TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE LUNA

Four years ago...

Drystan fastened the necklace around my neck, his fingers dwelling just a little longer than necessary.

He gently lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. "This circle? That's us, Victoria.

I didn't wait. I kissed him, and he met me halfway, his hand finding my waist as he kissed me back, more deeply this time.

When I finally pulled away, breathless, my arms wrapped around his neck without thinking.

"Just wanted to be sure you felt the same," he said softly.

"This is wrong, isn't it?" I spoke softly, even though it didn't feel wrong at all.

"Wrong?" I repeated, pulling back a little.

"You're my sister, Victoria."

"Stepsister," I corrected him. "We're not related by blood, Drystan."

He let out a sigh. "You know this means we'll have to fight for us, right? Everyone will be against us. Especially our parents. My dad..."

"Drystan," I cut him off, my voice composed. "Kiss me."

A small smile appeared on his lips. "You're so beautiful." His kiss was gentle, almost hesitant, but it sent shivers through me. I closed my eyes, trying to remember every detail.

"When did you know?" he asked after a moment.

I felt my cheeks warm. "Last year, when you took me to the lake at Twin Mountains. What about you?"

He answered right away. "The night you were sick. I stayed up, scared I'd lose you. That's when I found out. I love you, Victoria. Not as my sister. Just you."

"Don't ever leave me," I whispered.

"I'll try my hardest," he promised.

Drystan has been my stepbrother and best friend since I was three. There are five years between us, but we've always been together. We spent every day exploring the forests and mountains near our pack town. He's been my protector, my teacher, and the one I trust with all my secrets. Now, he's the person I love most.

We walked home together, laughing as he talked about finishing his first studies. Soon, he'd leave for the alpha's academy, preparing to lead the pack. Before we went inside, he pressed his lips to my hand, then let go.

Dinner was the usual family affair. My mother sat stiff-backed, her sternness equaled only by my stepfather, Drystan's dad, and the alpha of the pack. "Eat," he finally barked, breaking the calm that had hung over the table.

We glanced at each other when we thought no one would notice.

After dinner, my mother sent me to my room. Soon after, shouting broke out downstairs. Alpha Malachar slammed his fists on the table, making the whole house shake.

The door squeaked open, and my mother stormed in. "Did he touch you?" she demanded.

"No, who? Drystan? Of course, not..."

"Good. You're leaving tomorrow. You're going to the academy."

"What? Why? Mother, you can't be serious..."

Her hand slapped my cheek. "I didn't raise a whore. Your stepbrother? You think we're blind?"

"No," I sobbed. "Please, don't send me away..."

"You'll do as I say. He's leaving too. It's for the best."

I fell onto my bed, tears running down my face. Drystan had warned me this could happen. He was always good at reading people. "The most valuable skill is understanding those around you, especially the ones who might turn against you," he once told me.

Everything I owed to him.

The thought of being apart tore at my chest. I needed to see him at our special place. After midnight, once the house was quiet, I slipped out and ran through the forest.

He was waiting in our clearing, moonlight shining on his hair. I ran into his arms, breathing in his familiar pine and spice scent, trying to remember it forever.

"Victoria," he spoke quietly, stroking my hair. "This isn't the end. I'll find you. You'll be my Luna, I swear it."

His speech grew urgent. "Listen carefully. Where they're sending you, it's harsh. Full of rogues and girls deemed uncontrollable. You need to stay strong for four years." He exhaled shakily. "Not being able to protect you... It's tearing me apart."

"Promise you'll come for me, and I'll survive anything. I'll fight for us, Drystan."

He pulled me close, settling onto the ground and drawing me into his lap. My fingers caressed his cheek before I leaned in, kissing him gently. "I love you, Victoria," he uttered, his hands gliding softly along my skin, his lips touching my neck and collarbone. We stayed like that all night, tangled together on the forest floor, kissing, touching, but never going further. "You're too young," he said firmly. Sixteen. Not yet.

Leaving him felt like I was being torn in two. My world broke apart without him. I felt incomplete and lost.

By the second year at the academy, the news hit me like a shock. Our pack had been attacked, my parents were dead, and the pack was overtaken by a stronger one. And Drystan? Silence. I waited, grasping at hope.

That place was hell. There were bullies everywhere, and eventually, I became one too. Drystan had been right about everything. Trust no one. Watch, learn, and know your enemy before they destroy you.

Now, in my final year, there's still no word from him. Doubt emerged in. Was he captured? Dead? I'm without a pack; officially rogue, and survival turned out to be my specialty, and fighting, too. When you're always one mistake away from disaster, you learn fast. I could disappear without a trace, use a knife like it was part of me, and turn almost anything into a weapon.

But despite all the walls I'd built, I let one person in. Kara. She wasn't Drystan; no one could ever replace him, but she became the closest thing I had to a friend. We'd been watching each other's backs since the second year. Life moved on, even if it seemed empty.

Now, I'm almost twenty, the end of the year is getting closer, and still nothing from Drystan. Not a single sign.

Every night I stare at the ceiling, asking myself the same question: what will I do when these gates finally open? Do I live as a rogue wolf, always running, or try to blend in with humans until I'm old and my memories of Drystan disappear?