Curse of The Crescent Moon

Defying Death

" Dear...you are without choices here in the afterlife,"

The moon goddess's tone remained calm despite Andrea is freaking out. She doesn't know what year is it already. Her death feels like it was yesterday, but she knows it isn't because ever since she arrived here in the afterlife she goes every day to the moon goddess begging for the terms she wanted about her rebirth. The moon goddess even told her that she should have been reborn by now, but it's taking long because the conditions she wants are impossible. That's what is pending in the process.

When she was still alive, she thought going back, and getting reborn was just easy, well for other werewolves, maybe, but not for her. Here in the afterlife, she learned that creatures of the nights like her, naturally get reborn but their next life would depend on what moon season they have entered the afterlife realm. Others who were lucky to enter the realm during a full moon got reborn right away, but some like her who entered and came during the crescent, were unlucky, for that means her rebirth would cost her much. The moon goddess explained to her that she entered the afterlife realm in a crescent season, a season where moonlight is neither shining nor fading. She said that dying and getting reborn in a crescent moon, in a moon phase that symbolizes fertility, feminity, life, and death is unlike any other rebirth story. The rules in the afterlife for creatures like her are different.

She lived with a gift from the moon.

She died during a crescent moon.

And she's scheduled to get back to life in the next crescent moon phase.

General rules don't apply to her.

" Take all that you want from me! My fangs, my powers...I can live my next life without those!" Andrea pleads to the moon goddess.

But the moon goddess remained firm. She shook her head.

" Please! I just want Blaine! I made a promise..."

Her voice sounded like she was going to cry.

This is what's holding her from going back to the land of the living. She can't have her old life back. Blaine. He means life to her. He's her life. And without him means not having back her life at all.

" That's why I'm telling you that going back would cost you much. You choose between Blaine or your pack. " replied the moon goddess.

" What?! No!" Andrea was stunned.

For all those times she bargains with the goddess, this is the first time she heard her mention her pack.

Andrea shot a glance at the moon goddess. Her gaze was asking why.

The moon goddess sighed.

Yet she maintained her grace, then the goddess began explaining.

" It's time for you to amend some little mistakes," she said.

" When you were alive all you just wanted is Blaine. Yeah, you care about your pack, but you care more about Blaine,"

Andrea butted in. She tried to reason out.

The moon goddess then raises her voice.

" An alpha is supposed to lay down his life for his pack, but you would lay yours for your beloved beta," the moon goddess now sounds like she's up to arguing. Her face was firm, and so was her voice.

Then, she sighed again, trying to breathe in much patience.

" Andrea,"

The goddess muttered after a second of silence. Now, she sounds calm and controlled.

"I already granted your wish of being reborn as the same person, that's what you want, right? But you have to understand that the council of deities has decided. You'll have the same identity. You'll have your pack back so you'll have a chance to make up for your shortcomings on them, but you can't have the love of your life. Not in your next life," the moon goddess explained again.

Andrea shook her head.

" No! Take all my powers. I can live without my fangs, my abilities. I can live without being special...like being a lone wolf, but..please..." she keeps insisting.

"As I said, you are without choice, Andrea. It's us the divine who's giving you what to choose. Now, here's what the crescent moon has for you...you'll have your pack, you'll be reborn as the same person, but you won't have the love of your life," the moon goddess repeated.

Tears well up in Andrea's eyes. As expected. Her everyday conversation with the moon goddess always goes like this. She's always insisting, always bargaining. She can no longer count how many times exactly she begs the goddess. She knows that talking to the goddess would go nowhere. The goddess would say that afterlife isn't just governed by her authority, that the rules here are greater than her, that she can't defy them, and that she too is subjected to a higher power, and she would bring up the council of deities' decision.

How could she go against all those?

Andrea sighed frustratedly.

" Andrea... you have to start accepting it that in your next life, Blaine isn't your mate. He's not your Beta, and he won't love you. Be prepared for that truth," the moon goddess tried to comfort her.

Andrea fell out of words in a moment. Many times she heard the moon goddess say that, but still, even the thought of Blaine not loving her hurts her. She's without choice. If she'll be reborn as another person, the more that her path and Blaine would never cross. She doesn't want that either.

What would I do? I was just hoping even for the slightest chance. Andrea thought to herself.

" I..don't want my abilities, my fangs...can't I just make up with my pack with Blaine on my side? Like how we used to be..."

Andrea mumbled.

" As I said dying and getting reborn in a crescent moon comes with a cost," the moon goddess cuts off what Andrea was about to say thinking that she'll end up ranting the same thing again.

