Coming Back as Enemy's Luna

=Amara= I slumped heavily against a jagged rock, the sharp edges biting into my back as I fought to stay upright. My breaths came in shallow gasps, each one a struggle as my vision wavered on the edge of darkness. Overhead, the full moon loomed larger than life, casting its pale silver glow over the forest. But something about it felt wrong—otherworldly. The familiar white luminescence began to shift before my eyes, deepening into an ominous, blood-red hue. At first, I thought it was a cruel trick of my fading consciousness, a hallucination born of exhaustion and blood loss. My body, desperate to cling to life, was playing games with my mind. But no, the transformation was real. The moon itself had turned crimson. A blood moon. How fitting. I thought bitterly, as warm blood seeped steadily from the gash at my side, soaking into the unyielding earth beneath me. The ground seemed eager to drink it in, as though it couldn’t get enough of my suffering. Pain radiated through every inch of me, a relentless fire licking at my torn flesh. My legs trembled under the strain of keeping me upright, threatening to collapse at any moment. The deep gash in my side burned with unrelenting fury, and each labored breath sliced through my chest like jagged shards of glass. My body was a symphony of agony, every nerve screaming for release. Yet somehow, I was still standing. Still alive. For now. A surge of anger, raw and all-consuming, washed over me, momentarily drowning out the pain. How had it come to this? After everything I had sacrificed, after enduring so much—was this how it all ended? Alone, bleeding out under a blood-red moon? My fists clenched weakly at my sides, the memory of what had led me here cutting deeper than the wound in my flesh. Just this morning, I had been so happy. My heart had been full, brimming with hope and love for the future. I was going to be bonded to Elias. My mate. My Alpha. My everything. Damn fool that I was, I should’ve known better. The events of this morning felt like a lifetime ago, an unrecognizable dream compared to the nightmare I now found myself in. The memory came rushing back, vivid and sharp. I had stood on the pack grounds, the sun warm on my skin, the air alive with anticipation. The pack bustled with joy and celebration—after all, today was supposed to be the most important day of my life. The bonding ceremony. It was a sacred tradition, a moment when an Alpha and their Luna vowed to each other, body and soul, their bond eternal. It should have been the happiest day of my life. I woke before dawn. I remembered standing in front of the mirror, my fingers trembled as I adjusted the ceremonial dress, the fabric molding to my frame like it had been crafted solely for me. “You’re breathtaking,” Seraphine, whom I called Sera, had murmured, her honeyed words filling the room as she stood behind me, arranging my hair with deliberate precision. Her slender fingers moved with practiced grace, tucking wayward strands into place. “Elias won’t be able to take his eyes off you tonight.” Her smile had been radiant, her voice so sweet it almost stung. I had returned her grin then, oblivious to the venom that hid beneath her polished exterior. Sera. The name alone left a bitter taste in my mouth now, a reminder of how blind I’d been to her true nature. I shook the memory away, focusing instead on the way Elias had looked at me that morning. His piercing blue eyes—eyes that could command armies and silence a room—had softened when they met mine. Without a word, he had crossed the room, pulling me into his arms. “Tonight,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, “we seal our bond. Nothing and no one will stand in our way.” His words had filled the hollow spaces in my heart, flooding me with hope, certainty, and love. For years, I had clawed my way up from nothing. I was an orphan. An omega. A nobody. But I had fought harder than anyone, proving myself over and over until I rose to become Beta. The once-scornful glances of the pack had turned to respect, and when Elias ascended as Alpha, fate had revealed its greatest blessing—we were mates. I thought I had finally won. But as the sun sank below the horizon, everything I had built, everything I had believed in, came crashing down. The pack gathered under the full moon. My heart raced as I stood beside Elias, pride and love swelling in my chest. But when Elias stepped forward to address the pack, the words that fell from his lips weren’t the ones I had waited my whole life to hear. “Amara,” he said, his voice sharp and unyielding, slicing through the night like a blade. “She has betrayed this pack.” The air froze around me, the joyful hum of the gathering dissolving into shocked silence. A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd. I stood rooted to the spot, my breath caught in my throat. My mind scrambled for meaning, but none came. The weight of his words crashed over