HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

The tension in the air thickened as the pack members continued to watch the girl, captivated by her ethereal beauty. A small child, his eyes wide with awe, took a tentative step forward, his voice bright with innocent curiosity.
"Are you a goddess?" he asked, his hand reaching out to gently pull at the girl's sleeve. "You're so pretty, you must be a goddess."
Laughter rippled through the surrounding pack members at the child's innocent question, some chuckling softly, others exchanging amused glances. But for Alex, the moment felt like it held more weight than just a playful remark. He felt a strange ache growing in his head, but he pushed it down, unwilling to let anyone see the vulnerability forming within him. His eyes, however, never left the girl.
She smiled gently at the child, a warm, almost melancholic expression crossing her face. Her gaze, still locked with Alex's, made his heart thud in his chest. The ache in his head deepened, but he stood straight, determined not to show weakness. His voice, commanding but with an underlying unease, broke through the murmurs.
"Who are you?" he asked, his tone steady but with an underlying sharpness. The question felt necessary, even though he already knew, deep down, that she wasn't someone ordinary, that she was something far beyond human.
The girl's smile deepened, but she did not immediately answer. Instead, her gaze softened with a strange, almost sorrowful knowing, as if she understood something he didn't. She tilted her head slightly, the faintest hint of a laugh in her eyes.
"Forgive me," she repeated, her voice laced with an enchanting, otherworldly warmth. "I didn't mean to intrude."
There it was again—the inexplicable feeling that her apology carried a depth beyond the surface, as if it wasn't just about being in their territory. It felt like an apology for something older, something far more significant, and it sent another shiver through Alex's spine. The words seemed to settle around him, pulling him in further, making his chest tighten with unspoken emotions.
The pack members, who had been murmuring amongst themselves, grew quiet, all of them still entranced by her presence. Alex, however, was becoming more agitated, unable to fully grasp the pull she had over him.
Timmothy, ever the skeptic, leaned in toward Alex and whispered, barely audible but sharp with suspicion, "Do you think she's some kind of spy?"
The thought made Alex's brow furrow. A spy? A goddess? He didn't know, but something about her felt far too familiar, like she belonged here, but not in a way that made sense.
Before Alex could respond, he took a deep breath, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him. "Royal guards," he commanded, his voice firm, though it wavered slightly with an emotion he refused to acknowledge. "Take her to the human town. It's safer for her there."
At his words, the pack members murmured again, voices laced with confusion and uncertainty. The girl's eyes flickered with surprise, and she took a step toward him, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity.
"You're... not human," she said, her words almost a statement rather than a question. She tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "Are you?"
Alex hesitated, staring at her, unable to find his words. He had to push her away. He couldn't allow whatever this was—this pull, this strange connection—to continue.

"You can go back to where you came from," he said coldly, his tone clipped. "I don't have time for games."
As he spoke, he could feel the weight of her gaze on him, and for a brief moment, he almost wanted to take the words back. He couldn't understand why, but something deep inside him stirred—something primal, something angry. Why did it hurt to say those words? Why was it so hard to push her away?
The girl's face fell, her expression dimming with quiet sadness. She continued to stare at him, her gaze searching, as if waiting for something—waiting for him to change his mind. But Alex didn't relent. He turned, refusing to look back as he began to walk away.
His heart pounded painfully in his chest, and his mind screamed in confusion. He wanted to look at her again, wanted to understand the pull she had over him, but he couldn't—he wouldn't. It made him feel weak, and he couldn't afford that.
But as he walked, a cold emptiness settled over him. The ache in his head grew stronger, threatening to overwhelm him. The more he walked away, the more the feeling of her—of her—remained, as if she had woven herself into the very fabric of his thoughts.
Behind him, Charlie and Timmothy exchanged confused looks, their voices a distant hum as Alex moved further away. But he couldn't focus on them, not now. He was too lost in the turbulence inside of him, the tumult of emotions that refused to be understood.
The sound of footsteps followed him, but he ignored them, pushing himself forward, away from the girl and the strange pull she had over him.
Half-an-hour Later 
Meanwhile , the two royal guards trudged along, their boots crunching against the fallen leaves, their eyes scanning the trees with practiced ease. They had walked these paths countless times, knew every bend and twist in the forest. Yet now, as they circled the same stretch of land for what felt like the hundredth time, confusion gnawed at their minds.
