Blood Moon Rising

Chapter 14: Haunted By The Shadows

The sky was an ominous gray, a reminder that it was about to rain as Karina, Caius, and several members of the Silver Moon pack patrolled the northern borders of the pack. The wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine, but Karina detected something else—something foul beneath the natural forest smells.

Other members on patrol stiffened, their senses keenly attuned to the same threat she had picked up. Caius let out a low growl, his golden eyes darkened when he identified the foreign scent mixed with the scent of the earth. “Rogues,” he muttered, his voice laced with contempt. “And not just any rogues—they’re from the Crimson Claw.”

Karina’s stomach twisted. A gust of wind blew their group once more as if it was responding to her emotions. Images of what happened in the lake flashed in her eyes. She shut her eyes tightly as she desperately calms her nerve. The name still sent a shiver down her spine. She would never forget the name of the place that caused her so much pain and betrayal. She had hoped never to cross paths with them again, but fate had other plans. She came back to her old pack during the annual meeting. It seemed that her old pack couldn’t resist encroaching on Silver Moon territory, even if it meant breaking the delicate truce that existed between the packs and she thinks it’s because of her.

“We’ll handle this,” Caius said, his voice carrying the authority of a true alpha. He looked at Karina with eyes full of concern, his gaze softening slightly. “Stay close, Karina. Don’t engage unless you have to.”

Karina nodded, though unease gnawed at her as she felt the power inside her threatening to come out. She knew Caius was protective of her—everyone in the Silver Moon pack was—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this confrontation would be more personal than any they’d faced before. The Crimson Claw wolves knew her, and they would undoubtedly recognize her now. The thought of her losing control in front of the Silver Moon members terrifies her to the core.

As they carefully pushed deeper into the forest, the scent of the rogues grew stronger. The scent brought them to a small clearing, and there, in the shadow of the towering oaks, stood five figures. The rogues were scruffy and menacing, their eyes gleaming with malice as they snarled in challenge. At the front of the group was a wolf Karina hadn’t forget—Ryder, one of the enforcers from Crimson Claw who had taken pleasure in tormenting her back when she was still trapped in that pack.

“Well, well, well,” Ryder drawled, his lips curling into a sneer as he locked eyes with Karina. “Look who it is—the little omega who ran away like a scared pup. And here I thought you’d be long dead by now. I guess, what they’re saying was true.” He taunted her. “It’s a bummer you know. I didn’t get to see you when you guys visited for the annual meeting. I’m on a hunt.” He stepped a little bit closer and titled his head while his eyes were on Karina.

Karina’s heart pounded in her chest, but she held her ground and steadies her breath to stop the vibration on her fingers. She was no longer that frightened girl who had been cowed into submission. She was part of Silver Moon now—a pack that valued her for more than just her healing abilities.

“Watch your mouth, rogue,” Caius growled, stepping forward. The authority in his voice made the rogue flinch, but the sneer never left his face.

“Why? But I’m just stating the facts, Alpha Caius,” Ryder taunted, but Karina could sense the undercurrent of fear in his tone. “You’re sheltering a weakling, someone who was barely worth the scraps. That’s why threw her way. What kind of alpha takes in a useless omega?”

The other rogues snickered, their laughter grating on Karina’s nerves. Her fists clenched at her sides, but she forced herself to stay calm as another gust of wind blew on them, this time, it was a bit stronger than earlier. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her riled and losing her control.

“Karina’s worth more than all of you combined,” Caius shot back, his voice cold and unyielding to Ryder’s taunting. “We’re different from your pack, we don’t abandon our own. We protect and value each member, no matter their rank.”

Ryder’s smirk widened as he turned his attention back to Karina. “Value her? For what? She’s got nothing but some pathetic healing abilities. You can’t use her in real fight! I bet the only reason you keep her around is to patch up your wounded when you’re too weak to handle a proper brawl.”

The words cut deep, reopening old wounds that Karina thought had healed. Memories of her time in Crimson Claw flashed in her mind—the taunts, the isolation, the constant reminders that she was nothing more than an expendable omega. The emotions came rushing back to her as her power produces strong winds and thunders making the trees around them sway. But before she could even process the wave of emotions, Caius stepped between her and Ryder, blocking the rogue’s view of her. Karina was taken aback but Caius’ action instantly calms her, calming the storm that’s threatening to pour.

“You’ll regret crossing into our territory, rogue,” Caius said, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “This is your last warning—leave now, or I’ll throw you out of our territory myself.”

The air grew thick with tension as the two stared each other down. For a moment, it seemed like a fight was inevitable and one of them would deliver the first blow, but then Ryder let out a bark of laughter and signaled to his men to stand down.

“Fine,” he said, though his tone was laced with venom. “But remember this, Alpha Caius—no matter how much you try to protect her, she’ll always be Crimson Claw’s reject. You can’t change what she is.”

With that parting shot, Ryder and his rogues retreated in the shadows of the trees, back to the Crimson Claw territory. The tension in the air was relieved the moment they were out of sight, replaced by a palpable sense of relief.

The Silver Moon members relaxed their stances, but Karina felt the weight of Ryder’s words like a heavy stone in her chest. Despite all the progress she had made, the scars from her old life still lingered, raw and painful. Not only she was a reject, she is also a broken vessel of her magic, unable to control what’s hidden within her.

Before she succumbed into her thoughts, Caius turned to her, his expression softening with concern. “Karina, are you alright?”

She forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just…hearing those things again, it brings back memories.”

Caius’s eyes darkened with sympathy. He closed the distance between them, reaching out to gently grasp her hand. “You’re not who they say you are, Karina. You’re stronger than you know, and you’re part of this pack now, remember? Don’t let them get inside your head.”

The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten with emotion. Despite everything she had gone through, Caius and the Silver Moon pack had accepted her without hesitation. They didn’t see her as an omega or a reject—they saw her as one of their own.

The other members gathered around, their eyes full of concern and support. One by one, they gave her assurance, offering words of comfort and praise.

“They’re just bitter because they lost someone as strong as you,” Aiden, one of the senior warriors, said with a grin. “They don’t realize what a mistake they made letting you go.”

“Don’t listen to those rogues,” added Lyra, another pack member. “We’ve seen what you’re capable of, and you’re way more than just a healer. You’re family.”

Tears prickled at Karina’s eyes, but she blinked them away when she felt a drop of rain in her arm, overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness. When she first woke up in the Silver Moon, she hadn’t expected to be welcomed, and valued, yet they gave her everything she needed. The Silver Moon pack was everything she had always wished for—a place where she could belong, where she could be herself without fear of judgment.

Caius squeezed her hand in reassurance. “We’ve got your back, Karina. No matter what happens, we’ll face it together.”

Karina nodded in gratitude. Despite the lingering echoes of her past, she could feel that this is where she was meant to be. The rogues could mock her all they wanted, but she had found a home—a pack that saw her not as someone who’s weak and useless, but as someone worthy of respect and love.

As they headed back toward the heart of their territory, Karina kept going back to how she wish she could tell them everything, or at least tell Caius what she truly is. The guilt inside her kept growing as they show her how she was accepted in their pack. As if in response to her thoughts and emotions, the clouds finally broke, and soft raindrops began to fall. Karina tilted her face toward the sky, letting the rain wash away the remnants of doubt and fear that clung to her. She felt a weight was lifted inside her as she let the rain pour, letting her emotion and power pour without them knowing. She was more than her past, more than the cruel words that had once defined her.

One day, she’ll be able to control her power and when that time came, she’ll tell them everything, no matter how they would react.