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Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“An eye for an eye will only make the world blind.”

Mahatma Gandhi

The next hour passed in nothing but numbness. Healer Carol had eventually managed to pry Alpha Roman’s body away from Luna Baila and transport him to the room where he’d be prepared for burial. Luna Baila, still crying and distraught, had gone to visit the pack elders.

I had looked for Hudson in all the chaos, but he’d disappeared. Part of me wanted to hunt him down so I could ask him what happened now, if Alpha Roman’s death meant war, but I realized it would do no good.

Like everyone else, I was just scrambling and lost. And a lost werewolf turned to their Alpha for answers, but if I had to guess, Hudson had no more answers than any of us right now. Nobody had expected him to become Alpha for at least another decade or more, and certainly not under these conditions.

So, instead of trying to find Hudson, I sat on the steps outside of the infirmary. The moon was full tonight and the chilly night air was welcome against my bare skin.

“Mind a little company?”

I turned around to find Rae approaching the steps, looking just as exhausted as I did.

“Of course not,” I said as she plopped down beside me. After a beat of silence, I asked, “How are you feeling?”

Rae scoffed, “You first.”

“I’m not sure what to feel,” I answered, “I feel sad that he died, but mostly, I’m just scared about what might come next. The death of an Alpha isn’t usually taken lightly.”

“You think there could be a war with the Blood Moons.”

“I think it’s a real possibility,” I told her, “I’m not sure what Hudson will do, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the pack tries to talk him into it so they can avenge Alpha Roman.”

Rae didn’t say anything for a minute, and then finally, she replied quietly, “I think we should avenge him.”

I whipped my head around to look at her, eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Rae’s face was blank as she turned to meet my eyes. “Well, you said it yourself, Ollie,” she said, “The death of an Alpha isn’t to be taken lightly. If we don’t retaliate against Blood Moon, we’ll look weak. Not just to them, but to any other pack out there. What’s to stop any of them from coming here to finish the job?”

“So, you’d rather send a bunch of our warriors to a definite death to avoid a possible one?” I asked, “Blood Moon would wipe us out if we even tried. Our best warriors went up against a small number of them, and look what happened. They managed to kill our Alpha and injure nearly every one of our fighters.”

Rae furrowed her eyebrows, and I’d known her long enough to know she was beginning to get agitated. “So, we’ll train harder,” she said, “We can’t let them get away with this.”

When I didn’t immediately reply, she continued. “Don’t you feel any desire to hurt them? Don’t you want revenge, Ollie? It’s not just about Alpha Roman – look what they did to your parents. And to mine.”

I closed my eyes as a pang of grief shot through me, and it had nothing to do with today’s death. Images flashed through my mind of the attack ten years ago – my mother’s face as she forced Hudson and me into the closet to hide, the last hug I gave my father, and the sound of the Blood Moon’s howls as they destroyed our pack.

It had been ten years, and still, my chest ached whenever I thought of my parents too long. Anyone who told you that grief eventually disappeared or faded was lying – you simply learned to live with the sting of it.

“Revenge wouldn’t change anything,” I told her, “It wouldn’t bring my parents or yours back from the grave. A war would only take more lives – lives of the people we’re friends with and care about it.”

Rae exhaled sharply through her nose, her face twisted into a frown. “I thought of everyone you’d understand the anger,” she said, “The Blood Moons deserve to pay for what they’ve done.”

A spark of buried anger swelled up in me. “You don’t think I’m angry?” I asked, “You don’t think I wish I could avenge the death of my parents? Of yours? If the Blood Moon Alpha walked into our pack, I’d want his head on a stick.”

Rae turned to me with an unreadable expression.

“But at the end of the day,” I continued, “I’m not going to get that opportunity, and if I can’t be okay with that, the anger is just going to eat me alive.”

Rae just looked at me for a moment, and I began to wonder if my words had gotten through to her. Rae armed herself with a hard shell of anger, but it wasn’t impossible to cut through.

But then she stood up, and I could that hard shell of anger putting itself back together. “Well, if you can live an anger-free life, go for it,” she growled, “But some of us aren’t able to pretend that our entire lives weren’t destroyed by the Blood Moons.”

She started to stomp off, but before she did, she turned to look at me one last time, “You’re like my sister, Ollie, but sometimes I wonder if you actually desire peace or if you’re just hiding behind fear.”

I watched her walk away, and her words hung in the silence.

Was she right?

Was it fear that held me back from pursuing revenge?

I don’t want to die, that’s for sure.

But it’s not just that. It's not just my life on the line.

If we start a war with the Blood Moons, I’ll just lose more people. I don’t want to watch my brother die, or Rae, or anyone else in our pack.

🌔🌕🌖

I sulked out on the steps for about twenty more minutes before I decided I needed to be productive. Even if Healer Carol had patched up most of the warriors, our pack was still in disarray and Hudson was nowhere to be found.

So, that’s where I decided to focus my attention: finding wherever my lost brother had strayed off to. The first place to check was the camper we shared.

As I set off for the RV, I spotted many of our pack members interacting with unfamiliar faces. Those new faces must’ve been the refugees that Alpha Roman mentioned – the displaced people from the Storm Claws pack.

