The Luna He Can’t Get Back

The Reaver’s Challenge

Deanna's heart pounded upon seeing the camp as she entered the centre of the Moon Reavers' domain. The Reavers moved with fierce, careful precision. While some were sharpening weapons, others were practicing. The aroma of pine and earth permeated the air; yet, the stillness was dense with murmured censure.

Zane led her around the camp, gently touching her arm to ground her in the chaos of the now. He stayed mysterious; his words, his touch, everything about him was a puzzle she not ready to respond to.

Though Zane's voice was soft and steady, "Stay close" had a sharpness to it. Many of the pack are not used to outsiders.

Deanna consented, but the atmosphere's tension affected her. Always the outsider, she had never truly belonged to anything. Among the Reavers now, the feeling stayed the same. Some were sceptical, others enthrralled as they saw her leave. She could not help but feel as though they were judging her, waiting for her to show herself.

You sure they will allow me inside? Deanna remarked gently, glancing at Zane.

He answered without flinching that they would, but the uncertainty in his eyes betrayed his confidence. You are their future.

His remarks caused her heart to skip a beat. Was she ready for that?

Griffin Hawk stepped forward from the shadows, his eyes slitted in defiance, before Zane could speak again.

Deanna tensed up closer to him. There was unspoken tension in the air between them. Griffin's lips curled into a grin as his sharp look travelled up and down her frame. Tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair fell loosely across his forehead. The Reaver's leader? She was unsure, but something about him made her uneasy.

"Zane," Griffin said flatly, "You bring her here? 'Moon Queen'? She doesn't belong in the camp.

Zane's position grew increasingly inflexible. Griffin, she's not just anyone. Griffin, she's not just anyone. Our future is hers.

Griffin chuckled ruefully. Time will tell.

Deanna's heart pounded. The task had been set; now there was no turning back.

Griffin's comments lingered in the air as Zane, his body brimming with strength, advanced. Griffin, don't test me, he said. You understand what this means and what she is.

Griffin's lips curved in pleasure. Zane, I'm not challenging you. I'm testing her. His gaze flicked to Deanna, his stare predatory and cunning.

Zane stayed steadfast; still, the mood between them burned with a smouldering intensity. Zane said softly, "She's already shown herself." You reveal yours now.

Looking from one guy to the other, Deanna sensed the tension crackle in the area between them. She had no idea what this was for, but it didn't feel right to her. She was caught in the middle of two strong, proud Alphas.

Do you think she is ready? Griffin asked, his voice dripping with scepticism. Ready to lead the Reavers? Prepared to grab the energy running in her veins?

Zane said plainly, "I know she's ready." You will discover.

Griffin came closer, eyes aglow. Let's see whether her bloodline matches her strength. Whispering, his voice nearly vanished over the wind's rustling. If she truly is the Moon Queen's successor, let her prove it.

Zane stared at Deanna, his eyes on her. He softly asked, "Do you want this?" Would you like to claim what is yours?

She swallowed. The weight of his words and the intensity of his stare pulled at her. Though she wasn't sure what she wanted, she did know one thing: she didn't want to be weak any more. She wanted to be tall.

Her voice was shaking but determined as she said, "I'll show it." Griffin, I don't do it for you. I do it for me.

Griffin smiled, his eyes glinting with rebellion. We shall see, will we not?

Once more, Zane's palm brushed her arm in silent consolation. You are not alone in this.

Still breathing deeply, Deanna felt her hands at her sides somewhat trembling and her heart racing. Though only a flicker, the spark of power within her was starting to awaken, poised to be set free. She had to control it. She had to prove she was not weak.

Stepping back and concentrating on Zane, Griffin squared off with her. Griffin answered plainly, "If she can't control her power, she'll wipe us all all." Her direction of us does not persuade me.

Deanna could feel her rising irritation. She was tired of being asked. Worn out from the feeling she was lacking.

Advancing, she shot back, "I can control it." See me.

Out of nowhere, she lifted her hand to summon the wolffire. Crackling in her hand, it danced like fire. The power made her heart race and she could feel the fire becoming stronger, about to burst from her. She, on the other hand, pulled it off. She would indicate wrong.

Zane watched her with an unreadable expression. Though his gaze was intense, there was something more: a flicker of hope or maybe gratitude.

Griffin's comments cut through the tension, however, just before she could fully let go of the power. He commanded, "Control it." Or it controls your life.

Deanna tried to manage the fire despite her trembling fingers. Glaring Griffin down, her head spinning and her breath short. She wasn't really ready to burn everything.

