Wolves Of Eclipse

Chapter - 5 (Shattered)

I panic. He knows. How does he know?

Ethan shakes me, his eyes wild and full of rage. "It was you, wasn't it? The night I was attacked."

"No, no, it wasn't me, really. I don't know what you are talking about," I cry, tears streaming down my face.

"Don't lie to me, you piece of s**t!" Ethan yells, his voice echoing in the empty street. "I will kill you. The scar under your bra, shaped like a skull. It is not common. It symbolizes death, which you are."

"I don't know what you are talking about," I stammer, my heart pounding. "I don't know why I keep denying it, but from how Ethan is reacting, it is not a positive sign."

I start to run. It is foolish of me; he can easily turn into a wolf and outrun me. But still, I keep running. Behind me, I hear him transform. His bones crack and his growls deepen as his body shifts. I try to run faster, feeling the adrenaline surge through my veins. I think I am running faster than I ever have. I can hear him getting nearer. I quickly turn and start running in another direction.

Fear grips me. This is it. This is the day I die.

I suddenly trip and fall, and Ethan pounces on top of me. He regains his human form and stands above me, his eyes burning with anger.

"Tell me the truth," he growls.

"Yes," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Louder!" he yells.

"Yes, I am your mate," I cry out. "When you were injured, I went near you and touched the tattoo on your chest. Your eyes shone bright. I didn't know that still happened."

"It doesn't," Ethan whispers, his voice filled with confusion and frustration.

I look at him, and he keeps staring at the ground, his fists clenched. "It doesn't happen often. There is a legend that says people who find their mate like that are the strongest mates in their eras."

He looks at me, and our eyes meet. It's a weird feeling looking right into his eyes, but it also feels warm. I don't know why. He averts his gaze and starts pacing around.

"f**k, now what will I do? If people find out you are my mate, they will never accept me as Alpha."

"But aren't we the strongest? So, it will be a good thing, right?" I ask, my voice shaking.

He looks at me with anger in his eyes. "We are the strongest. I AM STRONG, and you BRING DEATH. I don't want to be strong enough to KILL MY OWN PEOPLE."

Even after all these years, those words still hurt. "Yes, I know what to do," he says, his eyes filled with anger.

"No, no, don't kill me," I yell, panic rising in my chest.

He comes near me and slaps me hard. "I am not killing you, you idiot." He grabs my hand and starts dragging me through the forest. After being dragged for about half an hour, we reach a clearing with a very small pond. Its circumference is so small that not more than two people can fit inside at once.

He opens his shirt and tells me to open mine. I obey him, feeling a little shy. He pulls me into the water with him, guiding my hand to his chest, to his tattoo, and touches my scar just below my breast. He looks at the moon and chants something strange. Suddenly, small glowing fishes come and start circling us. He looks down to see the fish.

"f**k, we are mates," he murmurs.

I look at him, and he grabs my hand that was on his chest and scratches his tattoo, doing the same to mine. Blood starts to drip into the pond, and Ethan yells, "I, Ethan Hati, son of Harvey Hati, reject Hel as my mate, for she brings death and destruction to everywhere she goes. Please free me of this bond."

Suddenly, all the glowing fish around us die. He gets out of the pond and says, "Don't show anyone your skull scar until my scratch heals."

I walk back home, and it's already 9:30. My parents have, as expected, gone to see the Alpha crowning. I open my laptop and see an email. I got accepted into the program. There are a few emails from Oliver saying the results are out and everything. I ignore them and lie on my bed.

It's 11:30 when I hear my parents come in. They don't even bother coming to my room, and by 11:45, I can hear them snoring. I jump out of my window and go to my usual spot where I meet Harvey. He is standing there.

"How was the Alpha crowning ceremony?" I ask.

He laughs. "It was great. You should have come. Ethan really swayed the crowd. All of them voted for him to be Alpha."

"You must be proud of your son," I say.

"Yeah," he whispers. "Very."

