From Ashes To Flame: Rise Of The Blessed Luna

Lucienne Beaufort

‘Lucy, let’s go for a run!’ whispered Nia, my wolf. It was our first time communicating, and I knew it was the start of a beautiful relationship. 

My mind was in a state of bliss as I ran across the forested trails along the banks of the Little Buffalo River for the first time in my wolf form. It was my eighteenth birthday, and I couldn’t believe I had finally shifted into my beautiful white wolf. My friends, Ava, Marianne, and Claire from the pack, had all shifted last year. I was the only late bloomer. But it was better late than never, and I had to admit, my wolf was the most gorgeous of them all. 

The refreshing wind whipped across my face, giving me an adrenaline rush. Now I knew what it felt like to be a true shifter! It didn’t matter if I was just an omega in the pack, the lowest in rank. Or was I? 

Aunt Seraphina would be so proud to know. I had to inform her. I stopped in my tracks, ready to go back to my home in Waltonville. Tucked away on the slopes of the Ozark Mountains, in Arkansas, the tiny town of Waltonville was home to the Ozark Mountain Pack, my pack. It was the only place that felt like home, not because of my parents. I didn’t have any. Nor did I know who they were. My biological parents ‌abandoned me at birth. If Seraphina Holmes hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t have lived to experience this day. I was indebted to Aunt Sera for adopting me, giving me her name, and bringing me up as her own. She had no one in the world except me. 

Long before I was born, her fated mate died, and ever since, she had dedicated her life to serving the Alpha’s family. For years, she worked as the main housekeeper at Alpha Sebastián Vaughn’s household. As Alpha of the Ozark Mountain Pack, Alpha Sebastián was a stern, no-nonsense ruler who upheld the pack rules since the day he took over as the leader of our pack. His Luna, Cassandra Vaughn, was just like him: unfriendly and unyielding. Yet they were kind to my aunt. She had a way to melt every heart in Waltonville. 

Therefore, Waltonville felt like home only because of my Aunt Sera. She was my idol and my role model. She wholeheartedly supported my desire to pursue medicine, though I was the only one from our pack with such sky-high dreams. It made my aunt proud of me. Despite being of the lowest rank, my academic performance had boosted my position in the pack. Her happiness was all that mattered to me. 

I turned to check ‌my reflection in the shimmering water of the Little Buffalo River. With the sun setting behind the limestone cliffs on the other side, the entire trail was lit up in myriad hues, creating a dreamy ambiance. My snowy fur sparkled like crystals as I gazed at my reflection on the water's surface in awe. I loved myself for the first time. I wasn’t ashamed of my body any longer.

“Go, Max, you can do it!” Loud cheers echoed from a clearing nearby. It was deafening, as if a gang of rogues was celebrating some victory. 

“Nia, slow down, girl!” Before I could stop myself, I skidded to a halt past a sinkhole in the clearing between the tall pine and oak trees. My eyes fell on a group of young shifters crowding around someone, cheering him on. Who were they? I had lived here all my life, but never had I seen them before. 

“Let’s go, Nia!” I whispered, wary of the strangers, but it fell on deaf ears. I could feel a strange excitement emanating from Nia’s body.

She walked on slowly, despite my warning. Wildflowers dotted the area, their vines making it difficult for me to negotiate through. 

“Max! Maximus! Go for the throat!” The crowd chanted deliriously. There was a sudden shift in the ambiance all around: the hum of birdsongs stopped, and a loud screech of an animal echoed around me. It should have urged me to run, but a strange attraction made me push ahead through the crowd gathered around. 

I stopped short at the sight before me. Three muscular, sweating, and panting males were sparring in their human forms. It was raw and dangerous. Yet I stood transfixed to the spot, unable to move a muscle. I could feel a raw, inexplicable energy pulling me towards them. What was it?

Then I saw him.

A male, towering above the others, his muscles rippling as he fought his opponents. Sweat dripped from his jet-black, longish hair as he punched his opponents, slaying one and injuring the other. They dropped to the ground with a thud while the crowd went crazy, chanting his name. 

“Maximus! Maximus!” 

And then he turned to look straight at me. I gasped at his cold, grayish-blue eyes. Despite his win, there was no hunger in those eyes, just a furrow in his brow as he regarded me intently.  

A gust of warm wind swirled around my legs, warning me of a thunderstorm brewing nearby. Yet in that moment, I froze. 

A gasp escaped my lips when he took baby steps towards me, giving me ample time to run. His unwavering gaze held me captive as I watched him with wide eyes. His eyes were more stunning than the colorful sunset that crowned us. All my life, I had shied away from the male shifters of our pack. While my friends dated a few, no one wanted me. 

‘Mate!’ whispered Nia in a dazed state, bringing me back to reality with a jolt. 

I blinked at the sculpted creature. How could he be my mate?

Everyone called him by his name, vying for his attention. But he ignored them and stopped inches from me, looking down at me in disgust. His arms remained crossed, and his feet stayed rooted to the ground before me. 

“Shift!” he barked, his voice robust and hard, almost furious.

Nia trembled before him, in a clear dilemma. I blinked out of my dazed state and looked around. Where did I leave my clothes? In the excitement of my first shift, I had forgotten all about my clothes. Now, I had no way to shift back to my human form. I had no wish to show my vulnerable, naked self to my mate.

“I said shift! Are you deaf?” he gritted out, his eyes swirling with rage. Within seconds, they transformed into fiery red orbs that glowed with fury. 

