Chapter 2 — They Came for Me
1482 Words
The hunter raised his weapon.
“Take her.”
I didn't understand what was happening.
One moment, I had been standing in the middle of my pack, crying because Romeo had rejected me.
The next, armed strangers were surrounding the clearing and calling me the Blood Moon heir.
My body refused to move.
“Daniella, get behind me.”
Romeo's voice pulled me back.
He stood between me and the hunters, his shoulders tense and his fists clenched.
I almost laughed.
Five minutes ago, he had rejected me in front of everyone.
Now he wanted to protect me.
“Why?” I whispered.
He glanced over his shoulder.
“What?”
“Why are you protecting me?”
His expression tightened.
“I don't know.”
That answer frightened me more than anything.
The hunter laughed.
“You still don't understand, Alpha?”
Romeo's eyes narrowed.
“Explain yourself.”
“You rejected the wrong girl.”
The words sent a strange chill through me.
Selena suddenly stepped forward.
“Don't listen to them.”
The hunter looked at her.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Recognition.
“You.”
Selena's face went pale.
“You shouldn't be here.”
He smiled.
“Neither should you.”
Romeo looked between them.
“What is going on?”
Selena grabbed his arm.
“We need to leave.”
“No.”
Romeo pulled his arm away.
“Not until someone explains why armed hunters have invaded my pack.”
The hunter raised his weapon.
“You have no idea what you're standing beside.”
I swallowed.
“Then tell me.”
Everyone looked at me.
The hunter slowly lowered his weapon.
“You really don't know.”
“Know what?”
He studied my face.
Then he whispered,
“Your mother did a good job hiding you.”
My heart stopped.
“My mother?”
I stepped forward.
“What do you know about my mother?”
The hunter smiled.
“More than you do.”
I wanted to attack him.
I wanted answers.
But before I could move, a howl exploded from the forest.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Romeo's head snapped toward the trees.
“Rogues.”
His warriors immediately shifted.
The clearing erupted into chaos.
Wolves burst from the darkness.
They attacked the hunters first.
Screams filled the night.
I stumbled backward as bodies collided around me.
Romeo shifted into his wolf form.
A massive black wolf stood where he had been.
He launched himself at two attackers, knocking them into the ground.
I had seen Romeo fight before.
He was fast.
Brutal.
Powerful.
But tonight, something felt different.
The wolves weren't obeying him.
They kept looking at me.
Every few seconds, another wolf would stop fighting and stare in my direction.
A strange pressure filled the air.
Then one wolf lowered its head.
Another followed.
Then another.
My mouth fell open.
Why were they bowing?
“Daniella!”
I turned.
A hunter was running toward me.
I froze.
He raised his blade.
Before he could reach me, Romeo slammed into him.
The hunter flew across the ground.
Romeo shifted back, breathing heavily.
“Are you hurt?”
I stared at him.
“No.”
He looked relieved.
Then his eyes moved to the wolves surrounding us.
His expression changed.
“Daniella…”
“What?”
“Did you do that?”
I didn't know what he meant.
Then I saw them.
Every wolf in the clearing had stopped fighting.
They were all looking at me.
Their heads were lowered.
Even the wolves belonging to Romeo.
My heartbeat became strangely calm.
Something inside me whispered.
*They recognize you.*
I shook my head.
“No.”
The voice came again.
*Yes.*
I closed my eyes.
“Who are you?”
*I am Luna.*
My breath caught.
The name felt familiar.
Almost like I had known it my entire life.
*You are finally awake.*
“Why can't I see you?”
*Because you were taught to believe I didn't exist.*
A cold shiver moved through me.
“Who taught me?”
Before Luna could answer, someone screamed.
“Selena!”
I opened my eyes.
Selena was standing beside one of the fallen hunters.
She was holding something.
A small silver pendant.
The moment I saw it, my chest burned.
I reached for it instinctively.
Selena noticed.
Her face changed.
She closed her fist around the pendant.
“Where did you get that?”
My voice came out stronger than I expected.
She said nothing.
“Where?”
Romeo looked at Selena.
“Answer her.”
Selena stared at me.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't the sweet smile she had shown the pack earlier.
It was cold.
Almost cruel.
“You really don't remember.”
“Remember what?”
“Your mother's necklace.”
My stomach dropped.
“That belonged to my mother?”
Selena nodded.
“She wore it the night your family died.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What did you say?”
Romeo looked at her sharply.
“Selena.”
She ignored him.
“She begged them to spare you.”
My vision blurred.
“Who?”
Selena's eyes locked onto mine.
“The people who were hunting your family.”
I felt something inside me crack.
“My family?”
“You thought your mother was ordinary.”
Selena took one step closer.
“She wasn't.”
The forest suddenly became silent.
The hunters had stopped fighting.
The rogues had disappeared.
Everyone was listening.
Selena lifted the pendant.
“Your mother belonged to a bloodline that should have disappeared generations ago.”
“What bloodline?”
She whispered the answer.
“The Blood Moon.”
The words struck me like lightning.
My body went cold.
Romeo stared at Selena.
“You knew?”
She looked at him.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since before you met her.”
My stomach twisted.
Romeo looked furious.
“You told me she was wolfless.”
“She was.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“She wasn't.”
Selena smiled.
“She was hidden.”
I looked at Romeo.
“You knew?”
“I swear I didn't.”
“You rejected me because of what she told you.”
His silence was enough.
Tears filled my eyes again, but this time they weren't tears of heartbreak.
They were tears of anger.
“You humiliated me because you believed I was nothing.”
Romeo stepped closer.
“I was wrong.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You were.”
A sudden pain exploded inside my head.
I dropped to my knees.
Images flashed through my mind.
A woman running through a burning forest.
My mother.
She was carrying a baby.
Me.
Behind her, men in black armor chased them.
One man shouted,
“Find the child!”
My mother turned.
Her face was covered in tears.
She kissed my forehead.
Then she placed a silver pendant around my tiny neck.
“Forgive me,” she whispered.
The vision changed.
A man stood beside her.
My father.
He was fighting.
Blood covered his shirt.
Then someone struck him from behind.
I screamed.
The vision vanished.
I opened my eyes.
My hands were trembling.
Romeo was kneeling beside me.
“Daniella.”
I pushed him away.
“Don't touch me.”
He stopped.
For the first time, I saw regret in his eyes.
But I didn't care.
Not anymore.
I looked at Selena.
“You know where my mother is.”
She didn't answer.
“You know what happened to my family.”
Still nothing.
“You know who I am.”
Her expression hardened.
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
Selena looked toward the forest.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you…”
She looked directly into my eyes.
“…they will come for you.”
I stood slowly.
“They're already here.”
Selena's face went pale.
A deep growl echoed from the forest.
Not from a wolf.
From something much larger.
The hunters immediately backed away.
Romeo shifted.
Every wolf in the clearing lowered itself to the ground.
Then a woman walked out of the darkness.
She wore a long black cloak.
Her eyes were fixed on me.
And when she saw my face, tears filled her eyes.
“Daniella.”
My heart stopped.
I knew that voice.
I had heard it in my dreams.
The woman pulled back her hood.
I stared at her.
My knees nearly gave way.
“Mom?”
She took one trembling step toward me.
“Yes.”
Her voice broke.
“I've been looking for you.”
Romeo stared at her in shock.
Selena stepped backward.
And Luna whispered inside my head:
*Trust her.*
Then my mother looked past me toward Romeo.
Her expression suddenly turned cold.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
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