The Luna's Second Chance

Chapter 1: The Call of the Moon

Isla Kingsley

****

The creaky, old farmhouse was suffocatingly quiet, even with the hum of the wind rustling through the cracked window. I had been staying with my aunt for the past few months, ever since my mom decided she needed to "find herself" on some cross-country road trip with her new boyfriend. Not that I blamed her-our life had been falling apart for a while. Still, leaving me behind in the middle of nowhere in Blackwood Ridge wasn't exactly how I pictured my summer.

Blackwood Ridge was a sleepy, forest-bound town, tucked deep in the mountains, where nothing ever seemed to happen. The nearest neighbor was over a mile away, and the town's only café closed by 6 p.m. every night. It wasn't my home, and it definitely didn't feel like it. But my Aunt Selene had taken me in without question. She was the closest thing I had to family, though we barely knew each other.

I had spent the day trying to settle into her home, helping her in the garden, listening to the occasional stories of the town's strange past, and dodging her curious glances. She seemed to be studying me like she expected something from me that I wasn't ready to give.

As night fell, the air turned cooler, and I found myself staring out the window, feeling that familiar pull in my chest again-the one I couldn't explain. There had always been something inside me, something I couldn't name. And tonight, it was stronger than ever. It felt like the forest was calling to me, like the moon itself was whispering my name.

I couldn't stay here. Not tonight.

I pulled on my hoodie and slipped out the back door, careful not to wake my aunt. The woods loomed just beyond the field behind the farmhouse, dense and dark, but somehow... inviting. It was as though the trees were alive, breathing with an ancient energy that vibrated under my skin. I had no idea where I was going, but my feet carried me forward, as if they knew the way better than I did.

The moon hung full and bright above the treetops, lighting the path ahead. Every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig sent shivers down my spine, but it wasn't fear driving me-it was something deeper. The pull in my chest grew stronger, like an invisible thread dragging me forward through the trees.

I quickened my pace, my heart pounding faster with every step. The woods were different at night-alive with shadows and secrets. I knew I shouldn't be out here. I knew my aunt would be furious if she found out. But I couldn't stop myself. Something was waiting for me.

After what felt like hours of walking, the trees suddenly opened up, revealing a wide clearing bathed in silver light. The air was still, unnaturally quiet, and my pulse roared in my ears as I stepped into the moonlit space.

And that's when I saw him.

Damian Blackwood. The Alpha.

He stood at the center of the clearing, his bare chest rising and falling in rhythm with the night air. His broad shoulders seemed carved from stone, muscles taut with power, as if he were more animal than man. His dark hair fell across his brow, shadowing his sharp features, but his eyes-those piercing, golden eyes-were locked onto the moon. I knew who he was, even though I had never seen him up close before.

Everyone in Blackwood Ridge knew Damian Blackwood, the leader of the pack, a man of legend and fear. He had lost his mate, his Luna, years ago, and the town had never stopped talking about it. About him. There were rumors that he had become cold, cruel even, since her death. I had heard the whispers, seen the way people avoided speaking his name too loudly.

But here he was. And he was mine.

I didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to accept that the pull I felt toward him wasn't just curiosity, but something stronger, something deeper. The bond between us-the mate bond. It had awakened in me just weeks ago, though I had no idea what it meant or why it had to be *him*. I was no Luna. I wasn't anyone.

But fate had other plans.

Before I could move, Damian's head snapped in my direction, his golden eyes meeting mine with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs. My legs froze beneath me, my entire body locking in place as that same pull between us flared to life, burning hot and undeniable.

For a long moment, he just stared at me, and I could feel the weight of his gaze as though it were physically pressing me into the ground. His lips parted, but no words came. Instead, a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest.

"Go home." His voice was a command, thick and heavy with authority. "You don't belong here."

The sharpness of his tone cut through me, but I didn't back down. I couldn't. Even though every instinct screamed for me to turn and run, I stood my ground, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest.

"I can't," I whispered, barely able to find my voice. "I'm your mate."

The words hung in the air like a challenge, daring him to deny it.

His expression darkened, his eyes flashing with something dangerous. "You're not her," he growled, each word dripping with bitterness. "You will never be her."

I flinched, the pain of his words striking deep. Of course I wasn't Lyra. I knew that. I wasn't trying to replace her, but it didn't change what was between us.

"I don't want to be her," I said, forcing the tremor out of my voice. "But I'm still your mate. And I'm not going anywhere."

Damian's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. His entire body was tense, like a storm ready to break, but he didn't move. He just stood there, his gaze burning through me, filled with a mixture of anger, grief, and something I couldn't quite place.

Finally, he turned his back to me, his broad shoulders rigid with barely contained fury. "Leave," he ordered, his voice cold and final. "Before I make you."

The air between us crackled with tension, thick and suffocating, but I didn't move. I couldn't. Even though I knew he wanted me gone, I wasn't going to walk away. Not from him. Not from this.

Because no matter how much he pushed me away, no matter how much he hated what we were, I wasn't leaving.

Not tonight. Not ever.

---