The luna's misery

My stomach betrayed me again.

The loud growl echoed in my room, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since morning. I had been lying on the bed crying since sunrise, and now it was almost evening. My eyes were swollen, my chest heavy, and my head ached.

I wanted to keep lying there, but the hunger dragged me back. My body was weak. I pushed myself up slowly, dragging my feet to the door. Even the wooden handle felt heavy in my palm. With all my strength, I pulled it open.

The air outside my room felt cooler, but my legs didn't want to carry me. I had curled them so long while crying that they had gone numb. Limping, I held on to the railing as I went downstairs, one step at a time. Each step was like fire shooting through my veins, but I knew I had to get food or I would faint.

The smell hit me before I even reached the kitchen. Meat. Roasted, seasoned, still warm. I could also smell butter, mashed potatoes, and the sweet citrus of orange juice. My stomach tightened so hard it almost hurt.

The kitchen was full of noise pots clanging, voices laughing, footsteps rushing. I didn't want anyone to notice me. Not today. Not when I had no strength to fight back against their whispers. I tiptoed past the shelves, keeping my head down, and slipped into the large kitchen hall.

I paused at the corner of the dining hall. Wolves filled the tables, eating and laughing. Their voices blended together, sharp and loud, each word reminding me of what I wasn't. If I had a wolf, I would have heard every word from this distance. I would have felt connected. But I didn't. I was wolfless. Empty. To them, I wasn't one of them.

I cursed under my breath.

I turned back to the food laid out and quickly fixed my plate. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes,my favorite. And a glass of orange juice filled with ice. I always liked it cold. It helped me relax, cool my chest when my emotions became too heavy.

Clutching the plate, I walked into the dining hall. My eyes darted across the room until I found an empty seat at the far end of the table. Away from Helen. Away from the others. I slid into the chair, placed my food on the table, and let out a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe, I could eat in peace.

"Can I sit with you?"

The voice startled me. I froze, fork in hand, and slowly turned.

A girl stood there holding her tray. Her body was small but firm, her hair dark as night, and her deep black  eyes bright like the moon. She looked at me with a calm expression that made me uncomfortable.

"Sure," I muttered, my eyes dropping back to the table.

She sat down gracefully, her tray settling without noise. "I'm Sophie," she whispered, her voice smooth. "And you must be Nora, right?"

Her words made me stiffen. How did she know my name? Nobody cared to know me. Nobody bothered, unless it was to insult me.

"Yes," I muttered, stabbing at my meatloaf.

She extended her hand across the table. I looked at it for a long moment. I didn't want to take it. Something in me screamed to stay quiet, to stay invisible. But something else, something I didn't understand pulled me forward.

My hand met hers.

The moment our skin touched, it was like fire shot through my veins. My whole body jolted. My lips parted in shock. Her eyes widened too. She felt it. Whatever it was, she felt it.

"What was that?" I whispered, pulling my hand back.

But Sophie didn't answer. She only smiled faintly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hope you're preparing for the feast tomorrow?" she said.

The words cut through me. The feast.

My fork clattered against the plate. My chest tightened. "I don't think the feast is for me," I said, bitterness dripping from my tone.

She tilted her head. "Why not?"

I laughed without humor. "Because it's not for people like me."

The feast. The Moon Feast. It came once every decade, under the brightest full moon. The whole pack gathered on the training ground to honor the Moon Goddess for her blessings. The Alpha and the elders led the rituals sanctifying the pack, renewing the bond with the throne, blessing the warriors.

But me? I had never seen it.

The last time it was held, Alpha Johnson told me I wasn't allowed near the training ground. He said it was dangerous for me. That I might "get hurt." But the truth was clear. He didn't want me there. He never did.

That training ground wasn't just for fighting. It was sacred. It was where the Wolf's Crest stood an ancient mark of power carved into the earth itself. Every Alpha and Luna was blessed there. It was said that the Moon's power burned strongest on that spot, choosing the true leaders of the pack.

So why should I care about the feast? Why should I thank the Moon Goddess? For what? For making me wolfless? For giving me pain every single day? For taking my father and leaving me in the hands of people who despised me?

Sophie's gaze stayed fixed on me, her gray eyes unreadable. Then she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Prepare your mind for tomorrow."

I frowned. "What?"

But she was already standing, lifting her tray. She gave me one last look, something heavy and knowing in her eyes, before walking away.

I sat frozen, staring after her.

Prepare my mind? For what?

The laughter of the pack echoed louder now, but I couldn't hear the words. My chest throbbed, my palms sweaty. My food sat untouched in front of me. I couldn't eat anymore. Not after that.

Something was coming tomorrow. Something I couldn't stop.

And for the first time in years, I felt the weight of the Moon pressing down on me, as if she was watching.