Chapter 4 INTO THE WILD

[ARIA'S POV]

I ran until the packhouse lights disappeared behind me.

My feet barely touched the ground. Each stride carried me farther and faster than should have been possible. Trees blurred past in streaks of black and silver. The wind whipped my hair back, and I felt alive in a way I'd never experienced.

This was what having a wolf felt like.

This was what I'd been missing my entire life.

We could run forever, my wolf whispered. Never stop. Never look back.

But my human body had limits that my wolf didn't understand yet. My legs began to burn. My lungs screamed for air. I slowed to a stop in a small clearing and collapsed against a tree trunk.

Everything hurt. My bones ached from the transformation. My muscles trembled from running. Even my skin felt too tight, like I was still adjusting to this new version of myself.

But underneath the pain was something else. Power. Humming through my veins like electricity waiting to be unleashed.

I looked down at my hands. They appeared normal-still pale, still scarred from years of scrubbing floors and washing dishes. But when I concentrated, silver light began to glow beneath my skin.

It didn't hurt. It felt warm. Comforting. Like being wrapped in moonlight.

"What am I?" I whispered to the darkness.

"You're a Moon Wolf, child. Just as I said."

I spun around, heart hammering.

Elder Moira emerged from the shadows between the trees. She moved with surprising grace for her age, her walking stick barely touching the ground. In her other hand, she carried a worn leather bag.

"You followed me," I said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course I did." She settled onto a fallen log with a soft grunt. "Did you really think I'd let you wander the Forbidden Forest alone after what just happened?"

I stayed pressed against my tree, ready to run if needed. "Why do you care? No one else in that pack does."

"Because I know what it's like to be different. To not fit." Her wrinkled face softened. "And because Moon Wolves are special, Aria. Rare. Worth protecting."

I wanted to believe her. But nineteen years of being called worthless had taught me to be suspicious of kindness.

"You said Moon Wolves are extinct," I said. "If I'm one, why didn't anyone know? Why didn't I know?"

"Come. Sit." She patted the log beside her. "Your legs are shaking. The first shift takes everything out of you."

She was right. My legs felt like they might give out any second. Slowly, I moved to the log and sat, keeping distance between us.

Elder Moira pulled a small flask from her bag and offered it to me. "Drink. Honey and healing herbs. It'll help with the pain."

I hesitated, then took it. The liquid was sweet and warm. Almost immediately, the ache in my muscles began to ease.

"Better?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Good." She stared up at the full moon through the canopy. "Two hundred years ago, there were dozens of Moon Wolf families. They were revered. Worshipped, even. Direct descendants of the Moon Goddess, gifted with abilities that made them nearly immortal."

"What happened to them?"

"Fear," she said simply. "Other wolves grew jealous of their power. Afraid of what they could do. Rumors spread that Moon Wolves would eventually enslave all other wolves, rule over them like gods."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "That's not true, is it?"

"No. Moon Wolves were peaceful. They used their gifts to heal, to protect, to keep balance." She sighed. "But fear doesn't need truth. It only needs a target."

"They were hunted," I guessed.

"Slaughtered," she corrected. Her voice went hard. "Packs formed alliances specifically to hunt them down. Entire families were wiped out in a single night. By the time the Alpha King of that era outlawed the hunting, it was too late. They were already gone."

My throat tightened. "Then how am I here?"

"Your parents." Elder Moira turned to look at me. "They must have hidden you. Used suppression magic so powerful it completely buried your wolf, made you appear defective."

"Why?"

"To keep you alive." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a small, faded photograph. "I found this in the pack archives years ago. I never knew why I kept it. Now I think I do."

She handed it to me.

The photo showed a young couple. The man was tall with dark hair and a warm smile. The woman had silver-blonde hair and striking eyes. They were holding a baby wrapped in a white blanket.

"That's you," Elder Moira said softly. "You were maybe six months old. Your parents brought you to the Silvermoon Pack, claiming to be rogues seeking sanctuary. Alpha Gregor took them in."

I stared at the photo. My parents. I'd never seen their faces before. Never knew what they looked like.

"What happened to them?" My voice came out hoarse.

"They died six months later. The official story was a rogue attack." Moira's expression darkened. "But I've always wondered. Your mother was found dead in the forest. Your father died defending the pack borders. Both on the same night."