I staggered backwards in fear. Nia cowered at the sight of him, while I continued to stare at him. All my attention is on him and only him. The world stopped revolving around me. His scent, his looks, and even the pleasant rhythm of his heart were all I could sense. Or was it my heart beating violently in its cage?

“I can’t..” It was a breathless whisper, but it seemed to infuriate him more.

‘Mate. Mate. Mate,’ chanted Nia through the mind link. 

I flinched at the word. 

He moved forward, and I scrambled backward. My back hit the smooth trunk of a fallen sugar maple tree, and I panicked. 

“Maximus, let her go, bro.” Another male joined him, followed by the others. Now they crowded around us, watching the drama. 

“Maxie baby, who’s this? Why are you after her?” A tall, svelte female with rich auburn hair and green eyes stepped forward. She was the most stunning creature I had ever seen. Her designer dress clung to her curves as she walked towards Maximus. 

Obviously, I was jealous. I could never compete with her for his attention. We were complete opposites. 

“Stop, Celine! Stay out of this!” barked Maximus, his glowing eyes following every move of mine.

The crowd surrounded me, leaving no avenue of escape. I felt trapped in their vicious circle.

“Shift, rogue! Or face my fury.” His eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at me. 

“Please, I’m not a rogue…” I stammered, but he hardly heard my protest.  

“Maxie, leave her alone, baby. Let’s go.” The female whined, giving me a spiteful look. 

“No, let me deal with her, Celine.” Maximus looked obsessed, hatred pouring out of every cell in his body. 

I couldn’t understand this crazy obsession. Why was he so adamant? Why did he want me to shift?

“Why? Is she your fated mate? I don’t believe this!” yelled Celine, looking down at me in disgust. 

Maximus looked more furious than ever before. The lighting in his dark eyes danced like blue and gray fire burning in his irises. It seemed he was fighting a battle of some kind. 

Nia trembled with fear, whimpering against the tree trunk behind us. 

“Shift before I force you, rogue.” An earth-shattering growl followed his order, and before I knew it, Nia cowered in fear, surrendering to his wish.  

Within seconds, I lay at his feet, vulnerable and naked, trying to cover my plump, ugly body from prying eyes. It was the worst day of my life!

We shifters weren’t usually so embarrassed by s*x or nudity since it was a part of our identity. In our world, there was always a time before or after a shift when others saw our naked forms. But it was different for me. It was my first shift. Maybe with time, I would get accustomed to it, but not now. With thirty prying eyes staring at me, I wanted the ground to crack and swallow me up. 

“Disgusting! Maxie, is this your mate? I pity you.” Celine laughed, and the others joined in. 

“I must say she’s curvy as hell!” laughed a male shifter from my right side.

“Curvy, my foot! She’s thrice my size!” sneered another female.

I winced at their judgmental looks. But what hurt me most was the disgust and hatred in my mate’s eyes as he glared at me. I had enough humiliation to last a lifetime.

“Please, let me go,” I whimpered, looking around for a way to escape the torture.

Maximus’s eyes glittered with malice. “What’s the hurry? Won’t you prove your worth? You consider yourself my mate, right?” He leaned down to my level, his merciless eyes boring into mine. 

I could only nod. There was a pin-drop silence all around as the crowd witnessed our drama. 

“Then prove yourself. Fight against Celine. If you win, I’ll let you leave unharmed.” There was a finality in his tone, and my gaze went to a smug Celine. 

Was this my only chance to escape? But I couldn’t even fight to save myself. All my life, I had used my energy to heal our pack members. I wanted to be a doctor who saved lives, not fight and take them. Why did I need to prove my worth in a fight? This wasn’t fair.

“Why do I have to fight? The Moon Goddess has paired us, right?” I rose and faced him,  mustering enough courage to hold his gaze and stand up for myself. They had already seen me, judged me, and insulted me. I wouldn’t cower away anymore, even if I were in my most vulnerable state.

The sudden change in my attitude took him by surprise. But soon he replaced the shocked look on his face with hatred. “No, you can’t be my mate. I’m sure you’re hallucinating. No male would want someone like you.” His eyes swept over my body with disgust. “Go ahead. Fight. Let everyone watch the ground shatter under your weight. Maybe then you’ll finally see what I see.” 

I had no answer. Did he really body shame me? The others laughed and mocked me. But I was now immune to their taunts. What hurt me was my mate’s insult. His words struck harder than a slap. My cheeks burned, not from the weight he mocked, but from the cruel delight in his eyes.

Lucienne

“If you hate me so much, allow me to leave, please.” Maximus’s behavior confused me. Why was he so cruel to me? Why was he enjoying torturing me? I tried hard to shift back to my wolf form. But somehow Nia blocked me. Maybe she had been forced into submission by Maximus’s wolf. 

‘Nia, shift!’ I begged her. She couldn’t give up on me when I needed her the most.

“You cannot leave unless I want you to.” His eyes danced with a crazy thrill - almost evil, as if this was a game of revenge for him. 

Why? What had I done? All the romantic notions I harbored about fated mates crumbled to dust. If this arrogant tyrant were my fated mate, I did not need one in my life. 

The crowd chanted deliriously. “We want a fight! This will be worth it!”

Celine slowly circled me, taunting me, urging me to fight her. “Are you scared? Maximus is my chosen mate. He can never be yours. Look at me: slim, graceful, attractive. And then there’s