Episode3
1286 Words
Chapter 3: Blood in the Moonlight
The moment the rogue spoke, Luna’s entire body froze.
“Well, well. The Alpha’s rejected mate. What a prize you’ll make.”
That voice wasn’t just threatening—it dripped with mockery and hate. She spun around slowly, heart racing, and saw them. Three of them. Rogues. Dangerous ones. Covered in blood, eyes glowing red, and smiles that promised pain.
One of them licked his lips, like he was hungry. Not for food, but for violence. For her.
She stepped back instinctively, hand going to the small dagger she kept hidden in her boot. Her fingers shook. The night had already been long and cruel, and now this? Couldn’t the Moon Goddess give her even a moment to breathe?
Behind her, she could hear Ryker’s snarls and growls, locked in combat with the scout. But she couldn’t focus on him now. Her own life was hanging by a thread.
The biggest rogue stepped forward. His muscles rippled under torn clothes, and a long scar ran from his jaw to his neck. “You smell just like him,” he sneered. “Like betrayal.”
Luna pulled out her dagger, holding it tight. Her voice was shaky, but she stood her ground. “I don’t want to hurt you. Walk away.”
The rogues burst into laughter.
“You hear that?” another chuckled. “She thinks she’s still important. Still strong.”
“You’re nothing without your Alpha,” the first growled, eyes narrowing. “Kade threw you out like garbage. But we—we can find a use for you.”
Luna’s jaw clenched. Her fingers tightened around the dagger. “I’m not his anymore. And I’m not yours either.”
“Brave words,” the rogue said. “Let’s see how long that bravery lasts.”
He lunged.
Luna jumped back, narrowly avoiding his claws. She slashed with her dagger, catching his arm. Blood splattered across the leaves. He roared, furious now.
“You’ll pay for that!”
She tried to run, but the second rogue was already blocking her path. She turned to the side, darting through the trees, but they followed like shadows.
She tripped over a root and fell, the dagger slipping from her grip. Pain shot through her arm as she landed hard. She reached for the weapon, but the third rogue kicked it away.
“Nowhere to run, little mate,” he hissed, bending down to grab her.
“Get away from her!” Ryker’s voice rang out like thunder.
He came out of nowhere, covered in blood, his wolf half-shifted. He tackled the rogue, teeth sinking deep into his side. The rogue screamed in agony, trying to fight back, but Ryker was brutal. He tore into him like a wild beast, fueled by rage.
The second rogue jumped at Ryker from behind. Luna could only watch in horror.
But Ryker twisted, catching him mid-air and slamming him into a tree.
The third rogue— the leader—grabbed Luna by the arm, dragging her up.
“You’re coming with me,” he snarled, dragging her deeper into the woods.
Luna struggled. She kicked. Scratched. But he was strong.
“You think Kade let you go because he didn’t care?” he spat. “He made a deal. And you’re part of it.”
“What deal?” Luna gasped, confused and terrified.
But he didn’t answer.
He pulled her faster through the trees, her feet stumbling over rocks and roots. Her vision blurred, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe.
Her wolf was silent. Still asleep. Still hiding.
Help me, she begged. Please. I can’t do this alone.
Then, something changed.
A fire sparked inside her chest. Not fear. Not panic.
Anger.
Rage.
A scream ripped from her throat, loud and wild and raw. It wasn’t just a scream—it was a call. A demand.
Her wolf woke.
Her legs buckled as pain surged through her bones. Her heart thundered. Her breath caught. Her vision doubled. Her skin burned.
Then came the shift.
Her body cracked and reshaped. White fur erupted. Her claws grew. Her teeth sharpened. Her eyes glowed silver.
The rogue dropped her in shock.
“What the—no—”
Luna’s wolf growled, deep and threatening. She was smaller than most wolves, but faster. Smarter. Her anger gave her strength.
She pounced.
She sank her teeth into his shoulder, shaking him like a rag doll. He screamed, trying to throw her off, but she clung tight.
He punched her side—once, twice—but she didn’t let go. She dragged him down, slashing with her claws.
Ryker appeared beside her, limping but alive.
“Finish it,” he growled.
Luna didn’t hesitate. She pinned the rogue, snarling. Blood matted her fur. Her enemy whimpered beneath her paw, his pride shattered.
“Please,” he gasped. “Spare me.”
Luna shifted back slowly, breathing hard.
She looked him in the eye. “Tell Kade… I’m not the weak girl he threw away.”
Then she raised her hand—and drove her dagger into the ground beside the rogue’s head.
“Run,” she spat. “Before I change my mind.”
The rogue scrambled away, limping, terrified.
Ryker collapsed against a tree, watching her. “You shifted.”
Luna turned to him. Her body ached. She was naked and covered in bruises, but her eyes burned with something new.
Power.
“I thought I couldn’t anymore,” she whispered.
“You just needed to believe again,” Ryker said.
She walked to him and tore a piece from her torn shirt, pressing it to his bleeding side.
“You saved me,” he murmured.
“You saved me first,” she replied.
They were silent for a moment, only the wind speaking.
Then Ryker said, “He made a deal, Luna. Kade gave you up for something. I don’t know what—but it’s not over.”
Luna’s jaw tightened. “Let him come. Next time, I won’t show mercy.”
The Next Morning
The sun was rising when they reached the edge of a river.
Ryker collapsed, unable to walk anymore. Luna helped him to a rock, washing his wound with cold water.
“We can’t stay here,” he said. “They’ll come for you.”
Luna stared at the rushing water, her reflection fractured by ripples.
“I’m not running again,” she said. “I want answers. What deal did Kade make? Why was I the price?”
“Maybe he thought it was the only way to win the war,” Ryker said. “Maybe he thought you weren’t strong enough.”
Luna’s chest tightened.
She had given everything to Kade. Her heart. Her loyalty. Her future. And he had handed her over like a bargaining chip.
It wasn’t rejection.
It was betrayal.
That night, Luna couldn’t sleep. She sat by the fire, staring into the flames. Her mind raced.
What if there was more to her past than she remembered?
What if Kade had lied about everything?
She looked at Ryker, asleep and still bleeding. He had risked his life for her. Why? What did he know?
Her heart whispered questions she didn’t want to ask.
And somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered back.
You were never just a mate. You were the key.
In the darkness beyond the firelight, a hooded figure watched from the trees. Silent. Still.
He held a communication stone to his lips.
“She shifted,” he whispered. “She’s more powerful than expec
ted.”
A voice crackled back.
“Then she must die… before she remembers who she really is.
- Writer
