Marked for Ruin, Chosen for Rebirth

"Luna, you're awake."

Agnes's voice pulled me out of the haze. As I opened my eyes, all I could feel was a hollow emptiness—deep, soul-crushing, not just physical.

Instinctively, my hand went to my stomach. It was flat. Lifeless.

"My pup..." I choked, though I already knew the answer.

Agnes sighed, her aged face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Luna. We tried everything, but... laurel wine is poison to a pregnant she-wolf. You lost too much blood. The pup didn't make it."

Tears fell silently. I turned my face toward the window, not wanting anyone to see their Luna broken. The sky outside was gray, heavy—just like my heart.

"Maybe... it was fate," Agnes said softly, handing me a mug of herbal tea.

"There's an old tale in the Silver Moon Pack. If a Luna hasn't conceived after five years of the mark, it's seen as a bad omen."

I wrapped my hands around the cup, the warmth seeping into my fingers.

"A bad omen?"

"It means the bond might be unstable. Or… the pairing was a mistake."

She said it carefully, like she didn't want to offend me.

A mistake.

Those words echoed in my mind, unearthing memories I'd buried deep.

Five years ago, I had just lost Liam—my first love, the Beta of Shadow Ridge. My savior. He died protecting me. I wasn't even allowed at his funeral. Just a rogue left to wander, heart shattered.

Until I met Kieran.

He was leading a patrol near the Silver Moon border when we crossed paths. And when I saw him—his face, his eyes, his smile—I froze. He looked so much like Liam, I thought the Moon Goddess was playing tricks on me.

Kieran noticed my reaction. He came closer, asked who I was, where I came from. I couldn't speak. I just stared, searching his face for pieces of Liam. He thought my silence meant fear. So he showed me his Alpha side—strong, protective, magnetic.

Days passed. He kept coming back with food and gifts, trying to earn my trust. And I… I soaked in every detail. Every little similarity. I knew it was wrong. I was using him to fill the hole Liam left behind.

Then came the marking proposal.

Kieran needed a Luna to secure his Alpha rank. I was perfect—no pack ties, no politics, just a broken rogue clinging to a ghost.

I said yes, even though my wolf howled in protest.

"He's not Liam," she warned me.

"A mark is forever. It's not a bandage for grief."

But I didn't listen. I needed the illusion.

When Kieran's fangs sank into my neck and the bond sealed, I closed my eyes and pretended it was Liam making the promise.

"Luna?" Agnes's voice pulled me back.

"Are you alright?"

I blinked. The tea had gone cold. I hadn't taken a single sip.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just... thinking."

She nodded gently. She was one of the few in the pack who was kind to me—not because I was Luna, but because she had a good heart.

"Where's the Alpha?" I finally asked, even though I already knew.

Agnes hesitated.

"He's meeting with the North Wind delegation. Pack alliance matters… you know, important things."

"Does he know I lost the pup?" I interrupted.

She lowered her gaze.

"He came by. When you were unconscious. Looked at you for a second, then said he had urgent business and left."

Of course.

I gave a bitter laugh. Losing his heir was probably just an inconvenience to him. I was nothing more than a pawn.

A sudden burst of fireworks outside broke my thoughts. Red, gold, and silver lit up the night sky, bathing Silver Moon in light.

"What's the celebration?" I asked, though dread already knotted in my stomach.

Agnes hesitated, then gave in to the truth.

"Silver Moon and North Wind just announced their alliance. The Alpha… he lit the first firework with Selene."

Selene.

The woman who poisoned me during the last celebration.

Now lighting up the sky with my mate while I lay in the infirmary, bleeding from the loss of our child.

Was this the life I chose? Was this what Liam's memory was traded for?

But Kieran was never Liam… and never will be.

A new fire sparked inside me. I couldn't keep living like this—trapped in a lie. Kieran wasn't my mate. He was a stand-in for a ghost.

"Agnes," I sat up, pain searing through my abdomen, "Can I borrow your phone? Mine's still at the celebration site."

She looked surprised but handed it to me anyway.

"Of course, Luna. Should I give you some privacy?"

I nodded. Once she left, I dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

The phone rang. And rang. Then—

"Hello?"

A warm, slightly hoarse voice answered, wary.

"Mom," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"It's me. Raelyn."

There was silence. Then a sharp breath.

"Raelyn? Baby, is it really you?"

"It's me, Mom." I choked.

"I need your help."

"What's wrong?" she asked instantly, alert.

"You sound… not okay."

"You were right," I admitted, voice cracking.

"He's not Liam. He never was. I want to come home."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Her voice trembled with tears.

"You finally see it."

"I've lost everything," I confessed, weeping.

"Even your grandchild."

The line was quiet, her breath shaky.

"My girl," she finally said. "Come home. Back to where you belong."

"I don't know how," I whispered. "The mark... it binds me here."

"The Blood Moon is coming," she said firmly.

"Ancient lore says it's the only time a broken bond can be undone. It's dangerous. But if you're sure..."

"I'm sure," I said, eyes fierce.

"No matter the cost."

"I'll prepare everything," she promised.

"But keep it quiet. Especially from the Alpha. The mark links your emotions. Stay calm. Stay smart."

"I will." I wiped my tears. Steady now.

After the call, I walked to the window. The fireworks were still exploding above Silver Moon. Each burst felt like a spark in my soul—burning away the chains that kept me here.

Agnes returned, and I met her with a calm smile.

"Thanks for the phone. I feel better now."

She blinked.

"You really do look better. There's light in your eyes."

Yes. Light.

The Blood Moon was rising.

And I was finally ready to rise with it.