“The Luna's Awakening”

Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm

The howl echoed through the forest, reverberating against the trees like a call to arms. Kiera's heart stuttered in her chest as the sound of it sent waves of panic crashing through her. She had heard it before—the deep, guttural timbre that could only belong to a creature that had no business being in the woods. A beast that had once belonged to someone who had sworn her heart to him.

Xavier.

"Xavier," Kiera said to herself, as though calling his name would bring him out of the darkness instantly. She didn't want to experience this emotion. She had no intention of caring. But hearing that howl, knowing it was his, something inside her clenched painfully.

Reign’s eyes were already scanning the horizon, his posture tense, alert. “We need to move,” he said quickly, his tone urgent. "That wasn’t just a howl. That was a call. A challenge."

Kiera’s gaze was fixed on the distance, her pulse quickening. "You’re mine, Kiera." Xavier's words still weighed heavily on her chest. Her emotions became entangled in a web of grief from his abandonment and the sting of the rejection. But there was something else now, something raw, something dangerous. Something that made her hesitate.

Kiera blurted out, "I can't just leave him out there," before she had a chance to consider. “What if he’s in trouble?”

Reign turned sharply to her, his expression hardening. “Xavier is a powerful Alpha. He doesn’t need your help. He wants control, Kiera. And he won’t stop until he has it—whether you like it or not.”

Kiera felt the weight of his words, but the pull of Xavier’s howl, the plea for attention, something primal inside her wanted to answer it. She had been his once. She couldn’t just forget that. Could she?

Kiera hurriedly declared, "I'm not going back to him," as though she was attempting to persuade herself more than anyone else.

Reign's mouth tightened at the corners as he observed her closely. “Good. Then let’s move before this turns into something worse.”

The air was heavy with tension, like the storm clouds that were building up over the horizon. Reign took the lead once Kiera stepped back, but her gaze remained fixed on the direction of Xavier's call. She could still feel the tug of their relationship, faint and distant but unmistakable, even though the forest was dark and full of shadows.

Reign turned to her then, his eyes softening. “Kiera, whatever happens next, you need to remember that you have a choice. Don’t let him make that choice for you. You’re not some trophy to be claimed. You’re not his, and you never will be.”

Kiera responded, "I know," but it didn't feel like she said those words. The pictures of Xavier's face, his rejection, and the promise he had given her were racing through her head. "You’re mine." Was it a threat? A promise? Or a warning?

Reign’s hand gripped her arm gently, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. “Come on, Kiera. We need to get moving.” His tone had become forceful, with a hint of finality. "Time is running out."

However, before Kiera could react, the sound of swift, hurried footfall sounded through the forest. Both of them turned instinctively, the air crackling with tension.

A shadow-clad figure stepped out of the trees, moving with the slyness of an Alpha on the hunt.

Xavier.

His hair was wild, his clothing were ripped, and something dark and terrible was burning in his eyes. His appearance was different from the man she had known, the one who had previously embraced her and promised a future together. No, this was a different Xavier. One who was losing control.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Xavier had a deep, crude voice that sounded like a snarl. His gaze flicked to Reign, then back to Kiera, his expression unreadable.

Kiera took a step back, her heart racing. “I should be asking you the same thing.”

Xavier gritted his teeth and growled, "I told you, Kiera, this isn't over," his eyes flashing with a possessiveness that made her shudder. "You can't simply leave me."

Kiera’s breath caught in her throat as the storm inside her began to swirl, emotions crashing together like waves in a violent sea. The hurt, the rejection, the raw desire for something more… it all clashed within her. But she didn’t let it show. She couldn’t.

She said, "I'm not yours anymore, Xavier," in a calm voice that shook only with the last of her power.

Xavier's jaw tightened as his eyes shifted to Reign again.The tension between them was suffocating. “You think you can just run off to another Alpha’s arms and be safe?” he sneered. “You think he’ll protect you when things get real?”

Reign stepped forward then, his posture shifting to something more dangerous. “I don’t need your permission to protect her,” he said coldly, his voice full of ice.

The air between the two Alphas was heavy with barely contained anger as Kiera watched as their eyes met. The intensity of the moment crashed over her as her heart pounded in her chest.

However, Xavier refused to give up. He continued softly, "You're making a mistake, Kiera," but his voice suddenly had a c***k in it. The shattered man she had loved was all that remained after the conflict had emptied him.

“Maybe I already have,” Kiera whispered, her voice breaking despite herself.

Xavier’s face contorted with pain, and for a brief, fleeting moment, Kiera almost thought she saw the man she once knew, the one she had fallen for. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the hard, cold Alpha who ruled with fear, who had pushed her away.

Reign’s voice cut through the silence that followed. “Enough.” His command was final. “This has gone on long enough.”

Xavier’s eyes flicked to him once more, narrowing, but there was no fight left in him. Not now. His voice was low and full of a new kind of urgency, and instead he turned to Kiera. With words as piercing as shards of glass, he apologized. "Kiera, I never intended to cause you any harm. But you have to understand—Maya... she’s coming. She has already left and won't stop until she has what is rightfully hers.

The cool air had nothing to do with Kiera's shiver going down her spine. Instinctively, she took a step back, her thoughts racing. She questioned, her voice shaking in spite of herself, "What do you mean, 'what's hers'?"

Xavier inhaled deeply as his gaze shifted from Kiera to Reign and back again. His voice was strained as he replied, "Kiera, she's more than just your past." Whether you like it or not, she is your future. And she won’t let go of me... or you.”

Kiera felt her breath catch in her throat, the implications of his words sinking in with terrifying clarity.

Maya wasn’t just a threat. She was a part of Kiera’s story.

A part Kiera couldn’t outrun.

Kiera turned to Reign, her heart hammering in her chest, only to find his eyes locked on her, an unreadable expression in his gaze. “We don’t have much time,” he said, his voice tense. “We need to move. Now.”