Chapter 13 – The Moon’s Wrath
378 Words
The next blood moon came too soon.
The moment it rose, my skin burned. My vision blurred. My heartbeat pounded so hard it hurt.
Rylan was there, catching me as I stumbled. “Chains,” he told Kai. “Now.”
They took me to the cellar — cold stone walls, iron chains bolted to the floor. I fought them, my wolf howling in rage.
Rylan stayed with me, kneeling in front of me even as the chains rattled under my strength. “Fight it, Amara. Don’t let the moon take you.”
“I— can’t—” My voice was raw, torn between a scream and a growl.
He cupped my face in both hands, his forehead resting against mine. “Then let me in. Take my strength.”
The pull between us surged, the bond thrumming like a heartbeat. But even with him there, the wolf inside me wanted only blood.
The chains dug into my wrists, cold and unyielding — the only thing holding back the beast clawing its way to the surface. My breaths came in ragged gasps, wolf-fire burning beneath my skin, threatening to consume everything I was.
Rylan’s hands never left mine, steadying me, grounding me to what little humanity I had left. “Focus on my voice, Amara,” he murmured, using the name only he dared call me. “Let me be your anchor.”
I wanted to scream, to run free under the moonlight, to howl until the world shattered. But his presence pulled me back from the edge, a fragile lifeline in the chaos.
Kai stood guard by the door, eyes sharp and muscles tense, ready to strike if the wolf broke loose. The pack’s silent prayers hung thick in the cold air, hope and fear intertwined.
Minutes stretched like hours. My vision blurred, colors bleeding at the edges as the moon’s power battered my mind.
Then, slowly, the fire began to fade — ebbing away like a tide retreating from the shore.
I collapsed into Rylan’s arms, trembling but human once more.
His lips brushed my temple. “You’re stronger than you think.”
I closed my eyes, holding onto that promise even as the wolf inside growled, waiting for its next chance to break free.
- Writer
