Novels by LunaRay

As I pulled the door open, the buzz of conversation hit me like a wave. The room was already packed, bodies pressed close, voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony of speculation. My stomach twisted as I stepped inside, the memories of my birthday flashing vividly in my mind. The tension, the stares, the whispers-all of it still haunted me. I kept my head down, trying to make myself as small as possible, and shuffled toward the back of the crowd.The air was heavy with curiosity, almost suffocating. Everyone seemed to be speculating about the sudden meeting, their voices a low hum that added to my discomfort. I found an empty chair tucked away in the corner and sank into it, trying to blend into the shadows.My gaze wandered over the faces in the room, familiar yet distant. Mrs. Huckleberry caught my eye first, her kind face a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere. She owned a small pastry shop, and memories of Susan and me stopping by after school flooded my mind. She would always g

Days blurred into weeks, and weeks into months. Somehow, two months had slipped past since my birthday. Life had fallen back into a semblance of normalcy-or at least, the version of normal that came with side glances and hushed whispers following me wherever I went. The stares prickled at my skin like a thousand tiny needles, but I'd learned to plaster on a mask of indifference and keep moving. It still hurt, of course, but what choice did I have? My life wouldn't stop just because people had decided to view me as an anomaly.The pack itself seemed stable, functioning as smoothly as it could despite the lingering tension I always felt in the air. Everything appeared fine on the surface, at least. But beneath that veneer of order, there was a shadow creeping closer-rogues.Rogue attacks weren't uncommon for most packs. Trespassing wolves, skirmishes with patrols-they were part of life, and everyone accepted it as such. For a small pack like ours, it wasn't unusual to deal with a rogue

The silence in the house felt both comforting and oppressive. There was no one around to see the mess I'd become, and for that, I was grateful. My clothes clung to me, cold and damp, as I stood in the kitchen, staring at the puddles I'd left in my wake. I shook off the lingering numbness and focused on cleaning up.I started with the groceries, salvaging what I could and discarding what was ruined. Each movement felt mechanical, like my body was moving on autopilot while my mind replayed every cruel word I'd heard today. The floor was a disaster-muddy footprints and water streaks everywhere. I grabbed a mop and cleaned it all up, refusing to let the mess stay a second longer than necessary.Once everything was back in its place, I headed to the bathroom. The hot shower was a welcome reprieve, the scalding water soothing my chilled skin and washing away the grime from the day. I stayed under the spray longer than I should have, letting the heat seep into my bones as if it could thaw th

The supermarket was just a fifteen-minute walk from home, so I decided to take the long route. The fresh air and quiet streets seemed like the perfect remedy to help me clear my muddled mind. I kept my head down as I walked, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might recognize me.Once inside the supermarket, I focused on the task at hand, methodically grabbing everything on Mom's list. The routine of it was grounding in a strange way, a distraction from the turmoil swirling inside me. I paid for the groceries and stepped back out, shifting the bags in my hands as I resumed my walk home.I was so lost in my thoughts-my questions, my fears-that I didn't even see the person in front of me until it was too late. I collided with them, stumbling slightly as the sound of a high-pitched, unmistakably irritated voice reached my ears."Hey, watch it!"I blinked, startled out of my daze. "Sorry," I muttered quickly, glancing up. "It was an accident.""Yeah, right. Wait..." The voice twisted wit

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the gnawing hunger twisting my stomach. My body felt heavy, like I’d been asleep for days. I groggily turned my head to check the time on the clock by my bed—1:00 PM. I blinked a few times, trying to process the late hour.Geez, I’d really slept that long? I stretched my arms overhead, my muscles stiff and achy. For a brief moment, there was peace, a quiet blankness in my mind. But then, like a dam breaking, the memories of last night came flooding in.My breath caught in my throat as the weight of it all slammed into me. The shame hit first, clawing its way up from the pit of my stomach and leaving me cold. My face paled as flashes of the priestess's declaration echoed in my head. “This child has no wolf!” My chest tightened, and I gripped the edge of my blanket like it could somehow anchor me.The hunger was long forgotten, replaced by a gut-wrenching cocktail of shame, disappointment, and anger. I sat up slowly, my movements mechanical,

The silence that followed her words felt like it stretched on for an eternity, the weight of the moment pressing down on me with an unbearable heaviness. My heart beat so loudly I could almost hear it in my ears."No," I whispered, barely recognizing the sound of my own voice.My gaze darted to my parents, desperate to find some reassurance, some sign that this was all a mistake. But when I met my mother's eyes, my heart shattered. She was shaking her head, tears streaming down her face like rivers. Her expression—pained, helpless, as if she, too, couldn’t believe what had just been said.And then, like a dam breaking, the voices erupted all around me.“How is this possible?”“A werewolf without a wolf?”“Only those cursed by the goddess receive such a fate.”“She’s an abomination.”“She’ll bring bad luck to the pack. Throw her out!!!”The words pierced me like shards of glass, each one cutting deeper than the last. I felt my breath catch, my chest tightening painfully as those accusa