The Rejected Luna's Unkindness

"When you look to the Night sky, remember no matter how beautiful the other inhabitants of the Darkness might be, it is only the moon that guides our hunt. Only her light illuminates the way forward giving meaning and safety to those who wander through the vast Hiddeness of the Night. Follow that light and never stray, worship her through your voices. Letting the wind carry your howls in veneration of our Nocturnal monarch."- Dena of Night

.....

The Wild Hunt is especially loud tonight, something is wrong and I knew what it was. I can feel the pain of my Luna, something vile is ravaging her. My Wolf is sickened by this very thought, I make my way through the mountain high trees and wild brush, dodging and mending my way effortlessly despite the suffocating closeness of each one.

Whenever I run as a wolf, I feel as though I am flying. Nothing I do could compare to the thrill and exhilaration that came with hunting, I am a ranger, through and through. The Feel of the humid air, the leaves and branches that hit my grey fur, the rotten sticks that snapped under my weight. These Enchanting Symphony of sounds kept me sane. Nothing could ever change that, even that Evil Alpha.

A Clearing in the distance came into view, there a tall Black Lycan towered aggressively over a wounded white furred wolf. I knew that was them, the Lycan was the Alpha and the wolf, his Luna and my spirit bound sister. I leaped over to them by using the accumulated inertia to jump from a tree's base.

The Lycan had already spotted me in the air ruining the element of surprise and reacted with a well aimed claw attack at me. Any other wolf would have long been destroyed at the hands of this brutal Alpha, alas I wasn't one of those. He was fast but I was faster.

When we were about to collide, I shifted a part of my paws back into it's human state, while using the speed of my fall I glided my body over his attack making use of his exposed wrist as a springboard to leap safely behind him.

The Weight of my jump made his body fall forward slightly, so I slashed at the base of his feet with my claws and used the human hand to blow the wound open, completely dislocating the femur with my enhanced strength. An audible cracking noise echoed across the clearing followed by the pained roar of the injuried Lycan.

Things will get dangerous very soon, that noise will no doubt attract the rest of the pack to us. I had landed on the floor beside my Luna, she watched in amazement as I disabled that vicious monstrosity of an Alpha she calls her mate. A Lycan nonetheless, gloating would have been fun but doing that in this dire situation would be akin to celebrating right after making a small harmless dent on the enemy.

I loved how she looked in awe, my inner wolf felt the same as I did. The Lycan regained his balance and returned to the battle. His Left leg had nearly been ripped from its sockets. The White bone and the bloody flesh had already begun to mend themselves together with terrifying speed, each severed area reaching out to the other with flesh tendrils before fusing back together.

His was a god like predator in all his glory, the true Alpha of Argon Stygia, our pack. Though a bit reckless when facing weaker foes like me, he was a ruthless and soulless killer. A terrifying monster that hunts and massacres without mercy, relishing in the Valor and glory it brought, no being in the hunt save other Alpha's dared come close.

Loud Howls and roars came from far back in the distance, echoing throughout the forest. The rest were making their way towards us fast. As a ranger possessing tremendous speed, precision and control even I knew that after being surrounded by Hunter and Wraith shifter wolves, the only thing left would be to lay down and die.

I turned and locked eyes with Luna, staring into her silvery grey eyes with my blue ones. In that moment we established a psychic Link, both our thoughts and emotions were laid bare to one another. I then pleaded with her,

"Luna Astrid. Let us run from here, staying would mean my end and your continued torment"

I made sure to highlight how urgent the situation was, hoping to move her as far away as I could from her abuser. Still I and my wolf could tell she doesn't want to leave her mate.

"Where would we go? Other packs are not always friendly and the Wild Hunt is dangerous when threading alone. Besides our Alpha will hunt us to the ends, that I am sure of"

During our silent communion, the Alpha had finished regenerating. What followed was a series of stretches and light flexes, carefully searching for any minute flaws in his healing, afterwards he returned his savage face back to us.

I unknowingly locked eyes with that beast, allowing him to take advantage of that fleeting moment to attempt a forceful entry into my psyche.

