Colliding Dreams

Chapter Five: The Weight of Destiny

[Luna's POV]

I stared at Darius, feeling the weight of his words sink in. I'm not human? The disbelief must have shown on my face because he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before continuing.

"You're not just any ordinary human, Luna. You're a Lycan witch."

My breath hitched. A Lycan witch? That sounded impossible. My mind scrambled for answers, but Darius didn't give me time to speak. He moved closer, his voice gentle but firm, as though he knew how hard this was for me to grasp.

"Lycan witches are rare. Unlike werewolves, they don't transform like the rest of us. But you... you are different. You're destined to be the Luna of this pack." His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt the intensity of what he was about to say next. "The Moon Goddess will grant you your wolf once you fulfill our mate bond. Only then will your wolf awaken."

I blinked, feeling as though the ground was falling away beneath me. I don't even have a wolf yet? Everything felt unreal. I couldn't make sense of it—how could I have lived my whole life believing I was human?

Darius leaned forward, his expression softening. "There's a reason you haven't fully realized your powers or received your wolf yet. The previous Alpha—my father—made your mother suppress your powers. You weren't ready then, Luna. You were too young. It had to wait until you turned seventeen."

I shook my head, struggling to believe what I was hearing. "But... why? Why would he do that?"

"To protect you," he said quietly. "Your powers would have made you a target. My father believed you needed time to grow into who you truly are. That's why your mother suppressed your abilities, and why your eyes don't have the purple glow of a Lycan witch."

I couldn't breathe. All my life, I had thought I was just... me. A human. But now, I was being told I was something far greater, something that had been hidden from me for years.

"You weren't ready then," Darius continued, his voice soft, "but you are now. The moment you fulfill our bond as mates, everything will fall into place. You'll receive your wolf, and your true nature will be fully revealed."

I stared at him, my heart racing. I didn't know whether to feel anger, confusion, or fear. Maybe a mix of all three. My entire identity had been turned upside down in a matter of minutes.

"But... what if I'm not ready now?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Darius' gaze softened, and he brought his hand to my cheek, his thumb gently brushing my skin. "You are ready, Luna. You've always been ready. You just needed to know the truth."

My mind was spinning, trying to piece together everything Darius had told me. A Lycan witch... a suppressed power... a destiny I never knew existed. But one question burned brighter than the rest.

"Why did I need protection? Why go through all of this to hide me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, the weight of the truth still sinking in.

Darius' face darkened, his jaw tightening as if the memories themselves pained him. He stood a little straighter, the playful softness from earlier now gone, replaced by the Alpha I imagined he had to be.

"Years ago, there was a war—a war between our pack and a rival one. It wasn't just any conflict; it was driven by something much darker. The Alpha of that rival pack heard rumors that a Lycan witch Luna had been born—a child with immense power, destined to lead. He began raiding packs, searching for that child, desperate to claim her for his own."

I felt my stomach drop, dread creeping into my bones as I began to realize where this was going.

"The child he was looking for," Darius continued, his eyes locked on mine, "was you."