Chapter 2 ~ MISSION

Quinn bowed to her mother; Kathrine and her father, Derrick as she adjusted her bag straps on her back. "I'll be back...I'll be gone for about four days."

"I heard...Delilah told me you'd be leaving for the wounded moon pack...do you know the way?" Derrick asked.

"I don't, but the pack members who do will be leading the way..."

"Good...come back in one piece and then come spend some time with us."

"I will..."

"Bring Jeovanni as well."

Quinn chuckled, trying to hide the sadness that appeared in her eyes. "I will dad...I will..."

Her eyes glanced over to her little sister and with trembling fingers, she ruffled her red hair. "Behave while I-I'm gone, Delilah."

Her voice broke as she spoke...she felt betrayed, but she couldn't let it show.

Delilah twisted her fingers in front of her, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm always on my best behavior...come back soon...bring me meat."

"I will if I get the time...for mom too."

Kathrine glanced over at her daughter, her eyes cold...like they've always been. "There's still meat in the fridge from what you brought back last time...save your time...use it to do something else."

"Mother y~"

Derrick chuckled, throwing his arm over Quinn's shoulder, leading her away from the rest of the family. "Don't mind her, just go sweetie...I'd be delighted to receive some deer meat."

Quinn smiled at her father's words. "Alright...I'll go now...take care of them while I'm gone."

He nodded and Quinn headed off, meeting the pack members who'd accompany her by the pack borders. Her mother had become distant ever since she became the luna of the pack...

Perhaps it was because she was disappointed that Quinn didn't get to become the beta she had initially trained to be...but her father cheered her on regardless. He was a good man, the best...

He always told her that her mom would come back around, but Quinn didn't think it was possible...her eyes had changed, even her voice was harsh now...hopefully some day she'd really come around.

Sighing, Quinn gestured towards the head warrior, Jeo's gamma ~Cannon~. "Ready?"

"Yeah, everything's set...the weapons are packed...Henry will carry them for now...we can switch the weight from person to person on the way."

Quinn nodded, glancing at Henry who had already transformed into the beautiful gray fur of his wolf. On his back was a box, tied to him with a rope. "Alright...let's go...lead the way, Cannon."

She took a look back at the pack lands before reluctantly crouching and transforming into her silver-colored wolf. She wasn't sure why, but her wolf was whimpering in her chest as though it feared leaving.

Likewise, she did too, goddess knows what'll happen between Jeo and Delilah while she was gone, but she was assigned a mission, as Luna, it was something she had to fulfill.

But a day in, and she felt like she could not fulfill that mission. She was anxious to a point where her skin felt itchy, and when night fell down onto the land, her eyes were red with tears and it wasn't clear to her why she was crying...

Her wolf was scraping against the mental walls in her mind and Jeo's mark on her neck burnt incessantly...she felt like she was dying, and somehow it was related to Jeo...it had to be.

Quinn rubbed her eyes as she looked off towards the direction they came from...The fire in front of her was burning away at the woods, just like the pain was doing to her heart. It was almost crippling...she felt...sh... "Hey Cannon..." She turned to Jeo's gamma who sat beside her. "I...I think I need to...I thin~"

"Hey, Quinn...are you alright?"

"I~I feel sick...I must go back...I have t-to go back."

She stood to her feet, but Cannon grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, Quinn...I was told not to let you go back until after this mission is completed."

"Let go...I-I must go."

"It's an order from the alpha..."

"And I'm his f*cking luna...let go of me, Cannon...complete this mission without me."

Cannon looked up at her with confused and indecisive eyes before reluctantly letting go of her hand. "It'd have been better if you didn't go...you're strong...but anyone can falter, and I'm certain that you will."

Quinn hissed at him as she ran off, transforming back into her wolf amidst her run. The pain had lessened, but it was still there; tearing away at her chest, and it continued to until she made it back to the pack borders.

It was dead night and the pain...right then it increased, almost paralyzing her. Her wolf whimpered, falling onto its belly...it felt like she was getting sliced incessantly from the inside, she felt like she was bleeding, but there was no blood...

Her wolf howled out in pain, clawing at the dirt beneath it...it was painful...to a point where she changed back into her human form involuntarily.

Wha...? The bond...it was already withering away, but now it felt like it was tearing...forcibly breaking...what was happening?

Naked and weak, Quinn crawled forward, barely managing to stand to her feet. She stumbled into the pack lands, following the loud noise she heard. It brought her to the meeting grounds and there, every single pack member stood, watching something that was going on on the podium.

Quinn stepped closer, spotting Jeo, Delilah and an elder in the center of it. Wha...? Was this a...a mating ceremony?

Tears glided down her cheeks as she stepped even closer, holding tight to her chest when pain scourged her again...How could he...no, how could they do this to her?

Her mother...

Her sister...

Her own mate...

Where was father...? Was he a part of this too?

How could they...? Why would they do...?

A sob climbed through her lips as she pushed through the crowd. With shaking legs, she climbed atop of the podium, ignoring the crowd when the noise became higher.

Jeo turned away from Delilah, his eyes meeting hers with a great deal of surprise in them. "Quinn?! What are you doing here?"

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