Moonlight's Betrayal

Chapter 2: The Healer's Touch

Luna's father's commanding voice still echoed in the little cabin as she went for the door handle. She turned back to her granny, who gave a reassuring sign before clearing the path to confront Alpha Marcus. Her father's threatening presence dominated the gateway; his countenance was a mix of inquiry and anxiety.

"Luna," he added, his voice softer than expected, "we really want to look at what happened at the celebration."

He could get in once Luna got off. Alpha Marcus's glance landed on Elara, his eyebrows raised in shock.

"Elara? You look rather nicely."

Elara smiled in an odd way. "Hey, Marcus, good day. Yes, I feel much better thanks to our Luna here."

Alpha Marcus's eyes narrowed as he surveyed granny and granddaughter. "I see," he responded slowly. "Luna, why don't we go for a walk? There's plenty to talk about."

Luna strode across the early morning mist, her thoughts flying. Should she share all with her father? With reference to her relationship with Caine? Regarding the mysterious comments from her grandmother? Alpha Marcus spoke before she could decide.

"What you did the previous evening, recovering that small boy? Luna, that presents an interesting and worthwhile gift. One that our pack could find quite important."

Luna's heart hurt from it. Her dad would clearly view her recently discovered capacity as a tool, a means of furthering the pack's circumstances.

"I don't really grasp it myself," she said. "It only... occurred."

Alpha Marcus nodded with intention. "We will have to save this calm till more notice. There might be some seeking to exploit this authority. I will set up you to train with our pack healer so you may find more about your gift."

Luna experienced a range of emotions as they walked back to the lodge. Her father's fresh interest in her makes her very happy, but she also worries about his motives and wants more information on her abilities.

Luna committed the next few weeks to discovering her capacity for healing. Her powers stunned and confused the pack healer, an old wolf called Thorne.

"In the entirety of my years," Thorne said in one of their sessions, "I have seen nothing quite like this. You are truly regulating the genuine essence of life itself, not only accelerating the process of normal healing."

Luna focused on a minor scratch on her arm and watched in wonder as her touch brought the skin back together. "How then, is it possible?" she asked.

Thorne shook his head. "Old legends and stories abound about wolves endowed with remarkable skills. They are just legends, though. Alternatively, as I thought about it."

Luna started treating pack members for minor illnesses in private as her confidence grew. Here a hyper-extended lower leg, a horrible case of influenza there. She took care to hide her involvement since she did not want too much attention on her.

One evening, Luna was returning from seeing her father after treating a young wolf who had acquired poison ivy when she heard subdued whispers emanating from the study. Her curiosity drove her closer to listen.

"...can't ignore the timing," Beta Roran was stating. "Are the powers of the girl showing the prophecy's predicted pattern? No chance exists for it."

Luna collapsed from breathing. Prophecy? What prophecy?

Her father's words carried clear stress. "It's debatable whether Luna is the one the prophecy calls for. We cannot rush into this either, regardless of her status. Should we be mistaken, the outcome might be catastrophic."

"How strong we could be, though, with her talents!" Beta Roran insisted. "We could bring all the packs under our control and build a werewolf empire unlike any other in centuries!"

Luna staggered once again while her mind flew. Empire? Combining the packs? What were they talking about? Before she could keep listening, a hand rested solidly on her shoulder. As Luna whirled, Caine confronted her.

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping," he murmured in a low, savage voice. "It's hazardous to know excessively."

Luna's heart skipped, from Caine's proximity as much as from the shock of being grabbed. "What are you talking about?" she whispered gently.

Caine's eyes flew toward the study door. "So you avoid running afoul of rules. Kindly, we have to discuss."

She was driven far from his house into the neighboring dense woodland. When they were far enough apart, Caine turned to face her with a solemn look.

"Luna, you have to be careful," he warned. "Your talent has put you in quite a vulnerable situation. You have no notion of the powers operating here."

Luna seethed at his critical tone. "Then help me to grasp. What prophecy were they referring to? And why does everyone believe my healing abilities are so important?"

