The Luna He Can’t Get Back

Into The Darkridge Forest

The forest lay Dark and threatening before her, but Zane's offer was her only escape from the suffocating prison that had been her existence. He had promised refuge, but she found it difficult to completely believe in him.

Zane, I'm not a charity case, she said, her voice strained as she turned back to look at him. "You’re just doing this because I’m the last of the Moon Queen's bloodline, aren’t you?"

Zane's stormy gray eyes held hers with a quiet intensity that disturbed her, his gaze unflinking. "I'm not doing this for the bloodline," he replied gently, his voice low and smooth like a gentle storm. Deanna, you need protection so I am doing this. Not with Tyler after you, Deanna. You cannot live out here alone.

Biting her lip to prevent saying the words that danced on the tip of her tongue, Deanna turned away. You don't even know who I am. She had not even started to know herself, much less rely on another to defend her. She still had no option. Her only choice was the rogue pack.

"Okay," she grumbled, "But this doesn't imply I believe you."

Zane's lips curled up a little as he gave a quick nod. That I can live with. For the time being.

Deeper into the Darkridge Forest, they howled once more; these were not Tyler's. Darker, more guttural, they were the sort of sounds that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The noise was more than simply a warning. It was a forerunner to something considerably more terrible.

She felt a shiver down her back. What lay in these woods?

The howling became nearer and louder. Zane's palm brushed across hers as they moved, causing her to shudder. "Don't worry," he stated coldly and steadily. For the time being, we are safe. I would, nevertheless, suggest you to carry on.

Thoughts racing, Deanna swallowed the lump in her throat. She was unprepared for whatever lay ahead in this woodland. The howls, however, made her understand she no longer had a choice.

The stillness between Deanna and Zane was thick, like the moist, heavy air surrounding them. Her mind was a chaotic mix of wrath, betrayal, and uncertainty. In the usually quiet woods, the repetitive sound of their footsteps was the sole noise; it was broken only by the sporadic cry of distant wolves.

Tyler occupied her thoughts nonstop. Regarding Isla. The idea of her sister, in bed with Tyler, still turned in her stomach like a poison she couldn't get rid of. No matter how far she ran, the agony was not something she could throw off.

Zane's being next to her just made matters worse. There was a pull, a link she couldn't ignore, yet it was wrapped in uncertainty and dread. How could I ever trust someone once more?

You are still considering him, right? Zane's voice sliced through her thoughts, his words nearly a whisper as if he were talking straight into her head.

Deanna tensed, her gaze tightening. I have no idea what you mean.

Zane's tone now had a little sharpness; he didn't lose his stride. Deanna, it's clear-cut. Your constant backward gaze. Your wolf's tension every time you hear their howls. He stopped so she could process what he had said. I am not him and I am not requesting your trust. Survival depends on your beginning to accept the strength within you, then. The flames. The wolffire.

The mention of her abilities made her chest constrict. Zane was correct; she could sense the restless, seething force under her skin pleading to be set free. Yet she was terrified. Afraid of what would happen should she release it. Worried about what it might imply for her future.

"You believe I can simply manage it?" Deanna snapped, her voice sharp with hatred. I don't even get what it is.

Zane's voice dropped and his eyes softened. "You can, but only if you cease fleeing from it. Deanna, you can manage it. Otherwise, it will run you.

Deanna's heart raced upon their meeting. His statements were harsh and weighty. He was correct; her lack of power management would destroy her.

The woodland around them seemed alive. In the wind, the trees cracked and groaned, their shadows reaching like fingers across the woodland floor. Deanna's thoughts were still a tangle, but the more they went into the woods, the more she could feel it, her strength, thrumming under her skin.

She could not disregard it. It felt like wildfire, like electricity, coiling around her insides, begging release. At her sides, her hands shook with the usual tug of her strength almost consuming her.

"Zane..." she said softly, her voice strained. I feel it. It's... it's in me.

Zane turned to look at her, his eyes piercing. Deanna, let it out. Let it up.

"No," she said, backing back. I cannot; I have no idea.

But her dread was of little concern to the power. It shot to the surface, and before she could stop it, her hand ignited. The ground under her feet burnt as the flames danced in the air, throwing strange shadows over the trees.

