"Sasha!" I screamed as she collapsed to her knees, desperately trying to salvage what remained of her precious herbs.

Demi's laughter echoed through the courtyard as she deliberately brought her heel down on another vial. The sound of glass shattering seemed to pierce through my very soul.

"Stop," I begged, my voice breaking. "Those are her only hope."

"Hope?" Demi repeated, her eyes gleaming with malice. "How pathetic."

Sasha's fingers trembled as she reached for a small pouch that had somehow survived the initial onslaught. Her eyes filled with tears as she clutched it to her chest.

"Please," she whispered. "Just this one."

Something in Demi's expression shifted—a flicker of rage that transformed her beautiful features into something monstrous. Without warning, she drew back her foot and kicked Sasha squarely in the ribs.

The sound of impact made my stomach lurch. Sasha crumpled forward, the air rushing from her lungs in a painful gasp. Her body curled into itself as she struggled to breathe.

"You cripple," Demi hissed. "You're not even worth the effort."

I dropped to my knees beside Sasha, my hands hovering over her trembling form. "Sasha, baby, where are you hurt?"

"Ribs," she managed to whisper, her face contorted in pain. "Can't... breathe..."

Something inside me snapped. The last thread of restraint I'd been clinging to—the last vestige of the dutiful Luna who respected pack hierarchy and tradition—disappeared in an instant.

"She's wolfless!" I snarled, gathering Sasha into my arms. "She can't heal like we can!"

Demi shrugged, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "Not my problem."

The world around me blurred red. My skin prickled as the shift began—not the controlled, careful transformation I'd been taught since childhood, but something wild and furious that tore through me like a storm.

"Anastasia," Sasha gasped, her eyes wide with fear. "Don't—"

But it was too late. My bones cracked and reformed as my body contorted. Silver-white fur erupted across my skin, gleaming in the sunlight as I completed the transformation.

Where once stood a woman now crouched a massive wolf—larger than any female wolf in our pack, with fur that seemed to capture and reflect the sunlight. My wolf had always been unusual—too large, too fierce for a Luna. August had once called it my "Alpha wolf." Now, I understood why.

I threw back my head and released a roar that shook the windows of the villa. The glass trembled in its frames as my fury echoed across the cliffside.

Demi's smug expression vanished. Her eyes widened in genuine fear as she stumbled backward, her hand flying to her throat—to the Moon Goddess's Tear that hung there like a mockery.

"Get behind me!" she shrieked to her enforcers. Gone was the tough Alpha female act, replaced by raw terror.

The rogues moved with practiced efficiency, forming a protective wall between their employer and me. I saw the calculation in their eyes—they knew what they were facing. Not just any wolf, but a Luna in full fury.

"Shift!" Demi commanded, her voice shrill. "Now! Stop her!"

The air filled with the sounds of bones cracking and bodies contorting as the five rogues transformed into their wolf forms. Unlike my sleek, powerful shape, their wolves were patchy and scarred—the result of lives lived outside pack protection and healing.

They circled me, five against one, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. I positioned myself over Sasha's prone form, my massive body serving as a shield.

The first rogue lunged from the left, aiming for my exposed flank. I pivoted and caught him mid-air, my jaws closing around his throat. Blood filled my mouth as I shook violently, throwing him against the stone wall.

But the victory was short-lived. Two more rogues attacked from opposite sides, their teeth sinking into my shoulders. Pain lanced through me as I howled and twisted, trying to dislodge them.

I caught one by the scruff and hurled him toward the cliff edge. He yelped as he tumbled through the air before catching himself on a rocky outcropping.

The remaining rogues pressed their advantage, sensing my distraction. I felt teeth tear into my flank, ripping through fur and flesh. Blood matted my silver coat as I fought to maintain my position over Sasha.

"Stay down," I growled at her through our pack bond. "Don't move."

She trembled beneath me, her eyes wide with fear and something else—a strange golden light that flickered briefly before dimming again.

The largest rogue, a mangy brown beast with scars crisscrossing his muzzle, lunged for my throat. I ducked and slashed upward, catching him under the chin. He yelped in pain but kept coming.

I fought with everything I had—for Sasha, for the sacred artifacts, for the honor of my position. But as another rogue's teeth sank into my shoulder blade, I realized with growing dread that I couldn't hold them off much longer.

