Wolf of Crescent Moon

Part 2: Chapter 5: Skin on Fire

- Reika’s P.O.V -

I walked back inside at sat down in front of the old lady and waited for her to speak.

“The mark will kill you. That is only if you chose to die,” she spoke.

“What does that mean?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“When your powers get activated, you will feel the pain of every wolf in the pack. Every death, you will know of before others, you will feel every stab, every gunshot, every tiny scratch,” she explained.

“You will also sense their sorrow and sadness,” she continued.

“Soon your body won’t be able to hold this much pain and mentally you’d be too far gone. You’d want to… jump off a cliff… if I want to explain it lightly,” she said.

“Would t that mean Ethan will feel all of it too?” I asked.

“No, he will feel your pain and only yours. When you injure yourself that’s the only time Ethan will feel anything,” she said.

“That’s why it’s a curse and a sin at the same time. Nature has its ways of balancing its creatures, and making werewolves vulnerable is one of them,” she said.

“I thought my father falling in love with a human was the reason that happened,” I said.

“Isn’t it a bit weird that an alpha found a mate in a human?” She asked.

“So nature… made my father love my mother?” I asked.

“This all sounds like bullsh*t,” I shook my head.

“A year ago you thought you were human. Now you’re a Luna, well, Alpha. You learned your real past and you’re here talking to a being with powers. Are you sure nature can’t do whatever it wants?” She said and I clenched my jaw realizing she’s right.

“Fine, if being vulnerable is nature’s way of keeping us werewolves in control, why did it give my father the power to change that?” I asked.

“That’s your father’s doing. He spelled himself to get this power so, nature cursed him with the pain in order to maintain the balance. Knowing his mind won’t carry so much darkness, he died soon after the spell and it died with him. Of course, until you came along,” she explained.

“So I don’t die unless I want it?” I asked and she nodded.

“What do you want in return for this info?” I asked.

“For the protection, your mate has been offering already,” she said.

“That’s it?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Why do you need our protection?” I asked her curiously.

“I already answered your questions. Now leave,” the witch said.

“What did you do for your coven to want your head on a spike?” I asked and she looked at me with a blank face.

I scoffed realizing what that reason was and left the cave.

“Luna,” I saw Luis still standing in the same position as before.

“Let’s go,” I said and continued walking.

“If it’s not too much, may I know what you wanted to know?” He asked.

“It is too much, now keep walking,” I told him and continued to walk toward Crescent Moon.

Soon, we were close to the city and heard gunshots coming from there.

“Oh god,” I said.

“It’s the hunters,” Luis said and ran as fast as he could with me behind him.

When we got there we went straight to the packhouse and found betas running out to protect the omegas.

“What happened?” I asked Ethan seeing him give orders to the wolves.

“Someone must’ve led the hunters here. Now they know where Crescent Moon is located,” he explained.

“Do you know the number of victims?” I asked but he shook his head.

“No, but we will soon. Reika, we have to go out there. The hunters are still there,” he said and left.

I followed him outside and everyone was running from their homes.

I felt someone grab me from behind so I held him and threw him on the floor. I punch him until his nose bled then left.

I went to as many houses as I could to check on the wolves living there and luckily I didn’t ding anyone seriously injured or dead.

Soon, we were all gathered at the center of the city where pack meetings usually happen.

I saw Ethan with an almost unconscious man under him.

The pack was gathered around him watching him as he tortured that man so I walked up to him and tried to stop him.

“Ethan, calm down,” I said.

“All his friends ran away so let him be a message,” He said.

“Ethan, listen to me,” I held his face so his eyes could meet mine.

“Don’t do this here,” I said.

“Take him to the packhouse,” I said.

“He can’t get inside,” he replied.

“Exactly. If you want to torture him then let it be the waterfall doing it,” I whispered.

Ethan looked at me for a second then looked at the pack surrounding us.

From the look on their faces, this is probably their first time witnessing the Alpha’s brutality so, I had to stop him before they begin to fear him even though the man he was punishing was the enemy.

“Carry him to the packhouse,” he said letting the beaten-up man fall to the ground.

“But Alpha,” Luis said.

“Stop questioning what I tell you and follow my orders instantly,” he said the anger loud and clear.

I followed Ethan to the packhouse and held his hand.

“Ethan, calm down,” I said. They killed two wolves,” he said and I could feel his sadness.

“They will be punished but don’t lose control. Calm down,” I said.

