The wounded luna

The past days had been dreadful for Freya, She really wished they'd just turn into a nightmare

she'd wake up from, but no, that wasn't possible because it was real, everything in that

happened was so real. Standing beside her Father the Beta, she was overcome with fear of

seeing him, the man that loathed and despised her with everything in him, Tobias, but avoiding

him would be inevitable as this was his father and mother's anniversary party.

She took in her surroundings, everything was decorated elegantly and beautifully. It was all

top-notch and perfect, nothing but the best for their Alpha and Luna.

Tobias stood there with a feeling of resentment, he didn't want to lay his eyes on her because he

might just kill her there and then, suddenly, he was hit with a tingling scent of vanilla that took

over his senses. It was so intoxicating that he wanted to know where it was coming from.

He followed the scent only to discover that his mate was the one who may have caused the

death of his beloved sister, Freya.

Both of their eyes locked, they felt a strong pull towards each other and their wolves

simultaneously said, 'Mate'

They both stood there frozen and in incredulity, how was this possible? Tobias' face morphed

into a more irritated and cold one as he walked away from her. A wave of pain and

disappointment enveloped Freya, there was this longing feeling deep inside her as her wolf

whimpered.

Moments passed and the party was in full swing, everyone seemed happy but something was

missing, rather someone, her death left a gap in many hearts.

Alpha Xavier stood up getting everyone's attention, he lifted his glass in the air and spoke up,

"Attention everyone, today as we celebrate my beautiful wife and my anniversary, but we also

remember our beloved daughter, Iris," As he said that everyone's eyes went to Freya and they

started murmuring, some looking at her with contempt and hate, others with disappointment.

She felt uncomfortable and wished for the ground to open up and swallow her right there.

"We remember her bravery and the joy she brought us, she was an amazing person to sum it all

up. " he halted his voice laced with so much emotion and teary-eyed, then continued, "To Iris. "

He toasted and everyone chorused the same.

Freya's POV.

After the party ended I was glad, I could finally sit in the comfort of my room where no one

would falsely accuse me of a crime I hadn't committed, even tho I would have a lot of trials to

attend, I wanted to keep the peace I had at this moment.

I sat by my window glancing at the woods where Iris and I loved to go for runs. unknowingly, I

drifted back to that moment when I lost her.

Recap.

"Freya! Freya! " Iris called out interrupting my concentration, I looked up from the novel I was

reading and saw her figure approaching.

"Yes." I made a reply, putting the book onto my lap.

"I'm bored." She whined slumping next to me pouting.

I shot her an incredulous look, "Don't look at me like that, " She pouted, "Let's go for a run,

Annabelle and I need it." Annabelle was the name of her wolf and boy was she demanding, she

mostly wanted to be let out.

Knowing she'd persuade me anyway, I got up holding out my hand, "Let's go then. "

Her eyes lit up but she wasn't the only one happy, Alexa my wolf was elated too because I

hadn't let her out for a couple of days.

We both went to the woods and shifted into our wolves, Iris' wolf had light brown fur like the

Luna's, her mom, and had brown doe eyes, she was large and the same height as mine, while

mine had white fur like my Dad's but her eyes where piercing violet.

We both chased each other, as we always did, then had a running competition to see who was

the fastest and chased butterflies too, it was pleasant and rejuvenating. We finally decided on

going back but on our way, I suddenly had an ominous feeling, the hairs on my back suddenly

stood up and my senses heightened.

"Let's quickly get out of here. " I mind-linked Iris who was a bit behind me.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked halting in her steps.

"I don't know, I've got an ominous feeling, let's hurry back. " I told her, then suddenly, I

sensed the presence of an unfamiliar wolf and before I knew, a black wolf launched at Iris, I

jumped at it and we got into a heated fight, Iris and I fought the wolf, biting and kicking but the

wolf was stronger and larger, he threw me away and my back collided with a tree. I groaned in

pain, as my sight obscured. We had no chance of winning and the black wolf had Iris in his

possession, I had to save her somehow, I needed to save her.

