The cursed Moon.

"There have been plenty of revelations today, it changes everything. We must protect the moon goddesses bloodline, my sister's bloodline at all cost. I pledge my warriors for the cause, but there is one issue we haven't discussed. The other sibling, there were three, what of the eldest?” Reid stood in front of Zions desk, Zion hadn't considered the huntress going forward with their plans.

“The she-hunter? We cannot trust her, she has killed many of our kind.” Zion took a risk with Moon, Mena would be an even bigger threat. He understood that Mena was Moons sister, Atlas's sister, but she wasn't like them, she had a brutality too her. She was every bit a beast as Zion.

“She is also of my kind. She has my sister's blood. Yes she has human blood, but also that of the moon goddess, shifter blood.” Reid had some valid points, but there was one he had missed.

“She is the daughter of Titus.” Zion reminded him.

“That will make her deadly in this war. Tell me Alpha Zion, whose side do you want her on? If we can get her on ours, if we tell her the truth of her origins, maybe she will fight for us, for her sister. She has the chance to avenge her mother, and her mother before her, we must try. I am bound to protect her, just as I am Moon and Atlas.” Reid was unwavering in the matter.

“And if instead she chooses the side of her father, the hunters?” Zion wanted to cover every possibility.

“She won't, we must not let her. If she could just see Moon, speak with her, I know she will make her see sense. For centuries I have fought Titus with nothing but death on both sides, with all three siblings fighting with us, with their gifts, their blood, we may have a chance at destroying him. There will be peace for our people at last.” Reid spoke with confidence.

“You are suggesting Moon comes into battle, that she fights our enemies.” Zion growled the words.

“Easy Zion, they are her enemies too. I know she is your mate, but her gifts, they extend far more than what you know, what she knows. I saw Freya in battle many times, there are still so many things Moon and Atlas haven't learned. If they can, they will be unstoppable, we will be unstoppable.” Reid explained.

“Here is what I am willing to do, I will send out Dean, he is my head warrior. See if he can track down the huntress, tell her Moon is safe and well and wishes to speak with her. The choice, of course, will be hers. As for Moon and battle…she is gentle, soft, I do not wish to expose her to the ways war. You saw her, she is fragile, we are doing this to protect her, not put her in harm's way.” Zion was protective of his mate, if anything were to happen to her, well, he knew the consequences.

“You mustn't be fooled by appearances, one can be many things Zion. She maybe soft, gentle, but she is also powerful, brave. If I train with her, teach her what she is capable of, you will see yourself, we will need her to fight alongside of us.” Reid was an elder, wise in his words always, Zion curious himself to see what more his mate could do.

“On this matter, time will tell. If she is prepared, if she is willing, then I may consider it. She is my mate first and always Reid, and a soldier last, you understand?” Zion answered with hesitation.

“Then it is settled, I am happy with your terms. Now all we need is Ronan's men, Ronan can be more difficult then war itself. I have known him since the first sunrise, not all become better with time.” Reid had been built from war, wars he had fought with Ronan. Ronan had made it his lifes work, generations of top warriors came from his pack. Ronan's men, they were birthed for one reason, that reason was battle.

"Ronan wants this war as much as we do, he lives, and breathes battle. How can he turn us away, I am certain there is no chance of it." Zion knew in his small interactions with Ronan that he was closed off, cold, but he craved this, he saw it as his only purpose.

"Ronan was like you and I once, he was a reasonable being, but like myself he has never found his mate, his sanity isnt the same. He is not quite as bad as one who has lost their mate, but he has lost empathy, and trust for those around him." Reid explained.

"How do you do it, how have you lived centuries without your other half while keeping your sanity?" Zion was intrested in how Reid remained the man he was, how he hadn't caved into the loneliness.

"I have something Ronan lost long ago, hope. I remind myself I have a eternity to find what I am looking for, hope that time is close. He believes his destiny is to die in battle, that death is what he has held onto, we must tread carefully when it comes to Ronan." Reid then sprawled a map across the table before Zion as he spoke.

"Now we talk strategy." Reid said firmly.

••••••

Moon, Atlas, and Reign sat in the living room, the last few hours a shock for them all. Moon was still having trouble with the truth of her heritage, it made sense, she didn't fit in with the villagers as she was not one of them.

