THE SEALED LUNA

CHAPTER THREE: A FAMILIAR NIGHTMARE

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*CHAPTER THREE: A FAMILIAR NIGHTMARE*

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the stone.

Every creak of the house. Footsteps.

Every whisper of the wind.

"Remove her."

Sleep didn’t come.

At midnight I sat up. Sheets tangled around my legs. I was breathing too loud.

Safe.

I kept saying it. 'Til I almost believed it.

By the time the sky went grey. Then that stupid blue.

I was sure. The world was already planning my funeral.

No one knew I died once.

Except me.

Downstairs. A mug clinking. Mother in the kitchen. Chamomile and honey.

The same damn tea.

I turned away before I could even smell it.

I couldn’t stay here.

Maybe air would help. Maybe it wouldn’t.

So I went out. Walked through the pack.

It all looked the same.

A little girl crashed into me. Had a flower crown in her hands.

"Selena."

I crouched down. And next thing I knew she was putting it on my head.

"Mama says you’ll be Luna in two days."

I swallowed. Hard.

"When you’re Luna, will you read us stories at night?"

I opened my mouth and she was already gone.

Ran off.

The words just... sat there.

When she left I took the crown off. Stared at it.

"Never got the chance."

I kept walking. Legs felt like bricks.

Two warriors fixing the fence.

One of them waved. "Morning, future Luna."

The other one snorted. "Don’t let Alpha Cyrus work you to death."

I smiled. Didn’t feel like it.

Kept going.

Smelled bread and pine. Used to smell like home.

Mrs. Hale from the bakery grabbed my arm.

"Selena! Fresh honey bread."

Shoved a loaf in my hand.

"No money. Early wedding gift."

I just stared at it. My hands were shaking.

Wedding gift.

I muttered thanks and walked off fast before she saw my eyes.

Chest hurt.

Then the clinic.

Healer was patching up some kid wolf.

She glanced up.

"You look like hell."

I shrugged.

"Didn’t sleep."

She stared at me a second too long.

"Huh. Weird."

"Your scent’s... off today."

My heart did that stupid skip thing.

"Off?"

She frowned.

"Probably nothing."

I didn’t say anything. Just left.

Stood outside for a minute. Let the cold hit me.

Tried to breathe normal.

"Yo."

Jenna.

"You’ve been ghosting everyone."

"Nervous?"

I sighed.

"Kind of."

Jenna laughed.

"Relax. Two days and you get your happy ending."

I laughed too. It sounded wrong.

Because I knew exactly how that ending went.

Then the training grounds.

I took a breath. And heard it.

That laugh.

Low. Familiar. The one I used to fall asleep to.

Stomach dropped.

Couldn’t breathe right.

Don’t look.

I looked.

Cyrus. In the ring. No shirt. Sweat on his back.

Taking hits from two older wolves.

Looked exactly the same.

Like nothing happened.

Like I didn’t die.

He turned.

Saw me.

My breath caught.

He grinned.

"Morning, Sel."

Came closer. Looking at me weird.

"You look tired. You okay?"

I couldn’t talk.

All I heard was it.

"I reject you..."

For a second I wanted to hit him.

I stepped back instead.

Cyrus frowned.

"Selena... did I do something?"

He reached for me.

I jerked away before he touched me.

He’d never seen me like that.

Then Mark came over, slapped his back.

"Two days, man. Ceremony’s set."

Cyrus laughed. "Y’all are obsessed."

Then he looked past me.

I followed his eyes.

Bella.

Laughing. Talking all close to someone.

Normal laugh.

She had no idea what was coming.

In two days she’d be standing next to him. As his mate.

I’d seen it.

And weirdly...

I didn’t hate her.

Couldn’t.

It wasn’t her who did it.

I wanted to be mad.

Thought maybe it’d hurt less.

But every time I remembered, all I saw was her face.

Shock.

Crying.

She didn’t look happy.

She looked stuck.

Air went wrong.

Vision blurred.

His voice in my head again.

The stone.

The rejection.

Heart messed up.

My legs moved before I could stop them.

I turned.

Ran.

*I ran 'til I hit the edge of the woods.*

Stopped. Gasping.

Then... voices.

Not normal voices.

Whispering.

Two wolves behind a tree.

"Is everything set?"

"Nothing’s changed."

"Good. Needs to happen before the ceremony."

I froze.

Last time I lived this, I never heard that.

Wasn’t even supposed to be here.

I took a step closer.

Snap.

Twig under my foot.

Quiet.

"Who’s there?" one of them said.

I bolted.

Didn’t stop 'til I was far. Far away.

Hands shaking.

Heart pounding in my throat.

For the first time...

I wondered if my dying wasn’t an accident.

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