The Moon, My Mother

*Calypso* I curled up into my dad's side for the last time. I could smell the decay, rot and, heartbreakingly, death, coming off him. I had cuddled into my dad, the brave Alpha Colton Ellwood, so many times. The sense of security and love made me warm as much as the heat he gave off and I knew in that place was my home and family. This would be the last time. There was no doubt, he was on deaths door. As tears fell down my face and further soaked his blood drenched shirt he murmured words of love into my hair. The survivors of our pack were on their knees around us, in a similar state of sadness as myself. There wasn't many of us left, not compared to the mighty Silverwood pack that had existed in the days prior to the attack. It had all started two days ago. Two of our border guards had been killed and drained of their blood. Vampires. We were under attack from that point on, by how many and how skilled, we did not know. I had taken the women who could not fight, the children and elderly into our safe room while our warriors had gone out. I was the last line of defence if the vampires got into the mansion, making their way to the safe room. It was torture, sitting, listening and not being able to do a thing.  I could hear everything through the pack link, feel the wrenching pain of a pack members death and all I could do is send my strength and love through the link. I cried and howled as more got taken away but at least I could still hear my dad.  Although we suffered heavily, so did they, and our skilled warriors eventually made it even. I heard my dad say he was going after the leader of the coven and then, nothing. The rest of our warriors reported their successes and before long the only battle still remaining was between my father and the vampire leader. I opened the vaulted door and ran. I don't remember much else, the warriors yelled at me and the dead bodies were all a blur. I just had to make it to my dad.  And I did. He was amazing. I knew he was talented, a skilled fighter and extremely powerful, but I had hardly seen him fight in a battle like this. He was injured after fighting for so long but he was winning. I watched as his giant chocolate brown wolf danced around the vampire, missing claws and fangs, and snapping at the whipping limbs.  The vampire lost concentration for a second, focusing on my father's underbelly and not on his mouth. My dad took it. As the vampire turned to the right and stretched for his soft and vulnerable skin my father was faster and jumped over the creature, snapping his giant teeth down on its head and tearing it from its body. He had won. But little did I know at what price. Once again I ran to my father as he shifted and a warrior gave him loose shorts and shirt. He slipped them on, not caring how the blood started to spread across his chest from deep gashes. I remember thinking he would be fine, that those cuts would close and heal, as they always did. But it wasn't until I got closer I could smell it, the sickly smell of poison. Of rotting flesh and decaying bodies. Of the smell of death.  I was close enough to see the black veins spreading throughout his body, covering him and taking away and hope I had. I was about to loose my father, my family. He smiled at me, a small smile of love and defeat. He had won but he had lost. I hugged him in that moment, buried my head into his chest and cried. He put his lips against my forehead and whispered how much he loved me.  The entire pack surrounded us, close but giving us space, on their knees, silent tears running down their face. I felt his breath slow and stop, his heart falter. I couldn't see through the tears, could only hear the new silence without him. I howled at the moon, at my mother, the moon goddess. I felt my world shake, thunder roar and the howls of a broken pack reverberate around me. He was gone. He had left me, but he was once again with my mother. At peace.