SUBSTITUTE LUNA

- MARLIA - My eyes flicked open, I heaved softly. Rolling over. I was struggling to sleep but I knew I had to. Once it was day break, I might not get the chance again. The floor creaked, I sat up immediately, looking underneath the door. There was no one outside. ‘I must have imagined it’ I curled up under the sheets. ‘Marlia, try and get some sleep, please’. I shut my eyes. A sound came from outside, in front of the house this time. It was louder. Something just banged on the door. Shock ran through me. I flew up from bed, racing to the window. 'What the hell is going on? Did they find us?’ my fingers pressed on the window pane, hiding my frame as I peeped out into the woods. “Ah!!!" The maid's scream cut through me. My eyes widened. For a moment, I think I stopped breathing. Suddenly I felt too weak to leave the floor. “What’s going on? Oh God.” Tears pooled up in my eyes. My hands quivered, the fear pressing on my heart. I tried to ignore the fright. Somehow it worked, I managed to get to the door and Burst into the passage; Staggering. My body hitting the wall. Another scream echoed through the passageway. I covered my ears immediately. “No, Melissa. It's not her. It's not Nanny Melissa." My head shaking back and forth like denial could save me even though I knew her voice too well. My claws grew out, my heart rate increased. Mandy, my baby sister, her room was that direction. I leeped forward, nearing her room. My lips Parted and I tried to yell. “Mand…” A hand gropped my mouth, my body was dragged into the dark. “Oh God… let me go..” I struggled, trying to break free, thrusting my elbow backwards. “Mummy!!!" Fear laced my eyes wide immediately. That was Mandy's scream. “No, please. Let me go, please!!!” His hands turned my plea into a muffled shoutd of distress. I was bound tightly against the body of my capturer, I couldn't break free. Only my eyes were open, my body felt limp. Suddenly I heard sounds in the passage. “If I were you I wouldn't look.” He said. His voice was low, like a gentle whisper. It hinted of something. Of concern. But I am such an i***t, I looked. I still looked. My eyes fell on thin brown hair on a person carried by someone dressed in black. I froze, watching the whole figure reveal itself. Mandy, she was unconscious on the shoulders of one of them. Exhaustion washed over me, fear gripped me so bad I couldn't breathe. I shuffled on my capturer’s hold, stretching out my hands as if they would reach for Mandy. Something slammed on my head. Everywhere went blur immediately. I felt like a rag doll, as my captor turned my body around and onto his shoulder. “What do we do with that one?" Somebody said behind me. “I don't know. We will wait for the king's orders like we are supposed to do." My captor let out stren reply. “What I didn't think the little girl was gonna collapse from one blow. She was biting and hitting me. I had to do something.” "You moron. She is just a kid; we weren't supposed…” Their voices faded with my closing eyes. ******** “Marlia. Marlia. Baby wake up please. Marlia.” Weak aging hands shook me vigorously. Consciousness slowly returning to me. I opened my eyes. Mother's face was the first thing I saw. There was a deep bloody cut across her eyes. She held me immediately. “Oh my dear. Thank the moon goddess you are okay." “Mom." My tears dripped down my cheeks. She pressed my face over her chest. “Enough of that, you are making me sick." A deep voice scrowled behind me. Mother rushed to her knees immediately, pulling me up. My gaze went around the room. Masked wolves standing around us. The entire room in a mess, and Mandy, kneeling beside the boots of a large man. I recognized him immediately. Alpha Magnums Lucien Nightheart. He rose, his shoes pressing on Mandy's little hands. She groaned in pain. “Stop it!!!!!!" I screamed, hot tears burning my eyes. A kick flew across to me, hitting my head. I crashed to the ground. Blood damped my hair. “What a nosy b***h. Had I known you were this loud I would have killed you immediately." The wolf rose his leg to kick me again. Mother covered me. “Please stop, please. She didn't mean it. She is just scared, please." She begged. It fell on deaf ears. He went for the kick again. “Enough." Alpha Magnums halted him. The wolf pulled back. “Kneel" he said casually. Mother scampered to her knees immediately dragging me too. I rose my eyes to look directly at the bastard before me He wore a cold grin. Relaxing egoistically on the arm chair. “You should have known better. Plotting treason against me.” "We didn't do anything. We have always been loyal to you” Dad retorted, his tone coming from beside me. He sounded weak. "You still refuse to speak the truth even after everything." "I swear. We did no such thing. I am forever loyal to you, my alpha.” Dad’s voice was cautious but stern. Alpha Magnums chuckled. I kept my gaze in his face. “You are such a snake, Alphonso. I would have almost believed that had I not seen the evidence.” “Evidence?" Dad's voice began to quiver. I looked at him, there was fear written all over his face. 'No. Is that why he had us running since last week? Did he really commit treason? No it can't be?’ “You visited the Crimson pack some weeks ago,” Alpha Magnums continued. “Shortly after that, chests of Silver were sent to you.” The Alpha came close enough to meet Dad's eyes. “Do you still wish to lie?" “My Alpha, I swear it was not disloyalty that took me there. A royal guard to their King had a sick daughter. He begged me to help. I didn't know they sent me silver. I told him to pay me nothing. “ The Alpha began to laugh. Everyone else in the room followed. Like chuckles of the devil, resounding in my ears so much I thought it would never stop. "Oh so a money hungry bastard like you asked a man to pay you nothing.” “The Alpha's boots collided with Dad's face, it hit the ground Immediately. There was a sole stamp on his face. I realized immediately that it was the same on my mother's cheek. He hit mother too, just like that. He hit her so hard her face bled. “Well, if you think I am here to hear your trickery, you presume wrong Alphonso. I am simply here to watch you die for your treason.” The chair creaked as sunk in deeper, revering in his victory. “Kill him." That bloody wolf rushed dad, swinging his claws at him. Dad rose from the floor Immediately, and fl ung a knife at him. He braked immediately and dodged. But the knife was faster, it pierced his left eye. Dad glared at me. “Run!!!"