Lost Luna's Claim
img img Lost Luna's Claim img Chapter 1 The Beginning
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Chapter 6 Uniting the Fractured img
Chapter 7 The Gathering of the Clans img
Chapter 8 The Dark Bloodline img
Chapter 9 The Heart of the Darkness img
Chapter 10 The Journey to the Heart of the Pack img
Chapter 11 The Echoes of the Past img
Chapter 12 The Hunt Begins img
Chapter 13 The Storm img
Chapter 14 The Temple of Shadows img
Chapter 15 Awakening the Past img
Chapter 16 Breaking the Darkness img
Chapter 17 Into the Heart of Darkness img
Chapter 18 Into the Abyss img
Chapter 19 The Eclipse img
Chapter 20 The Bloodline's Burden img
Chapter 21 The Call of the Bloodline img
Chapter 22 The Darkness Returns img
Chapter 23 Fighting the Darkness img
Chapter 24 Camouflage peace img
Chapter 25 The Prophecy of the Fanged Heart img
Chapter 26 Into the Depths of the Wild img
Chapter 27 The Trail of the Fanged Heart img
Chapter 28 The Trial of Sacrifice img
Chapter 29 The Hidden Truth img
Chapter 30 The Price of Sacrifice img
Chapter 31 The Shifting Dawn img
Chapter 32 The Wounds We Carry img
Chapter 33 Together img
Chapter 34 A New Threat img
Chapter 35 The core img
Chapter 36 The Circle img
Chapter 37 Origin of the Heart img
Chapter 38 Watchkeeper of the Abyss img
Chapter 39 The Choice img
Chapter 40 The Jailer img
Chapter 41 The Heart of Lies img
Chapter 42 The Reawakening img
Chapter 43 The Earth Awakened img
Chapter 44 Possession of Power img
Chapter 45 The vessel img
Chapter 46 Fighting It img
Chapter 47 The Pull of the Abyss img
Chapter 48 The Weight of the Revelation img
Chapter 49 The Figure's Touch img
Chapter 50 A Jagged Crack img
Chapter 51 A Whisper in the Dark img
Chapter 52 Unraveling img
Chapter 53 Unnatural Stillness img
Chapter 54 The Shadow's War img
Chapter 55 Above The Chasm img
Chapter 56 The Shadow God img
Chapter 57 The Weight of Salvation img
Chapter 58  The True Heart of the Earth img
Chapter 59 The Descent img
Chapter 60 The Earth Howled img
Chapter 61 Nightmares img
Chapter 62 The True Enemy img
Chapter 63 Remember Who You Are img
Chapter 64 A Sound of Pain img
Chapter 65 The Price of Love img
Chapter 66 Eternal Damnation img
Chapter 67 The Last Decision img
Chapter 68 Golden Rays img
Chapter 69 The Echoes of Love img
Chapter 70 Lost Love img
Chapter 71 Kaelen's Heart img
Chapter 72 The Road Ahead img
Chapter 73 Hope img
Chapter 74 Together img
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Lost Luna's Claim

museshand
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Chapter 1 The Beginning

The wind howled through the trees, its sound cutting through the stillness of the forest like some sort of warning. Above, the full moon cast down an eerie, silver light upon the dense thicket. Luna crouched low against the earth, her breathing shallow, her senses heightened. She could feel the hunters nearby, the scent of musk lingering in the air. They drew closer. Much closer.

She had run for days, her feet sore, her muscles screaming for rest. Yet she couldn't afford to stop-not now, not when they were so close. She'd learned through hard experience that vulnerability was death to a werewolf like her. And she wasn't ready to die. Not yet.

Luna's claws raked the dirt as she shifted her weight, moving soundlessly through the underbrush. Her senses were keen, every rustle of a leaf, every snap of a twig sending her into a state of hyper-alertness. The hunters were relentless, and they were close. Too close.

She had no pack, no family, no home. Luna was lost. A lone wolf, with no memory of who she once was or what had happened to her pack, all she had was the primal instinct to survive.

A flash of movement far away-there! Two shadows darted between the trees. Werewolves. Her heart pounded in her chest, the rush of adrenaline both familiar and terrifying. She wasn't ready to fight, but she couldn't outrun them either. She had to make a choice.

Luna's breath came faster now. She crouched lower, her muscles coiling in preparation to either flee or fight. She could feel the wolf side fighting to take the surface, urging her to give into its tint, to show these hunters what she truly was. There was, however, a part of her that became fearful of what she might become if she relinquished the tiniest sliver of humanity she held onto.

"Come on, Luna," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "You've survived worse."

With a roar, the first hunter lunged, claws extended, eyes burning with feral rage.

But Luna was faster.

Luna's heart raced in her chest as she darted through the underbrush, her bare feet merely grazing the ground. The forest was a maze of shadows and rustling leaves, yet her instincts guided her with precision. She ran with all her might, but the hunter's growl echoed behind her, closer than it needed to be.

