Moon Fire Reborn

Selena's POV

My eyes fluttered open, and I slowly took in my surroundings. Confusion filled my mind.

Why was I in the forest?

The full moon was high in the indigo blanket that was the sky. My eyes roamed around, trying to gauge where I was.

I was lying on a pile of stones; the hardness of it pierced into my skin. My breath quickened. What was going on?

I squirmed, trying to sit up. It was only then that I realized my arms were tightly bound to my body. In a panic, I brought my gaze to my legs. They were tied together. My heart rate quickened, and despite the chill in the air, sweat trickled down my spine.

"HELLO," I called out, hoping there was somebody, anybody out there who could get me out of this. Silence responded back to me.

With wide eyes, my chest heaved up and down in panic as a chill ran through my entire being at the thought that I was in serious danger.

Not only that, I couldn't feel it. My powers. The familiar energy that I usually felt in my core was...gone.

Dread filled my bones.

A sound pulled me out of my thoughts, and I whipped my head to the source. Relief flooded through me when I saw that it was Damon. He was coming out from the shadows of the bushes, dressed in a black robe. That was odd.

I released a shaky breath. "Damon. What's going on? I was on the couch one minute, and as I opened my eyes, I found that I'm here."

My mate moved closer, taking casual steps as he did. The breeze of the night tousled his blonde hair, and as he stepped closer, I saw it. The menacing look on his face.

My heart dropped. "D-Damon, what-"

"The almighty Irene Blackthorn," he sneered. "Weak and useless, like you were always meant to be."

My eyes widened as I took in shaky breaths. "What is going on?"

The scowl on his face deepened, his brown eyes empty. "I always hated you, Irene. You were just too blindsided by the mate bond and your love for me to see that." His jaw clenched. "You were too annoyingly perfect, carrying the pack on your back as if it wasn't you, then no one else."

My breath hitched with every word that left his mouth, as if they were venom.

"And to top it off, the moon goddess had to give you those powers of yours." He gave a bitter laugh. "I bet you always felt like a god when you used them, huh? You always felt like you were untouchable, that no one could stop you, right?" The grin on his face stretched, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Tears were at the edge of my eyes as I took in every word he said, every word that pierced my heart like daggers. "Why are you doing this? Let me go, Damon, and we can talk this out." My voice shook as I spoke.

He scoffed, "You think I'm stupid? This is a one-time chance for me, and I can't afford to waste it." He removed a silver knife from beneath his cloak with a wicked smirk.

My head shook slowly as a tear dropped from my face. "You can't kill me. If you do, you'll die too because of the bond, Damon. We can talk about this?" I tried to let him see reason as the panic inside me welled stronger.

I closed my eyes to tap into the non-existent energy that was my power. Nothing. I opened my eyes, then shut them again, trying once more.

A dark chuckle escaped Damon's mouth. "Don't bother. Your powers are diminished. They're still there, but they're pretty much useless right now," he said as he twirled the silver dagger in the air, the blade bouncing off the reflection of the moon.He looked into the distance and yelled, "You can come out now."

Wide-eyed, I looked around, immediately noticing shifters coming out of the surrounding trees, all wearing black robes. The bitter taste of betrayal stung in my mouth when I realized they were my pack elders-the werewolves I had worked alongside to make the pack the strongest in the land.

Tears fell freely. "Why?" I asked, slowly shaking my head.

A woman I didn't recognize stepped forward, a wicked twinkle in her dark eyes and a menacing grin on her face. "It's time, Alpha," she said to Damon as she watched me.

"It's time for what? IT'S TIME FOR WHAT?! DAMON, LISTEN TO ME!" I yelled as loud as I could, hoping my voice would penetrate the dark cloud around his heart and let me go.

The other werewolves formed a circle around me as strange words that sounded like spells came out of the woman's mouth.

My heart raced faster. A witch. She was a damn witch.

"Damon, please listen to me. Please." My body trembled with fear as I cried out to him; the woman's voice grew louder with every spell she spat out of her mouth. Her eyes turned pale white as she spoke.

Immediately, my body vibrated, and a spike of pain rammed into my heart. I let out a blood-curdling scream just as Damon released a yell and dropped to the ground.

I was sure our voices could be heard from miles away.

