Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3

Anya Pov

The world bleeds to nothing. The laughter of the pack members is a distant, hollow echo, swallowed by the roaring in my ears. The ache in my soul, the void left by the snapped bond, consumes me.

My spirit, a flickering flame, gives one last shuddering breath. This is it. This is what it feels like to die. I close my eyes, ready to surrender to the darkness, ready for a merciful end.

But the darkness isn't empty.

I'm floating in a cold, vast nothingness. Fractured images of my past drift by like broken pieces of a shattered mirror: Elias's cruel sneer, the flash of the whip, the sickening crack of the rejection that tore my soul apart. I am a ghost, haunting the memories of my own agony.

A desperate, fragile hope flares in my chest. Maybe I am on my way to them. My parents. Maybe they are waiting for me in this endless dark. But just as quickly, a familiar fear snuffs it out. What if I am not worthy of even this? What if I am just a worthless omega, a disgrace even in death?

Then, a warmth. It's a soft, golden hum that pushes back the cold, a gentle light pulsing in the abyss. It feels like a heartbeat, like an ancient pulse calling to me from the depths of the void. It’s not death, and it’s not life. It’s something else. Something older.

A figure materializes from the swirling light, a woman, her skin shining white, her eyes filled with the quiet power of a thousand moonlit nights. It is the Moon Goddess.

"My child. You are not meant for this place."

My voice is a small, fragile sound. "Where am I?"

"You are between worlds, my brave little one," she says, her voice a soft, soothing melody. "Do not be scared. You are about to be home."

My mind reels with questions. Home? My home was gone the day my parents died. I am a rejected wolf. I am a disgrace. There is no home for me.

“I am an outcast. A worthless omega. What is the meaning of this?” My voice trembles, laced with a bitterness I can't hide.

The Goddess smiles, a sad, knowing expression. “You are not what they call you. They branded you with a name to control you. But the fire of a star burns brighter than the light of a thousand fires.”

I am confused. "A war is coming," she continues, her voice growing grave. "A storm of darkness is brewing, one that will consume all the packs. Your journey has only just begun. You will need her help with your true fated mate."

I am so confused. “My true fated mate? But… he just rejected me."

"He is not your fated mate. He is only your destined mate."

My head throbs with this impossible information. “What is the difference? And what do you mean he isn’t my fated mate? The Luna has gifted me with my fated mate. Why would I get two?”

“He was chosen for you by me, destined to be your mate because of his power, to help awaken yours. But he was not your true fated mate."

"What do you mean 'awaken my power?' I have no power. I am a weak omega. I am dead.”

The Goddess's eyes hold a silent sorrow. "You are not dead, my child. What you call death is merely the breaking of a shell. You will understand soon. All I can tell you is, you have to be ready."

“What do you mean I have to be ready? I am dead. There is nothing I can do to help or stop this so-called war.”

"You will understand soon my child.” Her voice is soft, but it holds a note of absolute finality.

Just as I am about to ask more, a powerful gust of wind rushes past me. The Moon Goddess's form begins to fade. A figure materializes from the swirling mist behind her.

A wolf.

A large, terrifying white wolf, its fur as white as freshly fallen snow. Its mouth is open, a long string of drool hanging from its jaw. Every primal instinct screams at me to run, but its eyes, glowing with a soft, ethereal light, are so gentle. They are the kindest eyes I have ever seen.

I turn and run. I don't know where I'm going, but I run. The wolf chases me. I can hear the heavy thud of its paws against the ground, the shallow breaths I take as I run faster. I am a mouse, and this is a beast. But even as it runs after me, its eyes remain gentle. It takes a whole lot from me, trying to outrun this beast.

I can't help but pause and turn to see the terrifying wolf running towards me. A quiet thought blooms in my mind. Why am I running away? To which new life? I am already dead. I am a rejected omega.

My hope, my spirit, everything that made me a wolf is gone. It is better to be attacked by a wolf than to be rejected a second time. My heart can't take it. I am a weak omega; I can't bear the rejection. If I was of a higher status, I would have stood a chance. But I am nothing. I would rather be torn apart than face that humiliation again.

I stop completely and stand my ground. The white wolf approaches me slowly now, its terrifying form looming. It stops just a few feet away, tilts its magnificent head, and then, to my shock, it bends down and lowers its head, an act of submission. My fear gives way to confusion. Why is this powerful beast submitting to me?

I brush away my fear. My hand, as if it has a mind of its own, rises and touches the fur on the wolf's head. The moment my fingers make contact, a powerful jolt passes through me. It's not painful; it's an explosion of energy, ancient and powerful.

My eyes shine bright and white, a blinding light erupting from my very soul. I can feel every energy, every thing in this realm and beyond connecting with me. I feel the pulse of the earth, the flow of magic, the ancient power of all wolves. I am the storm.

My eyes snap open.

Tears stream down my face, but they are not tears of sorrow. I am awake, still in my body and flesh. I feel the cold, damp dirt against my skin. The ground is hard, and I am in a ditch.

This must be where my body was abandoned after I collapsed. I look at my hands, my body, and finally, my face. The physical wounds from my past are gone, replaced by a strange, humming vitality. The brand of the omega, the brand of weakness, is gone. It is just a memory now.

I remember it all, the laughter, the scorn, his final, brutal words. But that pain doesn't break me anymore. It fuels me. He wanted a broken omega, a pitiful creature to cast aside. He did not get one. He created something else. He created me.

I look around, and my body, my new wolf, is filled with a primal rage. A need for vengeance. I turn and run, not to escape, but to embrace the wilderness. I ran into the forest, a new wolf, a new me.

I am not here to die in the dark.

I am here to rule.

I will make sure they all pay..