Breaking the Blood-Wolf Luna

CHAPTER 9

*ADRIENNE*

THE BRIGHT RAYS coming through my window woke me up. For a second after I woke up, I was back in North London and in the underground dungeons. I took a deep breath, expecting to be choked out with the gaseous wolfsbane, but instead, my lungs were filled with fresh air. I opened my eyes slowly and remembered that I was now in Scotland amongst the High Moon pack.

The sounds of chirping birds filled the air, I went to my window and looked out. The pack was bustling with activities. I could hear a ruckus coming from the downstairs kitchen and dining room. In the front yard, groups of wolves were going about their morning duties. I hurriedly went to the bathroom and washed up before putting on another of the clothes that had been given to me yesterday. I packed my hair in a tight ponytail to keep it out of my face and walked downstairs slowly. I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to myself, so I kept my head down, not meeting anyone's eyes.

This packhouse was certainly the powerhouse of the pack, it seemed like most of the wolves had slept in. I saw two little pups playing on the floor, and I picked up a string of rope. I knew little children could get curious and they couldn't keep their hands and mouths from anything that could fit in. One of them could end up swallowing the rope. I carried another from the edge of the stairs, he was tethering dangerously close to tumbling down. When I finally got downstairs, I had prevented 5 potential disasters from little pups.

I could hear Luna Amelia in the kitchen, it must be hectic for her. Managing one of the ancient and largest packs in all of Europe isn't a small feat. I walked into the dining room, which was a very large room connected to the kitchen. There was a very long table in the middle of the room, lined with up to 29 chairs. Only two of those chairs were occupied. One of them has his back to me. My eyes immediately met with one of the occupants. He was a young, good-looking man with sandy brown hair and black eyes. He said something to his companion, who swiveled sharply to look at me. But like a switch was turned off, and to my horror, he collapsed to the floor.

Luna Amelia came into the room at the sound of the body hitting the floor. She hurried over to him and turned him on his back. She looked at me, "Go to the kitchen and through the side door. You will find yourself in a small room, get me a jar of Birthwort."

I hurried past them and into the kitchen. I saw the small door and walked through it. It led into a tiny, dark room that was illuminated by only a small window near the ceiling. A large shelf took one side of the wall. The shelf contained different herbs locked in jars and labeled.

My suspicion was right. This pack was more traditional and natural than modern. I glanced row by row until I saw the jar with "birthwort" scribbled across it. I picked it up and sniffed it slightly and was hit by a very strong pungent smell that almost made me cough out my intestines. I held the jar at arm's length as I made my way back to Luna Amelia.

She saw me and noted my red face filled with disgust. She smiled at me. "I forgot to tell you not to sniff it," she said as she took the jar from my hand. "Hold your breath."

I did as she asked, sucking a deep breath and holding it in as she opened the jar and took out a dried-out stalk. She held it underneath the victim's nose and immediately he coughed and gagged.

"What the hell, mom?" He coughed and started to sit up. "Who the f**k is this?" He asked, looking at me.

"Language, boy," Luna Amelia snapped. "Thank you, Adrienne. You may return this." She handed the jar back to me.

So this was the son of Alpha Ezra. The one that he had come to release from North London.

"And the one that was in our neighboring cell," Thea said.

I glanced back to look at them as they assisted him up, only to catch him looking at me intently. His eyes burned into mine, I immediately snapped my head to the front and hurried to return the jar. I lingered in the room, looking at the different herbs and also bidding my time. I didn't want the two guys to be there when I went out.

"Fascinating, aren't they?" A voice made me jump. I turned and bowed my head. "Luna Amelia."

She walked into the room, crowding me in. "The herbs," she said. "It is a tradition that had been passed down from generation to generation in the pack."

"Picking herbs?" I asked.

"Something like that," She replied. "You see that one there," she pointed at a long glass jar sealed with a rubber cork. "It eases childbirth in motherwolves. That one there," she pointed at another. "That one calms down our wolf spirit without any effect on our human body."

I had heard stories of wolf spirits being agitated to the point of making the human go mad. Something like a wolf with a severe case of ADHD, a wolf that always wanted to be in control, or always wanted to run. I looked at the herb that Amelia said could calm such a wolf.

"Does that mean you guys don't have a hospital?" I blurted without thinking.

She laughed. "Oh of course we do. I have sent Kincaid there right now to speak with Dr. Alan." She said.

There was a hint of worry in her tone. It was unusual for a werewolf to simply collapse. It must be something serious.

"That was my son. Kincaid," She said like she just remembered that I had not met him. "Excuse his manner and hard language."

I shrugged. "I understand that he was locked up in North London. Alpha Ezra told me." I said and she nodded. "Then maybe we were cell neighbors. I was locked up too."

"Oh you poor thing," Amelia said. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "You will never have to go through that ever again in this pack." She assured me. I could feel her love and compassion through her Luna aura and I believed her. Even Thea purred in relaxation.

"Would you teach me about these herbs?" I asked.

"Of course, dear," she said. "You want to become a healer?"

I shook my head. "I want to become part of the gamma warriors, but Alpha Ezra disagreed with me."

She chuckled and muttered, "My husband is a bit old-fashioned. He believes women should not be fighters or protectors, that men should do the fighting and women should only be there to take care of what remains of them after the fight." She polished the jar closest to her before saying. "But I will speak to him on your behalf."

"Thank you, Luna." I bowed.

There was a moment of silence between us then she said, "But before he approves of that, you are going to have your breakfast. Dr Alan just mindlinked me, Kincaid will have to remain in the hospital for a few days for observation and I am putting you on nurse duty."