Blood Moon Reckoning

Chapter 8: Estella's Rage

The morning sun filtered through the tall trees surrounding the village, casting long shadows on the cobbled streets. Estella stood outside her small herbal shop, wiping her hands on her apron as she watched the villagers bustle about. She had always found comfort in the quiet rhythm of the village, the simplicity of life far removed from the chaos of the Vesper Pack.

It was here, in the shelter of Elena’s home, that she had carved out a new existence for herself and Devon. But that peace was about to be shattered.

News had swept through the village like wildfire that morning - free medicine from People’s Hospital, the grand institution Estella’s mother had built years ago with the dream of helping those in need. Only now, the hospital belonged to Margaret Rae.

“Free hospitalization, can you believe it?” one villager said to another, her voice brimming with excitement.

“They say it’s for everyone, no matter how poor you are,” the other replied. “It’s a blessing!”

Estella overheard the chatter as she stood by the door, her heart sinking. She couldn’t share in their joy. Not when the hospital that was supposed to be her mother’s legacy had fallen into Margaret’s hands. Not when she knew that Margaret and her father, Enrique, were anything but charitable.

Inside the shop, Elena was grinding herbs, her sharp eyes flicking up to meet Estella’s worried expression.

“You’ve heard the news, I assume,” Elena said, her voice calm but laced with suspicion.

Estella nodded, her fingers tightening around the edge of the counter. “How could I not? It’s all anyone is talking about. I think it’s been a week since they started that free hospitalization case.”

Elena frowned, setting down her mortar and pestle. “Margaret is not the kind of woman to give away anything for free, least of all medicine. She’s up to something.”

“I know.” Estella’s voice was quiet but firm. “And I can’t shake the feeling that my father is involved. He gave the hospital to her, didn’t he? The very place my mother built with her own hands is now in Margaret’s control.”

Elena stood and walked over to her, placing a hand on Estella’s shoulder. “You know how your father is, child. He always valued power and profit above all else. But what concerns me is why they’re doing this now. Why the sudden generosity?”

Estella’s thoughts swirled, her chest tight with a mix of anger and unease. Margaret’s face flashed in her mind, her manipulative smile, the lies she’d spun to ruin Estella’s life. There was no way this sudden act of charity was anything but a scheme, but what exactly were they planning?

Before Estella could respond, the front door of the shop banged open. Eamon, one of the villagers, staggered inside, his face pale and drenched in sweat. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes were wild with panic.

“Eamon!” Estella exclaimed, rushing over to him. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

Eamon collapsed into a chair, clutching his chest as if his heart were ready to burst. “I… I went to the hospital,” he wheezed. “The free medicine… I thought… I thought it was a blessing, but something’s wrong.”

Estella and Elena exchanged a glance before Estella crouched down beside him. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Eamon’s hands trembled as he recounted his experience. “They took us into a room. They said they were giving us medicine that the Erylis family developed, but the way they did it… it felt wrong. I heard people shouting in the other rooms. Screaming in pain. And when I asked the nurse what they were giving me, she wouldn’t tell me. I knew… I knew something was off, so I escaped before they could finish administering it to me. I ran to escape.”

As he spoke, Eamon’s skin grew paler, his pulse erratic beneath Estella’s fingers. She stood abruptly, her mind racing. The veins in his arms were turning a sickly black, spidering up toward his shoulders. A sickening realization dawned on her. She was familiar with these symptoms.

“Elena, help me get him to the back room,” Estella ordered, her voice tight with urgency.

Elena didn’t hesitate, moving quickly to support Eamon as they led him to the back of the shop. They laid him down on a makeshift bed, and Estella immediately went to work, checking his vitals. His pulse was too fast, and the discoloration spreading through his veins was unmistakable.

It was the immortality formula - her formula, the one she had abandoned in the Vesper Pack. But it was incomplete and dangerous. If administered to ordinary werewolves, it would only cause destruction. That’s why she did not continue creating it.

“Margaret,” Estella muttered under her breath, her hands trembling as she prepared a mixture of herbs and antidotes. “She’s using my mother’s hospital to test the formula on innocent people. She’s making them as samples for the experiment!”

Elena’s eyes darkened with understanding. “The immortality formula that you previously mentioned.”

“Yes,” Estella whispered, her rage simmering beneath the surface. “She’s testing it on these villagers, knowing it’s not safe. And she’s doing it without their consent.”

Elena’s face hardened. “We need to stabilize him.”

Estella nodded and worked swiftly, mixing a concoction to slow down the spread of the poison in Eamon’s system. The room was filled with the sound of her grinding herbs, the clink of glass bottles, and Eamon’s labored breathing. Hours passed as they worked through the night, battling against time to save him.

But despite their best efforts, by morning, Eamon had slipped into a coma. His body had stabilized, but the damage was done. The immortality pill was too much for his body.

Estella stood by his bedside, her heart heavy with guilt. She had created this formula. She had left it behind, unfinished, and now Margaret was using it to experiment on the innocent. If only she had destroyed it in the past. None of this could have happened.

Elena approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You did all you could. This wasn’t your fault.”

“But it is,” Estella replied, her voice hoarse with emotion. “This was my creation. My responsibility. And now Margaret is using it to destroy people’s lives.”

Elena’s eyes softened. “You didn’t give her the formula. She stole it, just like she’s stolen everything else from you. This is on her, not you.”

Estella shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. “No. I should have stopped her sooner. I should have known she wouldn’t stop at just taking the hospital. Now innocent people are paying the price.”

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Devon’s small voice broke through the tense silence. “Mama?”

Estella turned to see her son standing in the doorway, his wide blue eyes filled with innocent curiosity. He walked over to her, tugging on her skirt.

“Mama, what happened to Eamon?”

Estella knelt down to meet Devon’s eye level, brushing a hand through his hair. “Eamon is very sick, sweetheart. He needs to rest.”

Devon’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Why is he sick? Did someone make him sick?”

Estella hesitated, not wanting to burden her young son with the darkness of their world. “It’s complicated, Devon. Grown-up stuff.”

Devon’s eyes lingered on Eamon for a moment before shifting back to Estella. “Mama, where’s my papa?”

The question hit Estella like a punch to the gut. She hadn’t expected it, not now, not while she was already teetering on the edge of rage and despair. She swallowed hard, forcing a smile onto her face.

“Your papa… he’s far away, sweetheart.”

“Will he ever come back?” Devon asked, his innocent voice cutting through her heart like a knife.

Estella opened her mouth, but no words came out. She didn’t know how to explain the truth to him, how to tell him that his father was a mystery even to her. That the man she thought was his father had betrayed them, and the real one - whoever he was - remained a shadow in the dark corners of her mind.

Elena, sensing her distress, stepped in. “Devon, why don’t you help me with something in the kitchen? I could use an extra pair of hands.”

Devon nodded eagerly, taking Elena’s hand and leaving the room with her. Estella stood there, her chest tight with unresolved emotions. Margaret had taken everything from her - her family, her pack, her life’s work. And now, she was using her mother’s hospital to spread death and destruction.

The rage inside Estella began to build, her hands trembling as she stared down at Eamon’s still form. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore. It was about justice. About stopping Margaret before she could hurt anyone else.

She took a deep breath, her mind already working on a plan.

It was time to fight back.