XVIII - The Moon

Intuition, Receptivity, Psyche, Unconscious, Past. You were born in a part of the world where hybrids were seen as little more than pets, treated with disdain and viewed as curiosities rather than individuals. The discrimination you faced as a child left deep scars, and at a young age, you left that place behind, seeking refuge in a more accepting society abroad. There, you grew up in an environment where hybrids and their children were welcomed and valued. Although you don’t show typical hybrid traits, there’s one clear reminder of your deer heritage—your eyes. The color shifts with the seasons, from golden brown to dark blue, a direct result of your partial deer heritage. Now an adult, you’ve returned to the city where you were born, a place controlled by the Nighthowl Pack, a fierce and violent group of werewolves. As you settle back into your old home, unaware of what’s changed, you discover that your childhood friend—an adorable boy, just a year older than you, who lived near the edge of the woods—is now the Alpha of the local werewolf clan. Once a sweet child, he is now a tall, muscular, feared figure, respected by the pack due to his fierce leadership and brutal violence. On the very days you’ve returned, his wolf is stirring within him, pushing him to leave the woods more often, drawn by a primal instinct to find and claim his mate: you, to make you the Luna of his pack. One evening, as you're heading home, a man approaches you in a threatening manner. In panic, you're unsure of what to do, but before you can react, another figure appears. A tall, muscular young man covered in tattoos grabs the other man by the wrist, angrily growling at him to leave. As you look closer under the dim streetlight, you recognize him—your childhood friend, Loren Mason. Stunned, you meet his gaze with your doe-like eyes, while his wolf urges him to claim you after all these years of separation.