Episode6
1338 Words
Chapter 6: The Moon’s Curse
Luna’s body slammed into the far wall of the cabin, a cry escaping her lips as pain shot through her back. Dust and wood splinters scattered around her, filling the air with a thick, choking cloud. Her ears rang from the explosion, and for a moment, everything went quiet. The world around her was nothing but a blur of noise and shadows.
“Luna!” Ryker’s voice broke through the haze. His wolf form was already lunging toward her, his powerful limbs bounding across the broken floor.
But before he could reach her, the man—the Shadow Wolf in human form—raised a single hand. With an unseen force, Ryker was hurled backward as if he weighed nothing. He hit the wall with a heavy thud, a growl of pain escaping him before he collapsed onto the floor.
“No!” Luna screamed, forcing herself to stand. Her legs trembled beneath her, but the fire inside her kept her moving. “Leave him alone!”
The man turned to face her, his glowing eyes narrowing.
“You still don’t understand, do you?” he said, walking slowly toward her. “You were never meant to love him. You were meant to destroy him.”
His words sent a chill down Luna’s spine. She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” he asked, stopping just a few feet away from her. “Then tell me, Luna… why do you feel power when you’re close to me? Why does your blood sing when I’m near?”
Luna’s heart pounded. She had felt it. Ever since the wolf appeared, something inside her had stirred—something dark, something ancient. But she had tried to ignore it. She had told herself it was fear, confusion. But now…
“You’re trying to twist everything,” she whispered. “Ryker is my mate.”
“Is he?” The man smirked. “Then why did the bond reject him when he tried to mark you?”
Luna froze.
Her breath caught in her throat. “What… what are you talking about?”
The man’s expression turned cruel, and he stepped even closer. “Ask him. Ask him what happened the first time he tried to claim you. Ask him why the mark never took.”
She turned to Ryker, who was slowly rising to his feet, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. His eyes met hers, and the pain in them made her stomach twist.
“Ryker?” she whispered.
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The truth was written all over his face.
Luna’s world tilted.
The rejection. The unmarked bond. The pain she had felt that night. She had blamed herself. Thought something was wrong with her. But now…
“You knew,” she said, her voice trembling. “You knew and you didn’t tell me.”
Ryker looked at her, his voice raw. “I was trying to protect you.”
“No,” Luna whispered, backing away. “You lied.”
The Shadow Wolf smiled. “He didn’t tell you because he’s weak. He thought he could win you with kindness. But that’s not how our kind works.”
She turned to the man, her voice sharp. “And what are you trying to do? Win me with fear? Manipulation?”
His eyes glowed brighter. “No, Luna. I’m trying to awaken you. You were born from the blood of the first Luna Queen—the daughter of the Moon Goddess herself. Your power was never meant to serve a pack. It was meant to rule it.”
The words struck her like lightning. Luna Queen? Daughter of the Moon Goddess?
“What are you saying?” she asked, her voice shaking.
He raised a hand and placed it gently over her heart. “I’m saying the power inside you isn’t just strong. It’s divine. And it was sealed away… until now.”
Luna stumbled back, her pulse racing. She felt it again—that heat, that power. It wasn’t Ryker who had triggered it. It was him. The Shadow Wolf. The cursed one.
Ryker was watching, helpless, his claws digging into the wooden floor.
“Don’t listen to him, Luna,” he growled. “That power will consume you. It destroyed your mother. It will destroy you too.”
Luna blinked. “My mother?”
The Shadow Wolf’s smile widened. “She never died in childbirth. That’s what they told you, isn’t it? That she was too weak to survive? Lies. She was killed. By the pack. They feared her power. Just like they’ll fear yours.”
Ryker shouted, “Stop filling her head with poison!”
But Luna’s hands were shaking. Her mind raced with images—memories she didn’t know she had. Her mother’s voice, soft and haunting. Her cries in the night. The feeling of being held by someone strong, powerful… someone who vanished too soon.
Luna clutched her head, falling to her knees. “I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
The man knelt beside her. “Let me show you.”
He placed his palm against her forehead, and suddenly, Luna was falling—falling into darkness.
She landed in a vision.
Everything around her shimmered with silver light. She stood in a field of glowing flowers beneath a full moon. A woman stood before her, her hair silver-white, eyes filled with sorrow and fire.
“Luna,” the woman said. “My daughter.”
Luna’s breath caught. “Mother?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “You are stronger than you know. But your path is clouded. They will all try to use you. But you must choose wisely.”
“Who do I trust?” Luna asked, tears spilling from her eyes.
The woman stepped forward and cupped her face. “Not the one who hides the truth. Not the one who seeks your crown. Trust your heart. Trust the bond.”
The vision shattered like glass, and Luna woke with a gasp. The Shadow Wolf was gone. Ryker knelt beside her, blood on his hands and worry in his eyes.
“Luna,” he whispered, brushing hair from her face. “Are you alright?”
She sat up slowly. Her chest hurt, her head was spinning, but she felt something different—something powerful. A quiet strength.
“I saw her,” she said softly. “My mother.”
Ryker froze. “You did?”
“She told me… to follow my heart. To trust the bond.” She looked at him then, really looked. “But our bond—”
“It’s real,” he said quickly. “Luna, I swear, it’s real. Even if the mark didn’t take—”
“Why didn’t it?” she asked.
He hesitated, pain tightening his jaw. “Because something blocked it. Something ancient inside you. I didn’t know what it was. I was afraid. I didn’t want to lose you.”
Luna stood, her legs still shaky. “And now?”
“I’ll never lie to you again,” he said. “But you have to understand, that man—he’s dangerous. He’s the reason your mother died.”
Her breath caught. “You know about him?”
Ryker nodded slowly. “He was her mate… before your father. Before the Moon Goddess took away his title.”
Luna stared at him, shock rolling through her like thunder.
“You mean…”
“Yes,” Ryker said. “That monster? That cursed Shadow Wolf? He’s your blood.”
The floor felt like it dropped from under her. She swayed on her feet, overwhelmed by the truth.
Her enemy… was her family.
Outside the cabin, the wind howled as the full moon rose higher. Far in the distance, golden eyes watched from the shadows, waiting, planning.
And in Luna’s chest, something stir
red again. A hunger. A howl in her blood.
The curse… was waking.
- Writer
