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Chapter 3: Ruins for a Heart

Author: Mary Ann
last update Huling Na-update: 2024-11-28 05:42:28

"Stop staring at me like I'm going to break.".

Before I could stop them, sharp and brittle as glass, the words fled me. My chest heaving, the weight of the past few days avalanche-like on me. Dax leaned against a tree, arms folded, his golden gaze unflinching and his expression invisible.

He replied squarely, pointing to the homemade bandage on my side: "You're bleeding." And your legs seem to be shaking. Keep pushing yourself like way, and you will break.

I hated the way his directness tore through the thin veneer of control I clung to. I have no luxury of breaking.

" Clearly,’ he said, his voice tinged with contempt. "Because stubbornness alone will keep you alive out here.”

I looked away, not letting him glimpse the tears about to flow. Not cry. Not today. Not directly in front of him. But the pain in my chest, the link still frayed but not completely severed, tore at my will.

Dax answered, "Zaia," gentler this time. I turned nothing. I could not.

“What?I caught me shaking in voice.

"Sit down before you fall down."

The silence in his tone mirrored the sharpness of his words, and for reasons I couldn't explain it broke me. Holding my knees to my chest, my legs buckled and I dropped to the floor. The quiet hung between us, weighty and oppressive.

My voice muffled, I said, "I didn't ask for your help."

Sitting opposite from me, he answered, "No, you didn't; however, you will need it if you are going to survive out here. Whether or not you find appealing.

I let me remember for the first time since I left the Crescent Moon Pack. Sebastian's face still showed coldness as he broke the link we were supposed to be sharing. The way Cassandra gripped him, her expression joyful, as though she had won a prize.

Not for me, the mate link was not something one could readily reverse. I felt it still, a weak hum in my chest like a thread stretched too far but not quite snapped. It was a nasty reminder of what I had lost.

"What kind of Alpha turns away his Luna?Dax's words drove me back to the here-now.

I looked up, shocked. His demeanor was austere, yet there was something in his eyes—an echo of suffering I too well knew.

I remarked, my voice flat: "The kind who never deserved one in the first place."

Dax slanted forward with his elbows on his knees. He said, shockingly, "You're not weak."

I gave him a blinking glance. “What?

"He rejected you, hence you believe you to be weak. But he is the weakest of them.

I have nothing to say about that. Too complicated to untangle, the weight of my sadness, my wrath, and my dread spun inside me.

"Why do you give a damn?My voice just above a whisper, I asked.

Dax did not reply for a time. His jaw tightened as his eye strayed toward the horizon. Let's pretend I understand what it's like to be kicked out. to have what you have ever known snatched from you.

His voice reflected my own, and for the first time I saw him not only as a renegade but as someone carrying his own wounds.

A low, guttural cry sounded in the distance before I could reply. Dax froze, his eyes narrows and he jumped to his feet.

"They found us," he said, his voice dark.

"Who?"I questioned, wriggling to stand despite the pulsating agony in my side.

His voice low, he replied, " rogues who don't play by any rules". "They will split you just for stepping on their territory. Stay behind me.

I started to object, but the sound of branches breaking close silenced me. My wolf whirled uncomfortably, and I could feel danger prickle up my spine.

Rising from the darkness, the renegade wolves had terrible eyes. Three of them were there; their snarls sounded like a death knell over the air.

Dax was not slow. He leaped for the closest assailant, shifting mid-step and his huge wolf form became a swirl of dark hair and teeth.

My instincts took over, and I changed too, neglecting the agony blazing in my side. I meant not to be a victim once more.

The struggle was violent and disorganizing. While I held my own against another, Dax battled with accuracy and intensity, killing one renegade. I just avoided the third wolf's strike as he barreled toward me though; he was bigger and stronger.

I turned in time to watch Dax crash into the third rogue, his teeth sinking into her shoulder as a piercing cry tore across the air. Blood splattered the ground; the surviving rogues ran into the forest, their cries dying into the evening.

