Rejected by Moonlight: Second Moon, Second Chance

Lila's stomach twisted tight as footsteps crunched closer. Mud squished under her knees. Her hands dug into the riverbank's cold, wet dirt. She turned fast. Her breath stopped short. Every muscle ached as she got ready to fight. It didn't matter if it was Jaxon's wolves, Tara, or hunters. She'd hit back with all she had left. Her thigh bled where Tara's claws had torn her skin. Her shoulder hurt from Jaxon's old scratches. Her baby kicked hard, a push that kept her in the moment. Rain dripped from her nose. It blurred her eyes, but she stared up. Her green eyes shone fierce with stubbornness. "Who the heck are you?" she snapped. Her voice sounded rough, breaking from tiredness and unshed tears. She didn't trust anyone anymore, not after Kade got taken by that awful river.

The man stopped. He loomed big in a patched fur coat. Rain poured off him like he didn't mind. He lifted his hands, palms out, showing he didn't want a fight. "Name's Eli," he grunted. His voice came out rough and scratchy, worn out by smoke or yelling. "I saw you flailing around like a fish half dead. My shack's close. Come on before you bleed out or freeze solid." His dark eyes looked her over. She was muddy, bloody, and soaked. His jaw tightened, but he didn't move closer. He waited, giving her space.

Lila's chest rose and fell fast. Her hands shook as she pushed herself up. Mud slid under her bare feet. "I don't know you," she said. Her words cut sharp. Tears burned her eyes. She'd lost Kade, seen the river pull him away, and now some stranger thought she'd follow? "Everyone wants me dead. My pack, hunters, all of them. Why should I trust you?" Her fingers touched her belly. The baby kicked again. She clenched her teeth. She wouldn't die here, not with her kid counting on her, but she wasn't dumb enough to walk into a trap either.

Eli huffed. He crossed his arms. Rain ran through his beard. "I don't like shifters. Most of you are mean jerks," he said. His voice stayed plain, no nonsense. "But I hate hunters more. They killed my brother with a silver bolt, straight through him. You're a lone wolf, right? Kicked out and running? I recognize that look. You're half gone and furious. Come with me or stay, but you're bleeding on my riverbank. I'm not cleaning it up." He turned. He walked off through the mud, not looking back. Her choice didn't seem to bother him, live or die.

Her throat closed up. Tears fell as she stared at the river. Dark water swirled. No sign of Kade showed, no gray fur. Its rumble laughed at her pain. She'd yelled for him, tried to hold on, but the water ripped him under. It left nothing, just like Tom dying from hunter arrows in her arms. "Dang it, Kade," she muttered. Her voice broke. Her fists pressed into the mud as sobs rocked her body. "I couldn't. I tried. I'm sorry." Guilt crashed into her, heavy and cruel. She'd let him go, failed him, and it ate at her nonstop.

Eli's shack appeared ahead. It looked like a small pile of logs and metal. Smoke rose from its chimney through the rain. She wiped her face with a muddy hand. She forced the tears back. She couldn't sit here crying, not with hunters and wolves still out there. Their howls sounded quiet but real in the storm. Her baby kicked, hard enough to make her wince. She tightened her jaw. She stood up from the mud. She'd live for her kid, even if her heart was broken. "Wait," she called. Her voice scratched, raw. She limped after Eli. Each step hurt like a knife, but she wouldn't die on that bank.

He didn't slow down. He kept walking. She caught up. Mud squished under her feet. Rain drenched her completely. The shack's door squeaked open. Warm air hit her like a surprise. It smelled of woodsmoke and plants, rough but way better than the cold eating at her. Eli pointed at a chair by a beat-up table. Its wood looked scratched to pieces. She dropped into it. Her legs shook, too tired to argue. He threw her a torn blanket. Its edges were frayed and falling apart. She grabbed it. She wrapped it tight. Her hands trembled as the warmth seeped in.

