Spared

Amelia

The forest stretched endlessly before me, the shadows thickening with each passing minute. Twisted branches clawed at the sky like skeletal fingers, their jagged silhouettes illuminated by a pale, reluctant moon. The weight of banishment pressed heavily on my chest, a constant ache that made it hard to breathe.

I stumbled over a root, catching myself against the rough bark of a tree. My breaths came in shallow gasps, my lungs burning from the effort of running. I wasn’t sure how far I had gone, only that every step put more distance between me and the life I’d lost.

The packhouse, my home for as long as I could remember, was gone.

Kael’s voice echoed in my mind, a relentless reminder of my exile.

“For the safety of the pack, you are hereby banished.”

Tears streamed down my face, hot and unrelenting. I wiped at them furiously, frustration bubbling alongside my grief. How could they do this?

The night was eerily silent, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath my boots. The farther I went, the quieter it became, as though the forest itself was holding its breath. A chill crept up my spine, but I ignored it, focusing instead on placing one foot in front of the other.

And then I heard it.

The soft twang of a bowstring, followed by the sharp hiss of something slicing through the air.

I ducked instinctively, the arrow missing my head by inches and embedding itself in a tree trunk with a dull thud.

My heart leapt into my throat as I spun around, searching for the source of the attack. Shadows shifted between the trees, their movements fluid and predatory.

“Amelia Bellerose,” a voice called out, low and mocking. “The Alpha may have spared you, but we won’t be so kind.”

Panic surged through me like wildfire. My feet moved before my mind could catch up, propelling me forward into the darkness. The sound of footsteps followed close behind, the pursuers moving with terrifying speed.

Branches tore at my skin, their jagged edges leaving shallow cuts along my arms and cheeks. My lungs burned, each breath a desperate gasp for air as I pushed myself harder.

But they were gaining.

Laughter echoed through the trees, cruel and taunting.

“She can’t run forever,” another voice sneered.

I stumbled again, this time falling hard to the ground. Pain shot through my ankle as I twisted it beneath me, and I cried out despite myself. Gritting my teeth, I scrambled to my feet, but the momentary delay had cost me.

A figure stepped into the clearing ahead, his blade glinting in the moonlight.

“This is where it ends,” he said, his tone devoid of sympathy.

I backed away, my injured ankle protesting with every step. My eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but the shadows were alive with movement. There was no way out.

The assassin raised his weapon, his lips curling into a sadistic smile. I shrank back, the feeling of dread creeping in. I was gonna die. right here and right now. Killed for what I wasn’t and left to rot here. I closed my eyes, waiting for a painful blow. But it never came.

I opened my eyes. And then, like a lightning strike, a blur of motion slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

I froze, my breath hitching as another figure emerged from the darkness. He was tall, his frame powerful and commanding. The faint light of the moon caught the sharp angles of his face, his dark eyes burning with intensity.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice calm but filled with authority.

I didn’t argue.

The remaining assassins hesitated, their confidence wavering in the face of this new threat. The man stepped forward, his movements precise and deliberate.

“Who are you?” one of the attackers demanded, his voice tinged with unease.

The stranger didn’t answer. Instead, he lunged.

The fight was brutal and swift. He moved like a predator, his strikes calculated and devastating. One by one, the assassins fell, their bodies crumpling to the forest floor. The last of them fled, disappearing into the shadows without a backward glance.

Silence returned, broken only by the sound of my very audible breathing.

The man turned to me, his expression unreadable.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Black Williams,” he said simply. “A friend.”

I frowned, confusion warring with gratitude. “I don’t know you.”

“You will,” he replied, offering his hand. “Now come. This forest isn’t safe.”

Hesitating only for a moment, I took his hand. His grip was firm, steady, and somehow comforting.

As he led me through the trees, my mind raced with questions. Who was this man? Why had he helped me? And what did he mean by calling himself a friend?

By the time we reached the edge of the forest, my body was screaming in protest. My legs felt like lead, my injured ankle throbbing with every step. Black seemed unaffected by the grueling pace, his movements were fluid and effortless.

“We’re almost there,” he said, glancing back at me.

“Where is ‘there’ exactly?” I asked, struggling to keep up.

“Safe territory,” he replied vaguely.

I didn’t press him further. My instincts told me to trust him, even if my mind remained wary.

The trees thinned as we emerged into a clearing, the faint glow of a distant town visible on the horizon. The human realm.

“We’ll rest here for the night,” Black said, gesturing to a small, abandoned cabin nestled against the treeline.

I hesitated, unease prickling at the back of my neck. “And then what?” Just who was this guy, Could I trust him? or run while he's unaware.

“Then you decide,” he said simply. “Run. Fight. Hide. Whatever you choose, I’ll help you.”

His words caught me off guard. “Why?”

He paused, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Because you deserve the chance to be happy.” I detected a trace of a smile but I couldn't see properly in the faint moonlight, my exhaustion drove my powers to it's limit.

His answer was simple, but it carried a weight that settled in my chest. For the first time since my banishment, a spark of hope flickered within me.

Laura

The grand dining hall was aglow with warm candlelight, the long table set with gleaming silverware and goblets of deep crimson wine. Only two seats were occupied, though the room could have held twenty. It didn’t matter. This wasn’t a night for the pack, it was a night for victory.

I raised my glass, the wine within catching the light like freshly spilled blood. My father, seated across from me, mirrored the motion, his weathered face alight with satisfaction.

“To Amelia Bellerose,” I said, my voice lilting with mockery. “May her treacherous soul find peace....if it even deserves that.”

Carter chuckled, his laugh deep and rumbling. “A fitting end for a siren. The forest claimed her, just as it should have.”

I allowed myself a moment to revel in the words. The memory of her tear streaked face as she was dragged from the council chamber flashed in my mind, filling me with a delicious sense of triumph. She had been so certain of her place, so blind to the truth of her own unworthiness and I snatched it from her

“And now,” I continued, my voice softening to something more contemplative, “Kael can finally see reason. Without her clouding his judgment, the path forward is clear.”

“You mean the path to becoming Luna,” Carter said, his tone sly.

“Exactly,” I replied, my lips curving into a smile. “Kael needs someone strong by his side, someone the pack respects. Amelia was never that. She was weak, a liability. But me...” I let the words hang in the air, savoring their weight. “I was born for this role.”

Carter leaned back in his chair, regarding me with a mixture of pride and calculation. “You’ve worked hard for this, Laura. And now, with Amelia gone, nothing stands in your way.”

I took a sip of my wine, the bitterness of it grounding me in the moment. “She was always in the way,” I admitted, my voice dropping into a rare moment of vulnerability. “Kael couldn’t see it, but I could. She was a distraction, a weakness he couldn’t afford. I did what was necessary for him, for the pack.”

Carter’s expression hardened slightly, his tone taking on a note of caution. “Kael won’t be easy to sway. He’s stubborn, and he values loyalty above all else. If he suspects—”

“He won’t,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “As far as anyone is concerned, Amelia’s death was an unfortunate accident. A tragedy, but nothing more.”

My father studied me for a moment before nodding. “You’ve planned this well.”

“I always do,” I said, raising my glass once more. “To new beginnings.”

“To power,” Carter corrected, clinking his glass against mine.

We drank in silence, the room settling into a comfortable stillness.

I was already thinking of the next steps, the ways I could draw Kael closer, solidify my place by his side. Soon, he would see me for what I truly was, not just a contender for the Luna’s seat, but the only choice.

Amelia was gone, a ghost that would fade with time.

And I was ready to claim everything she’d left behind.