The Luna They Tried to Break
869 Words
The pack had never felt this tense.
It wasn’t just in the air.
It was in the way people whispered.
The way they stared.
The way they stepped back when I walked past.
Like I was something dangerous.
Something unstable.
Something that didn’t belong.
I felt it.
Every second of every step.
“They know,” I murmured.
Kael walked beside me, silent but alert, his presence like a shield I didn’t ask for—but couldn’t deny.
“They suspect,” he corrected.
“That’s worse.”
His jaw tightened.
“Let them talk.”
Easy for him to say.
He wasn’t the one being watched like a ticking bomb.
The training grounds came into view—
But they weren’t empty.
My steps slowed.
The entire pack was there.
Warriors.
Elders.
Even the lower ranks.
Watching.
Waiting.
My stomach dropped.
“This isn’t normal,” I said.
Kael’s expression darkened.
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not.”
Then—
Selene stepped forward.
Of course.
Always her.
“I thought it was time,” she said sweetly, her voice carrying across the field, “that our Luna shows us exactly what she can do.”
Mocking.
Every word.
Kael moved slightly in front of me.
“This isn’t happening.”
But an Elder stepped forward.
Old.
Cold.
Powerful.
“It is,” he said. “The pack deserves to know if she is a threat.”
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Judging.
Waiting.
My chest tightened.
“This isn’t a test,” I said quietly.
“It’s a setup.”
Selene’s smile widened.
“Oh, don’t be afraid,” she said. “Unless, of course… you can’t control it.”
That hit.
Hard.
Exactly where she wanted.
My fingers curled slightly.
The shadows stirred.
“No,” Kael said lowly.
I looked at him.
His eyes were locked on mine.
Warning.
“Don’t let them push you.”
But it was too late.
Because I saw it.
In their eyes.
Doubt.
Fear.
Disgust.
“She’s unstable,” someone whispered.
“She’s dangerous.”
“She’s not one of us.”
Something inside me snapped.
“Fine,” I said.
Kael’s head turned sharply.
“Aria—”
“I’ll do it.”
The words came out stronger than I felt.
But I meant them.
Selene stepped back, satisfied.
“Show us.”
The space cleared.
Everyone watching.
No escape.
No turning back.
I stepped forward slowly, my heart pounding.
“Just control it,” I whispered to myself.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
I reached for the shadows—
And they answered.
Fast.
Too fast.
They burst from beneath my feet, rising like a storm, swirling around me in thick waves of darkness.
Gasps echoed around the field.
“It’s too much,” someone said.
“She can’t control that.”
“I can,” I whispered.
But my voice shook.
Because it was stronger than before.
Wilder.
Heavier.
The shadows twisted higher—
Sharper—
More aggressive.
“Aria, stop,” Kael warned.
I tried.
I did.
But the more I fought it—
The worse it got.
The shadows lashed outward suddenly—
Striking the ground hard enough to crack it.
People stumbled back.
Fear spread instantly.
“She’s attacking!”
“No!” I shouted. “I’m not—”
But the power surged again.
This time—
It aimed.
Straight toward the crowd.
Everything slowed.
No.
No, no, no—
“STOP!”
Kael moved.
Fast.
Too fast to see.
He stepped directly in front of the attack—
And took it.
The shadows slammed into him.
Hard.
The impact echoed across the field.
“KAEL!” I screamed.
Everything froze.
The shadows dropped instantly.
Gone.
Silence.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
Kael stood there—
Breathing hard.
Unmoving.
Then slowly—
He straightened.
Like it was nothing.
Like it didn’t just hit him with everything I had.
Relief crashed into me so hard my knees almost gave out.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” he said.
Calm.
Too calm.
But then—
He turned.
And faced the pack.
His expression changed.
Cold.
Ruthless.
Alpha.
“If any of you,” he said, his voice carrying deadly authority, “think she is a threat…”
The ground seemed to tremble under the weight of his power.
“…then you answer to me.”
Silence.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because this wasn’t just defense.
This was a declaration.
Selene’s smile faltered.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Kael stepped back toward me.
Close.
Protective.
Untouchable.
“She’s not your enemy,” he said.
His hand found mine.
Strong.
Steady.
“She’s your Luna.”
My breath caught.
Because for the first time—
He didn’t hesitate to say it.
Didn’t question it.
Didn’t hide it.
And the entire pack heard him.
But not everyone accepted it.
Selene’s eyes burned into me.
Filled with something darker than jealousy now.
Hatred.
And something else.
A plan.
“You saved her today,” she said softly.
“But you won’t always be there.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
And deep down—
I knew this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
- Writer
