Chapter 7

(River's POV)

I dragged my luggage past them quietly, my eyes fixed on the ground. No goodbyes. No glances. Just silence.

There was nothing left to say—at least nothing I wanted to hear or say anymore. The people I once called family had stood by while I was thrown to the wolves—literally and figuratively.

I reached my car and popped open the trunk, lifting my suitcase in with effort. The weight wasn’t much, but everything about me felt heavier—my heart, my soul, my exhaustion. I closed it gently, not slamming it. I had no energy for anger, only resignation.

Climbing into the driver’s seat, I stared ahead blankly for a moment. Where to now?

A painfully honest question with no comforting answer.

All I had to my name was five hundred dollars in savings, a wristwatch that might get me eighty—maybe a hundred if I found a kind pawnbroker—and a car that barely passed for reliable.

A hotel? Maybe three nights. Four, if I skipped meals. Then what?

The reality hit me hard.

I could sleep in the car, I thought bitterly.

But even that brought more questions. Where would I park it? What if I got towed? Or robbed? Or worse—what if someone found out I was pregnant and vulnerable?

I sighed heavily and turned the key in the ignition.

“Goodbye, Zed,” I whispered under my breath as the engine rumbled to life.

With one last glance at the house behind me—a place I once called home—I reversed out of the driveway and drove off.

The tires hummed softly against the pavement, but inside my head, it was chaos.

I had no destination in mind. I just… drove.

Through unfamiliar roads and quiet streets. Past empty fields and towns I didn’t recognize. My mind wandered as aimlessly as my car did, tumbling over questions I had no answers to.

Where do I even start from?

Crescent Moon? I nearly scoffed aloud. That pack had nothing for me now. I couldn’t exactly walk into town and ask for work. My name was already tainted. I was the "former Luna" who’d been tossed out like garbage. No one would hire me.

Besides, what kind of job could I even get that would pay enough to survive—and raise a child?

I wasn’t qualified for anything outside the pack life. My whole world revolved around titles and traditions, not resumes and applications.

Could I serve coffee? Clean hotel rooms? Work night shifts at a diner?

Would that even be enough?

And how long would I even last, pregnant and alone?

I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked away the sting in my eyes.

I didn’t want to cry again.

I’d already shed too many tears for people who didn’t deserve them. For Zed. For Amber. For a home that turned its back on me.

But this wasn’t just about me anymore. I was carrying life—fragile, innocent life. A tiny heartbeat depending on me to make it.

I glanced down at my stomach instinctively, one hand slipping to rest over it.

“I’ll figure something out,” I whispered. “I have to.”

Or maybe… I could work at a bar?

Pick up a few shifts, wipe down tables, pour drinks with a fake smile, then crawl back into my car to sleep—at least until I saved up enough to leave this godforsaken place and never look back.

It wasn’t the best plan, but it was something.

But where?

I didn’t know any bars, didn’t even know which direction to go. I hardly ever left the house. Zed didn’t like it. Said a Luna had no business “roaming around like a rogue.” The only time I managed to sneak out was to take a walk in the woods behind the packhouse or disguise myself just to grab something from my favorite drive-in diner.

And even then, it always felt like I was doing something wrong.

My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. I glanced at my reflection in the rearview mirror—tired eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and a weariness that ran deeper than my bones.

“Moon Goddess,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Please help me. I’m so lost right now… I need guidance. Anything.”

As if on cue, something strange happened.

I was about to take a left turn down a quieter road when suddenly… the steering wheel locked.

“What the—?” I twisted it harder, trying to pull it left, but it refused to move. My heart skipped.

The car kept going straight, even though my hands were struggling to change direction. The panic came quick and fast, burning in my chest.

“What’s going on?” I muttered frantically, yanking at the wheel with both hands.

Then I looked up—and my blood ran cold.

I was driving on the wrong lane.

Dead center.

And speeding toward me—its headlights flashing like wild, blinding fire—was a massive trailer.

It was coming straight at me.

“No, no, no!” I cried, fighting the wheel with everything I had. “Come on, MOVE!”

But the wheel was stuck. Completely frozen. My foot slammed against the brakes, but even that wasn’t enough. The car didn’t stop—just kept crawling forward like it had a mind of its own.

I could see the trailer clearer now.

It was so close.

Its horn blared, loud and violent, shaking me from the inside out. The lights were like suns blazing in the dark, bearing down on me with no mercy.

I couldn’t breathe.

I was going to die.

This was how my story would end?

In the middle of nowhere. Alone. Unloved. Forgotten.

And worst of all… I hadn’t even gotten the chance to meet my baby.

Tears poured down my cheeks as I screamed, hands clawing at the wheel like I could change my fate through sheer desperation.

“Oh Goddess,” I sobbed, “please don’t let it end like this!”

The trailer was almost on me now.

Seconds away.

Everything slowed down.

My hands still fought the wheel, even as my heart began to accept the inevitable. I could see the end so clearly– feel it creeping closer with every passing second.

I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

But deep inside me, something—some stubborn spark of survival—kept urging, Try one more time.

Just once more.

So I did.

With one last desperate jerk, the wheel gave a sharp jolt—and just like that, it unlocked.

I gasped and swerved hard, barely managing to yank the car into a parking lot on the side of the road.

The tires screeched as I slammed the brakes. The car came to a jerky halt.

My chest heaved. My heart was pounding like a war drum.

I leaned forward, resting my head on the steering wheel, trying to breathe.

What the hell just happened?

My entire life had just flashed before my eyes. Every mistake. Every regret. Every little joy I’d taken for granted.

I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, frozen in that position, when a sharp knock on the window startled me.

I looked up.

A tall, broad-shouldered man was peering in, dressed in all black with the kind of build that screamed bouncer. His expression wasn’t friendly. He motioned for me to roll the window down.

I wiped my face with my sleeve and obliged.

“Yes?” I croaked.

“You’re blocking the entrance,” he said, his tone gruff and eyes impatient. “Either find a spot or move the car out.”

He didn’t wait for a response. Just turned and walked away, muttering something under his breath.

“Rude,” I mumbled, scowling after him.

I turned the key in the ignition again and slowly began driving into the lot, searching for a spot. The place wasn’t exactly packed, but it wasn’t empty either. A lot of cars. Loud music spilled out from the building ahead—some kind of local bar, clearly.

I finally found a space.

I angled the car in carefully, almost done parking—when the car rolled to a sudden stop.

What the…

I tried turning the key again.

Nothing.

I tried once more. Still nothing.

“No. No. No. No!” I pleaded, hitting the steering wheel.

Nothing.

“Fuck!” I yelled, smacking it harder this time. I wanted to cry again. Actually, I was crying again.

Could this day get any worse?

Behind me, horns began to blare. Angry voices. Someone even shouted something about me being blind.

I got out of the car, slamming the door shut with a force I didn’t know I had. I ignored the drivers, the honking, the insults, and walked to the back of my car. My arms shook as I began pushing it—bit by bit—until it finally rolled into the spot properly.

I exhaled deeply. My legs were weak,my hands were covered in sweat.

And then I looked up.

That’s when it hit me.

I was at a bar.

I blinked at the neon sign, its light flickering against.

Of all the places for my car to break down, this was where the Moon Goddess led me?

I let out a dry, humorless laugh.

Well… I had nothing else to do. Nowhere to go.

Might as well start my job hunt here.

Besides… What was the worst that could happen?