THE MOON LUNA GODDESS

THE STRANGER'S HAND'S

CHAPTER 3: THE STRANGER’S HANDS

The pain was fading, but the fear wasn’t.

Kael set me down behind the fallen tree, his hands still shaking.

Not from the fight. From rage.

"Don’t move," he growled. "They’ll smell your blood."

I nodded. I couldn’t speak.

My wrists had stopped bleeding where he touched me.

The Luna marks on my arm pulsed once, then went quiet.

Like they were listening to him.

Kael crouched in front of me, silver eyes scanning me.

His jaw clenched. "They hurt you."

It wasn’t a question. It was a death sentence for someone.

"I’m fine," I whispered. The lie tasted like ash.

Kael’s expression darkened. "Don’t lie to me, Selene."

He said my name like it was sacred.

Like the first true thing he’d said all night.

The forest was too quiet. No birds. No crickets.

Just our breathing.

And somewhere far away, Damien’s voice was shouting my name.

Kael heard it too. His head snapped toward the sound.

"Stay here," he ordered.

He stood, pulling the silver dagger from his boot.

Blood was still on the blade.

"Where are you going?" I grabbed his sleeve.

Stupid. Weak. But I couldn’t let him go alone.

Kael looked down at my hand on him, then at my face.

Something soft passed through his silver eyes.

"To make sure they don’t follow us," he said. "Stay. Please."

The word _please_ broke me.

No one had ever said please to me.

I let go. "Come back," I whispered.

He didn’t answer. He just melted into the dark.

Minutes passed. Each second felt like an hour.

The *gold on my Luna marks* started burning again.

Hotter.

Like the Moon Goddess was warning me.

Then I heard it. Footsteps in the snow.

Not Kael’s.

Too heavy. Too many.

Three rogues stepped into the clearing.

They sniffed the air and grinned when they saw me.

"Look what we found," the biggest one said.

"The rejected b***h. The Alpha will pay well for her."

My heart stopped. Kael wasn’t here.

I was alone.

I scrambled back and hit the tree.

There was nowhere to run.

The rogue lunged.

I closed my eyes and waited for pain.

It never came.

A blur of black shot past me.

A snarl. A scream.

When I opened my eyes, Kael was standing over two dead rogues.

The third was on his knees, begging.

Kael didn’t look at him. He looked at me.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t talk.

Kael turned back to the last rogue.

"What did you say?" His voice was quiet.

"Please"

Kael moved. Fast. The rogue dropped.

Silence again.

Kael was breathing hard.

Blood was on his face. Not his.

He came to me slowly, kneeling again.

Like last time. Like I was worth kneeling for.

"They’re not going to touch you," he said. "Not while I’m breathing."

I believed him.

God help me, I believed him.

Kael reached out and brushed hair from my face.

His fingers were warm.

Careful.

"You need to come with me," he said. "Now. Before more come."

"Where?" I asked.

"Home," he repeated.

"The cabin. On the border."

I should’ve said no.

I was going with a rogue Alpha.

A killer. A stranger.

But when he held out his hand again, I took it.

Because the alternative was Damien.

Kael pulled me up, his arm around my waist.

We ran through snow, through dark.

He didn’t let go once.

The cabin appeared twenty minutes later.

Small.

Hidden.

Smoke curling from the chimney.

Kael kicked the door open and carried me inside.

He set me down on a cot near the fire.

"Stay," he said.

Then he was gone again, checking windows and doors.

Like he expected an army.

I sat there shaking, the adrenaline leaving me.

Kael came back and tossed wood into the fire.

The room filled with heat and the smell of him.

Pine. Storm. Blood.

He pulled off his jacket and handed it to me.

"Put this on. You’re freezing."

I took it. It was heavy. It smelled like him.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Kael stilled, like I’d hit him.

"You don’t have to thank me, Selene."

"For saving me? For killing for me?"

"For existing," he said quietly.

Then he looked away.

The fire crackled between us.

Awkward.

Heavy.

I looked down at my arm.

The *Luna marks* were glowing faintly.

In time with my heartbeat.

Kael noticed. His eyes tracked the light.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little," I admitted.

Kael moved closer and sat on the floor in front of me.

Not on the cot.

He was giving me space.

"Can I see?" he asked.

I hesitated, then nodded and held out my arm.

His thumb brushed over the gold.

Gentle.

Reverent.

The moment he touched it, the glow intensified.

Pain shot through me.

Not bad pain.

*Goddess awakening pain.*

Like something divine inside me was stretching.

Kael snatched his hand back. "What was that?"

"I don’t know," I breathed. "The Moon Luna Goddess marked me."

"The night they rejected me."

Kael’s eyes went hard.

"The *Moon Luna Goddess* doesn’t make mistakes. She chose you."

"For what?" I laughed bitterly.

"I’m barren. Weak. Worthless."

Kael’s hand shot out and grabbed my chin.

Not rough.

Firm.

"Don’t you ever say that again," he said, low and dangerous.

"The *Moon Goddess* turned the sky white for you, Selene."

"The entire forest felt you."

"*You’re not weak. You’re the Moon Luna Goddess.*"

The word hit me like a slap.

*Goddess.*

No one had ever called me that.

Kael let go of my chin slowly.