I picked myself up and ran to the pack house, I kept on going till I heard a howl followed by the

cracking of bones, he killed Iris. A howl left my lips, I returned to where I left them, and both the

unfamiliar wolf and Iris where no were to be seen, only a puddle of blood that scented like Iris'

remained. "Could he have eaten her? " I thought.

I immediately changed back grabbing some clothes and putting them on, tears started

streaming down my face as I realized that the wolf had killed her.

When everyone reached me, they pointed their fingers at me accusingly, "What have you done

to Iris?"

"It wasn't me, there was a rogue, he's the one who did this," I tried defending myself but they

wouldn't listen.

"You're lying, they haven't been rogue in years and our protection is tight no outsider can breach

it. " They made their final verdict that I was the culprit.

I felt Tobias's strong arms around my neck choking me, I struggled gasping for air until my vision

started blurring and I blacked out.

End of Recap.

I shuddered at the horrible memory of losing my best friend. Maybe if I stayed I would have

saved her, maybe this wouldn't be happening now.

A lone tear escaped my eyes, why was all this happening to me, who was that black wolf and

why did he attack Iris? Many questions swarmed through my brain but I couldn't find any

answers to those questions. Sleeping was as scary as being awake because everywhere I was

haunted by either the people around me or my nightmares.

I gazed at a brightly lit sky filled with multiple stars, feeling exhausted but not ready to close my

eyes.

Alas, I ended up falling asleep and the nightmares haunted me just like every night since she

died.

I awoke with a start, the cold sweat clinging to my skin as the echoes of Iris's agonizing howls

filled my ears. It was the same recurring nightmare, an unrelenting torment that haunted my

every moment of sleep.

The grief, guilt, and helplessness clawed at my chest, leaving me breathless in the darkness of

my room.

Blinking back the remnants of the dream, I noticed the soft rays of morning sunlight filtering

through the curtains.

Another day, another round of accusations. My body ached from the weight of the nightmares,

but there was no time for weakness. Today was the day of my trial, a day that could seal my fate

within the pack.

I pushed myself out of bed, the worn wooden floor feeling cool against my bare feet. The room,

once a sanctuary shared with Iris, now held only the echoes of our laughter and the unbearable

void left by her absence. A lump formed in my throat as I tried to shake off the memories that

threatened to consume me.

The scent of stale anxiety hung in the air of my room as I moved to the small mirror on the

dresser. My reflection stared back at me, eyes haunted and shoulders burdened with the weight

of false accusations. I took a deep breath, attempting to compose myself before facing whatever

lay ahead.

As I freshened up, the sound of a discreet knock echoed through the room. The guard assigned

to watch over me was prompt, a stark reminder of my restricted freedom within the packhouse. I

opened the door to find a tall, stoic figure clad in the pack's uniform, his gaze a mixture of pity

and suspicion.

"It's time, Freya," he muttered, the words heavy with the unspoken judgment that lingered within

the pack's ranks.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. The hallway stretched before me, one I regarded as

a corridor of judgment and hostility.

With every step I took forward, it felt like a march toward an uncertain fate. The packhouse,

once a haven, had transformed into a labyrinth of accusation and mistrust.

The air outside carried the crisp scent of pine, a stark contrast to the tension that gripped the

packhouse. We walked in silence, the guard's eyes constantly on me as if expecting an escape

attempt. But where would I escape to? I was trapped within the confines of my own pack,

surrounded by those who believed me capable of the unthinkable.

As we reached the meeting hall, the low hum of conversations ceased, and curious eyes turned

toward me. Whispers flitted through the air like restless spirits, each word a sharp needle that

pricked at my skin.

The Alpha's judgment seat awaited at the front, a symbol of authority that had once offered

protection but now cast a shadow over my fate. I stood in the center of the room, acutely aware

of every pair of eyes fixed upon me.

Alpha Xavier rose, his eyes betraying a mix of grief and accusation. The pack elders flanked

him, their expressions stern and unforgiving. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a

countdown to the moment when my fate would be decided.

