Chapter2
1083 Words
The Darkness and Rebirth of the Woodlands
As Aria raced, the trees closed in around her like a pocket, their warped branches ripping at her as if to trap her.
The delicate shimmer of the moon barely made its way through the dense darkness overhead, and the cool night air pricked her tear-streaked cheeks.
Her legs shivered with fatigue, and her breath came in battered hurls, yet she was unable to stop.
Her chest was eaten by Kieran's excusal, a bodily problem more serious than any paw could cause.
Even though the bond was short and brittle, it caused her wolf to cry in agony.
“You are frail."I can't have someone like you around."
His words were constantly repeated to her, winding like a keen razor. She clutched her hold hands, her claws digging into her palms.
Regardless of how far she ran, she was unable to escape the shame. A startling mix in the underbrush jolted her out of her reverie. She froze, her heart pounding.
The forest, which had previously blasted at the wrinkles with fragile vestiges of nature, had become unnervingly calm. "Aria," said a low, dismissive voice.
Damon Voss strolled into the clearing, and she turned, her blood going cold. His smile shone at night, and his magnificent eyes glowed with noxiousness.
In light of everything, look at its nature," he rambled, encircling her like a tracker pursuing its target. "The excused mate, separated by haziness. Did you honestly expect you'd squeeze by here?"
Aria scowled at him, summoning what little strength she possessed. "What could it be that you want, Damon?"
"Could it be that I want?" he said, envisioning a concept. "To test how far you'd fall, I suppose. Kieran was right: you are nothing. Could you disappear?"
His comments struck her like a blow, but she refused to give him the joy of watching her decline. "Vanish, Damon," she whispered, her voice wavering despite her attempts to locate firm spaces for sound.
Before he could respond, a deep growl echoed across the woods.
Damon solidified, his scoff concealing as his gaze shifted to the darkness.
"What was that?" Aria murmured.
Another growl followed, this time more grounded. The air became thick with the scent of hazard – wild and terrible. Wolves.
"Rebels," Damon said, his body stiff.
The shadows appeared to shift and awaken as three wolves emerged from the darkness. Their eyes shone with cruel presumption, and their fur was matted and nasty. They moved with the conscious risk of beings who knew they were in command.
"For sure, isn't this wonderful," Damon hissed, but his heated air rang hollow. Without saying anything else, he changed into his wolf shape, a silky dim tracker with glittering magnificent eyes.
He hopped at the nearest dissident, teeth uncovered.
The two collided in a storm of snarls and snapping teeth.
The renegade's gaze fell on Aria, and her heart sank. She was unshifted, delicate, and completely powerless. The radical roared, its lips folding back to reveal sharp teeth before charging at her.
Aria yelled, stunning back and throwing her arms in a powerless attempt to defend herself. The renegade's paws scraped across her chest, creating singing misery throughout her body. She landed hard, the world spinning as blood soaked her torn clothes.
Through the haze of torture, she watched Damon fight various radicals. Despite his tenacity, he was overpowered, and despite his arrogance, he lacked strength.
Aria's eyes darkened as her willpower ebbed away; the virus had absorbed her bones.
The rebels' snarls and Damon's growls faded into the distance, replaced by a horrifying silence.
As oblivion enveloped her, a faint voice murmured to her - a voice she did not recognize.
"You are more than this."
---
When Aria awoke, she was not in the forest. The aroma of aromas and smoke filled the room, mingling with the glow of a roaring fire. She squinted, her vision constantly altering to match the dimly lit space.
Wooden shafts extended out over her, and the delicate glow of candlelight illuminated racks filled with holders and dried plants.
"Okay, you are aware," murmured a delicate voice.
Aria twisted her head, bouncing at the stinging pain in her chest.
A woman with silver-streaked hair and gentle green eyes bowed beside her.
"Where am I?" Aria croaked, her throat dried.
"You're safe," the woman stated. "I am Evelyn. "You're in the Moonfire Clan's territory."
"The Moonfire Group?" Aria rehashed, the turmoil masking her thoughts.
Evelyn motioned, her mood improving. "We discovered you near death in the woods." "You're lucky we arrived when we did."
Damon, the renegades, and the paws chasing after her tissue swamped her memories. She automatically pursued her chest, only to discover that her wounds were patched.
"Why did you save me?" she questioned, her voice barely above a murmur.
Evelyn faltered, her gaze passing across Aria's face. "Because the Moon Goddess willed it." Aria, you are not similar to who you were before.
She has provided you with another opportunity—another source of inspiration."
Aria grimaced, disorder battling exhaustion. She expected to fight, to demand answers, but her body betrayed her, returning her to irritable rest.
---
Aria gradually recovered over the next several days. Her body, which was once little and frail, gradually regained an amazing new energy. She felt more grounded, prepared, and in control of her life than she had ever felt before, her wolf combined with a centrality she had never known.
Anyway, this sudden strength prompted inquiries. Why did the Moonfire Gathering save her? Also, what did Evelyn mean by another explanation?
She discovered her reaction one night when she overheard Evelyn tending to another family member.
"She has no clue yet," Evelyn remarked.
"Notwithstanding, she is the Mensis of the assumption — the one bound to join the broke packs."
Aria's heart raced, and her breath caught in her throat. The Luna of the forecast? It could not be her. She was an omega, excused and dismissed.
Before she could process what she'd heard, Evelyn approached her with her famous knowing smile.
"It's time you instructed reality, Aria," Evelyn stated. "Your history does not define you. The Moon Goddess chose you for something more conspicuous, and whether or not you realize it, your cycle has only just begun."
Aria gazed at her, a combination of fear and confirmation rising within her. The path forward was difficult, yet oddly, she felt a spark of trust.
Perhaps she wasn't broken, considering everything.
- Writer
