Unclaimed Luna

Chapter 5:

It’s didn’t take long for the fight to come to an end. The beast was outnumbered but not overpowered. It fought brutally and with force. The bodies of the guards were scattered across the forest floor. The only one remaining was my so-called father. With his face turned towards my father, he reached out and unlocked my cage door. I crawled out and stood beside it. What happened next took me by surprise. “What should I do next, Master.” The beast asked me. My father, clearly stunned by the beast’s words, asked “What on earth does that mean?” The beast didn’t look at him. It was focused completely on me. I gave it a wicked smile and said, “Please escort my father to his cage, and then I want to know your name beast.” It obediently nodded his huge head and walked towards my father. It shoved him forward with such strength. He fell forward onto his knees. “Please, Adrienne. I’m begging you, I’m sorry for what I’ve done, my sweet girl.” My father pleaded. “Do not speak unless spoken to!” the beast roared at him, followed by another mighty shove. I watched my pathetic father crawl into his new home. The beast shut it behind him and locked it.

“What is your name, beast?” I asked him. “My name is Occisor, Master. I’m the sole guardian of the Cole Cult. I will protect you, just like I’ve protected your mother before her disappearance.” He said tamely. “What do you mean, Occisor? My mother is dead, she died some time ago.” I said, puzzled by his response. “No, Master. Your mother disappeared. I couldn’t locate her. If a witch doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be found, not even by her guardian.” He said with certainty in his voice. “A witch? No, you’ve must be mistaken, Occisor. My mother was a she-wolf, ruled by my father’s side as his Luna. I saw her shift on multiple occasions. She was the one who taught me about shifting and showing me how to do it on command.” I said in disbelief.

“He is right, Adrienne.” My father said with guilt lingering in his voice. I turned to the cage behind me and looked into my father’s shameful eyes. “You knew!” I yelled at him, my voice breaking as tears filled my eyes. “Yes, I knew Adrienne. Your mother got out of control. She was too powerful to handle. Her power was too powerful for herself to handle. That’s why I’ve done what I had to do. For the safety of our people and for you.” He said shamefully.

“Father, you have five seconds to tell me exactly what you did…” I said with acidity dripping from every word that left my mouth. Occisor felt my anger and stood closer to my side, awaiting any order I plan to give. “Adrienne, I send her away to Hecatnishe. It’s far from here. It’s a place where they send ‘broken witches’. Ones that could do more harm than good, with or without intention. I left her there and I came back home. They did what was best for your mother. I haven’t seen her ever since that day…” my father said with sadness in his voice. “Who are the ‘they’ you speak of father…” I hissed at him, trying to control my anger with every word I manage to speak. “They are called the Tenebris. The dark ones. They run Hecatnishe. They are some of the most powerful witches and warlocks to ever roam the earth.” My father explained nervously. “I only tried to protect you. I didn’t know what else to do, and by the looks of it, you are just like her. You’re a hybrid between wolf and witch, I saw what you did to the guards back at the pack house. That was your work! The work of a devil woman. Just like your mother! Do you know what they do to witches like you and your mother? They burn them, that’s what.” he screamed angrily at me through the cage bars.

“So, mother and I are devils now? You let them burn her!? You are a liar and a coward. You lied to me my whole life. You took away my mother away from me. Before Occisor came to my rescue, you were planning to send me away. To where? To Hecatnishe? Just like you’ve sent Mother away and forgotten about her!” I hissed through bared teeth. Anger growing inside of me like a burning flame, consuming every inch of my heart and being. My father looked at me in disgust. “I will show you what a real devil woman will do to someone like you…” I said with a wicked smile plastered on my face. The color vanished from my father’s face because deep down, he knew what I’m capable of. “Open the door, Occisor.” I commanded. Occisor obeyed and moved towards the cage. He opened it and grabbed my father by his throat. He pulled him out of the cage and held him in the air. His feet kicks viscously, trying to free himself from the beast. “Release him.” I commanded, and Occisor dropped my father to the ground. He coughed while grasping for air. He looked up and came face to face with my now red eyes. He stammered something but couldn’t manage to get a single word out. With both my hands raised, I lifted him up from the ground. He tried fighting it, but how do you fight something you can’t see. I stared at him for a moment, figuring out what I should do with him. He is my father, after all. That’s when it hit me. I should make him suffer the same way he made me and my mother suffer. It’s in that moment that my father caught fire. His screams tore through the forest. All the hatred I felt towards him made the flames grow stronger and higher. It didn’t take long for the screams to stop. As I lowered my hands, my red eyes vanished. All that was left on the ground was a pile of ashes. Ashes of someone I used to call father. “Occisor, leave everything as it is, I want them to find the remains as it is.” I said unsympathetically. “What shall we do now, Master?” Occisor asked.

“We are leaving, Occisor. I will start my own pack and be the sole ruler. I will decide my own fate. No one will ever take that away from me ever again. I shall be Luna Adrienne, unclaimed.” I said with vanity. Occisor nodded in agreement.