“It all seems surreal, doesn't it Atlas? Finding each other after all this time, not knowing what we are. What I cannot understand is why Max took us, and chose to leave you behind, and why we all suffer from some form of amnesia we it comes to our time together.” She said, trying to make sense of the past.

“My guess is he took Mena knowing she was his daughter, but still wanting a son. He knew keeping her alive may come to his advantage in killing off our kind. She has war in her blood, his blood. As for you, you would have suffered the same fate as our mother and her mother, tied to his side, his direct link to the Moon goddess. Your power would keep him strong, heal him. Placing you in the orphanage meant he could keep tabs on you both until the time came. As for me, it's hard to imagine why he would leave me alive, I imagine it was not his intention, I am a male from the very bloodline he is intent on destroying. I do nog enjoy the not knowing.” Atlas was trying to put the pieces together in his mind.

“Would your sister fight against you if it came to that?” Reign asked with concern.

“Not if she was aware of the truth. I could not imagine she would harm me regardless.” Moon missed Mena, she wanted to share with her the reality of whom they really were, what they were.

“I long to meet her, Zion may not be willing to bring her to us, he will see it as a risk. Tell me about her?” Atlas had only just learned of his sisters, but he already felt a love for them both.

“Mena is driven, a born fighter, but more than that, she wants to avenge our mother's death. She has been looking for answers her entire life, she has just been looking in the wrong places. The truth is hard to believe, facing what she has done because of a lie will be harder. We have to make her see she has been fighting on the enemies side, she blames shifters. Getting her to trust them, trust us, would be easier if I could just see her.” Moon knew it wasn't possible, Max would take her the moment she stepped foot into the village, and Mena would see walking into packlands as certain death.

“She will find her way to us, just as you did.” Reign had doubt, but she needed to comfort those closest to her.

“Moon, what you did this morning, when you placed your hands on my temples? How did you know you could do that? Put an entire memory in my head in seconds?" Atlas wasn't going to just forget how much power he felt surging through her. She showed him Apollo's hut, it was as if in that moment he was remembering his own experience. The conversation with Apollo not hers, but his.

“Apollo told me how to do that also. He told me mother used to do it. For her, it was the safest way to share information about who she was without risking the wrong people hearing. Titus had spies everywhere. She knew whom to trust and who not to trust the same way we do, by looking into their minds, a gift passed through her bloodline and onto her mate.” Moon had learned a lot from Apollo about her mother, he had admired her greatly.

“Atlas, many of our own pack have walls built. They are unreadable, anyone of them could be spies for Titus” Reign pointed out.

“Walls I have helped them build.” Atlas realized it may not of been the best idea to share his gift so freely in hindsight.

“I guess next we learn to smash them down, together.” Moon cut in, confident that now they had each other, she and Atlas could achieve anything.

•••••••

That night sleep was scarce for Moon. She lay awake for hours, her mind scrambled. It wasn't just the new realities that left her restless, unable to quite her mind. Every inch of her body wanted to go to Zion, like he was calling her. She would hear his voice whisper her name on the breeze as it passed her window, beckoning her to come to him.

More than anything, she wanted to rise from the bed and cross the grounds to go answer his call. She believed once she got into the pack house she would be able to scent him, it would be easy enough. The question was would Zion want this, or was it the bond that was pulling her. He may get mad at her for putting her safety at risk, their conversation today made it clear he was wildly protective of her. What if she took the risk and made the journey to him, would he welcome her? Did he crave her, just as she craved him?

There was a part of her that was excited by his mind, the mystery, it was intriguing. The other part wanted to shine a light inside, see the deepest corners of it. It left her thoughts wandering to the pack house once more, wanting to be wrapped up in his scent, his arms. But her body was locked in the bed afraid to disappoint him.

The sleeplessness continued until Moon could no longer take it. She wished she could walk in the woods, if not to him. She felt at ease in the stillness there, but she had promised Zion she wouldn't, so instead she chose the safety of the pack grounds.

The gardens were alluring at night, the way the sky glistened on fresh dew. The aroma of the flowers even seemed more potent. Moon entertained ideas of Zion coming to her here, they would share whispers in the dark of night, but instead she felt something more foreign, almost sinister approach.

“When I heard rumors there was a human among us, I thought them nothing more than lies, but here you are, out here alone. That isn't so wise for your kind. You are in the wolves' den now temptress.” The voice was feminine, its owner more confident then anyone Moon had felt before.

