Blood Moon Rising

Chapter 1: Rejection

Karina’s footsteps echoed through the deep forest as she made her way back to the pack. The cool night air did little to soothe the injuries and bruises she’s hiding under her clothes. Another training session had ended with her on the ground, not from lack of skill but from the spiteful blows of her fellow pack members.

Despite the Crimson Claw Pack’s reputation for its power and unity, Karina has never felt more alone. Her days were a never-ending cycle of grueling tasks and verbal abuse, her nights filled with the pain and agony of loneliness. She had once dreamed of fitting in, of finding a place where she would be accepted and loved. But those dreams had been long ago shattered by the brutal reality she had to face each day in the pack’s care.

As the pack's only healer, Karina's importance was frequently overshadowed by the alpha’s contempt and indifference towards her. Derek, the alpha, sees her a constant reminder of what he considered weakness, a rare and unacceptable exception in a pack that valued brute strength above all else. The Derek, had made it clear from the start that he had only let her stay and allow his pack members to accept her, is because of her healing abilities.

Karina could feel the tension in the evening air as she stepped into the clearing, at the heart of the pack. The pack members stood in a loose circle, their expression is a mixture of curiosity and contempt. Derek, stood at the center, towering above everyone else, his piercing blue eyes fixed on her.

“Karina,” he called out, with a deep growled in his voice, informing her how he loathed calling her name. It sent shivers of fear down her spine and made her quiver. “Come forward.”

With her heart pounding in her chest, Karina stepped into the circle, her head down below. The murmurs of the pack grew louder, a symphony of judgment, making her skin crawl. Derek’s gaze was cold, devoid of the warmth she had once foolishly hoped to see.

“You have been a thorn in our side for too long,” Derek began, his tone carrying a weight of indifference and contempt. “Your weakness endangers us all. Strength is what I need from my members. It is what my pack needs. We don’t need your fragility and vulnerability.”

Karina took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. “I have done everything I can to prove myself,” she said softly. “I’ve healed your wounds with my ability that you find disgusting. I tended to your sick. I’ve taken care of the pack in my own way. I’ve—”

“Enough!” Derek’s roar silenced her. “Your so-called healing does not compensate for your weakness. You can’t even protect yourself. You don’t have any strength and your healing abilities isn’t enough to hide your weaknesses. You are not one of us.”

The words cut deep, but what came next was even worse. Derek took a step closer; his eyes was shooting daggers at her. “As alpha, it is my duty to ensure my pack survive. You will only hinder us down. That’s why I made my decision. You are hereby exiled from the Crimson Claw Pack.”

The gasps from the pack members were like knives stabbing Karina’s heart. She felt the world shook beneath her, her vision blurring with unshed tears. “But… where will I go?” she asked in whisper, her voice barely audible.

Derek’s expression remained unyielding. “That is no longer our concern. You have until dawn to leave our pack. I don’t want to see you when I check your little quarters or you wouldn’t like what I’ll do to you.”

With that, he turned his back on her, signaling the end of the discussion and she had no way of changing his verdict. The pack members began to disperse, their whispers like a chorus of condemnation, shaking Karina’s words even more. Karina stood there, numb and disbelieving, as the reality of her situation sank in. She was no longer a part of the pack she had devoted her life to.

As the night deepened, Karina found herself alone in her small cabin, packing the few belongings she could carry with a heavy heart. Her hands trembled as she wrapped her mother’s locket in a piece of cloth, a precious keepsake of a family long gone.

Karina took a one last look at the cabin where she finds her comfort in her days in the pack. Her cabin had been her sole company, her ally. Her tears were shed in it. The cabin was the only witness of her pains and struggles. The moonlight bathed the clearing in a silvery glow, casting long shadows that seemed to be whispering secrets of their own. With a heavy heart, Karina turned her back on the only life she had known and walked into the darkness, her future uncertain and her heart broken.

Each step took her further from the pack and closer to the unknown. The forest loomed around her, its shadows both comforting and terrifying. She had no destination in mind, only the instinct to keep moving, to find a place where she could start anew, where she could find where she belongs.

As dawn approached, Karina felt a flicker of hope emerging through her despair. She was free from the torment of her pack, free to carve out a new path for herself. With the first light of morning breaking through the trees, she made a silent promised to herself; she would find a place where she truly belonged, a place where she could be more than just a healer, more than just a weak member of the pack, but a valued member of a community.

The journey ahead would be long and difficult, but Karina knew she had the strength to endure and to survive everything that comes her way. She was more than the sum of her past mistreatment; she was a survivor. And as the sun rose, casting its golden light over the forest, she took her first steps towards a new beginning. She’s going to start a fresh as she finds her true strength and worth.