Harbinger Of Destruction

« CLARA »

My body turns to ice, every nerve tingling with dread.

The air feels suffocating, pressing down on me as the word ‘execution’ reverberates in my mind like a death knell.

Panic surges through me, gripping my chest so tightly that I can barely breathe.

My dilated pupils slowly sweep over the crowd gathered in the clearing, and what I see makes my heart ache —cold, disdainful stares.

These are the same faces that once looked up to me with admiration and respect. Now, they glare at me with hostility, their eyes cold and unyielding.

To them, I’m no longer their Luna—I’m a harbinger of doom.

“We must be quick to carry out the Luna’s execution as soon as possible,” Andromeda speaks out, her voice carrying over the restless murmurs. As a revered figure in the pack, her words carry weight, and the crowd quickly falls silent.

All eyes shift to her.

“There's no time to waste. The longer she remains, the stronger her evil powers will become. If we wait any longer, they’ll spread among us, bringing nothing but harm upon us.”Andromeda stares at me, her lips curling, into a chilling smile—cold, calculating, that sends chills down my spine.

Her words strike terror into the hearts of the people.

The crowd shifts uneasily, fear etched into their expressions as they take hesitant steps backward, creating more distance between themselves and me.

It’s as if simply being near me could seal their fates.

"Adrian," I whispered, turning to him desperately. He was my mate, my husband, the one person who should stand by my side.

Surely, he wouldn’t let this happen…Right?

His deep-set Amber eyes met mine for a brief moment, but they held none of the warmth or affection I’d grown accustomed to. Instead, there was only indifference —and something else I couldn’t quite place.

"Adrian, please," I begged, my voice trembling. "You know me. You know I would never harm anyone. Don’t let them do this to me."

Adrian remains silent, rooted to the spot. My heart clenches painfully. The weight of his lack of response crushes me more than any accusation ever could.

"Adrian…" my voice breaks, barely more than a whisper. Still, he doesn’t move. He doesn’t speak. He doesn't look at me.

He does nothing.

Adrian’s silence only fuels the courage of others. One by one, they step forward again, their gazes filled with condemnation.

"You all have heard Andromeda; we can't afford to delay any further,” Adrian’s uncle, Elder Marcus, speaks aloud while glaring at me with coldness. "The Luna will be burned at the stake. It’s the only way to ensure our safety. Not just for our pack –but for the sake of the entire supernatural world.”

Burned at the stake.

Suddenly, vivid images flood my vision—flames licking my skin, scorching my body, turning my flesh to ash. The searing pain. The unbearable agony. The smell of burning flesh.

I can almost feel it.

The though of it all sent a sharp chill down my spine. My knees felt weak, and my head spun.

No.

This has to be a nightmare. Someone please wake me up from this bad dream.

I looked around frantically, hoping—praying—that someone would step forward, that someone would say this was all a mistake.

But all I saw were cold, merciless eyes.

The same pack who had once showered me with praises and gifts, bowed to me with respect, and tried to curry favor from me, now looked at me as if I was a plague. As if I was something that needed to be erased.

“Guards!” one of the elders roar. “Seize the Luna.”

Before I could react, a group of pack warriors lunged forward like rabid animals, rough hands grabbed both sides.

“No! Let go of me!” I thrash in their grip, my voice shaking with fury and fear. “I am your Luna! I command you to let me go!”

But they don't listen.

Ryan leads them. Standing before me a flicker of hesitation crosses his face, clouding with conflicting emotions but it disappears just as quickly, replaced by a hardened expression.

“Ryan… you wouldn't—”

“I’m sorry, Luna,” he says quietly, glancing subtly at Adrian, I sense a hint of remorse in his voice. “But we must carry out our duty. It’s for the sake of the people.”

My heart drops like a stone.

Duty?

Was that all I meant to them now?

I looked over at Adrian but he wasn't watching, he was staring emotionlessly at the ground. His jaw tightened. His chiseled hands fisted. His towering figure was intimidating. I can feel his wolf, Marcus, being restless.

Was that rage I see now?

Was he angry at them for treating me this way?

The crowd erupts into chaos, their angry voices blending into a deafening roar. Some shout for my death, others curse me as the evil wolf -the one spoken of in dark prophecies. The murmurs spread like wildfire, growing louder.

Fear, loathing, anger—it is all directed at me.

The air is thick with tension.

Amidst the madness, I see Tiara.

She approaches my father, her movements deliberate and calculated. Grabbing his arm, she shouts urgently, “Elijah, surely you can’t let this happen. You've got to save Clara! She's your daughter! Say something! Do something!”

Her voice trembles slightly, feigning concern, but I know better. Behind her worried expression lurks something far more sinister —a gleam of mockery, satisfaction.

Pretender.

Tiara is the only person who wanted nothing more than to see me gone –more than anyone else in the world!

But then again, I almost scoff. What was she thinking when she ran to my father putting on an act of concern?

Of course, he won't let any harm come to me, he would stand by me! He loves me!

I turn to my father, but the look I see in his eyes makes the hope in my chest run cold.

He stood stiffly, his expression carved from ice. Gone is the warmth he once reserved only for me as though it had never existed.

Those eyes that once looked at me with pride and love now hold nothing but cold disappointment.

No—worse. Disdain. Contempt.

“There’s nothing I can do,” he replies flatly. “Even if there were many options, I wouldn’t save her. Clara is a danger to everyone. Let her bear the consequences of her curse alone.”

His words hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me breathless and reeling. Alone?

He’s abandoning me—his daughter—to face this nightmare by myself.

My whole body begins to shake.

I could see it clearly now—my father didn’t want anyone to think he was on my side. He refused to be linked to the cursed wolf, to the evil daughter everyone now saw as a monster.

He is throwing me away.

He is telling the world that I mean nothing to him.

I staggered back, my body trembling. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

How?

How had he changed so suddenly?

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, my voice cracking under the weight of my despair. “Father…”

He raises a hand, silencing me with a glare so fierce it stops me mid-sentence. “Don’t you dare call me that!” he snaps, his voice cutting through the clearing like a whip. “You lost the right to claim me as your father when you became a threat to us all. I won’t be tied to an evil daughter.”

Stunned, I stare at him, unable to speak.

His words hit me harder than any physical blow could.

They make me question everything. Did he ever love me? Or was it all just an act, a façade to maintain appearances?

Was it only because I was Adrian’s mate, the Luna of the Dark Howl pack, that he ever showed me any care or affection?

Tiara seizes the opportunity, raising her voice in mock indignation. “Elijah, how could you speak to your daughter like that?” she scolds, pretending to be appalled. But I catch the fleeting sneer that crosses her lips—a sign of triumph hidden beneath her false sympathy.

The hidden smirk that no one else notices.

Rage bubbles inside me, drowning out my despair.

“Shut up, Tiara!” I snap. “I never asked you to speak for me. Stop pretending to care! You're a two-faced—”

Before I can finish, a sharp pain stings my cheek.

A sharp slap that echoes in the air.

Shakily, I slowly touch my face, feeling the red visible marks where I have been struck.

Turning to the person, disbelief washes over me.