His Missing Luna

Chapter Eleven

Amelia's Point of View

"My Mom would never have lied to me." I started to argue. "At least not intentionally... or maybe she might have, if she thought it was for my own good." My thoughts came tumbling out before I even realized I was saying them aloud. It appeared as if I had no filter on my words. I clamped my hand to my mouth to stop myself from speaking anything else out loud. I wasn't sure what would come out with next.

"I've given you a little truth magic, just to help us along." Bethany told me. "It will save us a lot of time if we're honest with each other." Her voice was still childlike, but now her words and the way she spoke them gave her true age away.

I nodded. It wasn't like me to keep quiet, but I was worried about how much trouble I'd be in if I kept making sounds.

Bethany uncrossed her legs and adjusted her sitting position, which lead me to believe that this particular conversation would probably last for a while.

"Juliet came to me many years ago to seek my help." She began. "Did you know that your mother was a healer?"

"I did."

"Did you know that was the reason she fled the Amethyst Moon pack?"

"No." I replied, confused that my Mom's abilities would have put her in danger. Surely most packs would want to possess a healer?

"My mother never spoke of her time in the pack. She was incredibly traumatized by what happened there. She told me that neither of us were safe. She had to leave my father behind, which she tells me was a huge sacrifice. Her wolf was never the same afterward. It was so painful for her that I never pushed. All I know is that if she hadn't gotten us out when she did, we would have both ended up dead."

"Well, I can share her story with you if you would like?"

"Yes please." I answered quickly. My memories of my Mom were very precious and I was desperate to add more to my collection.

"Peyton's father, Alpha Andras, was one of the worst Alpha's of his time. His father, before him, gave him that name. In some religions, Andras was an extremely evil fallen angel. It became apparent that this was a perfect fit for his son."

"What did that have to do with my mother?" I wondered out loud. Bethany raised her hand slightly to stop me from saying anything else. I made a mental note to hold my questions until the end of the story.

"Andras's father was obsessed with wolves who had been blessed by Alanis. He held high-ranking wolves with extra abilities in high esteem. It is said, although never proven, that he killed the Beta from a neighboring pack and took his mate. All because she was able to control the element of fire. He killed Andras's mother on the same day."

Well, Peyton's grandfather sounded like a right hoot!

"Andras suffered a great deal of violence at the hands of his father because he was not deemed to be special. His father wanted gifted children, but his new mate was unable to produce an heir. Subsequently, she was killed. Before he could find another mate, he himself was brutally murdered by Andras."

I was starting to see the way in which my mother would fit into this Goddess awful story.

"After a lifetime of beatings and torture, Andras hated any wolf that he considered to be 'gifted', especially if they held no title. Why should lowly omegas be granted favors from the Moon Goddess when he had none? When he took over Amethyst moon, he killed any wolf that had extra abilities. He also killed their kin."

I felt physically sick when I heard that. This guy murdered parents and their children in cold blood because he was jealous! I couldn't comprehend that level of insanity.

"How did my mother and I survive?" I asked with a slight hiccup. Until that point, I was oblivious to the fact that I was crying for all of those innocent lives lost.

"Andras never made his feelings public to anyone, but Luna Stephanie had become suspicious of the way in which her pack members were dying. The deaths were blamed on random rogue attacks, but the Luna wasn't stupid. For every family that was attacked, the ungifted adults were always spared and the attacks only ever happened in one place. When rogues kill, they kill every single living thing. And usually they kill until they are killed themselves."

"The Luna was best friends with your mother. She confided in her whilst she was looking for proof of her alligations. Your mother's abilities did not manifest themselves until she mated the following year. She kept them a secret from everyone, including your father, to keep him safe."

I shuddered. My poor mother must have felt so isolated carrying such a heavy burden all on her own.

"It was only after you were born that the Alpha became suspicious. Juliet had a long and difficult labour, but eventually you made it into this world, albeit battered and bruised. Naturally, your mother could not stop herself from healing you. What should have taken you weeks to recover from had completely vanished within just a few hours."

"Andras made immediate plans to have you both killed as soon as you were released from hospital. But his scheme was halted when Stephanie took Peyton in with her to meet you. At just a year old, Peyton could not take his eyes off of you. She was elated that her son could be mated to her best friend's daughter. This is the only reason that Andras allowed you to live."

The story was fascinating. I had no idea why I was spared because I may have been 'mated' to Peyton, but I was still hanging on to every word the Winter Witch spoke.

"Alpha Andras watched your mothers every move for years. He stalked her like a mad man, but your mother was much smarter than he was. Eventually, he ran out of patience. When you were around three years old, he summoned your mother and father to a meeting. The only other person in the room was Peyton. Andras pulled out a gun and shot your father in the stomach with a silver bullet. Your mother ran to save him without hesitation."

As much as I didn't want to, I felt awful for Peyton. Imagine having to watch something like that.

"The whole thing was a set-up, of course. Whilst Juliet had been great friends with Stephanie, Andras had extended his friendship to your father. He offered him the role of Beta along with an obscene amount of money and sealed the deal with the promise that his daughter would be the next Luna. I'm sorry to say that your father was a very shallow man and agreed to give you over as Peyton's wife.

Your mother knew that her time was limited. That she would only be allowed to live whilst you were still a child. Luna Stephanie helped your mother to escape and was almost beaten to death for her betrayal."

"What happened to my father?"

"The Alpha had no use for him after that, so he had him killed. Your mother had a brother and sister. They too were killed."

So that's why my mother had never spoken about anything to do with our time at Amethyst Moon. Every one she loved had been killed. And my father had betrayed her before that. I suddenly had a new level of respect for my Mom. How did she manage to live through all that?

Bethany nodded and I wasn't sure if I had spoken my thoughts out loud or whether she had read them in my mind. I guess it didn't really matter either way.

"Now your mother was as tough as they come," she said in a lighter voice, perhaps to try to keep me upbeat. "Just as I know you are. She had you and that was all that mattered to her. All she wanted to do was to keep you safe. She wasn't ever interested in herself. She took the protection I offered her just so that you wouldn't be in danger."

"And this was the scent blocker?" I qualified.

"And the perception shield. Your mother had one and so did you, until this morning, that is."

"But I don't understand. I don't feel any different to yesterday. What did it do? And how did it protect us?"

"It made you invisible to all non-humans. Scouts were sent out from Amethyst Moon to hunt for the two of you. But whilst they could see you, they never actually knew you were there."

"I'm sorry Bethany, but I'm lost. That makes no sense.

She grinned at me. "That's the beauty of magic - It doesn't have to."