Luna's Secret Agony

Chapter 2: Scars of the Past

I ran.

The forest blurred around me, branches whipping against my skin, leaving stinging welts I barely felt. My lungs burned, desperate for air, but I couldn't stop. I had to get away – from the pity, the disgust, the crushing weight of rejection.

Alpha Alexander's words echoed in my mind, each syllable a dagger to my heart. "Abomination... weak... pathetic..." How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? To give me a mate, only to have him despise me on sight?

I stumbled, my foot catching on an exposed root, and went sprawling. The forest floor rushed up to meet me, and suddenly I was seven years old again, reliving the worst day of my life.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Caleb's sing-song voice dripped with malice. "We just want to play, little human!"

I huddled behind a large oak, praying they wouldn't find me. It had started as a normal day – I'd been picking wildflowers at the edge of the pack lands when Caleb and his friends spotted me. Now it was a nightmare.

A twig snapped nearby. I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Found you."

Rough hands grabbed me, dragging me into a small clearing. I kicked and screamed, but it was useless. Five against one, and they all had their wolves already. I was just a scared little girl with no wolf to protect her.

Caleb circled me, his lips curled in a sneer. "Look at her. No wolf, no strength. Why does Alpha let you stay here, huh? You're not even a real wolf!"

"I am too a wolf!" I shouted, trying to sound braver than I felt. "My wolf will come. You'll see!"

The others laughed, the sound cruel and mocking. A girl named Lizzie, who I'd thought was my friend, spoke up. "Face it, Emily. You're just a stray the Alpha took pity on. You probably don't even know who your real parents are!"

The words stung because they were true. I didn't know anything about my birth parents or why I had no wolf. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Aw, look," Caleb crooned. "The little human is crying. Maybe if we make her bleed, she'll finally turn into a real wolf!"

Everything happened so fast after that. Claws flashed in the sunlight. Pain exploded across my face as Caleb's strike connected. I screamed, the sound primal and agonized. Blood poured into my eyes, blinding me.

The others joined in, their wolves taking over in a frenzy of violence. Teeth sank into my arm. Claws raked across my back. I curled into a ball, my small body on fire with pain.

Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, a furious roar shook the clearing. Through the haze of blood and tears, I saw a massive brown wolf charge into the group. The children scattered, yelping in fear.

Strong, gentle hands lifted me. My father's voice, choked with emotion: "Oh, Emily. My poor, sweet girl. I'm here. You're safe now."

As consciousness slipped away, I heard him murmur, "I'm so sorry. I should have told you the truth..."

I blinked, the memory fading as I became aware of my surroundings once more. I was curled at the base of a large tree, my body wracked with sobs. The sun had set, casting the forest in deep shadows. How long had I been out here?

My hand instinctively went to my face, tracing the familiar ridge of scar tissue. It had healed better than anyone expected, but it was still a constant reminder of that day. Of how different I was. Of how I didn't belong.

"Why?" I whispered to the uncaring forest. "Why give me a mate if he was going to reject me? Why make me a wolf if I can't shift?"

Anger bubbled up, replacing the bone-deep sadness. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair! I slammed my fist into the ground, welcoming the sharp sting of pain. At least it was something I could control.

Suddenly, a strange sensation rippled through my body. It started in my chest, a warm pulsing that spread outward like waves on a pond. The anger intensified, and with it, the pulsing grew stronger.

I gasped, looking down at my hands. They were glowing with a faint, silvery light. What was happening to me?

The energy built, pressing against my skin from the inside. It wanted out. Needed out. I couldn't contain it anymore.

With a cry that was half scream, half sob, I let it go.

The silvery light exploded from me in a shockwave. It rippled through the air, distorting everything it touched. As it passed over plants and trees, they withered and blackened as if touched by frost.

In seconds, everything within a ten-foot radius of me was dead.

Horror washed over me as I took in the destruction. The once-lush forest floor was now a circle of decay, with me at the center. What had I done? What was I?

Panic clawed at my throat. This... this wasn't natural. Wolves were creatures of nature, of life. We didn't bring death with a touch.

Was this why I had no wolf? Was there something wrong with me, something twisted and dark?

No. I couldn't let anyone find out about this. If the pack thought I was a freak before, what would they do if they knew I could kill with a thought? And Alexander... he already saw me as an abomination. This would only confirm his worst fears.

I stumbled to my feet, my legs shaky but determination steeling my spine. I had to keep this secret. I'd hide the mate bond, hide this strange power. Maybe if I ignored it all, pretended it never happened, things could go back to normal.

I almost laughed at the thought. As if anything could ever be normal again.

With one last look at the circle of death I'd created, I turned and began the long walk back to the pack lands. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible excuse for my disappearance. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the pair of glowing eyes watching me from the shadows.

Hidden among the trees, a figure observed the young she-wolf's retreat. A slow smile spread across their face, revealing pointed canines.

"At last," they murmured, their voice barely a whisper on the wind. "The prophecy begins."

As Emily disappeared from view, the mysterious watcher melted back into the darkness, leaving no trace of their presence behind.