Luna ran with her feet bleeding, her shoes lost. She was a fool to believe his words! Naïve, she would have… if this dream had not warned her of her impending doom. She shuddered at the thought.
Remembering all too clearly- the thrust of her sister's claws through her chest as she clutched her heart in her hands and ate it.
The sound of her blood spraying in the moonlight and the metallic taste in her mouth as she stared in disbelief at her twin. Her twin sister Serene, smiling at her in triumph, the hatred and jealousy no longer concealed.
Laughing happily at her misery and pain while she gasped, choking on blood!
Even if it hurt to run now without shoes- that pain no, her death was etched in her mind, that dream was no dream, but a warning, and all the steps led to the Luna choosing. SHE would not be chosen, but her sister, Serene!
It would not matter if she were there; this was the perfect time to flee. The pitying looks she got from the pack when she failed to shift into her wolf, but her sister Serene shifted no problem into a proud wolf fit to be Luna.
Then there was Tristan, her mate who no longer sought her attention but spent time with Serene. He had been playing all along! He said it did not matter. It would be fine, she would shift, and they would go back to how they were. It was not true. He did not want her!
The rejection- a sharp pain in her heart. He wanted her sister, Serene. She had been betrothed since birth by their parents; they had always been together. She was even named Luna, the promise that she would be his Luna. But now her name was a joke! She could not shift. Tristan became Alpha. He had said this would not change anything between us, but when Serene shifted, and she did not. Things were different. The eyes of the pack changed. She was a disgrace, trash!
Her sister's wolf form was huge and powerful, and her lack of one marked her for expulsion from the pack. She never thought that they wanted her life till the dreams started. Each night, she would wake with her heart racing in her chest, the taste of metal still on her tongue. The sound of her sister laughing rang in her ears. The feel of claws and teeth.
She always shared the best of things with her sister. They only had each other, and their parents had been killed during the war with an opposing faction for territory.
She tried to run faster, but it was night, and her vision was that of a mortal woman. The forest seemed to grow darker as she ran. The moonlight did not make a dent in the shadows that swallowed her. She could still hear her sisters laugh as she whispered to her in parting that she was being chosen for Luna. The pack members would not meet her eyes.
That she was named Luna was her parents' ambition, and she failed them. She was not even a wolf. What was she? If she could not even shift. A mortal, a human, a girl, a failure of a wolf. Her tears burned as she remembered the scorn in Tristan and Serene's eyes. They burned into her.
She had been born first; she was the eldest, always protecting and giving way to her sister. She loved her, but her sister did not love her in return. Her sister's eyes had been full of resentment, jealousy, and triumph. She had finally surpassed her. Serene now stood above her. Her sister not only wanted her life, but she also wanted her name and her heart's blood. Even her soul was in danger.
She was "an unmarked," the lowest of the low. Not even a beta or omega. Right, that is what they called wolves that could not transform- THE UNMARKED! They were the nothings in the pack expelled or kept as slaves for the pack. Some even joined human society and worked as go-betweens for both parties, but they were never truly trusted by both groups, and most always met a bad end. She was a nothing…. A throwback.
When Luna caught sight of Tristan holding Serene in his arms, he was so careful and gentle. His smile was so loving and possessive. He used to look at her like that; now his gaze was full of disdain. It was palatable.
She felt the burning pain in her heart. Serene must have become Luna just now. Her bond with Tristan was just severed. It was a searing pain, leaving her weak. She felt her second bond sever with her sister, making her cry out. And then the third bond severed with the pack. She was an outcast- Unmarked. She coughed up blood, falling to the ground, no longer able to run. Luna felt so weak. Her instincts were screaming for her to keep running.
She wanted to understand why she could not transform like the others. Why was she different? Why couldn't she do it? If her sister could do it, why couldn't she? Why was she not first to shift? She coughed again, and blood sprayed the ground.
Her face was bleeding and dirty from running in the dark. She could not remember how many branches scratched her face as she ran, nor how many times she tripped and fell.
The funny thing was that no one was chasing her. No one noticed she was gone. When she left, it was like she faded into the shadows. She had left before the ceremony, leaving everything behind. There was no time she wanted to leave before they noticed her and detained her. She was so hungry, thirsty, and weak now, but she was alive. She was free. She had escaped her betrayers.
Luna remembered the fleeting looks of pity and disgust from her pack members. She had done everything for them, paving the way for Serene. A thankless task, she might as well be an unpaid housekeeper, making sure all the meals were set to the taste and health requirements of each of the pack members, and even Tristan, who was allergic to asparagus and garlic. But now that would be Serene's job- no more special incense for a calming sleep, nor a tea to help with his frequent headaches. She was not his Luna.
She had been rejected. She was without a pack, a mate, and her only kin had abandoned her for fame, power, and glory.
She could not believe that they would treat her as harvested goods. Luna was not even human to them. She was an ingredient to make them stronger. Her good sister believed she had taken resources from her as early as the womb. And she wanted it all back. There was no sisterly affection.
Luna tried to get up but swayed and staggered, determined to escape and live. Her eyes closed tightly as she fell. She hit her head on a rock, and it stung. Her eyes burned, her breath came in pants as she listened to the forest for any sounds of pursuit, but she heard nothing. She smiled wryly; no one was chasing. No one was coming to help her, no one was coming to save her, and no one wanted her. She bit her lip to keep the trembling and sorrow at bay. If no one wanted her, she would want herself. She would Love her self!
She felt the final snap of her bonds from Tristan, Luna, and the pack. It echoed in her being. Her eyes widened, and then she felt her body give out as she was swallowed into the darkness.
Something was different as she lay in the darkness; all the fear, rage, and regret disappeared. It was only her in the vastness of this space that filled her. In this space, although dark, she was not scared; it was as if something or someone was comforting her or answering her call. Something or someone was finally coming- her wolf was coming.
Her body, which had been burning with pain, was being soothed with cool water and earth, even the air was healing her?! She felt her hair on her arms stand up. Luna could feel the plants around her in the forest healing her.
The forest answered her call and accepted her. She, who was withered and dying from torn bonds, was being reborn.
"I am here." Her wolf spoke. She was a beautiful white wolf with a crescent moon on her brow. Her golden eyes glinted with warmth and love. Did that mean Luna's eyes would also be golden? She and her sister had always been identical, she wondered.
"Your sister is your enemy in a strange twist of fate; she was reborn with you as your sister. In your last life, you both died together in a similar betrayal. She stabbed you with a knife on your wedding day. In that life, she took the shape of your best friend." Her wolf spoke again. "I am sorry I was late, and you are wounded again, almost perishing. Serene will not let you go; you must get stronger. This time, I will save you! We will become one. I've searched for you so long; finally, I found you." Its eyes- tearful in sadness. "Do not worry, this time I've come prepared."