BENEATH THE FULL MOON LEGACY

Selenae

My gaze locked into Ryker's as he stood tall and proud before the witch that was to perform the ritual of transferring my inherited Alpha powers to him.

I felt dignified at the big decision I had taken and knew I wouldn't regret it for one second. I was only securing my pack's future. And I was sure my dead father, Ewan, and the preceding leader of the pack, would be proud of this. Of me. After all, I was taking a bold step putting the leadership of the pack in great hands.

Ewan's sudden death had left the prospect of the pack in my incapable hands. I hadn't been trained to lead and wouldn't know what to do with the immense powers that had been bestowed upon me.

And while Ewan hadn't been in support of my relationship with Ryker, he hadn't known Ryker like I did. His assumptions of him were based on past events and unfair judgement. This was a chance for Ryker to prove my father wrong.

And he would. I was sure he would.

"Selenae, you're doing the right thing," Ryker whispered, his blue eyes on just me, but I could hear him just fine as though he was speaking right into my ear. My heart swelled with pride. It was almost like we were the only ones present in the room full of a dozen other Werewolves.

And the witch. The Moon Goddess' chosen vessel. She waved her hand over for me and I joined them on the altar, my chest fluttering with emotion. The witch began weaving intricate patterns in the air. She gestured to me, urging me to proceed with my profession which I gladly did.

"Ryker, my love, my mate," I started. "I entrust you with the greatest gift I possess- my Alpha powers. May they strengthen your resolve and guide your heart. As the moon witnesses our bond, take my powers and my love and together, we will forge a brighter future for our pack," I declared.

"The Pack's fate rests in your hands, Ryker," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper, but this time, it was meant for just his ears.

Ryker's smile was reassuring but a flicker of something I couldn't place danced in his eyes. "I'll protect them, Selenae. I promise."

I tried to place the foreign expression but couldn't put a finger on it. However, I trusted him and that was all that mattered.

"By the moon's sacred light, the transfer begins!" The witch announced. "Kneel, child," she said to me. I obliged.

The witch's chant grew louder, the air thickening with ancient magic. I felt a mix of relief and trepidation as the transfer commenced. The weight of responsibility still lingered even if I was passing it unto him.

The witch intertwined my hands with Ryker's, and nicked us both on the wrist, initiating a blood oath. I felt my recently gained powers leave me and begin to flow into Ryker, strengthening our bond. My body felt light, the weight of duty and responsibility of the endowment slowly freeing me.

I shut my eyes, my thoughts drifting to my father. "He would have wanted this," I whispered with conviction before I fell into a trance.

The witch's incantations increased in the background and there was a significant shift of energy in the air.

Ryker's sudden tightened grip on my hand a few moments later brought me back into consciousness. It was almost as if time hadn't passed at all. My lashes fluttered open. His own eyes flashed with a darker intent. I could see just how different he looked compared to a few minutes before. My powers, which were now his, gave him an aura of invincibility.

The ritual was over.

"You're so trusting, Selenae," he whispered, malice creeping into his voice. His hands released mine cruelly.

I tried to reach for it again, certain the confusion I felt was evident in my features, but he slapped it away as if it was venom. My instincts began screaming in alarm but it was too late.

"Ryker?" I called in a small voice praying this was a huge misunderstanding. A prank. It would be a grave one but it would be better than this being my reality. "Help me up."

His cold blooded laugh rang through my ears. It would continuously play on repeat in my head for nights to come. I sank further on the ground, my knees suddenly too weak to hold my weight.

"What's going on?" The witch asked, coming out of a trance herself. "Ryker!"

Ryker ignored her as if she bore no significance now that he had used her for his sick desires. "I reject you as my Luna and as a member of my pack," he proclaimed to me without remorse. "I reject you as my mate. Henceforth, you shall have no place within the territories of the Tenebrous, and you shall be slain for betrayal if you dare counter or defy this order."

"No, Ryker, what are you doing?!" I cried out, tears pooling in my eyes and blurring my vision. His betrayal stung like a viper's kiss.

