Silver Moon... Blood Red.

*Eliza's POV (The dream) The snow crunched loudly under my new, shiny red boots as I gleefully made my way towards the pack house. I knew the smells of the Yule feast tonight would be filling the large mansion we called 'home' by now. Mama, our pack's Luna, would be putting on her pearls and her best, most festive dress, and Papa, our Alpha, would be finishing up last minute pack business before taking the week off to take us on our yearly vacation to our cottage in the mountains. I knew my baby sister, Emily, was just about to wake up from her nap to squeal with delight as Mama attempted to get her ready for dinner. At 10 months old, she was what my Mama called "a handful'. It was my favorite time of year. Mountains of presents surrounded our Yule tree this morning, but my new boots and sled were the gifts I'd been most excited for. Having been out, playing in the snow for the day had left my cheeks bright red and chill was beginning to get the best of my limitations as dusk began to creep in. I was nearly out of the thick woods when I heard the first screams fill the night. I ran towards the pack house, towards the sounds of the screams, with all the speed my thirteen year old body could muster. Something was terribly wrong and my heart was beating impossibly fast as I ran. Adrenaline crashed it's way through every fiber of my being as I thought about Mama, Papa, and Emily. Suddenly, a woman's hand shot out of the darkness, grabbing me impossibly tight. I could barely registered her green eyes, like fresh spring grass, before she spoke. "Non, ma petite mignon. Endormir". The word suddenly went black. The next visions were blurred. Blood. There was so much blood. Tables overturned. Food Scattered. Body's covering the ground, indistinguishable. Emily's blood splattered baby blanket... I shot upright, drenched in heavy sweat, my thick brunette curls wet and sticking to my face as I gasped for air. Six years had passed since the night my world fell apart, yet I still dreamt of it like it happened yesterday. So vivid and detailed that I couldn't help the fresh tears that formed and fell from my eyes in the wake of it. It played over again in my head, leaving me with the same horror and unanswered questions as it did then. Why my pack? Who was the mystery woman who had prevented me from getting to the pack house? Why did I survive? Truthfully, I'd have preferred to have died with my family. At least then I'd have been spared these last six years of agony and pain, having to continue on without them. "That woman allowed us to survive. She gave us the opportunity to one day avenge our pack" ,Selene, my wolf, reminded me. I brushed her off. I wasn't sure if we'd ever get that chance. All I knew is that everyday without them was painful. I saw my mother in the face of every kindly, older woman. I heard my baby sister's laughter in the giggle of every baby around me. I was reminded of my father everytime I passed by the local park and saw the dads pushing their little girls on the swing sets. It has been nearly six years, and the loss of my family still ate me away. I've learned the hard way that time doesn't heal all wounds. Not even werewolf super healing could heal what was broken in me. I reached behind the wooden headboard of my twin sized bed and pulled Emily's baby blanket from where it was wadded up between the bed and wall and held it close while I silently wept into it. Rochelle had begged me to let her wash it, but I refused. Despite being spattered with blood, it had been the last thing Emily had touched. Somehow, the idea of washing it felt like I'd be washing Emily away. Washing away her last touch. When Rochelle saw how panicked I'd become, she stopped fighting me on it, on the condition I allow her to spray Lysol all over it. When Rochelle found me, it had been few weeks after the attack. I was a pitiful sight. Cold, dirty, hungry, and wet, I'd taken to hiding in alleyways behind restaurants, using cardboard boxes as best I could for shelter. It had taken me a good two weeks of wandering away from my pack's territory before I found the city. I spent my days digging through the trash for thrown out scraps and leftovers. Me, an Alpha's daughter, was living life as a common mongrel mutt. I tried to move locations every few days to avoid detection from the human authorities. Humans didn't know of our kind and it was one of our sacred laws to keep them in the dark about our existence. I had never asked Rochelle how she found me, or why she took me in. I just remember hearing a kind, oddly comforting, voice emitting from a gentle looking woman with ebony hair, pulled back into a loose bun on the top of her head walking down the alleyway, slowly peering around. "I know you're here, dear one", She'd said, " I won't hurt you, I just want to help. You'd best come with me, now, before the humans catch you and learn what you are". It was enough to gain my curiosity and attention. Something in my gut told me to go to her. I had slowly come out of my hiding spot between two large dumpsters and approached her. Looking up into her bright, blue eyes, I knew she was different, like me. However, unlike me, she wasn't a werewolf. She explained to me that she was what was called a "Gray Witch". Not all good, not all bad, just in the middle. She didn't limit herself to one area of practice and expertise. Her philosophy in life was maintaining balance in all aspects of life , and she held that balance within herself as well. She took me under her wing the night that she saved me from the alleyway and the unknown dangers of being an orphaned pup, without