The night was heavy with silence, the moon high and veiled by restless clouds. Damian stood in the shadows outside Luna's house, his pulse racing as her message replayed in his mind: "Meet me tonight. Come alone. I want answers—or I swear, I'll do something reckless."
He sensed her before he saw her—standing on the roof, her silhouette outlined against the pale sky.
"Luna," he called out sharply. "Get down. This isn't funny."
"I'm not joking," she snapped, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm tired of the secrets, Damian. I know something's wrong with me—my body's changing, and no one will tell me why. What am I carrying? What are you?"
Damian's heart pounded in his chest. "You don't understand what you're doing. Get down from there."
"Then tell me the truth!" she shouted. Her hands trembled at her sides. "Why do I feel like I'm not human anymore? Why did Julian say the word 'wolves'? Why do you keep disappearing when I need you most? If you don't answer me—I'll jump."
"Luna, don't!" he barked, stepping forward.
But her foot shifted—just slightly—and the tile beneath it crumbled.
Her scream tore through the air as she slipped off the edge, falling into the night.
Time froze.
Damian's body reacted before his mind did.
With a flash of gold in his eyes and a violent shudder through his form, he launched into the air. Bones cracked, limbs twisted, and fur burst from his skin. In mid-air, the man became beast—his true form unleashed for the first time in years.
He caught her just before she hit the ground, cradling her in massive arms as they landed in the shadows behind the house.
Luna gasped, clutching onto fur and warmth and power.
Her eyes widened as she looked up.
"You…" she breathed, her voice shaking. "You're… a wolf."
Damian shifted again, still holding her close as he returned to his human form. His face was full of anguish, and his breathing ragged.
"I didn't want you to find out this way," he whispered.
She stared at him, stunned—torn between awe, fear, and something deeper.
"But now you know," he murmured. "This is who I am, Luna. I'm not just a man… I'm the Alpha King of a bloodline that most believed had gone extinct. And the child you carry—heir to more power than this world has seen in centuries—is at the center of a war that's already begun."
Luna's breath caught in her throat. Every part of her life was now a puzzle she didn't even know she was solving.
But one thing was certain.
There was no going back.
---
Luna sat frozen in Damian's arms, the ground cold beneath her but her skin flushed with shock. Her mind spun with images—his transformation, the inhuman speed, the sheer power of what he had become.
"I don't understand…" Her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. "This can't be real."
Damian knelt beside her, still shirtless from the shift, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He didn't speak—he just watched her, letting her feel, letting her process.
"I wanted answers," she whispered. "But not like this… not—"
Suddenly, her body tensed. A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, seizing her breath. She gasped and curled over, clutching her stomach.
"Luna!" Damian was beside her in an instant, steadying her. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It hurts," she cried out. "The baby… it—it hurts…"
Damian's expression changed—fear tightening his jaw—but he moved quickly. He pulled her into his lap gently, placing a firm hand over her belly.
"Shhh… little one," he whispered, voice low and tender. "I'm here now. Calm down… your mother's scared, but she's strong. So are you."
He leaned down and kissed her stomach, just above where her hands had been clutching seconds ago.
Luna's body went still.
The pain ebbed almost instantly, like a wave retreating from the shore.
Her breath steadied, and the fire in her belly dulled to a quiet thrum.
She stared at him, stunned. "How… what did you just do?"
Damian looked into her eyes. "He recognized me. Our bond—it's already started to form. That child knows me, Luna. He's more than just a baby. He's… legacy. Power. Hope."
She was shaking now, not just from fear but from realization.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid," Damian admitted softly. "Not of what you'd think of me—but of what loving you would mean. I've lost too much. But I know now… I can't run from this. From you."
Luna rested her head against his shoulder, tears silently falling.
She didn't have all the answers yet—but she had him. And for the first time in a long time… that felt like enough.
---