Brendon's POV:
"In order for your nine lives to be granted I first require you go see Fang. His blessing will be the only reason I will grant you these extra lives."
"Why does his opinion matter?"
"He'll first want to speak to you. You also remind me a lot of him. It's like the past will repeat itself if I grant you these lives. I want to be positive the past will not become the present. Once you speak with Fang and still feel strong about your decision on these nine lives... I will give them to you to do as you please."
"I assure you Luna... I will not be repeating past mistakes."
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.
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My snout followed Fang's familiar scent. Luna's forest was absence of light the farther I ran from her. It was like the world itself here was nothing... without her. I ran as fast as I could. My emotions becoming heavy as I wondered... what if I don't make it to Vivienne in enough time? What if she dies and I have to live nine lives... without her? All because I'm taking too long to find Fang! I stopped running as I howled for him. I must let him know I'm looking for him! I heard his howl follow mine. There! Now he will come to me and I won't be chasing something that might be advancing further away from me.
Fang's howl was followed by what seemed like a closer trail of howls. A pack... if my ears weren't deceiving me. My heart raced. I wanted to go to them. I felt like I should. This HAS to be connected to Fang. Did his pack remain here to be with him through the years? They never left Luna's territory? When I was a child... They spoke that you're free to leave Luna's territory whenever you want and go- forward. Forward was very much like the human's explanation of reincarnation. To try again... But, you also have to ask to leave. Once in Luna's territory it is customary to not go elsewhere without asking her first. Because, crossing back in without her permission is described to be hot and painful. Like a pit would eat you alive if you betrayed the moon.
I ran for those howls. I wanted to greet his pack. Vivienne's ancestral pack! The closer I got to the place the howls came from the world started to shift into a dark mist around me. The mist seeming darker then the actual place I was coming from. The scent of blood hit my nose and made me want to gag. I haven't smelled that here- ever. I stopped running as my paws trembled under me. I wasn't scared. It was shaking from the ground up. Something was moving towards me. I could feel it. The mist cleared out as Vivienne's familiar home came into view. The lights were off. The place looked abandoned and falling apart. My fur began to stand up. My worst thoughts coming to life. Was I too late?
Thunder struck the sky and shook me from my worry. It was like clockwork as growls came from the home. I could smell the ghosts of battle. The familiar sounds I've heard before... Somewhere... was all around me. Like ghost sounds. Lightening struck the sky. I suddenly could see all around me. There was a dozen of wolves circling me. They were agile until I saw them. Their movements coming to a halt as they snarled at me. Like they were cursing me for staring. Wait... if they can see me? WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! These wolves around me were injured and falling apart. Like even here they were decaying. Even if they had these wounds... I could tell no signs they have been harming each other. Suddenly their heads turned to look behind me.
"Brendon?" I heard Fang's familiar voice ask. He was standing behind me. I turned slowly to look for him. Look was out of the question as I raised my head to meet his eyes. Fang was almost the same size as the moon goddess! I couldn't believe my eyes. He was bright like red flames. The moon goddess' color was so similar to how Fang looked. His light wasn't like a sky awakening... But like a fireplace's dim light. Fang growled past me. "Go find something else to terrorize," he barked. I heard the wolves around me back off. Their paws disappearing from ear shot.
"WHO ARE THEY?" I asked as I panicked. "WHAT IS THIS?" I asked and looked at Vivienne's old home in ruins.
"This is my personal territory," Fang told me quietly. "Luna gave this piece of her world to me. I've had it for a very long time. This is my reward for protecting my pack."
"Are those your pack members?"
"I've tried convincing them to move on. But their loyalty is to me," he sighed out. "They're loosing their minds. They're not like they once were."
"Did... Vivienne come here? When she first met you?" I asked as I tried to piece it together.
"I lured her here to give her my warning."
"Y-you're bright and big!" I shouted at him. "What is this!?"
"I don't think I have to explain that, Brendon."
"You spent your nine lives..." I trailed off. "What happens to you now?" Is this why he's so big?
"I stay here," he told me. "Forever. There's no where else I am permitted to go. I'm here the same as the moon goddess. But, you didn't come to ask me how I'm doing," he said as he started to walk away from this place. From me. I followed after him. B-But I still have more questions!
They're not important.
He's right.
"The moon goddess sent me here to ask for you blessing. She's to give me nine lives so I can go back and protect everyone," I explained to him.
"Right... I have my own agenda for that," he told me. He looked me in the eyes. "When you go back, you will not have Steele to ask for advice," he told me. "You'll live solo."
"I'll still be a wolf, right?" I asked.
"I was still a wolf," he told me.
Our world shifted. Fang seemed to come down a few sizes to match my own towering body. Suddenly the sky started changing over. I could tell the world was becoming more like... Scarlet Nightwalker's territory. We were going home. We started into a run. The fresh scent of my pack mate Mateo hit my nostrils.
"What are we doing?" I asked. Why are we following Mateo if I've got to be in Lamia's territory to save my girl and my pack?!
"I can't send you back without first filling you in on what's happening to your sister and her pack," he told me. Artemis! Is Mateo going to Artemis? What a smart boy! He's fit to be a beta. He's so clever...
"Why what is Everfur Howlers thinking?" I asked curiously.
"We'll find out. Their decision will result in the fate of your pack."
He was right. If Everfur doesn't come to Scarlet Nightwalkers' rescue then there is no point in me returning. I'll be spending a life to die and come right back here. I can't save a doomed pack. But, if my sister can convince her new pack to come and give Lamia one last show down.... We might be able to save some people.
I don't know if we'll kill Lamia...
Maybe just saving my pack mates is all I need to do.
We found Mateo halfway to Everfur's territory. He was frozen stiff as he smelled a blood stain on the ground. Fang walked up to him curiously and smelled the ground. He looked back at me. "It's a girl's scent. Someone in your pack," he told me. I rushed to their side to smell as well. That's my cousin Ava's scent! Emmett's younger sister of course. She's mated to Mateo. I saw him look around worriedly. His paws going to follow a trail of blood droplets that became heavy. We began to follow him until he came across her. Ava's body was curled up into a ball. Someone had covered her up properly with a leather coat. I could tell Ava wasn't breathing. There was a ton of blood soaked into the ground around here. She must have escaped with someone to go to Everfur when the attack happened... Got wounded... and didn't make it there.
Mateo didn't cry. He couldn't dare to. He transformed human and picked up her body. He held her close to him as he kissed her forehead. "My Ava," he whispered to her. "You're with the moon goddess now, aren't you?" He asked softly. "That means you're safe." He wasn't that much farther from Everfur's borders. He looked back towards our pack's main pack house. He looked tempted to bring her there. But then he dropped to his knees. He gave her one last hug. "I'll come back for you," he promised her. "Just like whoever was with you must have promised to do," he whispered. He kissed her one last time. "Goodbye for now," he whispered to her. "I'm sure you must understand... I have to get to Everfur Growlers. For our Luna and the pack." He transformed back into his wolf form.
Mateo licked her head once more before taking off running. His paws not hesitating to go as fast as possible. He wasn't going to give up. He pushed his body. I followed after him and felt Fang come right beside me.
"He's an excellent warrior," Fang told me. "You should reward him."
"I hope I get the chance to," I told Fang.