“Someone from the pack betrayed us all, Reika. For years no one knew where Crescent Moon was and now they’re attacking us right here,” he said.

“We will find the traitor and we will find out who is behind all of this but please, first you have to calm down,” I repeated what I said before and this time he nodded.

“I’m with you… all the way,” I said.

“Alpha, the enemy is here,” Luis said and Ethan left immediately.

I followed him outside and found the man being carried by two betas in front of the waterfall.

“Let him go,” he ordered and the man directly landed on the ground.

- Ethan’s P.O.V -

“Talk. Who sent you,” I talked to the son of a b*tch on the ground.

“You obviously haven’t held people captive before have you?” He dared to speak.

“Okay,” I said them carried him and went inside the barriers of the waterfall.

Suddenly the man’s skin began to burn. He started screaming from all the pain so I let him go.

When he stopped screaming I asked him again.

“Who the f*ck sent you?” I spoke but got no answer.

Again… I carried him and crossed the barrier the same thing happening to him.

“Stop, please,” he begged.

“Speak,” I looked at him.

“Artemis. He’s an Artemis hunter, he made a deal with one of your wolves and attacked you,” he admitted.

Although I already knew I had a traitor in the pack, I consider this a confirmation.

“Who’s the wolf?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“Who’s the hunter?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered again.

I approached him and carried him but he begged me not to cross the barrier again.

His skin was almost all gone and was covered with bruises.

“I swear I don’t know. Our orders come from lower commanders. Like you werewolves, we’re the hitman… t-the omegas. Our orders they come from the betas but we don’t get to see the Alpha,” he stuttered.

“Please, please,” he begged.

“Let your bruises be a message to your beta then. Tell them the Alpha King is alive,” I said lastly and let him go.

“Take him to Artemis. Don’t enter the city or go anywhere near it. Leave him in the woods next to the kingdom and start a fire. If he’s lucky they’ll see the smoke and come out and get him,” I ordered.

“As soon as you’re done you come back here. Am I clear?” I said and the betas nodded and began their work.

I looked at my mate who I completely forgot was there and watched her enter the pack house with no emotions on her face.

I followed her and walked behind her until we reached our room.

“Reika,” I called her.

“Yeah,” she turned around to face me.

“Did I scare you?” I asked.

She did not answer me for a second but then shook her head.

“I should not have let you watch,” I said feeling guilty.

“It was my idea. Now we know the barrier will burn whoever tries to cross it,” she said but I could see she was pretending to be okay.

“Yes but you’re not used to seeing this much violence. My job is to protect you from it,” I said.

I looked at my mate with my heart beating fast and I knew she could feel it too. She’s still too innocent and fragile and she just saw a completely different side of me, a side I never wanted to show her.

“I’m not scared of you, Ethan,” she said.

“I don’t see you as a monster, I still love you just as much,” she approached me.

“It’s our family that’s being injured, I can’t expect the Alpha to sit and do nothing,” she said trying to reassure me.

“Actually, Ethan,” she started.

“I think it’s time the pack gains its power,” she spoke.

“What do you mean?” I asked even though I knew what was coming.

“You have to mark me,” she said.

“Reika-“ I wanted to speak.

“I’m not going to die,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

“I got you the proof you needed. I visited the witch and she told me everything,” she spoke.

“How did you find her?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I won’t die,” she approached me.

She pushed me slowly until I felt the bed pressing against the back of my legs and sat down.

“I won’t die, not unless I choose to,” she explained.

“Our pack can be so much more powerful once you mark me. I can know who the traitor is and we can save Crescent Moon,” she said while she stood above me.

“I heard what you told that man. You want them to know I’m here, you want them to know the pack is undefeated,” she continued but now her face levels with mine.

A leg on each side while she sat on my lap. She removed her hair and exposed her neck.

“Mark me, Ethan. I would become your mate officially, you would t have to worry about the full moons or bullets injuring the pack. They would heal just as fast as you and I do,” she continued.

“How do I know you’re not going to die?” I asked.

“Because that choice is in my hands. I choose to turn off these powers,” she said.

“Why would you turn them off? Why did your father?” I asked.

“Mark me,” she repeated.

“Things like today would not happen again, Ethan. You said your job was to protect me and the pack. Do it right,” she continued.

I stared at her bear beck and kissed it softly. I thought of her words deeply and the image of the wolves dying kept replaying in my head over and over making me even more tempted to mark her.

Soon, I took out my canines and they touched her neck.

~ To be Continued ~