" Then take my fangs in exchange for my wish, as an offering!" Andrea keeps on insisting.

The moon goddess shook her head.

" No, I can't take that" she remained firm.

"Why?"

" Because you're the only cure to your race," the moon goddess added.

" cure?"

" when the time comes, you'll understand,"

And Andrea began sobbing.

" I got used to him being there by my side...his scent..his comfort...Blaine, his love...is a kind one won't forget even in the afterlife," she said.

The moon goddess moved closer to pat her back.

" It's okay, Andrea..." she muttered again in her comforting voice.

" Can you give some little hope? I don't think I'm ready to..."

" Just remember this, Andrea... if love is real it overcomes everything, even...hell,"

On the first crescent moon of the year, Andrea Catalda was reborn with the same abilities, same physiology, and with memory of her past life. Although she was reborn with another parent, she was lucky to be raised by a couple who happened to be the survivors of her pack. At least she knows not all of the Hungry Fangs was killed that night. On her first wolf shift, Andrea's mom wondered how her fangs appear different than the other wolves. Her parents were convinced that they looks exactly like the fangs of their dead Alpha.

And so, from then on, her parents changed her name. They called her Andrea. She was named after the Alpha of the Hungry Fangs. The Alpha who died. The Alpha of her parent's pack without knowing that it was actually her - Andrea Catalda, the Alpha with ancient fangs had been reborn to life.

20 Years After

The large convention center was filled with crowds dressed in suits. The entire room was decorated elegantly with flowers and gleaming chandeliers hanging. And in front was a wide stage, with a large size monitor flashing the face of the most popular CEO founder in the world of medicine, Blaine Sanders.

The people in their seats looked at him with admiration, keenly waiting for every word he would utter, while there are cameras clicking, capturing the different expressions of that sensuous, rough yet dignified figure of him. Blaine had that kind of face that would make you pause in your track, and that smile that would make you weak, yet in a second you would realize that this man is indeed perplexedly handsome.

Then, you would not want to dive in because sooner you'll see that he has walls around him. He's the kind of guy too impossible to get.

" Moon Pharma owes its success first to the people who believe in us, and most especially to my mother. Though she already had passed away this story she used to tell me has been my inspiration in building this conglomerate," Blaine continued his speech.

" So, now with the launching of our latest medicine, would you guys have patience with some bedtime stories?" he chuckled, flashing that charming smile to the crowd.

The crowd responded with glee.

They're game.

And so, Blaine continued.

" In the tale, a strong female healer with the capacity to treat a wide range of illnesses yearned to know what could answer to all sickness in the world. She went to the moon. After being told that she could only discover this secret if she withdrew from the people she loves, she continues to wait for the moon's answer with patience, every day, at a full moon, at every moon phase...she was waiting. She was hoping that she will go back home to get an answer to her query,"

The crowd then turned serious feeling the emotion in his story.

Then, Blaine raised his voice with a sound of conviction. He smiled at the people.

" That story had taught us that to appreciate and protect our knowledge and to understand that answers to some questions may take time to be revealed and that to cling on hope...and to live in the values,"

He paused for a while and look at the crowd.

Then he continued.

" Our company is living and has been abiding for years in the virtue of compassion. Moon Pharma may not have the cure to all the sickness in the world but we will continue to live searching for answers to it.."

And Blaine bowed his head, a signal that he has finished his speech. And the crowd gives him a standing ovation.

Meanwhile from a distance is a figure of a woman hiding in the corner shadows, watching Blaine Sanders from afar, listening to all that he said.

Mother? You didn't hear that tale from your mom, Blaine. I was the one who told you that tale about the moon and the healer... Andrea thought to herself.

My Beta mate, how did you become the CEO of Moon Pharma? She thinks.

Why didn't he take the front exit? Andrea asked herself as she saw Blaine with his guards passing through the building's back door minutes after he finished his speech. That area was far from the crowd, secluded and hidden.

Something is off.

She thinks while she observes from a distance. She's certain that Blaine's guards weren't humans. She could smell their wolf scent from where she was standing.

" Alpha King,"

She heard one of the men greet Blaine as he bowed and opened the car's door for him.

" Don't call me that in this building. I am a CEO in the human eyes,"

She heard Blaine reply in a sharp tone.

Andrea's brows raised in curiosity.

Alpha? He's now an Alpha? How? Why? What pack?

" Fu** sh**!" Andrea cussed as she drowned with many questions in mind.