Rejected Mythical Luna

My earliest memories were of loneliness and survival. Abandoned as a pup, I grew up wandering the edges of packs, always longing for a sense of belonging that remained just out of reach. Every attempt to join a pack ended the same way—with rejection. No parents, no known bloodline, no place to call home. To them, I was nothing more than an outsider. Unworthy.

The sting of rejection hardened me, shaping me into a survivor. I learned to rely on no one but myself.

That changed when I was fifteen.

I stumbled upon Maron, a reclusive she-wolf who had long turned her back on pack life. Grief had driven her into isolation after she lost her mate in a brutal war, but something about the lost, starving girl standing before her softened her heart. She took me in—offered me food, shelter, and, most importantly, kindness.

Being a teenager was hard enough, but being one who hadn’t shifted yet? Even harder. Still, I managed to pull it off.

One evening, as I crept toward Maron, trying to sneak up on her, she turned just before I could pounce. She grinned knowingly.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, darling.”

I stopped in my tracks, eyes widening at the sight before me—a well-made cake with a bold "18" written on top. My mouth fell open slightly.

“So this is why you sent me hunting earlier, isn’t it, Ma?” I smirked, calling her the name I always had. She was the closest thing to a mother I’d ever known.

Maron chuckled. “Maybe.”

“Thanks, Ma. I really appreciate it,” I said, settling down beside her. I eyed the cake playfully. “Hope it’s edible this time.”

She burst out laughing. “I think so, Rex. I followed the recipe book you gave me last year—after I completely ruined that last one.”

I laughed along with her. “Guess we’ll find out. You first.”

Maron nudged the plate toward me. “Oh, no. Birthday girl goes first.”

I grinned but leaned back dramatically. “I’d rather not, Ma. I’m only eighteen! I can’t die yet—I haven’t even shifted or met my mate!” I counted on my fingers for emphasis.

Maron’s laughter softened as she shook her head. “Speaking of shifting… tonight should be the night. The clearing outside should be perfect for your first transformation.”

My heart leaped. “Finally! I can see what it actually feels like to shift.”

I jumped to my feet, ready to race back to my room, when Maron called after me, “You didn’t eat the cake yet!”

I pretended not to hear her, dashing off with laughter trailing behind me.

I barely felt like I had slept when Maron’s sharp voice woke me.

“The moon is out, Rex. It’s almost time.”

I sat up groggily, then remembered what was happening. Excitement rushed through me. This was it. My first shift.

I followed Maron to the clearing she had mentioned earlier. It was an open field, barren but bathed in silver moonlight.

“Stand in the center, my dear,” she instructed. “The moment the moon passes over you, the shift should begin.”

I stepped forward, rolling my shoulders. “Alright, Ma. I’ll just stand here like a sitting duck,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She smiled but didn’t respond.

Minutes later, we felt the shadow of the moon move. Maron stepped back.

“Almost time,” she called.

And then it happened.

The moment the moon’s light touched me, something ignited inside. A surge of power coursed through my veins, overwhelming and uncontrollable. My knees buckled, and I collapsed.

Damn, Maron could have warned me about this part.

The air around me shifted. My senses sharpened—I could hear, see, and feel everything with new clarity. Then, a voice echoed in my mind.

Ria.

I sucked in a sharp breath. My wolf.

Not now, Wolfie, I thought, trying to focus on shifting. But something felt off. The power within me built to a breaking point—and then, just like that, it vanished.

The moonlight dimmed. The pain disappeared. My senses remained heightened, but something was missing.

I wasn’t in my wolf form.

I looked down. Same arms. Same legs. Same human body.

Maron rushed to me, concern written all over her face. “What happened?” she asked, checking me over.

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted, shaking my head in disbelief. “I felt the shift coming. My senses kicked in. I even heard my wolf.” I exhaled sharply. “But I didn’t shift.”

Maron's brows furrowed, but she quickly masked her worry. “Shifts are different for everyone, Rex. Yours might just take a little longer.”

But I could see it in her eyes—she had no idea what had happened either.

I forced a smile. “I’m sure I’ll shift when the time is right. No need to worry, Ma.”

She pulled me into a tight hug, and for the first time that night, I let my guard down.

After we said our goodnights, I climbed into bed with one lingering thought:

When exactly will that time be?

One year later:

Maron stood in front of me with another cake, a warm smile on her face.

“Happy nineteenth birthday, Rex.”

I looked at the cake, then at her.

“I went into town to get it this time,” she added.

I let out a small chuckle, but deep inside, the weight of the past year settled over me.

A whole year had passed. And still… no shift.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I guess the time still isn’t right.

My birthday came and went in the blink of an eye, but the weight of turning nineteen without shifting was beginning to take its toll.

I could tell Maron was worried too, though we never talked about it. Or rather, I always avoided the conversation. I couldn’t let her worry about me—I just couldn’t.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice Maron approaching until Ria, my wolf, alerted me.

Ria had been my companion for the past year, growing closer to me even though my shift never came. I often asked her why I hadn't shifted yet, but her answer was always the same:

"A shift isn’t the only way to realize or achieve your potential, Rex."

She had said it so many times that I started to believe it. But it still didn’t stop me from wishing I were normal.

Maron’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“My dear, I think we should go hunting tonight. It’s been months since we had a good old-fashioned hunt, hasn’t it?”

I sighed. “Ma, I’m not really in the mood tonight. How about we go tomorrow?” I tried to sound convincing.

