Light of The Moon

Chapter 3

The sunlight filtered past the drapes and into my eyes at the crack of dawn the following morning.  My eyes flitted open, and, for the briefest moment, I forgot where I was. I tugged the sheets up to my throat as I took in my surroundings.  From what I could tell, I was in the inn, in the village, but what surprised me even more was when I realized I was alone. As I stood up, I wondered where Alpha Darius had gone until I saw a tray on the table by the door.  On it was some ham, bread, boiled eggs, and some fruits as well as a letter. I frowned and picked up the letter.

"Didn’t want to wake you, but I had to attend a meeting with the other Alphas before the pack meeting this morning.  Breakfast is on the tray, clothes are on the trunk, and Robert is outside the door. Follow him to the pack meeting when you’re ready.

Darius"

I turned towards the trunk and found a dark blue gown waiting for me.  I frowned in shock at the elegance of the velvet fabric and the silver embroidery along the sleeve and the neckline.  It made my usual gown seem like a burlap sack. I looked down at myself and realized I still only had the cloak wrapped around me, so I slipped the gown over my head.  It fit me perfectly, which was even more surprising than anything right now. Nearby, there was a hairbrush nearby, so I tamed my hair and braided it, just like always.  Once I was dressed, I sat down to try and eat breakfast, but the memory of the humans killing that male made me sick to my stomach, so I stood up and opened the door. Standing right outside, like said in the letter, was Robert.  He turned and smiled at me.

“You ready to go?” he asked, and I nodded.  He frowned when he looked and saw the untouched tray of food.  “You should eat something before we go. Alpha insisted.” I swallowed hard and shook my head.

“I can’t stomach anything right now,” I said, and he bit his lip and nodded.

“I see,” he sighed.  “Alright, but you get to tell him if he asks.  I’m not taking the brunt of this one.” With that, we walked down the hall and the stairs, through the inn, and out to the Village Hall.  By the time we arrived, everyone else in the pack, as well as every wolf from the other packs, were there already, all screaming in outrage as the Alphas, all lined up at a high table, tried to keep order.  I stood close to Robert, who stayed towards the back.

“Humans on our lands?” called out one of the many wolves in mock surprise.

“They dare kill one of ours?” called another.

“Kill them all!” several screamed out.  “They must pay for what they did!” I whimpered uncomfortably as more and more were yelling out in agreement.  Finally, Alpha Darius stood up.

“That’s enough!” he bellowed over the noise, and everyone fell silent.  He sat back down as he continued. “You all know the law. They declared war, not just on this pack, but on all wolves!”  Everyone cheered in agreement, and I looked around. Everyone had blood lust in their eyes, and hatred burned in every vein in their bodies.

“He wasn’t one of ours!” one called out.  “Why should we care about some outside wolf?  E should have been more careful!” I swallowed hard, feeling ill, and tried to inch my way towards the door, until my mother cried out.

“What about my daughter?” she called out.  “She could have been hurt!” She looked around as she clutched my father’s arm.  “Or worse, they could have discovered our secret if they had caught her!” Several people murmured and glanced in my general direction.

“If that’s true, why hasn’t she said anything this whole time?” asked one wolf from another pack.  “Maybe she was just faking it!” Several wolves nodded in agreement, and I shrank back, until Alpha Gabriel shouted.

“Enough!” he called out, and everyone fell silent.  He then turned to me. “If she has anything to say about this, she can come forward and say it now.”  Everyone looked at me, and I swallowed hard. It was rare for an Omega to be granted a chance to speak out for themselves at a pack meeting, and now I was expected to say something.  Taking a deep breath, I looked up at the high table.

“It’s always a terrible loss when we lose a wolf, no matter what pack they came from,” I said, and people nodded in agreement.  “Those hunters came to our lands, looking for trouble, and they killed one of our own and put everyone, including myself in danger.”  From here, I was conflicted. Everyone wanted blood, and I knew the law, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the human who had shown remorse for what they had done.  Finally, I continued. “We should hunt the ones responsible for the death of one of ours. An eye for an eye.” All around me, people shouted in disbelief.

“Typical female!” someone shouted.

“Soft hearted Omega!” screamed another.

