Chapter 8: Into the Wild

Luna’s POV

The forest seemed to close in around me as I ran, branches clawing at my skin and roots threatening to trip me with every step. I had no idea how long I'd been running, but the ball gown I'd worn was now in tatters, my feet blistered and bleeding in my impractical shoes.

As the first rays of dawn began to filter through the trees, I finally allowed myself to slow down. My lungs burned with each breath, and my legs trembled with exhaustion. I collapsed against a large oak tree, sliding down to sit at its base.

Reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. I was alone in the wild, a rogue wolf with no pack, home, or idea what to do next.

Tears stung my eyes as I thought of everything I'd left behind. Aspen and River, who had loved me as their own. Rowan, my best friend and protector. Even Ash, my mysterious true mate who I barely knew but felt inexplicably drawn to.

But along with the sadness came a surge of anger. Someone had tried to have me killed. Someone had lied about my father's death. My entire life had been built on a foundation of secrets and lies.

I pulled out the USB drive, staring at it as if it could give me answers. But without a computer, it was useless to me now. I tucked it safely back into the pocket I'd torn from my dress and tied around my waist. One day, I'd uncover its secrets. But for now, I had more pressing concerns.

Like how to survive in the wild.

I'd never been on my own like this before. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut – I had no idea how to hunt, how to find safe shelter, how to defend myself. I was utterly unprepared for life as a rogue.

"Get it together, Luna," I muttered to myself, wiping away my tears. "You wanted to be a warrior. Well, this is your chance to prove you can be one."

With renewed determination, I pushed myself to my feet. First things first – I needed to find water.

I closed my eyes, focusing on my senses the way Rowan had taught me during our training sessions. There – the faint sound of running water to the east. I set off in that direction, moving as quietly as I could through the underbrush.

The stream I found was small but precise. I drank deeply, relishing the cool water on my parched throat. Then, I cleaned my cuts and blisters as best I could.

As I tended to my wounds, my stomach growled loudly. Food. That would be my next challenge.

Over the next few days, I learned more about survival than I ever thought possible. I fashioned a crude spear from a straight branch, using it to catch fish in the stream. I gathered berries and edible plants, relying on the knowledge Rowan had drummed into me during our forest walks.

But it wasn't enough. I was constantly hungry, constantly afraid. Every snapping twig made me jump, every shadow seemed to hide a potential threat. And always, in the back of my mind, was the fear that my would-be assassins might find me.

On the fifth day – or was it the sixth? Time had begun to blur together – I was foraging for berries when a scent on the wind made me freeze.

Wolves. Unfamiliar ones.

I dropped to a crouch, my heart pounding. Had they found me? Were these the assassins sent to finish the job?

But as the scent grew stronger, I realized these weren't pack wolves. The smell was wilder, more feral. Rogues.

I turned to run, but it was too late. Three massive wolves burst from the underbrush, their eyes gleaming with a hunger that had nothing to do with food.

"Well, well," one of them growled, shifting into his human form. He was tall and lean, with a scar running down one side of his face. "What do we have here?"

The other two shifted as well, flanking their leader. One was built like a bear, with muscles rippling under his skin. The other was smaller but had a cruel glint in his eye that sent shivers down my spine.

"Looks like a little lost pup," the muscular one sneered. "All alone in the big bad woods."

I gripped my makeshift spear tightly, trying to keep my voice steady. "Stay back. I'm warning you."

The leader laughed, a harsh sound that echoed through the trees. "Oh, she's warning us, boys. Isn't that cute?" He took a step closer, his eyes raking over me in a way that made me feel sick. "I'm Fenrir. This is Remus and Romulus. And you, little pup, are in our territory now."

I backed away slowly, my mind racing. I couldn't outrun them, couldn't outfight them. And I still couldn't shift. I was entirely at their mercy.

"I don't want any trouble," I said, hating how my voice shook. "I'm just passing through."

"Oh, but trouble's found you," Remus, the smaller one, cackled. "And we're going to have some fun before we decide what to do with you."

They began to circle me, like vultures closing in on their prey. I lashed out with my spear, catching Romulus across the chest. He roared in pain and anger, lunging for me.

I ducked and rolled, barely avoiding his massive hands. But Fenrir was there, grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back. I cried out in pain as he wrenched the spear from my grasp.

"Feisty little thing, aren't you?" he growled in my ear. "I like that. It'll make breaking you even more fun."

Terror unlike anything I'd ever known coursed through me. This was it. This was how I was going to die, alone in the forest at the hands of these monsters.

But just as Fenrir's grip tightened, a deafening roar shook the forest. A massive black wolf burst into the clearing, more significant than any I'd ever seen. Behind him came another, this one a deep russet color.

The rogues immediately released me, backing away in fear. "Alpha," Fenrir breathed, his arrogance replaced by terror.

The black wolf's eyes met mine, and I gasped. Even in wolf form, I recognized those stormy grey eyes. Ash.

In an instant, the clearing erupted into chaos. Ash and his companion – his beta, I assumed – tore into the rogues with a ferocity that was terrifying to behold. I scrambled backwards, my back hitting a tree as I watched the battle unfold.

It was over in minutes. Fenrir and his cronies lay broken and bleeding on the forest floor, whimpering in pain. Ash stood over them, his massive form heaving with exertion.

Then he turned to me, those grey eyes locking onto mine once more. As he padded towards me, he shifted, fur receding to reveal the man I'd met at the ball.

"Luna," he said, his voice a mixture of relief and concern. "Are you alright?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The adrenaline that had been keeping me going suddenly drained away, leaving me weak and shaking. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision.

The last thing I saw before consciousness slipped away was Ash rushing towards me, his strong arms reaching out to catch me as I fell.

As darkness claimed me, one thought echoed through my mind: I was safe. Ash had found me. My mate had come for me.

But even as relief washed over me, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered a warning. Ash knew my father. Ash was somehow involved in his death. Could I really trust him?

These questions swirled in my mind as I drifted into unconsciousness, the warmth of Ash's arms around me a stark contrast to the chill of doubt in my heart.