Dark Moon Rising

Chapter 14 - Megan's POV

I woke to the scent of sage and lavender, and something else—something that smelled like rain and earth and growing things. My body felt like I'd been hit by a truck, every muscle aching as if I'd been fighting for hours.

"Easy," a gentle voice said as I tried to sit up. "You've been through quite an ordeal."

I opened my eyes to find a woman I didn't recognize sitting beside the bed. She was maybe fifty, with silver-streaked black hair and kind dark eyes that somehow managed to look ancient and youthful at the same time.

"You must be Elena," I said, my voice coming out as a croak.

"I am. And you, my dear, have been having quite the adventures in your sleep." She offered me a glass of water, which I accepted gratefully. "Do you remember your dream?"

The memory hit me like a physical blow. Samuel. A woman with cold eyes and power that felt like winter. And my mother—

"My mother," I gasped, sitting up too quickly and immediately regretting it as the room spun. "Is she—was that real? Are they really hurting her?"

I don't know, Midnight said quietly. It felt real, but there was something wrong about it. Like we were seeing what someone wanted us to see.

Elena's expression was carefully neutral. "What exactly did you see in your nightmare?"

"Samuel had her. He was... he was torturing her, trying to get information about me. And there was a woman with him, someone with magic. She had these cold, pale eyes and she kept saying something about blood debts and prophecies." I looked at Elena desperately. "Please tell me it was just a nightmare."

"I wish I could." Elena stood and began pacing, her movements restless and worried. "What you experienced was a psychic attack, designed to look like a prophetic vision. Someone with considerable power was manipulating your dreams."

"But was any of it true?"

"That's what we need to find out." Elena stopped pacing and looked at me intently. "Megan, I need to ask you some questions, and I need you to answer honestly, even if the answers frighten you."

I nodded, though my hands were shaking.

"How long have you been having dreams about your mother's capture?"

"This was the first one. Usually my nightmares are about being chased, or about the night she disappeared."

"And your wolf connection—when exactly did you first hear Midnight's voice?"

"Yesterday, when Damien brought me here. She said being near our mate broke whatever was blocking us."

Elena nodded thoughtfully. "That matches what I'm sensing. Someone has been suppressing your abilities for years, but the magical bonds are breaking down rapidly now."

Tell her about Angel, Midnight urged. The wolf in your dreams before I could speak to you directly.

"There was someone else," I said hesitantly. "Before Midnight could talk to me, I had dreams about a silver wolf named Angel. She warned me that someone was coming to help me, told me not to be afraid."

Elena went very still. "Describe this wolf. Everything you can remember."

"Huge, maybe six feet tall. Silver fur that looked almost white, crystal blue eyes. She said her name was Angel and that I was destined for greatness, but she wouldn't tell me anything else about herself."

"Oh, child." Elena sank back into her chair, her face pale. "You weren't dreaming about just any wolf. You were communicating with the First Mother."

"The what?"

"The First Mother. The original werewolf, the one from whom all our bloodlines descend. Legend says she only appears to wolves of special significance, usually in times of great crisis."

That explains why she felt so powerful, Midnight said with something like awe. I could sense her strength even through the dream connection.

"But why would she contact me?"

"Because you're not just any wolf, Megan. You're the dark moon wolf from the prophecies. Born during a lunar eclipse, destined to either unite our kind or destroy us all."

The room felt like it was spinning again. "Destroy us all?"

"The prophecy has two parts," Elena explained gently. "The dark moon wolf will either bring peace and unity to all werewolf packs, or she'll be corrupted by those who would use her power for evil and become an agent of destruction."

That's why Samuel wants us, Midnight realized. And why someone was blocking our connection. They wanted to make sure we could be controlled when the time came.

"The woman in my nightmare," I said slowly. "She mentioned blood debts and the prophecy not being fulfilled as 'our kind' intended. Do you think she's the one who's been blocking my abilities?"

"It's possible. What did she look like?"

I closed my eyes, trying to recall details that my mind wanted to forget. "Tall, pale, with white-blonde hair and these ice-blue eyes that looked... empty. She wore dark robes, and when she touched things, they seemed to wither."

Elena's sharp intake of breath made me open my eyes. "That sounds like Morgana Blackthorne."

"Blackthorne? But that's my last name."

"Because she's your great-great-grandmother. She was exiled from the werewolf community over a century ago for practicing forbidden magic—specifically, magic designed to control and corrupt other wolves."

The revelation hit me like a physical blow. "My own ancestor has been torturing me?"