Dax turned around, blood coating his arms and face. With the back of his palm he cleaned his mouth, staring at me. "You alright?\\"

I nodded, though my legs felt like gelatin. You did not have to do it.

He gave a shrug. "Did not really have any option. You are not precisely in fighting shape.

I ought to have been annoyed, but instead I discovered myself just slightly smiling. "Thanks," says

His manner eased, the strain in his shoulders releasing. "Don't discuss it."

Another howl cried in the distance, this one deeper and more frightening than the last before we could get going.

Dax closed his eyes and tightened his jaw. "We have to relocate. Today.

"For what? They're gone.

"That wasn't them," he answered with grimace. " Something else is hunting us.

Kaugnay na kabanata

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna    Chapter 4: Into the Rogue Territories

    If you want to live, keep on moving.Dax's words sounded like a deep growl, his eyes flying across the black woodland. Every muscle in his body was tight, coiled like a spring, ready for assault or protection.My legs blazing from his pace, I staggered after him. Every stride caused the agony in my side to pulse, yet I dared not slow down. Closer now, behind us distant howling rang across the woods."What is it?."I pained, my voice quivering."Not what—who." His voice was sharp, his attention relentless. Territory of rogues. They neither abandon survivors nor hunt in packs.A shiver ran down my spine, and my wolf moved slowly, eager to fight yet tired from the previous encounter."Why are they seeking after us?Pressing, I asked."Because you went across their boundaries. And therefore they will view you as weak, he said without turning around. "Which qualifies you as a target?"As we descended into the renegade territory, the ground become more hostile. Dax walked precisely, negotiati

    Huling Na-update : 2024-11-28
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 5: Survival's Secrets

    "You won't last another night if you keep discounting my advice."Dax's words sliced through the silence of the campfire, as keen as the knife he was honing in his hands. The flickering shadows the firelight created on his face highlighted the sharp lines of his jaw and the displeasure in his eyes.I scowled at him, gripping my side where his improvised bandage was tightly wrapped for comfort too tight. "I asked for your opinion not here.""No," he answered dryly, "but you really need it. Not in your condition, neither can you fight like that again."I held my own," I shot back, though even I doubted it. The battle still caused my body to hurt, and every breath caused the wound on my back to throbber.Dax groaned, slinging the dagger aside and stooped forward. "This is not about claiming your own, Zaia. This has to do with survival. And just now, your performance is appalling.He stood suddenly, taking a little satchel from his bag. Come here.I hesitated, conscious of his tone. " Why

    Huling Na-update : 2024-11-28
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 6: Notes in the Moonlight

    That howl wasn't haphazard. That serves as a warning.Dax's quiet but forceful voice cut across the calm of the woodland. His body stiffened, ready to fight or run away as his eyes perolled over the trees."What does this imply?"My voice just above a whisper, I asked."It means something out there wants us to know it's coming," Dax said sadly. It's not friendly whatever it is.The Crescent Moon Pack scout moved nervously, his eyes flickering into the darkness. We shouldn't hang around here. There is a curse over this place.Haunted?I scowled and looked between them.Dax snorted, devoid of a smile. " Rogues dismiss curses as not believing in them. But even the toughest of them dodge something out here.The howls returned, more loudly and nearer. Restless and eager to fight, my wolf whirled undermy skin. Dax moved for us, his steps quick but quiet."Stay close, and don't make a sound," he said.As we went, the forest appeared to press in on us, the thick trees creating spooky shadows un

    Huling Na-update : 2024-11-28
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 7: Messenger from the Goddess

    "You have veers too far from the road, young one."The remarks seems to be echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once. As I turned to face the dark figure that had entered the clearing, my breath seized in my throat. Its silver eyes gleamed like twin moons, and its presence radiated an unearthly quiet that caused my wolf shudder." Who are you?I demanded, my voice quivering but forceful.Dax moved defensively in front of me, his dagger glinting in the moonlight. He hissed, "Back off," his wolf emerging barely under his flesh.The figure slanted its head and wore a strange smile on its lips. "Still so quick to fight, even if you should be listening.”The figure moved closer, the lines of reality blurring as the trees surrounding us started to glitter. My body stopped, an invisible power guiding me to that point. Dax said something, but his voice was muffled—as though he were speaking underwater.Then silence descended upon everything.The earth around me vanished, replaced by a great

