. Apostasy . A Luna's Struggle

Mature content: assault, spouse abuse, violence, loss of child

A bloody moon rose over the gargoyles of the castle, blood dripped off the stone lions at the gate. The Luna walked through the courtyard, the grounds splattered with gore, crimson soaking into the earth, squished between her toes. Orion was sitting on a throne atop a pile of dead wolves, his veiled mistresses fawning all over him, pleasuring him. His wolf was sitting at the base of the pile looking at her. A large silver chain wrapped around his body. It burned her as she tried to free him.

The Monarch wolf licked her hands, ‘Only you can stop him, fail not or this will be. Do what you must. Take care of our son, my Luna.’

Inhaling deeply as she woke, Anulla wanted to roll over but Orion’s arms caged her against his chest. The dream had her heart aching, she and her wolf loved the Monarch Wolf but the only way to defeat Orion was to send his wolf to the Moon. Orion’s heart beat against her back; his face buried in her hair. The bond hummed between them, but Anulla knew it was a lie. She also knew as soon as Orion woke and found out the Alphas of the South and West were gone, he would punish her. Her only hope was that her being pregnant would keep him from almost killing her again. The plan to rob Orion of his wolf would have to wait until the pup was born. Spring would bring all out war. She felt Orion stirring beside her and she cleared her mind, breathing in and out slowly. Orion pulled her against him tighter, trailing kisses down her shoulder. She didn’t have to fake the nausea she felt as she shoved out of bed and ran for the bathroom, heaving into the toilet.

“What is wrong with you?” Orion demanded.

“M-morning s-sickness,” Anulla gasped out between gags.

Orion held out a damp washcloth, and Anulla blotted her mouth. “How long has this been going on?”

Anulla shrugged, “It comes and goes, I just drink a cup of tea and go on with my work.”

“No more work, Anulla, you are carrying my heir. I don’t want you to leave this room except to see Odette and Amy. Your meals will be brought here, you will not leave unless I am with you,” Orion ordered.

“What about the castle cleaning and the service girls? I need to supervise them,” Anulla insisted.

“YOU will stay here!” Orion roared, and Anulla bowed her head.

He stormed out of the bathroom and dressed, “I will be back as soon as I attend to our guests and my sister. Amy will bring you food.”

“I want,” Anulla started but stopped when Orion glared at her, “May? May I see Luna Mira?”

Orion smiled, suddenly benevolent, “Of course Kitten, you were so good last night, you deserve a reward.”

Anulla made herself smile, “Thank you, Orion.”

He kissed her and she kissed him back, she felt him looking into her mind, but there was nothing for him to find except her nausea, a craving for roasted chicken and peanut butter, and the pending schedule for the maids and service females.

“Stay here, I will return soon,” he smiled as he touched her stomach. Then he strode out of the room happily.

Anulla guarded her fears, focusing not on the Alphas that she hoped had escaped to safety, but on the baby inside her. She knew Orion would be raging. Amy entered with a tray and Orion at her shoulder.

“Congratulations, Luna Anulla. Healer Odette is attending a difficult birth. She wanted me to check you and the pup.” Amy said pleasantly. While Anulla sipped mint tea, Amy went through the routine of checking her as if this was the first day she knew of the pregnancy, asking all kinds of questions and measurements. Victor came to the door and spoke to Orion in a low voice, rage rolled through the bond.

Orion left with his Beta, Amy and Anulla shared a worried look. “Luna, do you want me to make up a reason to move you to the clinic?” Amy whispered.

Anulla squeezed her hand, “It won’t matter, he has already decided it is my fault. You can’t protect me, Amy. The Monarch will hurt you and kill Victor, if he finds out you knew I was pregnant. You need to leave before he comes back, his wolf can make your wolf tell him you have been helping me hide my pregnancy. I can tell him I made you, but he will still punish you and Victor.” Anulla winced as Orion raged.

