Saved By The Moon Goddess

The wind howled through the trees, carrying with it the bitter sting of memories Elowen had hoped to forget. The once vibrant forest of Emberfang now felt suffocating. The towering trees seemed to close in around her as if the very earth were conspiring to bury her beneath the weight of the past. The moon hung high above, its pale light casting long shadows across the clearing, but for Elowen, it only served as a reminder of everything she had lost.

A year ago, this land had been her home. She had been the Luna of Emberfang, respected by all, loved by her mate, Theron, the Alpha of their pack. Their bond had been unbreakable- or so she had thought. Her heart had been full, her life complete, and their pack had thrived under their leadership. But all that had crumbled in the wake of a tragedy that tore through their lives like a storm.

Elowen closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. She could still hear the sound of Theron's voice- the accusatory tone, the coldness in his words as he had cast her aside. She could still see his face, hardened with rage and betrayal. He had been her everything once. Now, he was nothing more than a shadow of the man she had loved.

The memory of that day, the day she had been torn from him and everything she held dear, felt as fresh as the moment it happened. The pain was still raw, and it made her chest tighten with grief.

"You killed him," Theron's voice echoed in her mind, cruel and unyielding. "You killed our son."

She could still hear the finality in his words, the complete absence of the love they once shared. Their son, Jarek, had been their world. He was the heir to the Emberfang pack, the future of their lineage. But one fateful night, that future was stolen from them.

Elowen had been blamed for Jarek's death, accused of a crime she had not committed. She had been there, had held him in her arms as he breathed his last breath. But it was not her fault. She had never been given the chance to explain.

And Maera-her best friend, her confidante-had turned against her. It had been Maera who had stood by Theron's side when Elowen was dragged before the pack, humiliated and broken. It was Maera who had whispered lies into Theron's ear, convincing him that Elowen was responsible for the death of their son.

"I never wanted this, Elowen," Maera had said, her voice laced with deceit. "But he's my Alpha. I had no choice."

The betrayal had cut deeper than anything else. Elowen had trusted Maera with her heart, with her secrets, and yet Maera had chosen to stand with Theron. Maera had chosen to watch her fall. The very woman who had promised to always protect her had turned her back when Elowen needed her most.

The last thing Elowen had heard before she was dragged away from Theron's side was the sound of Maera's laughter, cold and empty. She had known in that moment that everything she had believed in had been a lie.

The pain of that moment was still sharp in her chest, but it was no longer the pain of heartbreak. It was the pain of betrayal, of knowing that the people she had loved most in this world had deceived her, had torn her life apart.

And now, as she stood at the edge of the Emberfang territory, she felt a cold sense of determination fill her heart. The woman who had been rejected, cast aside, and broken was gone. In her place stood a woman with a mission. A woman with a purpose.

"I will have my revenge," Elowen whispered to the wind, her voice laced with quiet fury. "I will make them pay for what they've done."

The clearing stretched out before her, the trees and the earth still as though holding their breath. Elowen took a step forward, the ground soft beneath her feet. Her heart beat in time with the rhythm of the forest, as though the earth itself were urging her onward.

The truth was, Elowen hadn't known what to expect when the Moon Goddess had granted her a second chance. At first, she had been disoriented, lost in the swirling mists of time. But now, standing on this very ground-this land that had once been hers-she knew what she had to do.

She needed to expose the truth. Theron had to pay for the life he had stolen from her. Maera needed to be held accountable for her lies and treachery. The pack, too, would learn the truth of what had happened-the truth that had been buried by the lies of the Alpha and his traitorous Luna.

But there was more. Lucien. The name echoed in her mind, like a whisper on the wind. She had only heard stories of him-an Alpha from a neighboring pack, a man whose power was said to rival that of the strongest of the wolves. But Elowen knew, deep down, that she would need him. She would need his strength, his wisdom, and his protection if she was to survive the storm that was coming.

Elowen's thoughts were interrupted by a distant howl. It was the unmistakable sound of a wolf, a call that resonated through the very marrow of her bones. She recognized it immediately. The pack. Theron's pack. The pack she had once ruled over.

The sound of the howl was a reminder of everything she had lost, but it was also a challenge. They would not forget her so easily. She had been the Luna, and even now, after all this time, she could feel the weight of their gaze upon her. They would come for her, one way or another.

And Elowen would be ready.

Her eyes narrowed as she took another step forward. The forest whispered around her, the wind carrying the scent of pine and earth. But beneath it, she could scent something else-an unfamiliar presence, something dark and powerful, lurking at the edges of the clearing.

Elowen paused, her senses sharpening. She had felt it before, that pull, that tug at the edges of her consciousness. Someone was watching her. Someone with power. Someone who had been waiting for her.

Out of the shadows, he appeared. Tall, broad-shouldered, and cloaked in darkness. His eyes glinted like amber fire, predatory yet strangely familiar. There was an air of authority about him, a presence that demanded attention.

Lucien.

Elowen's heart skipped a beat as their gazes locked. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The wind, the trees, the very earth beneath their feet-all of it fell away, leaving only the two of them.

"Elowen," Lucien's voice was low, like a growl in the back of his throat. "I've been waiting for you."

The words sent a shiver down her spine, but it was not fear that gripped her heart. It was something else. Something dangerous. A spark of recognition, of destiny, that flickered deep within her soul.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

"I am the one who will help you destroy them," Lucien replied, his eyes never leaving hers. "And I will be by your side when you do."