“Kill all the humans!” shouted several.  “Make them all pay!” Alpha Gabriel raised his arms.

“That’s enough, all of you!” he called out, silencing them all.  He then motioned for me to step forward as he continued. “This Omega witnessed it first hand, so she has earned the right to speak on the dead’s behalf.”  A weeping woman called out from across the room.

“If she was there, why didn’t she save my son?” she asked accusingly as she glared at me.  I winced as if I had been stabbed in the back. “My son is dead, and you let this… this… b***h speak on her behalf?  It’s her fault he’s dead!” Murmurs came from several members from her pack as more glares were caught in my direction, each sending a hot flash up my spine.  Before anyone else could say anything, Alpha Darius roared in anger.

“She’s not at fault!” he bellowed just as loudly as before as he stepped down from the high table and among the rest of us.  “Omega or not, she’s a female, and our policy is to never put our females in danger. If she had tried to stop them, she herself could have been killed or worse.  They could have found out our secret and come for us all." All eyes shifted from him to me before shifting back. "What she did was for the protection of the packs."  All around me, pack members murmured and nodded in agreement, and I sighed with relief. I never liked being the center of attention, and having everyone's thoughts on something else made me feel safer.  Alpha Gabriel finally stood beside Alpha Darius.

"We shall put it to a vote: all in favor of attacking the human village?" he asked, glancing around at the remaining Alphas.  A hand or two raised, and Alpha Gabriel continued. "Those in favor of hunting down those responsible for the death of Henry Gravis of the New Moon pack?"  The remaining Alphas raised their hands, and he nodded. "It is decided. An eye for an eye!" The Town Hall erupted in a series of cheers and chants, and it grew so loud I had to step out before I grew faint.

When I stepped out, I found myself on the abandoned paths of the village and sat down by the well.  I tried not to think about the male who had died the night before, but, every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the spray of blood that had flowed so steadily from his decapitated corpse.  Nausea overtook me, and I doubled over, dry heaving next to the well. When my stomach finally settled, a hand fell on my shoulder. Startled, I stood and found myself face to face with Alpha Darius.  His brow had furrowed into a frown, but his eyes were soft with what looked like concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and I stood and nodded, not looking him in the eye.  He stiffened and shook his head in annoyance. "Why will you not look at me?" The question surprised me, and I tilted my head.

"No wolf should look an Alpha in the eye unless they're challenging him," I said casually in a matter of fact tone.  "That especially goes for a female Omega." He tucked my chin in his palm and tilted my head up towards his face.

"Please, look at me now," he pleaded in a voice that was far different from his usual deep and commanding voice.  He sounded more like a child pleading for a bit of sweets than the most powerful Alpha in the region. I lifted my eyes and stared into his dark brown eyes.  They reminded me of chocolate, and my knees grew weak as I stared at them. He finally smiled at me. "You don't look like an Omega to me," he said. I would have responded, but a group of men, accompanied by Alpha Gabriel, stepped out and approached him.  Alpha Gabriel smirked a little as he looked at Alpha Darius.

"Our hunting party is ready," he said.  "All we need is the blood memory, and we'll be ready."  The expression on Alpha Darius's face hardened, and his commanding tone returned.

"I will collect it myself," he stated.  "I will be the one to give the order." Alpha Gabriel nodded and, casting one last glance at me, led the men to the inn, where I assumed they were going to prepare for their hunt, as always.  I looked back towards Alpha Darius and found him staring at me once more. "I'm sorry… Since you won't be there to identify the humans for us, I'll need the blood memory." I nodded and, pulling my braid to one side, exposed my neck to him.

He lowered his head, bared his fangs, and bit down.  I winced at the initial shock of the bite, but, as he sucked a small mouthful of blood from my neck, the pain dulled, and my body remained relaxed.  Upon swallowing the blood, he knew beyond a doubt, having seen the crime through my own eyes through that small amount of blood, what each human had looked like.  He drew his head back and wiped his mouth. I placed my hand over the bite, which was already closing up, and he nodded.

"Robert and my men will be looking after you and your family until I return," he said.  Then he did something I never expected. He cupped my face in his hands, bent my head down, and kissed my forehead.  "I will return soon, Hanna." With that, he turned and took off towards the inn.