"Freya," Alpha Xavier's voice echoed through the hall, carrying the weight of both sorrow and

judgment. "You stand accused of the gravest crime within our pack. How do you plead?"

The question hung in the air, a loaded inquiry that reverberated through my very being. I locked

eyes with the Alpha, attempting to convey the truth that words failed to capture. "Not guilty," I

whispered, the words barely audible but laced with a desperate plea.

As the trial unfolded, emotions swirled within me like a tempest. The piercing gazes, the pointed

questions, and the unspoken condemnation fueled a storm of frustration and despair. I fought to

maintain my composure, to prove my innocence against the current of doubt that threatened to

drown me.

The evidence presented against me felt like a distorted reflection of reality, each accusation

distorting the truth. Faces blurred into a sea of disapproval, and my attempts to defend myself

were met with skepticism. Every plea fell on deaf ears, and I became an outsider in the very

pack I had once considered family.

As the trial wore on, I caught glimpses of Tobias in the crowd. His eyes, once filled with warmth

and camaraderie, now held a cold detachment. The mate bond that had sparked between us

only intensified the pain, a constant reminder of the connection we shared despite the chasm

that had grown between us.

The trial reached its climax with the testimonies of pack members who claimed to have

witnessed my alleged crime.

How could they lie about this?

If really they witnessed this, couldn't they have come to stop me from killing iris?

I couldn't even say this out loud. Let them do whatever they wanted. No one believed me

anyways.

Their words stung, each false accusation a betrayal that deepened the chasm between me and

the pack.

The accusing glares and murmurs of disbelief surrounded me, creating an impenetrable wall of

mistrust.

The trial had been a charade-a formality that held no weight, no intention of uncovering the

truth. They had asked me to tell my side of the story, but my words had fallen into the void of

preconceived notions and prejudices.

The pack wasn't interested in the truth; they sought someone to blame, and I became the

scapegoat for Iris's tragic end.

I had explained, tears streaming down my face, how that night had unfolded. The ominous

feeling in the woods, the sudden attack by a rogue wolf, the futile fight to save Iris-I recounted

every agonizing detail.

But no one listened. Instead, their accusing eyes bore into me, as if my words were nothing

more than a cleverly crafted deception.

"I loved Iris like a sister," I had pleaded, my voice breaking. "I would never harm her."

But the pack chose to believe the convenient narrative-the notion that I, as Beta's daughter,

must be responsible for Iris's death.

"I didn't kill Iris," I whispered, "I would have given my life to save hers."

Finally, Alpha Xavier spoke,

"Freya, for the sake of the pack and the memory of my daughter, Iris, your family and you will be

stripped off any title in this pack. Your family would be lower than even an Omega. That is final."

Hearing this, Freya's world crumbled to a million pieces, this couldn't happen to her family, not

because of her, they couldn't lose their title and face in society, they didn't deserve it, not at all,

she gazed at her parents shocked faces and her heart ached, she couldn't let this happen.

Freya decided to plead with them, maybe they'd at least pity her, she fell to Alpha Xavier's feet,

"I beg you please don't punish my family, this is my fault alone, put them out of this, and let me

bear the consequences."

The hall went quiet as everyone looked at Freya in anticipation, wondering what She'd say,

"Banish me from the pack Instead," Freya suggested, in the corner of her eye she saw her

parent's faces fall at what she had said, their eyes filled with so much trepidation.

There was a long pause as the elders and Alpha discussed on what to do about

Freya's suggestion through their mind link. Murmurs broke out, and many people acquiesced

with Freya's suggestion, nodding their heads and eager to get rid of her.

In a way this hurt Freya, I mean these people were once her neighbors, her aunts and uncles,

some were her teachers and others her friends, these people once cared for her at least that's

what she thought, but now all they had in their hearts was hate and malice towards her, then

turned spiteful.

