Poor Luna: My Cruel Alpha

AVA

"Please give me some space," I said, trying to create some distance between myself and others so that I could focus on healing the wounded child.

"Can you heal him?" the man worriedly asked.

"I have to check his vitals first, but I guarantee you I mean no harm to this boy," I retorted as I placed my hand on the boy's arms.

He gave me a nod and replied, "I'll hold on to your word, then." The man turned his back and instructed the onlookers to move out of the way.

As they moved back, I looked at the boy's wounds and gasped in horror. His left hip had been brutally bitten, with a chunk of flesh missing.

"Oh, dear! What happened to you?" I couldn't help but take pity on his state. He could die any minute if I didn't do something about his injuries immediately.

"Help! Please, it hurts!" the boy cried.

I patted his forehead and gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, kid. I've got you." Extending my left hand to him, I requested, "Hold my hand and close your eyes, okay?"

He bobbed as he jerked his head to the frontside and slipped his hand into mine.

I quickly put my hands over his wound and focused on improving him. I could feel a warm, tingling feeling in my hands as a yellow glow came from under them and wrapped around the boy.

Gripping his hand tightly, I watched in disbelief as the wound slowly closed, proof that my healing abilities were successful. I hadn't used them since I accidentally healed Caleb when I was only six years old. I had been too afraid to use them from then until now.

'Thank Goddess! It worked!' I couldn't help but be grateful to her.

Looking at the boy's peaceful face, I saw he was no longer in pain. But as I continued pouring my energy into him, I felt my life force draining away. I attempted to stop, but it was as if my hands were glued to the boy's hip.

Despite my efforts to pull away, the healing power only grew stronger, draining all of my energy and leaving me on the brink of unconsciousness. As black dots danced in front of my eyes, I knew I was being sucked into the veil of the void.

As I poured every ounce of my being into healing the injured boy, I didn't realize the toll it would take on me. My vision grew hazy, and I felt like slipping into an endless void. But just as I thought it was all over, a pair of strong hands wrapped around my waist and yanked me away from the boy. The sudden separation caused a surge of energy to burst, knocking us all off our feet and onto the ground.

As I blinked away the blur in my eyes, I was securely held by someone beneath me.

But who was it?

I couldn't quite make out their faces, and soon the darkness beckoned to me once again, and I succumbed to its embrace.

When I finally came to, I found myself in an otherworldly space. It was as if I were standing in a vast expanse of pure white, with nothing and no one around me. I couldn't help but wonder if I had been transported to the afterlife and somehow ended up in purgatory.

Did I die? Was this some sort of hallucination?

My gaze fell to my body, and I was startled to see that I was clad in a long white gown. And then, as if by magic, a woman materialized before me. She was also dressed in white and positively radiated an ethereal glow.

"Hello, Ava," she greeted me with a kind smile and a graceful bow. "It's a pleasure meeting you finally, dear one."

"Who are you?" I straightened my back and looked around at the pure white foliage surrounding me.

"We've been waiting for you," she continued.

But instead of responding to her, my mind was spinning with questions. "What is this place? Why am I here? What happened?"

The ethereal woman's lips arched into a sweet smile. She stepped closer to me and held my hand. "You're in limbo between this world and the next. Those deserving a second chance are welcome here. Once I have enlightened you on your life's purpose, I'll send you back to the place of the living."

"Um, oh-kay," The words came out of my mouth with ambiguity.

Then the woman added, "You're not dead. Your body is just unresponsive, as if you're in a deep sleep that you can't wake up from,"

Despite my confusion, I nodded again, eager to understand why I was in the middle of death and life.

"My guess is that your power nearly killed you when you healed that boy," she said, her words more a statement than a question. My heart was racing, wondering how she knew what had happened to me.

"Wait, how did you find out?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"All knowledge is mine. You and your people aren't the first to face adversity like this." The woman gave me a knowing grin.

My brows furrowed. "Then you know about me?"

Her pearly white teeth flashed at me. "Of course, I know who you are, Ava. I've been watching you from up here, dear one." She brushed my cheeks and patted them. "You are an angel with the capacity for good and evil. Every century, angels such as yourself are born. Your mission on Earth is to spread peace to everyone. But be aware, Ava. There is a shadow within you that could destroy you. If you give in to that darkness, you risk wiping out all life on Earth," she explained with a hint of warning.

