Chapter Five
1056 Words
The Life I Never Expected
Iris had spent her entire life in Aurora's shadow.
When her sister was discovered as the one of the prophecy, everyone ignored her as saw her as a burden
Elders had traveled from neighbouring territories.
Gifts filled the Alpha Hall.
Everyone wanted to see the child blessed by prophecy.
"The future Luna."
"The chosen one."
"The Moon Goddess's blessing."
Growing up, Iris had heard those words so often that she hated them.
Whenever Aurora smiled, people praised her.
Whenever Aurora walked into a room, heads turned.
Whenever Aurora achieved something, everyone applauded.
And Iris?
She was simply Aurora's younger sister.
Forgotten, invisible and not worth much.
At least, that was how Iris remembered it.
Now things were different.
Now, people looked at her.
They praised her.
They admired her.
They wanted her beside the future Alpha.
The role that was supposed to belong to Aurora.
Iris sat before her vanity mirror while pack women fussed over her hair.
"You'll make a beautiful Luna."
"Far better than your sister ever could."
"The Moon Goddess corrected her mistake."
Iris smiled at her reflection.
For once, nobody was talking about Aurora.
For once, she was the centre of attention.
A knock sounded at the door.
Kai entered.
His expression immediately softened when he saw her.
"There you are."
Iris's smile widened.
This attention, this admiration.
Everything she had once envied now belonged to her.
"Everyone keeps asking about the mating ceremony," Kai said.
Iris laughed lightly.
"They're excited."
Kai stepped closer and kissed her forehead.
"Let them be."
Outside the room, pack members already discussed her future as Luna.
The future she had stolen.
And Iris loved every second of it.
Yet...
For some strange reason...
The more people praised her...
The more restless she felt.
As though something wasn't quite right.
As though the position she occupied belonged to someone else.
The feeling vanished almost instantly.
She pushed it aside.
Aurora was gone.
Gone forever.
Nothing could change that.
—
Meanwhile...
Far away in the northern mountains...
Aurora wished she were dead.
For two days, she barely moved.
Two days of lying on the cold cave floor.
Two days of staring blankly into darkness.
Two days of waiting for death.
It never came.
The strange thing was...
The monster refused to let her suffer alone.
The giant wolf lay beside her constantly.
Whenever she curled into herself, he moved closer.
Whenever she cried, his enormous head rested near her shoulder.
Whenever she refused to eat, he became impossible to ignore.
Aurora learned this the hard way.
"No."
The giant wolf nudged a piece of meat toward her.
Aurora turned her face away.
"No."
The wolf growled softly.
She ignored him.
The beast pushed the food closer.
Aurora sighed.
"I said no."
The wolf suddenly shoved his nose beneath her arm and flipped her onto her back.
"What—!"
Aurora yelped.
The giant beast immediately pinned her dress against the ground with one enormous paw.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to stop her from escaping.
His red eyes stared directly into hers.
Aurora blinked.
The monster blinked back.
Then, he lowered his head and pushed the food against her mouth.
Aurora stared at him.
The monster stared back.
A ridiculous standoff began.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Eventually Aurora groaned.
"Fine!"
The wolf's ears perked up immediately.
Aurora took a reluctant bite.
The beast released a pleased rumble.
Aurora froze.
That sound...
It sounded suspiciously like satisfaction.
"You're impossible."
The giant wolf looked very proud of himself.
Aurora couldn't believe she was being bullied by a giant murderous wolf.
The realization almost made her laugh.
Almost.
As the days passed, something even stranger happened.
The fear began disappearing.
Not completely.
The beast was still terrifying.
He could crush her with one paw.
His claws could tear through solid stone.
His glowing eyes remained intimidating.
Yet...
He was also strangely gentle.
Painfully gentle.
He never growled at her.
Never threatened her.
Never treated her like a burden.
For the first time in years...
Someone seemed happy simply because she existed.
Aurora hated how much that realization affected her.
One evening, she sat near the cave entrance watching snow drift from the mountains.
The giant wolf rested nearby.
His massive body rose and fell with each breath.
Aurora hugged her knees.
"Why?"
The wolf opened one eye.
She laughed bitterly.
"I don't understand you."
Silence.
"You were supposed to kill me."
The wolf lifted his head.
"You were supposed to be a monster."
A strange sadness entered those crimson eyes.
Aurora's chest tightened unexpectedly.
For the first time, she wondered...
How lonely had he been?
How many years had he spent trapped here?
Feared.
Hated.
Abandoned.
Just like her.
The thought lingered long after darkness settled across the mountains.
That night, Aurora couldn't sleep.
She stared at the cave ceiling while the wolf rested beside her.
Her old life was gone.
Her family had abandoned her.
The pack had sacrificed her.
Kai had betrayed her.
Iris had replaced her.
Nothing waited for her beyond these mountains.
No home.
No future.
No one.
Oddly enough...
The realization brought peace instead of pain.
There was nothing left to lose.
Aurora slowly sat up.
Moonlight spilled through the cave entrance.
The giant wolf immediately lifted his head, watching her.
Always watching.
Always making sure she was safe.
Aurora looked into those glowing eyes for a long moment.
Then she smiled.
A real smile.
Her first in years.
"If this is my new life..."
The wolf's ears twitched.
"...then maybe I should stop wishing for death."
The beast froze.
Aurora laughed softly.
"You look surprised."
The giant wolf moved closer.
His massive head settled beside her shoulder.
Aurora gently rested her hand against his fur.
Warm.
Soft.
Alive.
For the first time since arriving here, she made a decision.
She would survive.
Not for the pack.
Not for Kai.
Not for the family who abandoned her.
For herself.
The future she had imagined was gone.
But perhaps...
Just perhaps...
The Moon Goddess had not abandoned her after all.
Because somewhere beneath the scars, the curse, and the terrifying reputation...
The monster everyone feared was proving to be the kindest soul she had ever met.
And Aurora had a feeling that this mountain held far more secrets than anyone realized.
- Writer
