Chapter 5

Scarlet's Pov:

Tears blurred my vision as I fled from the packhouse into the forest. Ryan's betrayal coiled around my heart like a snake, coiling tighter with every breath.

The warriors stared, their eyes darting to each other, as they glanced at me as if I were a madwoman, running around with disheveled hair and tears streaked face. A psycho, as they all call me. They whispered among themselves while pointing their fingers at me, but I couldn't care less.

I was indeed deranged, someone who lost everything in just a mere hour. Someone who had been living in a shadowed fairytale for five years, how could she be sane?

How can anyone stay sane after losing their everything?

Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. I didn't look back, and ran faster. The warriors didn't care enough to chase me. While my mate is in his own world with his beloved childhood sweetheart. It killed me to even think about it.

I wandered deeper into the woods, running away as far as I could. My bare feet burning as I ran over sharp pebbles. Thorns and twigs snagged at my dress, tearing it. It was Ryan's favorite dress. He always said he loved how it clung to my curves. He used to ran his hands over my body, worshipping it. It always drove him crazy.

I remembered the wild nights, when I wore it for him and it left me breathless and unable to walk for days. But now it's torn, just like our bond. My dress caught in a twig, as I kept running. I stopped and tried to free my dress. I can't even hold on to this little part of my past. How will I be able to hold onto everything? My fingers trembled as I tugged at the dress.

Feeling suffocated, helpless and frustrated, I yanked my dress and a low-hanging branch that I hadn't seen before, caught my wrist, gashing it, I yelped in pain. A sob escaped my lips, as I held my bloody wrist. Blood was oozing out of the wound, but this physical pain was nothing compared to what I was feeling inside. I was breaking.

My breathing coming short, as I feel my chest tightening. Gasping for air, I hold the tree for support and tried taking deep breaths but nothing worked. Forcing myself, I continued sprinting into the forest.

Suddenly, a searing pain exploded in my body. My chest felt as if it would crush like sand. I gasped, stumbling forward as my knees gave way, my body burning with an indescribable pain.

A scream tore from my lips, as another wave of pain washed over. I slumped on the ground, my nails digging into the soil to grasp something, as raw pain squeezed me.

The sound of my bones breaking echoed in the silent night, I screamed in agony, and closed my eyes, trying to hold but another scream escaped my lips. My skin become red and I leapt into the air, shifting into my crimson-red wolf, Ira.

Ira howled loudly at the moon, from the pain we couldn't bear, and sprinted. The smell of damp earth filled our nostrils, as we wandered deeper into the woods, leaping between trees, the sound of the forest becoming a blur. And, it was the first time, I let her out since I shifted.

Memories of our bond flashing before our eyes, each laugh, each tear, every moment we shared running around before our eyes. The sound of our shared nights, bodies, and souls entwined.

The way his touch calmed me yet ignited a fire within me. The promises that were made were now tainted by the image of him and Beatrice entangled together, lost in each other's arms.

For a second, I thought that maybe I had imagined things, perhaps the nightmares and sleepless nights are making me delusional. The venoms in my veins are making me a psychopath, but then, a sound tore me from the desert of my disbelief - Ryan's pleasurable groans.

Ira ran to the Star Lake and stopped near the edge. Her fiery glowing eyes shimmered with pain, disbelief, and a silent promise.

Unknown to the reason, this lake has always brought us serenity. It's water flowed with a serene ferocity. No one had known my wolf was crimson-red wolf, not even the ones who birthed me.

Her red fur mirroring the moon. Ira's eyes caught sight of the Red Moon standing proudly in the dark sky, casting an eerie glow that bathed everything. It was as if a witch was casting her magical spell on the world, beautiful and haunting at the same time.

Red Moon?

I've never seen the Red Moon but have heard from elders that on this night the Moon turns red. It's a night of blessing, power, and justice.

Could it be that today's Red Moon?

Ira turned around and looked around the lake. The Moon was standing proudly in the dark sky, no stars were around it. It's a sign of the power this night holds. The air was chilly, cold enough to raise goosebumps over your skin but also warm to soothe the goosebumps and provide an unexplainable serenity to the soul.

Tonight is Red Moon night, it is the most sacred and powerful night. This night holds the immense power and secrets. It appears once every hundred years. It's been foretold that this night doesn't just change fate, but awakens unstoppable powers.

I've heard stories of packs performing different gruesome rituals to please the Moon Goddess and full power of this night, some even went to the extent of killing their people.

Ira sat near the lake, gazing into the water. Ryan's betrayal has broken her. Between me and her, she is the one most torn. For wolves, their mate is their everything. The one destined to complete the other half in a way that no other could. And seeing the mate bond shattering, the person who is destined to be only yours with someone else, is worse than death.

