Chapter 8 08

• The room was cloaked in darkness, lit only by the pale moonlight filtering through the heavy curtains. Astra lay on the silk sheets, her breathing soft and even—finally finding rest after days of emotional turmoil. But the peace didn’t last.
• Her eyes snapped open with a jolt, pupils wide with alarm. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her chest, making her gasp. Her hand flew to her heart as she groaned, curling onto her side in agony. The pain wasn’t physical alone—it pulsed with something deeper, older, something rooted in the soul.
• She rolled on the bed, writhing, trying to breathe through the searing ache. Then with a thud, she tumbled off the edge and hit the cold marble floor. She clutched her chest, breath ragged.
• “This again,” she whispered, teeth gritted.
• Sometimes it came like this—sudden, unbearable, like her chest was being split open. She had no name for it. No answer. Rafa, her wolf, hadn’t spoken to her since the day she blocked her out in grief. Astra had tried reaching out since, but Rafa remained silent, leaving her vulnerable and empty. Something was deeply wrong, and she was beginning to fear it had everything to do with the bond she had severed—and the lies she had lived in.
• A sound.
• A faint creak… then another.
• Astra froze, all senses alert despite the pain. Her eyes darted toward the door. The handle jiggled—once, then again. Then came the soft scrape of something metal against the lock.
• Her heart skipped.
• They were trying to break in.
• A rush of panic coursed through her. She staggered to her feet and limped toward the door, peeking through the small peephole. Her breath caught.
• Three men, all in black, faces half-covered—but she recognized the sigils on their uniforms. Palace guards.
• Her heart dropped.
• He sent them. Kieran.
• Without a second thought, Astra bolted to the window. She pushed it open and climbed out, biting down a cry as the pain in her chest worsened. She dropped to the courtyard with a soft grunt and started running, bare feet slapping against the cobblestones.
• The night was deathly quiet—unnaturally so.
• The cold air stung her face, the wind pulling at her hair as she darted through narrow streets and twisting alleys of the palace's outer grounds. But behind her, footsteps thundered. They had seen her. They were chasing.
• She couldn’t outrun them like this. Not in her human form.
• She pushed herself into a narrow alley and concentrated. The transformation came with a familiar wrench of her bones, the snapping and reshaping, fur rippling down her arms, face elongating into a snout. She let go of the pain just enough to shift.
• A pure white wolf burst from the alley, paws slamming into the earth as she tore through the darkened streets. Behind her, she heard snarls—more wolves. They had shifted too.
• Her lungs burned. Her heart pounded. She felt like she was drowning in fear and agony. The pain in her chest was only getting worse.
• Still, she ran.
• The chase felt endless. They were fast—faster than she remembered. But she was fueled by something more than fear. She was running for her freedom. Her life.
• Astra’s legs finally gave out when the pain in her heart exploded like wildfire. She stumbled mid-run and collapsed, her white fur stained with dust as she skidded across the ground.
• She tried to get up—just one more time—but she couldn’t move. The ache in her chest had become a roar, her vision fading in and out. Her limbs trembled.
• She could hear them behind her now. Heavy paws. Deep growls. They are getting closer.
• She whimpered, struggling to lift her head. They were nearly on top of her. Their snarls grew louder—she could feel their breath on her fur.
• Then something—or someone—grabbed her from behind. She was dragged away.
• Then everything went black.
• ---
• Golden Moon Pack
• The room was cloaked in soft moonlight, shadows dancing across the walls as Lysander slept in perfect stillness. His breathing was slow, measured, almost regal. Beside him, a girl laid with her head on his bare chest, fingers delicately tracing the contours of his muscles. A soft smile played on her lips as she followed the rise and fall of his breath. She inched closer, brushing a fingertip toward his lips, her eyes shimmering with hope.
• But her movement was cut short.
• Lysander’s eyes snapped open like a wolf awakened by the scent of danger. Cold, piercing, and full of warning. The girl flinched and pulled her hand back as if burned.
• He stared at her for a heartbeat, then said coldly, “Why are you still here?”