"I'm what? An angel?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it.

She jerked her head back and forth. "That's right. It is also why your wolf is as white and pure as your heart. It stands for the good in you. Aside from yourself, there is no other white wolf anywhere."

"But I've never seen her. She left me." I murmured.

"Oh, let me help you with that," she said kindly, stepping closer to me. She placed her hand on my forehead, and suddenly I heard a voice in my head.

"Ava!"

It was her—my wolf.

"Do not forget, Ava, that you are no longer a part of that horrible pack. You are not to blame for your mother's untimely passing. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you'll have full control of your abilities. Whatever your future holds, I hope you'll live it with your purpose, Ava." She embraced me and then disappeared.

As I opened my eyes, I gasped for breath. I bolted upright from the ground where I'd been lying and found myself lost in Katie's warm, honey-brown gaze. She had a look of concern etched on her face as she pulled me into a tight hug, relieved that I was still breathing.

"You scared the hell out of me," she said, holding me close.

"I'm sorry," I replied sheepishly.

"We thought you had died! Your breathing almost stopped, Ava!" She continued, her eyes never leaving mine.

"I'm fine," I assured her, feeling better than I had in a long time. "I just lost consciousness after healing the child. Where is he? Is he okay?"

All of a sudden, Katie hugged me. "Yes! You saved him, Ava! The boy is fine now. But you don't have to worry about him anymore since the pack warriors took him to the clinic."

"That's good. At least he's safe now." I sighed in relief.

For the first time, I felt I had a purpose—something worth living for. I couldn't believe I would be able to help the kid. At first, I doubted my abilities, but as soon as I saw his wounds closing up with my power, I knew all of it was real.

After my conversation with the mysterious woman, my guilt over my mother's death was lifted, and it felt like a huge burden had been removed from my shoulders. I couldn't keep living with the guilt of something I didn't do.

And I swore that I wouldn't be the one responsible for the end of the world.

I scanned the room, hoping to see Jay, but he was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, I turned my attention back to Katie.

"By the way, Ava, what happened—" she began, but her words were drowned out by a piercing scream that came from deep within me.

"Gahh! Fuck!" I heard myself repeatedly scream, writhing in agony as I clutched my stomach. This was a kind of pain that I had never felt before, and I had no idea what was happening to me.

"Oh, shit! Are you okay?" Katie's voice was laced with concern, but it was clear that there was little she could do to help me.

Another wave of pain hit me, and I collapsed onto the floor as I felt a knife stabbing my spine. Bones were breaking inside me, rearranging themselves in a way that felt like torture. I knew at that moment that I was transforming into my wolf.

It was nothing like I had imagined before. When I met my wolf, I would've thought I'd be able to transform into her. However, she suddenly left me without even giving me a word. With that, I'd never expected to be in this state now or at least transform in front of the crowd.

I had heard it was painful, but this was beyond anything I could have prepared for.

My body contorted and shifted, with fur sprouting from my skin. My small nose elongated into a snout, and I found myself on all fours, towering over Katie. I looked at my white fur and stretched out a paw, still trying to get used to my new form.

"Oh, my God! Is this...your wolf, Ava?"

When I turned around, Katie had a look of awe on her face. I cocked my head to one side, growling, and sat glumly on the floor. She slowly approached me and ran her hands through my white-covered fur. She beamed at me as I purred loudly with pleasure.

"What's going on?" a voice demanded.

I turned to see the man I had seen with my mate. He was staring at me in disbelief, mouth agape. I was a massive wolf, standing just as tall as he was.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Katie said, beaming with pride.

The man parted his mouth. "Is that—"

Suddenly, my mate appeared in the doorway. "What is this commotion again?!" He halted in front of me, clearly taken aback by my wolfish appearance; however, his expression of surprise soon faded.

He walked over to me, and my wolf began to purr with delight.

'Mate! He's our mate!' She was even more excited than I was.

"Everyone, out! NOW! " he ordered, and they left the room immediately.

***