HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

--Current Day--
The once tranquil woods seemed to shift, becoming a cold, sinister place, the air thick with a strange, unnatural energy. Her breath quickened, her pulse spiking as she sensed something creeping closer. She scanned her surroundings, but the thick fog obscured everything beyond a few feet.
Then, they appeared.
From the shadows, dark figures materialized-twisted, grotesque entities with no clear form, just empty, hollow voids where eyes and faces should be. Their movements were erratic, flickering in and out of her vision like shadows caught in a storm. These weren't ordinary spirits; they were hungry, ravenous creatures, desperate to feast on something living, something human.
Luna's heart raced as she recognized what they were-demons hungry for souls. Her human scent had drawn them, and now they surrounded her, circling slowly like predators toying with their prey. She reached for her power instinctively, but nothing came. She cursed under her breath, realizing just how vulnerable she truly was. Mortal. Weak.
One of the creatures lunged without warning, its ethereal form slithering through the air with a chilling hiss. Luna barely dodged, spinning out of the way as its claws sliced the air beside her. She threw her hands up in defense, instinctively trying to summon the remnants of her once godly strength, but all that came was a dull pulse of energy-enough to push it back, but not enough to stop it.
Another demon launched at her from behind. She twisted, kicking out at it, but her strike went straight through its mist-like form. Cold tendrils wrapped around her ankle, yanking her to the ground. She gasped as she hit the dirt hard, her head spinning as her vision blurred. A sharp pain seared through her leg, and she realized one of them had managed to tear at her skin, dark blood seeping into the soil beneath her.
They swarmed closer, their soulless eyes glinting with hunger. Luna fought to rise, slashing at them with desperate, uncoordinated movements, but her blows did little more than slow them down. She was losing this battle. Her heart pounded as she tried to scramble to her feet, but they were too many, and her body was too weak.
One demon's cold claws reached for her throat, and Luna closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable.
As her vision dimmed and despair took over, Alex's face flashed before her eyes. His smile, the warmth he sometimes let slip when he thought no one was watching. Her heart ached, But then-a deep, guttural growl echoed through the forest.
It was a sound that sent shivers down her spine, raw and powerful, vibrating through the very air around her. The demons hesitated, their movements faltering as the growl grew louder, more menacing. They turned their hollow faces towards the trees, and then, without warning, something massive erupted from the darkness.
A colossal black wolf burst through the underbrush, moving with a lethal grace that was almost terrifying to witness. Its glowing golden eyes locked onto the demons with a rage so intense that even the soulless creatures seemed to hesitate. The wolf's fur blended seamlessly with the night, only its powerful muscles and sharp claws catching the pale moonlight.
The demons hissed and recoiled, but they were no match for the beast. With a single swipe of its massive paw, the wolf tore through the closest demon, scattering its misty form into the air. The creature dissolved into nothing, its death as swift as it was final. The other demons tried to flee, but the huge wolf was faster. It moved like a shadow, ripping through them one by one, each attack precise and deadly.
Luna lay on the ground, panting and battered, but her eyes were locked on the wolf. She knew this wolf-Alex. Even in his monstrous form, his presence was undeniable. Relief and fury warred inside her as she watched him tear through the remaining demons, his growls low and feral. In minutes, the forest was silent again, the souls wiped out, their dark energy evaporating into the night.
The wolf stood there for a moment, its massive chest heaving as it surveyed the area. Then, slowly, its form began to shift. Bones cracked and reshaped, fur retracted, and in the place of the monstrous wolf stood Alex, bare-chested, his expression raw with worry and exhaustion. His eyes, those same golden eyes turned grey, now softened as they landed on her, filled with guilt and something deeper-something she wasn't ready to name.
Luna's body ached as she tried to rise, her limbs trembling from both the fight and the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She was angry, so angry, but the sight of Alex-his chest heaving, his eyes filled with remorse-shook something loose inside her.
The air between them felt thick, almost suffocating, and she could barely contain the storm of emotions raging within her. Her mind raced, replaying everything she had just experienced. Betrayal. His lies , her fractured memories. All of it pointed to one undeniable truth: Alex was involved.
Her heart burned with rage, seeing him like this-so human, yet the embodiment of the betrayal she had uncovered. Her eyes locked onto him, anger seething beneath the surface. She could see his guilt in every step he took, in the way his eyes lingered on her injuries, her mud-covered body. His lips parted, but no words came. He seemed lost, just staring at her injuries as if they were wounds inflicted on him.