His thumb lingered for half a second.

Then he stood and walked to the window.

His back was rigid.

Outside, the snow was still falling.

Covering the blood. Covering the tracks.

"I should’ve found you sooner," Kael said suddenly.

His voice was rough, like he hadn’t spoken in days.

"The night of the rejection, I felt it."

"Felt what?" I asked.

Kael turned. Silver eyes met mine.

"The bond snapping. Like a wire in my chest."

"I knew it was you."

My breath caught. "You knew?"

Kael nodded once.

"I’ve been watching Silver Moon Pack for six months."

"Waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For them to make a mistake," he said.

"And they did. They threw away a *Goddess*."

The word made me flinch. Goddess.

"I’m not a Goddess," I whispered.

"I’m nothing. Damien said—"

"Damien is a coward," Kael cut me off.

His voice was flat.

Dead.

"He’s afraid of what you are."

"Afraid of what you’ll become."

"That’s why he rejected you in front of everyone."

Kael crossed the room in two strides.

He knelt in front of me again.

This time he didn’t touch me.

He just looked.

"I’m not going to hurt you, Selene."

"I’m not going to chain you, or lie to you."

"Or tell you that you’re worthless."

"Then what do you want from me?" I asked.

Because there was always something.

Always a price.

Kael was quiet for a long time.

The fire popped.

Outside, a wolf howled.

"I want you safe," he said finally.

"That’s all."

"Safe?" I laughed. It came out broken.

"No one wants me safe."

"Not even the Moon."

Kael’s expression flickered. Pain.

"The Moon Luna Goddess wants you more than anyone," he said.

"Those Luna marks prove you’re her chosen vessel."

"You just don’t know how to read them yet."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth.

He wrapped my wrists with it.

Gentle. Methodical.

"Who taught you to do that?" I asked.

Kael didn’t look up.

"I had a sister. She used to cut herself."

"To feel something."

The words hit me in the chest.

I didn’t know what to say.

So I said nothing.

Kael finished wrapping and tied a knot.

"There," he said. "You’ll live."

My stomach growled.

Loud.

Embarrassing.

Kael’s mouth twitched. Almost a smile.

"Hungry?"

"A little," I admitted.

Kael stood and went to a small cabinet.

He pulled out bread, cheese, and dried meat.

Real food.

He set it on the small table between us.

"Eat," he ordered. "You need your strength."

I picked up the bread. It was still warm.

Kael watched me eat.

Not staring.

Guarding.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"You don’t know me. I’m packless. I’m damaged."

Kael leaned back against the wall, arms crossed.

"Because eighteen years ago, the *Moon Luna Goddess* came to me in a dream."

"She showed me a girl with gold on her skin."

"With fire in her blood."

"She said, ‘Protect her.’"

"She never said your name."

"But I knew it was you the second I smelled you."

A dream.

Eighteen years.

Goosebumps ran down my arms.

"That’s crazy," I whispered.

"The *Moon* doesn’t talk to rogues."

Kael’s eyes flashed.

"I’m not just a rogue, Selene."

"I’m the Alpha the *Moon* cast out."

"Same as you."

My spoon clattered to the table.

"What?"

Kael nodded.

"Silver Moon Pack exiled me when I was sixteen."

"Said I was too violent."

"Too dangerous. Too much like a monster."

"So I became one."

"And now?"

"Now I build an army," he said simply.

"Of rejects. Of broken wolves."

"Of people the *Moon* didn’t forget."

"For what?"

"For the day a *Goddess* rises," Kael said.

And he looked straight at me.

The room went silent.

My heart was pounding.

Too fast.

The *Luna marks* on my arm flared again.

Kael saw it.

He didn’t look scared.

He looked proud.

"It’s happening," he murmured.

"*The Goddess awakening.*"

"What does that mean?" My voice shook.

Kael stood and came to me.

He held out his hand again.

"It means you’re not powerless anymore."

"It means they can’t hurt you again."

"It means if you come with me, I’ll teach you."

"How to burn the world that burned you."

I stared at his hand.

Big. Scarred. Steady.

The hand of a killer. The hand of a savior.

Outside, snow hit the windows hard.

Like something was out there, watching.

Kael didn’t look away from me.

"The choice is yours, Selene."

"Always."

I thought of Damien’s face when he rejected me.

Of Mira’s laugh.

Of the chains.

I thought of Kael killing three rogues for me.

Of him wrapping my wounds.

Of him calling me *Goddess*.

Slowly, I put my hand in his.

"Okay," I whispered. "I’ll come with you."

Kael’s fingers closed around mine.

Warm. Solid. Safe.

The moment we touched, the cabin lights flickered.

The *Luna marks* on my arm blazed so bright the windows lit up.

And far away, every wolf lifted their head.

They felt it.

The Moon Luna Goddess was no longer theirs.

Kael pulled me to my feet.

"We need to go. Now."

"Where?"

"To my territory," he said. "Where no Alpha can touch you."

We made it to the door.

Kael’s hand was on the handle.

A knock.

Three slow knocks.

Then a voice.

Damien’s voice.

"Selene. I know you’re in there."

"Open the door."

Kael went still.

His entire body turned to stone.

He looked at me.

And mouthed one word. Run.

TO BE CONTINUED...