Like a blade piercing into my head, I felt his mind ravage through my own. Until he reached my link with Luna Astrid. Soon she too keeled over in pain, every attempt at fighting this infiltration was met with a command of overwhelming power that ordered me to submit. Through my gradually reddening vision I saw, the Alpha approach us slowly and confidently.

The other members of the pack had come to assist their Alpha. They surrounded us ready to pounce, Luna Astrid whimpered in fright. But a thunderous roar from the Alpha kept them at bay. Within a single moment, he established a psychic link with everyone present without any form of eye contact and issued an order, "The Ranger will be dealt with by me alone".

All bowed their heads, "Yes, Alpha".

The eyes of this monster focused solely on me, the little Ranger whose job was to simply scout for threats and explore new areas, had for some reason decided to go against her alpha. An act that was not only ridiculous but sacrilegious. A Wolf that had gone against their sworn oath and stood at odds with their pack.

I took up the challenge, declaring to the Alpha, "Alpha Wey Stygian. I, Millicent Dew will challenge you for my life and that of my Luna"

Imagine an ant wishing to battle an elephant or a field rat attempting to take the life of a hawk, their natural predator. That is me standing before my Alpha in this moment. The Gravity of my words reflecting the grim decision I had long since taken.

The Alpha's taunting laugh resounded through the shared link, his repsonse came just as a falling leaf met the forest floor beneath.

My Body was hit by a heavy blow that sent me heading into the center of the clearing twelve meters away, a loud bang that resembled a thunder clap brought with it a repelling force that knocked those near it away.

When I recovered I saw the Alpha standing where I once stood. My Windpipe nearly crushed, though my ribs weren't so lucky. The Time it took him to make that movement was just a fraction of a second, imperceptible to the naked eye.

Luna Astrid begged me desperately through the link, "Young Ranger, flee as far away as you can"

Maybe I am just delirious but her voice feels angelic, for some reason an intense urge to comment with something sensual arose within my mind but I held it back. Instead making her promise, "When I dispose of your mate. Will you follow me Luna?"

Her Emotions were laid bare to me, the inner emotional exhaustion from years of constant abuse, the fear for my life and hers. The Willingness to defy her Alpha even if it meant losing the one she cherished the most.

Her heart was beautiful.

This words shouldn't be coming from a mere Ranger to their Luna, their Alpha's mate and yet here we are.

Knowing that I would not leave until I emerged victorious, she promised herself to me, "I will give myslef to you, if you prevail"

My Wolf felt giddy for some reason, it wanted to dance and celebrate with howls and playful tricks so I made it focus on the still dire battle ahead.

The Alpha stood there watching me pick myself up from the ground, his whole body throbbing with glowing veins and throbbing nerves. That move must have exerted too much power from him, is he regenerating to heal the accumulated damage.

Even if he was in such a state, killing him would be close to impossible. Still I would not fight this monster if I wasn't prepared.

I am a wolf but I am also something else or at least aspiring to be. For that I need his flesh, the Alpha's flesh.

Standing up on all fours took enormous effort to both stave off the pain and maintain balance. A Bloody red gash had formed underneath my belly giving me another weak spot to be exploited. Normally retreating to focus energy on healing that area would be the best option, still the thrill of potentially destroying this Alpha was worth of the risk.

I recall back when my pack was destroyed by cultists, their wolves ripped out of them and used to fuel their evil crafts. Tears, gore, Suffering and pain, that night that was all my reality consisted of.

Those who survived waited until the other packs launched various attacks in retaliation. Afterwards being accepted into a pack for safety and sustenance was a prayer on every vagabond's lips. I managed to gain a standing here in Argon, not because I wished to but to repay a kindness given to me by this amazing Luna I am protecting.

Vagabonds could never become an official pack as they do not possess an Alpha, the other packs refuse anyone without special abilities entry into theirs leaving those that remain in the wild, gathering in groups trying while also sometimes failing to survive in the Wild Hunt.