Elowen studied him, her gaze unwavering. She didn't fully trust him-how could she, after everything she had been through? But she also knew that she couldn't do this alone. Not anymore.

"Then show me," she said, her voice hard with resolve. "Show me how you plan to help me."

Lucien's lips curled into a half-smile. "I'll show you, Elowen. We're just getting started."

The two of them stepped into the darkness of the forest, bound by fate, and the path to revenge now irrevocably set.

There seems to be unspoken tension as Lucien stepped closer, his presence filling the space between them. Elowen, though she had faced betrayal from those she had once trusted, did not flinch. She stood her ground, her posture unwavering, her eyes fixed on the stranger in front of her.

Despite the unease coiling in her gut, there was something undeniably magnetic about him. His mere presence held power, an aura of authority that sent a shiver down her spine. He wasn't like any Alpha she had met before- he was more. And for reasons she couldn't quite explain, she felt an ancient pull toward him, as if the very fibers of her being recognized something in him that had been buried long ago.

"You don't belong here," she said, her voice steady despite the questions swirling in her mind. "This land is part of Emberfang. It's my pack's territory. Why would you come here now?"

Lucien's lips curled into a knowing smirk, his amber eyes glinting with an unreadable expression. He took a step closer, the distance between them closing rapidly, and Elowen could feel the weight of his gaze like an invisible hand.

"I don't need permission to be here, Elowen," he replied, his voice smooth and confident, like a velvet caress. "I've been watching you for a long time. And I know what you seek."

Her breath hitched slightly, her heart racing with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Elowen had been prepared for this moment, prepared to face the consequences of her return, but not this. Not him. His words felt heavy with meaning, as if they carried the weight of destiny itself.

"Watching me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "How long have you been watching?"

Lucien chuckled softly, the sound almost like a low rumble in his chest. He leaned against a nearby tree, the casual posture at odds with the intensity in his gaze.

"Long enough to know that you're not the same woman who was cast aside by your mate," he said, his eyes sweeping over her with an almost imperceptible flicker of admiration. "I've seen the way your eyes harden when you think of Theron-the pain and betrayal. I've seen the anger in your heart, the need for vengeance."

Elowen's jaw tightened. He was right, but she wasn't about to let him think he understood her completely. There was far more to her than the rage that simmered beneath the surface. Still, his words struck a chord deep inside of her.

"And what exactly do you want from me?" Elowen asked, her tone sharper now. "I'm not some pawn in your game, Lucien. I'm not here to be used by anyone again."

Lucien's gaze softened, but only slightly. He pushed off the tree and took another step toward her, his movements fluid and sure, like a predator sizing up his prey.

"I want to see you succeed," he said, his voice dropping lower, as if revealing a secret meant only for her ears. "I want to see the lies exposed. I want to see Theron and Maera fall from grace, just as you do. But I need you to understand something, Elowen. You can't do this alone. The power you seek-justice, revenge, whatever you want to call it-it isn't something you can achieve by going at it headfirst with your fists raised. You'll need allies, people who can help you. People who know the pack, the politics, the land. You'll need me."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, the audacity of him stating what she had been too afraid to admit. She had always known that this journey, this path to reclaim her life, would be dangerous. But she had never considered the possibility of trusting someone like Lucien.

"And why should I trust you?" Elowen's voice was a near-whisper, the vulnerability in the question betraying the guardedness she'd built up over the months. "For all I know, you could be just another wolf looking to take advantage of me, just like Theron and Maera did."

Lucien's gaze softened even further, and for a moment, Elowen saw something flicker in his eyes. A deep understanding. And something more. Compassion.

"Because I know what it's like to lose everything," Lucien said, his voice low and almost haunting. "I know what it's like to have the people you love turn their backs on you. To be betrayed by those who were supposed to be your family."

Elowen's eyes narrowed slightly, as she studied his expression. There was sincerity in his words, but that didn't mean she had to trust him completely. He was an Alpha. An outsider.

"I'll decide what I trust when I see it," she said, her voice firm again. "But you're right about one thing. I need help. And I'm not stupid enough to think I can do this alone."

Lucien nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting in the faintest of smiles.

"That's all I need to hear," he said. "The first step is simple, Elowen. You need to show them that you're not broken anymore. That you're no longer the woman who was cast aside."

Elowen stood straighter, a surge of strength filling her veins. The idea of walking back into Emberfang territory, facing the very wolves who had once pledged loyalty to her only to turn on her, was terrifying. But she wasn't the same fragile woman she had been before. She was stronger now, and more determined than ever.

"I'll show them," she murmured. "But I'll do it my way. We'll expose the truth, and we'll bring them to their knees. Theron will pay for what he did to me. And Maera will regret every lie she told."

Lucien's eyes gleamed with approval. He stepped back, a look of calculated satisfaction on his face.

"Then we'll begin."

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the only sound the wind rustling through the trees. Elowen could feel the weight of the journey ahead pressing down on her, but this time, she felt ready. The path would be long, and the battle would be brutal, but she wasn't afraid anymore. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt the stirrings of hope inside of her.

"Where do we start?" Elowen asked, her voice steady.

Lucien's smile widened, but there was a sharp edge to it.

"We start by finding those who owe you loyalty," he said. "The ones who know the truth. The ones who can help you build your strength back up."

Elowen nodded, determination hardening within her. It would take time, but she was willing to do whatever it took. She would not rest until the truth was known, until Theron and Maera were exposed for the monsters they truly were.

"Then let's get started," she said.

The two of them set off together, stepping into the depths of the forest, the air thick with the promise of the battle to come.