Chapter Forty-four

LUNA

Ophelia pushed open the door and grabbed my hand. pulling me with her as we ran straight for the woods. We held each other and ran as fast as our legs would carry us. The treeline was just ahead. We were almost there—then a force knocked into us from the back.

I fell forward into the sand and rolled to a stop. I got to my feet to see Ophelia standing before a wolf that was the same height as her. The wolf kept advancing on her, and she kept taking steps back. Her eyes caught mine, and she shook her head at me. “Go!!!”

I looked around and saw the knife on the ground behind the wolf. I took a deep breath and said a little prayer, then I ran straight for the wolf, picking up the knife along the way. The wolf looked back just as I got close to it. I raised my hand and slashed the wolf across the face, catching its eye. The wolf howled loudly and fell to the ground. I delivered three more slashes to the throat, watching as dark red blood flowed out of the creature. The breathing became labored, and soon enough, it stopped breathing altogether.

I grabbed Ophelia’s hand and looked around. I noticed that we had gotten the attention of some wolves. Because we didn’t know who was who, I turned and started running again, pulling Ophelia with me.

Just as we crossed the treeline, a gunshot rang out. We both gasped and stopped; it seemed to have been aimed at us. We took cover behind a tree and looked around. I saw Guillermo heading for us from the side, holding a handgun. He was covered in blood and appeared to be in pain.

I turned and saw Ophelia panting for breath, with tears in her eyes. “It’s okay, we’ll make it out.”

“It’s not that,” she said.

“What?” She looked down and I followed her gaze, gasping as I saw the red spot on her gown that was getting increasingly wider. The bullet had hit her. “Ophelia…”

“No matter what, make sure you get out of here. Don’t let him get you again.”

“Ophelia…” My voice broke.

“Go. Run.”

“I can’t leave you.”

“You have to.”

I heard Guillermo’s voice as he approached us. “You know…your mother tried to leave me like this once…”

I looked around, racking my brain for what to do. We couldn’t outrun a bullet, and it was only a matter of time before he found exactly where I was. He was a werewolf; he probably could sense where I was.

“…she failed the first few times. I disciplined her…it seemed she didn’t quite learn her lesson. She tried again, and she succeeded. Eloping with that bastard that called himself your father.”

Silence reigned in the woods as I listened intently to where he could be, while at the same time putting pressure on Ophelia’s wound. I nodded at her to place her hands there, which she did with a grunt.

Just as her hands replaced mine, I felt a hand on my hair and I was dragged up, coming face to face with a very angry, and bloodied, Guillermo. “I’ll be damned if I let it happen again after all these years.” He raised the gun to my head, and I raised the knife, slicing his chest open, sending it as deep as my strength would allow.

I heard the gun go off just as he dropped me and fell to the ground.

I groaned and climbed atop his body, raising the knife again and again, stabbing his chest and neck till his body lay lifeless.

I looked down at myself and smiled; it felt good to finally end the man who'd ended my parents. The man who had treated my mother like shit, and it felt even better to do it in her dress. It felt as though she was watching me, like both my parents were watching me, and they both gave their approval.

I took a deep breath and felt an intense pain in my midsection, I looked down to see blood gushing out of my stomach. I fell to the ground and crawled to a tree, leaning on it, Ophelia and I looking at each other and smiling.

“It’s okay. We’re going to be okay,” I said.

Just as consciousness began to leave me, I saw a huge wolf running full speed at me, with fur that was the color of midnight and amber bloodshot eyes. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, but in the distance I could hear Giovanni calling my name.

***

It’s been five years since that day, and I still find it hard to believe that Ophelia and I made it out alive.

Turned out that Giovanni got to us just in time, and they had a doctor with them to treat emergency wounds.

After the fight, and after I recovered, Giovanni’s father—the man I now call my father-in-law—gifted me Guillermo’s mansion. I had all my mother’s portraits and her dresses moved out; they’re now in a room in my and Giovanni’s house.

We left Italy and moved to North Africa, where we would be free of all the mafia ties. I’m still surprised that Giovanni agreed to quit the mafia for me, and even more surprised that his father helped us fake his death and gave us money to leave. Not that Giovanni needed it.

Ophelia was given money as I had promised, and she is now living in Mexico. Last I saw her, she was loving with up with one Mikael.

I finally got to meet Rose’s baby—that was before we escaped, of course, and it hurt me that we might never see each other again. Sergio was the new don.

I rub my swollen tummy as I watch our son play in the sand with his friends. We got a beach house, and Junior loves it even more than us. I don’t want to make the mistakes my parents made—I want to raise my children in peace, and I want them to have their parents active in their lives.

Every day, I think of the child I lost, and I guess we can all agree that things happen the way they do for a reason.

I am finally living the life I have always wanted with the man I love, who also makes the best partner any woman could ask for. I am happy. I am blessed.

I feel arms wrap around me from behind, and I relax into his embrace. “Hey…” I turn my head and kiss him.

“Hi.” He looks ahead at our son and waves at him. Junior raises both hands and waves back. We stand silently, watching our boy play, while Giovanni’s hand rubs my bump. “What is going through your mind?” he asks.

“Nothing." I look up at him and smile. "Just how blessed I am.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes. More than I could have imagined. I feel at peace.” He smiles and places a soft kiss on my forehead. “Are you happy?”

“Yes. More than I could have imagined,” he says.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

THE END.