    Huling Na-update : 2024-11-28
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 8: Resolution of a Mother

    "How do you expect that child to be protected if you cannot protect yourself?"Dax's piercing and relentless tone breaks through the quiet like a knife. Standing a few steps away, arms crossed, his golden eyes fixed on me with a combination of irritation and challenge.I froze, my fingers groped over my stomach automatically. "Don't talk about my child like that."He moved closer, his height commanding but not menacing. "I am not the enemy Zaia here. If you are carrying the next successor to the Crescent Moon Pack, however, the rogues chasing us will not matter. That, if anything, increases your desired value.Though I refrained from letting it show, his comments really touched something. "Dax, I didn't ask for your help."And yet you're alive because of it, he said sharply. "You have to start seeing yourself as a survivor rather than someone ready for rescue."His comments stayed buried in the corners of my mind long after they were said. He was correct, of course. Not one mother who

    Huling Na-update : 2024-12-14
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapters 9: Rogue Shadows

    "You are not running fast enough!"Dax's voice rang crisp with haste over the woodland. Over the steady beating of paws behind us and my own laboured breathing, I could hardly hear him. Whatever was following us was quicker and darker than simply a rogue. "I'm trying!," says I pushed myself further, yelling back and evading a low-hanging tree. My wolf roared in irritation, demanding I change to flee the danger; my legs scorched. Dax hissed, turning back to cover me without offering any apologies. You want to protect the child? Run like your life relies on it because it does. His comments drove me forward even as my body protested like a whip. The scout was not far ahead; his stride faltered as terror poured from him. The brilliant paw prints we had seen before were a promise rather than just a warning. Closer now, a growl burst behind us as my heart banged into my ribs. "Keep moving!" Dax yelled, whirling on his heel to meet the danger. My wolf biting at me to remain and battle,

    Huling Na-update : 2024-12-14
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 10: An improbable coalition

    "kill me now and get it over if you do not trust me."Dax had a deep, menacing voice, yet his amber eyes revealed the strain boiling under his calm façade. As he gazed down the scout, his words lingered in the air, laden with frustration and challenge."I don't trust you," the scout fired back, his blade glinting in the scant moonlight. You are an outlaw. You certainly as heck shouldn't be with her; you belong nowhere here."enough!," I shot, straying between them, my own anger boiling out. We have not time for posturing if we are going to survive this. Either turn around and go or stow your weapons.The scout narrowed his lips, but he dropped his blade grudgingly. Zaia, I am here for you. Not his either.Then start behaving like it, I remarked coldly, looking between them. "Right now neither of you is helping."Tensed quiet drove us over the woodland, the shadows surrounding still flashing with uncanny motion. Every stride seemed weighty, the weight of what we had just gone through h

    Huling Na-update : 2024-12-15
  • Rise of Forsaken Luna     Chapter 11:  Dax, the Rogue Alpha

    "You are curious about me. Then quit acting as if you could face the reality. Dax's voice sounded like a snarl, his tone harsh enough to pierce through the thick quietcovering us since we left the altar behind. Though now his words blazed in my head as much as the brightness of the unusual symbols. I shot back, matching his amber gaze with a fierceness I didn't quite feel, "I can handle more than you think." His mouth turned into a humorless sneer. "Very true?" Last time I looked, you hardly knew what you were up against.Zaia, you are depending on the wrong people. And among them is one standing just next to you. The scout froze, his hand tightening on his dagger. " What's that supposed to mean?" Dax turned away from him, staring only at me. "You seek responses?" Great. Don't claim, however, that I didn't warn you. We paused in a little meadow, the tension pulsing between us like an unseen storm. Dax slumped slightly as he leant against a tree. "I wasn't always a renegade," h

    Huling Na-update : 2024-12-15

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  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 167: Guarding the Haunted

