Chapter 2: Moonlit Pack
Damien's POV
Damien Ravenscroft stood in front of the large windows of the Pack House, the soft glow of the full moon casting shadows on the floor beneath him. The Moonlit Pack had called this place home for generations, and as its Alpha, it was his duty to ensure their legacy continued. But to do that, he needed a mate—a strong Luna, born a wolf, who would stand by his side and lead the pack into the future.
It had been pressing on him for weeks, and tonight, it all came to an end.
The Annual Purge was more than just a tradition. It was a rite of passage, a time for the strongest wolves to claim their mates and secure the future of their packs. Damien knew the stakes were high, not just for him but for the entire Moonlit Pack.
He took a deep breath. It was time.
Damien made his way through the Pack House, his footsteps echoing in the silent halls. The other pack members had already gathered outside, awaiting his arrival. As he stepped out into the wide clearing, the full moon illuminated the waiting figures of Beta Xavier Caldwell, and his third-in-command, Gamma Magnus Langley. Both men were as muscular and imposing as Damien himself, their eyes gleaming with the anticipation of the hunt.
This year, they too would join him in the Purge, each seeking a mate to strengthen the pack.
"Ready?" Damien asked.
Xavier nodded, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Always, Damien. The pack needs strong blood, and tonight, we’ll find it."
Magnus clenched his fists, his gaze focused on the horizon. "The Moon Goddess will guide us to our mates. For the pack’s future."
Damien gave them a curt nod, the fire in his chest mirroring the blaze of the full moon above. "Then let’s not keep them waiting, shall we?"
Without another word, the three men began to shift, their bodies transforming into their wolf forms. Damien felt the familiar rush of power as his senses sharpened, his muscles expanding beneath his fur. The ground seemed to tremble beneath them as they completed the transformation, three massive wolves standing where men had been only moments before.
The thrill of the hunt coursed through their veins.
Damien glanced at Xavier and Magnus, their forms large and undeniably ready. The time had come to claim what was rightfully theirs.
With a powerful kick, Damien launched himself forward, his paws digging into the earth as he surged ahead. Xavier and Magnus followed close behind, their howls cutting through the night air. The forest blurred around them as they ran, the thrill of the chase igniting their instincts.
Tonight, Damien would find his Luna, claim her, and mark her as solely his.
The three massive wolves raced through the dense forest, the rhythm of their powerful strides matching the beating of their hearts. Their minds were linked by the Pack Link, a telepathic connection that allowed them to communicate even in their wolf forms.
"But what if she isn’t here?" Xavier’s voice echoed in Damien’s mind, tinged with rare doubt. "What if your Luna isn’t among the harvest?"
Damien pushed himself harder. "She’s out there," he replied. "She has to be."
Magnus, ever the realist, chimed in. "And if she isn’t? What if she’s dead? Or worse—claimed by someone else?"
The thought sent a cold chill through Damien. The possibility that his Luna might already be lost, or that she had never existed at all, was one he couldn’t bear to consider. At twenty-five, he knew time was slipping through his fingers. Xavier was only a year younger, and even Magnus, at twenty-two, could feel the weight of it.
They were strong, but strength meant little without a future.
“We can’t let that happen," Damien growled through the Pack Link. "I need an heir, and I need one soon. The pack needs a Luna—someone to stand beside me and bear pups who will continue our line."
Xavier’s voice was quieter now, almost resigned. "But what if none of us find our mates tonight? What then? We’re not getting any younger, Damien."
The words hung heavy between them. The years had passed quickly, each hunt ending in disappointment, each season slipping away without the promise of a mate. They feared that their pack’s legacy might fade with them.
"We don’t have a choice," Magnus said firmly. "We have to keep searching. The pack depends on us to find our mates. If we fail…"
Damien didn’t let him finish. "We won’t fail," he snapped, though doubt still twisted in his gut. "Not tonight. The Moon Goddess has guided us this far—she won’t abandon us now."
But even as he said it, Damien knew the uncertainty that gripped them all. They had to find their mates, not just for themselves, but for the entire Moonlit Pack. Without a Luna, without heirs, their pack’s future was at risk.
He couldn’t let his pack down. He wouldn’t.
"Keep your eyes open," Damien urged, his pace quickening as the scent of something unfamiliar caught his attention. "We won’t return empty-handed. We can’t."
The forest seemed to close in around them as they ran, the shadows deepening under the full moon’s light. The hunt was on, and failure was not an option.
“Damien," Xavier’s voice cut through the silence in their minds. "You've always hated these Annual Purges. You refused to participate for years. Why now?"
Damien’s growl rumbled through the link, a mix of frustration and resignation. "You know why, Xavier. This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about a legacy that spans centuries, a line of pure-bloods that goes back to the very beginning.”
Magnus kept silent, but Damien could feel the weight of his younger comrade’s curiosity and concern.
Xavier, however, was never one to back down from pressing matters, especially when it came to Damien. "You always said you were destined to find your mate," Xavier continued. "That you wouldn’t need to participate in these hunts, wouldn’t need to seek elsewhere or settle for less. Besides, you’re the Alpha. Why should you compromise?"
Damien pushed harder, the wind whipping through his fur. "Because destiny isn’t something you wait around for, Xavier," he replied. “I was taught to believe that when the time was right, the Moon Goddess would bring my mate to me. But the years have passed, and nothing has changed. I’m tired of waiting."
There was a brief silence.
Then Xavier spoke again, softer this time. “You know, Damien, I’ve known you since we were pups. We grew up together. I’ve seen how much this weighs on you, how much you’ve sacrificed for the pack. But I also know you were taught not to settle, to honor the Moon Goddess and wait for the perfect time."
Damien’s heart clenched at Xavier’s words. "I was taught that," he admitted. “But I was also taught to protect my pack, to ensure its survival at all costs. And every year that goes by without a Luna, without an heir, that survival becomes less certain."
Magnus, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up. "But Xavier’s right, Alpha. You’ve always been above these hunts, above the need to prove yourself. You’ve said it yourself—our bloodline is pure, strong. Why now?"
Damien’s eyes narrowed as he considered their words. "Because the pack can’t wait forever," he said. "I’ve always believed in the Moon Goddess, in her timing. But what if her timing is now? What if this is the night where everything changes?"
Xavier hesitated, then spoke. It was something Damien hadn’t heard from him in a long time—hope. "Or what if you were right all along, Damien? What if your mate is out there, waiting for you? Not in the hunt, but somewhere you’ve never thought to look?"
Damien sighed, frustration building in his chest. "And what if she isn’t? What if I’ve been wrong all these years, waiting for a sign that will never come? I can’t let the pack suffer for my beliefs. I can’t let them down."
Xavier was silent for a moment. After all, he was the son of a human-turned-werewolf, a fact that had always set him apart. His mother’s transformation had been a constant reminder that destiny wasn’t always pure, wasn’t always clean.
"You know," Xavier began. "I’ve never had the luxury of waiting for destiny to come to me. My mother was human before she turned, and because of that, I’ve always known that sometimes you have to make your own path. Maybe that’s what you need to do, Damien."
"Maybe," Damien admitted. "Maybe it’s time I stop waiting. But I’ll be damned if I settle for less. If I find her, she’ll be everything the Moonlit Pack needs. Strong. Pure. A true Luna."
Magnus’s voice was firm as he echoed the sentiment. "Then let’s find her, Alpha. Tonight. No more waiting."
Damien pushed forward once more, leading his pack through the forest. He would honor the Moon Goddess, but he would also honor the Moonlit Pack.
Tonight would be the night, one way or another.