HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

His voice cracked, raw with emotion. "She saved us."

Charlie stared at him, shock flickering across his face. "If that's true, then why didn't you—why didn't we—say anything? Why did you let everyone—"

The weight of Charlie's words hit Alex like a physical blow, and guilt washed over him. He had let her down.

"Because I didn't know," Alex interrupted, his voice tight with barely contained anguish. "Things were happening too fast. One moment we were celebrating, and the next... chaos. Accusations were flying, gods turning on each other, and she—" He inhaled sharply, his gaze drifting into the distance, haunted by memories. "She didn't even try to defend herself. She just... accepted it."

"Accepted it?" Charlie's voice dripped with incredulity. "She was banished, stripped of her powers, branded a traitor—and you let it happen."

"I didn't meant it to happen!" Alex roared, the words exploding from him, shattering the stillness. The force of his anger echoed through the hall, and Charlie stepped back, momentarily stunned into silence.

Charlie's gaze softened, the initial frustration fading as sympathy filled his eyes. "Then why didn't you say something? Why didn't you—"

"Because I didn't know! I was angry!" Alex whispered, his voice breaking as the weight of realization crashed over him. "I didn't understand what was happening until it was too late. One moment she was there, and then... she was gone."

Gone.

The word lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken pain. In that moment, Alex finally accepted his fault—he had failed her when she needed him most.

"By the time I pieced it all together, by the time I understood... it was too late. She was already gone." He closed his eyes briefly, as if to block out the haunting memory. "I tried to find her. I tried to... but she vanished. And everything just—everything fell apart."

The night of Luna's fall replayed in his mind like a nightmare on an endless loop. He could still see the shock and disbelief in her eyes as she stood there, silent, taking the blame while his people turned on her. Frozen, he had been unable to speak, unable to act; his own confusion and anger had clouded his judgment. And then... she was gone, like a wisp of smoke carried away by the wind.

"And then, the true perpetrators—the ones who manipulated everything—tried to escape punishment. But Lucifer was too quick... he hunted them down , stripped them of their powers , made them pay while Alex just looked .

"And what good did that do? This God-less land?" Charlie's voice, low and heavy with sorrow, cut through the quiet like a blade. It was as if he was voicing Alex's unspoken thoughts, mirroring the turmoil in his heart. "Living in a world with no gods for our race... The damage was already done. Now we wolves live in a realm abandoned, where no divine power exists to guide us. Without the gods, we've lost more than just protection—we've lost purpose. Packs, once bound by ancient laws and sacred bonds, have fractured. Wolves are turning rogue, severing ties with traditions. The wild is no longer our sanctuary but a battlefield where blood spills without honor or reason. And the stories..." Charlie's words faltered, as though the weight of the horrors he had seen robbed him of his voice. "They only grow worse."

Alex's gaze dropped, his shoulders slumping under the invisible burden of guilt and regret. He didn't need Charlie's words to paint a picture; he had already witnessed the wreckage left in the gods' absence. Small packs had been annihilated, their scents erased from the land by marauding rogues consumed by their own fury and despair. 

The structure that once defined their race—leaders chosen by divine will, packs bound by ancient oaths—was gone. In its place stood chaos, a growing darkness where wolves lashed out in confusion, their howls filled with anger rather than unity. 

The once-sacred forests echoed with cries of betrayal and pain, the ground soaked in the blood of their own kind. Without the gods to balance power and justice, the wolves were unraveling, tearing themselves apart one savage act at a time.

"Alex," Charlie said quietly, drawing him back. "I know you want to protect her. But bringing her here—after everything...our people are already in rath against her kind then why? Why would you risk it?"

"Because I need to keep her safe," Alex replied fiercely, his voice low but filled with an unwavering conviction. "She's not just a goddess anymore, Charlie. She's just a human. Fragile. If the others find out... if they know she's here..." His voice trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging in the air.

For the first time, Charlie wasn't sure whether Alex was protecting Luna from the world... or protecting the world from her.

"And what if she doesn't want to be here?" Charlie pressed gently. "What if she doesn't want your protection?"

Alex's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with a mix of desperation and determination. "She doesn't get a choice," he ground out, the intensity in his voice unyielding. "Not this time."

Charlie blinked, taken aback. "Alex—"

"She's not running again," Alex continued, his voice low but charged with resolve. "I won't let her. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her and you people. She's not going anywhere."

Charlie stared at him, shock and concern battling in his expression. "What do you mean by 'us'? Is there anything you're not telling us, Alex?"

Alex looked away toward the window, his gaze drifting to the closed door of his quarters. "Quintus," he murmured, more to himself than to Charlie. "He's a dark warlock. He wants to erase the wolf race and burn every last wolf standing—"

Charlie's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? A warlock? You can't be serious! No one would dare—"

"He does," Alex interrupted, his voice tightening. "He's powerful, and he's made it clear that he sees us as an obstacle to his plans. We're all at risk, Charlie. If he gets his way, our people will be burned to ashes."

Charlie's shock quickly morphed into rage, his fists clenching at his sides. "Who does this monster think he is? I swear, if I ever get my hands on him—"

"You'll do nothing," Alex snapped, his tone sharp as he cut Charlie off. "We need to be strategic, not reckless. If we act without a plan, we'll put everyone in danger."

"Strategic?!" Charlie shot back, incredulous. "This isn't some game, Alex! We're talking about the annihilation of our people! You expect me to sit back and let this lunatic threaten our existence?"