This made them an easy prey for more of those who killed off my pack. Yet, Astrid before she became Luna allowed us to reside in a hidden territory of hers safe and unbothered. Beautiful souls such as hers cannot be allowed to waste in the hands of trash like this Alpha who after claiming her in a battle proceeded to abuse and debase her constantly to the pack for their amusement and erotic pleasure.

I watched her go through this believing that one day she would be strong enough to fight against her mate. Only to find her about to be murdered in a clearing in the middle of nowhere at night by her mate, the Alpha. My Wolf hated this, whatever it held towards Astrid was more powerful than I could imagine.

I suddenly felt light, extremely light. The Whole world around me sped up before gradual slowing down to a crawl within a time that felt like an eternity. The Weight of the world around me increased exponentially, even lifting my paw felt like trying to move a boulder with a pinkie finger.

The Alpha's figure was approaching once more, his pace much more faster than anything around me at the moment but in this state I was infinitely faster than he was. With all my strength in reserve, I moved to him. My whole body clashing in a battle of attrition with the forces around me in order to achieve movement.

Ripped off half his face, Dislocated another leg and tore off his left hand from the wrist after minutes of ceaseless biting and clawing before retreating back to my former stance. The Alpha's facial expression was shifting from one of savagery into alarm at an ever increasing pace until the world around came back to normal.

As my speed normalized, an enormous weight fell on my back causing me to use the last of my strength to protect myself before transforming back into a Human form to save power and recover.

The ground beneath me was suddenly flung away leaving me in a miniature crater. The Aftermath of a loud explosion echoed in the distance moving away from us with extreme speed. The Wolves recoiled in fright at the sight of their Alpha heaving heavily in a pool of his own blood, brutalized and wounded faster than they could perceive.

All eyes were me, even Astrid gazed at me in absolute awe. She looked incredibly cute with her confused wolf pup face. The Moment of truth came, unable to fight any further the Alpha shifted back into his human form, something he did rarely. Still it was amazing that he didn't go feral due to continued exposure to his other side without using any humanity to anchor it.

As a human, he was still superior. Standing even taller than my five foot tall wolf, a handsome devilish face worth dying for. Brown skin and Pitch Black eyes that swallowed any light that came into them. This was an Alpha even amongst lesser beings.

His face should have shown arrogance but all I saw was an unfamiliar cold monotone that ate any joy from your heart the longer you gazed at him. His wounded leg did not heal despite the others having long recovered, in order to regenerate a lost limb so fast after repeated injury, he will need to hibernate for a while.

Trying to do so with normal energy reserves will severely deplete his lifespan. Wolves do not age physically due to our ridiculous regenerative factor and our ability to protect against severe damage but we each have set lifespans that end once we have gone on long enough as do all other lifeforms save a select few.

Those who wish to upset this balance in the natural world, do so by consuming the spinal fluid of another werewolf thus temporarily attaining unrealistic regenerative potential leading to recovery from any injury or age related deficit, this was why my pack was destroyed to become the elixir of youth for someone powerful and driven enough to acquire them.

Though no specific rule prohibits wolves from doing the same, we are generally reserved from such endeavours due to the fact that our personal healing factors are more than enough and even if it were critical, it wasn't worth sacrificing another to save yourself in a world where wolves were becoming increasingly defensive of external exploitation by the cruel unforgiving world around us.

I held a piece of his wrist in my hands, it was still in it's shifted state. This obviously made him uncomfortable, the idea of a piece of himself separated from his greater whole by an opponent. The True winner of the battle had been decided, nothing could change that now.

The Hunters and Wraiths started to encroach upon us. Astrid came to my side still in her wolf and I received her with a brush of her fur. We both brushed our foreheads against each other's. She was free and so was I.

We both started heading away from the pack's territory until the Pack encircled us further. Alpha Wey, spoke in human tongue for the first time.

"Ranger of Argon. Well done"

Even his voice was angelic, no one would believe that this lovely body contained such a dark soul. Since I have won there is no need for animosity anymore so I nod, staying professional in these moments could mean a lot.

"Does the Noble Ranger have a name?"

This question hit hard, normally I would try to stay out of the limelight but fate has thrust me into this position, best make the most of it.

