Daughter of a Fallen Luna

The forest had been silent for too long. Seraphina Vale knew enough about survival to fear silence more than noise. For eight years, she had lived as a rogue. Eight years of sleeping beneath open skies. Eight years of moving before sunrise. Eight years of never staying anywhere long enough for anyone to learn her name. Survival had become second nature. Which was why the silence bothered her. The moon hung low above the trees, casting pale silver light across the forest floor. Seraphina crouched beside a narrow stream and splashed water onto her face. The cold should have felt refreshing. Instead, it made the knot in her stomach tighten. Her wolf stirred uneasily. Something is wrong. "I know." She glanced around the darkness. Nothing moved. No scent lingered on the wind. No branches snapped. No animals stirred. Yet every instinct she possessed screamed danger. Slowly, she rose to her feet. The leather satchel hanging from her shoulder shifted as she reached for the hunting knife strapped to her thigh. The forest remained still. Too still. A chill crawled down her spine. Then she saw it. A symbol carved into the bark of a nearby tree. Her breath caught. The mark hadn't been there yesterday. She was certain of it. Stepping closer, Seraphina traced the carving with trembling fingers. Three claw marks. A crescent moon. And a s***h through the center. Her blood ran cold. Someone had found her. Not just someone. Someone who knew exactly who she was. Only one group used that symbol. Bloodfang. Her former pack. Her father's pack. "No..." She staggered backward. After eight years? How? Why now? Panic threatened to overwhelm her. She forced herself to breathe. Think. Running had kept her alive this long. It would keep her alive tonight. Without hesitation, Seraphina turned and sprinted deeper into the forest. Branches whipped against her arms. Leaves crunched beneath her boots. Her lungs burned. But she didn't slow. Because if Bloodfang had found her— Everything was about to change. A growl echoed through the darkness. Her heart nearly stopped. Not far behind. Close. Far too close. Another growl followed. Then another. Three wolves. Maybe four. Hunting formation. Her pulse thundered. They weren't searching. They had already found her. A shadow burst between the trees. Massive. Fast. Silver eyes gleamed beneath moonlight. The rogue lunged. Seraphina dropped low. Claws sliced through empty air above her head. She rolled across the forest floor and sprang upright. The wolf spun around immediately. A scar stretched across its muzzle. Its lips peeled back. Saliva dripped from razor-sharp teeth. The beast wasn't alone. Three more wolves emerged from the darkness. Encircling her. Trapping her. Her stomach sank. This wasn't a coincidence. This wasn't bad luck. This was an ambush. The scarred wolf shifted. Bones cracked. Muscles twisted. Moments later a tall man stood before her. His cruel smile made her skin crawl. "Found you." Seraphina backed away. "Who sent you?" The rogue laughed. "You already know the answer." Fear crashed through her chest. Magnus. Her father. After all these years. Magnus had finally come looking. "You should've stayed hidden," the rogue continued. "The Alpha wants his daughter back." "I'm not going back." The man's smile widened. "That wasn't a request." The wolves lunged. Seraphina ran. The forest exploded into chaos. Branches shattered. Growls filled the night. Pain shot through her leg as claws scraped her calf. She stumbled but kept moving. Faster. Faster. She couldn't let them catch her. Couldn't let them drag her home. Not after everything. Not after what her parents had done. A steep hill appeared ahead. Seraphina flew down the slope. The ground vanished beneath her feet. She crashed through bushes and landed hard. Pain exploded through her shoulder. For several seconds she couldn't breathe. Then she smelled it. A scent unlike anything she had ever encountered. Pine. Rain. Smoke. Power. Her wolf suddenly froze. Every muscle in her body locked. Every thought disappeared. The scent consumed her. Wrapped around her. Pulled at something buried deep inside her soul. No. It couldn't be. Not possible. Her mate was dead. Her mate had died eight years ago. Hadn't he? The scent grew stronger. Closer. Closer. Footsteps approached. A powerful presence emerged from the darkness. A man stepped into the moonlight. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair. Piercing green eyes. The moment his gaze met hers, the entire world stopped. His expression mirrored her shock. His eyes widened. The forest fell silent. Even the wolves chasing her froze. The stranger took one step forward. Then another. His voice was barely more than a whisper. Yet it shattered everything she thought she knew. "Mate." Seraphina's heart stopped. And for the second time in her life— Everything changed.