CHAPTER 2 : THE AWAKENING

The forest was silent.

Too silent.

Luca remained on his knees, his hands pressed against the cold earth as he tried to catch his breath.

Every part of his body hurt.

His knuckles were bleeding.

His chest still burned from the broken mate bond.

And somewhere inside him, something continued to stir.

Luca slowly lifted his head.

The darkness between the trees seemed deeper than before.

He looked around.

Nothing.

Only the sound of the wind moving through the branches.

He tried to stand again.

This time, he managed to get one foot beneath him.

Then the pain hit.

A sharp wave traveled through his chest.

Luca gasped and grabbed his shirt.

“What…”

His breathing became uneven.

The pain grew stronger.

He fell back onto his knees.

His wolf suddenly growled inside his mind.

Something is wrong.

Luca clenched his teeth.

“I know.”

No.

His wolf’s voice sounded different.

More alert.

More afraid.

Something is coming.

Luca looked around.

“What is coming?”

There was no answer.

Instead, another wave of pain tore through his body.

Luca cried out.

He grabbed his chest with both hands and fell onto his side.

His entire body began to shake.

His vision blurred.

For a moment, he thought he was going to die.

Then something changed.

The pain stopped.

Just like that.

Luca lay still.

His breathing was heavy.

He slowly opened his eyes.

The forest looked different.

He could see the trees more clearly.

He could see the leaves moving even though the wind had barely touched them.

He could hear something in the distance.

Water.

A bird.

The movement of small animals beneath the leaves.

Luca slowly pushed himself up.

“What is happening to me?”

His wolf remained silent.

Luca looked at his hands.

The bleeding had stopped.

He frowned.

A moment ago, blood had been running down his fingers.

Now the wounds were already beginning to close.

Luca stared at them.

“No…”

He rubbed his thumb over one of the cuts.

The skin was almost healed.

His heart began beating faster.

“This isn’t normal.”

His wolf finally spoke.

No.

Luca swallowed.

“What does that mean?”

I don’t know.

Luca stood slowly.

His legs were still weak, but something inside him had changed.

He felt stronger.

Not completely.

Not yet.

But stronger.

He took a few steps forward.

Then he heard something.

A branch snapping.

Luca froze.

His eyes moved toward the sound.

Nothing.

He waited.

Another sound came from somewhere to his left.

Then another.

Luca’s breathing slowed.

Someone was moving through the forest.

He could hear footsteps.

Not clearly.

But enough.

Luca stepped backward.

“Who’s there?”

No answer.

His body tensed.

He looked around for something he could use as a weapon.

His eyes found a broken branch on the ground.

He bent down and picked it up.

The footsteps stopped.

Luca waited.

Then a voice came from behind him.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Luca spun around.

A man stood between the trees.

He was tall.

Calm.

Completely unaffected by the darkness surrounding him.

Luca tightened his grip around the branch.

“Who are you?”

The man looked at him.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then his eyes moved toward Luca’s bleeding hand.

“Interesting.”

Luca frowned.

“What?”

The stranger took one slow step forward.

Luca immediately raised the branch.

“Stay back.”

The man stopped.

“You’re afraid.”

“No.”

The man’s expression barely changed.

“You should be.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Elias.”

Luca said nothing.

He had never heard the name before.

Elias studied him for several seconds.

Then he looked past Luca, toward the direction of the pack.

“You came from Silver Moon.”

Luca’s grip tightened.

“How do you know that?”

“I know many things.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Elias looked back at him.

“You were rejected tonight.”

Luca froze.

His jaw tightened.

“How do you know that?”

“I could smell it on you.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“You followed me.”

“No.”

“Then how?”

Elias didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at Luca’s eyes.

Something in his expression changed.

“You’re already beginning to awaken.”

Luca frowned.

“Awaken what?”

Elias took another step closer.

Luca raised the branch again.

“I said stay back.”

Elias stopped.

“Do you know what you are?”

Luca stared at him.

“An omega.”

Elias remained silent.

Luca’s voice became bitter.

“At least that’s what everyone keeps telling me.”

“You believe them?”

“They’ve spent twenty-three years telling me.”

“And yet you healed a wound that should still be bleeding.”

Luca looked at his hand.

His expression changed.

Elias continued.

“You felt the pain before it happened.”

Luca said nothing.

“You heard things no ordinary wolf could hear.”

Luca slowly lowered the branch.

“And your wolf…”

Elias paused.

“…isn’t behaving like an omega wolf.”

