Marked By His Human Luna

Tessa

I always knew I was different, but I had no idea just how much.

My mom, Diane, ran away from my real dad right after I was born. He was abusive, and one night she grabbed me and bolted, terrified he might kill us both. She took off into the woods, heart pounding, and that’s when the craziest thing happened—a wolf stepped out and shifted into a man right in front of her.

“You’re my mate. I’ve finally found you,” he said, sounding overjoyed.

Mom had always thought werewolves were just stories, but something about Greg felt right. He explained everything, took her back to his pack, and she fell for him hard.

The Stonecrest pack wasn’t big on letting humans in, but Greg was a respected warrior, and mates were getting harder to find. So they made an exception for her… and for me, since I came along.

Greg stepped up right away and became my dad. He treated me like his own flesh and blood. Whenever pack members griped about having humans around, he stood up for us. Alpha Reid laid down the rule: “They need to pull their weight and help out as much as anyone else.” So we did. Mom and I worked with the Omegas on chores, even when some guy named Michael complained about it.

Things got better for a while when Mom got pregnant. The pack was always short on members, so when she had my twin brothers, Brody and Brady, everyone was thrilled. Twins were rare, and the whole pack celebrated them.

I loved being their big sister. I took care of them like they were mine. But then Mom got sick after the birth and never recovered. She passed away when I was still little.

Dad was crushed. For a while, people worried he might not make it either, but he stuck around for us. He loved all three of us too much to give up.

After Mom died, I became the only human left in the pack. That’s when the whispers really started. At first I didn’t notice much because Dad was always there defending me. But over time I caught the stares, the snickers behind my back, the nasty comments.

“She’s just a weak human. Another mouth to feed who can’t even protect herself.”

“Look how fat she is—she’s probably eating all our supplies.”

“She’s useless. A total burden.”

I helped Dad raise the boys while he trained the warriors. Werewolves are naturally strong and fast. They start training young and stay lean and athletic.

Me? I was the opposite. I was hitting puberty and my body was filling out—curves, rounder hips, the whole thing. I tried to find my place, but everywhere I turned, I got shut out.

At night I’d help the Omegas, but even they picked on me. They’d hide my clothes or steal my stuff, and I’d cry quietly once I got home.

I was at the very bottom of the pack, and it felt like nothing would ever change. How do you stop being human? How do you become something you’re not?

The girls in my class would laugh and say things like, “If enemies attack, she’ll be the first one down.” I had zero friends. No one wanted anything to do with me.

“Picture that chubby girl trying to run from rogues—she’d get caught in seconds!”

“They’d have a feast with her.”

“Who’d ever want her as a mate? Poor guy would be cursed.”

Dad would always tell me, “They don’t know what they’re talking about, Tessy. You’re a wonderful girl, and one day they’ll see it.”

But I knew better. In this world, everything came down to strength and having a wolf. I’d never have either. What hurt most was knowing I’d probably never have a mate—the one person who was supposed to love you exactly as you are.

My only real comfort was Dad and the twins. I’d take them into the woods and tell them the few memories I had of Mom. We’d watch the animals, and wolves would often come close.

“See them?” I’d say. “Those are your ancestors, but they don’t shift into people.”

“Will you get your wolf too, Tessa?” Brady asked once, eyes wide.

I smiled sadly. “No, buddy. But you two are going to be really strong wolves.”

“Dom says we’ll be warriors just like Dad!” Brody added proudly, watching the wolves in the distance.

Dominic Cole—Alpha Reid’s son and the future Alpha. He was a few years older, already strong and confident. Everyone respected him. He was smart, well-liked… and he acted like I didn’t exist.

I’d see him laughing along when people joked about me. When I cleaned his room, he wouldn’t even glance my way. To him, I was less than nothing.

One afternoon I was lost in thought about Dom—those blue eyes, those strong arms—when I suddenly heard a noise.

The wolves around us had vanished. “What was that?” I whispered.

We hadn’t had a big attack in years, but rogues were always sniffing around our territory. Instinct kicked in. I grabbed the boys and started running.

“Tessa, what’s going on?!” they yelled.

Heavy footsteps and howling echoed behind us. I spotted the biggest tree and pushed them up. “Climb! Just like we practiced—go as high as you can!” I tried to make it sound like a game.

They scrambled up, calling for me. As I reached the first branch, I saw them—rogues charging in.

I couldn’t mind-link the pack, so I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Rogues! They’re attacking! Rogues are coming!”

A wolf lunged at me as I climbed higher. I could see its fangs gleaming. In the distance, I heard the pack’s howls as they rushed to fight. I worried about Dad—he’d be right at the front.

Then I noticed something strange: another group of wolves with spotted coats moving in an organized way. They weren’t fighting like rogues. They seemed to be directing things but stayed back.

…

When we finally made it back to the pack, the damage was bad. Dad spotted us and looked relieved. “Tessy! Boys!” Alpha Reid and Dominic were there too, covered in wounds. Howls of grief filled the air. So many had died.

“Where was the human?!” Alpha Reid demanded, voice shaking with rage.

“I was in the woods… I saw them coming and screamed as loud as I could, but—”

“If she were a real werewolf, maybe she could’ve warned us in time!” someone shouted. Others agreed.

“My daughter saved her brothers!” Dad roared, stepping in front of us. The twins hid behind my legs, terrified. “She protected them!”

“How convenient she wasn’t around during the attack,” another voice sneered. “Everyone knows humans can’t be trusted!”

I tried to explain. “It wasn’t just rogues. There were other wolves too—spotted ones, organized like they belonged to another pack…”

“You mean us?” A tall, blond man stepped forward. Alpha Malcom.

Alpha Reid turned on me. “The only wolves with spotted fur are from the Bloodmark pack, and they came to help us. Your accusations are dangerous, human.”

“But I saw them!” I insisted.

“She’s just a dumb human who doesn’t understand our world!” the crowd yelled.

Alpha Malcom glared. “Control yourself. You’ve put everyone at risk.”

I tried to defend myself, but I knew it was pointless. I was nobody. Then Dominic spoke, voice full of disgust.

“How dare you accuse our ally? He’s a pureblood Alpha. You’re nothing but a slow, weak human who couldn’t even warn us properly. You can’t run, you can’t fight—you’re dead weight!”

“Useless fat human!”

“Liar!” the others joined in.

…

They threw me in the dungeon for the next few days while Dad tried everything to change their minds. It didn’t work.

“They’re banishing you, Tessy,” he told me, eyes full of pain and anger. “The Alpha decided it. The Bloodmark pack pushed hard for it.”

“I can go to Grandma’s place in Cedarville,” I said quietly.

“We’ll come with you—the boys and me,” he said firmly.

“No!” I panicked. “You can’t. A wolf who leaves becomes a rogue. The twins will be safer here. Just… be careful.”

“Get her out,” Alpha Reid ordered coldly.

“And make sure she never comes back.”

Dominic grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me toward the border. I signaled Dad to stay put as the twins cried behind us.

“No! Tessa’s our sister!” they screamed.

“You’re a burden,” Dominic spat. “The pack will be better without you. You’re nothing to us. He’s not even your real father. Go back to the humans where you belong, you filthy girl.”

I was still just a kid. I walked away alone toward town, heart shattered. An outcast with no family. According to them, I was worthless—a lying, lazy, good-for-nothing human.

That day changed everything. I thought I’d left the werewolf world behind for good. But the past has a way of coming back… and it would hit me harder than I ever imagined.