Lucia's heart pounded in her chest as she stood with her father, the Alpha, at the entrance of the Dark Moon Pack's territory. The air was thick with tension, a mixture of unease and defiance that could be felt in the pit of her stomach. She had heard the rumors-the whispered tales of dark deeds committed by the Dark Moon Pack, a pack that had earned its reputation as one of the most ruthless and merciless to exist. The murder of the child in the neighboring pack was still fresh in the minds of many, and now, she had no choice but to attend this gathering with her father, and the Alpha of their pack, to meet with the enemy. As they entered the heart of the Dark Moon territory, Lucia's eyes scanned the crowd. They were all so cold, their eyes calculating and predatory. But then her gaze fell on him. Tristan. The Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack. His presence alone seemed to silence the world around him. His eyes-dark as midnight-locked with hers. A wave of shock slammed into her chest, so powerful it almost knocked the breath from her lungs. She had always imagined him to be everything the rumors said. Cruel. Cold-hearted. Vicious. But now, as their gazes held, Lucia felt something she couldn't explain-a pull, a connection so undeniable that it shook her to her core. Tristan's expression remained emotionless, but his eyes betrayed a hint of something deeper. Something... human. Despite everything she had heard about him, something inside Lucia whispered that there was more to Tristan. That underneath the cold exterior, a different side of him existed. One she was determined to uncover. Lucia couldn't help but take a step forward, her pulse quickening as she made the silent promise to herself that she would find out who Tristan truly was. She would unravel the mysteries of the Dark Moon Alpha, no matter the cost.
Chapter 1 01
01
This is what I loved.
Running on my own through the forest, wind rippling through my thick, silver shiny coat, without a care in the world. My paws hit the ground with a rhythmic thud, the earth beneath me vibrating with the force of my speed. The scent of the night, the sharp tang of pine mixed with the freshness of the forest's deep breath, filled my senses. Every inch of me was alive, every muscle stretched and glided in perfect unison. The wind tangled through my fur, cooling my heated body as I raced through the night, as though nothing existed beyond this moment.
This is what I do each night. Escape my house, slip away from the eyes of my pack, and race through the woods in my wolf form. If a human had seen me right now, I would have just looked like a silver blur, nothing more than a flash of motion, impossible to catch. I was running that fast. But like I said, this is what I loved. The exhilaration. The rush. The feeling of freedom that could only be experienced in my wolf form, where I could forget everything else and simply be.
I slowed to a light run, feeling my muscles stretch and loosen as I gradually shifted my pace. The crisp air filled my lungs, my paws barely touching the ground now, as I tilted my head, eyes rising to the vast expanse of the black night sky. The moon was full tonight, its silver light spilling across the landscape, casting everything in a soft glow. For a brief moment, I felt like I was part of the night, like I belonged to it.
But it wasn't the moonlight that guided me. It was my werewolf senses. My eyesight, my hearing, my smell-they were all enhanced, sharp, attuned to the smallest detail of my surroundings. Being the Beta's daughter came with its perks. We were trained to be the best, and our senses, our strength, were heightened in ways most wolves could only dream of.
I slowed my pace further, coming to a stop. The cool earth beneath my paws felt comforting. I sank back on my haunches, resting my body against a sturdy tree. My head remained tilted back, staring up at the sky. The stars. They were so distant, so unreachable, yet they always calmed me. I've always had an affinity for the stars. It was as if, when I looked hard enough, I could see the patterns in them, make pictures, form constellations. I had done this since I was a little girl.
I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering the feeling of being a child, carefree, innocent.
I remembered the night I was five, laying beside my mother in this very forest. The air was warm then, the scent of spring filling the air. She had been telling me stories, laughing and joking, as we stared at the stars. The memory was so vivid, so real, that it felt like she was here beside me now, her soft laughter echoing in my mind.
My heart tightened with the memory. My mother. Miranda. She was gone. And every time I thought about her, a sharp pang of grief gripped my chest. I had been only six when she was taken from me. Six years old. Too young to understand death, too young to grasp that I would never see her again.
I remember that night so clearly. The sound of her hurried footsteps as she ran through this very forest, her powerful wolf form cutting through the trees. The pack was on alert that night; there had been rumors that the Dark Moon pack was getting closer, making moves to expand their territory. My mother had been making her way home when it happened.
She had crossed the Boundary Line. That was all it took.
The Boundary Line was a sacred, dangerous place. It marked the divide between the Fire Daze pack and the Dark Moon pack. It was a no-man's land, a line that no one dared to cross. But my mother had done it by mistake. She had been unaware of the proximity of Alpha Tony, the ruthless Alpha of the Dark Moon pack.
The moment he felt her cross the line, he wasted no time. There was no mercy. No hesitation. Just death. My mother was gone before anyone even had a chance to react.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block the image of her lifeless body, of the pain that had lingered in my heart ever since. She had been everything to me. Kind. Loving. Strong. Dedicated to her pack, always putting others before herself. She had been a beacon of light, and without her, my world had felt like it was plunged into darkness.
The night she died, I had been waiting for her to come home. I didn't know then. I didn't know that by dawn, I would be an orphan, left to face a world without my mother's love.
I sighed deeply, my breath visible in the cold air. There was no escaping the grief. It had shaped me, molded me into who I was today. But it also filled me with a burning desire for justice. For revenge. And one day, I would have it.
Alpha Tony's death came two years after my mother's. The disease that had taken him was rare, something that even his Alpha blood couldn't fight. Cancer, they said. A disease that had no mercy.
I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction at his death. Good. The Dark Moon pack finally knew what it felt like to lose one of their own. I had been only eight when it happened, but I had known even then that it was karmic justice. I had heard the whispers around the pack, the rumors that Alpha Tony had been a cruel, merciless leader, and that his death had been a relief to many, even within his own ranks.
But his death didn't bring my mother back. And it didn't change the fact that the Dark Moon pack was still out there, still a threat to my pack.
Now, the pack was led by his son, Tristan Ryker. A young Alpha, only 23 years old, but already known for his strength and coldness. There were whispers about him, about his lack of a mate, and the darkness that seemed to radiate from him. Some said he was more dangerous than his father. Others said he was just as ruthless.
Tristan. His name haunted me. Every time I thought about the Dark Moon pack, his name followed. The son of the monster who had killed my mother.
I stood up from my place beneath the tree, shaking off the sadness that had threatened to consume me. My wolf form was strong, and I had learned to keep my emotions in check. There was no room for weakness, not when the world was so full of danger.
The night air was cold now, and I could feel the chill creeping into my fur, but it didn't matter. My senses were heightened. I could hear every crackle of the leaves in the trees, every rustle of a distant animal. The forest was alive, and so was I.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of pine and earth, and I began to run again. My paws pounded against the earth, my body moving effortlessly through the forest, as if the very woods were part of me.
Tonight, I would be free.
But tomorrow? Tomorrow, the fire of vengeance would burn even brighter.
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