Niall's POV:
I want to save my family.
I never wanted any of them to die.
Calcifer and Innath's death will be revenged.
Lamia promised me they would be safe. And, of course I knew in the back of my mind that I couldn't trust her.
x
x
x
I found myself across. On the other side. My paws ached.
I was not in a friendly place.
My lungs were weak and every breath I inhaled was sharply erupted by a cough.
I stood on a coal bed. My paws grew sore as the hot coals scorched the bottoms. I was on the other side in my wolf form. I was in a hot fire pit. Red smoke hid my surroundings. But, above I could spy the top of a cliff. I howled in agony. This is where I belong. The blue smoke of safety was on the horizon of the cliffs. How do I get there safely? The sides are too steep to climb up in this form.
This is the entrance into the forest of Luna, the moon goddess. Those not welcomed in are often stopped here. I only heard the elders speak of the coal pits... I must have really pissed off the moon goddess if I wasn't permitted to cross here.
Usually no wolf has to climb the steep to get to the goddess...
Not that anyone would be crazy to try.
Usually if you're welcomed here, you float right over and never notice this hell hole.
'Rot here, rogue.' A dark voice echoed in my mind. 'You do not deserve to run with the gorgeous wolf goddess.'
This was an unfamiliar voice.
'Our moon.'
'Our Luna.'
'You dare cross over to try to speak with her?'
Three different voices spoke together. I could only make them out to remind me of a three headed monster guarding its mistress.
The voices were angry at me. As was right. I was nothing now to the spirits and ancestors that have watched over my pack. I should be cursed already. The moon goddess has been too kind to me. Maybe, she figures I still have a shot at redemption.
"Let me pass through. I have to speak with her. She's the only one that can pass judgement on me," I ordered. "I have to speak with the moon goddess."
'You are not allowed here.'
The blue light from the cliffs seemed to fade as the fog thickened above my head. This was a sign for me to head back. Leave. But, I can't give up now. I need to make her an offering. I've come here to try to redeem myself in some way. She should have better faith in me. I- after all... am descended from Fang, her favorite warrior.
I'm also in line to be an alpha, if I chose to be. I should have favoritism.
I hate her. I hate this. I want to be human. I want to be burden free from all this. These feelings my wolf burdens me with.... Why do I feel so sorry? I shouldn't have to ask for redemption.
Why did I come here again?
Right...
Vivienne, my sister. Malakai, my brother. My father, Calix. My sister, Nena. My brother, Nolan. I come for them. One last shot to save my family. I need her power. I need to know, is Vivienne her daughter? If so... if we could awaken Vivienne's powers... she might have enough of a shot to scare Lamia away from her for good.
My back up plan to marry her into Blacktail and ship her off is her last bet.
Moon, give me A trump card here. My family is going to die here.
'Go home, rogue. Your judgement day is not here yet.'
"That's why I should be allowed to speak to her," I growled out. "She knows my loyalty is to my family, still."
'You are the reason your brothers are dead. Anyone that's part of your pack and your family is in danger. You barely can protect yourself let alone your dying pack. You chose to be on that woman's side. Even though you've realized you are disposable to her. Because of this, you will never be welcomed into the moon's pack. You will bleed on these coals for all eternity looking up at the moon's unwelcoming glow. GO BACK! Before I smother the life out of your very light this instant.'
I don't want to be a wolf.
I growled in anger.
"YOU CAN HEAR ME OUT," I howled.
Calcifer... Innath...
Fang!
H-help me persuade the moon to listen!
"I love my family," I admitted. "I never meant for them to end up dead. I thought I could have what I wanted and see to it they were safe when Lamia started her game. I knew deep down that Lamia... was capable of it but I didn't believe myself. I was caught up in her lies. I just want to save my family now, while I still can. I need help."
The smoke cleared and from the far north I saw her.
The moon goddess looked down on me from above. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through me.
"Your punishment is to remain a wolf," she cursed me. "If you've come to ask to be free of the curse... think again. This is your fate."
"I didn't come crawling here with another attempt to be free from my curse," I growled out. Seems like she wasn't listening to me. Let me say it again!
Sowle's words spoke the truth before death. May the moon goddess show me no mercy. I will forever be cursed under the moon.
I will be a wolf forever.
But, that's not why I come. I'm here to ask for help. I need the moon's help. How can I save my family?
"Then why come?" She asked me.
"Vivienne is in trouble," I told her. My sister... "She's your daughter... isn't she?" To bring my assumption into the light, I saw the moon goddess' eyes flicker with interest. "I'm going to try to save her. If I succeed? Will you grant me freedom?" I asked.
"If you save Vivienne from dying at Lamia's hands... I will give you a choice to be human... but If you die while doing so you will be welcomed into my pack as a brave warrior that tried to do right in the end. But if you're lying to me and just wanted to confirm who Vivienne is to me... and you go back to deliver the message to Lamia... Fang will be granted an extra life just to come back and hunt you down." She growled furiously. The blue hint of her body shined and blinded me. "I will personally make sure your time spent here afterwards.... will be long and full of misery."
"I want to save my family," I promised her. "But, I am going to need your help."
"I can't help you. My powers don't work on that side," she told me. "Not like that."
That's bullshit. Her daughter is literally going to die because of Lamia. She could give Fang another life! I would stand beside him one last time.
"Then, maybe Vivienne..."
"She cannot know. She doesn't have powers of the moon anyway. Keep these secrets out of your mouth around her." I wasn't going to say it anyway.
I groaned in frustration and kicked a pile of coal. The pain is killing me here... We need to come to a conclusion fast on how to save my family.
"Your wolf friend, Aaragorn," she spoke up suddenly. "Offered Vivienne a deal. IF Brendon dies, she is to marry him and combine the packs. You gave Aaragorn a secure way out of Lamia's clutches. If Vivienne goes with the pack... then maybe Lamia won't think about her ever again."
I rolled my eyes.
The moon knows as good as I...
That's all bullshit.
"I would have to kill Lamia to get her to stop killing my family," I told her. "She's dead set on whipping us off the planes of the earth."
I hate to admit it...
But, I am going to have to do it.
It's not like a liked the bitch anyway.
"So do that."
"Then I need you to provide me a swift opening."
"H-how can I kill her?" I asked shakily.
"She trusts you, doesn't she? Stab her in the back... I'm sure you can think of something." She turned then to walk away. "You knew before coming here that would be the answer. The only way to save your family is to kill Lamia. I don't know why you bothered coming here."
Maybe it was to assure the moon would be pleased if I done it. Not that it would make a whole lot of a difference.... But, I want a way out of this curse.... and I want my family safe. I thought I could have both and be by Lamia's side... But, now I have to make a choice. If I kill Lamia, I loose everything I built in the vampire world... But, it assures my family survives through this. Who knows what it will be like when the vampires loose their queen. No one will be there to guide them into submission. It might cause another uprising.
I got to save my family.
Before they do something stupid.
As for my sister Vivienne.... I just hope she doesn't sign any contracts before I can save us all.
How am I going to kill Lamia? She's older then me... That means she's got me beat. If I make just the slightest expression out of normal she will suspect I'm against her and I will be dead in a heart beat.