Fighting Fate (Moonlight Trials Series #2)

Fighting Fate Chapter 1 – The beginning of a beautiful friendship. Jasper’s POV “Mummy! It hurts!” “It’s ok sweetheart!” My mother looked into my eyes and stroked my head as my entire body hurt. I didn’t know what was happening. My dad had run to get the doctor. Was I dying? My body was shaking, and I could hear a whining noise in my head. “The noise hurts!” “What noise sweetie?” My mother asked, her eyes starting to tear up. I knew she was trying to stop herself crying for me. “The whining, the crying, please stop it, please!” I cried harder, tears running down my face, my t-shirt sopping wet. My father arrived with the doctor, who immediately asked my mother to step away. “Hello Jasper!” Said the doctor, who was smiling. I tried to smile back but I couldn’t, my entire body was on fire. Suddenly I cried out in pain, my body was hurting even more, shooting pains from my spine out to my hands and down to my feet. I don’t know what happened next, but the grown-ups all started to look at me in surprise. I could hear them talking but I didn’t know what they were saying as the pain took over my entire body. The shooting pains got worse and quicker and the next thing I know I was shaking and squirming. My vision was blurring, and then, the pain was slowly subsiding. I was on my front now and I tried to stand up but couldn’t. I looked up at my mother and tried to tell her I was ok, but my voice wouldn’t work. Suddenly the whining I could hear earlier seemed to escape my mouth. I looked down and saw paws, then everything clicked into place. I was a wolf. I knew I was a werewolf, but I had also been taught in school that we didn’t get our wolf counterpart until we were much older. The youngest in our pack was 11 and that was mostly unheard of. I was only 7! I didn’t even fully understand how we could turn into wolves and my mother only ever told me it was magic and that I would understand when I got older. I looked at the grownups and stepped towards my mother. She was looking at me and moved her hands to her mouth in shock. “Mummy?” I said in my head but of course all that came out was a bark and a whine. I looked at my father who looked shocked and took a step back when I went towards him. This confused me. They loved me and knew I was a werewolf just like them. Didn’t they love me anymore? I looked at the doctor who looked at me and turned to my parents, completely ignoring me. My dad began yelling at the doctor and gesturing wildly at me. It scared me. I had never seen my dad so angry, even when I had taken his golf club to hit cans with my friends in the forest. I took a step back and heard my father say a word I knew well from the bullies in our school. “Freak” I was shocked that my father would refer to me that way and a voice in my head suddenly told me to run. So, I did, I ran as fast as I could. I heard my mother scream no, but it didn’t stop me. My father had called me a freak. That’s what the nasty boys called people they didn’t like and to the kids that were different. I ran with tears in my wolfen eyes. It was too late when I realised, I had reached the large cliff that circled our pack lands, below the cliff was a large deadly river. I fell over the edge and attempted to catch myself, but my new unbalanced puppy legs couldn’t help me. I howled as I fell. I hit the water, and it was freezing, stunned, I didn’t immediately swim to the top. My legs began to move on their own and I was confused. “I’ll take control Jasper, don’t worry.” A voice said. “Who are you?” I asked in my head. “I’m your wolf, I’m Onyx!” It answered extremely happily. I didn’t question it. It seemed right. I let him take over and he attempted to swim to the surface. We hit the surface and gulped in the sweet air that my lungs had needed. He was doggy paddling, but the current was taking over, and we kept dipping in and out of the water and couldn’t see where we were. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my head and my world started to go black. “I’m sorry Jasper!” Was the last thing I heard as the darkness took me and the river swept me under its surface. Ivy’s POV “I hate that mum won’t let me go to the bigger school!” I shouted angrily, throwing stones into the small stream that ran behind our house. “I know sweetheart, but it's too far away. Your mother worries that if you’re too far away we can’t protect you.” My father answered. I was nearly 7 and the village we lived in was tiny. There were only about 10 kids in it, and they were all boring. I was starting full-time school this year and wanted to go to a bigger school. Not the tiny one in the village that only had 4 books in it and 1 teacher who couldn’t care less what we did as long as we were collected at the end of the day. I sighed. “I know, it’s just boring here daddy!” I said, still sulking. “Nobody wants to play chess or read with me. They all just want to run around playing tag and I hate it!” I said, crossing my arms. My dad just chuckled and stroked my long teal braided hair. He treats me like a baby still and, yes, I’m only nearly 7 but I’m pretty sure I know more than him about some things. I loved to read and write. “One day, you’ll love that you live here. You’ll appreciate the quietness and the serenity of the forest. You’ll be thankful that we don’t have any busy roads or gang activity. One day!” I scoffed, looking into his dark brown eyes. He looked genuinely worried about those things. His dark skin was sweaty from the heat, and he smiled at me again. I scoffed again, actually I’d love some excitement, maybe not anything dangerous, but definitely something fun. I threw the last of my stones into the stream and heard a whine. My father tilted his head confused, and I looked to where the sound had come from and ran forwards. “It’s a puppy daddy! He’s hurt! He needs help! Grab a blanket.” My father didn’t even question me and ran towards the house. His fur was a sandy blonde colour but, on his stomach, he had a blue patch which looked funny. The pup opened his eyes and I shushed him. “You’re ok! I’m here baby. We are here to help.” Then his eyes closed again. My dad arrived with a blanket, towel, water and a first aid kit. I noticed the blood around his right ear and cleaned it up with alcohol and applied a bandage. I knew the pup was still ok as he whined when I applied it, it was clearly hurting him. He then started to shiver, and I realised he was freezing. I wrapped him in the towel first, then in the blanket and attempted to carry him towards the house. “Where are you taking him Ivy?” My father asked, grabbing the stuff I had left by the stream. “Inside! He’s freezing dad!” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I don’t think he’s a puppy Ivy, I think he’s a wolf pup…” he trailed off. “And? He is still a pup, and he needs our help. Ill release him when he’s better! Promise!” I said and walked off before my father could argue. He was heavy, and I carried him into my bedroom. In the corner I had a large blue beanbag that my grandma had bought me, so I could read more comfortably. I put the pup on it and ran back downstairs after making sure he wouldn’t fall anywhere. I started going through the storage cupboard under the stairs. “What are you looking for darling?” My mother asked, popping her head out of the kitchen. I smiled at her. “Just a heater, the pup is too cold, and I don’t want him getting hypothermia.” I answered flatly, continuing my search. “Don’t ask, I’ll fill you in shortly.” I heard my dad say to her as she started to question what I was talking about. I don’t think she would take too kindly to a wolf being in the house. He pushed me to the side gently and pulled a heater from a shelf that was too high for me to have reached. “Just make sure not to cover the vent ok. I’ll find him something to eat and drink from when he wakes up.” I smiled gratefully at my father before running upstairs and plugging it in and aiming it towards the pup. I sat next to him and looked at his features. He didn’t look very old. I wonder how he ended up in the stream all on his own. There were rumors that a pack of wolves lived in the forest near us, but they never showed themselves, so I highly doubt they would let a pup wander this far. The next nearest place I knew wolves lived was miles away high in the mountains. I wondered what would happen to him if I did release him when he was better. I laid my head onto the bean bag and waited for the pup to wake up. Jasper’s POV I heard a worried voice shouting and opened my eyes, but it hurt, it hurt to breathe, and I whined. I saw a face appear in my vision, but it was blurry and extremely bright. A dark face appeared in my vision with beautiful chocolate-coloured eyes and a shimmer of teal surrounded their head. The face was speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand what it was saying. I just knew I felt extremely comfortable. Was it an angel? Had I died? I shut my eyes and darkness took over me again. I sincerely hoped that when I woke up the angel was still there. I awoke later, and my vision was better. I noticed I was in a room, but it didn’t smell like my bedroom. I tried to stand, but my head whirled when I tried, so I stayed laid down and looked around instead. I saw a head of teal coloured hair laid next to me and sniffed. It smelt of jasmine and coconut and I liked the smell. I saw a hand under the head and licked it. The hair stirred. “Oh! You’re awake!” The head said as she turned to look at me. I immediately recognised the chocolate eyes. The angel? I yipped happily, causing the girl to smile. She petted me on the head and whilst I wanted to tell her I wasn’t a dog, I actually liked it. A man entered the room and I started to growl, worried that she was in danger, but the girl just laughed. “Don’t worry little guy, he won’t hurt you, this is my father.” I stopped growling and tilted my head at the girl. They did look alike, and I sniffed up. “What’s he doing?” the man asked. “I think he is sniffing you, so he knows who you are for next time,” The girl answered. She was right, so I told her she was right. Obviously, she didn’t understand me. “Well, Ivy…” Her name was Ivy, a beautiful name. It reminded me of the Ivy that grew around our pack house. “I brought the little guy some food and water. Mum says not to let him chew up the bowls.” I grumbled; I wasn’t a dog. I wanted to transform back and show them, but I couldn’t, didn’t know how to. I wish I could help Jasper, but we’re too weak to transform back right now. Onyx said in my head. Ivy brought over the food, and I looked at it, dog food! Really? Eurgh! I looked at them as if they were mad. I didn’t eat dog food! How could they even think about feeding me this? “I don’t think he likes it dad…” Ivy said, looking at me and I looked at her happily. She kind of understood me. “What do wolves eat in the wild?” She asked. Her father scrunched up his nose. “Wild animals… But I’m not a hunter, Ivy, nor do I think I’d be able to kill a live animal. Maybe I should go to the store and get him some steak?” As her father said that my stomach growled. I would love steak right now! They both chuckled. “Guess the little guy likes that idea. Why don’t you think if a name for the little guy while he’s with us? I don’t want to keep calling him little guy.” “OK dad, maybe I can look through my books and find him a suitable name.” I looked at the books and noticed a book of gems. I knew my name would be there. I didn’t want her calling me anything stupid like fluffy or spike. I began to army crawled my way across the beanbag to the shelf and nosed the gem book. “Oh, you like that one?” She grabbed it and opened it. “OK, so lets see, how about Agate…” “Grrrr!” I growled in response, because it sounded like my grandma’s name. “Ok not Agate, Bixbyite? That might suit you.” I shook my head and she laughed. “You even said no! Maybe you understand more than I think you do. Ok, what about Citrine, like, it's kind of the same colour as your coat?” I stuck out my tongue in disgust and my face must have looked a picture as she started giggling hysterically. “You really do understand, don’t you. OK, how about I just tell you a letter and you yip when I reach it.” I nodded. “D?” silence, “E?” again I said nothing, “F? G? H? I? J?” I yipped. “OK, so your name begins with J. Do wolves even have names?” and I nodded. “Jade?” Grrrr!” I growled again. Wasn’t that a girl’s name? She knew I was a boy, it’s a little obvious. “OK, so it's probably not Jadeite. Jasper is the only other one…” she looked at me expectantly and I yipped excitedly. I tried to stand and kiss her on the cheek, but I got dizzy and fell over. “Woah! Careful! You’ve got a head injury. Don’t try to stand for a while, ok Jasper?” I groaned, but laid back down whilst my vision corrected itself. She again stroked my back and it felt nice. I started to doze off. The day had been weird, and I needed my strength so I could transform back and talk to the family. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go home just yet, but I hoped to at least communicate and find out if my family wanted me back. I sighed and fell asleep with Ivy gently stroking my back.