Finally, Alpha Xavier and the elders came to a decision. He stepped forward and everyone went

quiet in fear of him being the Alpha in anticipation, he then spoke out, "You are right Freya, very

right, we shouldn't punish your family for something they have no hand in, but should personally

punish the culprit," He halted a bit and turned his gaze towards her, she noticed his eyes had

started getting teary as he uttered, "Freya, you were once like a daughter to me, and more than

that you were like a sister to Iris, what led you to kill her beats me, insomuch as we are delivering this punishment upon you the moon-goddess will give you a harsher one for the

atrocity you've committed. "His voice was laced with so much emotion.

"Freya Stone, daughter of Maxwell Stone, you are hereby banished from the Moon Claw Pack,

as retribution for the murder of Iris Woods Daughter of Alpha Xavier and are never to set foot

on the Pack grounds or else you'll be killed on sight and from today onwards you are now a

rogue wolf. " Alpha Xavier spoke out after composing himself and added, "Do you accept this

punishment? "

Freya, overcome by the feeling of defeat, voiced out, "I accept." She was utterly broken, this

was her home, where she grew up, where her family was, leaving would be dreadful, it would

destroy her but she had to do it, no, she needed to do it.

Freya was suddenly swarmed by different memories of the past, her childhood, her

teenagehood, and Iris but they were rudely interrupted by Alpha Xavier's authoritative voice,

"You have ten minutes to say your final goodbyes and leave, if you're spotted after ten minutes,

You will be killed on sight." Everyone else seemed content with this verdict except for one

person, Tobias.

He was not okay with any of this, he wanted a harsher punishment that would break her, he

wanted her to be severely punished, that it would scar her for eternity. The anger within him

started surfacing, he wanted blood, Freya's blood, no one saw it coming not even Freya.

As she walked towards her parents to bid them goodbye, Tobias appeared in front of her and

tightly held her by the neck, suffocating her, "You think you're better than everyone else, don't

you? You have the guts to make them change their verdict," He then slammed her into the wall,

and everyone gasped in shock as Freya felt something crack, her sight obscured for a few

seconds.

He then threw her away, she flew like a weightless paper stopping at the feet of her parents, her

body ached at the impact, she had never been treated this way before. Freya's parents

immediately aided her, supporting her so that she could get up.

Freya hadn't yet recovered from that assault when the worst happened, Tobias stood a few feet

away from her with an evil smirk plastered on his face, and no one knew or understood what he

was up to, they just stayed quiet anticipating all that was happening.

Freya's POV.

I felt like my skull had been cracked as my head throbbed from Tobias' assault a few minutes

ago, my body ached everywhere, and I didn't believe I was even capable of standing up. Tobias

stood there smirking at me with an evil glint in his eyes that made me shudder in fear.

Finally, he decided to open his mouth and say something, "I Tobias Woods, future Alpha of the

Moon Claw Pack, Hereby reject Freya Stone, as my mate and future Luna." Those words there

didn't just physically wound me but emotionally tore me apart.

I felt Alexa howl in pain as the first thread of our bond was broken, instantly, I was struck by

immerse unbearable pain in my abdomen that made me fall to the ground, it was so

excruciating, that I felt like I couldn't breathe, everything started whirling and I was overcome by

nausea, the pain kept on increasing by the second, like when someone stabbed you in the

stomach and kept on going it over and over again.

Tobias seemed to enjoy my pain as he kept on smirking in delight, and to make matters worse,

he called a blonde over to him, who I recognized as Rachelle the daughter of one of the elders,

when she approached him, he held her waist and kissed her all while staring at me, his smirk

never leaving his face.

"From today onwards, Rachelle shall become my chosen mate and the Future Luna of The

Moon Claw Pack. " He proclaimed, I thought the previous pain was too much to bare, but as

you'd have it I was highly mistaken, this was way worse, I could feel the jealousy and pain

seething through me, Alexa was broken as much as I was, we felt the same pain and couldn't

console each other, I couldn't hear anything at that point only his rejection rang through my ears.

Tears gathered in my eyes, and moments later, they started streaming down my face. I couldn't

take this, it was all too much, and my heart wasn't strong enough to handle all this. I pulled

myself up with the last strength I had left and fled from there.