Zane spoke up to shatter the stillness. Griffin, that's plenty. She is not against you.

Deanna looked at Zane; his encouragement was a beacon in the darkness. She could, however, feel the other Reavers watching and waiting for her to fall.

Her pulse quickened as she realised the challenge was not only from Griffin but also from her. She had to win.

Deanna awoke in jagged gasps of breath. Sweat clung to her skin as her heart raced in her chest. More real than any nightmare she had ever known, the dream had been vivid. She saw her progenitors, their eyes sharp and observant despite time's distortion of their traits. She saw the Moon Queen, her face an unlikely mix of compassion and fury, standing tall and mighty.

Emerging from the shadows, a dark force coiled around the Moon Queen like a snake ready to strike. Deanna's own powers were running amok, burning through her veins; she could feel the force in the dream. She had felt the future in her bones.

Breathless, she sat up in the bedroll, hands trembling as she wiped the cold perspiration from her forehead. The heat inside her seemed to pulse in time with her panicked heartbeat. She could still feel the fire, still hear the words of her forefathers.

Whispering under her breath as if to the dream itself, she remarked, "Not yet." This is too early for me.

Low and anxious, Zane's voice shattered her daydream. You all right?

She searched for him at the entrance of the small tent, his form underlined by the gentle moonlight. In the chaos of her emotions, his presence was a steadying force; he appeared to have just come out of the shadows.

"I, " she replied, struggling to explain the storm inside her. I had a dream. Yet that was not just a fantasy. It appeared to be real. The power is growing.

Zane came closer, eyes locked on her. Tell me what you observed.

Shaking her head, she remarked, "I saw the Moon Queen." A dark force, something developing. It wanted to take away her power. It tried to take me.

Zane's gaze became more piercing. You are now going through it, correct? The pull of your ancestry. The pull of your destiny.

She closed her eyes, battling the flood of power trying to flee. What does it mean? Why now? Why would I?

Before Zane could react, a far-off howl cut the night. Deep in the forest, a wolf called long and mournfully.

Zane's face darkened. He murmured gently, "It's him." Tylor. He won't let you go that fast.

Deanna's heart skipped a beat. Tyler's wolf's tug was still there pushing at her spirit no matter how far away. The weight of her decision pressed down on her with a shattering intensity; she was uncertain whether it was the dream, the howl, or the growing power inside her.

Though the previous night's animosity still lingered in the air, the camp was now peaceful. Deanna stood outside the tent looking into the vast black woods. A whirlwind of worry and doubt filled her mind. The vision of the Moon Queen, the power she could feel within her, it was too much.

Zane came from behind, silent on the soft ground. She did not look back when he halted close to her as his presence immediately behind her was constant and unyielding.

Quiet yet powerful, he added, "I'll help you control it." But you must trust me.

Deanna drew a large breath, her breath uneven. Control it? She turned to look at him and focused. How can I trust you when I don't even know what's happening with me?

Zane's hand rested on her shoulder, his look softening. Deanna, you have always been in control. You cannot control it by yourself. Not now. You need education.

Rising irritation inside her, she shook her head. Tyler What regarding him? What if all I have is something he wants to control? What if I am weak?

Zane's jaw became more rigid. You are quite strong. But this, this power, it's not just about you. The Reavers. The organisations. It's about keeping what we have fought for.

She looked at him caught between the guy she was starting to feel something for and the inner conflict. Should I win? What then happens?

Reaching out to stroke her fingertips, Zane's look softened as he sent her a burst of warmth. We then fight together.

Deanna pulled her hand back, breathing quicker. His touch made her feel both exposed and safe. She wanted to have faith in him, but the weight of everything, her legacy, her talents, her growing feelings for him, was too much.

Just as she was ready to speak, a low, foreboding snarl from the trees sounded out. Footsteps approaching closer made the air crackle with tension.

Deanna felt her heart sink into her stomach. What is it, then?

Zane's body became rigid and his eyes focused. A trial.

Emerging from the shadows, a Reaver tall and terrifying. His stare in clear disdain was on Deanna.

Ambitious Reaver Griffin Hawk, stepping forward with a sneer, challenged Deanna's status in the pack. Then the successor of the Moon Queen shows her face.

Zane stepped in front of her, his body a solid wall. Griffin, retreat.

Griffin, on the other hand, stayed motionless and gazed from Zane to Deanna. Let's see whether she really qualifies.

The challenge was obvious. Deanna also knew one thing without a doubt: she was about to experience her first real test.