The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the Black Wings Pack’s clearing. I stood at the edge of the pack’s territory, every eye on me. My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Instinctively, my hands cradled my belly. That quickly gave me a realization.
I reminded myself, ‘My babies. I have to stay strong for them.’
Nicholas stood tall. Beside him, Selena smirked as she was satisfied with me being miserable. Meanwhile, the crowd was silent. Still, they looked at me sympathetically.
The Alpha raised his voice as he announced, “Gwen, you have brought shame to this pack. You are no longer fit to stand among us.”
My cruel sister stepped forward, and looked at me mockingly before she said, “Look at her. Our once-proud Luna, was reduced to this. A traitor. A liar.”
She then shamelessly continued, “I suppose it’s no surprise, though. She’s always been ... lacking.”
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms.
Allegra’s voice was firm in my mind as she spoke, ‘Don’t let them break you. They want to see you crumble.’
My shameless husband then said, “This woman claimed to be our Luna. Yet, she has proven herself unworthy of that title.”
Selena added with a sneer, “She couldn’t even keep her mate satisfied. Isn’t that right, Nicholas?”
Pain shot through me at her words, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me falter.
The man smirked as he said, “It’s true. A Luna should be strong, loyal, and worthy of her position. Gwen has failed on all counts.”
I raised my head, forcing my voice to stay steady, as I said, “I have done nothing but serve this pack with love and loyalty. Whatever lies you tell, I know the truth.”
Selena laughed at what I just said, responding, “The truth? The truth is that you’re a disgrace. And now, you’ll get what you deserve.”
To everyone’s shock, I slapped Selena so hard to the point that she fell on her face. She immediately pretended to get hurt. My husband quickly came for his mistress.
But I couldn’t care less about someone who once used to be my sister. That woman was a monster. So, I just returned the favor.
I took a shaky breath and met Nicholas’ gaze.
“I will leave. But not because of your lies. I leave because I will not stay where hatred and betrayal rule. One day, you’ll know that all you did would turn its back on you,” I said coldly, keeping my eyes on my soon-to-be ex-husband.
“Never forget this, Nicholas Hargreaves,” I coldly told him.
The crowd murmured. They surely didn’t expect their once obedient Luna to be like this. Actually, it wasn’t just them. Even the Alpha was stunned about my seemingly sudden change of behavior.
Still, the man tried to play it cool by saying, “Then go. And don’t come back. Make sure you don’t trip over your pride on the way out.”
With Allegra’s strength bolstering me, I turned and walked away. My steps were slow but steady. Each step carried me farther from the place I had once called home.
As I crossed the boundary, the pain of the severed bond tore through me. It was as if a part of my soul had been ripped away, leaving a hollow ache in its place. I gasped, clutching my stomach as tears spilled down my cheeks.
‘Keep moving,’ Allegra urged gently.
‘We cannot stop now.’
Once I was far enough away, I sank to my knees. The weight of everything crashed down on me. Slowly but surely, I sobbed into my hands.
“Why, Moon Goddess?” I whispered through my tears.
“Why must I suffer like this?”
The wind whispered through the trees, carrying no answers.
Allegra’s voice broke through my despair as she said, ‘I am with you. We will get through this together.’
I took a deep breath, drawing strength from her words.
‘You’re right. We have to keep going.’
‘Shift,’ she urged.
My wolf continued, ‘We can cover more ground in my form.’
Closing my eyes, I allowed the warmth of my wolf to take over. Allegra emerged, her powerful form steady beneath me. She took off, her paws pounding against the forest floor as the world blurred around us.
We ran until the sky darkened and exhaustion set in. Allegra slowed down. Her ears were twitching as she scanned the surroundings.
In the distance, a small, crumbling cottage stood hidden among the trees. It looked abandoned. With her eyes, I could see the roof sagging and vines creeping up its walls.
I shifted back into my human form, my legs weak beneath me.
“It’s not much, but we can take a shelter there,” I murmured.
Pushing open the creaky door, I stepped inside. The air was musty. When I looked inside, it was barely a cottage. Still, it was better than nothing.
I sank onto the bed, cradling my belly.
“We’ll be okay, I promise,” I whispered to my babies.
After that, I decided to lay down. The weight of the day was pressing heavily on me. Sleep came in fits and starts, plagued by nightmares of Nicholas and Selena’s mocking faces.
A sound jolted me awake. My heart pounded as I sat up, straining to listen. There it was again. A faint sound rustled outside the cottage.
‘Someone’s here,’ Allegra warned, her tone sharp.
Fear gripped me.
“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice trembling.
The door creaked open, and a shadowy figure stepped inside. Moonlight filtered through the cracks in the roof, casting the figure in shadow. My stomach churned.
I scrambled to my feet, my hands shaking.
“Stay back. I won’t go down without a fight,” I said firmly to the figure.
The figure remained silent, their head tilting as they studied me.
My wolf told me, ‘Stay calm. They don’t seem hostile, but don’t trust them.’
“Who are you?” I asked the figure.
The figure’s voice was low and steady as they spoke, “You’re not safe here.”
My breath caught, asking them back, “What do you mean?”
“They’ll come for you,” the figure said.
Fear gripped my chest.
“Who?” I asked them.
The figure said, “Nicholas won’t let you go so easily.”
Howls echoed in the distance, growing louder. My stomach twisted with fear. I knew it!
‘Nicholas and Selena are up to no good, I gotta go,’ I thought to myself.
“They’ve found you,” the figure said urgently.
I hesitated, my mind racing as I asked the figure, “Why are you helping me?”
The figure stepped closer with the moonlight barely illuminating their face as they said, “Because if you stay, you’ll die.”
The howls grew nearer, my panic rising with each passing second.
‘We need to trust them. For now,’ my wolf said.
Swallowing my fear, I nodded.
I firmly said, “Fine. But if you’re lying-”
“I’m not,” the figure cut me off quickly.
Before I could respond, they extended a hand.
“Come with me.”
I hesitated for a moment before taking their hand, letting them lead me into the darkness.
