Shadow of the Eclipse

Chapter 10

Van hurried out of the packhouse. Scanning her surroundings and finding a clear path, she hurried toward the forest. She was careful not to draw attention to herself from the few people enjoying the evening. She had to get away. What the hell was that? What had come over her? She inwardly kicked herself.

Stupid! Van scolded herself. First River, now....whatever that was.

Once inside the tree line, she picked up her pace. She ran faster and faster, trying to outrun her racing thoughts. Van wasn't thinking of a destination. She let her feet carry her. She vaulted over a boulder and slid under low branches. Her reflexes were quick and allowed her to move gracefully through the labyrinth of foliage.

Finally, she caught the scent of something familiar, and her footsteps slowed. The smell of sweet water and moss filled her nose, and she greedily took in a deep breath, savoring the and the feeling of nostalgia that it brought.

Van stepped into the clearing. This was what the pack called The Moonstone Pool. A crystal clear pond in the heart of the clearing. It always seemed to glow. She sat at its edge as she thought of the days when Silas had brought her there as a child. He would tell her stories of the pack's beginning. How they believed the Moon Goddess herself had blessed this pool and that its waters could bring blessings to those who stepped into it under certain lunar phases. He told her of the important rituals held here- marking ceremonies, new life celebrations, full moon gatherings, and more. She recalled the hauntingly beautiful wolfsongs sung here. The melodies seemed to live in each ripple on the water.

She had always been fascinated by the rituals of the pack. In her old life, her pride had very different customs.

Van sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, and the clouds above were painted beautiful hues of red and orange.

Kita...She called to the panther.

Yes? Kita responded.

What's happening to me? Van groaned and put her head in her hands. Kita chuckled, to Van's annoyance. I don't find it very funny. Van growled. So many things are at risk. This wasn't supposed to happen. If they ever found out...

Perhaps you should come clean. Fall on the mercy of the pack. Silas would never let harm come to you. Kita offered.

They would never understand. Van sighed heavily.

The sound of a branch breaking had Van on her feet in an instant. She spun around, scanning her surroundings. Her body tensed when she didn't see anything. Bracing herself for what she knew was coming next. A large hulking figure stepped out of the shadows as the last bits of sunlight faded away, shrouding his face in darkness. But Van didn't need the sun or her keen eyesight to see this man. His face had been burned into her memory long ago. She narrowed her eyes, a low growl escaping her lips.

"Now, now kitten." the man chided as he closed the distance between them. His dark cloak flowing eerily behind him. "Is that any way to greet...an old friend?" he taunted, a cruel smile spread across his face.

"Friend is not the word I'd use." Van spat, she did not dare take her eyes off of him. He circled her, his shoulder-length blond hair was tossled by the breeze. His dark eyes never left her.

"I'm hurt, truly." He feigned a pitiful expression. "No matter. I'm here on business. Boss wants a status report."

"Everything is on schedule. He will have his war. The Moonstone Pack will fall and the rest of the werewolves with them." The words pierced Van's heart like a knife. She never wanted this.

In a second, the man was in front of her with his hand tightly around her throat.

"Oh? But is it?" he sneered. "Don't think your little stunts have gone unnoticed." The man, Kane, was all he was known by, tightened his grip. Van didn't move, didn't make a sound. She knew what happened when she struggled against him. It was not pretty. Kane was the top enforcer for the rogue king for a reason. He enjoyed inflicting pain on others. Be it ally or enemy. It didn't matter to him.

Van felt her vision beginning to blur, but still, she held her ground. She refused to give this monster any satisfaction. Her mind flashed back to that night.

She looked on in horror as her fathers heart was ripped from his chest. Kane stood over him, laughing maniacally as he held the organ in his hand. Then he turned his attention to her mother. Van had to get to her she started to leave her hiding spot, but her mother locked eyes with her and mind linked her.

Stay hidden, my child. Stay safe. You are our peoples only hope. I love you.

And with one swift move, Kane snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body beside her husband's. Van pressed both hands over her mouth to hold back the sobs as tears streamed down her face. She smelled smoke, and she realized somewhere someone had now set fire to her home. Another enforcer entered the room and dropped her brother, Sage's, corpse alongside his parents.

She remembered waiting til the coast was clear to run to her family. And she remembered being plucked from the ground and Kane's haunting words echoing in her mind. And the man with the scar. She had only met him once. But everyone seemed to answer to him. The rogue king.

Van snapped out of it when Kane's grip released and she was thrown to the ground, landing on her back. She scrambled to her feet as she greedily sucked in air. Her hand instinctively touching her neck.

"You were lucky, once. The king does not often allow for survivors. If you fail in your mission, you will not be so lucky again. And the remainder of your pride will suffer greatly for your...mistakes." Kane warned, but his eyes gleamed with excitement at the mere thought of inflicting torture on the innocent.

Anger and bloodlust boiled in Van's veins. She wanted to rip his throat out and turn the Moonstone Pool red with his blood. But she knew if she did that, she would lose any chance at freeing her people. Her only option was to carry out this mission. A mission she had been trained in a torturous manner for years to complete. To infiltrate the pack and be the catalyst to their demise.

But that seemed more and more impossible with each passing day. She had grown to love these people as her own. How could she so callously decide who lived and died?

Kane seemed to sense her struggle.

"Having second thoughts, are we?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No." Van gritted her teeth. "All will be ready as planned."

"Good." He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Don't be late." His words were laced with venom and warning. And with that, he was gone.

Kita...what am I going to do?

Van fell to her knees. Her heart felt as though someone had dropped a boulder on it. She never wanted this. Was there a way to save her people and the pack?