The Broken Luna

The Uncle’s Game

The sound of the bolt sliding into place echoed through the darkness. And Gianna realized that they were completely alone.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The candles along the stone walls flickered, throwing strange shadows across Aldo’s face. His smile never faltered, but there was something in his eyes that made Gianna’s blood run cold.

“Why are you afraid?” he asked softly.

Gianna forced herself to speak. “I am not afraid.”

Aldo laughed under his breath. “You have always been a terrible liar.”

She took another step backward, pressing herself against the wall. Her heart hammered so violently that she thought he might hear it.

“You heard our conversation.” It was not a question.

Gianna shook her head quickly. “No.”

“Your father has already given up on you.” The words hit her harder than she expected.

Aldo moved closer. “Your mother despises you. Your brother and sister mock you. Even your mate rejected you in front of the entire pack.”

“Please.”

He tilted his head. “Please what?”

Gianna’s throat tightened. “Let me go.”

His expression softened for a moment, but it only made him seem more frightening. “Poor little Gianna.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You have nowhere to go.”

She flinched away from his touch. That made him smile.

“You know, your father is right. You are weak.”

Gianna clenched her fists. “I never did anything to deserve this.”

Aldo sighed as though she had disappointed him. “The world is cruel, niece. Wolves respect strength. You have none.”

He stepped even closer. The smell of whisky drifted from his clothes. Gianna’s pulse raced.

“I should go.”

“You should stay.”

She turned toward the door. A hand wrapped around her wrist.

Gianna gasped. “Aldo, let me go.”

“You do not speak to your Beta that way.” He tightened his grip.

Pain shot through her arm. Tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re hurting me.”

“And who will care?”

The question silenced her, because she knew the answer. No one. No one would come. No one would protect her.

The corridor suddenly felt smaller, the walls pressing in around her. Aldo leaned closer.

“You should be grateful,” he murmured. “After tonight, most people think you are worthless.”

Something inside Gianna snapped. For years she had endured the insults, the whispers, the hatred, the rejection. She had swallowed every cruel word and buried every tear. But tonight had taken everything from her.

“Let me go!”

She twisted violently, trying to pull free. Aldo cursed and grabbed her shoulders.

“You ungrateful girl.”

Panic surged through her. Without thinking, Gianna raised her hand and clawed at his face. Aldo shouted. Her nails scraped across his cheek, leaving three deep red lines.

For a split second, his grip loosened. Gianna shoved him with all the strength she had. He stumbled backward.

She ran.

The sound of Aldo roaring her name followed her down the corridor. Her bare feet slapped against the stone floor as she raced through the sleeping pack house. She nearly crashed into a table as she turned a corner, her breath coming in desperate gasps.

Behind her, she heard footsteps. Fast. Heavy.

“Gianna!”

She did not stop. She burst through the back doors and into the freezing night air.

Snow covered the ground, crunching beneath her feet as she ran across the courtyard. The cold bit into her skin, but fear drove her forward. The watchtower guards called after her. She ignored them.

The gates of the pack stood open after the celebrations, and Gianna slipped through before anyone could stop her. The forest swallowed her whole.

Branches clawed at her clothes. Sharp rocks cut her feet. The moon hung high above the trees, silver light spilling through the darkness. Still she ran.

Tears blurred her vision. She could not think. Could not breathe. Could not understand how her life had fallen apart in a single night.

Marco had rejected her. Her father had struck her. Her mother had cast her out. And now, a sob escaped her lips, now she knew the truth. Aldo would never leave her alone.

She stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the ground. Pain exploded through her knees. For several seconds she lay there, too exhausted to move.

The forest was silent around her. No footsteps. No voices. Only the wind.

Slowly, Gianna forced herself up. She had no idea where she was. The pack territory stretched for miles, surrounded by thick woods and frozen streams. The cold seeped into her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself and kept walking.

Eventually, she found an old fallen tree split open by age and storms, its hollow center just large enough for her to crawl inside. Gianna squeezed into the narrow space. Darkness closed around her.

For the first time since leaving the pack house, she allowed herself to cry. The sobs came so hard that her chest hurt. She pressed her face into her arms, trying to quiet herself, but the tears would not stop.

Why? The question echoed endlessly inside her mind. Why was she born into a family that hated her? Why had the Moon Goddess given everyone else a wolf but left her empty? Why had Marco looked at her with such disgust? What had she done wrong?

Hours seemed to pass. The cold became unbearable. Her feet were bleeding. Her knees ached. The cut on her wrist from Aldo’s grip throbbed. But none of it hurt as much as the loneliness.

She closed her eyes. Every child in Shadowmoon had grown up hearing stories about wolves. Their first shifts. Their mates. Their futures. Gianna had dreamed about those things once. She used to imagine a wolf speaking to her. Protecting her. Loving her.

But eighteen years had passed. And still there was nothing. Only silence.

“Please.” Her voice was barely audible. She lifted her eyes to the sliver of moonlight shining through the hollow log. “Moon Goddess.”

The words broke apart. “I cannot do this anymore.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “I tried.” She laughed bitterly. “I really tried.”

The forest remained silent. She hugged herself tighter.

“If I truly am cursed.” Her throat tightened. “If everyone would be happier without me.” She swallowed hard. “Then let me die.”

The words hung in the air, and for one terrible moment, she meant them. Because what was left for her? Her mate belonged to another woman. Her family despised her. Her uncle hunted her. There was no place in Shadowmoon where she was safe. No future waiting for her. No wolf sleeping inside her. Nothing.

The silence answered her prayer. And somehow, that hurt most of all.

Gianna curled into herself and cried until exhaustion pulled her into a restless sleep.

She dreamed of wolves. Hundreds of them. Black wolves. Silver wolves. Golden wolves. They ran through endless forests beneath a full moon. All except one.

Far away, hidden behind mist, stood a wolf she could not reach. Its fur shimmered silver in the darkness. It watched her. Waiting.

Gianna stretched out her hand. “Please.”

The wolf opened its mouth. But before she could hear its voice, the dream shattered.

She woke with a gasp. The sky above the trees had turned pale. Dawn.

For a few moments she forgot where she was. Then reality returned. Her body ached from sleeping in the hollow log. Her dress was torn. Dried blood stained her hands. And somewhere back at the pack house, her family was waiting.

Fear settled heavily in her chest. Aldo would tell them she had attacked him. Her father would punish her. Her mother would blame her. Matteo would laugh. Gianna knew exactly what awaited her.

Yet she stood anyway. Because where else could she go?

Slowly, she climbed out of the hollow tree. The morning air was cold against her skin. Birds sang somewhere in the distance. The world had continued turning, even after her own had fallen apart.

She brushed the dirt from her dress and began the long walk home. Each step felt heavier than the last.

The towers of Shadowmoon eventually appeared beyond the trees. Smoke rose from the chimneys. Warriors moved along the walls. It looked exactly as it had yesterday, as though nothing had changed, as though she had not spent the night praying for death.

Gianna stopped at the edge of the forest and stared at the pack she had called home her entire life. Then she noticed the figures standing beside the gates.

Three warriors. And between them, Uncle Aldo.

Even from a distance, she could see the fresh scratches running down his face.

He looked straight at her.

And smiled.