Chapter 5: Leave Before Dawn
980 Words
Lina sat alone in her room.
The same room she had once loved.
The same room where she had dreamed of becoming Luna.
Now it felt like a prison.
The moonlight streamed through the windows, casting pale shadows across the floor.
Everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
For hours she had cried.
For hours she had replayed the ceremony inside her mind.
Every word.
Every look.
Every moment.
Selena is my fated mate.
The sentence refused to leave her head.
Lina stared blankly at the moonstone necklace resting in her palm.
The gift Draven had given her.
Why?
Why send her a gift hours before humiliating her?
Why pretend?
Why let her believe?
A tear landed on the stone.
Then another.
Suddenly—
The moonstone flashed silver.
Lina froze.
The light vanished immediately.
Her breath caught.
Had she imagined it?
Slowly, she touched the stone.
Nothing happened.
Strange.
Very strange.
Before she could think further, a knock sounded at her door.
Three soft knocks.
Lina quickly wiped her face.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Martha entered.
The elderly woman’s eyes immediately softened.
“Oh, child…”
Lina looked away.
She couldn’t bear sympathy right now.
Not from anyone.
Martha crossed the room and sat beside her.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then Martha sighed.
“Everyone is talking.”
Lina gave a bitter laugh.
“I’m sure they are.”
Martha hesitated.
That hesitation made Lina’s stomach twist.
“What is it?”
The older woman looked uncomfortable.
“Lina…”
“Tell me.”
Martha lowered her gaze.
“The nobles are demanding that you leave the palace.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lina stared at her.
Certain she had heard wrong.
“What?”
Martha’s eyes filled with sadness.
“They say Selena should move into the Luna’s chambers.”
The words felt like a knife.
A fresh wound.
A deeper humiliation.
Leave the palace.
The place she had called home for years.
The place where she had laughed.
Cried.
Fallen in love.
Gone.
Just like that.
Lina looked down.
For some reason she couldn’t feel the pain anymore.
Maybe she had already cried too much.
Maybe her heart had gone numb.
“When?”
Her own voice sounded distant.
Martha swallowed.
“By sunrise.”
Lina laughed.
A hollow sound.
Almost frightening.
“Of course.”
Of course.
Why not?
The future Luna had become unwanted overnight.
A burden.
An embarrassment.
A mistake.
Martha grabbed her hand.
“This isn’t right.”
“No.”
Lina smiled sadly.
“It isn’t.”
But right and wrong didn’t matter anymore.
The decision had already been made.
Just like Draven had made his.
Just like fate had made hers.
Midnight.
The palace slept.
Or at least pretended to.
Lina quietly packed her belongings.
There wasn’t much.
A few dresses.
Several books.
Small keepsakes collected throughout the years.
Memories.
Pieces of a life she was leaving behind.
When she finished, she looked around the room one final time.
Her chest tightened.
This was goodbye.
A soft breeze entered through the open window.
The curtains fluttered.
Then—
A strange sound echoed outside.
Lina frowned.
What was that?
It sounded like footsteps.
Heavy footsteps.
She moved toward the window.
The courtyard below was empty.
Dark.
Silent.
Nothing unusual.
Yet the feeling remained.
Someone was watching.
The sensation crawled across her skin.
Cold.
Unsettling.
Slowly, she stepped back.
The feeling disappeared.
Weird.
Very weird.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
This time louder.
Her heart skipped.
For one foolish second she hoped—
Draven.
Maybe it was him.
Maybe he had come to explain.
Maybe—
The door opened.
Not Draven.
A palace guard.
The young man’s face looked pale.
Terrified.
“My Lady.”
Something about his expression instantly alarmed her.
“What happened?”
The guard swallowed hard.
“You need to leave.”
Lina frowned.
“I know.”
“No.”
His voice shook.
“You don’t understand.”
Fear flashed in his eyes.
Real fear.
The kind soldiers carried after seeing something horrible.
“They’re here.”
Lina’s pulse quickened.
“Who’s here?”
The guard looked toward the hallway.
As if afraid someone might hear.
Then he whispered:
“The rogues.”
Lina’s blood ran cold.
Rogue wolves.
The most dangerous criminals in the werewolf world.
Murderers.
Savages.
Monsters.
Her breathing quickened.
“That’s impossible.”
The palace was heavily guarded.
No rogue could get inside.
The guard’s face turned even paler.
“They already have.”
A loud scream suddenly echoed somewhere inside the palace.
Lina froze.
The guard froze.
Another scream followed.
Closer this time.
Then shouting.
Then chaos.
The guard grabbed his sword.
“You have to run.”
The palace suddenly erupted into panic.
Footsteps thundered through the corridors.
Guards shouted orders.
Women screamed.
Something crashed in the distance.
Lina’s heart pounded violently.
This wasn’t a drill.
This was real.
The guard stepped into the hallway.
Then instantly stumbled backward.
His eyes widened.
Horror filled his face.
Before Lina could react—
A claw burst through his chest.
Blood splattered across the doorway.
Lina screamed.
The guard collapsed.
Dead.
Behind him stood a massive figure.
Seven feet tall.
Covered in scars.
Golden eyes glowing in the darkness.
A rogue.
The creature slowly smiled.
A horrifying smile.
Then his gaze locked onto Lina.
And what he said next made her blood freeze.
“After twenty years…”
His voice rumbled through the room.
“We finally found you.”
Lina’s heart stopped.
Found her?
What did he mean?
Who was she?
And why were monsters searching for her?
The rogue took one step forward.
Then another.
His eyes burned with excitement.
Like a hunter staring at prey.
And Lina realized something terrifying.
He wasn’t here by accident.
He hadn’t come for the palace.
He hadn’t come for the king.
He had come…
For her.
- Writer
