Rejected Luna.

na's

s majestic facades - none darker than mine

t with "once upon a time

her departed it. My first breath was also her last - a co

labor, others before. The details grew indistinct with time, but the botto

oment his Luna left the physical world. When he looked at me, he saw only her ghost - my blue eyes

voice cracking before it hardened again.

elty in our home. She bore my father two more children - good heirs,

duties? Scrubbing floors until

crow when I went upstairs. "Hand

the pack outcast would be audacious enough to fight back. I never did. And where

ellations from my feet after eighteen hours of service. As nightfall sw

r crash

o something queasy. My stepbrother's shadow danc

The chain in his hand caught moonlight before it l

eyes glittering like a predat

e. Alcohol. Chains. Violation. Every time, it es

Need something special tonight," he rasped, h

tle of vodka clinked as he put it down on the stone -

d when he ripped

laughed. "

is pants fell hard. I pushed

oice sounded strange - more

s eyes narrowed. "Sho

e me - not breaking, bu

crushed my wrists, bones protesting. He let me go

I felt suddenly in my hand. I didn't plan it. Didn't

d against his temple. Blood - warm

ing out of his skull as if a grotes

hing glass underfoot.

d down his face. And he smiled behind the red mask. "You'll sc

ot when I'd already stained myself with his blood. The pack viewed

whispered. "You don

t now I do. "You're going to owe me f

amed - a guttural noise that felt

oat as he shoved me against the wall. Something snapped within

tomach. "Shut up or you can be li

rated through the haze of pain. *Li

ther path. But one

n and kicked up toward him, my foot striking his sh

rotest. Blood oozed from several wounds, 

lowed as I grabbed my few b

less. Each step was torture, fractured rib rubbin

st furniture, was behi

ing - musk and rage filling the small

ys. The main gate was coming up ahead - too far

ana," I whisp

glass. Jaxon's growls grew closer. I ha

weight of my decision. There was no going back once I crossed that threshol

rs closed around my ank

clawing my fingers into his bloodied templ

ore free, dragging myself through the gat

om his shattered eye. "You!" His voice broke with hate. "You

time in years. "I'd rather die a ro

seen. The cold wind whipped through my matted hair

nless. Purposel

n a dark alleyway, my lungs on fire with the phlegmy gasping. P

swept over me in waves

inning," I murmured to

of the alley. My heart pou

ing into the dark. The smelly thing t

the shadows. Someth

as movin