"Wait a minute... weren't we here a while back?" one of them muttered, his frustration evident. He glanced at his companion, his brow furrowing deeper.
The other guard rubbed his neck, glancing around in confusion. "We're definitely going in circles. I know this path like the back of my hand, and yet... this is all wrong."
The girl, still calm and serene in her presence, simply smiled. Her silver hair shone in the soft light filtering through the trees, her ocean-grey eyes sparkling with something unreadable. "Let's take two more rounds," she said gently, her voice carrying a strange calmness that, paradoxically, didn't feel unnerving—just... right. "Your Alpha King will come soon."
The two guards exchanged uneasy looks. Her words didn't sit well with them, but instead of fear, they felt an overwhelming sense of peace, almost as if her presence soothed their instincts. They couldn't explain it, but the dissonance was there.
"Two more rounds?" one guard questioned, though his tone held no real edge of resistance. It felt more like an order they had to obey without question. The other guard nodded in agreement, still bewildered by the strange situation they were in.
The girl, unfazed by their hesitation, began to walk ahead, the sound of her light steps mingling with the rustling leaves beneath her feet. The guards, still watching each other in confusion, reluctantly followed her. But the deeper they went into the forest, the more the path began to twist unnaturally, as if the woods themselves were playing tricks on them.
As they moved further, the air shifted. The forest felt dense and unwelcoming, but the girl remained unfazed, leading them confidently on their loop.
And then, a growl shattered the calm.
A deep, rumbling growl echoed through the trees, raw and powerful—one that sent the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end. They spun toward the sound, their eyes narrowing.
It was him—the Alpha King.
Alex. 
He appeared in the clearing, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as if he had been running for miles. His hair was disheveled, his face flushed with exertion, and yet his eyes—those familiar grey eyes—burned with something different now. Something raw, emotional.
The girl turned back as well, her smile widening with something warm and mischievous, a playful spark in her gaze. Her eyes locked with Alex's, and for a moment, time seemed to still between them, the air vibrating with unspoken words.
"Well, you're earlier than I expected," she said with a smile, her tone light, almost teasing.
Alex stood there, frozen in place, his chest still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The sight of her—her—was almost too much for him. His head, still swirling with confusion, ached even more as the sensation of familiarity gripped his heart.
He blinked, his red-rimmed eyes watering, his throat tight with unspoken emotion. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but one name slipped past his lips, a whisper, as if his soul recognized her before his mind could fully comprehend.
"Luna," he breathed, the word a soft prayer on his lips.
At the sound of his voice calling her name, a flicker of recognition passed over her face. Her expression softened, her gaze deepening with an almost painful longing. She took a slow step toward him, but she didn't approach him fully. She merely stood there, watching him, the air between them electric with tension.
The two guards, still standing off to the side, watched in complete silence, not knowing what to make of the situation. The girl's mere presence was unnerving in a way they couldn't describe, yet the calm that seemed to follow her felt too compelling to resist. They stood in awe, observing the unfolding moment, uncertain of their next move.
Luna's gaze never left Alex's face, and her lips parted, but no words came. The world seemed to stop, and the only thing Alex could focus on was her—her eyes, her presence, the haunting sense of recognition that clung to him. He couldn't understand why he knew her, why she felt like home, like something from his past.
He took a step forward, unable to stop himself. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, his mind racing with confusion and longing.
But before he could say anything else, Luna tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a smile that was both sad and knowing.
"It's been so long yet its only a day" she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of ages.
The moment stretched between them, full of unsaid things and hidden truths. Alex's heart ached, and for the first time, he allowed himself to let go of the anger and confusion, if only for a brief moment. He could feel her warmth, her power, and the connection between them that had always been there, even if he hadn't known it before.
And then, just as quickly as the moment had begun, the world shifted once more. Luna's smile faded, and she turned away, beginning to walk again, leaving Alex standing there, rooted to the spot.
Behind him, the guards exchanged looks, unsure of what to make of the exchange they had just witnessed. But Alex didn't care about them. His gaze was fixed on Luna's retreating form, his heart heavy with the certainty that she held the answers to questions he hadn't even known to ask.
"Luna," he whispered again, as if saying her name aloud would somehow make everything clearer.
But for now, all he had was the ache in his chest and the pull that grew stronger the longer she was within reach.