    After Cassandra left, the woodland was quiet, but the suspense hung thick like a storm just about to strike. Lirien had disappeared. not with Cassandra. Not besides us.She was on her own. That made her erratic as well. Back at camp, the battle-worn fighters huddled around the fire, their faces marked with anxiety. We had gained something today; yet, it would be interesting to know if this was a mistake or a triumph. The first to speak was Dux. "So what now? Lirien cannot be left alone out there. Rorin groaned, his damaged visage inscrutable as she made her decision. She turned her back on Cassandra, but she chose none of us either. Elyse said, "She's lost." She has spent her whole life believing one truth; now she is unsure of what to believe. She is vulnerable because of this. Tasha waved her arms. "You believe Cassandra won't show up searching for her? She shall. Lirien lately started to be a burden. I let out a quiet breath as my fingers tightened on the relic at my chest.

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 166: When Fragmented Trust

    Cassandra took cautious, purposeful steps towards us, her violet eyes shining with delight and her smile razor-sharp. Her black energy swirled in the air around her, sending shills down my spine."Oh, Zaia," she said, slanted her head to study me. You truly felt you could violate the Shadow Pact with sentiment? With minimal talks on unity? Lirien still shook from the traces of the heavenly force that had passed through her. Her red eyes, which had always blazed with relentless hate, suddenly flicked with something else—uncertainty. Her voice strained as she replied, "You used me," her hands clenched. Cassandra laughed, a musical sound that made me think of alarm bells. "I walked you, sweet Lirien. I gave you the tools you so sorely needed to recover your birthright. And what then did you do? She tsked and shook her head. You halted. You allow the honeyed words of the Luna soak into your heart. Lirien's whole body stiffened. You lied to me. Cassandra groaned, annoyed. Has I? Alter

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 165: Forest Glade Confrontation

    Like a phantom's breath, the whisper enveloped us with a terrible sensation of dread over the treetops."You think you might alter fate?"Lirien's vocal quality.The shadows in Sacred Hollow deepened and curved like ravenous tentacles. Though even that warmth couldn't chase away the darkness approaching us, the blessing of the Moon Goddess still thrummed in my veins.Dax pulled his sword, his muscles stiffened for fight. She was looking forward us.Elyse whispered an incantation, her silver eyes flickering weakly. Not one. She were observing.Tasha opened her mouth to show teeth. "then let's give her something to see."I raised my chin, determined not to let terror seize. "No," We battle somewhere. Here is not our scene.Dax turned to look at me. "Zaia—""This is holy ground," I stated with great conviction. "I won't denigrate it with bloodshed."The shadows seemed to be thinking about what I had said. From beyond the treeline, then, a man moved forward.Lirien.She wore a black coat

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 164: Quiet Blessing of the Moon Goddess

    Though their images faded, their echoes thrumming in my bones like a broken chord remained. My thoughts whirled with the facts the Keeper had pushed upon me; my breathing was labouring. Actually, the reality exceeded my expectations. More than I could have tolerated.The Shadow Pact was a tie linking the pack's destiny to forces much older than any of us had known, not just an instrument of power or a curse afflicting the Crescent Moon Pack. Breaking it would call for a sacrifice more than I could have ever imagined.Their red eyes inscrutable, the Keeper regarded me. Now you understand, they said softly. "The agreement cannot be revoked without results." One has to pay blood price. And it comes from you as well.My wolf seething within me, my fingers twisted into fists. "If the cost is my to pay, then so be it," I replied. But I refuse to let the pack suffer for previous errors.The Keeper slanted their head, as if weighing my comments. Then they turned back into the darkness, a fain

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 163: Techniques of the Forbidden Lands

    The devastation of the hilltop was a clear warning, a sobering reminder of Lirien's growing might. As we gathered in the tent, her harsh and caustic comments still reverberated in my ears. Both physically and metaphorically, the shadows had increased and pressed on the delicate togetherness we had so laboratively created.But there was another, a faint whisper at the brink of my consciousness borne by the constant pulse of the relic. Lirien and Cassandra were not involved. Something ancient, something beckoning me from far within the Forbidden Lands.Fear and mystery have always come from the Forbidden Lands. The air there heavy with an odd force turned even the toughest away, hence even the fiercest wolves feared to approach her boundaries. Stories of those who entered and never came back were handed down like warnings, moulding next generations of Crescent Moon wolves.But the relic I had throbbed with intent, its glow weak but constant. Whatever lay in those territories, I knew it

