Bound by the moonlight.

The air was thick with shouts, and cries of women and children, and the sounds of clashing blades, lifeless bodies, and flames consumed my village. My eyes fixed on my father.

“Run” he shouted, his eyes locking with mine, urging me to move. But shock rooted me to the spot, my feet heavy as if weighed down by the horror surrounding me.

Just then, a large werewolf far larger than any I have ever seen emerged from the dark, his eyes shining steel. It lunged at my father, sticking him with a force that dropped him to his knees, in an instant his powerful jaw clamped into his neck ending his desperate plea.

“ Stopppp” I cried out.

“ Blue, Blue wakes up,” Alex said.

I snapped my eyes open, gasping for air as if I had been submerged underwater. My body drenched in cold sweat.The nightmare still haunted me.

“It’s just a dream,” Alex assured me.

I felt Alex wrap his naked body around me and kiss my forehead, trying to comfort me.

No, this was not just regular nightmares, This was a part of my life that still haunts me.

When I was just nine years old, my village faced a brutal attack by a group of powerful werewolves from the Redmoon pack. They were known to be the strongest and largest werewolves around, so no one dared to challenge them.

My father, a gentle and kind alpha, was our protector and my best friend. I can still remember the warmth of his smile as he tucked me in and wished me goodnight. But that fateful night, everything changed. Rumbling sounds from downstairs woke me up, and I searched desperately for my father. He was gone.

Rushing outside, my heart sank. My village was in ruins, stained with blood, and people were fleeing in terror from the Redmoon pack. I heard my father's last word urging me to run, to seek hiding but I was too shocked to move.

I watched in horror as a man, who I believed was the Alpha of the Redmoon pack due to him being larger than the rest of his kind, transformed into his wolf form. My father also shifted into his wolf, but he was no match to the Alpha of the Redmoon. In a split second, I witnessed my father's death.

After my father's passing, Alex became my source of strength and my closest human companion. Despite being human, he was the only one who knew about our true nature. He was an orphan when my father brought him in and cared for him, and because of that Alex has sworn his loyalty to our pack.

Alex and I share a complex relationship, our friendship has evolved. While he held romantic feelings for me, I only saw him as a friend.

I have always been honest about our reality. Unlike humans, werewolves had destined mates, so a romantic relationship was never possible.

But one night, drained by the weight of my responsibilities, emotions ran high, and boundaries blurred. Alex and I shared an intimate encounter, a connection developed in shared grief. Since then, we have remained intimate with no strings attached.

I got up and sat on the edge of the bed, wearing my clothes that had previously spent the night on the cold floor.

“ Where are you going,” Alex asked. He held my arms urging me to stay in bed with him

“ I'm going to take a run,” I said to him.

“Let me come with you, Blue” Alex pleaded.

"I need to be alone," I insisted, placing a tender kiss on his lips before leaving the room.

I ran into the woods, I kept running till my lungs begged me to stop. It has been ten years since that night, and yet, the wounds were as fresh as ever. and despite all the training and counseling I have been taking to be able to turn into my wolf form and bring justice for my pack and my dad, I have still not shifted.

I felt angry and disappointed in myself and I think every other member of my pack felt that too, though they never say this to my face but I know what's on their minds when they look at me, probably wondering how I was supposed to lead the pack and protect them when I have not tapped into my true form.

Tyga, my mentor and trainer, had a theory that my inability to shift was tied to my unresolved anger and pain. But how could I let go of the very things that fueled my determination? How could I release the memories of my father's death, when justice has not been made?

My pace slowed as I reached a clearing, my breath labored and then I heard it. A rustling in the bushes, a presence I knew all too well. Tyga appeared, his calm eyes meeting mine as if he had been waiting for me all along.

“Please, join me, my child. Take a seat," he gestured to the ground beside him.

“I am not really in the mood for meditation today,” I admitted.

“You have never been in the mood for it,” he chuckled softly, and despite myself, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

“We need to talk,” I said firmly

“What about?”

“Gather the pack, Today we attack the Redmoon pack at dusk.”

Tyga's eyes opened fully, surprise flashing across his face. “Blue, you are not ready for that.”

I met his gaze. “I am.”

He sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. “Listen, child. I understand your desire for vengeance, but you still have much to learn. You can't rush into this.”

“I have been preparing my whole life for this,” I argued. "Our pack deserves justice, and I won't wait any longer.”

He shook his head, “Blue unless you can find a way to control your anger and pain, you will not stand a chance against the Redmoon pack.”

My fists clenched at my sides, the frustration bubbling within me. “I am strong enough,” I said through gritted teeth.

He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I know your heart is in the right place, but you have not yet shifted. If you are going to take them down, you need your full power.”

My gaze locked onto his, a silent challenge passing between us. “I will not back down, Tyga. I won't let fear or doubt hold me back any longer.”

He held my gaze for a moment. He knew how stubborn I could be, and once my mind was set, there was very little anyone could do to change it.

“ If this is what you want, then we strike them by dusk.” he sighs.

I nodded. This was my chance to finally confront the demons that had haunted my nights for a decade.