Rejecting The Child Of Moon

Ryan looked down at the girl struggling to catch her breath. He had not seen her at the ceremony today and had assumed she was avoiding him. But now, she was here, drenched, gasping, and looking as though she had just fought for her life.

His sharp gaze swept over her, taking in every detail, the torn fabric clinging to her frame, the way her hands trembled slightly before she clenched them into fists. Her eyes flickered with something unfamiliar. Not fear. Not submission.

Hatred.

Ryan’s wolf stirred uneasily. He wasn’t used to seeing such raw defiance in her. The Reyna he knew had been meek, quiet, desperate for his approval. This version of her barely acknowledged his presence.

“Surely, you wouldn’t be trying to kill yourself, right?” he asked, masking his curiosity with indifference.

Reyna flinched, not at his words, but at the sound of his voice. She stared at him for a second longer than necessary, as if searching for something, before shaking her head and looking away.

She refused to believe it. Child of the Moon? Could it really be him? No. The Moon Goddess had to be wrong. This man had let her die once. He had turned his back on her. If the goddess thought she would crawl back to him, she was mistaken.

“The stream isn’t that deep,” Ryan continued, watching her closely. “Why did you look like you were drowning?”

Reyna was just as confused. She had seen many families undergo their marking ceremony. She, too, had done it in her past life. But this? This was new. And the voice, the old woman’s cryptic words, still rang in her ears.

She adjusted her clothes and took a step away from him, her body taut with unspoken tension.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. She’s avoiding me. Why?

“Where were you tonight?” he asked, his voice quieter, more calculated.

“No reason,” she answered quickly, her feet already moving.

Then, she caught it. A scent. Faint but distinct. The blood in her veins turned to fire. That smell.

It was the same scent from the night her pack was attacked.

Reyna’s rage surged. They are here. She darted forward without hesitation.

Ryan’s sharp instincts kicked in, and he followed. He knew that look. It was the look of a predator who had just spotted prey.

She was going to kill someone.

Reyna sprinted through the underbrush, her heart pounding as she followed the scent. It led to a grove, hidden within the depths of the forest. She dropped into a crouch, her keen eyes picking out movement below.

Five werewolves stood in a loose circle; their voices hushed but urgent. She recognized them immediately, two of them were Elders, one of whom had put her in the Dream of Truth.

Ryan landed soundlessly beside her, his presence a dark shadow at her side.

“What is it?” he murmured.

“Shhh!” she snapped; her attention locked onto the conversation below.

Her stomach churned. This was it. This was proof.

She crouched lower, straining to hear their words.

One of the elders spoke in a low, hurried voice. “The pack will soon go on a hunt. It’s the best time to check the Night Clan. Ryan will not be around, and the security will be weaker.”

“I will open a path for you,” the other elder confirmed. “But once inside, you’re on your own.”

Ryan stiffened beside her. Even a fool could tell they were up to something treacherous.

But Reyna wasn’t just eavesdropping. Her anger burned hotter with every word. This was the moment she had waited for.

Then, one of the werewolves suddenly lifted his head, sniffing the air. His sharp gaze swept the shadows, stopping just short of where Reyna and Ryan were hidden.

“Who’s there?” the werewolf growled.

Reyna barely had a moment to react before Ryan moved. Faster than she expected.

He grabbed her around the waist and propelled them both into motion, his speed overwhelming. Before she could protest, he had carried her out of the forest and back into town.

Ryan barely had time to register the weight of her in his arms before she twisted, wrenching herself free the moment they hit the crowded streets. She disappeared into the throng of people without so much as a glance back.

Ryan stood there, staring after her.

“She’s different. And I don’t know why.” He muted.

When she arrived home, the Hunter brothers sat with Lilian, their conversation hushed. At the sight of her, Lilian’s lips curled into something unreadable.

“You’re back,” her mother said, glancing up briefly. “Why didn’t you join the rest of the pack?”

“What happened? And why are you wet?” her father asked.

“Did you fall into some cow shit? You’re covered in it,” one of the Hunter brothers sneered.

Reyna ignored them all. She had nothing left to say to them.

She climbed the stairs to her room, shutting the door behind her. Finally, alone, she peeled off her damp clothes, pausing when she caught sight of her reflection.

Her breath came fast and shallow. Her thoughts were a storm of anger and confusion.

Then, as she moved to change, something in the mirror caught her attention.

Her back.

She turned slowly, her fingers trembling as she reached behind her. The marking was there, a cryptic, twisting symbol etched into her skin. It looked like an ancient tree, its roots sprawling across her spine.

Her breath hitched. The moment her fingers brushed against it, the symbol pulsed, the lines shifting as if alive.

Reyna swallowed hard. What have they done to me?

Before she could process it further, she sensed a presence.

She spun around, only to find Ryan sitting in her chair, watching her.

She jumped, heart hammering. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer immediately. He was studying her, his gaze unreadable.

“You just left,” he said at last.

“So, you broke into my room?”

Ryan leaned back slightly. “I am your mate.”

Reyna laughed bitterly. “Mate?” She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You let me die.”

His expression flickered, just for a second. Then it was gone, replaced by the same impassive mask.

“We haven’t completed the ceremony,” she continued, her fingers curling at her sides. “And now we never will.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened. “You no longer wish to be my mate?”

Reyna’s eyes burned with determination. “No.”

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Ryan’s eyes darkened, his wolf stirring beneath his skin.

For the first time, Reyna saw something else in his gaze, not just arrogance, not just indifference.

A challenge.