Luca’s heart began beating faster.

“What are you saying?”

Elias looked directly into his eyes.

“I’m saying you were never what they believed you were.”

Luca shook his head.

“No.”

“You were never weak.”

“Then why was I?”

“Because something inside you was asleep.”

Luca stared at him.

“What?”

Elias’s eyes moved toward the moonlight shining through the trees.

“Your blood.”

Luca felt a strange chill move through him.

“What about my blood?”

Elias looked back at him.

“It remembers something.”

Luca waited.

Elias didn’t continue.

“What does that mean?”

“You’re not ready to hear everything.”

Luca’s frustration grew.

“Everyone keeps telling me what I’m not ready for.”

He threw the branch to the ground.

“My father did it.”

“My mate did it.”

“My entire pack did it.”

His voice cracked.

“And now you’re doing the same thing.”

Elias watched him quietly.

Luca took a breath.

“I don’t care what you think I can handle.”

He stepped closer.

“Tell me.”

Elias studied him.

Then, for the first time, his expression became serious.

“Do you know what a Moonblood is?”

Luca frowned.

“No.”

“Good.”

“Why is that good?”

“Because if the wrong wolf knew you were one…”

Elias stopped.

Luca’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m a what?”

Elias looked at him.

“A Moonblood.”

The words hung between them.

Luca stared at him.

Then he laughed.

A short, bitter laugh.

“You’re insane.”

“I expected you to say that.”

“You’re telling me I’m some kind of…”

He stopped.

He didn’t even know what to call it.

Elias remained calm.

“Your people erased the Moonbloods from their history.”

“Why?”

“Because they were afraid of them.”

Luca shook his head.

“This is impossible.”

“Is it?”

Elias pointed toward Luca’s hand.

“Look.”

Luca looked down.

The cuts were completely gone.

His breathing stopped.

He slowly turned his hand over.

There wasn’t even a scar.

Luca stared at it.

“How…”

Elias didn’t answer.

Luca looked up.

His face had lost its anger.

For the first time that night, there was fear in his eyes.

“What am I?”

Elias stepped closer.

“You are the beginning of something your world thought had ended.”

Luca swallowed.

“What does that mean?”

Elias looked toward the moon.

“It means your rejection was not the end of your story.”

Luca remained silent.

The wind moved through the trees.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Luca felt it again.

That strange sensation inside his chest.

His wolf growled.

Luca grabbed his shirt.

Elias immediately noticed.

“It’s happening again.”

“What?”

“Don’t fight it.”

Luca looked at him.

“What is happening?”

“Your awakening.”

The pain returned.

Luca dropped to one knee.

His fingers dug into the earth.

His breathing became ragged.

“Make it stop!”

“I can’t.”

“Then do something!”

Elias moved closer.

“Listen to me.”

Luca looked up at him.

“Don’t run from it.”

Another wave hit.

Luca screamed.

His eyes changed.

For one brief second, something silver flashed across them.

Elias froze.

He had seen it.

And for the first time since he had approached Luca, something close to surprise appeared on his face.

Luca didn’t notice.

He was too busy fighting the storm inside his body.

His wolf was no longer whispering.

It was roaring.

Wake up.

Luca closed his eyes.

“I don’t know how.”

The voice inside him answered.

You don’t have to.

You only have to stop holding me back.

Luca’s breathing slowed.

His hands stopped shaking.

The pain began to disappear.

Slowly, Luca opened his eyes.

The forest was silent again.

He looked at Elias.

“What just happened?”

Elias didn’t answer.

He was staring at Luca as though he had just seen something he hadn’t expected.

Luca stood.

“What?”

Elias finally looked away.

“Nothing.”

Luca frowned.

“You’re lying.”

Elias turned toward the deeper part of the forest.

“Come.”

“Where?”

“There is somewhere you need to go.”

Luca didn’t move.

“Why should I trust you?”

Elias looked back at him.

“You shouldn’t.”

Luca stared at him.

“Then why are you helping me?”

Elias’s expression became unreadable.

“Because someone has to.”

He turned and began walking.

Luca remained where he was.

He looked back toward the direction of Silver Moon.

There was nothing left there for him.

His father had banished him.

Amara had rejected him.

His pack had watched him break.

Then he looked at Elias.

The stranger who somehow knew what was happening to him.

Luca took a slow breath.

Then he followed.

Neither of them noticed the faint silver light that briefly appeared beneath Luca’s skin.

But somewhere deep within the forest, something ancient had already begun to wake.