Caine raked a hand over his hair, his movements clearly frustrated. "I am not ready to show you everything. Dangerous it is. In any event, you truly want to understand that not everyone has your best welfare in mind. Even the most beloved persons you know."

Luna's thoughts ran to Beta Roran's avaricious tone and her father's cold-blooded stare. "And you?" she inquired softly. "What subjects pique your curiosity?"

Luna's breath vanished when Caine's controlled visage slipped away for a brief moment, exposing vulnerability. But before he could reply, a call for aid howled out across the darkness. Luna bolted toward the sound, Caine trailing closely behind. They sprang into a little clearing and discovered a group of young wolves bent over a dead packmate. Luna broke through the throng to find an adolescent girl wriggling on the ground, her face contorted.

"What happened?" Luna persisted.

One of the lads stammered, "We were practicing our shifts," then clarified. "Mira lost control when she turned back, and something went wrong. She aches."

Luna knelt next to Mira, hands on the shaking form of the girl. She could sense the unsoundness within, the way Mira's bones had slanted during the disorganized change-over. Luna inhaled deeply then closed her eyes and focused. She imagined Mira's skeleton and prayed for the bones to straighten out themselves. Luna focused on the mending, developing sweat beads on her forehead. At last, Mira ceased crying in agony. Their friend's body moved under Luna's brilliant hands, satisfying the other wolves. Luna slumped back after the action, worn but excited. Mira peered up at her in surprise.

"How could that have happened?" she asked gently.

Before Luna could answer, Caine stepped forward. "We need to get her back to the pack," he said adamantly. "And nobody else can learn what happened here. Understood?"

The young wolves nodded solemnly and assisted Mira to get her feet under herself. Luna sensed Caine staring at her as they returned to the domain of the pack. Mumbling, "That was incredible. Unlike anything I have seen here."

Luna turned away from the praise. "I'm simply pleased I could help."

For a while, they walked in helpful silence until Caine spoke once more. "Luna, about my earlier remarks... I am helping you here. Independent of events."

The words opened Luna's heart. Before she could react, they arrived at the brink of the pack compound and discovered anarchy. Coming from the wolves running in all directions, distressed howling could be heard. Luna watched her father yelling commands, concern on his face. She snatched a passing packmate, "What's happening?" she inquired.

The wolf had big terrified eyes. Gasping, he said, "It's your grandma. She's fallen over. The healers say that nothing can be done."

Luna thought the ground had come out from beneath her feet. Running for her grandmother's cabin without talking to Caine, she prayed she wouldn't be too late. Luna hurried through the door and was faced with a scene she would carry with her for many years. Elara lay pale on her bed surrounded by stressed-out packmates and disillusioned healers. Luna pushed her way to her grandmother's side and grabbed hold of Elara's tiny hand in her own.

"Grandmother," she stammered, "I'm here. I will be able to help."

Luna felt, though, nothing as she reached for her healing ability. From healing Mira, the source of energy that had flowed so subtly before was now dry, exhausted. Panic seized at Luna's throat when she came to terms with the dreadful reality—that she had used all of her authority to save a stranger and had nothing left to save the person she loved most. Elara's breathing grew more deliberate, and Luna looked at the worried looks all around her, urgency in her eyes.

She begged, "Please, someone help her. I cannot... I can't understand it."

Still, the pack healer shook his head sadly. "Luna, I apologize. Your grandma's illness is one beyond our reach for treatment. At this time, the best anyone can hope for is for her to be pleasant."

Luna's face started to swell with the weight of her failure falling upon her. She had come upon a great ability capable of healing even the most serious injuries. As it may be, she considered herself weak when it mattered most—that of her beloved grandma's dangerous state remaining.

As the evening grew on and Elara's health worsened, Luna silently prayed for her power to come back. She knew the terrible reality, but she also knew that even the most amazing gifts had restrictions. As the first light of morning started to slink through the windows, Luna also understood that her journey into the realm of healing and magic had only just begun and that the cost of such power might be more than she had ever expected.