Pain exploded through my shoulder as another rogue's teeth sank deeper into my flesh. Blood matted my silver fur, making it slick and difficult to grip. I thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge the attacker, but more weight pressed down on me from all sides.

"Hold her still!" a gruff voice commanded.

I caught a glimpse of movement—one of the rogues raising something to his mouth. A small metallic object glinted in the sunlight.

A tranquilizer dart.

I tried to dodge, but there were too many of them. The dart pierced my flank, sinking deep into my muscle. At first, there was just a sting, then a spreading coldness that raced through my veins.

"No," I growled through our pack bond to Sasha. "No, no, no..."

The wolfsbane hit me like a tidal wave. My vision blurred at the edges as my body began to convulse. The shift reversed itself without my permission—bones cracking back into human form, fur retracting painfully into my skin.

I screamed as I returned to human shape, naked and bleeding on the stone path. The rogues didn't hesitate—they pinned my arms behind my back, their claws digging into my wrists.

"Got her," one of them muttered, his breath hot against my ear.

Through the haze of pain and wolfsbane, I saw Sasha. She was struggling to her knees, her face streaked with tears as another rogue grabbed her by the hair.

"Anastasia!" she sobbed, reaching toward me. "Don't hurt her! Please!"

The rogue yanked her head back, forcing her to look up at him. "Shut up, cripple."

I fought against the restraints, but the wolfsbane made my limbs heavy and unresponsive. Blood trickled down my side from multiple wounds, pooling on the stone beneath me.

"Enough of this," Demi's voice cut through my fading consciousness. She had recovered her composure, standing over us with cold calculation in her eyes.

She circled us slowly, her fingers tracing the Moon Goddess's Tear at her throat. "This is quite the mess you've made, Luna." The title dripped with mockery. "I can't exactly let you leave now, can I?"

Fear crystallized in my chest as I realized what she was implying.

"You see," she continued, addressing the rogues, "we have a problem. The Luna here witnessed me wearing pack artifacts that don't belong to me. And this one—" she nudged Sasha with her toe, "—she knows too much about my security arrangements."

The lead rogue nodded. "What are your orders, ma'am?"

Demi's smile was terrible to behold. "Well, it's tragic really. The depressed Luna, overwhelmed by her failing mate bond, took her own life by jumping from the cliffs." She gestured toward the ocean-side precipice visible in the distance. "And her poor sister-in-law tried to save her but... well, heroic efforts sometimes fail."

My blood ran cold as I understood her plan. "You wouldn't dare," I whispered.

"Oh, but I would." Demi leaned down, her face inches from mine. "And no one will question it. August is too ashamed of you to investigate, and by the time anyone else starts asking questions, I'll be the new Luna with a very supportive Alpha mate."

She straightened and nodded to the rogues. "Take them to the cliffs. Make it look convincing."

Rough hands grabbed me by my arms, dragging me across the stone path. Another rogue hauled Sasha to her feet, gripping her arm so tightly she cried out in pain.

"Please," Sasha begged, her eyes wide with terror. "You don't have to do this."

"Shut up," the rogue snarled, shoving her forward.

We were marched across the resort grounds, past terrified staff members who averted their eyes. No one dared intervene—not against the woman wearing the Moon Goddess's Tear, not with five massive rogues serving as her enforcers.

The path grew steeper as we approached the cliffs. I could hear the crash of waves against the rocks hundreds of feet below. The wind whipped my hair across my face as we reached the edge.

"Perfect spot," Demi said, surveying the area with satisfaction. "Tragic but believable."

I summoned what little strength remained in my wolfsbane-weakened body and lunged toward Sasha. The rogues were momentarily surprised by my burst of energy, and I managed to wrap my body around hers, shielding her from the cliff edge.

"If we're going to die," I whispered to her, "I'll die protecting you."

The lead rogue grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Enough dramatics," he growled, positioning himself to shove us over the edge.

I closed my eyes, holding Sasha tightly against me. The wind howled around us, and waves crashed below. This was it—the end of everything.

Then, suddenly, the wind died.

The birds stopped singing.

An eerie silence fell over the cliffside, broken only by the distant crash of waves far below.

Something had changed in the air—a shift in power that made even the rogues hesitate.