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 162: Reversing Customary Traditions

    The howl stayed in the air like an unspoken challenge, the brilliant eyes in the shadows a sharp reminder of the threats invading our life. Every wolf poised for the battle we knew was about to strike the camp in tense quiet. But the danger did not materialise as the seconds extended into minutes. One by one the eyes vanished, leaving only the disturbing silence of the forest.Dax said, "It's a warning," his golden eyes glancing over the treeline. "We are being tested by them.""Or waiting for us to fall," Elyse replied, her silver eyes piercing. "They want us apart. They are expecting we will break apart on our own.Her comments really connected with me as they reflected the uncertainties growing inside of me. Lirien's claim, the brittle alliance with the rogues, the weight of the Crescent Moon's legacy—all seemed like shackles, binding us to customs that no longer served us.We had to become free from those bonds if we were going to live. We had to generate something fresh.Once mor

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 161: Rogues Under Shadow of the Council

    As we rebuilt the southern outpost, the camp was a swarm of activity. The meeting with Lirien had changed everyone who had seen her strength, not just me. Whispers about her claim as the legitimate successor to the Crescent Moon Pack swiftly create uncertainty and mistrust among the wolves.Particularly the rogues appeared more restless than normal. Their mistrust, always boiling just under the surface, suddenly threatened to explode. We realised we couldn't afford to allow the brittle coalition we had created fall apart.Tension high, the council gathered that evening. Seated around the table, Dax, Kade, Elyse, and Rorin had mixed looks of tiredness and discontent. Sebastian stood to the side listening closely while crossing his arms.Dax said, his amber eyes ablaze with frustration: "We cannot overlook what occurred today. "Lirien's challenge to Zaia's authority goes beyond mere threat. Should she continue to disseminate her falsehoods, the pack might turn against her."Some of the

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapter 160: The Last Heir of the Crescent Moon

    Not just a strategic site for the pack, but the southern outpost had been a symbol of our resilience, a reminder of what we had worked to rebuild. It was destroyed now. The story of the incident spread around the camp like wildfire, greatly unsettling the wolves and generating uncertainty. For me, however, it was personal—not just another loss.The weight of the relic pressed on my chest like a subdued reminder of the responsibility I carried as the council gathered in the command tent. Around the table Dax, Kade, Elyse, and Rorin stood with emotions ranging from deadly determination to sheer rage." How nasty is it?" I asked to break the quiet.Sebastian went forward, his voice low and sad. "The outpost is no more nowadays. Those who survived assert it was something else, not Cassandra's will. Shadows, as we came across in the woodland. Still, they were moving towards something."leading them!" Elyse repeated, her silver eyes narrowing. "What type of creature could regulate such thi

  • Rise of Forsaken Luna   Chapters 159: Wounded but Unbroken

    The wolves gathered in the area, their moves purposeful and keen, the early air was tense. The scout’s urgent report had placed the whole camp on edge. Though it wasn't Cassandra's army, whatever was crossing the western woodland wasn't less of a menace.With the relic warm against my breast, its faint pulse consistent but quiet, I stood in the middle of the clearing. Elyse and Rorin waited close by, their faces austere; Dax and Kade flanking me had stiff postures.Any updates from the scouts? I asked, my voice calm in spite of the churn in my stomach.Sebastian advanced, his keen silver eyes guiding him. "They are watching from the summit. Whatever it is, it is moving swiftly; even if there is no clear indication of what we are dealing with, then we cannot afford to wait. "We shall look in a small group. Others of the camp stay here and enhance the defences.Dax furrowed, worry darkening his golden eyes. You are once more endangering yourself. Let us take care of it."I'm the L

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