Alex's gaze hardened, the weight of his responsibility evident in his eyes. "I won't let anything happen to my people or her."

Before Charlie could respond, the door swung open, and a wounded Timothy stumbled into the room, his face pale and bloodied. "Alpha!" he gasped, leaning heavily against the doorframe. "The girl—she ran—"

Alex's eyes flared with anger as he charged out of the room, giving Timothy a disapproving look even as concern flashed in his gaze. "Get treated!" he barked over his shoulder, the weight of his own frustration heavy in the air.

Charlie stepped forward, surveying Timothy's head injury, the blood trickling down his temple. "You'll survive," he muttered sarcastically, his tone laced with irritation as he hurried after Alex.

Timothy winced but nodded, aware of the urgency. He watched Charlie sprint down the hall, knowing that the fallen goddess Alex had brought into their midst was someone he cared for deeply. If they didn't find her, he knew Alex would turn the pack upside down in his search.

Timothy stumbled back into the corridor, clutching his head as he tried to make sense of everything. He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes at his own misfortune. "What did I do in a past life to deserve getting clocked in the head by the girl the Alpha King loves?" he muttered under his breath, rubbing the tender spot where Luna had knocked him. "She's fierce, I'll give her that. Feisty little thing—doesn't even need claws to bring a grown wolf down."

He chuckled softly, despite the pain. "A goddess, huh? More like a hurricane wrapped in human skin." He shook his head, mumbling, "And here I thought babysitting her was gonna be a quiet shift. Alpha picks the wild ones, doesn't he?"

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the palace as Alex stormed through its halls, his face a mask of fury. His piercing eyes scanned every corner, every shadow. His voice boomed with authority, making the walls tremble as he barked orders to his warriors.

"Find her! Now!" he roared, frustration boiling beneath the surface. "She couldn't have gotten far! I want every room, every corridor searched—no one stops until she's found!"

His people scattered, hastily carrying out his commands. Some, knowing who Luna was, exchanged uneasy glances. They had never seen their Alpha lose his composure like this. Others, confused by the chaos, whispered among themselves, wondering who this mysterious guest was that had turned their usually stoic leader into a force of nature.

"How can you all -" He pointed to the ten royal guards in front of him , " How can you loose a mere harmless girl , what were you doing ? " Obviously , Alex knew she was not that harmless . 

Two guards, clearly nervous, approached Alex, their heads low. "We—we were guarding the hall, Alpha— When Gamma's loud scream-"

"You were guarding her?" Alex cut them off, his voice dangerously low, eyes flashing with anger. "Then why isn't she here? You had one job, and you failed." His scathing words left them stammering for an excuse, but Alex had already turned away, muttering under his breath, "Useless..."

As he marched through the palace, his frustration deepened. He knew Luna better than anyone. She wouldn't be found easily—not by his people. If she wanted to disappear, she would. And there was only one place she'd go if she didn't want to be found.

The forbidden wing of the palace. A place no one dared to enter, not since Davina left. 

The moment Alex stepped into the deserted halls of the forbidden wing, memories flooded back. The air felt colder here, heavy with the ghosts of his past. He stood in front of a door—their door. His once-bedroom, where he and Davina had shared a life, a future. But now, those memories were distant, like a faded dream. Luna's presence had been tearing down the walls he'd built around his heart, but it wasn't easy. It was never easy with her.

His gaze lingered on the door, emotions flashing briefly across his hardened features, but Charlie, who had followed closely behind, noticed his hesitation.

"Alex," Charlie called out softly, trying to distract him. He motioned toward the opposite room, the old meeting room they used to gather in. "Come on. Let's check in here."

Reluctantly, Alex nodded, following Charlie into the room. But something felt off. The moment they stepped inside, a strange awareness prickled at the edge of Alex's senses. He wasn't alone. His eyes narrowed as he moved toward the desk, ignoring Charlie's question.

"What are you planning to do?" Charlie asked, but Alex didn't respond. Instead, he crouched down, his instincts guiding him.

And there she was—Luna.

Curled up under the desk, a mischievous grin spread across her face, her ocean-blue eyes sparkling with defiance. Dust and spider web clung to her hair, making her look even more ridiculous as she smiled widely at him, clearly amused by her little game.

Alex let out a deep, weary sigh, his frustration palpable. Charlie, realizing what was happening, blinked, looking from Alex to Luna and back again. He stifled a laugh, knowing full well Alex was in no mood for jokes.

"I'll, uh... I'll leave you to it," Charlie said, nodding to Alex before quickly excusing himself, retreating from the room. 

Now it was just the two of them.

Alex stood there, towering over Luna, his intense gaze locked onto her. His eyes burned with a mix of anger and something deeper—something he didn't dare name. He didn't say a word, but the weight of his stare said everything. His jaw clenched, his fists tight at his sides, as he fought the urge to lose his temper completely.

Luna, for her part, didn't flinch. She met his gaze with a calmness that infuriated him, her smile never faltering. The dust on her hair only added to the absurdity of the moment, and she seemed to know it.

But Alex wasn't amused. His eyes, sharp and intense, drilled into her, filled with a frustration he couldn't put into words. He wanted to yell, to demand answers. Why had she run? Why couldn't she just stay where he could protect her?

But Luna only smiled at him, that infuriating, knowing smile.

Alex's heart pounded in his chest, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He wanted to grab her, to shake some sense into her—but the moment he looked into her eyes, all that resolve melted away.

Her ocean-blue eyes stared back at him, full of life, of mischief, and something else... something he couldn't quite place.