Chapter 2
2042 Words
I stood at the edge of the forest, my heart pounding in my chest. The moon hung high in the midnight sky, glowing on the world below.
I’m already considered as an orphan and a rogue. I have nowhere to go… and fate has been absurd to me because the only pack left in my options is the pack of the man who helped me that night.
I had heard whispers of a place where I might belong, a pack led by the future powerful Alpha Dmitri.
My heart yearned for the warmth of a family, for a place where I could finally call home. With hope pulsing through my veins, I set out on a journey, my steps guided by the light of the moon.
Is it okay to go there?
I sighed and shifted into my wolf form.
I guess I just have to follow my instincts.
As I ventured deeper into the forest, a sense of unease settled over me.
Shadows danced around the towering trees, whispering secrets only the night could hear. I quickened my pace, my eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of danger.
But before I could reach my destination, the forest itself seemed to rise against me.
Familiar wolves emerged from the shadows, their gleaming eyes fixed upon me.
My heart skipped a beat as I realized they were not ordinary wolves. They were creatures of the night, formidable and fierce.
Their growls echoed through the stillness, drowning out the sound of my racing heartbeat.
Fear threatened to consume me, but I refused to surrender. I could not afford to be caught, not when I was so close to finding the place.
My hands trembled, but I summoned every ounce of courage within me, focusing on the power that lay dormant in my veins.
Whispers of shadows enveloped me, embracing my body like a second skin. I closed my eyes, allowing the darkness to guide me.
In that moment, I became one with the night. With a surge of power, I commanded the shadows to my will. They danced and swirled around me, lashing out at the approaching wolves.
My wolf, Lilac, could manipulate the shadows, taking on my advantage.
Darkness twisted and contorted, becoming tendrils that ensnared my enemies. The wolves howled in fury and pain as they were trapped in an inky prison of my creation.
Seizing the opportunity, I slipped through the tangled mess of shadows and continued my journey. Each step was fueled by determination, my heart set on reaching Alpha Dmitri’s pack.
The wolves' snarls faded into the distance, replaced by the rhythmic pounding of my own footsteps.
The path ahead was treacherous, but I pushed onward. Shadows clung to me like loyal companions, a testament to the power I possessed.
While I was escaping, I was stopped by a big wolf... it was Alpha Daniel.
I halted and drew in a deep breath.
“How are you, my Lily?" Alpha Daniel asked, his voice filled with a sinister undertone. In just a second, his hands were wrapped around my neck, choking the breath out of me.
“Let me go, Daniel!" I struggled to speak, my voice strained.
“Where’s the title? I am already the Alpha of the Charcoal Hiss’s Pack!" His grip tightened, cutting off my air supply even further.
“I’m not part of the pack anymore! So f*****g get lost and let me go!" I spat out, my anger fueling my desperate plea for freedom.
“You b***h! And here I am thinking you were learning from your Luna lessons from your dead mother!" His words stung, invoking the memory of my mother's absence.
Emotion welled up within me, a mix of sorrow and rage.
I wanted to unleash my fury upon him, to make him feel the pain he had caused, but I was already weakened.
Hunger gnawed at my stomach, for I hadn't eaten today while I was focused on finding the fastest route to the Dark Valley Pack.
“Please, just let me go. What do you still want from me?" I asked, my voice now laced with disgust. I pleaded with him, begging my mate for mercy.
I was exhausted, tired of this constant torment.
Sometimes, I even wished for death, but the memory of my parents, their sudden demise, prevented me from surrendering.
I had a duty to them, to seek justice and avenge their untimely end.
I'm going to have my revenge on them. It may not be now, but soon… once I reclaim my reputation and earn enough power and strength. I'm going to f*****g kill them... including the man in front of me.
“My Luna doesn't like you. You know that, right?" Daniel taunted, a wicked smile on his face.
I let out a mocking laugh. “Of course, everyone knows! Only a blind person would say she likes me!"
“And she wants you gone," he added, his tone dripping with malicious intent.
My smile faltered, replaced by a dangerous glare. I hoped it would inflict fear in Daniel, but he only grinned wider.
“I knew that she’s crazy... that’s why I like her," he taunted further, enjoying my distress.
"No, no, no... what are you planning?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.
Daniel seemed unfazed, as if he hadn't heard me. “And if my Luna’s happy that you're gone, so am I. You know that, right?" His words sent a chill down my spine.
"F*ck you, Daniel! Let go of me!" I screamed, a mixture of anger and terror coursing through me.
“You’re dead by tonight, Lily, whether you like it or not," he declared coldly, his grip tightening further.
"No! Damn it! You're a psycho! You can't kill your mate!" I pleaded.
“I can... that's the easiest way to sever the mate bond," he hissed, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"So you're f*cking doing this to break the mate bond?!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with disbelief and horror.