The witch's eyes widened in horror along with the elders of the clan that were present. "You have been deceived, Selenae! He has corrupted the ritual!"

Mumbles of astonishment rose in the room although nobody dared to speak out loud. They all recognized the kind of power the new Alpha possessed. And they knew what he could do to them with just a snap of the finger.

I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I was helpless. I knew then that my father had been right about him. He had never changed, and only deceived me. My tongue felt like lead in my mouth, my saliva bitter. What on Earth have I done?

"I shall revoke the transfusion!" The witch yelled. But it was a mistake on her part.

Ryker was in front of her in one second, his claws extended, and with his newfound strength, plunged his claws into her chest. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her face going white. He ripped out her heart in the space of one second.

My heart did a double flip. My mouth was opened in a gasp.

He held the Pack witch's heart out, his hand dripping dark blood on the marble tiles while the aged and dark haired witch fell back with a thump, an empty hole in the place her heart should have been.

I watched the scene unfold in front of me in horror while Ryker grinned evilly at me. He had just exerted dominance.

I tried to reach for the hem of his robe, feeling pathetic languishing there on the floor. But he turned his back on me, gripping the heart even more fiercely, and swirled towards the elders.

More black blood dripped, running down his arms. I stared transfixed at the body of the witch on the floor. Just like that, she had been reduced to nothing.

Without warning, Ryker launched the heart into the crowd and they instinctively shrunk back, murmuring gasps of dread and equally flinging it between themselves until it fell on the floor in their midsts, pumping slowly.

"Ryker!" I screamed, finally finding my voice. "Stop this right now, I beseech you!"

He barely acknowledged me.

"If you would just look at me," I whispered. "Please." I tried to raise myself up but clumsily slipped on the blood and tears began streaming freely from my eyes. "Ryker, don't do this. I beg you. This isn't who you are."

My eyes strayed once again to the body, and I knew with exceeding clarity that this was exactly who he was. I had fallen in love with a monster, endangering my life, and endangering the life of the pack.

I reached for his robe again but in one fluid movement, his footwear was crushing into my phalanges. I screamed in pain. The piercing sound of his wicked laughter drowned out my cries.

I slowly raised my head up to look at him one more time. He was now glaring at me with malicious eyes. I was suddenly seeing him in a new light.

This man, he wasn't my Ryker. He couldn't be.

The sight of guards coming towards me, their intent clear in their eyes, snapped me out of my reverie.

"Stop!" I ordered but it was useless. "Stop right now. If you take another step forward... don't hold me to my actions no matter how ugly."

They didn't stop. Ryker had given the order and they were going to follow it to the tee.

"This is treachery!" I yelled, scrambling to my feet. "I remain your leader! My reign isn't over." I turned to Ryker, panic turning my mouth sour. "Call them off."

With bloodied fingers, he took my chin between his thumb and index while I trembled. "Why would I do that?"

"Because." I forced down the lump in my throat. "I am your Luna, and they are being treacherous."

The feral expression in his glare made me realise it was pointless. I had to run if I wanted to save my life. I whirled around, breaking from his hold and raced down the altar, advancing towards the door. He could catch me in mere seconds, I knew it.

I didn't stop to wonder why he didn't. Perhaps, he preferred a sick chase. I could hear the guards footsteps gaining speed behind me. I pushed the door to the great Hall open and felt the cold air of the night atmosphere hit me in the face.

There were dried tear streaks on my cheeks, but at that moment, I only cared about survival. I had to outrun them.

An arrow came whizzing past me and landed in the bark of a tree right in front of me. I was beyond startled. That could have been me.

I looked back for a split second and caught sight of the numerous guards that were after me. They had their bows drawn out. I shivered in panic and attempted to increase my speed.

More arrows came flying by and it became more difficult to dodge them. I felt a sharp sting as one sank into my shoulder blade. My cry of pain was loud and sharp. The arrow slowed down my pace.

I dug my claws into my palm and tried calling onto my wolf but nothing happened. She was weak from the power transfer and hadn't had time to rejuvenate. I felt drained of energy with every deep breath I took.

I was done for and I knew it.

The pain from the arrow that was still stuck in my back threatened to throw me down.

