{5.} The Last of Moonless Ravenclaw.😔

MOONLESS’ POV.

I woke up sore in places I didn’t even know could hurt. Every muscle ached and the dull throbbing throughout my body made it difficult to move.

For a moment, I remained still beneath the canopy of trees, trying to remember where I was. Then the memories of the previous night slowly returned.

I looked to my left and Alpha Brayden was lying a few feet away, still asleep with his back turned toward me.

I carefully pushed myself upright, wincing as pain shot through my body. The lab coat was nearby and I quickly reached for it.

I pulled it around myself and moved toward the stream.

The cold water made me gasp when I washed my face, but I welcomed the sensation. I needed something to clear my head.

Then I caught sight of my reflection in the water.

There were dark marks scattered across my neck and collarbone.

I quickly looked away.

Whatever had happened between Alpha Brayden and me last night was over. He is the Alpha King, and I am nothing more than a stranger. He would probably forget the next minute we depart from here.

A rustle came from behind me.

I turned and found Alpha Brayden slowly sitting up.

Scrambling to my feet, I pulled the lab coat tighter around myself. He pressed a hand against his temple as he groaned, looking just as confused as I felt.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Give me a moment.”

I remained where I was.

After a few seconds, he pushed himself to his feet and leaned against the tree beside him. His breathing was still uneven, but he eventually straightened and looked at me.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said. “I wasn’t myself, and you didn’t deserve to get caught up in it.”

I stared at him without answering.

“But I can make it right.”

He reached up and dragged a hand through his hair, pulling the loose fabric of his shirt farther down his shoulder.

My eyes fell on his chest, causing my breath to stop immediately.

The sight of the tattoo on his bare chest suddenly dragged me back to that underground room—The iron mask. Those cold eyes staring down at me. The gloved hand beneath my chin.

I stared at Alpha Brayden, unable to move.

The man behind the mask was him. The man who had stood in that room while I was restrained like an animal. The man whose voice had haunted me.

And somehow, I had just spent the night in his arms.

I stumbled backward.

He immediately noticed. “What’s wrong?”

“Stay away from me.”

I backed away until my shoulders hit a tree, my eyes never leaving the tattoo.

“You…” My voice shook. “You’re him.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“You know who I’m talking about.”

“I don’t.”

“Don’t lie to me!” I pushed myself away from the tree, but my legs trembled beneath me. “You’re the one behind the mask.”

“What mask? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

His expression hardened. “You’re not making any sense. Whatever happened to you before I found you, we can deal with it when we get to the palace.”

“No.”

“Come with me.”

“I said no!”

Alpha Brayden took a step toward me, and panic immediately surged through my chest.

“Stop!”

He stopped.

“You need help,” he said firmly. “And if someone is after you, the palace is the safest place for you.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Why?”

Because I know who you are. Because the man I had just spent the night with was the same masked man who had ordered those men to kidnap me and the scientists to use me as his experiment.

The thought sent a fresh wave of terror through me. I couldn’t stay there another second, so I turned and ran.

“Wait!”

I ignored him, forcing my aching body through the trees as quickly as I could. Branches scratched against my arms, and every step sent pain through my injured body, but I refused to slow down. I needed to get away from him. I needed to put as much distance between us as possible before he could stop me.

Then a sharp whistle cut through the air.

“Look out!” Brayden shouted from behind me.

I barely had time to turn before something struck my shoulder with a searing pain. A cry tore from my throat as the force of the impact sent me stumbling forward, my foot landing on loose earth near the edge of the cliff.

I looked down, and my eyes widened.

The ground beneath me was crumbling.

I desperately tried to regain my balance, but my injured body refused to cooperate. My foot slipped, sending me backward as Brayden rushed toward me with his hand outstretched.

“Hey!”

I reached for him on instinct, our fingers only inches apart, but before either of us could grab hold of the other, the earth gave way beneath my feet.

My stomach dropped as I fell backward into the ravine.

The last thing I saw was Brayden’s horrified face before the roaring river swallowed me whole, taking with it the name Moonless Ravenclaw.