The witch stopped speaking, and with a satisfied smirk, she said, "The bond has been broken."

My wolf, who had been watching everything unfold quietly, was now curled up in pain inside me.

My chest heaved up and down as I released trembling breaths. "Please. Let me go. I would do anything you want me to do. Just let me go," I said to the witch, my voice barely a whisper.

Beside me, Damon stood on the ground, a dark look in his eyes as he regarded me with disdain. "Do it."

Confusion graced my features as the witch resumed her chanting. My heart rate spiked as a new wave of panic set in my bones.

A shifter stepped forward, retrieving a silver blade from his robe, and before I could blink, he stabbed it into my chest.

"ARGGGHHHH!" The pain sliced into my very being; I felt it dissect my thumping heart. Inside me, my wolf whimpered.

Another shifter stepped forward and did the same thing. My screams filled the night air, coupled with the incessant chanting of the witch in the background. The smell of copper was strong as blood-red liquid oozed out of the stab on my skin.

The other shifters took turns doing the same thing, and over and over again, I released the same blood-curdling scream until I could not anymore.

Numbness started to infiltrate my body, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Damon finally stepped forward, the blade glittering in his hands. And with a grunt, he jabbed the silver into my already bloodied body.

Blood splattered from my mouth, and I jerked forward at the impact. My eyes fluttered as I took in his wide smirk.

"With the help of Elara, your powers will now be mine, and I will continue the good work you started in the pack. Goodbye, Irene," he sneered, "and good riddance."

My eyes flickered closed; the image of my mate smirking down at me was my last memory, and I drifted into the unknown, my soul blazing with dark agony and a fire that somehow lit within me.

"I will be back. I promise." Those were the words I whispered before peace took over.

Selena's POV

One Year Later

I let out a curse. The soup I was cooking was too salty. I dabbed the spatula I used to stir the soup on my hand again before bringing it to my tongue to taste it. I reared back.

Definitely too salty. Gideon was going to kill me.

Slight panic coursed through me at the thought, and I moved to add more water to the soup.

"SELENA."

I jumped at the sound, turning to my brother, who was at the door of the kitchen.

"Yes," I answered softly, my head low, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Where is the coffee I insisted that you serve me every day as soon as I wake up?" he growled, his eyes hard.

I let out another silent curse. I had forgotten. "I-I'm sorry," I said, stuttering. "I had to prepare the soup."

"Who cares about the goddamn soup when I haven't had my coffee?" He took steps closer to me, his eyes thunderous.

My heart dropped as I shook my head, backing up into a corner of the kitchen while he got closer to me. Fear trickled down my spine. "I'm so sorry, Gideon. I'll make your coffee as soon as possible."

He was now inches in front of me. "Every action has consequences, Selena." Before I could blink, his hand went to my hair, squeezing and pulling hard.

The pain from his tight hold made me release a scream. "Gideon, Gideon, please." I whimpered as spikes of pain shot through my head.

"You need to be taught a lesson. Maybe next time you won't forget."

He pulled my hair as he moved out of the kitchen, with me screaming in protest. "Gideon, please."

"You should have just died when you had that accident one year ago. Then maybe I would have been free of your useless self." I whimpered as he growled and pushed me into the bathroom.

The bathtub was filled with water to the brim, and before I knew what he was doing, he pushed me towards it, dunking my head into the water.

My hands splashed and flailed everywhere, trying to hold onto anything as gulps of water forced themselves into my mouth. My throat started to clog as I tried to hold my breath while simultaneously trying to push my head back up. It was futile.

Bubbles escaped from my mouth to the surface as I struggled. I could hear Gideon's muffled insults while my head was under the water.

As seconds passed, I lost my strength and started to go limp. But before I could lose consciousness, he brought my head out of the water.

The air felt like chocolate as I took deep breaths in gasps, my chest heaving up and down as water dripped down my wet hair onto my clothes. Gideon's hand was still in a tight grasp on my hair.

My eyes were wide with panic, and I tried again to get out of his hold.

"Maybe you should just die now. You fucking bitch." He dunked my head right back into the water.

****

That night, I lay on my bed. The pain in my head had numbed down. I stared at the ceiling as I thought about my life.