Deanna! Rushing forward and seizing her arm, Zane's voice was tight. Take it easy. Concentrate.

She was unaware of what was going on or how to regulate it. The flames in her palm twisted, burning the earth under her feet.

I cannot! Desperate, she shouted, her voice rising and the heat in her hand growing.

His touch anchoring her, Zane squeezed her wrist tighter. He spoke with consistent, strong voice. You are able. You can. But you must believe in yourself.

Deanna gasped as the fire started to fade, but the energy inside her was still pulsing, anxious, waiting.

The forest's quiet came back, but everything was different. Deanna's heart raced in her chest as the awareness struck her hard. She was no longer the same.

The world around her wasn't either.

In the dense stillness separating Deanna and Zane, the only sound was the crackling of dry leaves underfoot. Above, the full moon created long, dark shadows on the ground and bathed the forest in an unsettling glow. Every breath Deanna took seemed weighted with the burden of the choices bearing on her. She had no notion who she could trust, no idea where her life was going.

"Your powers," Zane started, his voice calm yet insistent, "they're linked to your bloodline. The bloodline of the Moon Queen. It's both a blessing and a curse.

Deanna tensed, her throat closing at the reference to her ancestry. It seemed like a curse all by itself. She had never requested any of this. Someone else's plan, her father's aspirations, Tyler's control had shaped her whole life. Now the burden of ancient power was on her.

Her voice almost a whisper, she said, "I don't know who I am anymore." The treachery still stung and it seemed as though she had nothing left of herself to offer.

Zane turned to face her and stopped walking. Though his stormy gray eyes were sharp, there was something more in them: comprehension, perhaps even compassion. He was silent for a while before saying, "You are Deanna Shadow. And I give you the opportunity to be something bigger. Come with me, the Moon Reavers. We will train you to control your power and protect you.

Deanna's heart raced in her chest. You believe I could simply... abandon everything? Following all that took place?

He nodded slightly. Tyler's treachery, everything you have lost, will not define you. Your decision, though. You either remain concealed forever or stand and battle. Accompany me. I'll assist you in discovering your inner strength.

The words were alluring yet risky, hanging in the air. Uncertain of her next move, she peered into the dark woods. Restless within her, her wolf awoke in response to the offer. But her anxiety was greater. Could she really rely on him?

The sound of rustling leaves then shattered the stillness.

Zane remarked, his voice abruptly tight, "Something's coming."

Deanna's eyes grew wide and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge. Things were amiss.

Like a low, basic alert, the first growl pierced the air. Before shadows moved between the trees, Deanna hardly had time to respond. From the shadows, a group of rogue wolves with blazing eyes fixed on her came. The aroma of wild wolves filled the air, bloodlust mingling with the wetness of the woods.

Deanna's heart skipped a beat. Though she had no idea what these animals intended, their greedy gazes sent chills down her spine. Zane moved in front of her, his stance changing to more animalistic, more menacing.

Zane said quietly yet forcefully, "Stay behind me." They are here for you.

Deanna's hands clenched at her sides instinctively as she swallowed. An unstoppable fire in her veins, she could feel her strength stirring. The rogue wolves circled, their growls resonating across the ground under her feet, and her heart raced.

Zane's violent blow met the first wolf's lunge. His claws tore into the animal's side, driving it to the ground. But there were others. There is always more.

Deanna's skin was alive with energy and she had no idea how to control it. Rising within her, she could feel the flames flickering at the borders of her control. The wolves roared, teeth glittering in the thin moonlight as they rushed in to strike.

It is beyond my control! Deanna gasped as a fire ignited in her hand. It erupted out of control, illuminating the dark woodland with a dazzling brightness.

Zane, fighting off another wolf, grasped her wrist with a strong hold and panting breath. Deanna, concentrate! Control it!

Fighting the strength surging through her, her breath came in jagged gasps. Every wolf that struck made the fire in her hand burn more brightly, more hotly, more violently.

A wolf leaped at her, fangs snapping, but before Deanna could think, the flame flew from her fingers, crashing into the wolf. Before it fell, its corpse devoured by the fire, it howled in suffering. The woods surrounding her crackled with heat.

When Zane turned to see her, he was battling the last wolf. His wide, surprised gaze found hers. You’re not just a regular wolf; he whispered quietly in amaze