Moon Blessed Luna

Chapter 9 - Lena

This time I'm sure I died. I am floating through the night sky, surrounded by stars and completely at peace. When I look down at my body I see that I'm wearing a soft white dress that sparkles like the stars as it flows around me. My arms are bare and pale as ever but there is not a bruise or scar in sight, and I appear to be less skinny. I can also feel my long hair billowing around me, no longer the greasy tangled mess I'm used to. A bright light appears behind me and I turn around, looking straight into the kind eyes of a beautiful white wolf.

Hello Lena.

That voice! My eyes widen as I recognize the voice as the same one that talked to me before I was put outside for the hunt! And again as I ran through the forest! She was the reason I tripped! The wolf laughs, I didn't think a wolf could laugh but she did.

I didn't want you to trip, you know. I wanted to help you but you were making it difficult for me.

"That's enough, Luna." Another light appears next to the wolf and slowly forms a kind looking woman, surrounded by a soft white glow. Her hair is as dark as the night sky and her eyes shine like the stars. I can't really make out her features, but I know she is absolutely beautiful and perfect. She turns to me and smiles, it looks almost motherly.

"Hello, my child." she says, but her words confuse me. I remember enough of my mother to know she didn't look like this glowing lady. She laughs softly as if she can read my mind, before her eyes grow sad.

"I am sorry for everything you have been through, my daughter. When you were born, I knew you were special, so I gave you Luna. She was mine, you know." her words make absolutely no sense to me. I don't know anyone named Luna, and the wolf couldn't be mine since I didn't get a wolf. And what did the lady mean she gave me Luna? Only the moon goddess blesses us with our wolf and she obviously thought I wasn't worthy of one. Who does this lady think she is?

"I am known by many names," she answers, again seeming to read my thoughts. "Some call me Artemis, Diana, Devana, others know me as Máni or iNyanga. Your parents called me Selene." Her features seem to shift with every name, though I was still unable to fully describe any of them. The names all sounded familiar though, like they were a part of me, a part that had been suppressed for many years.

"You knew my parents?" that's all I can focus on. The lady with many names doesn't seem to mind as she beams another kind smile at me.

"Ofcourse, I know all my children. And I take good care of them when they enter my realm."

"What do you mean, your realm?"

I told you she wouldn't understand. She's not ready.

"So it is a good thing she will have you to help her when she is ready then, isn't it?" The wolf lowers her head but looks at me with kind understanding.

Don't worry, Lena. We are safe now. I will look out for us and help you understand who you truly are.

"Go now, my child. Your destiny awaits you." and with those words the lady, the wolf and the stars fade away, and I am once again surrounded by darkness.

Beep.

The first sense that seems to return to me is my hearing.

Beep.

A regular soft beeping is joined by the sound of a liquid dripping.

Beep. Drip. Beep. Drip.

Why is it all so loud? It hurts my head and I try to find something else to focus on, shifting my head around uncomfortably. A sharp pain shoots from my marked neck, but it fades almost as quickly as it appeared. The feeling in the rest of my body slowly returns now, and I notice I'm laying flat on my back on something soft and cool. Something also rests over me, shielding my body and keeping me warm. A blanket? Am I in a bed? I breathe in deeply, trying to smell the musky scent of the Alpha's bed, but all I get is something sharp and clean. And then I smell it, the scent from my dream! Flowers and trees and freedom! It's vague, like the source of the smell has been here but isn't here right now.

Mate!

Luna? You're still in my head?

I am a part of you, silly.

I think about that for a second, did this mean I finally got my wolf after all these years? No one really explained what it would feel like to get my wolf, I didn't feel any different.

Are you my wolf? I ask timidly inside my mind, it kinda feels like talking to myself.

There was that word again. She couldn't possibly mean the Alpha, could she? I didn't smell him anywhere, but just the thought of him makes me panic. The beeping increases and I force my eyes to open. At first all I see is white, as the brightness of the room overpowers my oversensitive eyes, but slowly the world starts to take shape around me.

I'm laying in a very clean room, with light gray tiles on the ceiling and a large window to my right. On my left is a weird machine where the sound is coming from, everytime it beeps a line shoots up before going down again. As I try to get up, a door opens to my left and a kind looking man in a white coat comes in. He has short black hair and a small beard around his mouth, which is pulled up in a smile as soon as he sees me.

"Well, good afternoon! Don't be scared, I'm doctor Steven and I'm here to help you." His voice is very calm but I keep my eyes on him as he moves over to the side of my bed. He checks the noise machine and then a little bag filled with water that I only now notice. A tube is attached to the bag and drops fall from the bag into the tube, which I follow down to see it is in turn connected to my body through something sticking into my skin. I panic again slightly and try to move my arm to rip it out, but the man grabs my hands and holds them gently in his.

"Easy there, no need to be scared. This is just some fluids to rehydrate your body."He sits down on the bed next to my legs and when he sees me calming down he lets go of one hand and places his fingers on my wrist, applying a little pressure. I study him as he looks at his watch for a few moments, before he places my hands gently on my stomach and gives them a little pat.

"Your heartbeat is nice and strong, young lady. You seem to be recovering quite well. Seems you and your wolf just needed a little help to get things started."He must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he smiled gently at me before speaking again.

"Was this the first time you shifted to your wolf?" I don't know why exactly, but something inside me is telling me I can trust this man, so I nod and he smiles a little wider.

"Good. I am sure you have been through a lot, so I will let you rest now. My mate, Doctor Avery, will come in a moment to take a look at your injuries to see how they're healing. All right?" I nod again and he pats my hands one more time before walking out of the room, leaving the door slightly open.

I push myself to sit up against the soft pillows, groaning when I notice the pain between my legs. It's not as bad as it was before but memories start flooding my mind, threatening to drown me. The celebration, Kaylee being marked, trying to get her medicine but being caught by Clint, the Alpha, the hot poke iron. The mark on my neck starts to burn, bile rises in my throat, and I move just fast enough to throw up on the floor instead of the bed. There's not really anything in my stomach to come out, but some yellowish liquid splatters on the white tiles.

The door opens quickly and a woman rushes in, taking in the situation quickly before smiling at me. I wipe my hand over my mouth and almost throw up again from the horrible taste it left on my tongue. Embarrassment turns my cheeks hot and I avoid looking the new lady in her eyes, though I still take a good look at her. She is smaller than the man, her blonde hair neatly tied back and she's wearing a similar white coat. She smells the same as the man too, I notice, as I subconsciously breathe deeply through my nose.

"Oh dear, it's alright sweetheart. Here," the lady moves over to my bed quickly and hands me a glass of water from the little table next to it. She also hands me an empty glass. "rinse your mouth and spit it in this cup before trying to drink a few sips." I do as she says, and watch her quickly wipe away the mess I made on the floor. She then does the same actions as the man, checking the beeping machine and the dripping bag before turning her full attention on me with another kind smile.

"My name is doctor Avery. Can you tell me your name?" I just look at her, that same little voice is telling me I can trust her, but I can't get my mouth to work to answer her. She just smiles.

"I know you understand me, because you drank the water. It's oké if you don't want to talk yet. I can tell you've been through something very difficult. I'll let the Alpha know you're awake." Her mouth continues to move but there is no more sound. I can feel myself beginning to shake and my vision gets blurry.

The Alpha! He's here! I didn't escape! These people are just pretending to be nice to me. He must have changed his mind about letting the men kill me. I don't want to go back to him! I don't want to! A blinding pain pierces my neck as if he bit me again and the world goes black around me, again.