The forest was mercilessly dark. Every branch that snapped beneath Lila's trembling feet echoed like a curse.Her gown, once stitched for a Luna's coronation, was now torn and dragging in the mud.The moon above seemed to mock her, shining on her shame.
Her chest burned with each breath. Her heart throbbed louder than the crickets.She couldn't get Damon's voice out of her head—"I, Alpha Damon, reject you, Lila Hale, as my mate."
Those words carved themselves deeper than claws.
She stumbled to her knees, clutching her stomach. A strange warmth pulsed there.Tears blurred her vision as she whispered, "You're not alone… I'm not alone anymore."
The weight inside her was small, fragile, but undeniable.Life. A secret. A forbidden heir.
No one could know.Not Damon. Not her sister. Not the pack.
Lightning cracked the sky, and the wind howled as if fate itself had heard her vow.
By dawn, Lila had reached the edge of the pack's borders.The old stones marked where her world ended and another began.Her bare feet bled, but she forced herself to stand tall.
"From this night forward," she whispered to the silent trees,"I am no longer the girl they broke. I am the woman who will rise."
The promise burned in her veins, fiercer than the humiliation that haunted her.Yet, before she could step across the border, a chilling growl froze her in place.
From the shadows, a pair of amber eyes glowed.Not Damon's.Not a pack wolf.
Something else.
A massive beast emerged, silver fur glinting under the moonlight, its fangs bared and breath steaming in the cold air.But it didn't attack. It only stared—as if it recognised her.
Her pulse raced. She should've run, but her body refused.The wolf lowered its head, almost… bowing.
And then, in a voice that was not a voice, but thunder inside her mind, it spoke:
"You are not wolfless. You are mine."
Lila's breath caught in her throat.The voice was not her imagination—it echoed through her bones, ancient and commanding.
The silver wolf loomed over her, its amber eyes burning with something more than hunger.It had spoken. Not aloud, but straight into her soul.
Her knees weakened. "W-what are you?" she whispered.
The wolf stepped closer, its massive paws silent on the forest floor.The air thickened, humming with raw power.Her instincts screamed to flee, but her heart… her heart didn't move.
"I am bound to your bloodline," the voice thundered again inside her."They cast you out, but fate chose you. Through me, you will rise."
Lila stumbled back, clutching her chest. Fate? Bound?The humiliation of rejection still burned in her, but now another fire sparked to life.
She wasn't alone.She wasn't broken.She wasn't wolfless.
Her trembling lips formed the question that clawed at her mind."If you are mine… then why now? Why show yourself tonight?"
The beast's gaze softened, almost sorrowful."Because the heir you carry awakened me."
Her breath hitched. The secret pulsed inside her womb.The wolf had felt it—her child.Tears pricked her eyes, but they were no longer just from pain.
This child was more than forbidden. It was destiny.
The wolf lowered itself, bowing once again."Call me when the night betrays you. Call me, and I will answer."
And just as suddenly as it appeared, the silver beast vanished into the mist.No pawprints. No scent. Nothing.
Lila collapsed against the border stones, her heart hammering.Her future had just shifted. She was no longer the discarded mate of Alpha Damon.She was something far more dangerous.
For the first time since her rejection, Lila smiled through her tears.Whispering into the dawn, she vowed—
"They wanted me weak. I will return stronger than they can ever imagine.
The sun broke through the misty forest, painting the world in pale gold.Lila pulled her torn cloak tighter around herself and walked deeper into the unknown. Every step carried her farther from the pack that had cast her aside.
Her body ached, her feet bled, but inside her chest, something new stirred—strength.The beast's words echoed: "Call me when the night betrays you."
Hours passed before she stumbled upon an abandoned cabin, hidden between the trees. The wood was cracked, the windows broken, yet it offered shelter. She pushed the door open with trembling hands.
Inside was silence. Dust floated in the shafts of light.She dropped to her knees on the wooden floor, clutching her stomach.Her child.Her secret.Her reason to fight.
For the first time since rejection, she allowed herself to rest.
Far across the border, the Blood Moon Pack celebrated.Alpha Damon stood before his wolves, his arm wrapped tightly around Serena—the woman he had chosen over Lila.
"Tonight," he declared, "we honor the future of this pack. I have found the true Luna."
The crowd cheered, blind to the cruelty he had unleashed on Lila just hours ago. But in Damon's eyes flickered a shadow of unease. He had felt it—the strange energy when Lila fled. Something about her wasn't… normal.
Later, when the fires dimmed and the feasting ended, Damon leaned close to Serena."She's not coming back," Serena purred, her lips brushing his ear. "Forget the weakling."
But Damon's jaw tightened. "She carried a secret in her eyes. Something I will uncover."
Back in the forest, night crept fast.Lila awoke to the howl of wolves in the distance. Fear gripped her, but when she touched her chest, she felt the faint hum of power.
The beast's bond.
She stood by the cracked window, eyes blazing with determination."They think I am gone. They think I am nothing." Her voice was steady now, fierce. "But I will rise. For my child. For myself."