Moon squinted into the darkness, out of the shadows stepped a she-wolf. Her hair glossy and cut off at the shoulders, she was tall and slender. Her skin looked like coconut, she even smelt of them too. How could someone so beautiful feel so ugly?

“Speak human, you have you no idea who I am do you?” she spoke once more, she saw Moon as beneath her, just like the villagers.

“I am sorry I do not, my apologies.” Moon did not wish to anger this woman. She spoke only politely to her, for the first time since arriving she felt intimidated.

“And why should you, you're an outsider. Let me explain this slowly for you. I am the future Luna, soon to be the Alpha's chosen mate.” She spoke with so much conviction, this woman believed her words to be the truth.

“His chosen mate?” Moon was told that mates were paired by the moon goddess herself. The idea that Zion could select another over her, it had never occurred.

“When a shifter never finds his mate, or she dies, then he may pick another. Every alpha needs a strong Luna. In some cases a Alpha may mark his chosen mate over his fated. Zion doesn't have a mate, but he has chosen me.” This woman believed every word she said, could it be true?

“What if he finds his fated mate, even after he chooses you?” Moon needed to know if it was not only her that felt the bond, but that he felt it for her. That he would choose her.

“That really doesn't matter, they will never be, fated or not.” The she-wolfs voice turned, she sounded oddly menacing, she felt possessive of Moons mate.

“Why?” Moon asked innocently.

“Because I would kill her.” The creature flashed her a devilish grin, Moon felt it in her bones, she would do it. If she knew who Moon was, if she knew she was Zion's mate, she would kill her.

The woman spun on her heels and floated off gracefully. Kat, it clicked immediately that this was Kat. Zion had warned Moon about her, all he said was she was dangerous, and now Moon knew why. She saw Zion as hers, she believed he desired her, wanted her, and with his walls built so high Moon did not know whether it were true or not.

What if Zion had already chosen Kat, that's why she was dangerous. Moon saw the memories Kat had, wrapped up in each other's arms, they were intimate, their bodies intertwined. It hurt Moon deeply to see it. The way he smiled at Kat, it was seductive, inviting. He never smiled at Moon in that way, instead he kept her a secret. Was he ashamed? His fated mate was the cursed child, a freak. Of course, it was shame that kept her hidden, not love.

Moon's heart sank into the pit of her stomach, the pain of Kats memories swalllowing her. How could she be so foolish. Zion was beautiful, strong, powerful, everything Moon would never be. He pitied her, that had to be it. Not wanting to allow Kat to kill her because he felt like he owed it to Atlas, felt responsible for bringing her to this place. She couldn't stay here, it had been a dream and now reality had set in, her mate didn't desire her, want her, in the way he wanted Kat.

Moon didn't know where she was going, she would not return to Max, but she could no longer stay here. She was a intruder here, just like in the village. By staying she was not just in danger from Kat, from the heartbreak of Zions rejection, but she would bring danger to these lands, Titus would come for her, and so she wondered again into the thickness of the woods alone.

Soon Moon found herself completely lost, not afraid, but hurt terribly inside. She heard the howls in the distance, every one driving her further from the pack, further from the surreal feeling of belonging somewhere.

The woods were mystical at night, alive with life. Owls perched on branches, deer were prancing in groups, the shadows were safe for them. Maybe it could be so for her, her connection with nature was strong.

Moon sat herself under a large tree, sighing as she lent back. Something about the air felt different tonight. She inhaled it through her tears, the terrible pain in her chest, and let it seep into her pores. She felt more powerful with the suffering, at one with all around her, with each breath she took. She heaved her breaths, trying to calm the pain in her chest, untul she began to feel hot, incredibly hot, like a fire was raging inside. She gasped for the air now, panting heavily. What was happening to her, was this the rejection she felt, or something else?

Her hands clawed into the ground as she tried to drag herself along the forest floor and to safety. She started to believe she going to die out here, alone. It was then she heard the cracking, bones, her own. They snapped and shifted, she snapped and shifted. The pain was excruciating, it was torture of the worst kind, and soon she had no choice but to give herself over to it, surrender.

Moon felt as if the pain, the burning, spanned eternity. Until it suffocated her, and then there was nothing.

No pain, no suffering. Only herself in the darkness, until there was a light, she walked towards it blindly, reaching out a hand as if to test the water. It was warm, inviting, pulling her inside, Moon stepped into it, submerging herself completely.