Rejected Luna Of The Cursed Alpha

They’ll Come Back

Pain.

My ankle twisted the moment I landed on the ground. An involuntary gasp escaped my lips.

The two rogues laughed.

"Careful," one of them taunted. "Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself before we do."

They moved closer like skilled hunters who already knew that their prey was cornered.

My heart pounded inside my ears. Pushing myself against the trunk of the nearest tree, I tried to retreat further back.

But there was no way to.

"What… what do you want?"

The taller rogue chuckled. "We only follow orders."

Orders.

That word made me freeze.

Somebody had sent them.

Somebody wanted me dead.

"Well…" the shorter rogue grinned. "Now that the Alpha has cast off his human, we can finally execute our master's orders."

A feeling of dread ran through my stomach.

Master?

Who was their master?

Serena?

No… She probably hated me. But enough to kill?

The taller rogue clenched his claws. "I'll make it fast."

He pounced.

Instincts took control.

Thrusting my hands forward and shutting my eyes, I prepared for the pain.

But it didn't come.

Looking around puzzled, I lowered my hands.

The rogue stood motionless, a foot away from me. His face twisted in confusion. "What…" He looked down at his hands.

Claws were missing, Amber-colored wolf eyes turned back to their original brown color. "What did you do?" he roared.

"I… I didn't do anything."

"Liar!" Trying to shift again, he failed miserably. His face fell. "My wolf…"

The second rogue frowned and stepped closer. Almost immediately, the same thing happened to him. The golden color faded from his eyes. The claws retracted into his fingers.

His body wobbled. "My strength…" His breathing became ragged. "I can't feel my wolf."

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them knew what to do.

And I had no idea either.

The warmth that I had felt outside the ceremonial hall flooded my body. It started from my chest and traveled up to my fingertips.

It wasn't painful.

It was familiar.

As though it always lived inside me.

The rogues glanced at each other, terrified.

"What is she?"

"I don't know."

"We should get out of here." The taller rogue grabbed his companion's arm.

"Our master didn't say anything about this."

The two rogues gazed at me as if I had a second head.

"I can't shift!" the taller one growled. He stumbled backwards with shock-filled eyes. "Why can't I shift?"

His friend growled again and tried again. His veins stood out as he forced himself to shift, and he failed once more.

"My wolf…" he whispered. "I can't hear him."

Panic spread through both of their expressions.

They glanced at each other, then at me.

"What are you?" the taller one asked.

"I… I don't know."

I was telling the truth.

I had no idea what was going on as much as the rogues.

The odd warmth inside of me remained. The tingling feeling in my palms and the feeling in my chest increased in intensity. It was not uncomfortable, but it was incredibly powerful, like something that had slept for ages was awakening.

The shorter rogue glared at me. "Stay back."

"I'm not even coming towards you," I stammered.

"No." He pointed a trembling hand at me. "Don't let her come any closer."

But the taller one ignored his warning. "She's only human."

He lunged again.

The closer he got, the slower he moved.

His confident strides turned into a stagger.

His breathing became harder.

He halted just about an arm's length away and dropped to his knee.

“What…what is happening to me?”

His partner moved quickly towards him but he felt the same way.

In no time, he had also collapsed on one knee, grasping his chest as if all the energy in his body had left him.

None of them were able to lift even their claws.

I gazed at them, not comprehending what was happening.

Was I doing that?

No.

It could not have been possible.

I was nothing but human.

Right?

Before they managed to do anything else, a loud growl sounded in the forest.

Freezing on the spot, the rogues heard the second growl.

Only this one sounded much closer.

The sound of rustling leaves.

A giant gray wolf leaped from the trees and struck one of the rogues, sending him crashing into a boulder.

The other rogue barely had any time to react when another wolf pounced on him.

The forest erupted into chaos.

Growling.

Snarling.

Rushing dirt.

I could only stand there watching.

My legs wouldn't move.

Within seconds, the rogues figured out that they were overwhelmed. "Retreat!"

Both of them vanished in the darkness.

Silence descended in the forest.

Soon enough, the wolves shifted back into human form.

Stepping toward me was Beta James, he came forward.

I recognized him.

He had been serving beside Kael for many years.

"Beta…" I whispered.

His eyes scanned me from head to toe, checking if there were any injuries before he released a sigh of relief.

"You're safe."

I nodded faintly.

"Did… Did Alpha Kael send you?"

For some reason, James's expression changed. It all happened so quickly that I missed it.

But he didn't give me an immediate answer.

Instead, he gazed towards the path where the rogues escaped. "No."

This simple word crashed whatever hope remained inside of me. If he didn’t send James, did he send the rogues?

Turning back to me, James continued. "Whether he wants it or not doesn't matter anymore." His voice softened. "You can't go back to Valemont."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Hesitating for a moment, he dug into his coat and took out a folded letter. "I've already made arrangements for you."

My eyebrows narrowed even more. "For me?"

"There's a pack beyond the Eastern Ridge." Holding the letter out to me, he explained.

"They will accept you."

Staring at the folded piece of paper, I couldn't take it. Everything happened too fast. "I don't understand…"

James's expression turned grim.

"You don't have any time left."

Glancing at the forest, he added.

"If the rogues managed to find you once…" His jaw clenched. “They’ll come back.”