Chapter 4: The Weight of the Moon

I never thought I’d be caught in a moment like this, but then, life had a way of pulling me into its tangled mess without asking for permission.

Luca Moreau. Alpha-in-waiting. Soon to be the one responsible for holding the Crescent Moon pack together—or tearing it apart, depending on how I handled the choices in front of me.

The forest around me felt like home. It was in my blood, a connection I couldn’t sever no matter how far I ran. The rustling leaves, the shifting shadows, the weight of the full moon pressing down on me—everything about this moment screamed that something was changing. I could feel it in my bones, that unmistakable sense that the world I’d built for myself was about to fracture.

I had been tracking the rogues for days, but it wasn’t just the rogues that worried me anymore. It was her. Isla Rivers.

Isla had slipped under my skin in a way I hadn’t expected, a connection that was more than just physical attraction or curiosity. It was something deeper, something primal, that I couldn’t deny. But she was dangerous for me—dangerous for us—if I allowed myself to care.

Astra had been the one to warn me. She didn’t mince words when it came to Isla. “She’s more than you think. More than anyone thinks.” Her voice had been laced with urgency, her eyes wild with a knowledge I didn’t fully understand.

And now, standing at the edge of the clearing near the clinic, I was faced with the undeniable truth: Isla was a part of this world in a way she didn’t even know.

I’d seen her before, through the windows of the clinic or passing by on the main street, but I’d always kept my distance. The last thing I needed was to be caught up in something I couldn’t control. But tonight—tonight was different.

Isla was out there, walking straight into danger.

When Astra’s warning came, I didn’t think twice. I shifted into my wolf form, my body moving faster than the human eye could follow. The forest blurred around me as I raced toward the clearing, my senses on high alert. The rogues had found her first, I realized, and that thought made something twist deep inside me.

The clearing was just ahead, and I could smell them—rogues. Their scent was foul, a mix of blood and bitterness that was enough to make my fur stand on end. They had her cornered.

I shouldn’t have waited. I shouldn’t have hesitated.

But the sight of her—standing there, fearless, even with her back to the wolves closing in—caught me off guard. I didn’t know why she hadn’t run, why she was so determined to stand her ground. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe, she just didn’t understand the danger.

I couldn’t let them get to her. I couldn’t let them hurt her.

With a growl that rumbled in my chest, I stepped out of the shadows, my voice cutting through the tension in the air. “Leave.”

The rogue closest to Isla snarled, its eyes glowing in the moonlight. The others were quick to follow suit, but I held my ground. I wasn’t just protecting her; I was protecting everything my pack had worked for. The rogues couldn’t disrupt the fragile balance we were holding together.

The rogue leader stepped forward, baring his teeth, his gaze flickering between me and Isla. “You think you can stop us, Moreau?”

“I don’t think. I know.” My voice was low, steady—like the threat of a coming storm.

With a snarl of frustration, the rogue leader nodded to the others, and they retreated into the trees, vanishing as quickly as they had come.

Isla didn’t move, not at first. Her eyes were wide with confusion and something else—something I couldn’t name. She was taking in the scene, processing what had just happened.

I stepped closer, my wolf senses still on high alert. “Are you alright?”

She didn’t answer immediately, and I could see the battle behind her eyes. She was trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. Of me.

“I—I’m fine,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Her eyes were still locked on me, trying to understand, trying to figure out why I was here.

I wanted to tell her, wanted to explain the world I had been born into and the role she now played in it. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not without knowing how she’d react.

So, I just nodded.

The tension between us hung heavy in the air. Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke.

But I could feel it—the pull. It was impossible to ignore. The bond that had been there since the moment I first laid eyes on her, stronger now than ever before.

Finally, Isla broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. “Who are you?”

I should have told her the truth. I should have explained everything—my past, my pack, the prophecy. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

“Just someone trying to keep you safe,” I said, my voice gruff.

She stared at me, her gaze narrowing as if trying to find something hidden beneath my words.

“You’re not just anyone,” she said, her tone sharp, defiant.

I had to look away from her then. If I didn’t, I feared I’d lose control. “I’m more than you realize.”

She didn’t respond right away. Her eyes flickered to the journal still clutched tightly in her hands. The one with the crescent moon mark.

“I don’t understand any of this,” she said softly.

“No one does,” I replied, my voice quiet but firm. “But you will.”

For a moment, I thought she might argue with me, but instead, she just nodded, as though she had already made up her mind.

She turned toward the clinic, the journal still pressed against her chest.

“You coming?” she asked, her voice hesitant but steady.

I hesitated, then followed her, knowing that whatever lay ahead would change everything.

But for now, I would stay by her side.

Even if it meant risking everything.