Alex bent down, the weight of his actions heavy on his shoulders, grabbing a bag hidden behind a tree. He moved quietly, a man burdened by the guilt that threatened to swallow him whole. Without looking at Luna, he dressed, slipping into his shirt and pants with mechanical precision.
Every action felt futile, as if putting on clothes could somehow make him whole again, but it couldn't. Nothing could.
He grabbed his shoes from the pack, then slowly-deliberately-laid them at her feet, the gesture small, almost insignificant, but his eyes told a different story. He watched her, his gaze tracing her every breath, concern laced with an all-consuming guilt that had been festering inside him.
Luna refused to meet his eyes, her body rigid, every inch of her screaming with betrayal and fury. She didn't want to look at him-at the man who had held her trust in his hands, only to crush it.
"You knew everything ," Luna spat, her voice sharp and filled with venom. It wasn't a question. It was an accusation, and it cut deep.
Alex's jaw tightened, his chest constricting painfully. He didn't respond. He didn't defend himself because he had no defense. He didn't deserve one. He stood there, letting her words slice through him, the silence between them as heavy as the shame that anchored him in place.
Luna's voice was ice, cold and sharp, but beneath that frost was something darker, something raw.
"Were you there, Alex?" she demanded, stepping closer, her hands trembling, betraying the strength she was trying so hard to hold onto.
"Did you enjoy it?" She didn't wait for a response. The disbelief in her voice hardened into a wall she was trying to build between them. "All this time, you knew. And you never said a word. You-" Her voice cracked, her throat tightening with disbelief, "you lied to me."
Her words tore through him, but Alex stayed silent. He couldn't bring himself to speak, his gaze falling to her bare feet-muddy, scraped, bloodied. His hands twitched at his sides, an urge to kneel and tend to her wounds, to fix even the smallest piece of the damage he'd caused, but he didn't move. What right did he have to touch her now?
His silence only fueled her rage, the fire in her eyes blazing hotter as she stared at him-at the man who had somehow become both her protector and betrayer. She searched his face for answers, but his silence gave her nothing.
"Why?" she demanded again, her voice breaking. "Why did you pretend? You out of everyone very well knew it wasn't me?" Her chest tightened painfully, her voice barely above a whisper as her fury collided with the deep hurt she could no longer contain. "Why did you stood there in the centre of everyone that wanted me gone ?"
Still, Alex didn't speak, his shame so overwhelming he couldn't even bring himself to meet her gaze. He was crumbling under the weight of his own guilt, but no matter how much he wished to, he couldn't undo the choices he'd made.
"Say something!" Luna's voice cracked like thunder, her fists clenched at her sides, trembling with the force of her emotions. "You owe me that much." The bitterness dripped from her words like poison, each syllable cutting deeper than the last. "You followed me, watched me, pretended to care-" Her voice faltered, breaking under the strain of her anger and heartbreak. "And now I find out you were there that night?"
Her words felt like a knife to his chest. He wanted to say something, anything, but what could he say that would make a difference? Nothing he said would change the truth, and she knew it. He knew it.
The silence between them stretched, unbearable.
"Fine," Luna whispered, her voice cold, every ounce of warmth drained from her tone. "You don't have to explain. I don't want to know. You're free now, Alex. You can go." Her words fell between them like the final stroke of a guillotine. "Go."
At that moment, Alex felt something in him shatter. Her words-tore at him more than he could bear.
His breath hitched, his heart pounding in his chest, and before he could think, before he could stop himself, he fell to his knees in front of her, his hands trembling as he whispered, "I'm sorry."
The apology hung in the air, the quiet forest amplifying his words until they felt like they were echoing in her ears. His head bowed low, shame washing over him, drowning him in its depths, and Luna stood frozen, staring down at him as her anger clashed with the pain she'd been trying to suppress. His vulnerability, his shame-it was all laid bare before her.
He reached into the bag at his feet and pulled out a silver dagger. The blade gleamed in the moonlight, catching her eye as he held it up to her, his hand shaking.
"Punish me," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "I deserve it. For everything-for not stopping what happened that night. I didn't know-" His voice cracked, breaking under the weight of his confession. "I didn't know it would end this way, Luna. I swear to you, I didn't."