As the feast finally came to a close, I rose from the grand table, my limbs feeling heavy. It wasn't just the long day. It was the sheer weight of stepping into a world I barely understood.
Damien, Xavier, and Magnus cautiously stood with me. Wordlessly, they guided me toward the exit, their presence a silent, powerful escort. Lanterns lined the walls, their soft glow casting long shadows as we walked.
I remained silent, my mind reeling, but the men seemed completely at ease, conversing in a calm, almost casual manner, as if we hadn't just witnessed a brutal challenge to the Alpha.
"I swear, did you see Liam spill that entire jug of beer?" Magnus chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief, a genuine amusement in his tone.
Xavier grinned. "He'll never live that down."
"He's lucky Damien didn't see," Magnus added, a playful glint in his eye. "His face was priceless."
When we reached the midpoint of the corridor, I suddenly stopped. The three men halted immediately, their playful smiles fading as they turned to me, their expressions shifting to concern in an instant.
"Remove them," I said quietly, the words feeling foreign and small in the vast hall.
Damien furrowed his brow and stepped closer, his golden eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"
"The marks," I said, my voice gaining a desperate edge. "Take them off."
For a moment, there was a deafening silence. Then Magnus shook his head, his gaze softening. "Little Wolf, the marks are for life. You know that already."
"Besides, even if we could," Xavier added gently, his voice almost apologetic, "we still wouldn't."
Frustration welled up in my chest, a hot, bitter wave. "There must be another way," I insisted, my voice cracking. "This... the Moon Goddess... she's made a mistake. I'm not supposed to be here. I don't want to be here."
I stepped back, feeling trapped. "I'm scared…" I whispered, the admission a raw tear in the otherwise composed air.
The air seemed to thicken as the three men exchanged confused, almost pained glances. Damien stepped forward, his face serious, his alpha presence radiating a somber intensity. "Andra," he said softly, his voice deep and earnest, "we would sacrifice ourselves before we'd ever let anything or anyone harm you."
Xavier nodded in agreement, his eyes unwavering. "You are safe with us."
Magnus remained silent, but his gaze was intense, locked on my face. His jaw was clenched, as though the very thought of me being harmed was unbearable to him.
I shook my head, tears pricking at my eyes. "You don't understand. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this. I... I don't know if I can live like this."
Damien's expression darkened slightly, a shadow passing over his features. "I know. But…"
Tears welled in my eyes, blurring their faces, but I blinked them back, refusing to cry openly. "How can I be your Luna when I don't even know who I am anymore?"
Xavier gently placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly grounding. "Don't worry, we're not asking you to be anything other than who you already are."
I looked between the three of them, my gaze searching each face for an answer, for a way out. My chest tightened with a mix of terror and something else. As I stared into their unwavering eyes, I felt something I wasn't ready to name yet. Trust, perhaps? Or hope? But it wasn't enough to silence the fear that gnawed at my insides.
"I think I just need time," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I need time to figure this out. And… I need your help."
Damien nodded, stepping back to give me space, acknowledging my request without hesitation. "We understand."
Magnus's voice was softer than usual, a quiet assurance. "We're not going anywhere..."
I found myself alone in the spacious room that had been set aside for me. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind Damien, Xavier, and Magnus, the sound echoing in the silence.
Damien had given me a stern warning before he left: "If you try to escape, you will face a punishment more severe than you could ever imagine." His words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of my new reality.
Now, standing in the middle of the room, I felt utterly disoriented. Everything had happened so quickly, a whirlwind that had ripped my old life away. Just hours earlier, I had been a human, struggling to survive the Annual Purge, orphaned and broke. Now, I was something else entirely.
I roamed the room aimlessly, my bare footsteps echoing off the polished floor. How had I ended up here, marked and bound to a life I hadn't chosen?
I approached the large window that overlooked the Moonlit Pack's expansive territory, hoping the view might offer some solace, some sense of peace. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the dense forest and beyond. But instead of comfort, the scene felt like a cruel joke, a beautiful prison.