I nod. "Anyway," he says, excited, "time for you to make me proud. Come on." He takes me to the open field and tells me to pray to the moon to ask for strength to become a wolf. He tells me some weird words that I need to pronounce. I chant the mantras and look at him.

"Now, show me your palm," he says.

I show it to him, and he looks at them. "Hmm, that's weird," he says.

"What's weird?" I ask.

"Well, usually after praying, the lines in our hands change. Yours are the same. Maybe it will happen in a few days. I want you to run from here to that tree really fast and keep thinking of transforming."

I run with all my might, but nothing happens. I keep doing that, over and over, but nothing happens. I come back to Harvey, tears pouring from my eyes.

"Why is it not working, Harvey?" I cry.

He just looks down, unable to meet my eyes. "I think the moon god has rejected your request to be a wolf."

I stand there, feeling a hollow pit in my stomach. "But why? Why would the moon god reject me?"

Harvey sighs deeply, looking up at the moon. "Sometimes the moon god sees things we cannot. Maybe there's a reason you shouldn't be a wolf. Maybe there's something greater in store for you."

His words offer little comfort. All I've ever wanted was to be part of the pack, to prove to them that I am not cursed and taht I can do good things, but I guess I am a curse if even the god is rejecting me. I feel like an outsider, rejected and alone.

"Come on," Harvey says softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go back. There's nothing more we can do tonight."

We walk back to my house in silence, the weight of the night's events pressing down on me. When we arrive, my everyone around my house is still celebrating the new Alpha. Harvey gives me a small hug before heading to his own home, and I slip back into my room, feeling more isolated than ever.

I can't sleep. The rejection still swirls in my head, first Ethan's and then the moon goddess's. The pain gnaws at my heart, making it impossible to rest. I toss and turn in bed, replaying the events over and over. Ethan's words, his anger, and the rejection ritual haunt me.

I glance at the clock. It's 2 a.m. The house is silent, my parents fast asleep, unaware of my turmoil. I can't just lie here anymore, drowning in my thoughts. I need to do something, anything, to feel in control.

I quietly slip out of bed and dress quickly, pulling on a hoodie and some sneakers. I tiptoe out of my room, careful not to make any noise. The night is cool and dark, the village asleep. I head towards the open field where Harvey took me, the place where I prayed to the moon goddess for strength to become a wolf. The rejection I face there feels like a wound that refuses to heal.

When I reach the field, it is bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. The sight brings a lump to my throat. This place, which should be the start of something new and powerful, is now a reminder of my failure. I stand there for a moment, feeling the cool night air against my skin, then begin to chant the mantra Harvey taught me.

"Moon goddess, hear my plea. Grant me the strength to become a wolf. I beg of you, please." My voice trembles, but I continue, repeating the words over and over.

The mantra echoes in the stillness of the night, my desperation clear in every syllable. I start running, just as Harvey instructed, from one end of the field to the other. With each step, I beg the moon goddess to hear me, to grant me the transformation I so desperately want. My breaths come out in ragged gasps, but I don't stop. I can't stop. I push myself harder, faster, as if outrunning my own failures.

"Please, moon goddess," I whisper between chants. "Don't reject me. Give me a sign, anything."

I run until my legs ache, and my chest burns. I feel the tears streaming down my face, mixing with the sweat. The pain in my body is nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I fall to my knees, my energy spent, and look up at the moon. It hangs high in the sky, silent and indifferent.

"Why?" I cry out, my voice breaking. "Why won't you answer me? What did I do wrong?"

The silence is deafening. The moon offers no comfort, no answers. It feels like the entire universe has turned its back on me. I curl up on the ground, hugging my knees to my chest, and let the sobs come. The rejection from Ethan is painful, but this—this feels like the final blow. The moon goddess, the one entity I believe would understand and accept me, has turned away.

I lie there for what feels like hours, my body trembling with exhaustion and grief. The moon slowly moves across the sky, its light fading as dawn approaches. Eventually, I force myself to get up. My body protests, every muscle sore, but I can't stay here forever.