I had approached a cliff when I realised with terror that it was a dead end. I looked down at the water that was flowing harshly beneath and the sets of hard rocks that would undoubtedly kill me if I were to jump.

I knew I had no other choice as I turned around, my chest tight with panic. The guards had now gained on me. The same guards who had sworn their undying protection and loyalty to me when my father was Alpha.

Another arrow struck me on the chest. It was the straw that broke the Camel's back. I tumbled down the cliff's edge but hastily stretched my palm up and held on to a piece of rock. I panted in both relief and despair.

The guards stopped and stared down at me without offering help. They parted in the middle, making way for him. Ryker.

He approached me, squatted in front of me and pulled me up with ease.

I sighed in appreciation, weakened by the two arrows that were buried in my body, the high from the chase, and the terror that just a few seconds ago, I had been one step away from landing into my death.

The fact that Ryker helped me put some hope in me. "We can work this out," I pleaded. "Our love is strong enough to surpass all boundaries."

He laughed, still crouched in front of me. "You know, that is what I like about you. Your naivety, your so apparent dumbness. Love?" He laughed again, this time without mirth. "There is no love lost between us darling. Not after what your father did to my family."

My brows wrinkled in confusion. "I don't understand."

He stood up with a sigh. "I don't expect you to, Selenae. You've always been ignorant to what is sitting right in front of you. Your dumbness has to be your strongest strength. It is certainly what appealed to me."

"Speak in layman terms," I gritted out. "You obviously have something to say to me." There was no other reason he would have saved me.

He gave me a deadly gaze. "I don't think you're in any position to talk right now." He brought out a knife that glinted in the darkness. The moon reflected on it, enunciating just how sharp it was.

I gulped.

"Ever heard of the Valyrians?"

I wondered where this was going. My brain was a jumbled mess but I couldn't not remember the Valyrians. "The family that destroyed the Lunar Pack?" And in extension, breached the fragile peace that had existed between Werewolves and humans. We now had to live in hiding because of this family. And I did not see how this had to do anything with what was happening to me. I definitely did not have the Valyrians blood.

He crouched down again and traced the tip of the knife down my cheek. A light trail of blood followed his action. "The family that your father ostracised decades ago," he said with so much venom in his voice. "Banished away from the pack without a second thought."

"They deserved it!"

He stabbed my stomach once. Twice. My eyes widened in fright and blood gurgled from my mouth and stomach. "They deserved it? Do you know what I have had to face because of his selfishness?!"

I realised at that moment that he was a Valyrian. Probably their toddler son that had been taken into the slave quarters after his family had been banished. It was the reason Ewan had hated him with such passion. But it was already too late. I was at his mercy. "I'm... sorry. Please..." I muttered, my eyes streaming with tears at the ache and agony that infiltrated every part of my body. I was now covered in blood and could smell the pungent odour.

"That is going to solve everything, isn't it?"

"Please..."

He raised the knife up again and plunged it with vicious strength into my heart. More gurgling as he took it back and I fell on my back, the arrow digging more sharply into my shoulder.

He didn't stop stabbing. It was like he was passing all his rage for Ewan out on me. Me whose only mistake was to love a flawed man. A rogue Werewolf. Love was my offence.

His loathsome face was the last thing I saw before my eyes closed and I slipped into oblivion.

When I regained consciousness, it was to the unique beauty of a place that was white all round. I raised my hand up to shield my eyes. My battered and bruised body had been dissolved into mist like form, leaving my spirit free to move fluidly.

I looked around me and took in the beauty that was unfolding before me. The air vibrated with gentle music, tingling my ears with the harmonious whispers.

Ahead of me was a line of other souls. I turned around, and it was the same behind me. Some wore garments from generations that had passed, while others had the scars of battles fought and lost.

It was a strange but magical sight to take in. As the line progressed, my anticipation grew. Somehow, I sensed the presence of something magnificent. It overshadowed the thought of Ryker's betrayal.

Finally, I stood before the portal, face to face with the Moon Goddess, Arachne. She looked heavenly. Her luminescent skin glowed with a soft, silvery light, and her white hair flowed like the night sky. She had a crescent moon on her forehead.