It had been a year since I had that accident that the doctors said had almost taken my life-the accident where I fell down the stairs.

I remember waking up with a blank memory and no idea about who I was and, hell, even where I was. The doctor had told me my name, and it had felt strange repeating it after them: Selena Ashford, a twenty-three-year-old.

Try as I might, I didn't even remember having a brother. Gideon had paid for my bills immediately after the doctor had declared me fit to go home, and as soon as I stepped foot into this house, he rained his fist on me.

Every move I had made since then, calculated or not, had been an irk to him. And he never let me forget it.

My hand subconsciously went to the gemstone attached to the necklace around my neck. The sea-green stone glittered under the lights in my room as I rubbed the mark embedded on it-a mark I had never seen before.

The gemstone was another mystery because I realized it had been on my neck the day I woke up. When I asked the doctors or Gideon about it, they looked at me as if I were sprouting nonsense.

After a while, it hit me that they actually didn't know what I was talking about because they could not see it.

I turned in my bed. What the hell happened on the day of my accident? Why couldn't I remember anything before it happened? Why couldn't anyone else see the gemstone on my neck?

The questions swirled in my head, acting as a lullaby in my brain before I closed my eyes, letting my tiredness take over.

In my dream, I dreamt of a woman. Irene Blackthorn, she was called. I dreamt of the powers she wielded and the kingdom she ruled. Her death came as a surprise to me in my sleep because she was so strong, powerful, and loved.

As the morning came, so did the tears from my eyes at the end of the dream. The bitter taste of betrayal clung to my tongue as my eyes fluttered open and I sat on my bed.

My head pounded as if my brain cells were having a party. I massaged my temple, wincing in pain. What the hell was that dream? Why did it seem so real?

The door to my room burst open, and my brother appeared at the door, a deep scowl on his face. "Get up, get dressed, and come downstairs, now," he spat, and with that, he left.

I released a sigh as I stood from my bed, changing from my nightdress into sweatpants and a worn-out black T-shirt. With hesitation in my steps, I went downstairs, dreading whatever was going to happen next.

Now in the living room, I was standing, shifting on my feet uncomfortably as I took in the bulky men who were scattered on the couches in the middle. There were four in total.

I gave my brother a curious glance.

"These are the men you are sold to," Gideon said with an air of indifference.

I blinked. I probably didn't hear him well. "What?"

A vein appeared on his head. "You are sold to these men. You are to be their slave and do everything they tell you to do. Everything."

My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes widened.

The men threw me smug looks and wicked smirks. A new wave of fear trickled down my spine, and I took a step backward.

Gideon frowned at the movement. "Don't you dare move. You will follow them without any noise or struggle, like the good little bitch that you are."

My hands were fisted at my sides. Like hell, I would.

Slowly, my gaze went to the door, and before I could make my legs move, one of the men got to me, bringing my hands tied in front of me and trying to hold me in place.

His big build didn't stop me from trying to struggle against his grasp. "LET ME GO," I yelled, forcing my hands from his grip, my eyes hardening. "GIDEON, PLEASE LET ME GO."

I was only met with disdain from my brother. Emotions swirled inside me, bringing tears and an unexplainable rage from within.

I welcomed the rage. It was better to feel that than to feel hurt. "Let me go." This time I said calmly, glaring at the hulk of a man in front of me; the rage was brewing. Rising.

"Stop resisting, you bi-"

A beam of crimson-white light emanated from my hands, immediately going through the man and forming a huge hole in his body.

I blinked. What the hell?

It happened in a second, but I was sure everyone else in the room saw it.

My eyes were wide as the man stood there, his eyes and mouth wide open in shock as blood poured from the hole in his body. Then, slowly, he dropped to his knees and, after a bit, collapsed on the floor, immediately passing out.

I looked at my hands, which were still tied.

Again. What. The. Hell?

Selena's POV

The room was silent, except for the ground where the man with the hole in his body lay in his pool of blood.

"What the fuck did you do?" came my brother's voice, sharp and thunderous.

I flinched, taking a step backward. "I-I d-didn't do anything, I swear," I stammered, fear engulfing my body as Gideon edged closer to me, the other men behind him.

They didn't look happy with whatever I had done to their comrade.