She sat quietly, just absentmindedly gazing into nothing. The red glow from the moon bathing everything making it ethereal. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in my body. Ira and I both howled in pain.

"Ah," What's happening,"? I shakily inquired as the pain for too much to near. Ira whimpered, and was shaking her head, running around in a circle due to the immense pain.

“Wh-what's happening,”? I asked in her head, but she only whimpered.

“Ira, what's happening,”? I cried desperately as another wave of pain washed over. I felt an immense energy surging into me. The energy was subsiding the pain, but it was pain was unbearable.

“Ah,”

“Ira,”

“Something's happening,” Ira whimpered.

“What do you mean? What's happening,”? I panicked as my heart started thumping widely. An unknown force was fighting with me, forcing me into my edge.

“Something strong, unimaginable and I- I don't know how to describe it,”.

“Let me take over,” I pushed forward, trying to take over, but Ira pushed me back.

“No, Scarlet, you are hurt, and your body is weak. You won't be able to endure it,” she pleaded. A sob racked through my body as my wolf, for the first time, pleaded with me. She has the strongest wolf in the supernatural realm. And here she's begging me.

“You are hurt too Ira. You can't handle all the pain. Let me share,” Ira's presence flickered in my mind, like a silent nod at the back of my head. No words, just an unspoken truth, that we are broken.

“We are one, Ira,” I whispered while tears were raining in my eyes. Ira understood and nodded.

I closed my teary eyes and took over. A hiss escaped my lips as another wave of pain erupted.

“Ah,” clutching my chest, I fell to the ground on my fours. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the ground and looked at my reflection in the water. Reflection of a broken girl who has nothing to hold onto. My eyes were red and fluffy, my hair disheveled, dress torn. Truly an epitome of a broken girl.

Suddenly, my neck and wrist started burning as if someone had put a burning coal on it. I hissed and gazed down at my wrist to see a strange burning mark appearing on my wrist.

I screamed as the pain was becoming unbearable. I clutched my wrist tightly and closed my eyes to suppress the pain.

Another scream tore past my lips, as the same pain erupted from my neck. I dragged my body closer to the water and gazed at my reflection. Pushing my hair to the side, I saw the same mark appearing on my neck.

The marks were strange and unusual. They weren't complete marks but rather parts, one-fourth. After some time, the pain subsided, and I slumped on the ground, gazing at the red moon. Cold sweat glistened on my forehead. My body was lifeless and rigid. I felt a strange power and calmness in my body.

“What's this,” I whispered while softly caressing the new mark on my wrist. My eyes taking each detail of the mark, it was glowing red, but it doesn't hurt like before.

“What just happened,”?

"You are blessed,"

"What,"?

“You are the chosen one, Scarlet,” Ira spoke proudly and I sat abruptly, too stunned to understand anything.

“Chosen one? What do you mean by that, Ira,”?

“The Red Moon Night has blessed you, Scarlet. You are a special,” Ira whispered softly, and I chuckled mockingly while gazing at the moon.

Blessed?

Chosen one?

Fate and Destiny indeed know how to play jokes.

How can someone broken be destined for something big? Looks like I'm a joke to Moon Goddess too. Ryan's betrayal looming like a dark shadow over me. The insecurities that I had buried deep inside me, to be a perfect Luna, started resurfacing again.

Was I not good enough? Had my insecurities, driven him away, eroding our bond? Did he fell out of love? But how can someone fall out of love with their mates? Was it the first time that it happened? Was it mistake that I misunderstood? Did I fail to notice the signs? Silent tears streamed down my face as different question ran around in my mind.

“You are stronger than you think, Scarlet. You are destined for greatness. Let it embrace you,” Ira spoke fiercely.

"It's not your fault. It's mate's fault Scarlet. He betrayed us. He will regret it,"

I don't know how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts. Many questions were there but not an answer to a single one. How can my life turn upside down in just a few hours?

Growing up, I always heard about mates and bonds from my pack members. Every morning, I would watch the pack members being in love, giggling and dancing together. I always wanted that for myself. I wanted to feel that bond, that sparks.

And when I met Ryan, I thought that I finally got the answer to all my prayers. Little did I know it was just my delusional thinking. Gazing down at my wrist, I ran my finger over the mark. What could it mean?

Gazing at the burning moon, I small smile appeared on my face. How ironical! For the first time, I shifted it was for the people around me. And today, I shifted was also because of people around me. But none of them cared enough.

Somewhere, a man standing near the window, his crimson red eyes gazing keenly at the red moon. Taking a sip from his liquor, he hissed, and raised his hand to see his mark was glowing and burning.

“You mark-mark is burning, Alpha. It means…,” another man spoke panicked while pointing at the mark.

“She is coming,” He growled, a dangerous glint in his eyes while a playful smirk playing on his lips. Taking his wrist to his lips, he kissed the mark passionately.