The Luna’s last breath

The air reeked of iron and smoke.

 The sound of the wind howling through broken windows caused Aria's eyes to fly open. For a moment, she didn’t understand where she was. The room swam in darkness, the silk canopy torn and dripping red. Her hands trembled as she pushed herself upright—then froze.

Her hands were soaked in blood.

She touched her body here and there, this is not her blood.

Her heart raced with fear, her eyes widened in terror.

“Kael?”

She turned to his side of the bed, he was there beside her, his chest was bare and rising—no not rising, still.His skin had turned pale like ash beneath the moonlight.Blood soaked the bed and stained the white fur scarlets.

“No kael!”

She broke down in tears, trying to press her hands against the wound in his chest.But nothing, there was no wound to press against.There was only a huge hole where his gentle heart should have been.

“No…no, no.” Her voice cracked. “This is not real, if this is a nightmare, then someone please wake me up.”

She shook him with tears blurring her sight.

“Wake up Kael.Please—wake up.”

Her Luna mark—a thin crescent that was burned into her wrist—flared with white-hot pain.She screamed.

The mark that joined them in life was unraveling.

The bond between Alpha and Luna… broken.

He was gone.

Footsteps stormed down the corridor.Voices started rising—the guards shouted her name.

“Open the doors now! The Alpha is dead!”

“No—wait!” she gasped while staggering to her feet.

“It wasn’t me.I didn’t do it.”

The doors burst open with a loud crash even before she could move.

The guards poured in with their faces grim and swords drawn.Elder Maeron came from behind them with his long silver cloak sweeping the blood-soaked floor.His eyes turned cold as it flicked from kael’s body to Aria’s bloody hands.

“What have you done?”

Her voice trembled with fear.“I— I don’t know.I wo—woke up and—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Luna.”Elder Maeron’s tone cut right through her words like a blade.

“We found traces of moonfire in his wound, an energy that only a Luna could summon.”

“That’s impossible. That’s a lie.”She whispered.“Kael and I— he was fine last night.”

Maeron stepped too close, his jaw tightening.

“The Alpha is dead, his heart carved out of his chest, and his blood on Luna's hands.The moonfire burned your mark.And you expect us to trust that you have nothing to do with this?”

Aria stepped back, shaking all over.

“Please listen to me.Someone came in here.I felt another person’s presence before waking up.There was—”

But the guards seized her hands even before she could finish talking.Her world came crashing down as she was dragged toward the door.

“Throw her into the dungeons,” Maeron ordered.

“The council will decide her fate before day break.”

“Elder Maeron please, I didn’t do it, he was my mate.”

Aria cried.

“Was," he said coldly.“Your bond with him died with his last breath.”

They dragged her through the halls as she resisted and screamed his name until her voice could no longer be heard.

The dungeon stank of wet earth and rot.Her wrist burned with the grip of the chains while the hours passed unnoticed.

Aria sat on the cold floor motionless, eyes swollen and heart empty. She tried to replay the night in her head—but every memory seemed blurred.There had been laughter and merry at the feast, Kael kissing her on the forehead,whispering that there would be peace very soon.

And then…darkness.

She flinched when the door creaked open.

The torches light revealed a familiar face 

“Elias?” she whispered softly 

Her childhood friend walked into the cell, eyes wide.

“Gods, Aria.I heard the rumor..”

She rose abruptly.“You know I didn’t do it right—you believe me don’t you?”

He lowered his head in hesitation.This act  pierced her like an arrow to the heart.

Then he nodded.“Of course I do Aria.I know you would never hurt anyone.”

She sighed in relief.“They  are going to execute me at dawn Elias.You have to help me please.”

He looked toward the door.“The council ordered it.Elder Maeron is calling it justice.But it doesn’t feel right.Too fast.Too convenient.”

“Someone framed me.”Her voice broke.“Whoever killed Kael, wants me blamed and punished for it.”

Elias reached through the bars, his hand brushing hers.“There’s something I should tell you, Kael was looking into the prophecy before he died—the one about the abomination child.”

Her heart pounded.“That old legend?”

“It is not just a legend Aria.The council found out it was true.Kael thought someone in the council was trying to summon it.Kael knew that if he died, the packs would turn on each other.”

Her jaw tightened.“And now he is dead.”

Elias sighed.“We can’t stay here anymore.I’ll find a way to get you out.”

“No Elias, please don’t leave me—”

“Trust me.”

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness before the guards could return.

Dawn came sooner than expected.Chains crackled as the guards dragged her from her cell to the courtyard.The council of Elders sat in a semicircle with Maeron at the center.The pyre was prepared with wood stacked high.

Aria’s heart raced in fear.

“This is madness.” Aria cried out loud as they tied her to the post.“You are condemning the innocent!”

Maeron pointed his staff at her.“You bare the stain of blood magic.You are rejected by the moonfire itself.

By order of the council,you are to die at sunrise.”

The crowd of wolves, pack members, soldiers, and strangers alike froze.None moved and none spoke.

They lit the fire and immediately, flames swallowed the wood, cackling,growing and reaching for her feet.

She closed her eyes and cried.She had lost all hope until—she heard it.

A whistle.

She felt the rope on her wrist loosen up suddenly then She finally summoned the courage to open her eyes.

Elias stood at the edge of the crowd with his hood drawn lowans his fingers twitching.The rope slipped off setting Aria free.

“Now,” he shouted.

The flames rose—and she lept.

In a quick flash of light, her wolf burst out tearing through the flames.The crowd screamed as she bolted through them.Arrows came flying in the air.Her feet hurt so bad but that did not stop her.

She ran without looking back until she reached the edge of the cliffs.The wind howled loud below and the forest stretched far beneath like an ocean of darkness.

“Jump Aria!” Elias shouted from behind her.“Jump!”