The Substitute Mate: Rise, luna! Rise!

VIENNA’S POV

I stumbled back to my shabby room, a small, dark space with nothing but a thin, worn blanket on the floor. The icy cold seeped through the cracks in the walls, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. Curling up under the blanket, I let the tears flow freely.

It was all bullshit. He was the one cornering me and yet... I was hurt. What did I do to deserve this? My parents, my twin sister, and everyone from the Ambersy Pack never treated me like this before!

"Mother, Father, Victoria," I whispered into the darkness, my voice breaking. "I miss you all so much."

The memories of my family surged through me, each one a stab to my already broken heart. I remembered Victoria calling me by my nickname, "Sunshine," as she saved me. It had been so long since I heard her call me that. Before we turned 13, she always called me Sunshine. We were inseparable, the best of sisters, doing everything together.

We used to be happy, playing around, supporting each other doing our hobbies together, but then... she changed.

Flashback

"Sunshine, wait up!" Victoria's voice rang out as we raced through the meadow, our laughter blending with the rustle of the wind. She was always faster, her wolf's spirit giving her an edge even before she awakened.

"Hurry, Victoria, or I'll beat you to the tree!" I called back, my legs pumping as fast as they could.

We reached the old oak tree at the same time, collapsing in a heap of giggles. "You cheated," she pouted, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Did not!" I stuck out my tongue.

Those were the days of innocence, when the world was just the two of us against everything. We spent hours playing hide and seek, climbing trees, and pretending to be the greatest warriors of the pack.

One day, when we were twelve, Victoria came to me with excitement in her eyes. "Sunshine, let's go hunting in the forest!"

I yawned, still sleepy from our late-night adventure the day before. "I think I'll stay home and sleep, Victoria. I'm too tired."

She patted my head affectionately. "Alright, little lazybones, I'll go by myself then."

I watched her leave, never imagining that it would be the last time she looked at me with such warmth. She went missing that day, and the entire pack was thrown into a frenzy. For two days, we searched, our hearts heavy with fear and worry.

When Victoria finally returned by herself, everyone was surprised and overjoyed. I ran to her, tears streaming down my face. "Victoria! You're back! I was so scared!"

But something had changed. She looked at me with a cold, distant expression. "I'm fine, Vienna," she said, her voice void of emotion. Even her smile seemed forced, a shadow of its former brightness.

From that day on, she was different. No more games, no more shared secrets. I thought she was angry because I didn't go with her that day. I tried everything to make it up to her. Handmade gifts, cooking her favorite meals, but nothing worked. She never called me Sunshine again—until the day she died.

End of Flashback

I clutched the blanket tighter, my tears soaking the fabric. "I'm sorry, Victoria," I sobbed. "I should have gone with you that day. Maybe things would have been different."

The guilt weighed heavily on me, a constant reminder of my failure. I remembered her cold eyes and distant smile, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in her missing two days. What had changed her so drastically? And why did she wait until her final moments to call me Sunshine again?

As I lay there, the pain of the past mingled with the agony of the present. My body ached, my heart ached, and the future seemed like an endless tunnel of despair.

Tonight, all I could do was cry and remember the days when I was still Sunshine.