Rejected by Moonlight: Second Moon, Second Chance

Lila's bare feet sank into the damp forest floor. Each step sent pain jolting through her bruised legs and torn shoulder. The night pressed around her, thick and heavy. A cover of pine needles and shadow hid the woods. Bits of moonlight slipped through the treetops, faint and quick. Her breath rasped loud in her ears. It clashed with the far-off howls echoing through the air. Jaxon's pack hunted her scent. They stayed steady as ever. Ahead, Kade moved with a hunter's quiet step. His broad shoulders cut a path through the tangled bushes. His silence made her nervous. It matched the blood smeared across his cheek. She'd followed him out of pure need, not trust. Doubt gnawed at her gut with every rustling leaf. Who was this man, really? Could he be another threat hiding behind a helper's face? Her hand hovered over her belly. The faint life nestled there steadied her in the mess.

"Keep up," Kade said without looking back. His voice cut through the quiet, low and sharp. "They're not far behind us."

She clenched her jaw tight. Her legs burned, but she forced them to move faster. "Who are you?" she demanded. Her tone bit hard despite its shaky edges. "You took out those hunters like they were nothing. Why bother helping me?"

He didn't answer right away. His steps stayed even as he ducked under a low branch. The forest grew thicker around them. Roots twisted under her feet, slick and bumpy. She stumbled hard. She caught herself on a mossy trunk. Her shoulder ached with pain. Jaxon's claw marks bled again. They stained her shirt a wet, dark red. Kade looked back then. His gray eyes met hers in the dim light. They held a sharp, hard-to-read shine, like a wolf planning its next move. "I'm nobody's hero," he said at last. His words carried a sour twist. "You're still breathing. That's enough for now."

His reply dodged her question completely. She opened her mouth to push harder, but he turned away. He led her deeper into the maze of trees without another word. The howls faded a bit. The thick woods muffled them. The relief felt weak, like a break before trouble hit again. Her mind spun through the night's ruin. Jaxon's rejection still hurt, raw and fresh. The mate bond's break ached in her chest. The hunters' mean grins flashed in her head. Now Kade, this rogue stranger, offered a lifeline she couldn't fully trust. She gripped her belly tighter. A silent promise formed in her mind. I'll keep you safe, no matter what.

They walked on for what felt like forever. The moon's slow climb showed less time had passed. Her vision blurred at the edges. Tiredness and blood loss pulled at her. They tempted her to fall. She refused to give up, not with Jaxon's wolves still out there. Kade stopped sudden at a small clearing's edge. His head tilted. He listened to the night's whispers. Lila stopped short behind him. Her breath caught in her throat. A falling-apart cabin stood before them. Its wooden walls sagged. Years of neglect weathered them. Broken windows gaped like smashed teeth. Ivy choked the roof, thick and wild. The door hung crooked on rusty hinges. The place looked empty, barely a shelter. In the harsh dark, it called like a safe spot.

"Inside," Kade ordered. He headed toward it already. "We're not safe yet."

She paused. She stared into the cabin's shadowed opening. Her gut screamed of a trap waiting to snap. A growl sounded in the distance, too close for comfort. Fear pushed her doubts away in a flash. She stepped inside after him. The floorboards creaked under her weight. Dust swirled in the faint moonlight leaking through the cracks. The air stank of mold and rot. Her nose wrinkled at the sour smell. Kade pushed the door shut behind them. He wedged a broken chair under the knob. The quick fix wouldn't hold long, but it gave them a second. He turned to face her then. His gaze dropped to her shoulder. Blood dripped steady onto the floor.

"Sit," he said. He pointed to a shaky table in the corner. "You're losing too much blood."

"I'm fine," she lied. Stubbornness stiffened her back. Her legs shook as she crossed the room. She sat on the table's edge. She gripped it to steady herself. Dizziness spun in her head, but she fought it down. Kade ignored her toughness. He dug into a beat-up pack he'd pulled from under a loose floorboard. He grabbed a strip of faded cloth and a dented tin. He walked to her with them in hand. She tensed up. Her body coiled tight like a spring.

"Relax," he muttered. His tone stayed rough but not mean. "I'm not here to hurt you."

