Redemption Luna Mae

Adopted by Shadows

Mae – POV

Alpha Oscar held a calm expression rather than a frown. “Should I move on with my journey?” I asked, clutching the straps of my backpack. He looked at me with a blank stare and nodded his head, signaling me to leave. There was no emotion in his gaze at all. A wave of relief spread through me, but sadness crept in as well—for not being able to see Alpha Oscar’s face again. Taking a quick back route, I made my way out of the pack and walked into the dense forest.

Trekking through the forest, I knew I needed to meet Faye first. After a few hours of walking on foot, I reached the entrance gate of the Red Night Pack. The guards quickly stopped me.

“Show me the pass,” one security guard demanded.

“I have none,” I whispered.

“You don’t belong to any pack?” the security guard asked with a deep frown.

“I’ve been exiled from my pack.”

“A rogue? Do you have a death wish, coming to our pack?” the security guard snapped.

“I’m Faye’s cousin. I’m here to meet her,” I said calmly, stating my business. The guard’s scowl deepened at my words.

“Listen, b***h, you have no pass, and you want to meet our Luna Faye? Not in hell are we letting you in.” The guard mocked.

“I’m not leaving until I meet her.” I had to meet her. I couldn’t back down.

“Ahhh,” I gasped as the guard roughly shoved me to the ground. I glared at him.

My wolf surfaced, ready to protect me. I held my stare on the guards as their eyes glowed—a sign that their wolves were also surfacing. A low growl of anger escaped me.

“Enough!” I snapped my eyes toward the commanding voice.

“Alpha Atlas,” the guards muttered, bowing their heads. His cold amber eyes stared down at me.

“What brings you here?” I gulped as the air thickened, suffocating me. He was purposefully exerting his wolf's spiritual pressure, crushing my wolf into retreat. I couldn’t breathe.

“Need... to meet Faye,” I struggled to say.

“Why?” he asked coldly.

“I need... answers. She knows someth–ing.” As his spiritual power faded, I gasped for air.

“Follow me,” Alpha Atlas said.

With shaky legs, I pulled myself up from the ground and followed him. The eyes of the Red Night Pack members pricked my skin like needles—they knew who I was. They knew I was the one who used to hurt their Luna. My misdeeds had spread like wildfire.

An office came into view. I didn’t see Luna Faye.

“Faye is in the infirmary. She’ll be here any minute,” he said coldly, already irritated by my presence.

“I know you hate me,” I whispered. He looked at me, his eyes blazing with hate.

“I don’t hate you.” I blinked.

“Hate is too small a word,” he said. “You tortured Faye—my mate and the one I care about most.” I gulped at the intensity in his eyes. It was clear he wanted me dead. I cowered into the corner. "I wish I could kill you for your sins." He paused.

The door opened, and Faye walked in, a cold look in her eyes.

“Well, well, my lovely cousin came to pay me a visit.”

I rolled my eyes at her words. Alpha Atlas left the office, giving us the room.

“Let me guess—you want to know why I saved you.” She c****d an eyebrow.

“So you know why I’m here. You can just tell me already.”

“Watch your tone around me.”

Her cold eyes flashed, and her magic flared, putting on a show to scare the hell out of me. To be honest, it worked. I acted not bothered by her intimidating posture.

“Give me an answer.”

A loud slap rang out as she hit me hard across the face. I collapsed from the impact, tasting metal in my mouth. A smirk played on

Faye’s lips.

“I warned you to watch your tone.” She shrugged and walked back to the office chair. “To be honest, it was satisfying to slap you. I wanted to do worse—like the pain you inflicted on me.” She sighed. “But I won’t lower my standards that far.”

I stood back up, the sting of her slap still burning and the ringing in my ears slowly fading.

“I am... sorry,” I whispered.

A gasp escaped Faye’s lips, and her fingers froze over the file.

“Your ‘sorry’ won’t fix anything. I suffer from panic attacks. Sometimes the flashbacks are so bad, I don’t even feel like myself. I can’t trust my abilities sometimes.” Her eyes flashed with pain. I felt sick at what I’d done.

I remembered how I never let Faye sleep until I finished my homework. In college, I humiliated her—dumping coffee on her head so often she became the laughingstock. I made sure she stayed alone, with no friends. I envied her healing power, her intellect.

“I know... sorry won’t do anything,” I whispered.

Faye said nothing, handing me a file.

“What is this?” I asked, looking down at the blue folder.

“An answer you’re searching for,” Faye said.

I opened the file.

The name on it read: Project Dark Manipulation Powers. I blinked in shock when I saw my name there. Successful Subject: Mae. I looked up to meet Faye’s gaze.

“You were adopted, Mae,” she said.

That dark dream... wasn’t a dream. It was my past. The truth shook me to the core.