Saving Aeron

Death and Dignity Part 2

There was darkness. Had they missed and maimed her, causing blindness and numbness?

“No.” A dreamy voice, distant but in her brain etched calm into her. “You are waiting.”

Waiting in darkness as she had lived.

“The moon has always dwelled in the darkness. I have seen your fate and it has been broken too soon.” The admonishment was not to her but to some other presence she could barely feel. “You were taken from your pack, and I will restore you.”

Panic bubbled within her. Darkness would be preferable to the pain and death that she allowed to happen.

“Do not put that on you. Those deaths, that pain, happened because of others and I will restore those who fought for you and beside you. You will need to choose. You will need to lead. This gift.”

Warmth flooded Brigh’s senses. Rhigan awoke inside of her and galloped. Her wolf had returned to her. She hadn’t felt her wolf, her companion since her sister had poisoned her with wolfsbane. The tonic had killed her wolf but failed to kill her.

“Your Alpha has turned a vow into a blood oath. The seeds of rebellion had already been planted and that oath will break the yoke that binds them. He has awakened the Moon and she has turned her face from him. From the moment you open your eyes, you will have her power and he will be powerless. You are light returned to flesh.”

Before Brigh could process the words, light and noise, howls and a collective hum of happiness washed over her. She opened her eyes and in her arms was Fergus, warm and smelling of the spiced rum, fresh air, and cedar. Rhigan howled and threatened to attack. Fergus’ body tensed at the scent of aggression, but his wolf stood down.

“What’s wrong my love? Why does Rhigan react like that on our wedding day?”But then he recoiled, as if his shoulders were suddenly being pushed down. "Angus is missing."

She reached out of empathy. "What?" Wolves don't just go missing but the Moon Goddess' words replayed in her head. Did his missing wolf make him powerless?

"Angus is gone. He was here. He's gone." He fell to the ground, his body shaking. A crowd began to form and before I knew it, Gwyn was pulling me away and two other wolves were carrying Fergus to the infirmary.

Gwyn bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Luna. We're just taking precautions. If Angus is gone, Fergus will take some time to heal. It's violent and upsetting, and he might hurt you."

Words wouldn't form for her. She searched Gwyn's face for some sort of recognition that she need questions that she couldn't ask, answered.

Rhigan pranced around Brigh's head. "Angus is gone. There was no scent of him anywhere."

The Moon Goddess sent her to her wedding day. She made Fergus powerless. She had five years to not die. Four years to save Balor. Did the loss of Angus already save her life?

Gwyn put his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine at the next moon. We'll find what happened, bring Angus back, and Fergus will be himself. You'll have a proper honeymoon." She felt herself pushing her heart to care, to want to see her husband before he turned away from her, to help him, to pray for his life.

The Moon Goddess would laugh at her. This was her gift, a chance to make sure her pack would survive and thrive and she's already wasted half of the night wanting to care about a lying, cheating murderer.

On cue, her sister walked in the door, her eyes puffed, and red. Neasa wrapped her arms around Brigh's neck. Rhigan stopped rejoicing but didn't attack. "She smells like anchovies and onions."

"What happened?" She squeezed onto the seat next to Brigh. "Was he ok during the ceremony? They won't tell me anything. They said all information will go through the Luna. Don't they know I'm your sister? I'm like the lady in waiting. I'm next in line. I should get some of the information."

Unlike traditional pack, the Aeron Pack passed power through the matriarchs. Brigh's mother, Ysilda, had led and her grandmother led after her great-aunt passed. It was The Luna who carried the pack. Marrying an Alpha from an ally pack cemented power. That was how Brigh and Fergus were matched.

On her 18th birthday, Brigh was introduced to all the area packs. On her 21st birthday, her family held an engagement ceremony to accept bids for Alpha. Neasa brought Fergus, the son of an Alpha and Luna from the south who had gone to university with Balor.

Fergus and Balor had been fraternity brothers, both studying business. They had been friends.

Brigh felt Riagan pace. She got up and fiddled with her wedding dress. How long had her sister and Fergus conspired for pack power? Had it been since their meeting? Brigh had kept Fergus at arm’s length for the majority of their courtship, making him wait until she was ready and sure that he could make a good leader. He never gave her a reason to doubt him. So now, she doubted herself.

“I need a minute.” She glanced at Gwyn and then at Neasa. Gwyn nodded and moved toward the door. Neasa remained in the seat, rubbing her eyes with a soaking tissue. “Gwyn, please help Neasa to her room and send some tea in for her. I’m sure her husband is worried for her.”

Smiling Gwyn escorted Neasa from the room.

“My eyes are open.” Riagan growled. “There is no love in her. Her wolf is of lunar mind and won’t yield.”

Lunar mind created a dangerous creature. The person gradually loses control of their wolf, loses awareness, and thoughts simply become fight, flight, or mate. If her sister didn’t get treatment, the wolf would take control and must be put down. A feral wolf was worse than a rogue.