He licked his lower lip and inched his face closer to mine. I could feel the rage pulsating through him, as if he struggled to control it.
“Yes," he whispered aggressively, his hot breath grazing my face. "Every time I f*ck my girlfriend, I think of you. That's so f*cking f****d-up, right? It's so unfair. Not only for me, but for Sunshine. She would cry at the edge of the bed and blame you for being my mate. I can't make her cry. Her tears are too precious to me," he confessed, his voice filled with twisted possessiveness.
I think about the times I cried because of him. Did he ever think about this? Of course not.
He doesn't love me.
Damn. I was so blind all this time! I was blinded by my love for him!
I nodded, pulling a tight smile at him, and in that moment, it registers to me that there's no will to live anymore.
If he wanted to kill me right now, maybe I would let him. As if I have a choice, or a savior, or a knight in shining armor that only lives in fairy tales, then maybe I would be saved. But that's only in fairy tales.
This isn't a fairy tale. This is my f****d-up reality.
"So you think by killing me, you are free from the responsibilities as my mate? Is that what you're telling me?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and pain.
"Gosh, Lily! Yes! You're so intelligent! Finally, your brain cells work this time!" Daniel replied mockingly, putting both of his hands on my ears, as if to prove his point.
I licked my lower lip, tasting the saltiness of my tears, and nodded. "Okay..."
"Okay, what?" Daniel asked, looking at me with confusion etched on his face.
I looked at him with a combination of agony and confidence. "Do it. Kill me now."
He swallowed a lump in his throat, taken aback by my sudden defiance. "What?"
I held his gaze, my eyes burning with determination. "Do it. Kill me."
A sinister grin spread across Daniel's face, and he nodded at his guard dogs positioned behind me.
He took a step backward, relishing in his sadistic power. "Don't worry. I'll have mercy on you this time. You won't die in a slow and excruciating manner."
Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the inevitable, the pain that would soon consume me. I could already feel the tip of the blade ripping through my bones when a sudden growl shattered the tense silence.
Opening my eyes, I saw two middle-aged figures fighting off Alpha Daniel's wrath and his guard dogs.
It was as if they had appeared out of thin air, their swift movements a blur of strength and determination.
"Hey, let's go. Can you walk?" a middle-aged woman with blonde hair asked, her voice filled with concern, as she helped me steady myself.
"W-Who are you?" I managed to stammer, my voice barely audible as I lay on the forest floor. Despite the pain coursing through my body, I mustered a feeble smile, trying to convey gratitude to the stranger who had come to my aid.
Luna's response was abrupt, her words carrying a weight I couldn't quite comprehend. "I'm Luna Violet, my pack is just near here… Dark Valley pack," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of urgency and determination.
It was clear that she had no time for formalities or explanations. There was something about her presence, though, that reassured me.
She and her husband had gone out of their way to help a stranger lost in the depths of the forest. There was kindness in their actions, a warmth that made me instinctively trust them.
We were about to make our hasty retreat when the calmness of the forest was shattered by a deafening gunshot.
The sound echoed through the trees, sending chills down my spine.
Luna's piercing scream pierced the air, and my heart clenched as I turned to see her husband collapse, silver bullets ripping through his body.
Alpha Daniel, the name burned itself into my consciousness like a scar, the image of a merciless and ruthless pack leader and my mate seared into my mind.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, time slowing to a crawl as I watched in horror.
“No!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Before I could fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, the sharp report of two more gunshots filled the air.
The silver bullets found their mark, striking me with a searing pain.
Darkness engulfed my vision, and I felt my body collapse onto the cold forest floor.
My senses dulled, the world around me fading into obscurity. My thoughts spiraled in a disoriented haze, a mix of confusion, fear, and a haunting realization that betrayal lurked among the shadows.
When I awoke, it was to a cold and lifeless body. The world seemed muted, as if I had been transported to a realm where existence held no meaning.
I struggled to move, to find any sense of purpose in this desolate state. Grief threatened to consume me, but a flicker of determination ignited within my soul.
Though my body lay motionless, my spirit refused to surrender. I clung to the fragments of my shattered memories, piecing them together like a jigsaw puzzle.
My mate rejected and killed me… not only me, but Daniel had killed two kind strangers who tried helping me escape.
Tears sprang in my eyes. I remember it all too well.
Am I really dead?
Or has the Moon Goddess been trying to decide whether to kill me or give me another chance to live?
I wish she would do the latter.
The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with dangers I could not yet comprehend, but I would not falter.
The shadows of betrayal had cast their pall over my existence, but I would rise from the ashes, fueled by a determination that burned brighter than ever before.
In the depths of the forest, surrounded by silence and hidden dangers, a new chapter of my life began.
This was only the beginning.
- Writer
