Chapter Thirteen – The Truth Beneath the BloodI woke up choking on air, my throat dry and burning. Every muscle in my body trembled as if my veins were on fire. The bitter taste of herbs lingered on my tongue — the same ones my father forced into my mouth before I passed out.The room was quiet, dimly lit by the moonlight spilling through the window. I could still feel traces of the poison pulsing through my body, crawling under my skin like a whisper that refused to fade. My head throbbed, but faint voices echoed from the next room — my father’s voice and… someone else’s.I pushed myself up, wobbling slightly before steadying my balance. My bare feet barely made a sound on the wooden floor as I crept toward the half-open door. The faint light inside flickered, glowing with a strange silver hue. I peeked through the crack — my father was standing before a crystal orb, blood dripping from a small cut on his palm.“By the moon’s bond,” he whispered, letting a drop of blood fall onto th
Chapter Thirteen – The Truth Beneath the BloodI woke up choking on air, my throat dry and burning. Every muscle in my body trembled as if my veins were on fire. The bitter taste of herbs lingered on my tongue — the same ones my father forced into my mouth before I passed out.The room was quiet, dimly lit by the moonlight spilling through the window. I could still feel traces of the poison pulsing through my body, crawling under my skin like a whisper that refused to fade. My head throbbed, but faint voices echoed from the next room — my father’s voice and… someone else’s.I pushed myself up, wobbling slightly before steadying my balance. My bare feet barely made a sound on the wooden floor as I crept toward the half-open door. The faint light inside flickered, glowing with a strange silver hue. I peeked through the crack — my father was standing before a crystal orb, blood dripping from a small cut on his palm.“By the moon’s bond,” he whispered, letting a drop of blood fall onto th
Chapter Twelve The room felt colder the moment I stepped in. Damien stood there, his eyes dark and unreadable, and something inside me snapped. Before I could even think, my wolf instincts took over.I lunged forward, my hand wrapping around his throat. “You!” I snarled, slamming him against the wall. “You’re one of them!”“Luna, stop!” Dad’s voice cut through the air, full of shock and confusion. “What are you doing?”I tightened my grip, ignoring the tremor in my fingers. “You don’t understand, Dad,” I hissed, my voice breaking with fury. “He’s one of the hunters. One of the monsters who kidnapped me!”Dad froze. “What?”Damien’s lips twisted into a smirk, but I could feel the tremble in his body. Before I could demand answers, he reached into his pocket and threw something down — a handful of black powder.The second it hit the floor, smoke exploded through the room.I coughed, eyes burning, heart pounding so violently I thought it might tear through my chest. The world spun. Then
Chapter 11 I couldn’t breathe when I saw him.John.For a moment, my body froze, every muscle locked between shock and the sudden rush of anger burning in my chest. I didn’t even realize Stephanie was calling my name until her voice snapped me back.“Luna? Luna, are you even listening?” she asked, waving a hand in front of my face.I blinked, forcing myself to focus, but my gaze drifted back toward him—toward Damien.Stephanie followed my stare, and then her lips curled into a teasing smile. “Oh, I get it now.”I frowned. “Get what?”She grinned wider. “Luna, are you guys… dating?”My mouth dropped. “Wait—what? No way that’s never going to happen.”Stephanie tilted her head, confused. “But wasn’t Damien your crush?”“Was,” I muttered, slamming my locker shut harder than I meant to. “And please, Steph, don’t tell anyone. I don’t need any rumors flying around.”Before she could reply, I turned away. “I’ll see you after class.”---Class was the same as always—buzzing with noise, laught
Chapter TenWhat have I done?That was the only thought screaming in my head as I dropped to my knees beside Isaac—my father—who lay groaning on the floor, a silver blade buried deep in his stomach. My hands trembled as I reached for the hilt, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might shatter my ribs.“Dad!” My voice cracked as I pulled the blade out, blood smearing my fingers. His breath hitched in pain, and guilt clawed at my chest so violently that I almost couldn’t breathe.Closing my eyes, I forced myself to focus. You can fix this. You can fix this.I pressed my palms over the wound, and green light bloomed between my fingers—soft at first, then glowing brighter, pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat. The air vibrated faintly as my energy surged, knitting torn flesh together at an unnatural speed.When the light faded, I was shaking. My father groaned again, then slowly sat up, pressing a hand to his now-healed stomach. “Luna… what is wrong with you?” His voice was a mix of ang
Chapter Nine My heart sank the moment I heard Dylan’s voice.Calm down, Luna, I told myself. You’re not the same as before. You’re stronger now.He stood there, smirking like he owned the world, that same arrogant confidence that used to make my blood boil. But not this time. This time, I wasn’t running.Before he could open his mouth, I made my move. I dashed toward him, faster than my own eyes could track, and threw a punch. Dylan barely lifted his walking stick in time—but the force of my blow sent him flying. He hit the ground hard, spitting blood.The shock on everyone’s faces almost made me smile.I didn’t waste a second. My claws extended in my human form, sharp and silver. With one clean strike, I shattered the chains holding John.“Don’t just stand there!” Dylan barked, coughing up blood. “Get them!”I was already gone.I sprinted into the forest, carrying John. Mid-run, I tossed him into the air and shifted—fur bursting through my skin, silver eyes glowing. I caught him on