The Banished Luna's Awakening

Overnight, everything had changed.I was no longer allowed to sleep in the bedroom I once shared with Matteo. Instead, I was ordered to move to the maids’ quarters. I had less than three days to gather my belongings and disappear from this pack forever.When I reached the small, dimly lit room, I paused at the doorway, my heart heavy. It was cramped and simple — just three bunk beds squeezed into a narrow space. Two of the lower bunks were already occupied by sleeping maids. Their breathing was soft and steady. They didn’t even stir as I stepped inside.I quietly set down the few things I had managed to carry: a worn bag stuffed with clothes, my toothbrush, and one pair of shoes. The rest of my belongings were still back in Matteo’s room. Deep down, I knew they would probably be thrown away or burned before I could ever return for them.The top bunk was empty. I climbed the creaky wooden ladder slowly, careful not to make any noise that might wake the others. Once I lay down on the th

My heart rate rose sharply, despite being in a near-unconscious state. I've always been afraid of the dark. A natural phenomenon that werewolves loved and eagerly anticipated. The endless shadows between the trees, the suffocating silence, the feeling that something unseen was always watching... it made panic crawl beneath my skin.And now, surrounded by nothing but towering trees and pitch-black darkness, I could barely breathe.My breaths came out in short, shaky pants as fear tightened around my chest. The darkness seemed to close in on me from every direction, swallowing me whole. Spots danced across my vision, and despite already being unable to see clearly, everything darkened even further.Then I blacked out.***Every hair on my body stood on end.I jolted awake with a gasp, my instincts screaming at me before my mind could even catch up. A loud snarl echoed through the darkness, followed by the rapid pounding of paws against wet sand—getting closer. Closer.My blood turned co

Panic exploded inside me.My heart slammed wildly against my ribs as adrenaline suddenly flooded my weak body.She knows. The thought hit so hard that the survival instinct completely took over.I stumbled backward instantly."Child—" Darlah started, alarmed.I didn't wait.I turned and bolted out of the room."Wait!" Darlah called after me. "Please wait!"My bare feet slapped against the cold floors as I ran blindly through the unfamiliar hallways. My body still ached horribly, and dizziness blurred my vision, but fear pushed me forward anyway.I had to get away.Before they started looking at me with disgust.Before they decided I was cursed too.A sob tore from my throat as I pushed myself harder.I didn't notice the figure turning the corner ahead until I slammed directly into a hard chest.I crashed hard into someone's chest.A strong arm instantly grabbed my shoulders to steady me before I could fall backward."Whoa—"I froze.The man in front of me was tall—far too tall—and bu

LARAThanks to Nina, I finally began settling into the pack properly. I had been given work as one of the cooks in the pack kitchen, and because of that, I was assigned to share a room with her. Nina had been so thrilled about it that she spent half the night bouncing excitedly on our bed while talking about everything and nothing at once.Honestly… I was excited too.For the first time in a long while, I had something that almost felt stable. A roof over my head. A source of income. And most importantly, the kitchen was far from the main pack house—a place high-ranking officials rarely visited.Meaning the chances of running into the Beta or Mrs. Darlah were slim.That alone felt like a blessing.All I needed to do was keep my head down, work hard, and prove I was useful enough to deserve the kindness I’d been shown.The very next morning, Nina and I were handed simple cream-colored uniforms before being directed to the kitchen at sunrise. Staff hurried in and out carrying baskets o

The man leading the group in the center possessed an impossibly intimidating presence. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed entirely in black, with piercing silver eyes that locked onto mine the exact second he entered the space. The air in the room grew heavy, thickening until it felt hard to draw a full breath. Every instinct in my body screamed to bow or run. Alpha. To his right was the man I had bumped into when I was running away from Darlah. He had sharper, more angular features and cold, calculating eyes—Kael, the Beta. And on his left was a third man, whose playfully mischievous expression stood out from the others. But the moment the Alpha's eyes found me, he froze. Dead in his tracks. His silver gaze slowly drifted downward, tracing the line of my neck until it anchored on the silver birthmark peeking out from my collarbone. Then, just as slowly, his eyes snapped back up to my face. A storm of unreadable emotions flickered across his features—shock, utter disbe