Rejected Under the Blood Moon

RA'

lled like smo

he sky. The entire pack had gathered in the clearing, dressed in ceremonial black

r

r

he ma

the clearing. Its light washed over my skin, over the white ceremonial dress I had sew

o look wor

so hard I could feel it in my throat.

m

Crowned in shad

ed to his powerful frame, the Nightfall crest embosse

his eyes

rld so

ad pulling tight between my ribs and his. I felt it

as m

as

w it was su

fted his staff. T

e Blood Moon, Alpha Kael will claim

itement moved t

forgot ho

n walking

was slow.

. His boots crushed the fallen leaves, th

ed in fr

that I could

smell him-cedarwood, iron,

ed inside me,

s h

choos

ted m

was unr

ispered, bar

aw fl

second-I saw somethi

a

it wa

epped

forw

a

ement w

like falling

fusion passed t

inside me

e Elder pro

when it cam

o

ough to

l of the Nigh

pau

eath

eject

my chest like

je

should never exist

my ears. The worl

d for l

to say it wa

o correct

did

d, louder now so every wolf could hear

oke the

t it

violently. Not snapping-no,

twi

hing being

es tre

efused

cracked. I hat

ze met

pt

ot fit to

rd was

ec

bl

lineage. You lack the power

was worse than

sn't just cas

dismant

t of ev

started

e

lpha

ways

me. Measuring. Judging. Confir

llowe

ated mate,"

not d

as a

ession h

akes mi

th

ed away

rn

re already

nded hi

he clearing, a wom

the Iron

re. Confidence in every stride

de me as my chosen L

os

fa

ack b

by

s hitting earth e

looke

d ther

stan

brea

t like my ribs ha

dn't

front o

ot give t

nd walked through

touch

stopp

der with every step aw

ed the forest line,

ano

was r

rough the delicate fabric of my dress. The

dn't

n't t

ungs burned and

nst the trunk of

hen I

re out of me di

nded w

my hand to

was sti

l al

l bu

dn't i

still f

wl an

o

ona

om the

insid

ooded m

ion bl

Moon above

wly, im

shi

m r

sil

e arched as something ancient forced i

cre

that left me w

as a

e

ya

rif

ished, I stood on

ll

ong

himmered und

ntly along my spine

o the river'

ee the broken g

ng they shoul

hoed insid

ever meant

aw

istance

flared

im drop to h