Chapter 2 Her Descendant

• The forest was eerily quiet, the soft crunch of leaves under Lily’s hurried steps the only sound. Her breaths came in uneven gasps, tears blurring her vision. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to keep moving. The humiliation, the rejection—it was too much.
• “Why did this happen to me?” she whispered to no one, her voice is breaking.
• Her wolf stirred weakly within her, sharing her pain but offering no comfort. The bond she thought would define her future was gone, severed before it could truly begin.
• Suddenly, a growl pierced the silence.
• Lily froze, her heart skipping a beat. Out of the shadows, a pair of glowing red eyes emerged. A rogue wolf, its matted fur and scarred body a stark contrast to the sleek, powerful wolves of her pack, stepped into the moonlight.
• “No,” Lily whispered, backing away.
• The rogue bared its teeth, saliva dripping from its maw as it lunged at her.
• ---
• “Duck!”
• A commanding voice sliced through the chaos. Lily dropped instinctively, and a blur of motion shot past her. The rogue yelped, its attack intercepted by a figure cloaked in black.
• “Stay down,” the stranger ordered, his tone is sharp but calm.
• Lily obeyed, her wide eyes watching as the man moved with inhuman speed. In seconds, the rogue was subdued, its lifeless body collapsing to the ground.
• “Are you hurt?” the stranger asked, turning to her.
• Lily shook her head, struggling to find her voice. “Who… who are you?”
• He extended a hand, helping her to her feet. His face came into focus—a sharp jawline, piercing golden eyes, and an air of authority that was impossible to ignore.
• “My name is Caelum,” he said simply.
• ---
• “Why did you save me?” Lily asked, her voice is trembling, because of the fear. She thought that all the pain she's feeling right now will end by her last breath.
• “Because it’s my job,” Caelum replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “I’ve been watching you, Lily.”
• She frowned. “Watching me? Why?”
• Caelum’s expression softened, though his eyes remained intense. “Because the Moon Goddess commanded it. You are… special.”
• Lily laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “Special? If I were special, my mate wouldn’t have rejected me in front of the entire pack.”
• Caelum’s gaze darkened. “Damon is a fool. But his shortsightedness does not define you.”
• Lily opened her mouth to respond but stopped when she noticed the way Caelum’s eyes seemed to glow faintly.
• “Who are you, really?” she asked.
• He hesitated before answering. “I am an envoy of the Moon Goddess, sent to guide you.”
• ---
• Lily blinked, certain she had misheard. “An envoy of the Moon Goddess? That… that can’t be real.”
• Caelum arched an eyebrow. “And yet here I am. Do you think it’s mere coincidence that I found you tonight?”
• “I don’t know what to think anymore,” Lily admitted, wrapping her arms around herself.
• Caelum stepped closer, his voice is softening. “I know you’re hurting, but there is more to you than you realize. Your bloodline, your very existence—it’s tied to the Moon Goddess herself.”
• “My bloodline?”
• “You are her descendant,” Caelum said, his tone reverent. “Her power flows through you, waiting to be awakened.”
• Lily shook her head, backing away. “No. You must have the wrong person. I’m just… me. I’m no one.”
• “You’re wrong,” Caelum said firmly. “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The way the moon’s light draws you in, the way your wolf yearns for something more.”
• Lily hesitated. She had felt it—an inexplicable connection to the moon, a pull she couldn’t explain. But she had always dismissed it as wishful thinking.
• ---
• “Why are you telling me this?” she asked finally. She's still not convinced from everything that she's hearing from this stranger.
• “Because you need to know the truth,” Caelum said. “And because you have a choice to make.” Her brows furrowed in deep confusions.
• “A choice?”
• “To embrace your destiny or to let it slip away,” he said. “You’ve been given a second chance, Lily. A chance to become stronger, to become the person you were always meant to be.”
• Lily stared at him, her mind is racing. Everything he was saying sounded impossible, and yet… deep down, something in her believed him.
• “I don’t know how to do any of that,” she admitted, her voice is small and just calculated.
• “You don’t have to know,” Caelum said, his voice is firm.
• “That’s why I’m here. To train you, to help you unlock your potential.”
• ---
• For a long moment, Lily said nothing, her gaze fixed on the ground. She thought of Damon’s cruel words, the whispers of the pack, the pain that had consumed her.
• “I don’t want to be weak anymore,” she said finally, her voice barely audible, yet it's meaningful.
• Caelum nodded. “Then let’s begin.”
• ---
• They traveled deeper into the forest, the trees growing denser and the air heavier with an otherworldly energy. Caelum led her to a secluded clearing bathed in moonlight, the ground covered in soft moss.
• “This is where we’ll train,” he said, his voice taking on a new intensity.
• “Train? For what?”
• “To harness your powers,” Caelum said. “You are a descendant of the Moon Goddess, Lily. You were born to lead, to protect, to inspire. But first, you must be willing to fight for yourself.”
• ---
• Lily swallowed hard, doubt creeping into her mind. “What if I can’t do it? What if I fail?”
• “You won’t,” Caelum said, his golden eyes locking with hers. “Because failure is not an option. Not for you.”
• His unwavering confidence in her sent a strange warmth through her chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, someone believed in her.
• “All right,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
• Caelum smiled faintly, a hint of approval in his eyes. “Good. Now, let’s see what you’re made of.” She smil
• ed and nodded, determined to prove to herself that she can, and that Damon will regret the moment she rejected her.