Chapter 8: One of Us
Meredith's POV
As the feast came to a close, Meredith rose from the grand table. Her limbs felt heavy, not only from the long day but from stepping into a world she barely understood. Damien, Xavier, and Magnus cautiously stood with her. Wordlessly, they guided her toward the exit. Lanterns lined the walls, their soft glow casting long shadows as they walked.
Meredith remained silent, while the men seemed at ease, conversing in a calm, almost casual manner.
“I swear, did you see Liam spill that entire jug of beer?” Magnus chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.
Xavier grinned. “He’ll never live that down.”
“He’s lucky Damien didn’t see,” Magnus added. “His face was priceless.”
When they reached the midpoint of the corridor, Meredith suddenly stopped. The three men halted immediately, their playful smiles fading as they turned to her.
“Remove them,” she said quietly.
Damien furrowed his brow and stepped closer. “What?”
“The marks,” Meredith said. “Take them off.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then Magnus shook his head. “Little Wolf, the marks are for life. You know that already.”
“Besides, even if we could,” Xavier added gently, “we still wouldn’t.”
Frustration welled up in Meredith’s chest. “There must be another way,” she insisted. “This... the Moon Goddess... she’s made a mistake. I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t want to be here.”
She stepped back. “I’m scared…”
The air seemed to thicken as the three men exchanged confused glances. Damien stepped forward, his face serious. “Meredith,” he said softly, “we would sacrifice ourselves before we’d ever let anything or anyone harm you.”
Xavier nodded in agreement. “You are safe with us.”
Magnus remained silent, but his gaze was intense, his jaw clenched as though the very thought of Meredith being harmed was unbearable.
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want this. I... I don’t know if I can live like this.”
Damien’s expression darkened. “I know. But…”
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. “How can I be your Luna when I don’t even know who I am anymore?”
Xavier gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to be anything other than who you already are.”
Meredith looked between the three of them. Her chest tightened. She was terrified, but as she stared into their unwavering eyes, she felt something she wasn’t ready to name yet. Trust, perhaps? Or hope? But it wasn’t enough to silence the fear.
“I think I just need time,” she whispered. “I need time to figure this out. And… I need your help.”
Damien nodded, stepping back to give her space. “We understand.”
Magnus’s voice was softer than usual. “We’re not going anywhere...”
Meredith found herself alone in the spacious room that had been set aside for her. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind Damien, Xavier, and Magnus. Damien had given her a stern warning before he left: “If you try to escape, you will face a punishment more severe than you could ever imagine.”
Now, standing in the middle of the room, Meredith felt disoriented. Everything had happened so quickly. Just hours earlier, she had been a human, struggling to survive the Annual Purge, orphaned and broke. Now, she was something else entirely.
She roamed the room aimlessly, her footsteps echoing off the floor. How had she ended up here, marked and bound to a life she hadn’t chosen? She approached the large window that overlooked the Moonlit Pack’s expansive territory, hoping the view might offer some solace. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the forest and beyond. But instead of comfort, the scene felt like a cruel joke.
She slapped her own face, trying to jolt her senses. “Wake up, Meredith!” she muttered to herself. Yet, as she stared at her reflection in the window, it was clear this was no dream. Her heart raced, and her breaths came in quick, shallow gasps. She was very much awake.
She sank into a plush armchair by the window. What was she supposed to do now? How could she adapt when everything she had known had been torn away in a matter of hours? The marks on her skin and the title of Luna—these were not things she had ever imagined for herself. The more she tried to make sense of it, the more lost she felt.
Later on, Meredith lay on the bed, surrounded by plush pillows and warm blankets. Exhausted both mentally and physically, she eventually drifted into a restless sleep. When she awoke, she immediately sensed that something had changed—not in her surroundings, but within herself. It began with a mild throbbing in her head, which quickly intensified, forcing her to sit up and then stand, her legs shaking as she tried to steady herself.
Her bones seemed to swell and ache, while sweat began to bead on her forehead and trickle down her back, soaking into the linens beneath her. Her vision blurred, and a high-pitched ringing filled her ears, overwhelming her senses. An overpowering urge to bite surged within her.
"What is happening to me?" she thought frantically. The ache persisted, growing more excruciating by the second. She stumbled toward the window, hoping the fresh air might ease her discomfort, but the sight of the moonlight only seemed to heighten her dizziness. The pain was now unbearable, and she felt a deep, guttural growl building in her throat.
Meredith sank to the floor, clutching her head and chest in a futile attempt to soothe the pain. Whatever was happening, it was happening whether she was ready or not.
The door to Meredith’s room suddenly burst open with a resounding crash as Damien, Xavier, and Magnus stormed in. Damien’s eyes quickly scanned Meredith’s form, noting her sweat-soaked clothes and the pained expression on her face.
“It’s happening faster than we anticipated,” he said.
Xavier, kneeling beside Meredith, placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. “You’re right, Damien,” he confirmed. “It seems that being marked by all three of us has accelerated the process.”
Magnus, standing nearby, clenched his jaw as he observed the scene. “Normally, the marks affect only wolves in this way,” he said. “It’s unusual for a human to experience such a drastic change. The marks are meant to bind us, but their effects on a human… they’re different.”
Meredith could barely process their words. Her vision was clouded, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. “What’s happening to me?” she cried out.
“Your human form can’t endure the changes,” Damien said, his eyes softening. “So you’re becoming one of us.”
“Please,” Meredith pleaded. “The pain… it’s too much. Do whatever you can to ease it. I can’t bear this anymore.”
The three men exchanged troubled glances. Xavier was the first to speak. “Before we can help you, we need your consent. What we’re about to do will be intense…”
Meredith nodded quickly, her glistening eyes pleading. “Yes, anything. Just… make the pain stop.”
Damien and Magnus shared a brief look before turning back to her. Magnus moved closer. “We’ll do everything we can to ease your suffering, Little Wolf. But you must understand, once this begins, there’s no turning back.”
“It’s going to be difficult…” Xavier whispered in her throbbing ears.
Damien placed a comforting hand on her head. “But trust us.”
Meredith nodded, and the three men immediately moved into action. Damien positioned himself at her head, Xavier at her side, and Magnus at her feet. Meredith noticed the intense desire in their hungry eyes.
“What… will you do?” But no one answered, and Damien only smirked.