• “I... I thought maybe you still needed me,” she replied with a hopeful smile, trying to sound playful.
• “I don’t,” he said sharply, sitting up. “Get out.”
• The smile faltered from her face. “Yes, Alpha,” she murmured and scrambled off the bed, wrapping the sheet around herself as she rushed out.
• Lysander rose and began dressing, tugging on his shirt with force. The silence that followed was quickly broken by the voice in his head—his wolf, Magnus.
• “You’re playing with fire, Lysander. You could hurt our mate with all this. You should stop bringing girls into your bed.”
• Lysander didn’t answer. He tightened his belt and reached for his jacket.
• “Don’t you even consider her? The mate we’ve longed for?” Magnus pressed again, frustration in his tone.
• “I don’t,” Lysander snapped. “In fact, I’ll be glad if she ever feels pain. I want her to suffer.”
• There was a pause.
• Then Magnus gasped. “I can feel her—she’s close. Somewhere nearby!” he said, voice trembling with awe and joy. “She’s near, Lysander. She’s finally here!”
• Lysander’s expression turned ice cold. “Then I guess she couldn’t wait to die,” he muttered, and strode toward the door, slipping out into the night.
• ---
• Somewhere deep in the woods...
• Astra coughed softly, her lungs aching. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up slowly, blinking away the fog in her head. Pain throbbed in her ribs, but it was faint now—like a storm that had passed but left destruction behind.
• As her vision cleared, she gasped and pushed herself up quickly. A figure stood nearby, watching over her.
• It was the girl she had helped at the palace—the one with the quiet eyes and soft voice.
• “You...” Astra whispered. “What are you doing here?”
• The girl gave her a small smile. “I saved you from the palace wolves last night. You collapsed near the old riverbank. We’re far from the pack now—they won’t find us here.”
• Astra glanced around. They were in a dense forest, an abandoned wooden hut nestled between tall trees. It looked ancient, like it hadn’t been used in years. The scent of pine and moss was thick in the air.
• “But what about you?” Astra asked. “Shouldn’t you be with your family?”
• The girl’s smile faded. “I can’t go back. After the Alpha found out I was the one who told you about the omegas, he... he ordered my death.”
• Astra’s heart sank. “How old are you?”
• “Sixteen,” the girl answered softly.
• Astra’s eyes welled with emotion. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
• “No,” the girl said firmly. “It’s not your fault. You saved me. You saved my family. You saved all the omegas. I’ll always be grateful—and I’ll stay by your side.”
• Astra’s voice trembled. “I don’t deserve your loyalty... I didn’t even deserve to be—”
• A sudden howling cut her off.
• They both froze. Another howl answered, closer this time—wild, savage.
• Astra stood quickly, pulling the girl up. They peered through a crack in the hut's wall.
• A pack of rogues was approaching—seven wolves, their eyes glowing in the darkness, fur matted and stained with blood. Their movements were fast and unpredictable, weaving through the trees like shadows.
• “We have to move,” Astra whispered. “Now.”
• The girl’s hand slipped into hers, and without another word, they took off into the trees. Their footsteps were light, but behind them, the rogues caught scent and gave chase, snarls rising in the night air like war drums.
• They darted through the woods, weaving around trees and ducking low branches. But the rogues were fast—too fast.
• Astra glanced back—two of them had split off, trying to flank them.
• “I need to shift!” Astra cried, voice raw.
• “They will outnumbers us” the girl said.
• “I don't have choice” she said.
• But just as Astra prepared to shift, the ground beneath her feet gave way slightly. She stumbled, and before she could recover, a black-furred rogue leaped toward her.
• She braced for impact—but it never came.
• A massive white wolf launched from the shadows and slammed into the rogue mid-air, teeth sinking into its throat. The rogue squealed and went limp.
• Astra gasped.
• The wolf that saved her turned toward her. His Blue, piercing and furious eyes—locked with hers.
• Lysander.
• Though she hasn't see him for seven years but she could recognize him and feel the connection.
• He is her mate.