The Dark Side Of The Luna

Do you know what it means to be a runt among shifters? It means being the smallest and weakest of all the shifters around you.

It's uncommon for a werewolf to fall ill easily, as they are well known for their incredible healing abilities.

A shifter could be covered in severe wounds, yet it would only take a few hours—or at most a day—for them to recover fully.

That's why you can never underestimate a shifter, especially a werewolf, because they are at the top of the food chain. They are the predators.

But for Aurora, things were different. The reason? She was a runt.

From the moment she was born, she was constantly sick. She was also smaller than an average shifter baby. During the first few years of her life, even feeding her was a struggle, especially since she would often come down with fevers.

And when she reached the age of sixteen, she was unable to shift into her wolf form because her spirit was too weak.

Now, at seventeen, when most female wolves would be anticipating meeting their mates, she doubted she would ever find hers.

And on top of all that, she was deaf.

Aurora could read lips, but if someone wasn't facing her when they spoke, she wouldn't know what they were saying.

If her father weren't the alpha of the Blue Moon pack, no one would even know she existed, as she spent most of her time inside her house with a tutor who helped her with her education.

Unfortunately, her life didn't improve even after she turned twenty.

"Come out now!" someone shouted behind Aurora as she sat on the cold floor of the dungeon with her head lowered. "Damn it! I forgot she can't hear!" the man cursed under his breath. He opened the cell door, marched toward the frail girl, and yanked her arm to make her stand.

Aurora gritted her teeth, fear evident in her eyes as she looked at the man. Her pack had fallen—they were defeated in a war, and now she was a prisoner. After all, she was the Alpha's only daughter.

"The Alpha wants to see you!" the man growled, hostility burning in his eyes. He grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her out of the filthy cell where she'd been held for over a week.

Aurora couldn't hear him, but she could read his lips, and she knew that meeting the Alpha was inevitable. She trembled with fear. She hated being hurt.

Aurora stumbled several times, unable to keep up with the guard's pace, but he didn't slow down.

She recognized this room; it used to be her father's chamber. She had only entered it twice before, as her father didn't really like her being near him.

She was born a runt, a disgrace to him.

"Alpha, I have brought Aurora Lane," the guard said in a solemn voice, lowering his head as he kicked the back of Aurora's knee, forcing her to kneel before the Alpha.

Alpha Cris.

He had been a slave for ten years in the Blue Moon pack, ever since his own pack, Howling Wolf, was razed by Aurora's father, and all its members—including him—were turned into slaves. Cris Nortern, once the alpha's son, had lost everything.

His world fell apart when he was twenty-two. He went from being the highly respected alpha's son to a worthless slave.

But now, he had finally taken his revenge. He had wiped out the Blue Moon pack, restoring the glory of the Howling Wolf pack. And now, it was time for him to exact his revenge on Aurora for what her father had done to him and his family.

"You can leave, Will," Cris said coldly as he rose from his seat. Aurora trembled in fear at the sight of him. His body was even larger than her brother's or her father's. He towered over her, looking down with malice in his dark eyes.

The guard named Will left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Aurora alone with her predator.

Aurora tried to scramble away, but Cris grabbed her shoulder, his grip so tight it felt like he could crush her bones.

"Undress and get on the bed," Cris commanded coldly. But Aurora wasn't looking at his face, so she couldn't read his lips and missed the order, starting to whimper instead.

"Can't you hear me?!"

Outraged, Cris dragged her to the bed himself and pinned her down. She was crying, but no sound came out of her mouth, she just trembled at the sight of him.

Cris bore a long scar on the left side of his face, stretching from his right eye, across his nose, and ending on his left cheek. It was an unsightly mark, a reminder of his time as a slave in the Blue Moon pack.

Cris gathered her arms above her head and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. The hatred in his eyes only made Aurora more terrified.

"See what I'm going to do to you. I'll give you a hell just like your father gave to me."

Aurora read his lips and, trembling all over, spoke in a soft voice, "Why me?"

"Why me, you say?"

Aurora felt the pain in her chin intensify as he tightened his grip, but she had to keep looking at him to understand what he said next.

"Why don't you take your revenge on my father instead?"