me, crushing, suffocating. What? Blood drained from my face as I stared at him, searching for the man I thought I knew. The one who had held me, whispered promises, and vowed that nothing would come between us. But that man was gone. In his place stood a stranger, his eyes as cold and unyielding as ice, his expression a mask of detachment. And in that moment, I realized the nightmare had only just begun. “She conspired with rogues,” he declared, his tone heavy with authority, each word slicing through me like a blade. “To overthrow my leadership and weaken our pack.” My breath hitched, and I stepped forward instinctively, my heart pounding in my chest. “No!” I cried, my voice breaking under the strain of desperation. “Elias, you know that’s not true! I would never—” “Enough!” he thundered, his Alpha command ringing out with a force that left no room for argument. The power of his voice hit me like a physical blow, and I stumbled back, my legs trembling beneath me. Around me, the pack—the family I had bled for, fought for—stood silent, their faces twisted in suspicion and disdain. Their eyes bore into me, accusing, unforgiving. “This isn’t real,” I whispered, barely audible over the pounding of my heart. But it was. The betrayal hung heavy in the air, undeniable and suffocating. And then I saw her—Sera—standing on the fringes of the gathered wolves. Her arms were folded, her expression calm, almost serene. But it was her lips, curved in a faint, triumphant smile, that cut deeper than any blade. She was my confidante, the one I trusted with everything. I saw her as more than just a friend—she was like family to me. But then...when my eyes landed on her, wearing that expression on her face. That look I couldn’t quite place, it was enough to shatter everything I thought I knew about her. No one spoke up for me. Not a single voice rose in my defense. I was alone. The council’s verdict was swift and merciless. Stripped of my rank, my dignity, and my place in the only home I had ever known, I was cast out. “Leave,” Elias commanded, his voice devoid of the warmth and love I once believed in. “If you ever set foot on Gravemire territory again, you will be executed.” The words were final, absolute. I had nothing left. Now, I pressed a trembling hand against the gash on my side, the sticky warmth of my blood seeping through my fingers. The pain was relentless, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my chest. I staggered forward, every step dragging me farther from the life I had built and into the unknown. The rogues hadn’t wasted any time. They had found me just hours after I crossed the Gravemire borders, their snarls echoing in the stillness of the night. And leading them had been…Sera. Her laughter still rang in my ears, cruel and sharp, a sound that mocked every moment I had ever trusted her. I fought with everything I had, the feral instinct to survive overpowering the pain coursing through my body. Desperation fueled my every move, but I was outnumbered, my strength waning with every blow. By some miracle—or sheer stubbornness—I had managed to escape. But the cost had been high. My body was battered, my spirit fractured. Now, here I was, alone under the blood moon, my body broken, and my heart shattered. My knees finally gave way, I crumpled to the cold, unyielding ground. Above me, the crimson moon loomed like a watchful predator, its eerie glow casting long shadows through the trees and painting the world in shades of red. I was drowning in its light, a sea of despair that swallowed me whole. “Goddess Selene…” The name escaped my lips in a hoarse whisper, foreign and uncertain. I had never prayed before, never wasted my faith on something I couldn’t see or touch. But now? Now, I had nothing left—nothing but this raw, desperate plea. “Please,” I choked, hot tears spilling down my cheeks and mixing with the dirt beneath me. “Please… just let me live a little longer. Let me have my revenge.” The words burned as they left my mouth, a searing vow that tethered me to this moment. My trembling fingers clawed at the earth, nails scraping against the soil as if I could anchor myself to the ground and hold back the tide of pain threatening to drag me under. The agony surged again, ripping a guttural cry from my throat. “I’ll bring them down,” I rasped, each word laced with venom. My vision blurred, but I could still see the blood moon, its light flickering as though it had heard me. The glow deepened, pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat—a sinister rhythm that promised nothing but destruction. “I’ll make them all pay,” I whispered into the suffocating silence, my voice barely audible now. The weight of exhaustion pressed harder against my chest, and I knew I was slipping. My body grew heavier, the world around me dimming as shadows closed in. And the last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was the blood moon, its crimson blaze burning like an eternal fire.