But she wasn’t having it.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been distracted lately. This should help clear your mind,” she said, crossing her arms.

I huffed. “Alright, alright, I’ll come. Before you start playing the ‘I’m not a good daughter’ card.” A tiny smile played on my lips.

Her face lit up at my agreement, and she left to prepare.

Two hours later, we were deep in the forest.

“What do you think we’ll find tonight?” Maron asked from behind me. “The forest is unusually quiet.”

I grinned. “Worst case, we settle for squirrels. At least it’s meat.”

She didn’t laugh. That’s when I noticed her focus had shifted to something ahead.

I crept closer and whispered, “What are you looking at, Ma?”

She pointed toward an antelope hidden behind some bushes, and I nodded in realization.

But before we could act, an uneasy feeling crept over me.

We’re not alone.

Ria’s voice was sharp in my mind, her presence suddenly tense.

I followed her senses, shifting my focus to a different part of the bushes. There. I could feel them—two, maybe three men watching us.

Were they waiting for us?

I didn’t have time to process the thought because, in the next instant, one of them stepped out of hiding.

“Wolves roaming this part of the forest? Now, that’s a rare sight,” the man mused, his smirk casual but his posture anything but relaxed.

He looked human. Smelled human, too.

Maron instantly stepped in front of me, shielding me from his gaze. Then, so softly I almost missed it, she whispered, “On my count, you run, Rex.”

Two more men emerged, joining the first. One of them grinned, drawing a gun from his side.

My stomach dropped. Silver.

The same thing that had killed Maron’s mate.

The man twirled the weapon idly. “Silver bullets. Deadly to your kind.” He smirked. “So, I’d suggest you choose your next move wisely.”

I felt Maron stiffen beside me.

I clenched my fists. No one was going to hurt her. Not while I was here.

A surge of power rushed through me, the same overwhelming force I had felt during my failed shift a year ago. Ria channeled it straight into me, fueling my resolve.

I stepped forward, moving Maron gently behind me.

“I don’t know what you want, but I suggest you leave. We aren’t looking for trouble.”

One of the men chuckled and muttered to the others, “Kill the old lady. But leave the girl for me—she’s just my type.”

Laughter followed.

And then, something inside me snapped.

How dare he?

Before I even realized it, I was moving.

Maron tried to grab me, but I was already gone, walking toward them with a fury I didn’t know I possessed.

Nobody—nobody—threatens my family and me and gets away with it.

The man in the middle raised his gun, but before he could aim, I instinctively stretched out my hand.

And all that power inside me exploded.

A blinding green light sparked from my fingertips, sending the three men flying. They hit the ground hard, their bodies motionless, blood pooling beneath their heads.

“Dead,” Ria whispered before retreating into the back of my mind, leaving me in stunned silence.

Maron rushed toward me, but the moment our eyes met, she froze.

“Ma?” I called, trying to mask my fear.

Her eyes widened slightly before she whispered, “Your eyes, Rex.”

“What about them?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“They’re green.”

I blinked. “What? That’s not possible. My eyes have always been blue.”

Maron seemed to shake off her initial shock. “Forget about that for now. We need to go. They might not have been alone.”

I didn’t argue. My legs felt shaky as we rushed home.

Back at the cabin, Maron sat me down, her expression unreadable.

“Rex,” she said carefully, “what happened out there?”

I swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know. I felt a surge of energy, and then—” I stopped, remembering the bodies on the ground. “It just happened.”

As I spoke, the power flared up again. I could feel it surging back.

Maron stood abruptly, murmuring something under her breath, but I couldn’t focus. My vision blurred as the energy built inside me—

And then, it exploded again.

Green light pulsed from my body, flinging everything around me into the air. Furniture crashed, walls trembled.

Maron had managed to move away just in time.

I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

Maron rushed to me, pulling me into a hug. “It’s okay, love. You’re fine.”

Her voice was calm, but I could feel her heart racing.

After what felt like forever, she pulled back.

“I think I know what’s happening,” she said, her expression shifting from worry to determination.

I looked at her desperately. “What am I, Ma?”

“You’re special, Rex. A special wolf.” Her voice was filled with pride.

Tears burned in my eyes. “I almost killed you.”

“No, my dear,” she soothed. “This happened because you don’t know how to control your power yet. But I don’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

I exhaled shakily. “How do I fix this?”

Maron hesitated before speaking. “I’ve heard of a book—a special book. It contains the history of all supernatural creatures that have ever existed. If we can find it, we might learn what you truly are.”

I sat up, hope flickering inside me. “Where is it?”

Maron met my gaze.

“The Blue Crescent Pack.”

Leaving the safety of the forest wasn’t an easy choice. Maron had been my only family, and the forest had been my sanctuary.

But I knew I couldn’t stay hidden forever.

I had to find out who I was. I had to learn to control this power.

Maron gave me her blessing, and with a tearful goodbye, I packed my things and left.

My search for the book led me through dangerous forests and unfamiliar territories. The Blue Crescent Pack was the most powerful in California, and their library held the answers I needed.

But entering pack territory as a rogue? That was a death sentence.

Still, I had no choice.

I crossed the border, knowing I might not make it out alive.

My plan was simple: get in, find the book, and get out.

But before I could even begin my search, exhaustion overtook me, and I let myself rest for just a moment. And that’s when it happened.

A scent so intoxicating, so overwhelming, hit me like a bolt of lightning.

My breath caught in my throat.

Mate.