Crescent Shadows

** Nova's P.O.V. **

My lungs scream for mercy as I push forward through the dense underbrush. Three days. Three days of constant movement, of panic and determination fueling each step. The forest blurs around me—a chaotic maze of trees and shadows that I navigate on instinct alone.

I pause only to gulp water from icy streams or to stuff my mouth with whatever berries I recognize as safe. Sleep is a luxury I can't afford. Not with what's behind me.

The trackers will be coming. Alpha Vance's elite hunters, with their unnaturally keen senses and unwavering loyalty. I zigzag through the forest, double back on my trail, wade through streams. Anything to confuse my scent. I've even rubbed pine sap on my clothes and skin, hoping the strong aroma might mask my natural smell.

A fool's errand, perhaps. But better a fool running than a captive waiting for a fate worse than death.

Night is falling again, the temperature plummeting with the sun. My thin jacket offers little protection against the biting cold. My muscles tremble—from exhaustion or the chill, I can't tell anymore. But stopping isn't an option. There is no going back to Black Fang pack. No returning to him.

Axel. The name alone sends revulsion crawling up my spine.

I stumble over a root and catch myself against a tree trunk, my palm scraping against rough bark. Blood wells up, and I stare at it, transfixed. Blood. The very thing that binds me to a nightmare.

"A blood oath cannot be broken," Alpha Vance had repeated countless times, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "The Moon Goddess herself enforces such sacred promises."

The memory of that day floods back—me, a terrified eight-year-old orphan, my small hand sliced open, my blood mixing with Axel's as Alpha Vance chanted ancient words. I didn't understand then what I was promising. How could I? I was a child who'd just lost everything.

I only knew that refusing meant death.

They call me Nova now, though sometimes I whisper "Lily Harris" to myself when I'm alone—the name my parents gave me. It's one of the few things I remember about them. That, and the sound of my mother's laughter. The way my father's eyes crinkled when he smiled.

They died just weeks after my eighth birthday. A "tragic accident," Alpha Vance called it. I've long suspected there was nothing accidental about it.

I don't know exactly how old I am now—seventeen, perhaps? Without calendars or celebrations, the years blur together. But I feel the change coming. My skin sometimes tingles with an energy I can't explain. My senses sharpen unexpectedly. My first shift approaches, and with it, the emergence of my wolf.

That's why I had to run now. Once I shift, once my wolf emerges, I'll be considered an adult. And then nothing would stop Axel from claiming me.

The thought makes me retch, emptying my already hollow stomach onto the forest floor.

"You're mine," he would whisper, his breath hot against my neck as he cornered me in empty hallways. "My father promised you to me. No one else will ever touch you."

His obsession manifested in a thousand controlling ways. My clothes had to carry his scent. My food had to be prepared exactly as he liked it. My every movement was monitored, my every interaction scrutinized.

"Read to me," he once demanded, tossing a book at me.

I'd picked it up eagerly—any chance to read was precious—but when I stumbled over words, he'd snatched it away.

"Stupid girl," he'd sneered. "What use are books to a Luna? Your only purpose is to serve me."

Later that night, I'd found the book torn to shreds outside my door.

I push off from the tree and force myself to keep moving. The memory of Axel's controlling behavior only strengthens my resolve. I'd rather die in these woods than become his property.

I know the werewolf laws by heart—they were drilled into me daily. A blood oath must be honored. If the one who made it dies before fulfillment, their next of kin must complete it if possible. And most sacred of all: no one may mark or mate a pup before their first shift.

That last rule was my only protection all these years. No wolf would dare violate it—the punishment was severe and universally enforced. Canines ripped out. Castration. A life of shame.

So Axel waited. And watched. And planned.

But I planned too.

For years, I played the role they expected—the docile, simple-minded girl who existed only to serve. I pretended to be uninterested in learning, while secretly absorbing everything I could. When sent to clean the pack library, I'd memorize maps. When forced to help in the kitchens, I learned which wild plants were edible. When ordered to wash clothes by the river, I studied how the trackers followed scents.

I kept a bag hidden beneath a loose floorboard in my room—clothes, a knife stolen from the kitchen, matches, a water bottle, dried food that wouldn't spoil. For three years, it waited there, my secret hope of freedom.

Then came the Summer Solstice Festival. The one time each year when Black Fang pack opened its borders to neighboring packs for trading and celebrations. Alpha Vance was preoccupied with impressing his guests. The warriors were busy with ceremonial displays. Even Axel was required to participate in the traditional challenges.

No one was watching me.

I slipped away during the opening feast, my prepared bag slung over my shoulder. By the time they noticed my absence, I was already miles away, running as if the devil himself pursued me.

Perhaps he is.

A howl pierces the night, distant but unmistakable. My heart stutters. They're coming. They've picked up my trail.

I force my exhausted body to move faster, ignoring the protest of my muscles. I have no destination in mind—only "away." Away from Black Fang. Away from Axel. Away from a life of servitude.

Somewhere in the world, I believe my true mate exists. The one the Moon Goddess chose for me. I cling to this belief like a drowning person to driftwood. If I can just stay free long enough to find him, he'll protect me. He'll help me break this blood oath somehow.

But first, I have to survive. And to survive, I need to keep moving.

The forest grows denser, the trees pressing closer together. Good. It will be harder for them to track me here. Harder for them to run as a pack.

I don't know what lies beyond these woods. I've never been allowed to leave Black Fang territory before. The world outside is a mystery I've only glimpsed through stolen books and overheard conversations.

But anything—anything—is better than the fate that awaits me if I'm caught.

Another howl splits the night, closer now. They're gaining. Of course they are. They're wolves in their prime, and I'm an exhausted, half-starved girl who hasn't slept in days.

Still, I run. I run because the alternative is unthinkable.

I run because somewhere beyond these trees is a life where I'm more than someone's possession. Where I might discover who Lily Harris—who Nova—truly is.

I run because even if they catch me, even if they drag me back, I'll know that for three glorious days, I was free.

And no one—not Alpha Vance, not Axel, not even the Moon Goddess herself—can take that away from me.