"You're a wreck," Eli said. He dug through a box. He pulled out a tin of ointment and some cloth. "That leg's bad. Wolf, huh? Let me fix it before it gets worse." He knelt beside her, no big deal. He spread the ointment on her thigh. It stung like crazy but eased the pain. She bit her lip, holding in a groan. "Tell me," he said. His eyes stayed on the wound. His voice kept steady. "What's got you running like this? Pack? Hunters? Talk, or I'll guess, and I'm awful at that."

Her stomach flipped. Tears came up again, but she let it out. She couldn't keep it inside, not now, not alone. "My mate, Jaxon, he's the alpha," she said. Her voice wobbled, rough with pain. "He found out I'm pregnant with a human's kid. He hit me, scratched me, kicked me out. He sent my sister, Tara, to end it. She's his mate now. She tried to tear me apart. Hunters came too, for the money. Kade, he's a lone wolf, saved me. He fought them off, but the river…" She choked. Tears dropped. She pressed a hand to her mouth. "He's gone. I lost him. I couldn't hold on."

Eli paused. The cloth hung over her leg. His dark eyes flicked up to hers. They looked hard, but something softened, like he got it. "That's a total mess," he grunted. He tied the cloth tight. He stood to grab a bowl from the stove. "Shifters are rotten. Alphas are the worst. Hunters too, greedy jerks. Your Kade sounds tough, though. The river's harsh, but I've heard stories. They call him a rogue savior. He fights like a beast, survives stuff that'd kill anyone else. He might not be gone."

Her chest squeezed. Hope slammed into her like a punch. Kade, alive, fighting his way back? She leaned forward. Tears still wet her cheeks. Her voice went low and urgent. "You think he made it?" Eli's words were straight, no promises, but they stuck. Kade's gray eyes, his growl, his blood on her hands—she'd seen him take a bolt and keep going. He'd climbed out of that river once before. Her heart raced, desperate. She clung to the chance.

Eli shrugged. He put stew—potatoes and meat, steaming—in front of her. "I've seen stranger things," he said. His tone stayed flat. He poked the fire with a stick. "Eat. Keep that kid strong. You're safe here for now. Hunters don't mess with my land. They know I'll gut them." He went back to his corner. He sharpened a knife with a slow, steady scrape, like it was normal. She heard the edge in his voice. He wasn't soft, but he wasn't turning her in either.

She grabbed the spoon. She scooped up the stew. The heat filled her empty stomach. Her baby kicked like it liked it. Kade might be out there. Eli's rough hint was all she had. She held it tight. She whispered to her kid, voice low and solid. "We'll find him. I'll make sure of it." Guilt still ripped at her. She'd left him in that river, failed him, but hope glowed now. It flickered as a flame she wouldn't let fade. She ate. The warmth calmed her shaky hands. Her mind replayed Kade's fight. That stubborn guy wouldn't give up that easy.

The shack creaked. The fire snapped. She leaned back. Tiredness hit her hard. Eli's knife scraped on. His big frame blocked whatever waited outside. She closed her eyes. Kade's face flashed—scarred, bloody, gray eyes fierce. Her stomach turned. Tears dried with a strength she'd keep. She'd live for her baby, for the chance he was still out there, breathing.

A rustle cut through. It wasn't the rain. Something moved outside, too careful to miss. Her eyes snapped open. Her heart jumped as she sat up. The blanket slipped off her shoulders. Eli's head turned toward the door. His knife stopped. His dark eyes narrowed like a hunter on guard. "Something's out there," he muttered. He stood, blade in hand. His voice dropped low and sharp. "Stay back. It could be trouble."

Lila's breath caught. Her hands gripped the table. Her baby kicked strong. Hunters? Wolves? Or Kade, dragging himself back to her? She didn't know, but her gut yelled it wasn't good. She got ready. Tears were gone. She stood set to fight, run, or whatever it took.