protection of any kind, alone in a very large world. She brought to me to her small, rural cottage just outside the city. At first, it looked like just thick forest, then she waved her hands, muttering some quiet words, and the forest seemed to draw back and reveal a quaint stone cottage with smoke coming from the chimney. "Cloaking" is what she called it. No one beyond the two of us knew it existed. She lead me down the flagstone path to her home and ushered me inside. It was the first time I'd ever seen magic. I was as shocked as I was impressed. She'd laughed at the expression on my face and told me the real magic was going to be getting all the caked up dirt off of me. After a thorough bath in a bathroom too big to have fit in the house, she set a bowl of stew on the table for me with thick crusty bread and a glass of lavender lemonade. It was the best meal I'd eaten in weeks. It had reminded me of my mother's stew recipe and I started crying in-between bites. Rochelle never said a word, just rubbed my back and let me quietly cry while I ate until I was full of food and exhausted from emotions. She lead me down a short hall that had a door on either side and explained the door on the left was my room, and hers was right across from my room, in case I needed her. She lead me into my new room and it seemed that, too, was too large for what size the house appeared to be looking from the outside. It held a twin bed, vanity, dresser, armoire, and desk. On one side, there was a door that held a small, private bathroom. On the other side, there was a door that opened into a walk-in closet. I remember being in disbelief that in a matter of hours I'd gone from hungry, dirty, cold, and wet orphan to clean, dry, fed, and warm pup, no longer uncared for and unprotected. I didn't know it at the time, but over the years, I've learned that the Moon Goddess truly was looking over me, blessing me with Rochelle. Rochelle had become like a beloved aunt to me. Always fussing over me, protecting me, giving me her words of wisdom. Rochelle was a blessing of the best kind. Even though I loved her dearly, she couldn't replace my family, though she often said she wished she could give them back to me. As if she heard my thoughts, a soft knock rapped on my door. "Eliza? Dear One, are you okay? I sensed some distress from you and Selene. I've brought some hot cocoa for you, if you'd like", came Rochelle's voice from just outside the door. Rochelle was a powerful empath and could pick up on mine and my wolf's emotions in a scarily accurate way. It was almost telepathic. "Yeah, thanks Aunt Roe, hot cocoa sounds great. Not sure I'll be able to get back to sleep anytime soon", I replied. The door swung inward as Rochelle entered, clad in her black house robe, two cups of cocoa in hand, as promised. She glanced down at Emily's old, dingy baby blanket and gave a small sigh. "It was the nightmare again, wasn't it? These nightmares of yours have been becoming more frequent recently. I can create a potion to keep them at bay if you'd like", she stated, looking at me with concern, handing me my mug of cocoa. "No, it's okay, really. I think it's just because it's almost the anniversary of it all. I think it's just PTSD stuff", I replied. I took in a grateful mouthful of the warm, delicious liquid chocolate and stared out my window. The snow was falling softly, in thick clusters outside. "Aunt Roe, did you ever find out what happened to the vampires that killed my pack?", I asked quietly. "Sadly, child, no. No one in my circles has had any knowledge of who they were or where they went. If I could give you some peace and tell you that justice was served to them, I would. Unfortunately, all I can offer you is the truth. There is word that yours wasn't the only pack, but it's all rumors. I've not been able to confirm it. If those rumors are correct, then you're the only survivor of such attacks", she spoke carefully. I sat with that for a moment. There were possibly other packs they'd slaughtered. Other families they'd ripped apart. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that the rumors weren't true. I prayed that no one else had been a victim to the same savageness that had done to my family. I prayed no more innocents had been slaughtered like helpless sheep. Images of the aftermath of the attack began to flash in my mind. "She has her reasons for what she allows, you know", Rochelle spoke, interrupting the silence and bringing me away from my thoughts. Bringing me back to my bedroom and cocoa. "hm? what do you mean?" I asked. "The Moon Goddess. She has her reasons. You must trust that She and the Universe know what they are doing", She replied. I looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Honestly, child, all this time and you still forget that your kind aren't the only ones who worship and pray to her", Rochelle said, slightly exasperated. It turned out that witches also prayed to the Moon Goddess and considered themselves her children. Considering that they had magical abilities, who was I to say they weren't? I looked down at my hot cocoa, moving the cup in small motions to swirl the little marshmallows around in a circle. "I know that", I said with a slight pause, "I just wish I knew what the reason was. Why did I have to lose my family in such a brutal, horrifying way? Why was I spared?". "All in good time, love" Rochelle said, smiling gently, patting my knee softly, "All in good time". Suddenly, Rochelle's blue eyes began to glow bright and the broom that I kept in the corner of my room fell to the floor. "Company is coming" She whispered harshly, in a not so reassuring tone.