Amy hugged her, murmuring a prayer to the Moon, and quickly left the royal rooms. Anulla nibbled at her meal but the Monarch’s temper had her stomach doing nervous flips. She paced back and forth, walking out onto the balcony to look out at the garden. A gardener was tending the fall flowers and royal tulips that Orion insisted be in his garden. There was a gentle but cool breeze from the north. In a few weeks, winter would come. A large V-shaped flight of geese fled south ahead of the winter, Anulla listened to their throaty songs and wished she could fly south with them. She stood on the balcony for a long time, waiting.

-^^^^^-

One of the Floria she-wolves brought Anulla her lunch. A new bruise had bloomed on Kenetta’s cheek and her lips were swollen. Her mate was the brother of the Beta Henry who almost killed her and did kill her unborn son. Anulla gave her a small jar of the numbing gel she used after her nights with Orion then Kenetta left quickly. Anulla decided she wanted a book to read, wondering if she could sneak out to get it. No wolves were in the hall, so Anulla made her way down to the library. The books were dusted but to Anulla it was obvious they had not been taken from the shelves in a long time. She fingered the leather volumes that she dusted once a month since coming here. She was half-way through a second shelf. She missed the time she spent reading when she lived in the west, sighing sadly that that time would never come again. She felt Orion looking for her, so she took a book off the shelf and hurried back to their bedroom, stopping in the kitchen to grab a cup of tea.

As soon as she opened the door, rough hands grabbed her and threw her across the room. The mug shattered on the floor and the book flew into the corner.

“I told you to stay here!” Orion bellowed at her.

“I... I just went to get s-some tea for m-my stomach,” Anulla stammered fearfully.

“I didn’t say you could leave this room, no excuses. I am sick of you disobeying me!” He shouted as he backhanded her. She rolled over the bed and onto the floor on the other side.

“Please, Orion... the pup....” she begged over and over as he pulled her up by her hair and punched her in the ribs.

But Orion didn’t hear her, or he didn’t care, as he hit her again and again, yelling about her betrayal of him to the Western Alpha, accusing her of servicing them while she was there, calling her a whore and a traitor. Anulla tried to crawl away but Orion grabbed her ankle, she kicked him in the face and staggered to her feet, trying to flee. Orion looked at her, his eyes black with rage and malevolence.

He slowly pulled his belt from its loops. “I think you need a little reminder of who owns you, Luna.”

“P-please, Orion.. n-no... I’m s-sorry...” She backed away as he snapped the belt. Her back pressed into the door to the balcony, her hand grasped the handle. She tried to get through the doorway as the first lash struck her. Anulla bit her lip to stifle her cry of pain.

Orion chased her, snarling, “There is nowhere to go, Mate!”

“P-please...“She sobbed as he lashed her with the belt, she grabbed the end of it with her hand. “Our pup... don’t hurt him.”

Growling, Orion backhanded her so hard it felt like her jaw broke. She fell back against the rail, tumbling over it, then she was falling through the air. Stabbing pain came with her sudden stop as her body folded over the ornamental fence, cutting off her scream. Her last sight was ivory and golden tulips as drops of crimson fell on them.

“Anulla!” The last sound she heard was Orion shouting her name.

-^^^^^-

Orion paced outside the room where Odette and Amy worked rapidly to try to save Anulla. His wolf was mauling him, only the wide silver cuff on his wrist kept the Monarch wolf at bay and kept skin over fur. Orion cursed Anulla for being so stupid to flee outdoors onto the balcony. If she had just taken her beating, she and his heir wouldn’t be fighting for their lives. She shouldn’t have resisted, she shouldn’t have told the Western Alphas his plans so they could escape. He was sick of her disrespect and betrayal.

“Monarch Balthazar,” Odette interrupted his angry internal tirade.

“Tell me Odette, my son...” Orion halted at the look on her face. “Odette, what is wrong with my heir?”

“I am so sorry, Monarch Balthazar, but the finials on the top of the fence impaled him inside the Luna’s body. He did not survive.” Odette’s voice sounded so sad.

“My Luna?” Orion breathed out.

“The Luna has lost a lot of blood... I’m sorry, Monarch, but we won’t know for a few days... However, you need to prepare yourself and your wolf, just in case.”

