FELIZ'S POV
My wolf paced within me, her restlessness growing stronger with every minute. I stood in my room, scanning the mess someone had deliberately left for me. My clothes lay shredded across the floor, torn by claws. Photos of happier times were defaced with cruel scratches and inked-out faces.
My wolf growled in my mind. “Run. Let me take over. Let us be free.”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. As tempting as it was to let her take control, I couldn’t afford to lose myself now. This wasn’t the time to succumb to primal instincts.
I knelt down, gathering the damaged photos and setting them aside. Each defaced memory felt like a fresh wound, but I refused to let the pain stop me.
“We’ll be leaving soon,” I whispered to my wolf. “Just hold on a little longer.”
As I packed what few items were still intact, I heard voices outside the walls. Vera’s familiar voice cut through, smug and mocking. “Yes, the sacred place. Elias promised to take me there tonight.”
The words hit me like a blow. The “sacred place” was a sanctuary Elias and I had discovered years ago. A hidden glade in the forest where we could escape the pack’s pressures and be honest with each other under the stars. And now, he was giving it to her.
I clenched my fists, anger bubbling up. It wasn’t just about the place—it was about the betrayal of everything it represented. The bond I once shared with Elias was gone, replaced by cold indifference.
My wolf snarled, but I silenced her with a shake of my head. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
I was almost finished picking up my clothes when the door slammed open. Vera appeared, leaning against the frame with a cruel smile. Her moonstone ring glinted under the light.
“Oh, Feliz! Still here?” she taunted. “I thought you’d slithered away by now.”
I ignored her, focusing on packing.
She stepped closer, her voice turning dangerous. “You should be grateful I’m letting you leave. If it were up to me, you’d be dragged out like the traitor you are.”
“What do you want, Luna Vera?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.
She moved closer, her expression hardening. “I want you to know your place, Feliz. You were just a stray the pack took pity on. Now, you’re nothing.”
Her words stung, but I refused to show any weakness. “Say whatever you want. It won’t change the fact that I’m leaving. You’ve already won.”
Vera’s smile turned feral. Without warning, she slashed her nails across my arm, drawing blood. I hissed in pain, stepping back as crimson stained my shirt.
She staggered backward dramatically. “Help! Help me!” she screamed. “She’s attacking me!”
The door burst open, and Elias and Kade stormed in. Their eyes went immediately to Vera, who clutched her arm like she was gravely injured.
“What the hell is going on?” Elias shouted.
“She attacked me!” Vera sobbed. “I tried to be nice, but she just—”
“No! That’s not what happened!” I shouted, but Kade’s furious growl cut me off.
“Ungrateful parasite!” Kade spat. “Is this how you repay the pack? By attacking the Luna?”
“I didn’t touch her!” I protested, but it was pointless. Their minds were made up.
Elias’s expression darkened, and before I could react, his hand struck me across the face. The slap sent me reeling, my cheek stinging with the imprint of his palm.
“Let me take over!” My wolf howled in anguish. But I held her back. This was the price I had to pay for the years of shelter they had provided.
I straightened, meeting Elias’s gaze. “Do you want to hurt me more? Was making me drink that wolfsbane earlier not enough?”
Elias didn’t respond, his eyes blank with a mask of indifference.
I turned to Kade, who looked ready to shout more insults. “You wanted me out of here, right? Don’t worry, I will.” I spoke with finality. “This is enough.”
Shouldering my bag, I walked past them, refusing to look back.
Outside, the cold night air hit my face, soothing the burning in my cheek. I paused on the steps, taking one last look at the packhouse.
“I hope you’re all happy now,” I murmured to the house. “Vera… enjoy it. You can have them all.”
As I stepped onto the forest path, I felt an unseen force pulling at me, a gentle tug in my chest. My wolf stirred, curiosity replacing the previous restlessness.
The Wildwood Pack. They were waiting for me. The pull I felt wasn’t random—it was fate. My future lay not with the people who despised me but with a new beginning, beneath the same moon that illuminated the Wildwood Pack.
I whispered a final goodbye to the life I was leaving behind and stepped into the night, ready to claim the future that awaited me.
