“The Luna's Awakening”

Chapter 3: The Power Awakened

Kiera stood frozen, the voice of Maya still echoing in her ears. She had only just begun to process the weight of the words that had just left her lips. "Maya’s not done with you yet, Kiera." The cold certainty in Reign's voice sent a chill down her spine.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the wind quiet as if waiting for something to snap. Kiera's gaze darted between Reign and the dim outline of Xavier, who was vanishing into the distance. It seemed like there was a vast distance between them.Everything had changed, but nothing felt settled.

“Do you think he’ll really go away?” Kiera asked, her voice barely a whisper. She didn't know who she was asking—herself or Reign—but it didn't matter.

Reign's gaze was hard, focused on the path Xavier had taken, but when he spoke, it was with deliberate care. “Xavier is broken, Kiera. He’s not going anywhere. Not for long.” His eyes met hers, his expression unreadable. “Maya won’t let him.”

The mention of Maya's name made Kiera's stomach turn. She spoke the words, "She's dangerous," with a lump in her throat.

"She's not just dangerous," Reign declared in a tone of chilly contempt. “She’s manipulative. She knows how to twist people to her will.” His gaze softened slightly as he looked at Kiera. “And she’s not the only one who’s been playing games with you.”

Kiera jerked her head up. "What do you mean by that?"

Reign hesitated to respond, his jaw tensing as if considering what to say next. "Your past is more complicated than you may realize. You don’t know what Maya and Xavier have kept hidden from you.”

Kiera’s chest tightened. “What are you talking about? Hidden from me?” she repeated, her voice growing more agitated.

Before Reign could respond, the sound of branches snapping underfoot reached them. Kiera whipped around, instinctively stepping closer to Reign, her heart racing.

It was Xavier.

However, this was not the same man who had left her just moments before. Like a predator on the hunt, his eyes were untamed. His stance shouted something more desperate than Kiera had ever seen him display, and his breathing was hard.

"You believe you can simply leave, Kiera?" Despite being emotional and raspy, Xavier's speech had a sinister undertone. Something dangerous.

Kiera swallowed, but her voice came out steady, stronger than she felt. “There’s nothing left to say, Xavier.”

Reign’s arm brushed against hers as he stepped forward, his posture protective, his tone cold. “She’s made her choice.”

Xavier’s gaze flicked toward Reign, a flicker of recognition—or was it animosity?—flickering across his face. But his eyes quickly returned to Kiera. “I’m not here to argue with you, Reign,” Xavier growled, the Alpha in him finally making an appearance. “This is between me and Kiera.”

Unspoken anxiety hummed in the air between the three of them. Kiera's heart pounded in her ears as she turned to face Xavier, the guy she had yearned to start a future with and whom she had once believed to be her mate. But that future now seemed to elude him with each word he spoke.

Kiera declared, "I no longer want to hear it," with a finality in her voice that gave the impression that she was issuing a proclamation. She was speaking to the past she had left behind as much as to Xavier. “I don’t want to hear your promises or excuses.”

Xavier’s face hardened, and for a moment, Kiera thought she saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by something colder. “You’re making a mistake, Kiera.”

She met his gaze, every ounce of strength she could muster pushing through the c***k in her heart. “Maybe,” she said quietly. “But I’m not your mistake to fix.”

Reign stepped closer, a subtle but clear show of support. “It’s over, Xavier. You lost her when you chose Maya over her.”

Xavier's eyes darted between them. There was a storm brewing in his chest, but it was all directed at Kiera now.He spoke in a low, threatening voice, but underlying it was a desperate one. "You have no idea what she is capable of." Maya... she’ll destroy everything you care about.”

Kiera's heart hurt when Maya's name was called, but she didn't give up. She stated, "I don't care," in a stern tone. "Xavier, I'm done letting you decide for me. I’m done being your second choice.”

Kiera worried for a second that he may lash out as he clinched his fists. His shoulders, however, drooped in defeat. He continued, "I never wanted this for you," in a voice that seemed almost pleading.

Kiera's heart ached, but she made herself talk despite the discomfort. “Then you should have never rejected me. You should’ve never chosen Maya.”

Xavier took a moment to react, his eyes shifting inward as though he were preoccupied with the conflict going on inside of him. At last, he raised his head, his eyes blazing with a perilous determination. “This isn’t over. You’re mine, Kiera. And I’ll make you see that.”

She was about to continue when he turned and vanished into the trees, leaving just the sound of his words.

Kiera stood there, gasping for air, not sure if she should be afraid or relieved. She got chills from the sincerity and rawness of his words and the manner he had spoken them.Was he warning her? Or was he promising her something far darker?

Reign’s voice broke through her thoughts. “You’re stronger than this. Don’t let him pull you back in.”

Even as Kiera whispered, "I'm not going back," she began to have second thoughts.

Reign's eyes hardened as he cautioned, "He won't stop." “Maya won’t stop. And now, neither of them will leave you alone.” His eyes flicked toward the distance where Xavier had disappeared. “This is only the beginning.”

Kiera nodded, though the weight of his words hung heavy on her shoulders. She was no longer the woman who had once believed in fairy tales, in destiny, or in the promises of the Alpha she had once loved.

But the path ahead was still unclear. There was a peculiar comfort in Reign's presence, but she couldn't quite trust the undercurrent in him. He looked to have it all figured out, and there was something about his assurance.

"I need answers," Kiera stated in a hushed but determined voice. “Tell me what you know about Maya. And about my past.”

Reign’s eyes darkened, his lips curling slightly. “I knew you’d come around.”

Kiera didn’t wait for him to elaborate. “Tell me now, Reign. What do you mean by ‘royal blood’? What do you know about my parents?”

Reign's eyes briefly softened before hardening once more. “Things are going to change, Kiera. Your past, your power—your destiny—it’s all tied up in this.” He stepped closer, the air between them charged with something she couldn’t quite place.

“We’ll start with the bloodline.” His voice lowered to a near whisper. “Your mother wasn’t just any Omega. She was a princess—descended from the first bloodline of Alpha royalty. The blood that courses through your veins is the key to uniting the packs... or destroying them.”

Kiera’s mind reeled. “What? But—”

“Not everything is as it seems,” Reign cut in, his gaze intense. “You’re not just a Luna in the making, Kiera. You’re the one who can reshape this world. Whether you want to or not.”

Kiera's throat tightened each breath. It had just crushed everything she believed to be true about herself.

But the air was pierced by a howl before she could react, a clear, bone-chilling sound that caused her blood to freeze in her veins.

It was coming from Xavier's direction.

“I told you,” Reign murmured, his eyes locked on Kiera's. “Maya isn’t done with you.”