The Cursed Luna

Chapter 2: A Twist Of Events.

Elara.

.

.

“Elara!” Damon gasped as he finally noticed my presence. He reached over and covered Amara up with the sheets, giving me a look I assumed to be a glare. Amara turned to me, her expression both surprised and pleased.

“Oh! You've made such a mess sis, what's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?” Amara said provokingly, offering me a sly grin.

I barely understood what she meant.

My head was spinning, my fingers and toes were cold, and I was one hair's breadth away from letting my wolf take full control. My blood boiled, but it was icy as hell. I gripped the table beside my dresser to steady myself.

Suddenly, I was embraced by warmth I was used to, but had strangely resented. “Why?” I mumbled, as a familiar sting crept up behind my eyes. Damon stared straight into them, and my breath caught on sight of the lack of emotion in those swirly depths.

He did it….on purpose.

“Don't become all sobby. The answer is simple. I am better than you, and far…far sexier.” Amara said mockingly, swaying her hips as she got out the bed, still wrapped in the sheets.

“Elara, can we talk about this later?” Damon whispered, his eyes now holding just one emotion, concern.

I gritted my teeth and pulled away from him, my anger teetering on the edge.

“Are you gonna cry?” Amara spat, circling her arms around his torso. Damon didn't budge or flinch. “You've always been a dirty weakling. I still find it strange that you crept up to your position with your tricks. Isn't she Dammy?” She whined, nestling her face into his back.

If only it were in another life.

“Amara….I have done nothing wrong to you. All the days of our relationship I have been nothing but a good older sister and this is how you repay me? Are you that much of a desperate slut-”

Smack.

Right across the face, burning and stinging almost immediately. I raised my eyes up to meet Damon's, blazing with fury.

“You will not speak to her that way.” He said coldly, catching me off guard. At this point, I lost it.

“Damon you …you hit me.” I mumbled, practically gaping.

“And I'll do it again if you don't shut up.” He retorted, and Amara gave a satisfied smile.

I scoffed, kicking the tray of ribs that had broken on the floor. “I will not speak to her that way, yet I am spoken to like a piece of trash? What the hell do you take me for Damon? A servant who obeys your every whim?” Tears had begun their betraying escape down my cheeks, and my breathing turned erratic.

Damon gripped me by the wrists, pinning me to the door. His eyes flashed wolf, and I froze yet again. Then, I chuckled amidst my tears. “You want to hurt me? Go ahead. You can't possibly do worse than you already have.” I spat, leaving no room for remorse.

“If you would just shut up and f*****g listen, I wouldn't have to do this.” He said lowly, and slowly covered my mouth with his palm. I opened my mouth to protest, and a strange herb slid in between my teeth.

The effect was instant. I widened my eyes in surprise and disbelief as the wolfsbane took hold of my limbs, paralyzing every muscle until the darkness fogged my brain. The last thing I heard was the sinister sound of Amara's giggling before I was dragged into unconsciousness.

*************

Axel.

“Axel, the elders are waiting for you.” Keiran said, strutting into the living room with his cocky demeanor. I raised my eyes from the scroll I was reading, and nodded.

“It better be something useful.” I rolled up the scroll, setting it on the stool beside the couch and got up to head towards the meeting room.

“I have a feeling it would. They said they've finally discovered what we need for your mom.” Keiran shrugged, following me along the dark path of the hallway.

“Has Gerome figured out who the attacker was?” I asked as we made a turn to the right. The hall brightened up slightly on this path, with the chandelier at the center giving off a low golden glow.

“s**t…I should've told you, but you have a thing with your temper and…” he trailed off as I paused in my tracks, and let out a menacing growl. He flinched at my reaction, his knees meeting the floor quicker than I would have expected.

“I shouldn't expect you of all people to keep something as important as that from me. Temper or not. The next time this happens, you'll get the gurney.” I moved closer to him with each word, my voice cold and devoid of emotion. He whimpered slightly, and I realized I was crushing him with my Alpha waves.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

I released him, and continued my walk down the hall. “You're not supposed to do that, you know.” I whispered as we got to the entrance of the room. I typed in the passkey on the handle, and the metal doors slid open.

12 elders sat in front of the high table at the far end of the room, watching as we strutted in. Keiran tapped my shoulder, sliding my coat off and whispering, “It was one of Damon's wolves.”

I glared at him. “And you thought to tell me just now?” Rage simmered beneath my skin.

“We're gonna talk about this later.” I retorted, trying so f*****g hard to calm down.

Why the hell would he send wolves to my territory?

I approached the high table, my steps measured and controlled despite the anger pulsing through my veins. The elders' eyes followed me, their expressions a mix of concern and anticipation.

"Alpha Axel," the head elder, Miriam, spoke first. Her silver hair gleamed in the dim light. "We've made a breakthrough."

I c****d my head, waiting for her to continue. My mind raced with possibilities, Damon's wolves, the attack, this new discovery. Were they all connected?

"We've deciphered the ancient texts," another elder, Tobias, chimed in. "The key to healing your mom lies in the Moonstone Ritual."

My eyebrows shot up. The Moonstone Ritual was stuff of legend, a powerful ceremony that hadn't been performed in centuries. "You're certain?"

Miriam nodded gravely, but it felt like there was more to it. I wouldn't even care. My mom had been in a disturbing situation for years, and I would f*****g do anything to save her.

“Yes, but there's a catch. The moonstone ritual can't be completed without a Luna from one of the Elder clans.”

“Okay? Then we just have to find one.” It shouldn't be that hard.

Tobias sighed. “Normally it wouldn't, but those tribes are scattered so sparsely all over the world it would be almost impossible.”

“Except there is one. Her ancestry has been hidden pretty well, but I know a powerful Luna when I see one. Luna Elara Storm, of the Crescent Moon Pack.” Miriam cut him off, her tone strangely firm.

My blood ran cold. All the anger dissipated into an icy chill, buried beneath uncertainty and annoyance. “No. There has to be another way.”

Miriam sighed, as if expecting my reaction. “Your mother won't survive this much longer. We could go in search of the tribes, but it'll take a massive amount of time. She doesn't have that.”

“Axel, you need to get over your feud with Damon. It's not-”

“Nonsense!! Do not speak to me about forgiveness.” I growled, taking out the lights in the room with the force of the vibration. Not only did he ruin my childhood, he still had the nerve to send wolves into my territory.

My territory.

“Damon…” Keiran placed his hand on my shoulder, grounding me. “She has a point. Maybe we could arrange some sort of meeting with them. You don't have to talk to him yourself. We can confront him about the attacker later.”

“Listen to your Beta, Axel. This is as much as we can do for her.” Warren, one of the elders who had been silent spoke up, his expression serious, but filled with concern.

I exhaled, as mom's face flashed through my head. Three years of battling for her life after dad threw us out. She had gone unconscious because of the separation, and had never recovered. Maybe visiting was worth a shot.

“Fine. Arrange a meeting with him. But if he tries anything, no one should question my actions.”