True Luna: The Darkness Within (The White Wolf Series Book 5)
True Luna: The Darkness Within: Chapter 1

Hunter’s POV

Pain.

Anger.

Sadness.

The pain was so immense that it felt as though my entire being was being torn apart. A hole had formed in the center of my chest, and no amount of effort could fill it. It was as though my heart had been ripped out and left to bleed out, leaving me to suffer in agony.

The pain I was experiencing was excruciating, beyond anything I had ever felt before. I was drowning in a sea of despair, desperately trying to keep my head above water, but with no hope in sight.

The anger that simmered inside me was a coping mechanism, a shield to protect me from the intense pain that threatened to overwhelm me. It was easier to be angry than to confront the depth of my despair, easier to lash out than to feel the crushing weight of my grief.

But even as I clung to my anger, I knew deep down that it was just a temporary solution. The pain would not go away, and eventually, I would have to face it head-on.

“Maybe we should go home, Hunter,” my mom mumbled. “There isn’t much we can do here.”

I gritted my teeth. The muscles in my arms clenched.

“I am not leaving,” I said, my voice unrecognizable. “I am staying here.”

I couldn’t leave. What if she came back? What if Alex found her before I did?

“Hunter…,” my father spoke, but I interrupted him.

“I am not leaving!” I said as I turned around abruptly. “I have the best chance of replaceing her right here!”

Mom, Dad, and Harry were looking at me with worry written all over their faces. Harry was quiet ever since she went missing and that was unusual. He always had something to say. He never shut up, but now he did.

“Our trackers are the best,” my dad said. “They will replace her and bring her to you.”

I tightened my jaw.

“They’ve been searching for eight days now and they still haven’t found her,” I mumbled, my voice breaking.

I buried my face into my hands and sobbed.

The depth of my longing for her was almost unbearable, a throbbing ache that consumed me completely. Every fiber of my being yearned for her, from the tips of my fingers to the depths of my soul. I longed for the familiar comfort of her scent, the way it wrapped around me like a warm blanket and made me feel safe and loved.

Her smile was etched in my memory, a beacon of light that had the power to lift me out of even the darkest moments. I missed the way her laughter filled the room and her eyes sparkled with joy. The mere thought of her voice made my heart skip a beat, each word was like a melody that I couldn’t get enough of.

Every moment spent apart from her felt like an eternity, a never-ending void that I could never fill. I missed the way her presence made everything feel right, like a missing piece of a puzzle that I had finally found. Without her, everything felt dull and lifeless.

I missed everything about her. I missed her smile, her voice, her scent, and her presence. She was the missing piece of my heart that I couldn’t live without, and every moment spent away from her was a moment too long.

“Oh, my baby,” my mom mumbled as she approached me and wrapped me up in a hug. “I am so sorry, honey. We will replace her. I promise.”

I was thankful to my mom for hugging me, but I didn’t want her hands wrapped around me. I wanted Sophia’s.

My dad huffed and started pacing around.

“It would be so much easier if we had any idea who took her,” my dad said angrily. “Who the fuck is crazy enough to go against Logan and his family? Who the fuck thinks they could defeat them?”

My mom sighed and rubbed my back gently.

“Alex and Logan are raiding every pack,” my mom said. “We should know something soon.”

It had to be now. It just had to be. I couldn’t be without her anymore. Every second felt like an hour. Every minute felt like a day. Every fucking hour felt like a week. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I couldn’t stand not knowing where she was.

I knew that she was alive. I was sure of it. Holden would know if she had died. Alex and Axel would know if she had died. She was alive.

But how was she? Was she hurt? Was she hungry or thirsty? Was she warm? It was cold outside. Winter was coming. Was she cold? Would she get sick?

I didn’t know the answer to any of these questions and it was killing me.

I barely spoke to Holden. He retracted completely and all I could feel were his overwhelming emotions.

“What about Anna?” my father sighed. “Did she ask around?”

“She did,” my mom answered for me. “She is still waiting on some responses, but she didn’t replace anything useful for now.”

“Fuck,” my dad mumbled.

I moved my hands from my face and looked up. My eyes fell on my brother.

“We will replace her, Hunter,” Harry said. “I promised that to Mike and I promise that to you. We will replace her.”

I tried to gulp down the lump in my throat, but it was so fucking hard too. I couldn’t do it no matter how hard I tried.

“I didn’t get a chance to get to know her well, but I can tell that she is very brave and very strong,” Harry continued. “She will be okay. I am sure of it.”

I gritted my teeth and nodded. My mom let me go and caressed my cheek.

“I wish there was something I could do, my baby,” my mom mumbled.

I wished that too, but there wasn’t anything my mom could have done. She couldn’t bring Sophia back to me.

I kissed my mom’s cheek and started walking out of the room.

“Where are you going?” my dad asked me.

“To see Alex,” I mumbled as I opened the door. “I need to talk to him.”

I didn’t wait for my family’s response. I closed the door behind me and started walking toward Alex’s office.

I took a deep breath and tried to prepare myself. Talking to Alex was a dangerous thing to do these days. He was as angry as I was, but with his enhanced abilities, he was much more dangerous. He had a hard time controlling his anger and he would snap easily.

I approached his office and knocked on the door.

“What?!” Alex shouted as I opened the door and stepped inside.