Chapter 3
982 Words
A Luna Cast Aside
The first rays of dawn filtered through the towering trees, painting the forest in shades of gold and silver.
Selene slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
Then, the memories crashed over her.
The rejection.
The humiliation.
The laughter.
Kingston's cold eyes.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed herself up from the soft grass.
"You're stronger than this," she whispered to herself.
She splashed the icy water from the nearby stream onto her face before looking at her reflection.
She froze.
Her violet eyes seemed brighter than before.
Tiny silver specks shimmered within them like stars.
"What...?"
She leaned closer.
Just as she reached toward the water, a sharp pain shot through her wrist.
"Ah!"
She gasped, clutching her arm.
The glowing crescent-shaped mark she had seen in her dream was now real.
It pulsed with silver light beneath her skin.
The pain disappeared as quickly as it came.
Selene frowned.
"I've never had this mark."
A gentle breeze swept through the forest.
For some reason, the birds that had been singing suddenly fell silent.
Even the leaves stopped rustling.
A strange feeling settled over her.
She wasn't alone.
She slowly turned around.
Nothing.
Only ancient trees stretched endlessly into the distance.
"I'm imagining things."
She picked up a fallen branch to use as a walking stick and continued deeper into the forest.
She had no destination.
No home.
No pack.
No family.
Only herself.
Hours passed.
Her feet ached, and hunger gnawed at her stomach.
Just as she considered resting, she heard voices.
"...Search every path."
"The Alpha said she couldn't have gone far."
Selene's heart pounded.
Kingston's warriors.
She quickly hid behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak.
Several warriors rode past on horseback.
"We'll report back before sunset."
"If we don't find her, the Alpha will have our heads."
Selene held her breath until they disappeared.
Only then did she exhale.
"So..."
She whispered bitterly.
"You remembered I exist."
She wasn't foolish enough to believe Kingston suddenly cared.
He probably wanted her back only because the elders were questioning his decision.
No.
She would never return.
Never.
She turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Far above the forest...
Hidden among the clouds...
A pair of golden eyes watched her every step.
The Lycan King had arrived.
The Lycan King stood on a rocky cliff overlooking the endless forest.
His black-and-gold cloak billowed in the morning breeze as his golden eyes remained fixed on the lone figure weaving through the trees.
"So, this is her," he murmured.
The woman who carried the ancient Moon Queen's bloodline.
She looked nothing like the powerful ruler the old prophecies had described.
She looked exhausted.
Heartbroken.
Alone.
Yet beneath her fragile appearance, he sensed an extraordinary power struggling to awaken.
His commander, Ronan, stepped beside him.
"Your Majesty, shall we bring her to the palace now?"
The Lycan King shook his head.
"No."
Ronan frowned.
"She is unprotected."
"Not entirely."
The King's lips curved into the faintest smile.
"The Moon Goddess is protecting her until she's ready."
Ronan followed his gaze.
"Then why are we here?"
"To make sure no one else reaches her first."
---
Meanwhile...
Selene's stomach growled loudly.
She hadn't eaten since the previous day.
Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to keep moving.
Suddenly, the scent of fresh berries drifted through the air.
She followed it to a small clearing where bushes were heavy with bright red fruit.
"Thank the Moon Goddess," she whispered.
After checking carefully that the berries weren't poisonous, she picked a handful and ate.
The sweetness filled her mouth, giving her just enough strength to continue.
As she bent to collect more—
Snap!
A twig broke behind her.
Selene spun around.
Three rogue wolves stepped from the shadows.
Their clothes were torn, and their eyes glowed with hunger.
"Well," one of them sneered.
"Look what we found."
"A lone she-wolf."
"And a beautiful one."
Fear gripped Selene's heart.
She backed away slowly.
"I don't want any trouble."
The tallest rogue laughed.
"We do."
They advanced.
Selene turned and ran.
Branches whipped across her face as she raced through the forest.
The rogues chased after her, their laughter echoing behind her.
She stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the ground.
"No..."
One rogue grabbed her wrist.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Selene struggled desperately, but he was much stronger.
Another rogue reached toward her face.
Before he could touch her
A deafening roar shook the forest.
The ground trembled.
Every bird took flight.
The rogues froze.
Golden eyes blazed from the darkness.
An enormous silver wolf emerged from the trees.
Majestic.
Powerful.
Terrifying.
The same wolf Selene had seen the night before.
The rogues' faces turned pale.
"A... a Royal Lycan..."
The silver wolf growled.
The sound alone sent them stumbling backward.
"Run!"
The three rogues fled without looking back.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Selene slowly stood, her heart pounding.
The magnificent wolf walked toward her.
Instead of showing aggression, it stopped a few feet away and lowered its head.
Its golden eyes studied her with surprising gentleness.
"You..."
Selene whispered.
"Were you the one I saw last night?"
The wolf let out a soft rumble.
For a brief moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of safety.
Then, from somewhere in the distance, a horn echoed through the forest.
The wolf lifted its head sharply.
Its ears twitched.
Someone was coming.
With one last lingering look at Selene, the silver wolf turned and disappeared into the trees.
Selene reached out instinctively.
"Wait!"
But it was gone.
She stood alone once again, unaware that the mysterious wolf was no ordinary creature.
It was the Lycan King's most trusted guardian, and its master had already decided that the rejected Luna's fate would never again be left in someone else's hands.
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