"Millicent Dew. Ranger"

"It is an honour to have battled such a potent force…"

He gazes coldly at the white furred wolf still beside me and continues, "As you had stipulated both of you may leave if you wish. Still I wouldn't recommend it.."

"Why…?"

I really shouldn't have asked that question but somehow I wanted to know his excuse.

"The Regions outside the Pack aren't known for their hospitable nature if not we would have conquered those areas.

When the Hunt is open to everyone and everything, do not expect there to be a general consensus on what is good and just especially when no initiative exists to adhere to them.

That is why I wish to conquer the Wild Hunt in all it's entirety even the greater world beyond and probably one day, the vast cosmos…"

How arrogant could someone be. Wolves are powerful, Alphas are gods in their own right but we are not infallible neither are we the only dominant supernatural force in the world.

Compare to most, we are impressive at best and yet this Alpha wants to rule over everything. These aren't the words of an Alpha but a disaster waiting to happen, still his stoic expression stood undisturbed evidence of his seriousness.

"May you succeed noble Alpha. But I and the Luna will continue from here, there are those who wish to meet with us and offer their accommodation.."

He won't accept this subtle refusal, no Alpha does.

"...I will not stop you. So let me offer you once more, you, Millicent Dew, the chance to stand by my side as a Luna…."

How annoyingly dense, "No!!".

This was obviously not a request but a polite way of silently saying, "Do what I say or I may just decide to hunt you down once you leave. A Valuable asset like you will remain in my grasp forever either as a well pampered plaything or dead prey".

I don't have time to be nice when such a threat is being made. Even if I will be anyone's Luna, it won't be his. I have other things I wish to pursue.

I folded my hands over my naked chest in show of stern refusal. Violent growls came from the wolves that surrounded us, their Alpha had been disrespected brashly. An insult to him was one to the whole Pack. Alpha Dew didn't try to stop them, perhaps the shock of finally being openly refused got to him, his noble Façade is slowly falling apart.

Astrid had become tense, no longer as bold as before especially when her mate had renounced her without a second thought. Her position as Luna was void, not like her power ever mattered before.

The Severed wrist was still in my arm waiting for the purpose I chose it to serve. It was best to make use of it now, I used my mouth to bite off large chunks of flesh from it. The Strong sweet and sour flavor made me instantly water for more. Even Astrid was terrified by what I was doing, eating the flesh of an Alpha was sheer carnibalism. A Distorted form of the natural circle where predator eats it's prey not eachother.

Believe me, this doesn't feel good, despite the tantalising flavour and the disgusting feeling it creates. My actions was the catalyst to an important growth ritual, the Way of Unkindness.

I threw what was left to the Alpha, staring defiantly into his eyes. The Atmosphere of the clearing changed, even the wolves felt it. An electric buzz flowed through everything causing our hairs to stand on end.

This Ominous sensation could almost be tasted and smelled. My Sacrilege is bound to be punished in one way or the other. Whether it will be fair or not wasn't my concern. I am no longer one bound by such things. I am the Unkindness among wolf shifters.

Wey looked at me with a delighted expression, what I had done or at the very least become had made me infinitely more valuable in his sight. The Inhumane obsession within his heart burst out without control, from today onwards I know he is going to hound me from now till the end.

I wanted that. To be something he could never have and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"Luna Let's leave"

Astrid and I couldn't stay here any longer, the pack watched us go unwilling to stand against the unnatural presence I emitted. Even Astrid became more complacent to my desires, the Alpha watched us go with a relaxed smile before turning to head back leaving us parting words.

"I am coming for you. Don't worry"

The Ominous sensation didn't dissipate for a while. We both made our way east in the dark until we arrived at one of my hideouts. It had a waterfall where we could bathe and recuperate.

Astrid soon fell asleep beside the water meaning it was time for my bathe. Watching her sleep is adorable, still I know that someone is watching. I sense where they were, in the sky above me.

I watch the moon turn Blood red for a second before reverting back into it's original colour.

That Ominous sensation was the condemnation of the cosmos. The Moon had turned on me.