She didn't loosen up fully. Still, she let him step closer. His hands moved with surprising care as he pressed the cloth to her shoulder. Pain flared hot and sharp. It ripped a hiss from her throat. She clamped her lips shut. She swallowed the sound. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Up close, scars crossed his knuckles, faint but clear. Lines marked his jaw, signs of a hard past. His brown hair flopped messy over his forehead. Those gray eyes flicked to hers for a split second. They carried a depth she couldn't figure out.

"You've done this before," she said. Her voice stretched tight with pain. He worked steady, cleaning her wound with something strong-smelling from the tin.

"Too many times," he replied. His focus stayed on the claw marks. "Hold still. It's deep, but you'll live if you don't bleed out."

She flinched as he pressed harder. The sting cut through her tiredness. "You didn't answer me earlier," she said. She pushed through the hurt. "Who are you really? Why rogue land? Why no pack?"

He paused for a short second. His hands stopped, then started tying the cloth around her shoulder. He knotted it with fast, skilled moves. "No pack wants a wolf who won't bow," he said finally. His voice dropped low. It carried something rough, maybe anger or sadness, she couldn't tell. "I've been running longer than you have. That's all you need to know right now."

She parted her lips to argue. A shiver cut her off. It shook through her body. It wasn't the cold, just the hard truth in his words hitting her. He was a rogue, an outcast like her now. Whether by choice or kicked out, she couldn't guess. She glanced at her belly. She hid her unborn secret from him. Could she trust this scarred man who'd killed for her without a blink? Did she even have a choice?

Kade stepped back. He wiped his hands on his pants. His face shut off again, hard to read as rock. "It'll hold for now," he said. He nodded at her shoulder. "But we can't stay long. They'll track you here, pack or hunters, doesn't matter."

She nodded. Her throat felt tight. Her fingers brushed the rough bandage. She tested it. "Thanks," she said. The word sounded small and weak against the night's mess. He didn't reply. He turned to peek out a cracked window. His shape tensed against the faint light outside.

The cabin fell quiet for a moment. Only the creak of old wood and her uneven breathing broke the stillness. She studied him silent. His shoulders stayed tight, ready to move. His hands hovered near his sides, set to strike if needed. He'd saved her life and patched her up without waiting. His guarded answers left her lost in doubt. Was he her rescue or a new threat in hiding? Her thoughts tangled. They caught between fear and a flicker of hope. A sharp crack sounded outside, too steady for the wind.

Kade's head jerked toward the window. His body stiffened like a pulled bow. "Shit," he muttered. His voice growled low. He grabbed his pack. He slung it over his shoulder in one smooth move. "They're here."

Lila slid off the table fast. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Adrenaline flooded her veins, hot and fierce. "Who?" she whispered. She already knew deep down. Jaxon's wolves or the hunters, she felt them in her bones.

"Doesn't matter," Kade said. He yanked the chair from the door. "Move. Now."

She followed without stopping. Her legs wobbled but fear drove her. He led her to the back of the cabin. He kicked at a bent plank in the wall. A rough hole opened up, narrow and jagged. "Go," he barked. He shoved her toward it. "I'll hold them off."

She froze for a heartbeat. She stared into the dark beyond the gap. It could be freedom or another trap, she couldn't tell. A loud crash broke from the front. Wood split with a hard snap. A growl tore through the air, deep and wild, way too close. Her options vanished in that sound. She ducked through the hole. Thorns scraped her skin as she stumbled out. Kade's shadow followed right behind her.

The forest blurred as they ran. Branches slapped her face, stinging and steady. Her shoulder screamed with every hard step. Howls and shouts echoed behind them, a wild clash she couldn't see. Jaxon's scouts had found them. She caught their scent, faint but sharp, all pine and anger. Kade's hand clamped onto her arm. He pulled her forward. His breath sounded harsh and rough beside her.

"Keep moving," he growled. His gray eyes darted through the shadows. "They won't stop."

She didn't look back. She couldn't afford to. The howls chased them, a flood of sound. Ahead stretched only darkness, rogue land, wild and unknown. Her chest ached. Her legs shook, but she kept running. The life inside her fueled her. It paired with a stubborn spark Jaxon couldn't kill. Kade guided her now, a shield she didn't fully trust. The night swallowed them whole. One truth sank into her core. She wasn't prey anymore, not if she could fight it.