Chapter 2
I still couldn’t believe it.
No matter how many times I blinked, how many times I reached out and touched their skin—cold, unmoving, and stained with blood—I couldn’t accept it.
They were gone.
Our parents... were gone.
“This is my fault. This is all my fault,” I whispered over and over like a mantra, my voice cracking as I held my mother and father’s lifeless bodies in my arms. My knees were pressed into the blood-soaked earth, shaking beneath me. My tears, hot and relentless, dripped down onto their still faces.
If only I hadn’t left. If I had stayed. If I had listened to that strange shift in the wind, that strange red hue of the moon… maybe I could’ve stopped it. Maybe they’d still be alive.
“It’s not your fault...” Dawn’s voice trembled inside me, her spirit sobbing in sync with mine. “I should be the one to blame. I urged you to come out. I wanted to see the moon…”
But I couldn’t even reply. My throat was raw, my heart felt like it had been torn apart by claws sharper than any wolf’s. I stayed silent, weak, broken. My tears said more than any words could.
“Sister…” Rose’s voice came gently beside me, barely above a whisper. I turned my head slowly. Her small hands were muddy and trembling, just like mine. Her eyes were red, cheeks stained from crying. “We should bury Mother and Father… so they can rest peacefully.”
I looked back down at their faces—so serene despite the blood. My chest ached all over again.
“I know it still hurts,” Rose continued, her voice cracking, “but just like they always said... ‘Life must go on,’ no matter what happens.”
Her words echoed, like a ghost from a memory.
I remembered…
“Selene, when we’re gone,” my mother had once said softly as she placed her warm hand over my chest, “remember that even if we’re not with you physically, we’re always here.”
“Love each other. Protect one another. Don’t let anything tear you apart. Is that clear?” Father’s firm voice had joined hers, commanding yet full of love.
“Of course, Father! I’ll protect sister! We all know she’s soft on the inside,” Rose had teased back then. She wasn’t wrong. I might have had the strength, the skill… but emotionally, I was delicate—shattered too easily.
“Hey! Don’t forget I’m older than you,” I had grumbled.
“Sorry, sister,” she had giggled, bumping her shoulder into mine.
Father had only smiled, pulling both of us into his arms. “Just remember,” he had said again, “we’ll always be here. Don’t ever let yourselves be separated.”
Why did that memory feel like a goodbye now?
“Father… are you… saying goodbye?” I had asked back then, holding back tears even then—like I somehow knew what was coming.
“No, anak. We just want you to be ready… just in case.”
“We love you, anak. Always remember that,” Mother had said as she wrapped us in her embrace.
I wiped my face now and looked down at the grave Rose and I had dug together. Our hands had bled shoveling dirt with only small tools and our claws. We placed a small bouquet of wildflowers atop the soil, and I whispered, “We love you too, Father… Mother.”
It didn’t feel real.
“Sister…” Rose’s voice pulled me back. Her voice was small, uncertain. “What do we do now?”
If things were normal, I would’ve said I wanted to study. I always dreamed of enrolling in a school in the nearest human town, maybe reading books until I fell asleep in a warm bed. I wanted a peaceful life. No blood. No secrets. No shifting under moonlight with fear clawing at my chest.
Maybe we could still try. Maybe—
A howl.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Low, guttural, surrounding us from every direction.
Shit.
They found out I killed their men.
My heart stopped for a second, then picked up a painful pace. “I think we need to run. Now,” Rose said sharply. Her eyes—once puffy from crying—were alert. Focused.
She was right.
If we didn’t move, we’d die here.
“Rose!” I barked, grabbing her hand. “Run as fast as you can! Just like we always do when I chase you!”
She didn’t hesitate. We sprinted through the forest, dodging roots, leaping over logs, every movement burned into muscle memory. We were fast—but not fast enough.
I could hear them. Not just footsteps. Growls. Snarls. Breathing.
They were hunting us.
They killed our parents… and now they want us too?!
“Damn it!” Rose hissed, slamming her fists into the trees as we reached a small clearing. “Isn’t killing our parents enough?! Now they want us?! Shit! Shit!”
Her fury boiled over, and the tree beside me bore the brunt of it.
“Stop that, Rose! The poor tree doesn’t deserve it,” I muttered between ragged breaths, half-laughing, half-exhausted.
She huffed but didn’t argue.
I glanced around the forest, heart sinking. We were cornered. We couldn’t keep running like this.
“Rose…” I panted, looking at her.
She didn’t turn.
“Rose,” I said again, tapping her shoulder, my voice edged with urgency.
Still nothing.
Damn it. Why isn’t she responding?
“Moon Rose Night!” I shouted, this time letting my voice shake.
That got her attention. She whirled around, irritation flashing in her eyes. “What is it, Selene Dawn Night?! You’re seriously—”
She didn’t finish.
Because they were here.
They emerged from the shadows like ghosts—silent and vicious. Half-naked men, shirtless with claw scars and battle-hardened muscles, encircled us in wolf-human hybrid forms. Their eyes glowed with aggression. We were surrounded. Two girls… against all of them.
One of them stepped forward. His voice was low and angry. “What are you doing here, Rogues?!”
That word again.
Rogues.
But we weren’t rogues—not really. We had no Pack, yes. But we weren’t wild, lawless creatures. We were just… different. Protected. Hidden.
Because of what we were.
Because of what we carried.
“We’re just passing through,” Rose replied with surprising calm. “Resting. We’ll leave soon.”
Liar. But convincing.
Too bad they weren’t buying it.
“Don’t lie to us. We’re not fools.”
“Then don’t believe us! No one’s forcing you,” Rose snapped back.
Rose! Could you not?
“Hey, girl!” another growled, his tone heavy with dominance. “Don’t raise your voice at our third-in-command. Show some respect. Your lives depend on it.”
I swallowed hard.
A Delta.
Great. We were officially screwed.
“I will never respect you. I don’t belong to your Pack,” Rose spat, lifting her chin with defiance.
Goddess. Father. Mother. What possessed this child?
I slapped my forehead. And of course—
They snapped.
They shifted.
It happened in a blur.
Claws. Fangs. Movement.
They lunged.
I didn’t think. I acted.
I jumped in front of Rose.
Pain.
One set of teeth tore into my abdomen. Another crushed down on my arm.
I screamed—but not from weakness. From fury.
Blood poured from me.
But not red.
Silver.
The wolves stopped.
Stunned.
They stared as silver blood trickled from my wounds onto the forest floor.
Their expressions twisted from rage into confusion… and then fear.
“I-I’m o-kay, s-sis,” I choked out, forcing a grin despite the blood on my lips. “Y-you worry too much.”
She smacked my head. “Idiot!”
Then, the command came. “Take them! We’ll bring these Rogues to the Alpha.”
Chains. Shackles. Rough hands.
But they didn’t realize it.
They had no idea what they had just done.
They thought they were capturing rogues.
But what they had actually done… was invite death into their Pack.
Because they hadn’t captured two helpless girls.
They had captured two wolves far more dangerous than they could ever imagine.
And soon…
They’d find out.