She forced herself to go faster, her legs ablaze with the effort. Her breath came in shallow gasps, but there was no time for slowing down. The hunter was gaining ground, its presence like a dark storm closing in around her. Luna could feel the change rising, the power surging deep inside of her, and she fought it back, terrified of losing control.

Just ahead, the trees opened up into a small clearing. Luna's eyes darted around, her gaze seeking out any escape route. She could hear the hunter's footsteps now, right at her heels.

Not good.

Without warning, the ground beneath her feet gave way, and she tumbled forward into a deep hole-the earth swallowing her whole. She landed painfully, but she didn't have time to process the pain. She scrambled to her feet, her senses on high, trying to take stock of her surroundings. It was dark, too dark to see anything, but she could hear the echo of movement above her. The hunter had reached the edge of the hole.

Luna's pulse quickened. There was no way out. No way to escape.

She crouched close to the earth, ready for her battle. Her claws extended, her teeth bared. She could feel the change taking hold, her wolf's side urging her to unleash her fury. The hunter above let out a low growl; its eyes glowed weakly in the dark. Luna's mind was racing-if she shifted completely, she might be able to overpower the hunter. But that would leave her exposed, vulnerable. She couldn't afford to make that mistake.

The sudden emergence of another sound, that of a sharp, quick snap of branches breaking, broke the hunter's growl.

Luna froze.

The figure in the trees above her moved with speed and grace, like a shadow in the night. There was a flash of silver, then the unmistakable sound of claws clashing against flesh. The hunter above her let out a blood-curdling howl, a cry of pain and surprise. It was dragged backwards, out of sight.

Luna's breath caught in her throat as she cautiously stood up, peering into the darkness. Her senses were heightened, and she could smell the familiar scent of another werewolf. But it wasn't the stench of the hunters-it was something different. Something unexpected.

A low voice reached her ears, calm and controlled, but with a dark edge. "You're not alone."

Luna's heart missed a beat. She knew that voice. She could feel the strength in it, and she knew it was a warning.

The figure dropped into the hole, landing silently in front of her. His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, but it was not in the way a hunter would. No, this was different; it was as if they were familiar.

"I wasn't sure if you'd still be alive," he said softly. "But it seems the Lost Luna isn't as easy to kill as they thought."

Luna tensed, the words hitting her like a slap. The Lost Luna. She'd heard whispers of that name, rumors passed in hushed tones. The heir to a fallen pack. The one who had vanished without a trace. But how did this stranger know her?

"Who are you?" Luna's voice was low, a growl almost escaping from her throat as she stood her ground, wary and ready for anything.

The stranger stepped closer, but not threateningly. His gaze softened, as if he understood her fear. "My name is Ethan," he said quietly. "I've been looking for you."

Luna's mind reeled as she tried to assimilate his words. Seeking her? How could anyone know she was out here, obscurely hidden in the wilderness and alone?

"I don't know who you are," she stammered, stepping away from him. "And I don't trust you."

Ethan's face turned slightly, his eyes not flashing in anger, but an understanding that unnerved her. "I am not here to hurt you; I promise you that. But you need to trust me, Luna. You are not safe here.

Luna's heart was racing as she weighed her choices. Her instinct shouted to run, to be as far away from him as possible. But there was something in his eyes, something that tugged at her, making her pause.

"You know my name," Luna said suspiciously. "But I don't remember you."

Ethan didn't flinch at the coldness in her tone. He nodded instead. "You wouldn't. But I know who you are. You're the last of the Sablefangs. Rightful Alpha of the Crescent Pack."

Her breath caught in her throat. The Sablefangs. The Crescent Pack. Memories-poignant, painful flashes-forwarded in her mind in a rush, yet were indistinct and distorted. She couldn't recall faces, names, just the blood, the screams, the burning. A war. Her pack had been destroyed in a brutal coup, but the details-why they'd been betrayed, who had led the attack-were lost to her.

"Why do you think that?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Because I've been searching for years to find you," he said in a quiet, firm voice. "The Alpha who betrayed your pack is still alive, Luna. He's hunting you. And he won't stop until you're dead. Or until he takes you and makes you join him."

Luna's heart pounded in her chest as his words finally sunk into place. She felt the weight of them, the crushing reality of the truth.

"I don't know who I am," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "I don't know who I can trust."

Ethan's gaze softened, and for a moment, Luna could see the flicker of something familiar in him, something she couldn't place. "I know what it's like," he said gently. "To lose everything. But you're not alone anymore."

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. She didn't know if she could trust him, but something inside her-a voice she couldn't ignore-told her that Ethan might be the only chance she had at surviving what was coming.

"Alright," she said, her voice firm but shaking. "I'll go with you. But if you try anything..."

Ethan's lips twitched into a small smile, and there was a glimmer of something in his eyes-maybe it was respect, maybe something deeper. "You'll be the first to know."

            
            

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