The forest swallowed her whole as Lila ran, her breath sharp and uneven. The soft grass beneath her bare feet did nothing to cushion the pain in her chest.
Behind her, the celebration of betrayal still echoed—the pack howling in unison, cheering for the union of her sister and her mate. Each sound carved deeper into her soul.
She pressed her palm against her stomach again, unconsciously. Not here. Not now. She couldn't let herself think about the possibility of new life growing inside her. Not when she had no one, nowhere safe to go.
The cold air burned her lungs as she stumbled deeper into the trees.
Suddenly, a branch snapped nearby. Her body froze. Her ears strained.
"Running away like a coward?" Elara's voice sliced through the night, mocking and venomous.
Lila spun around, and there she was—her sister, stepping out from the shadows in her ceremonial gown, the moonlight catching the cruel curve of her lips.
"Elara…" Lila's throat closed, her voice breaking. "Why? You had everything. You knew Damon was mine—"
"Yours?" Elara laughed, tilting her head. "He was never yours. He belongs to me now. Just like the pack."
Lila shook her head, tears threatening again, but she forced them back. She refused to give Elara the satisfaction.
"You betrayed me," she whispered.
Elara stepped closer, her eyes glittering. "You always lived in my shadow. Weak, wolfless, pitiful Lila. Did you really think Damon would choose you? Did you really believe fate was kind enough to make you Luna?"
The words cut deep, but this time Lila stood straighter.
"Someday," she said, her voice steadier, "you'll choke on the lies you're feeding yourself."
Elara smirked, then leaned closer, lowering her voice so only Lila could hear. "Leave this pack and never come back. If I ever see you again… I'll make sure you die before you take another step."
Lila's chest tightened, but she held her ground.
"You've taken everything from me," she whispered, "but you won't destroy me. Not forever."
For a moment, the sisters stared at each other—one drenched in triumph, the other in silent, wounded strength.
Then, without another word, Lila turned and fled deeper into the forest.
Branches tore at her dress, the cold seeped into her bones, but she didn't stop. Every step carried her farther away from the place she once called home, farther from the people who had broken her.
Hours passed before she collapsed near the edge of a river, her body trembling, her breath ragged.
She curled into herself, wrapping her arms protectively around her stomach.
Her mind replayed Damon's words, Elara's laughter, the humiliation of the pack. She wanted to scream, to let the pain tear through the night sky. But instead, she bit down hard on her lip until she tasted blood.
Because she knew—if she screamed now, she might never stop.
The moonlight glistened on the river, reflecting her pale, tear-streaked face.
She closed her eyes, whispering to the night, to the stars, to herself:
"I'll survive this. Even if I'm alone, even if I have nothing, I will rise again. And when I do… they will all regret what they did tonight."
The wind shifted, cool and heavy with promise.
Somewhere in the depths of her soul, something stirred. A flicker. A whisper. A power she had never felt before.
Her heart thudded faster. Could it be…?
But exhaustion swallowed her before she could understand.
Lila drifted into sleep by the riverbank, her fate uncertain, her secret growing stronger within her.
And far away, in the hall of the Crescent Moon Pack, Damon and Elara celebrated their triumph, unaware that the girl they cast aside would one day return—not broken, but reborn.