The Luna's Secret Heir

The moon was full and bright over the hills. It's light covered the clearing like a silver blanket. From a distance, there was the sound of drums, mixed with laughter, music, and the crackle of big fires. It was the night of the Moon Festival. The pack had gathered to dance, eat, and celebrate under the moon.Lyra Vale stood quietly at the edge of the crowd. Her hood covered her dark hair as she tried to stay hidden. Her heart beat too fast. She should not have come here. Not after all these years. Not after what happened.It had been four years since she left Nightfang territory. She had walked away from everything, even from him.She pressed her fingers against the small leather pouch hanging around her neck. Inside was the only reason she had come back. A rare herb that could heal her little girl’s fever. Isla was only three years old, and she fell sick every full moon. Her sickness was getting worse each time. No doctor in the towns of humans could explain it. No medicine worked.

The forest was silent except for the soft crunch of snow beneath Lyra’s boots. Her breath came out in white clouds as she hurried along the narrow path, clutching the pouch of moonleaf to her chest. The trees swayed in the cold wind, their dark branches reaching like claws toward the glowing moon.Every step she took carried the weight of her secret. Four years. Four long years of running, hiding, and pretending she could forget. But now he had seen her;Damien Nightbane, the Alpha she had once given her heart to, the man whose eyes still haunted her dreams.She shook her head, trying to push his face from her thoughts. She could not afford to think about him now. Isla needed her.Finally, the cabin came into view,a small wooden home hidden deep within the pines. Smoke curled from the chimney, and a faint golden light shone from the window. Relief washed through her, warm and aching. She was home.Lyra slipped inside quickly, shutting the door behind her to keep out the cold. The air s

The morning was cold and quiet. Thin sunlight spread across the trees as Lyra stepped outside with a small bundle of herbs. Her fingers felt stiff from the cold, but her mind was restless. She could not shake the voice of the man she had met in the forest.Luna. He had called her Luna. That word was not supposed to follow her here. It was a name tied to a past she had left behind.She looked back at the cabin. Inside, Isla was still asleep. Her little chest rose and fell with soft breaths, the blanket tucked under her chin. Lyra wished she could keep her like that forever, safe and untouched by the world beyond these woods.But the world was already closing in.By midday, the healer arrived. An old woman with sharp eyes and a slow walk, she carried a basket of tools and medicines.“How is the child?” the woman asked as she stepped in.“Better,” Lyra said with a small smile. “The fever is down.”The healer placed her hand on Isla’s forehead and nodded. “She is strong. Keep her warm and

The morning passed slowly. Lyra could not stop thinking about the knock on the door and the man who had stood outside. She moved through the small cabin, cleaning, packing little things, and trying to look calm for Isla’s sake. But inside, her heart beat fast.Isla sat by the window, tracing lines in the thin frost with her finger. “He will come back, Mommy,” she said quietly.Lyra paused. “Why do you say that?”“Because he looked at you like he already knew,” Isla answered, her golden eyes reflecting the pale light. “And because he is not someone who gives up.”Lyra’s chest ached. The child did not understand the weight of what was at stake, yet somehow she sensed the storm that was coming. Lyra moved closer and kissed her hair. “Whatever happens, I will keep you safe.”Outside, the forest was waking. Snow dripped from the branches. Birds moved from tree to tree, their wings breaking the silence. But there was another sound too;footsteps, far but steady. Lyra’s ears caught it even be

The night came fast, covering the forest in a deep quiet. The snow outside reflected the cold moonlight, and every small sound carried through the trees. Inside the cabin, Lyra tried to keep her hands busy. She stirred the pot over the fire and checked the door again and again, but her thoughts would not settle.Isla sat close to the fire, hugging her knees. Her golden eyes followed the flicker of the flames. “Is he coming back?” she asked after a long silence.Lyra’s hand froze over the pot. She looked at her daughter and tried to smile. “Yes, Isla. I think he will.”The little girl tilted her head. “Will you tell him?”Lyra’s heart tightened. “Tell him what?”“That I am his,” Isla whispered. Her voice was soft, but her words cut through the warm air like a blade.Lyra knelt beside her. “Not yet,” she said gently. “It is not the right time. There are too many dangers here.”“Is he one of the dangers?” Isla asked.Lyra touched her cheek. “He is… something I do not understand anymore.”