The Luna's Second Chance

Chapter 28: Shadows of the Forgotten

**Unknown POV**

The dark forest was still, the only sound the soft rustling of leaves as a cold wind swept through the trees. The moonlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above, casting long, distorted shadows across the forest floor. Hidden deep within the woods, two figures stood in the dim light, their faces masked by darkness.

The unknown figure, cloaked in black, watched Isla's twin brother with careful eyes. The boy-now a man-was tall and broad, with the same striking features as Isla. His eyes, however, were filled with a deep, burning conflict, as if two forces warred within him. His name was **Kian**, a name that had once been whispered with love but now was spoken only in the shadows.

"You had her at the ball, Kian. You could've taken her then," the figure said in a low, measured voice, his tone laced with frustration. "Why didn't you?"

Kian's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he turned away, staring into the forest with a distant, haunted look. "I... needed to see her. I needed to see them. All of them."

The unknown figure stepped closer, his presence commanding, his voice a dark whisper. "You wasted an opportunity. We had everything in place. We could have taken them all-your sister, the Alphas, the Lunas. And yet, you hesitated."

Kian's fists tightened at his sides, his emotions flickering between anger and something else-something softer, something he couldn't quite understand. "I didn't hesitate," he said through gritted teeth. "I just... I needed to see her, to see the people who left me behind. The ones who abandoned me."

The unknown figure watched him carefully, his eyes gleaming with something cold and calculating. "The people who abandoned you?" he echoed softly, almost mockingly. "Or the people who abandoned *us*?"

Kian's breath hitched at the reminder. He knew the truth, or at least, what he had been told was the truth-that Isla and their mother had left him behind, that it was Isla's fault their mother had died, and that he had been forgotten by those who should have loved him. But even as those thoughts stirred within him, something didn't feel right.

"I'm not like them," Kian muttered, though the words felt hollow. "I'm stronger than they ever were."

"Of course, you are," the figure murmured, stepping closer, his voice dripping with the poison of manipulation. "You share the same power as Isla, but yours is far more dangerous. That's why you were born. That's why you were *chosen*. To protect her. To control the power you both share. You've been honed for this-by me, by our allies."

Kian's gaze flickered, his brow furrowing as his uncle's words echoed in his mind. **Their uncle**, his father's Beta, had been the one to take him in, to train him, to guide him when no one else had. But lately, cracks were forming in the story he had always believed-cracks that Isla's presence had widened.

"She didn't recognize me," Kian whispered, a strange, unfamiliar emotion tightening his chest. "She doesn't even know who I am."

"And why should she?" the figure said sharply, his tone hardening. "She was raised by the very people who let your mother die. She was sheltered, kept in the light while you were cast into the shadows. She has no idea what it's like to be you."

Kian's eyes darkened, his mind wrestling with the confusion and anger that swirled inside him. The memories-the ones he had been shown-were clear. His mother's death, the pain, the abandonment. He had been told over and over again that Isla was to blame. But why, when he saw her at the palace, did that blame feel so hard to hold onto?

For the first time in years, something stirred inside him that felt different. An emotion he hadn't allowed himself to feel. Love. The love of a brother for his sister. For Isla.

"I... felt something," Kian admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, his hand trembling slightly. "When I saw her, I felt... I don't know."

The unknown figure's eyes sharpened, his hand reaching out to grab Kian's shoulder, gripping it tightly. "That is a weakness, Kian. A weakness you can't afford. You've been trained to control your emotions, to harness your power. Don't let *her* change that."

Kian's breath faltered, and for a moment, the softer emotion-the one that had risen when he saw Isla-began to cloud his mind. But before he could grasp onto it fully, the cold voice of his uncle took hold of him once more, pushing the emotions down, down into the depths where they couldn't reach him.

"You were abandoned, Kian," the figure said, his voice almost hypnotic now. "Abandoned because they feared you. Your power is a threat, and they didn't want to face it. They left you to rot, to be forgotten, while they raised Isla as their golden child. They let your mother die."

Kian's eyes flashed with anger, his fists clenching again as the familiar fury surged back into him, replacing the softness. "I won't be weak. I'll show them who I am."

The unknown figure smirked, releasing Kian's shoulder. "Good. Remember that. You don't need love, Kian. You need power. Power to reclaim what was taken from us."

As they spoke, three more figures emerged from the shadows. **Valen**, the tall, silent strategist who had always been the brains behind their operations. **Liora**, a fierce warrior with eyes as sharp as daggers, her loyalty to Kian unwavering. And **Thorne**, a powerful but brooding figure whose hatred for the Alphas burned deeper than most.

Together, they were more than just outcasts. They were survivors. Abandoned by their families, by the packs that had deemed them too dangerous, too uncontrollable. They had found one another, built a bond forged in the fires of betrayal, and now, they had a plan.

Valen stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with cunning intelligence. "We need to move quickly. The upcoming gathering of the Alphas and Lunas for Lyra's funeral anniversary provides the perfect opportunity. They'll all be in one place."

Liora nodded, a wicked smile curling at the edges of her lips. "The Alphas, the Lunas-they've grown too comfortable. They've forgotten about us. They've forgotten the power we hold."

"And it's time we remind them," Thorne growled, his voice low and menacing.

Kian's uncle-the unknown figure-smiled darkly. "We will trap them, all of them. And then, we will take back what is ours. The forgotten pack, your father's legacy-everything they stole from you and your mother."

Kian's eyes burned with determination, the memory of his sister and the flicker of love he had felt buried deep beneath his anger. His uncle was right. He couldn't afford to be weak. He had a mission-to reclaim what was rightfully his, to rebuild the forgotten pack that had been destroyed when his parents died.

And no one, not even Isla, could stop him.

"We'll bring them all down," Kian said, his voice cold and resolute. "We'll show them the true power of the pack they abandoned."

Valen, Liora, and Thorne grinned, their eyes filled with malice as they began to discuss their strategy. But as they planned, Kian couldn't shake the strange feeling that lingered in the back of his mind-the feeling that perhaps, just perhaps, there was something more to this than the rage and vengeance that had fueled him for so long.

But his uncle's voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back into the darkness.

"Remember, Kian," the figure said, his tone sharp and commanding. "You were born to protect her. But only once we take back what is ours."

Kian nodded, though his heart felt heavy with the weight of his decision. His mind was made up. He would rebuild his parents' legacy, even if it meant going through Isla to do it.

And when the time came, he would make sure the Alphas and Lunas knew exactly who they had underestimated.

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