I slapped my own face, a sharp sting, trying to jolt my senses. "Wake up, Andra!" I muttered to myself, the words desperate. Yet, as I stared at my reflection in the glass, a ghostly image superimposed over the moonlit landscape, it was clear this was no dream. My heart raced, and my breaths came in quick, shallow gasps.
I was very much awake.
I sank into a plush armchair by the window, my body heavy. What was I supposed to do now? How could I adapt when everything I had known had been torn away in a matter of hours? The marks on my skin and the title of Luna—these were not things I had ever imagined for myself. The more I tried to make sense of it, the more lost I felt.
Later on, I lay on the bed, surrounded by plush pillows and warm blankets, the luxurious comfort a stark contrast to my internal turmoil. Exhausted both mentally and physically, I eventually drifted into a restless, fitful sleep.
When I awoke, I immediately sensed that something had changed—not in my surroundings, but within myself. It began with a mild throbbing in my head, which quickly intensified, forcing me to sit up and then stand, my legs shaking as I tried to steady myself.
My bones seemed to swell and ache, every joint screaming in protest. Sweat began to bead on my forehead and trickle down my back, soaking into the linens beneath me. My vision blurred, and a high-pitched ringing filled my ears, overwhelming my senses. An overpowering, primal urge to bite surged within me, a terrifying new instinct.
"What is happening to me?" I thought frantically, fear coiling in my gut.
The ache persisted, growing more excruciating by the second, spreading through every fiber of my being. I stumbled toward the window, hoping the fresh air might ease my discomfort, but the sight of the moonlight only seemed to heighten my dizziness, drawing me closer to the pain. The agony was now unbearable, and I felt a deep, guttural growl building in my throat, threatening to rip its way out.
I sank to the floor, clutching my head and chest in a futile attempt to soothe the overwhelming pain. Whatever was happening, it was happening whether I was ready or not. There was no stopping it.
The door to my room suddenly burst open with a resounding crash as Damien, Xavier, and Magnus stormed in, their faces etched with concern. Damien's eyes quickly scanned my form, noting my sweat-soaked clothes and the pained expression contorting my face.
"It's happening faster than we anticipated," he said, his voice grim.
Xavier, kneeling beside me, placed a comforting hand on my trembling shoulder. "You're right, Damien," he confirmed, his touch strangely steadying. "It seems that being marked by all three of us has accelerated the process."
Magnus, standing nearby, clenched his jaw as he observed the scene, his own eyes reflecting a deep worry. "Normally, the marks affect only wolves in this way," he said, his voice tight. "It's unusual for a human to experience such a drastic change. The marks are meant to bind us, but their effects on a human… they're different."
I could barely process their words, the agony consuming me. My vision was clouded, and my breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a struggle. "What's happening to me?" I cried out, the question torn from my throat.
"Your human form can't endure the changes," Damien said, his eyes softening with something akin to pity. "So you're becoming one of us."
"Please," I pleaded, my voice raw and desperate. "The pain… it's too much. Do whatever you can to ease it. I can't bear this anymore."
The three men exchanged troubled glances, a silent communication passing between them. Xavier was the first to speak. "Before we can help you, we need your consent. What we're about to do will be intense… it will push you to your limits."
I nodded quickly, my glistening eyes pleading, desperate for relief. "Yes, anything. Just… make the pain stop."
Damien and Magnus shared a brief, meaningful look before turning back to me. Magnus moved closer, his towering frame casting a shadow. "We'll do everything we can to ease your suffering, Little Wolf. But you must understand, once this begins, there's no turning back."
"It's going to be difficult…" Xavier whispered in my throbbing ears, his words a haunting echo of the pain.
Damien placed a comforting hand on my head, his touch warm amidst the searing agony. "But trust us."
I nodded, surrendering to their words, and the three men immediately moved into action. Damien positioned himself at my head, Xavier at my side, and Magnus at my feet. Through my blurred vision, I noticed the intense desire in their hungry eyes, a new kind of predatory gleam mixed with something else.
"What… will you do?" I whispered, my voice weak and trembling. But no one answered. Damien only gave me a grim smirk, a chilling promise of what was to come.