""What was that fucking thing that came out of your hands?" Gideon spat, moving warily towards me and giving a careful glance at my hands in front of me.

My breaths came out quick as my chest rose and fell in panic. I let out a silent curse. There was no way these men were going to allow me to live, not after what I did to their man.

I gave a hurried glance to the now dead man on the floor and back to my hands.

Unless...

A thought went through me.

I raised my tied hands towards them, pointing my palms at them. "Don't take one step closer or you'll be like Hulk Man there on the floor."

They halted their steps. Satisfaction coursed through me at the slight widening of my brother's eyes.

"Do not take any step closer or so help me goddess, I will not hesitate," I said through gritted teeth.

On the outside, I was calm and collected, but inside, I was terrified of this new energy that was suddenly surging within me, beckoning me to keep going.

Gideon threw me a death glare. "You wouldn't dare, Selena. You wouldn't dare hurt your brother."

I let out a bitter laugh. "I have endured countless hits and beatings from you. Nights and days, I would be terrified of even daring to breathe out loud as I lived." I scrunched my face. "If you'd even call that living. And now, for some reason, you think I won't hurt you, especially when you very clearly want to kill me?" My voice rose a few decibels higher.

"Put your hands down, and I won't kill you." He took a step closer.

That was the wrong move because the crimson light surged out of my hands again, hitting the floor just inches away from his feet.

He and the other men scrambled backward, letting out strings of curses. "WHAT THE FUCK, SELENA?"

I blinked vigorously, my breath coming out quick.

Taking advantage of the wide distance now between me and them, I didn't think; I just ran to the door, bolting out and making my escape from the people who were definitely going to kill me if they laid their hands on me.

****

All day I ran. The scorching afternoon sun did not help ease the tension I felt as it followed me discreetly through the streets and between buildings.

And the amazing thing?

I was not tired. Not one bit.

"THERE SHE IS. GET HER!" It was one of the men who was hot on my trail.

My legs kicked faster, and my blood pumped with adrenaline as I crossed the tarred road, ignoring the green light on the traffic light. I let out a curse as I narrowly missed a car that zoomed dangerously close to me, halting to regain my balance before running into the nearby bushes that led to the forest.

I heard their curses in the distance. "Fuck, how is she so fast?" It was mixed with the sounds of their thunderous steps as they pursued me from behind.

The smell of earth was stronger as the wind whipped through my thick black hair. After passing through trees and caves, I was sure I had lost them when I didn't hear any sounds of footsteps behind me anymore.

I ran into a cave that was hidden beneath thick bushes, taking refuge in the coolness of the earth that it was made of.

My heart thumped loudly in my ears as I let my hand run through my hair, pacing back and forth. I was fucked.

I held my hands up. They were now loose from the rope. The rope had snapped when I used a strength I never knew I had to free myself.

What in the goddess's name was going on with me? My eyes were wide as I studied my arms. How do I have such powers... such strength?

The gem on my neck burned against my skin, and I let out a scream, immediately removing the necklace and holding it away from my body.

It shone so brightly in the dark cave that the entire space was covered in a sea-green light.

My eyes went wide as I saw the images that the gem displayed. It was that woman again, the one who seemed to be the star in my dreams. I tilted my head as I took a closer look.

The next image showed a blonde-haired man, and for some reason, his empty eyes elicited an unknown fear that prickled on my skin. He was the one who had betrayed the woman.

In an instant, the images stopped, and the cave was dark again.

I looked around in bewilderment. What did this mean? Why were the people who appeared in my dreams showing up in the gemstone?

I brought the stone closer to my face. "What are you telling me?" I whispered as I let my eyes study every inch of its edge.

When I realized that staring at it wasn't going to get me any answers, I put the necklace back on my neck.

Leaning against the wall of the cave, I sat on the hard ground, folding my legs as I did.

What the hell was I going to do now?

I didn't know anyone I could run to or any safe place I could stay for the time being. So, I waited until the evening came, when I was certain I would be safer and it would be harder for my brother and those men to find me.

The crescent moon was finally up in the sky, and with a renewed boldness, I stepped back into the forest. The sound of crickets followed as I moved, squinting my eyes as I went deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest.

One foot after the other, I moved, not noticing the ditch that was just in front of me.

Until I fell into it.