Belle woke up to beeping sounds. Her body felt like lead, and her eyelids refused to open no matter how hard she tried. Through the fog in her mind, she caught snippets of hushed voices nearby.
"...at least 20 lash marks on her back," a male voice was saying. Not Kael, someone else.
"Who would do this?" That was Kael - her Alpha King - his voice tight with barely controlled rage.
"Whoever it was used a silver whip," the other voice continued. "Dipped in wolfsbane, too, judging by the readings. Her blood's swimming with it."
"How is she even alive?" Kael's voice cracked.
"I don't know," the man replied. "She's an Omega with a weak wolf. Even our strongest warriors would be dead with these injuries and this much wolfsbane in their system."
Belle tried to make a sound, to let them know she could hear them, but her body wouldn't respond. Panic bloomed in her chest.
Warm fingers brushed against her hand. "Belle?" Kael whispered. "If you can hear me, I'm right here. I'm not leaving you." His voice dropped lower. "I'll find who did this to you. I swear it."
She focused all her energy on squeezing his hand, but darkness pulled her back under before she could tell if she'd succeeded.
Sause found herself in a beautiful meadow, sunlight streaming down through scattered clouds. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, tickling her paws. Something felt off - she couldn't feel Midnight in her mind.
"Midnight? Are you there?" she called out mentally, but no response came.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of running paws. To her shock, Midnight appeared before her, not in her mind, but physically running toward her, tail wagging excitedly.
"How is this possible?" Belle whispered, confused.
Midnight just looked at her with knowing eyes. *Wait and see,* came the faint thought.
A bright light materialized, transforming into a stunning woman in a flowing white dress. Her skin seemed to glow with an otherworldly radiance.
"Hello, I'm Salena," the woman said, her voice like wind chimes.
"Where am I? How did I get here?" Belle asked, dizzy with confusion.
The woman smiled. "This is my home."
Realization hit Belle. "You're... the Moon Goddess?"
Salena laughed softly. "Yes, my child."
She knelt, running her fingers through Midnight's fur, making the wolf shimmer with light. "Your wolf has been kissed by the moon. She's special, as are you. You'll discover powers beyond imagination, but you must train for what's coming."
"Why didn't you help me when my pack hurt me?" Belle asked, tears forming. "What does 'moon-kissed' even mean?"
Salena just smiled mysteriously. "To make you stronger. I cannot reveal everything now."
"It's time to return," she said as blinding light enveloped everything.
As the beeping sounds filled her ears, Belle realized she wasn't in the meadow anymore. The beautiful vision of the Moon Goddess faded, replaced by the stark reality of hospital machines and Kael's worried voice.
"Please open your eyes, it's been days," he whispered, his fingers intertwined with hers.
With tremendous effort, Belle managed to flutter her eyelids. The bright hospital lights made her wince.
"Belle!" Kael's face lit up. "You're awake!"
Her throat felt like sandpaper. "Water," she croaked.
After taking a few sips, she looked at Kael. "I saw her... the Moon Goddess."
Kael's eyes widened. "What?"
"She said I'm... moon-kissed. That Midnight is special." Belle's voice trembled. "She said I need to train... for something coming."
Kael frowned. "Moon-kissed? That's... that's rare, Belle."
"What does it mean?"
"It means you have powers we don't understand yet." He squeezed her hand. "But first, you need to heal."
Belle closed her eyes, remembering Selena's glowing presence and how Midnight had seemed so separate from her, yet so connected.
"She said I'd have a hard time ahead," Belle whispered.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Not while I'm around."
Belle tried to smile, but exhaustion pulled at her. "The Moon Goddess said the pain made me stronger."
"That's a pretty cold comfort," Kael muttered.
As sleep started to claim her again, Belle felt Midnight stirring inside her, stronger than before. For the first time, she sensed a power she never knew existed.
"Train," she mumbled as she drifted off. "We need to train..."