The Indifferent Luna 1 - Austan wolf

Oh, the moment we stepped through the portal, we knew the alpha wasn’t bluffing, he must have said those things to flaunt his victory in our faces.

The dark mistress lair we met was in disorder, blood, bodies, and detached limbs littered the ground, and the marbled floor was darkened with the color of blood as its stench filled the air stinging our nostrils and making our eyes water.

Dark knights could be seen running helter-skelter trying to bring the situation under control, others helped those who were injured to the infirmary.

A big inferno was burning on one side, with dead bodies and detached limbs constantly being thrown in.

We all stood transfixed on our spot as we took the whole thing in, we, who have been through an ambush and had then enjoyed victory, despite what the alpha of the Grata night pack had said were coming home happily, proud of our achievement, ready to tell our stories to our brethren.

But standing here and seeing all this, we were shocked to the bones. What kind of ambush could have left the lair looking like this? Who could be strong enough to do such a thing? I wondered as I stared.

The knights who had friends and family amongst us recovered quickly, they immediately dropped the food pack we brought and started to make sure those they love were still alive.

Seeing the whole group begin to disperse, Ramon seems to have come to his senses,

“Help the injured!” Ramon quickly shouted orders at them and the rest of us swung into action.

“Silveen! You’re with me. We must find the mistress!” he shouted above the chaos again as he started running towards the castle.

I ran after him, wondering how in God’s name this Alpha Dante could ambush the feared lair like this while also pushing away the fact that something could really have happened to the Adela.

When we got into the castle there was only more shock waiting for us, the flawless white walls of its interior had numerous blood stains, there were broken items all over and all sorts of dead warriors littered the staircase, many of which I couldn’t even recognize. They were not our warriors.

We rushed past the bodies and the guards who were cleaning and carrying about beds to help the injured; rushing towards the throne room where Adela usually received visitors and held her meetings.

Throwing open the giant doors, Ramon rushed in.

I also did but slowed down, it was my first time stepping into the throne room, even though I followed Adela everywhere and acted as her second in command, I was never invited to the throne room, so I had the urge to look around but I couldn’t exactly satisfy this urge because I saw Ramon’s quick steps falter.

I looked at him then in front to see all the leaders of the lair gathering around something, or rather someone.

My heart jumped into my throat.

They all looked up at us with tears in their eyes as we walked toward them slowly, my heart skipped beats as I prayed,

“Oh goddess, let it not be true.”

I never actually gave the killing Adela thing a thought. I mean who could kill her? She was the dark mistress. Strong and fast. Untouchable.

No matter how strong the so-called Alpha Dante is, he can’t touch her, right? I asked myself as I walked into the gathering to see the very same woman cradled in Selene’s arms lying on the floor.

Her favorite dark leather tank top was wet with dark blood, her eyes looking up hazily.

A lump formed in my throat.

“What took you so long?!” Selene shouted at us with a tear-stricken face while I stood glued to the spot taking in the scene before me.

“How?” I whispered in disbelief.

“No. No. No.” Ramon murmured as he rushed to take Adela from Selene’s arms, cradling her on his lap and stroking her hair before kissing her forehead, Adela’s unfocused eyes seem to find focus as she looked at him, a pained expression mixed with a smile.

“Ramon.” She whispered and I saw tears fall from Ramon’s eyes constantly.

He loved her. I never even realized it. I thought as my heart clenched painfully.

“Get the doctor!” Ramon shouted angrily amidst tears to no one in particular but she held his hand and shook her head.

“I....don’t have.... long. I have.... to wait for Silveen.” She struggled to say amidst painful gasps, tears falling from her eyes.

Talking must be so hard for her. I thought as I walked slowly toward her crashing on my knees beside her. My heart tightened with every step I took.

Her mention of my name drew everyone’s attention to me, including Ramon’s, and Adela followed suit.

She smiled when she saw me and reached out to me with her other hand. I took the bloody hand in my own as the first tear fell from my eyes.

“Can’t I live happily without going through this pain?” I asked myself as I looked at her.

“I am here now, let’s get you to a doctor,” I said widening my eyes to prevent my tears from falling. It seem being this close to her offset something in me, something I had never realized before.

If she dies, I was never going to see her again.

She shook her head and I got angry. “What do you mean no?! You can’t die. You promised me. You made me a promise! You promised to help me get revenge too remember? You said you’d make me strong enough to take revenge on those who hurt me. You said you would help me be the perfect Luna and meet my mother one day. You promised me!” I shouted some sense into her head but tears only fell from her eyes.

“I......have... a request to make.” She gasped calmly as she looked at me. I only frowned.

“Make your request when you are better, I would give you anything you want when you get better. You have to fulfill your promise to me, aren’t you going to fulfill them?” I asked in argument because for some reason my gut told me she was about to say her last words.

She only smiled and pulled out the portal ring she owned, taking my now bloody hand into hers as she pushed it in.

“This…. belongs to you now.” She whispered and I looked at the ring wondering what it had to do with anything but she continued.

“I’m sorry.” She said solemnly. “I wanted to see you for once….. The real you without your blood rage but…..I guess I can’t now.” She explained and my heart clenched as I brought her clenched fist close to my cheek and cried.

“Silveen, show her.” I heard Rieka whisper to me.

“How?” I asked as I looked at Adela who stretched out her hand close to my cheek to cup my tears-streaked cheek, wiping away the tears.

“Think only of your happy moments with her,” Rieka said, her voice but a whisper and I knew she was hurting just as I was.

So I closed my eyes and remembered all the moments I had spent with Adela, a small genuine smile appeared on my lips but it didn’t stop the tears from falling.

I remembered the first time she walked into that foggy winter hollows to save me from myself with nothing in her hands but a compass, the way she smiled at me and teased me making me feel safe even though it annoyed me.

The way she never saw me as a monster. She was the only one who never saw me as a monster even after every massacre. She gave me a place to call home, she gave me the love of a mother that I never felt. I thought for a second before opening my eyes to look at her with tears streaming down my face and she gasped as she looked into my honey brown eyes that she saw for the first time.

“They’re beautiful, just like your mother’s.” She whispered, “If I had a daughter, she would have been your age.” She said gently and I pressed my forehead to hers crying.

“You are my mother and I am your daughter,” I said.

“Be happy Silveen.” She whispered and I pulled away looking at her with a pained expression.

“How can I be happy when she was leaving me? When I have no one beside me? When all those I loved either left or betrayed me?” I asked myself, but she turned to Ramon and touched his cheek.

“Ra...mon, you have to promise me….. you have to promise to protect her,” she said to him and he nodded frantically.

“I promise. I promise. Just don’t leave. Don’t leave me, Adela.” He said. It was the first time I heard him call her name, she must have loved the sound of it because she gave him a beautiful smile.

“I am sorry it took me so long.” She coughed. “But... I....feel... the... same....about....” She choked out blood painfully and tears fell from her eyes as the dim light in her eyes disappeared.

She quieted.

“No!” I shouted as I jolted her frantically.

Ramon pulled her away from me and hugged her tightly as he wept into her hair then threw up his head and howled in pain. The others joined, and soon I heard the whole lair still as a mournful howl came from every corner reverberating into the morning sky.

I didn’t join in. I sat down there and wept, pulling at my short hair as pain tore me apart.