And as the moon climbed higher, a silver shimmer flashed outside the cabin.Golden eyes appeared in the dark—watching, waiting.
The beast had returned.
Golden eyes glowed in the shadows outside the cabin, their light slicing through the darkness like fire.Lila froze, her breath caught in her chest. Her instinct screamed run, yet her heart whispered stay.
The wooden door creaked as the massive figure stepped inside. He was not fully wolf, not fully man—his form was veiled in mist, powerful shoulders and sharp claws gleaming beneath the moonlight.
"You called for me," his voice rumbled, deep and ancient, though her lips had spoken no words.Lila's knees trembled. "W-who are you?"
The beast tilted his head, golden gaze burning into her soul. "Your mate cast you aside. But fate does not leave threads unfinished. I am the bond he rejected… and the strength you were meant to hold."
Lila clutched her stomach, panic surging. "I don't want strength. I want safety. For me… for my child."Her voice cracked on the last word, as if the forest itself might betray her secret.
The beast lowered himself, his massive frame bowing before her. "Then safety you shall have. I will guard you until your heart no longer trembles. But you must embrace me, Lila. Half of you is mine."
For a moment, silence thickened between them. The cabin's walls groaned, wind rattled the broken glass.Finally, Lila stepped forward, her hand hovering near the beast's fur. Heat radiated from him, not of fire, but of power.
"If I accept you…" she whispered, "…will I become like you?"The beast's lips curved in something close to a smile. "No. You will become greater."
Meanwhile, in the Blood Moon Pack…Damon's restless sleep shattered. His wolf snarled in his dreams, visions of golden eyes haunting him.He rose from bed, chest heaving. Serena stirred beside him.
"What is it?" she murmured."She's alive," Damon hissed. His fists clenched. "And something… walks with her."
Back in the cabin, the beast leaned close. His golden eyes flickered like embers."Choose now, Lila. Hide in fear—or rise with me."
Lila's trembling hand finally touched his fur.And at that instant, power rushed through her veins, wild and untamed, as if the forest itself had bent to her will.
Her eyes widened in shock.The beast growled, pleased. "From this night onward… no one will dare break you again.
The beast's words echoed in the silent forest, heavy with promise. His voice carried a strange warmth beneath the growl, like fire hidden beneath cold steel.
Selene's heart raced. She had heard oaths before—empty vows whispered by men who only wanted to own her—but this… this felt different. It wasn't a claim. It was a vow of protection.
Her trembling fingers curled into fists as she looked up at him. His golden eyes glowed fiercely, reflecting the silver moon above them.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice breaking the tension between them. "Why protect me? You don't even know me."
The beast stepped closer, his massive form casting a shadow that swallowed hers. Yet Selene didn't flinch. His presence didn't suffocate her; it pulled her in.
"Because," he growled softly, "your pain reached me before your scent did. Because I see fire in you, little wolf… fire they tried to extinguish, but couldn't."
Her lips parted, stunned. No one had ever said something like that to her. For years, she had hidden her scars, her loneliness, her fractured soul. How could he see through her so easily?
Selene shook her head. "You speak as if you've known me all my life."
A dangerous smirk tugged at the beast's lips. "Maybe I have."
Her breath caught. Was he joking? Or was there truth buried in his cryptic words?
Before she could question him, the wind shifted. A low howl rose in the distance, sharp and warning. The beast's head snapped toward the sound, his entire body tensing.
Selene froze. That howl… it wasn't ordinary. It carried the weight of command, the unmistakable call of an alpha.
"They've found us," the beast muttered, his voice laced with disdain. "Your pack."
Selene's stomach twisted. She should've felt relief, safety even, but all she felt was dread. The pack didn't see her as one of them anymore. They saw her as a burden. A broken piece of their perfect chain.
The beast studied her expression carefully. "You don't want to return to them." It wasn't a question—it was a statement.
She shook her head slowly, eyes burning with unshed tears. "They… they don't want me."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the rustling leaves. Then the beast bent down, his massive form lowering until his eyes met hers at eye level.
"Then don't return," he said firmly. "Stay with me."
Her chest tightened. Stay? With him? The thought terrified her—yet it also filled her with a wild, dangerous hope.
"But you don't even know who I am," she whispered again, as if reminding him.
This time, he smiled, and it was devastating. "I know enough. You're mine."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. A claim. An oath. A dangerous promise under the moon.
The howl came again, closer now. Branches snapped, paws thundered across the forest floor. The pack was near.
The beast rose to his full height, towering above her. His voice dropped, colder this time, edged with lethal intent.
"They will not take you back. Not unless they walk over my dead body."
Selene gasped. His words weren't spoken like a metaphor. They were a declaration of war.
Somewhere deep inside her, the broken pieces of her soul shifted. For the first time in years, she didn't feel like prey. She felt like… something more.
The beast turned his glowing eyes toward the dark trees, his body vibrating with power. "Stay behind me, Selene. Tonight, they'll learn who you belong to."
And as the first shadow emerged from the darkness, Selene realised the truth—her story had only just begun.