If they’re coming here, then the Blood Moons must’ve decimated their pack.

There couldn’t have been more than twenty or thirty of them, and most of them looked like families. I could see small children clinging to their parents’ legs, a few teenagers, and there was even a woman holding a newborn baby. Our members were setting them up with fresh supplies, like tents, food, and sleeping bags.

Our resources were already stretched thin, but it’s not as if we could just hang them out to dry.

“Hey, do you know if there’s an extra jackets around here?” A new feminine voice suddenly piped up.

I whipped my head around to look at the owner of that voice: a petite, dark-haired girl wearing a thick pair of glasses. She was wearing jeans and a tanktop, and from the way she rubbed her arms, she was definitely cold.

“Are you one of the refugees?” I asked. There was almost no need to ask the question – of course she was. She was another unfamiliar face.

“Yeah,” she smiled, “My name’s Mia. I’m from Storm Claws obviously. There wasn’t a lot of time to grab extra clothes when we left, and I’m paying for it now. I don’t need anything fancy. I’ll even use a blanket if you have one.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Butters or one of the pack elders will set you up with some extra stuff later,” I said, “But in the meantime, here. I’m Ollie. You look like you’re close to my size.” I took off the thin jacket I was wearing, and handed it over.

Her eyes went wide and she started to protest, but I didn’t budge. “It’s okay, really. Take it. I’m headed to my camper anyway, so I’ll just pick up something there.”

Finally, she took my jacket and pulled it on. It was slightly too big with her, but she didn’t seem to notice as she burrowed into the warmth.

And that’s when I noticed something about her that I’d never noticed on a werewolf before.

“You wear glasses,” I said.

Mia fiddled with the thick frames, looking flustered. “Oh, yeah, I do. My eyesight sucks.”

“But I thought werewolves were supposed to have perfect eyesight,” I said, “I’ve never met one that wears glasses.”

She looked even embarrassed now, and I almost regretted pointing it out. I had a habit of thinking out loud sometimes, and it caused more trouble than anything else.

“That’s true,” Mia lowered her voice until she was almost whispering, “But I’m, uh, only half-wolf. I’m part witch too.”

My eyebrows rose.

A wolf-witch hybrid?

Well, you see something new everyday.

“I know it’s surprising,” Mia continued, “Considering…”

“The way that wolves and witches hate each other?” I finished.

Mia nodded. I could tell she felt awkward about divulging her secret to me, probably unsure about how I’d react, but I wasn’t going to judge someone over something they had no control over.

“Well, you know what they say,” I replied, “Every pack has at least one interspecies forbidden love story.”

Mia raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that. Who says that?”

I shrugged. “So, do you have a coven or something? I’ve never met a witch in real life, but I’ve heard you travel in covens.”

“Witches do, yes,” Mia answered, “But I’ve never been part of a coven. The only witch I’ve ever known is my mother and she died when I was young. I’ve been living with the Storm Claws and my father as long as I can remember. He died a couple of years ago, but the Storm Claws have been nice enough to let me stick around.”

I let out a sigh. “That’s rough, I’m sorry. I’m part of the dead parents club too. The qualifications to be a member are…not fun.”

“You’re right about that,” Mia said, glancing around nervously. “The Storm Claws have been able to accept me despite my witch heritage…I hope your pack can too. I’m really sorry to hear about your Alpha too. I know you must all be grieving.”

I tried to push away the sadness that threatened to hang over the conversation when she mentioned Alpha Roman.

“Oh, thanks…and I don’t think you need to worry about that,” I told her, “Wolves may not like witches, but most of us have never even met one. It’s just some old rivalry that goes all the way back to the legends and stories.”

Mia still didn’t look completely convinced, so I continued, “Besides, you’re part wolf too. You’re still one of us.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she said, smiling shyly, “Well, I guess I should probably go get set up for the night. Thank you for the jacket, Ollie. I really appreciate it, and I’ll give it back. I promise.”

“Don’t mention it,” I called as I turned away to continue my trek back to the camper.

I began walking, but as soon as I started, I was struck by a vision.

I was sitting in what looked like a castle, on a throne, and there were hands on my shoulders -- hands that I recognized in a heartbeat. I still couldn't see his face, but those tanned, large hands were unmistakable -- they belonged to my mystery dream man. This time, it wasn't just me and him. The room was full of faces - some I recognized, like Rae and Hudson and Mia, and some that I didn't. In the front of the group, an olive-skinned man with salt-and-pepper hair presented me with the most elaborate crown I'd ever seen. It was encrusted with diamonds, gold, and in the center, a moonstone.

"To our Luna Queen and all of her valiant sacrifices," the olive-skinned man said, bowing his head, "Long may you reign...Moon Goddess."

Suddenly, I was pulled from the vision with a gasp, no longer sitting on a throne or looking out at a crowd. I was standing in the forest again, Mia's retreating form in the distance.

What the hell was that?

Why was my mystery dream man standing behind me, and why was I being presented with a crown like I was some kind of Queen?

More importantly...why were all those people calling me their Moon Goddess?

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