The Lunas Moonlit Fate

March 3rd 1999

"You have to let her go, we can't keep her "

"We can please, don't do this " . The woman cried as she held her baby in her arms in a protective stance.

"They'll kill her if they ever find out she exists , this is our curse for defying the mate bond".

October 7th 2009

"Secure the borders, all women and children should stay in the bunkers". A pack warrior called out to his colleague leading the elderly to the bunkers.

"Alpha we won't be able to make it, we are outnumbered". The Chief warrior reported back.

"Every able-bodied man will fight till his last breath, I'll not sit back and watch as they destroy my pack". The alpha said as his grey wolf charged into the battleground.

The night air was heavy with the stench of blood and sweat as the pack clashed with their attackers. The sound of snarling and snapping filled the air, punctuated by the occasional yelp of pain.

The alpha wolf, his thick coat glistening in the moonlight, stood tall, his eyes blazing with fury as he took down attacker after attacker. His movements were swift and deadly, his jaws powerful and precise. But despite his valiant efforts, the pack was vastly outnumbered.

The chief warrior's brown wolf, his eyes burning with a fierce determination, fought alongside the alpha, his movements fluid and calculated. He took down a massive attacker with a crushing blow, but more enemies closed in, relentless.

The alpha stumbled, his leg buckling beneath him as an attacker sank its teeth into his thigh tearing out the leg, he let out a pained yelp, but his cry was drowned out by the chaos of the battle.

The brown wolf fought on, his movements growing more desperate as the attackers closed in. He took down several more, but he was vastly outnumbered. Just as he thought he saw an opening to escape, a massive attacker struck him from behind, sending him crashing to the ground.

As the last of the pack's warriors fell, the attackers stood victorious, their chests heaving with exhaustion. The pack lay in ruins, their bodies broken and battered.

The grey wolf and the brown wolf lay among the dead, their once-proud forms now broken and still.

*******

ILDIKO'S POV

I huddled in the corner, my heart racing as the sound of snarling and snapping filled the air. The attackers poured in, their eyes glowing in the dark.

I watched in horror as they overpowered our guards, their bodies crumpling to the ground. The attackers moved with ruthless efficiency, rounding up the girls and dragging them away.

I tried to hide, to make myself small, but it was no use. A rough hand grasped my arm, pulling me to my feet. I struggled, but it was no match for the attacker's strength.

"Come up girl don't make me hurt you now, you'll get me a nice price with this red hair of yours". He said as he dragged me to the van.

My pack was a mess, buildings burnt, the smell of blood and silver hanging in the air. The alpha's head is hanging on a stake along with Luna.

As I was dragged away, I saw some of the other girls being taken, their faces twisted in fear.

I was thrown into a dark, cramped space, the other girls tumbling in beside me. The door slammed shut, and I heard the sound of locks clicking into place.

We huddled together, our bodies shaking with fear. I could feel the girls' warm breath on my skin, and I knew we were all thinking the same thing - what would happen to us next?

As we waited, the sounds of snarling and snapping grew fainter, replaced by the distant howling of wolves.

March 3rd 2019

Ildikó's POV

The cold stone walls of the cell pressed against my back as I sat huddled in the corner, knees drawn to my chest. The dampness seeped through the thin, ragged dress they'd thrown at me after they'd stripped me of my dignity. My name. That was all I had left, and even that they turned into a mockery.

"Look at her," sneered the guard, his voice dripping with contempt. "Ildikó. What kind of name is that anyway? Sounds like something a dog would choke on." He leaned against the bars, his breath reeking of stale ale and cruelty. "Fitting, though. You're nothing more than a filthy mutt."

Laughter erupted from the others, echoing off the stone walls like a sickening melody. I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, my fingers digging into the dirt as if I could claw my way into the earth and disappear. But they wouldn't let me.

"Oh, don't be shy, Ildi-knee-low," another guard jeered, twisting my name into a slur. "You should be proud! You've got the honor of entertaining us." He rattled the cell door, making me flinch. "Come on, say your name for us. Let's hear it from the princess herself."

I clenched my jaw, refusing to give them the satisfaction.

"She thinks she's better than us," the first one said, spitting on the ground near me. "You're nothing, girl. Just another piece of property waiting to be sold. A name won't change that."

"Maybe she thinks her fancy little name will save her," the second guard added, his grin malicious. "Newsflash, sweetheart: no one cares who you were. Out there, you're nothing. In here, you're even less."

They laughed again, their voices grating against my ears, carving deep cuts into what little remained of my spirit. I wanted to scream, to tell them that Ildikó meant something, that it had been whispered by my mother in lullabies, spoken in love, but that will all be a lie, won't it. My mom never felt I was worthy enough to stay. My throat tightened, and all I could do was swallow the rising bile.

"Aw, don't cry now," one of them said mockingly, noticing the glimmer of tears I tried to hide. "Tears won't bring you pity, girl. You'll learn that soon enough."

I stayed silent, my head bowed. They could mock my name, strip me of everything, but I would not give them my voice. I would not let them see me break.

But inside, I was already breaking.

*****

The air in the cell was suffocating, heavy with the stench of sweat, damp stone, and despair. I sat curled in a corner, my knees pulled to my chest, the rough fabric of my tattered dress doing little to shield me from the cold. My mind wandered to distant places-places where I wasn't locked away like a caged animal. Hope had become a foreign thing, fragile and fleeting, but then I heard the footsteps.

They were different this time. Heavy, commanding, purposeful. Whoever it was, they weren't like the guards or the traders. The air shifted, charged with something primal, something powerful. My heart thudded in my chest, faster and faster, as the iron door groaned open. And then I saw him.

I forgot how to breathe.

He stood in the doorway, a towering figure bathed in flickering torchlight, and for a moment, I thought he might be a vision-a cruel trick of my mind. He was unlike anyone I had ever seen. His skin was a deep, rich brown, smooth and warm like polished wood, and his hair... it fell in waves of white, a stark and silken contrast to his skin. But it was his eyes that pinned me in place. Silver. They glowed faintly, like twin moons set against the night sky, cold and piercing, as if they could see through me, into every scar, every crack in my soul.

My wolf stirred inside me, she had not appeared since the day I had my first shift, a whisper growing into a roar. Mate.