Second to the Luna

UNKNOWN Screams echoed around me as my village burned. Smoke made my eyes water, and I could barely see anything, even with my sharpened wolf senses. “Mom!” I screamed, but my voice fell into the whirlwind of noise around me. I wondered how many others screamed for their mothers and how many of them were grown men like me. I ran through the chaos and destruction of my village, desperate for any signs my mother was still alive, but all I saw were dead bodies. Their throats had been slashed before the fires even began. The attackers were silent and fast. Too fast to see. I had barely woken up in time to save my own life, but most were not as lucky. I learned how to defend myself when I was young, but my pack wasn’t known for its fighting abilities. When I went to make sure my mother was okay, she was nowhere to be found. She must’ve run out of the house when the fires began—or so I hoped. I couldn’t bear to learn about the unfathomable. My mother had always been there for me. She was the only one who raised me, and I owed her my life. “Lana!” I screamed fruitlessly. I could barely hear my own raspy voice as a building collapsed on itself. The smoke became unbearable, and I had to get out of the village if I was going to survive. I just prayed to the Moon Goddess that my mother had done the same thing. The farther away from the village I got, the quieter the world became. I had expected to find other pack members outside, but the silence confirmed my worst fears. I tried sending out a mass link to the pack, but no one responded. I was completely alone. I wandered the forest for days, feeling numb to the world. I didn’t know where I was going, since I had nothing left. I was ready to give up. Exhaustion overwhelmed my body, and I collapsed to the ground, having no intention to get back up. Footsteps crunched against the rough forest floor, but I didn’t bother opening my eyes. Whatever wild beast stalked in the shadows could take me as food and finally relieve me from the pain of this world. I waited for teeth to sink into my flesh, but it never came. “You’re giving up so easily.” I cracked my eyes open, but they were bleary from lack of sleep. I couldn’t quite see the face of the man who looked down at me, but his voice was deep and rich. He crouched down and pressed his hand against my forehead. It was icy against my skin, but I felt a sudden urge to get up. “You don’t have to be by yourself. Go to pack Validas, and you’ll find your mate there.” Pack Validas. I knew that name. It was where my father was from. “Who are you?” I demanded, but as I sat up, I was by myself. I blinked several times, wondering if I had hallucinated everything. I knew that was the most logical option, but whoever or whatever that was was right. I didn’t have to be alone. I had family. I had to go to Pack Validas.