Luna’s POV
The forest was thick, dark and scary. The long trees was swinging in the cold wind. My feet stumbled over roots and rocks as I pushed my way further, clutching my torn cloak tightly around my cold, shivering body. The pain in my arm where the pack mark had been wiped out throbbed with every heartbeat, a cruel reminder of what I’d lost.
Banished. Rejected. Stripped of everything.
How did it come to this?
Just days ago, I had been the just a hybrid maid in the Sun Palace, a shameful maid forced to keep my head down and withstand the cold stare of everyone around me. A cursed hybrid with a faulty wolf, born into a life of ridicule. My mother’s death had left me orphaned and alone, but I’d survived. Barely.
And then the Lycan King’s Ascension changed everything.
The celebration that was meant brought together the most powerful wolves, but I a mere servant. My job was simple. clean the floors, serve drinks, stay quiet, and never cause a scene. But fate—or perhaps my curse or goddess blessings—had other plans. I stumbled on my steps as the memories send chills over me.
I don't want any of these drama I just wanted a normal mate, not the Lycan King but the moon goddess had others plans.
I laughed bitterly when I recalled the looks on the pack members eyes, a lowly hybrid maid, it was impossible that's why everyone believe I hex the Alpha. After all I have the blood of a witch.
Even though my wolf, Moon help me escape the deadly cell. I was caught up but camouflage with serving drinks to a powerful VIP Alpha, who turned out to be in rut, his pheromones was my a trap to a mere faulty wolf like me. His touch had burned, his mark seared into my skin even as my wolf, Moon, lay muted from the wolfsbane in body from the guards punishment.
I rubbed the pendant that was hanging around my neck, the very one I picked from Alpha in rut, it gleamed faintly in the moonlight. A small, silver chain with a wolf crest on a moon—his crest. I had stolen it from him after he’d fallen asleep, half to spite him and half as a token of the night I couldn’t forget. The night that ruined me.
“Why did I even keep this?” I mumbled aloud, my voice barely audible over the wind. The weight of the pendant felt heavier than ever. It was my only link to him, to the Alpha who had marked me.
But he wasn’t the one who had sentenced me to this exile. No, that honor belonged to the Lycan King himself. Blade Sterling. The man whose rejection still echoed in my ears.
"I, the Lycan King, Blade Sterling, hereby reject you, Luna Cross, as my mate."
The memory of his cold, piercing gaze as he spoke those words made my chest tighten. I pressed a hand to my heart, as if I could soothe the ache with just a touch. The rejection was like a knife twisting inside me, carving out a piece of my soul.
Why does it still hurt so much? I had no love for Blade, no reason to feel this bond. Yet his rejection had felt like a death sentence in its own right. I heard rumors of how rejection hurts but I didn't know it'll be this bad.
The night air grew colder as I walked deeper into the wilderness. The Sun Palace was miles away now, but its ghost lingered in my mind. I tugged my cloak tighter, trying to stave off the chill that seemed to seep into my very bones. My stomach growled, a painful reminder that I hadn’t eaten since the head maid dragged us to clean the throne room.
Weakness crept into my limbs, but I forced myself to keep moving. I couldn’t afford to stop. The wilderness wasn’t just a wild place—it was a hunting ground for preys. And I was now prey.
“Come on, Luna,” I muttered, clenching my fists. “You’ve survived worse.”
I had survived the streets as a child, stealing scraps and hiding from pack guards that would’ve killed me on sight. I’d survived the Sun Palace, where every day was a battle to endure the cruelty of others. This was no different. I just had to keep moving.
The faint scent of food caught my attention, and I froze. My senses, though dulled by wolfsbane and exhaustion, picked up the unmistakable aroma of cooked meat. My stomach clenched, and I followed the scent, careful to stay silent.
The flicker of firelight broke through the trees ahead, and I crept closer, my heart pounding. A rogue camp. There were three of them, their voices gruff as they argued over something I couldn’t make out. A small spit hung over the fire, a rabbit roasting on the flames.
My mouth watered.
I crouched low, assessing the situation. They were distracted, their backs turned to the food. It would be risky, but I didn’t have a choice. Hunger gnawed at me, and I knew I wouldn’t last long without something to eat.
You’ve done this before, I reminded myself. You can do it again.
I waited for the right moment, my muscles coiled like springs. When one of the rogues stood and walked away to relieve himself, and the other two turned to argue over something else, I made my move.
I ran and grabbed the rabbit from the spit, ignoring the heat as it burned my fingers. I was gone before they even realized what had happened, sprinting into the darkness with the stolen meal clutched tightly in my hands.
“Hey! Stop!” one of them shouted, their voices growing distant as I disappeared into the trees.
I didn’t stop running until my lungs burned and my legs felt like lead. Collapsing under a tree, I ate the rabbit like my life depends on it. Well huger kills. and I'm not ready to die just yet.The taste of the smoky meat filled my mouth, and I closed my eyes, savoring every bite.
It’s not much, but it’ll keep us going, Moon murmured, her voice faint but encouraging.
“We’ll make it,” I whispered back. “Somehow.”
The wind shifted, and my relief was short-lived. A low, mournful howl echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down my spine.
Feral rogues.
I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. The howls grew louder, closer. My senses screamed at me to run, but my legs felt rooted to the ground. I scanned the darkness, searching for any sign of movement.
The snapping of a twig behind me made me turn around. My breath hitched as a pair of glowing eyes appeared from the shadows, their golden hue fixed on me with predatory stare.
Moon growled weakly, her presence flickering in my mind. Run, Luna. Now.
But I couldn’t move. My body refused to obey, paralyzed by fear and tiredness. The rogue wolf stepped closer, its growl echoed through the air like a warning. Its matted fur and scarred face told me this was no ordinary wolf—it was a survivor, like me.
Only this time, I wasn’t sure if I could survive it.
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