Orion couldn’t stop shaking as he processed what he old healer just told him. He turned. His wolf attacked him more violently than it ever had. He staggered out of the castle, ripping the silver cuff from his arm, and dropping into the Monarch Wolf. The giant dark wolf ran from the palace grounds howling in grief.

Odette shook her head as she returned to the Luna’s room. Victor and two tall wolves came out of the door of the next room and followed her, Amy closed the door and stood outside.

“Healer Odette, the Luna?” The tattooed one asked.

“She may not survive this time, Alpha Tlingti,” Odette revealed sadly.

The tall wolf leaned over the bed and brushed a lock of golden hair from Anulla’s face, “How do we stop him from doing this again?”

Odette scowled, “The only way to stop him, Alpha Troy, is to attack now. Luna Anulla will not survive another year. The Monarch wolf is weak from the loss of his heir, the loss of the Luna’s wolf would weaken him enough to defeat him.”

Victor looked shocked, and exclaimed, “It will kill her! She won’t survive, she won’t heal without her wolf.”

Alpha Tlingti growled, “The Monarch must be stopped, his wolf is not to blame. It is Balthazar who is the enemy of all wolves.”

Alpha Troy stood up taller, “Balthazar’s power is from his wolf. Alpha Tlingti and I can handle his wolf together, but it would be easier if it was just his skin.”

“We can’t let her do it now,” Victor objected.

“Our warriors are ready, if the...” Troy started.

“Troy...” Anulla’s whisper cut him off.

“Hello sunshine, how are you feeling?” Alpha Troy asked softly.

“He killed my pup. Let me do this,” her words barely made it past her swollen lips, her swollen eyes half-open focused on him. “Let me do this now.”

Alpha Tlingti’s deep voice rumbled, “Are you sure Luna Anulla? You may not live without your wolf.”

“I am sh- sure.” Anulla answered, “H-have Brenna make the p-potion. H-how soon?”

Odette sighed heavily, “Brenna and I will be ready in two days. Luna, I need to give you an injection of wolfsbane to keep your wolf weak.”

Tears leaked down from her blackened eyes, her words sounded like a plea mixed with a quiet sob, “She’s ready, we’re ready.”

Victor squeezed her hand, “Luna...”

“Victor, promise mmm-me you’ll always ch-cherish A-amy.”

“Yes Luna, I promise,” Victor’s voice was strangled with emotion.

“And free th-the cells... th-they are g-good wolves.”

“As you command, Luna.”

Both Alphas bowed to her, “It is our honor to aid you, Luna. May the Goddess bless you and keep you.”

They wrapped themselves in scarlet lined clock to hide their scents and left with Beta Victor and Odette following. Only Amy remained with Anulla, tears brimming in the apprentice healer’s eyes as she watched her Luna sleep. Her heart broke for the she-wolf who was her friend and all that she had suffered. She believed with all her heart that in a few short days, she would be burying her friend unless the Goddess was merciful. The young healer bowed her head and prayed to the Goddess to help them all, because if they failed the Monarch would kill them all.

:::In 2013, Domestic Violence led to over 200,000 hospitalizations and hospital visits in one year, and every year the number grows. But Advocates say this number is far higher, often because abuse victims LIE about why they are in the hospital.

If you have a friend who has unusual bruising that occurs often; this might be a sign of abuse. Broken bones and cuts can be played off as some accident. Bruises and black eyes can be covered with make-up. Long sleeves in warm weather is a warning sign. Many women are ashamed or afraid to admit they are being abused, some will even try to end their friendships rather than have the truth known. Do not give up on them! Reach out, support, don’t judge. Condemning them for staying will only alienate them from you, but encouraging them, supporting them, helping them, will open a door.

Helping them document the abuse, will help them overcome. Another thing - DO not let your friend’s abuser abuse or intimidate you! If he threatens you because of your knowledge of the abuse, go to the police. There is power in numbers. This story is fiction, but many of the events are based on B’s real experiences, including the one in this chapter of being thrown off a porch onto an ornamental fence and losing a child.:::