(Thea)
I don't remember how I made it back to my cabin that night.
All I remember was the way my chest burned, as though my heart had been set on fire from the inside. Every step I took felt heavier than the last. Every breath was sharper than a knife, it was though I was being cut open from the inside.
The rejection bond cut through me, leaving a pain that no medicine could heal. It wasn't just heartbreak; it was loss, it was both spiritual and physical, a tearing of something sacred.
I collapsed onto the small wooden floor as I gasped for air. My wolf, Lyra, whimpered inside me, her voice was slowly fading away due to weakness. The pain of the bond was too painful for me to bear and the more she tried to take away the pain, the weaker she became.
"He didn't mean it… maybe he'll take it back," she whispered weakly.
But I knew better. I had seen Kael's face contour into disgust. The coldness in his voice , the shame he felt as he looked at me made me sure that he meant every word.
I pressed my palm against my chest, sobbing quietly. "He rejected us, Lyra. The bond is broken."
Outside, the wind howled through the trees, it carried the lingering scent of the ceremony….the smoke, the smell of the pine trees, and the bitter tang of betrayal.
By morning, the whispers had spread around the pack.
Wherever I walked, wolves turned away like I was an abomination. Warriors who once barked orders at me now looked at me like I was a curse. They didn't want me close to them and banned me from running errands for them….like I was evil. The pack doctor refused to treat me. The kitchen omegas whispered that the Alpha had been right; that I was too weak to be Luna.
Each word and each stare directed at me, drove the knife deeper into my chest.
I tried to ignore them. I tried keeping my head down and scrubbing the training grounds like I always did. But even the simple chores felt unbearable. My wolf barely moved anymore and my body still ached from the rejection's aftermath….. the way the bond had snapped left my strength weakened.
By evening, I couldn't take it anymore.
When I walked past the training field, I caught sight of Kael. He was sparring shirtless with his warriors,his movements sharp and ruthless as always. His skin glistened under the setting sun, and though my heart twisted painfully at the sight, I couldn't look away from him.
He was perfection.
For a moment, his eyes found mine across the distance.
His eyes were cold and empty as if nothing had ever connected us.
I quickly turned away before the tears could fall. That was when I heard them, the warriors' laughter.
"She actually came here after what happened?"
"Pathetic. The Alpha should've exiled her already."
Something inside me snapped then.
I dropped the bucket I was holding, the water poured into the dirt but I didn't care. My hands trembled but it was not because of fear this time, but from anger.
They had taken everything from me; my dignity, my hope, my mate and still they wanted more.
Enough.
That night, I packed what little I had… a black cloak I had for years, a loaf of bread, and my mother's pendant. I didn't know where I would go, only that I couldn't stay in Nightshade any longer.
Lyra stirred weakly inside me. "If we leave, we'll be rogues," she said.
"I already am," I whispered.
The forest was alive with shadows of creatures as I slipped past the border guards. The air was thick and very cold, my breath was visible in pale clouds. Every sound made me flinch…. the rustle of leaves, the hoot of an owl, the distant howl of wolves. Everything seemed alive tonight.
I walked for hours, guided only by moonlight. My feet bled from the rocks, and exhaustion pulled at my body but I kept going, one painful step after another.
Freedom hurt more than I thought it would.
Somewhere near the edge of the river, I stopped to rest. I fell to my knees and dipped my hands into the icy water, letting it wash away the blood and dirt that stained me. The moonlight shone across the surface of the water. It was soft, gentle and almost comforting.
Till it happened.
I saw it again…. that faint silver glow under my skin, spreading from the mark on my shoulder.
"What… is happening to me?" I whispered.
Before I could think, the wind shifted, it carried a scent I didn't recognize. It was Sharp and Metallic.
Rogues.
Three shadows appeared from behind the trees, their growls were low and dangerous. Their eyes glowed amber in the dark, their clothes were torn and stained with blood.
"Well, what do we have here?" the first one sneered, stepping closer. "An omega wandering alone? Must've been kicked out."
My heart pounded in fear. I stumbled back, clutching my pendant. "I don't want trouble."
The second rogue laughed. "You are trouble, sweetheart."
They circled me like wolves around prey. My legs shook as my wolf too weak to shift. One of them reached out and grabbed my arm….. pain shot through me again. But this time, it wasn't rejection pain. It was something else.
Something alive.
The mark on my shoulder burned — bright silver, burning through my torn sleeve. The rogue screamed, stumbling back as smoke rose from his skin.
"What the hell—"
I didn't know what I was doing. My vision went white, power was surging from somewhere deep inside me. The air shimmered and the forest seemed to tremble.
The next thing I knew, the rogues were on the ground groaning in pain, their eyes wide with fear.
I stared at my hands, glowing softly under the moonlight. My heart raced in confusion. My wolf which was once weak and fading — was now howling fiercely inside me.
"The Moon Goddess hasn't abandoned us," Lyra breathed. "She's awakening us."
Before I could understand what that meant, a different scent reached my nose….this one was stronger, steadier, familiar yet strange.
A tall figure stepped from the shadows. He had dark hair and a scarred jaw which looked he had been burned. His amber eyes was watching me closely.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said quietly. His voice was deep, commanding. "The Nightshade Alpha must be an idiot to reject you."
I froze, every instinct on high alert. How did he know that?
"Who are you?"I asked.
He stepped closer, the moon catching the silver streak in his hair. "Name's Lucien. Alpha of the Crescent Pack."
He looked down at the glowing mark on my shoulder, a slow smile curving his lips.
"And
I think," he said, "the Moon just led me to something… extraordinary."