I dropped to my knees, overcome with admiration. "Goddess Arachne."

Arachne's smile was gentle. "Selenae Axel. Your very name symbolizes my status. You were named after one of my great grandmothers, Selenae, the first goddess of the moon."

I bowed. It was a comparison unworthy of me. Yet, I couldn't keep shut. I had to beg for her mercy. "I am not supposed to be here. It isn't my time yet. Please, spare me." I bowed even further.

Arachne seemed amused, instead of put off by my bold approach. "I do not spare foolish people, Selenae."

My heart cracked. "All I did was fall in love, goddess Arachne. Does my life deserve to be cut short because of this entirely normal occurrence? You are the one who preach love and all I did was follow your teachings. I'm not the first and I won't be last either. I did nothing horrendous. Please, consider."

I dared not look up at her to see if she bought my defense. She had the most glowy eyes, it seemed like they saw right through me.

"Your circumstance resonates with me. For I too was betrayed."

I almost snapped my head up in shock, wondering who would have the nerves to turn against her. "By whom?" I croaked out.

"Humans," she spat out. Her usual calm voice was tinted with acidity. "You see, I loved the humans. Maybe I was even in awe of them. Having to navigate the dangers of this world without power aids, it was exemplary. Amazing. Not until they began going against my rules."

I knew just what she was referring to. Werewolves had become used to opening the door to yet another lifeless body of their loved ones, or coming home to a house that was no longer a home having been bombed by the humans. They had basically terrorized us.

We eventually had to go into hiding. It was a catastrophe and one of the things I had been hoping Ryker and I would address together after his ascension and I had been crowned Luna.

The human race were trying to make Werewolves extinct. They had been trying for years and probably thought they had succeeded.

"There have been recent disappearances reported in the pack before Ewan's death," I announced. "Are they behind those too? Have they discovered our hiding place?"

"I released a pandemic in their world, a grave disease to teach them a lesson," she explained. "It was a chance to redo their wrong. Beg for my forgiveness and stop their ridiculous killings. Because humans and Werewolves should be able to coexist without one thinking he is above the other. The punishment backfired."

I gulped, entranced with her vocal cords, but most of all, her tale. "How?"

"Those strange disappearances are facilitated by the humans indeed. The blood of the weres is the antidote to this disease. And that is why you've been reducing in your already few numbers."

My gasp was instinctive.

"So you see, I know just what betrayal feels like. I too have faced betrayal. The Sting of deceit cuts, no?" I nodded, sensing a profound connection with the goddess. "I could have wiped them out instead of giving them a chance. I certainly had the resources to. Now, how do I know I can trust you?"

"Goddess Arachne. I swear on my soul that if you give me a second chance you would never regret it. The humans might not have deserved it but I do," I beseeched, my heart in my throat.

"Look at me child."

I raised my head. Her gaze was penetrative, just like I had thought.

"What can you do for me?"

I blanked. "Do?"

"In exchange for a rebirth, what can you do for me?"

"Anything," I vowed. "I will do anything."

Arachne's gaze softened. "Your devotion to the moon, and your resilience in the face of adversity have earned my respect. I shall grant your wish, Selenae. You will be reborn and your memories of this life will remain intact."

Her generosity did not stop there. "I shall also bestow upon you a gift- a fragment of my power."

My awe stuck silence was answer enough.

"But remember dear one," Arachne continued, her voice taking on a hint of mystery. "this gift comes with a promise. A favor, to be revealed in due time. And with great power comes great responsibility. Do we have a common enemy now?"

I nodded firmly. "We do."

"Approach, child."

I stood up and approached her. She touched the tip of her finger to my head. My eyes shut instinctively as I felt her power course through my veins.

The harmonious music stop, replaced by a dead silence. I knew I had descended back to the mortal realm.

I opened my eyes to the midnight darkness of the forest, wheezing for air. The moon was shining at its brightest, a sign from the moon goddess.

With gratitude in my heart, I checked my body for the wounds Ryker had inflicted upon me.

They had all disappeared.