BOUND BY THE BLOOD MOON

“They say the blood moon brings death.” Damon said, his voice low and taunting. “Perhaps, tonight's that night Elara?” Elara Dorne didn't take the bait, she tightened her grip on her silver dagger, her eyes scanning the deep ahead. “The only death tonight would be yours and that's if you don't focus.” Damon chuckled but there was no humor in it. “You're all business as usual, no wonder you don't have friends.” “Friends don't keep you alive in a rogue ambush.” Elara shot back, her tone sharp. “Now shut up, And listen.” Damon rolled his eyes but obeyed, his playful demeanor vanishing as he shifted back to his wolf form, his fur shone bright in the crimson light of the rare blood moon, and his sharp ears twitched, picking up sounds only wolves could hear. Elara bent low, her heart pounding. Something was out there. The blood moon's arrival was never a good sign. And tonight the air felt charged with menace. The rogues had been attacking relentlessly for weeks but they had never dared attack on a night like this. “Anything?” She asked after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. Damon shifted back. His expression is grim. “I counted at least ten, no, twelve. I think They're waiting for something.” “What?” Elara asked, her pulse quickened. As if in response to her question, a low howl shot through the air, low but denting. it was a sound Elara had never heard before, one that made her blood run cold. “That's not a rogue.” Damon muttered. “No, it's not.” Elara agreed, her voice tight. “It's worse.” The attack came suddenly, without warning. Rogues burst from the trees, their eyes glowing with lust for blood. Elara instinctively moved her dagger, slicing through the first wolf that launched at her. “Protect the border!” she shouted, her voice commanding. Damon shifted again, leaping into the fray with a growl. The battle was chaos, a blur of claws, teeth and blood. Elara fought with precision, every movement calculated. But for every rogue they killed, more seemed to take their place. “Elara, behind you!” Damon's warning came too late. A massive rogue wolf slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. She twisted, driving her dagger into its side, but its claws raked across her arm, drawing blood. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain as she rolled her feet. That's when she saw it. The rogue she'd stabbed was still alive, its growls turning into a low, laugh. Its human form shimmered into view. A man with crimson streaked hair and wild, hate filled eyes. “You can't stop it,” he scoffed, blood dripping from his lips. “The cursed alpha will arise and when he does, you'll wish you were dead.” Elara froze her mind racing, the cursed Alpha? She barely had time to process his words before Damon tackled the rogue, snapping its neck. “Elara!” Damon called, his voice Snapping her back to the present. “We're not done here!” Elara shook herself and turned to face the remaining rogues. The battle continued, but the rogue's words haunted her. The attack ended just as fast as it had started, the rest of the rogues retreated, disappearing into the shadows. Elara stood in the midst of the dead rogues, her chest beating fast and her sleeve dripping with blood. Damon approached her, his wolf form covered in cuts and bruises. “ What the hell was that about?” “I don't.” Elara lied, though her mind was already adding everything together. The cursed Alpha, could it be him? Her thoughts were interrupted by a distant rustling in the trees. She stiffened, raising her dagger, Damon growled low in his throat. A figure appeared out of the shadows, and his presence stopped them both in their tracks. It was a man, tall and broad shouldered, with piercing eyes that shine in the moonlight. His dark hair was rough and a deep scar ran down his jaw. But it wasn't just his appearance that made Elara’s breath hitch, it was the mark on his chest, glowing faintly in the crimson light. The same mark she'd seen years ago, burned into the flesh of the man she'd rejected. “Keiran,” she whispered, her voice failing her. His name tastes bitter on her tongue, a reminder of her greatest mistake. Kieran's lips curved into a cold smile, but his eyes held no warmth. “Miss me, Elara?” He growled his voice as sharp as a blade. Damon moved to stand between them, his stance protective. “Who the hell are you?” “Someone who doesn't answer to you,” Kieran replied, his gaze never leaving Elara's. “What are you doing here?” Elara demanded, her voice shaking despite her efforts to stay calm. “I'm here to fix what you broke.” Kieran said simply, his tone laced with venom. “And go make sure you don't screw it up again.” Elara's blood ran cold. Before she could respond, Kieran turned and disappeared into the trees, leaving her with more questions than answers, and a growing sense of dread. Damon stared after him, his expression incredulous. “Who the hell was that?” “The man I rejected” Elara murmured, her voice hollow. “And the one who might destroy us all.” As the blood moon cast its final glow over the forest, Elara felt the weight of the prophecy setting on her shoulders. “The cursed Alpha shall rise with the blood moon. Rejected love will summon the fall. Only unity can shatter the shadow of doom.” Kieran's return wasn't a coincidence, it was a warming . And if the rogue's words were true, the curse tied to him would be the end of everything she had sworn to protect. Later that night, alone in her room, Elara tried to convince herself it was a coincidence. But deep down, she knew the prophecy's truth and its consequences, they were both linked to Kieran. Kieran, the mate she had rejected had returned but was he here as an ally or as the leader and orchestrator of the pack's destruction? His heart was definitely still bitter about her rejection and that drastic decision she took years ago might now affect her pack.