he said.

Then his eyes dropped to my wrists.

"Are you okay?"

No one had asked me that.

In years.

The last person who did was my mother.

Right before she died.

Right before they took her from me.

I shook my head.

"They rejected me."

"In front of everyone."

"Said I was barren."

"Weak."

"That the Moon Luna Goddess was drunk."

"When she tied us."

Kael's expression went dark.

Deadly.

A muscle jumped in his jaw.

"The Moon Luna Goddess doesn't get drunk," he said quietly.

"She gets even."

He held out his hand to me.

Big.

Calloused.

Scarred.

The hand of a killer.

The hand of a protector.

"Come with me, Selene Carter."

"The pack that rejected you."

"Is about to learn."

"What happens when you throw away a Goddess."

I stared at his hand.

If I took it, I was leaving everything behind.

My name.

My old life.

The pain.

If I didn't, the rogues would come back.

Or Damien would.

Or worse.

The forest was silent.

Even the crickets had stopped.

Somewhere far away, I thought I heard Damien's name.

Being shouted.

Searching.

Panicked.

Too late.

Kael didn't push.

He just waited.

Patient.

Like he had all the time in the world.

Like he would wait forever.

"I'm not your mate," he said finally.

"Not yet."

"The bond we felt earlier was something else."

"Older."

"Deeper."

"But I will protect you."

"With my life."

"If you let me."

Not your mate.

Not yet.

The words should have hurt.

But they didn't.

Because for the first time.

Someone was giving me a choice.

I thought of the silver chains.

The laughter.

The rock to my shoulder.

Mira's kick.

Aunt Vera's basement.

18 years of hell.

I thought of the Moon Luna Goddess.

Touching my face.

And calling me Queen.

Slowly, I put my bloody hand in his.

His fingers closed around mine.

Warm.

Steady.

Safe.

The moment we touched.

The Luna marks on my arm blazed bright.

So bright the trees lit up.

And in the distance, every wolf.

In the Blood Moon Pack howled at once.

They felt it too.

That I was gone.

And that I was no longer theirs.

Kael pulled me to my feet.

"We need to run."

"Now."

"Before more come."

As we turned to leave, I looked back one last time.

Toward the pack lands.

Toward the bonfire.

Toward Damien.

A voice whispered in my head.

Not mine.

Older.

Ancient.

Queens don't look back, child.

I turned forward.

"Where are we going?" I asked Kael.

My voice was steady now.

He squeezed my hand.

"Home," he said.

"To the place the Moon Luna Goddess built for you."

"18 years ago."

"And then we're going to make them pay."

The rogues howled again.

Closer.

But for the first time in my life.

I wasn't scared of the dark.

Because the dark had me.

And I had the "Moon".

And I had him.

TO BE CONTINUED...