Chapter 13:What the Moon Demands
968 Words
There were rules to shifting.
Every wolf knew them — instincts written into the blood, like breathing.
But Alpha-Borns didn’t follow rules.
They broke them.
And sometimes… they bled for it.
Luca stood alone in the clearing, half-shifted, teeth clenched, sweat beading on his chest despite the cold. His hands — not quite human, not quite wolf — were curled into claws, the bones fighting themselves beneath his skin.
Don’t lose control.
Don’t let it win.
Don’t become what he was.
He growled and fell to his knees.
Across the clearing, Silas leaned heavily on his cane, wrapped in furs. The attack had left him limping and half-blind, but his voice still cut like a blade.
“Stop holding back.”
Luca spat blood. “I’m not.”
“You are.” Silas hobbled closer. “Because you’re afraid of what you’ll see when you look into the mirror fully shifted.”
Luca glanced up, eyes glowing gold. “I’ve seen what happens when Alphas let the beast own them.”
“You’re not your father.”
“You don’t know that.”
Silas sighed and tossed something at his feet — a silver chain, scorched black in the center.
“This was found near one of the Ember Pack camps we raided five years ago. Do you know what it is?”
Luca picked it up. The metal burned against his skin.
“It’s a leash,” Silas said. “For controlling young wolves with Alpha blood. It’s how your father kept them obedient. Kept them… chained.”
Luca flinched.
Silas crouched, lowering his voice. “That’s not you. You were born free. But if you keep fearing your power, you’ll hand it over to someone else before you ever use it.”
He stood and turned away.
“You want to protect Raine? Control the wolf first. Or someone like Gabriel will do it for you.”
⸻
That night, Luca couldn’t sleep.
Not because of the pain in his bones or the weight in his chest.
Because Raine was gone.
He felt her absence like a cold draft in the center of his ribs. She’d slipped away from camp just before sunset, not saying where she was going — only that she needed space.
And he let her go.
She needed time.
She needed distance.
And part of him was terrified of what might happen if they got too close again.
But still…
He found himself wandering the edge of the forest, drawn by instinct, searching.
He caught her scent near a ravine east of the caves — crushed pine needles, wild roses, smoke.
And then he heard her.
Breathing fast.
Crying.
He followed the sound.
And found her crouched on her knees beneath the roots of a blackened tree, trembling, clutching her ribs.
The moon above was full.
Her eyes flashed silver, then black. Silver again. Her body convulsed once, twice—like something inside her was trying to tear free.
“Raine!” he rushed to her side. “Talk to me. Look at me.”
She looked up.
Her voice was a whisper of dread: “It’s getting stronger.”
He took her hand. “Then I’ll help you fight it.”
“I can’t hold it back, Luca. Not when I’m near you.” She pressed her forehead to his chest. “The bond is too strong. The curse wants to use it.”
Luca’s voice was hoarse. “Use it for what?”
“To breed. To dominate. To create more like me.”
The words struck like thunder.
Luca swallowed hard. “We’re not them. We’re not our bloodlines.”
“But our blood doesn’t care,” she whispered. “It just wants to survive.”
She stood and stepped back. Her body was glowing faintly now — the energy curling off her skin like heatwaves. Her silhouette shimmered in the moonlight. Her beauty was breathtaking, and terrifying.
He took a step forward.
She held up a hand. “No closer.”
“Raine…”
“I don’t trust myself. Not when you’re this close. Not when you look at me like that.”
Silence.
Then she dropped her hand, gaze softening.
“But if I lose myself… promise me something.”
“No.”
“Luca—”
“I’m not promising to kill you, Raine.”
“I’m not asking you to kill me.” She smiled faintly. “I’m asking you to bring me back.”
Luca nodded, throat tight. “I swear.”
The wind howled overhead.
And somewhere in the distance, a new scent twisted through the air — foreign, wrong.
Luca tensed.
“Do you smell that?” he murmured.
Raine’s eyes sharpened. “Yes.”
They turned in sync — senses alert, bond flaring.
And then they saw it.
A symbol, burned into a nearby tree. Fresh. Still smoking.
🔥 A circle of thorns surrounding a wolf skull. Ember Pack.
They weren’t alone.
⸻
Back at camp, wolves were already preparing to move. Silas stood in the center of the cavern, surrounded by a half-dozen survivors.
“They were here,” he said grimly. “Watching us. Testing our border.”
“They’re getting bolder,” one wolf said.
“They know Luca’s here,” another whispered.
Luca walked in, face pale, Raine beside him.
“They’re not just watching,” he said. “They’re marking territory.”
Silas looked up, slow and grim. “Then war’s coming faster than we thought.”
⸻
That night, as Raine curled beside him in silence, neither of them slept.
They lay still, hearts beating in rhythm, caught between need and fear. Every breath they shared was a battle. Every thought was a warning.
And the moon above watched like a witness to their unraveling.
- Writer
