Chapter 5

Some passers by were driving along a wooded path when a sight caught their attention—a car parked oddly by the side of the road. As they slowed down to take a closer look, their eyes widened in horror: not only was there a car, but bodies were scattered all around it.

The men exchanged uneasy glances before pulling their vehicle to a halt. Two of them immediately retrieved guns from the back seat, while the others prepared themselves to shift into their wolves if necessary, sensing danger might still be lurking.

Cautiously, they approached the gruesome scene. The closer they got, the worse it became—flesh torn apart, bones snapped and broken, two severed heads lying some distance away.

Steve, one of the men, moved toward the car. As he scanned the area, something unusual caught his eye: a naked girl slumped against the tire, blood covering her body. At first, he thought she was dead, but when he listened closely with his sharp wolf senses, he heard the faint sound of her breathing.

“There’s a survivor!” Steve shouted urgently.

The other men hurried to where he was pointing. One quickly shrugged off his coat and covered the girl carefully.

"It looks like they were traveling when they were attacked," Nicholas commented grimly, glancing at the blood-stained ground.

"I don’t know what got them," Jeff replied, his voice tense, "but let’s get out of here before whatever it is comes after us too. Grab her bag—it probably belongs to her."

Without wasting another second, Jeff gently picked up the unconscious girl in his arms. The men stayed alert as they carried her back to their car, watching their surroundings carefully until they sped away from the bloody scene.

---

Meanwhile, at the mansion, Leo was standing outside Dara’s door, knocking lightly.

"Dara, are you still asleep?" he called. When there was no answer, he chuckled lightly. "Maybe you’re taking a bath. I’ll wait for you out here."

Minutes passed. Then ten more. Growing restless and concerned, Leo tried the doorknob—and to his surprise, it turned easily.

The door was unlocked.

A sudden, uneasy feeling hit him as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Dara?" he called again, his voice slightly trembling.

No response.

His heart began to pound faster. He looked around the room in a panic, searching for any sign of her. Just as he was about to rush out to alert his mother, his eyes landed on a neatly folded piece of paper resting on the table.

Frowning, he picked it up.

As he read the words, his blood ran cold.

I dislike you. That’s why I’m leaving, don't bother looking for me.

Leo stared at the paper, unable to believe what he was seeing. His mind refused to accept it.

Rushing to her closet, he flung the doors open—and found it empty. Her clothes were gone.

Shock gripped him. His head spun. It felt like the ground had vanished beneath his feet.

Dara was gone.

His Dara had left him.

And worst of all, she had left him without even saying goodbye.

---

Back at the moon crest pack’s clinic, the men carried the unconscious girl inside. The doctor on duty gasped when he saw her blood-soaked body.

"Good heavens," he said, rushing over. "Where did you find her?"

"In the woods, beside a car," Steve answered quickly.

"She needs urgent care," the doctor said. "Please wait outside while I tend to her."

The men nodded and stepped out reluctantly, leaving the girl in the doctor's capable hands.

After several minutes, the doctor reappeared, looking both confused and astonished.

"What’s wrong?" Jeff asked.

The doctor shook his head, still processing what he had just seen.

"All that blood on her? None of it belongs to her. She doesn’t even have a single scratch on her body."

The men exchanged shocked glances.

"But you didn’t see what we saw," Nicholas said, his voice tense. "The area was a slaughterhouse. There were torn bodies everywhere."

"Then this girl is incredibly lucky—or something else entirely," the doctor replied gravely. "She just passed out from exhaustion. Once she wakes, we’ll need to ask her a few questions."

The men agreed. Jeff volunteered to go inform the Beta about the strange survivor they had found.

---

Hours passed before the girl stirred awake.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking against the bright clinic lights. As her vision cleared, she found a group of men standing around her, observing her as if she were a rare and fragile creature.

This wasn’t the first time Aliyah had woken up in a strange place, and it wouldn't be the last.

One of the men stepped closer and asked gently, "What’s your name?"

The question pulled her back into distant memories—painful memories.

Swallowing hard, she answered in a hoarse whisper, "Aliyah."

The man nodded approvingly. "I’m Jake. Aliyah, can you tell us what happened to you?"

Her mind went blank, flashes of the horrific night bombarding her senses. She hesitated, then shook her head.

"I... I don't remember, my brother," she murmured as she started crying.

Jake gave her a reassuring look. "It's alright. You're safe now."

---

Eleven Years Later

Whispers followed Aliyah wherever she went.

"I still don’t understand why she hasn’t shifted yet," a girl said mockingly, loud enough for Aliyah to hear.

Another joined in, snickering. "Maybe the Beta only adopted her out of pity. After all, her family was slaughtered and she had nowhere to go."

Aliyah heard every word, but she kept walking, her head held high. She had learned a long time ago that the opinions of others were worth less than dust.

She made her way through the corridor until she stood before a large, sturdy door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Aliyah, come in," a familiar voice called from inside.

She entered the room to find the Beta sitting at his desk, paperwork scattered around him.

"You must be wondering why I summoned you," he began with a kind smile.

Aliyah stood silently, waiting for him to continue.

"The Alpha of the Blood Crescent Pack will be visiting soon," he explained. "You’ll be responsible for welcoming him when he arrives."

"You must be wondering why I summoned you. The Alpha of the Blood Crescent Pack is arriving, and you will be responsible for welcoming him," the beta said. Aliyah's eyes widened in surprise. Her gaze flickered to the bracelet on her wrist, her heart racing with excitement—soon, she would finally meet Leo.