The Luna They Rejected

Chapter 2: The Wolf Inside Me

The rogue flew toward me with a savage snarl, claws aimed directly for my throat.

Instinct moved faster than fear.

I ducked sharply and drove my elbow into his ribs. A loud crack echoed through the forest as he stumbled sideways with a howl of pain.

The other rogues froze.

So did I.

That hit should not have been strong enough to break a bone.

My wolf stirred violently beneath my skin.

Something is changing.

The injured rogue growled and shifted fully into his wolf form, black fur glistening beneath the rain. The others followed immediately, surrounding me in a tightening circle.

Five wolves.

Against one rejected female weakened by a broken mate bond.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t survive this.

But tonight didn’t feel normal anymore.

A strange heat spread through my veins, burning hotter with every second.

The alpha rogue stepped forward slowly. His yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“You smell strange,” he muttered.

Another wolf lowered his head uneasily. “Maybe we should leave.”

“Coward,” the alpha snapped. “She’s alone.”

He lunged first.

This time, I shifted.

Pain exploded through my body as bones cracked and reformed, but it lasted only seconds before power flooded every part of me.

My paws hit the muddy ground heavily.

The rogues immediately backed away.

Confusion flickered through me.

Why are they scared?

Then I caught sight of my reflection in a rain puddle.

Silver eyes.

Pitch-black fur streaked with glowing white markings.

I had never looked like this before.

My wolf had changed.

The alpha rogue snarled nervously before charging anyway.

I met him head-on.

The impact sent him crashing several feet backward into a tree trunk hard enough to split the bark. He whimpered in shock, struggling to stand again.

The others stared at me in horror.

No ordinary wolf could throw an adult rogue that far.

My breathing deepened as adrenaline surged through me. Every sound in the forest sharpened. Every heartbeat around me became clear.

I could hear their fear.

And somehow…

It smelled good.

The thought terrified me.

The second rogue attacked from the side, but I spun instantly and slashed across his shoulder. Blood sprayed across the wet ground.

He yelped and retreated.

“What is she?” one whispered.

The alpha rose shakily, fury burning in his eyes now.

“Kill her!”

All four remaining wolves charged together.

I should have panicked.

Instead, calm settled over me.

Cold.

Deadly calm.

My body moved on instinct alone. I dodged one wolf and bit another hard enough to send him screaming into the dirt. A third tried to leap onto my back, but I twisted midair and slammed him beneath me.

Everything felt sharper.

Stronger.

Faster.

As if something ancient had awakened deep inside my blood.

The alpha rogue circled me carefully now, uncertainty replacing his earlier confidence.

“You’re not normal,” he growled.

Neither was the fear growing inside me.

Because he was right.

I wasn’t normal.

Suddenly, a powerful howl echoed through the forest.

The rogues froze instantly.

Another howl answered.

Then another.

A pack patrol.

The alpha rogue cursed. “Move!”

The rogues disappeared into the trees within seconds, dragging their injured companions with them.

Silence returned to the forest.

I remained frozen, chest rising heavily as rain poured over my fur.

Then exhaustion slammed into me.

The strange power inside me flickered violently before fading.

Pain crashed through my body all at once.

My legs gave out beneath me.

I shifted back into human form just as voices approached nearby.

“Over there!”

Torches flashed between the trees.

Moonstone warriors.

Perfect.

The last people I wanted to see.

I tried standing, but dizziness hit immediately. My body felt drained, like whatever power had surged through me had taken everything in return.

Footsteps stopped suddenly.

“Aria?”

I looked up weakly to find Beta Lucas staring at me in shock.

Behind him stood several warriors, all looking equally stunned.

My soaked dress clung to my skin, stained with mud and blood.

Lucas rushed forward. “What happened?”

“Rogues.”

His expression darkened instantly. “Were you attacked?”

I hesitated.

If I told them what happened, nobody would believe me.

Five rogues.

And I survived alone.

No.

Not just survived.

Defeated them.

“That blood isn’t yours,” Lucas noticed carefully.

I looked away.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but before he could question further, another voice interrupted.

“Aria.”

My entire body tensed.

Kael stepped out from the shadows.

Of course, he came.

Rain soaked through his black shirt as his silver eyes scanned me rapidly, searching for injuries.

Relief flashed across his face.

Then confusion.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m alive,” I answered coldly.

The warriors exchanged awkward glances, clearly uncomfortable after what happened earlier tonight.

Kael stepped closer slowly. “Lucas tracked rogue scent near the borders.”

“I handled it.”

One warrior frowned. “Alone?”

I remained silent.

Kael studied me carefully.

Then his expression changed.

Shock.