"It would make sense," Elena said grimly. "Family blood creates the strongest magical connections. If Morgana wanted to control a prophetic wolf, her own descendant would be the ideal target."

This is why our connection was so thoroughly blocked, Midnight said with growing anger. She's had access to us our entire lives through the family blood bond.

"But why wait until now to make her move?"

"Because you weren't powerful enough before. The dark moon prophecy specifically states that the chosen wolf's power won't fully manifest until she finds her true mate." Elena looked toward the door. "Speaking of which, your mate has been pacing the hallway for the past hour, desperate to make sure you're all right."

As if summoned by her words, I heard Damien's voice from outside the door. "Elena? Is she awake?"

"Come in," Elena called.

Damien entered the room looking like he'd aged ten years in the past few hours. His hair was disheveled, his clothes rumpled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. But when he saw me sitting up and alert, relief flooded his features.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Like I've been run over by a truck," I admitted. "But better than I did when I woke up."

He reached for my hand, and the moment our skin touched, I felt some of the ache in my muscles begin to ease. The mate bond was definitely getting stronger.

"Elena told me about the psychic attack," he said. "And about your ancestor."

"Did she also tell you that apparently I'm destined to either save all werewolves or destroy them? Because that's just fantastic news to add to everything else."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Damien's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "She mentioned something about a prophecy. But Megan, prophecies aren't written in stone. They're possibilities, not certainties."

"Tell that to Morgana and Samuel. They seem pretty convinced they know how this is all going to play out."

"Which brings us to our next problem," Elena interjected. "Samuel's deadline is in twelve hours. But now we know this isn't just about an obsessed Alpha wanting to claim a mate. This is about a corrupted wolf trying to use you to fulfill the dark version of the prophecy."

What does that mean for us? I asked Midnight.

It means we're not just fighting for our freedom anymore, she replied grimly. We're fighting for the future of all werewolves.

"No pressure or anything," I muttered.

Damien squeezed my hand. "You're not facing this alone. My pack stands with you, and we've called in allies. More importantly, you have me, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Even if I turn out to be the prophetic wolf of destruction?"

"Even then. But that's not going to happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know you," he said simply. "I know your heart, your strength, your capacity for love and compassion. Whatever power you have, whatever destiny awaits you, you'll choose the path of light. I have absolute faith in that."

He really is perfect, Midnight sighed contentedly.

Elena cleared her throat. "As touching as this is, we have practical matters to discuss. Megan, your power is growing stronger by the hour, but it's also becoming more unstable. We need to start your training immediately."

"What kind of training?"

"Magic control, combat skills, and most importantly, mental defenses. If Morgana can invade your dreams, she can potentially control your actions while you're awake. We need to build barriers in your mind to keep her out."

The thought of that cold, evil presence having any control over my actions made my skin crawl. "How long will that take?"

"Normally? Months, maybe years. But we don't have that kind of time." Elena stood up, her expression determined. "We're going to have to attempt an accelerated training program. It will be dangerous, painful, and there's no guarantee it will work."

"What happens if it doesn't work?"

"Then when you face Samuel and Morgana, you'll be fighting not just for your freedom, but for control of your own mind and body."

I looked at Damien, seeing my own fear reflected in his green eyes. Then I thought about my mother, somewhere out there possibly being tortured for information. I thought about Jemma and Marcus and all the other innocent people who would suffer if Morgana succeeded in corrupting me.

"When do we start?" I asked.

Elena smiled, and for the first time since I'd met her, it reached her eyes. "Right now. But first, you need to eat something. Magical training on an empty stomach is never a good idea."

As if summoned by her words, my stomach growled loudly. Damien chuckled and stood up.

"I'll go make you some breakfast. Take your time getting ready, but don't take too long. We have a war to prepare for."

After he left, Elena moved to the window and gazed out at the forest. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "in all the versions of the prophecy I've studied, there's one constant element that never changes."

"What's that?"

"The dark moon wolf never faces her destiny alone. She always has a mate, a pack, and allies who believe in her." Elena turned back to me with a slight smile. "I think that's the real key to ensuring the prophecy fulfills its positive potential."

She's right, Midnight said. We're not the same frightened, isolated wolf we were a week ago. We have people who love us now, people worth fighting for.

People worth living for, I added.

As I got dressed and prepared to begin what could be the most important training of my life, I held onto that thought. Whatever happened in the next twelve hours, whatever battles we had to fight, I wasn't facing them alone anymore.

And that made all the difference.