"You think someone killed them."

"I think someone found out what they were hiding." She met my eyes. "And your parents died making sure no one ever found you."

Tears burned my eyes. I blinked them back. "The suppression magic. Why did it break tonight?"

"Mate rejection." Moira's voice gentled. "The pain of it, the trauma, it shattered the spell completely. Your wolf couldn't stay hidden anymore. She had to emerge to save you."

Yes, my wolf confirmed. I wouldn't let us die for him.

"What happens now?" I asked. The question felt too big, too heavy. "I have all this power, but I don't know what to do with it. I don't even know how to control it."

"Now you learn." Elder Moira stood, brushing dirt from her skirts. "You discover who you really are. What you're capable of."

"Alone?"

"If that's what you choose." She pulled something else from her bag-a small leather pouch that clinked with coins. "But you don't have to be alone, Aria. There are places where wolves like you can go. Outcasts. Rogues. Those who don't fit in traditional packs."

Hope flickered in my chest. Dangerous, foolish hope. "Where?"

"North of here. Three days on foot through the forest." She placed the pouch in my hands. "Silver coins, dried food, and a map. The Rogue Lands. It's not perfect, but it's free."

I clutched the pouch. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because someone should have helped you years ago." Her eyes held regret. "I saw how they treated you. I should have done more. This is me trying to make that right."

"What about..." I couldn't bring myself to say his name. "What about the Alpha King?"

"What about him?"

"He felt the mate bond, too. I saw it in his eyes. For just a second, before he..." I swallowed hard. "Did I imagine that?"

Moira's expression softened. "You didn't imagine it. Daemon Blackthorne felt the bond. It's not something you can hide or deny."

"Then why did he reject me?"

"Because he's young, powerful, and under tremendous pressure." She placed a weathered hand on my shoulder. "The Alpha King isn't just a man, child. He's a symbol. A leader. Every decision he makes affects thousands of wolves."

"So he chose politics over me."

"He chose duty over his heart. Right or wrong, that's what he did." She squeezed my shoulder. "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is what you want. Do you want a mate who rejected you the moment things weren't perfect?"

My wolf snarled at the thought.

Never, she growled. He had his chance.

"No," I said firmly. "I don't."

"Good." Moira released my shoulder and stepped back. "Then forget about Daemon Blackthorne. Focus on yourself. On becoming the wolf you were meant to be."

She turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing. Your power will attract attention. Not all of it is good. Some still remember the old stories. Who will want to use you or destroy you?"

A chill ran down my spine. "What do I do?"

"Trust carefully. Stay hidden when you can. And remember-you're stronger than you know." She looked back at me, her eyes serious. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes, Aria. You were given these gifts for a reason."

Then she was gone, melting back into the shadows like she'd never been there at all.

I sat alone in the clearing, clutching the leather pouch to my chest. Around me, the forest came alive with sounds I'd never noticed before. Owls hunting. Small animals scurrying through the underbrush. The wind is singing through the branches.

My enhanced senses picked up everything.

I thought about going back. About apologizing. About begging for a place in the pack even after everything.

Then I remembered Daemon's cold voice. "You are nothing to me."

Remembered Celeste's laugh. The pack's mocking whispers. Nineteen years of being told I was worthless.

No, my wolf said firmly. We go forward. Not back.

I opened the pouch. Inside, I found exactly what Moira promised-coins, dried meat, and a folded piece of parchment. I unfolded it carefully.

A map. Hand-drawn but detailed. The Rogue Lands were marked with an X, three days north through the Forbidden Forest.

Three days. I could do that.

I had to do that.

Because going back meant being broken Aria again. The servant. The wolfless girl everyone pitied.

Going forward meant discovering who I really was.

I stood up, legs still shaky but stronger than before. The moon hung heavy and bright above me, lighting my path.

Somewhere behind me, back at the packhouse, Daemon was probably dealing with the chaos I'd left behind. Part of me hoped he regretted his choice. Hoped he felt even a fraction of the pain he'd caused me.

But most of me just wanted to forget he existed.

Let's go, my wolf urged. Let's run.

I took one last look in the direction of the packhouse. Then I turned north and started walking.

The forest stretched endlessly before me. Dark and dangerous and full of unknowns.

But for the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid.

I was free.