His eyes locked onto my neck.

“What is that?”

I frowned. “What?”

Lucas suddenly inhaled sharply.

On instinct, my hand flew to the side of my neck.

Raised skin burned beneath my fingertips.

Confused, I looked toward a nearby puddle again.

And froze.

A mark had appeared beneath my ear.

Silver.

Glowing faintly against my skin.

The warriors immediately stepped backward.

Fear spread across several faces.

My stomach dropped.

“What does this mean?” I whispered.

Nobody answered.

Kael stared at the mark like he had seen a ghost.

Impossible.

That was the word written all over his face.

Finally, Lucas spoke quietly.

“The Crescent Mark.”

The air turned heavy.

Even the rain suddenly felt colder.

I looked between their expressions anxiously. “What is the Crescent Mark?”

No one spoke immediately.

Then one older warrior whispered shakily, “I thought it was only a legend.”

Kael’s jaw tightened hard.

“Enough,” he snapped sharply.

The warrior lowered his gaze instantly.

But the fear remained.

I looked at Kael again. “Tell me what’s happening.”

His silver eyes met mine.

For the first time tonight, I saw uncertainty in them.

Real uncertainty.

“The mark belongs to an ancient bloodline,” Lucas explained carefully before Kael could stop him. “A line believed extinct centuries ago.”

My pulse quickened.

“What bloodline?”

Lucas hesitated.

“The Lunar Guardians.”

The name meant nothing to me.

But judging from everyone else’s faces, it clearly meant something terrible.

Or powerful.

Kael looked furious now. “We’ll discuss this later.”

“No,” I snapped. “You don’t get to order me around anymore.”

The warriors shifted awkwardly again.

Kael ignored them completely.

“You need medical attention.”

“I don’t need anything from you.”

The words came out sharper than intended, but I didn’t regret them.

Pain flickered briefly across his face.

Good.

Let him feel something for once.

Lucas cleared his throat carefully. “The rogues may return. We should head back.”

Back.

To Moonstone Pack.

To whispers.

Humiliation.

Selene.

My chest tightened instantly.

“I’m not going back there.”

Kael’s eyes darkened. “Aria”

“You rejected me, remember?” I said bitterly. “You told me to leave.”

Silence followed.

Because it was true.

Kael rubbed a hand through his wet hair frustratedly. “This changes things.”

I almost laughed.

Of course it did.

Now that I carried some mysterious mark, suddenly I mattered again.

Too late.

“You made your decision already,” I said quietly.

Before anyone could stop me, I turned and walked deeper into the forest.

“Aria!” Lucas called after me.

I didn’t stop.

Footsteps moved behind me suddenly.

Kael.

I spun around angrily. “What now?”

He stood only a few feet away, rain dripping from his face.

His expression looked conflicted.

“There are things you don’t understand.”

“Then explain them.”

Silence.

Typical.

I folded my arms tightly. “You don’t get to reject me in front of the entire pack and suddenly act concerned because of some stupid mark.”

“It’s not stupid.”

“Then what is it?”

Kael stared at me for several long seconds.

Finally, he said quietly, “The Lunar Guardians were said to be wolves chosen directly by the Moon Goddess.”

A chill ran through me.

“They protected the balance between packs centuries ago,” he continued. “Stronger than ordinary wolves. Feared by Alphas.”

I frowned slightly. “That sounds like a myth.”

“That’s what we all believed.”

The forest fell silent again.

My thoughts raced wildly.

This couldn’t be real.

I was nobody special.

Just the girl Kael rejected for political power.

Right?

Then why did that strange power feel so natural?

Kael stepped closer carefully.

“When the rogues attacked you… What happened?”

I hesitated.

Part of me wanted to lie.

But another part needed answers.

“I shifted,” I admitted quietly. “And suddenly I was stronger.”

“How strong?”

I remembered the rogue flying across the forest.

The fear in their eyes.

“I don’t know.”

Kael looked deeply unsettled now.

Before either of us could speak again, a sudden scream echoed through the night.

A woman’s scream.

Coming from the direction of the pack house.

The warriors instantly became alert behind us.

Lucas appeared beside Kael immediately. “That came from the eastern wing.”

Another scream followed.

Then chaos erupted in the distance.

Kael’s expression hardened instantly into Alpha mode.

“Go,” I said automatically.

But before he could move, a warrior came sprinting through the trees, breathless and terrified.

“Alpha!”

Kael grabbed his shoulder. “Report.”

The warrior looked pale.

“It’s Selene.”

Something cold settled in my stomach.

“What happened?” Kael demanded.

The warrior swallowed hard.

“She’s been poisoned.”