Blood Moon

Charlotte

Fear had completely paralyzed me. I tried to pull my hand away, but the young wolf wouldn't let go; but, his grip grew stronger, causing me to let out a painful groan. At that moment, the young one was pulled away, and I was taken with him and thrown aside.

Everything appeared to unfold in slow motion. Logan parted his jaws, poised to sink his teeth into the other wolf's flesh. Michael and the rest of the group raced to intervene. Logan was entirely ensconced by immensely powerful wolves, yet none could effectively contain him. I dashed towards him, seizing the arm still grasping the young soldier, while Michael and two other wolves clung to Logan's opposite arm, and four more endeavored to halt the arm I was gripping onto.

"Get out of there, Charlotte!" Michael shouted, and Logan looked at me, but his gaze was completely strange; he didn't recognize me and simply threw me aside, along with everyone else who was holding onto him and the young soldier.

I ended up hurting myself when I made contact with the ground. Logan strangely looked at me, as if I were his prey. He crouched down, on all fours, and my whole body was shaking. I knew I didn't stand a chance, even if I ran as fast as my legs could carry me; Logan would catch up with me easily, and I would be killed quickly. Then, a large wolf fell onto Logan, and soon others joined him, restraining Logan as he struggled and growled on the ground.

I felt hands on my shoulders, and when I looked up, I saw Lia, who was visibly terrified, pulling me up.

"We need to get out of here immediately, Come on!" she said, and I obeyed. We ran into the castle and then to my room.

All the windows were already being closed by the maids, who were trembling and crying. Others came and locked the doors, dragging the heaviest furniture they could find to create a makeshift barricade against the door. We sat in total silence; we couldn't hear anything, only our breathing.

I had doubts that this barricade would hold Logan. With his power, he could easily demolish everything as if it were a fragile house of cards, but I didn't voice that to the frightened she-wolves. Lia and I sat on the bed, our hands intertwined. After a while, we heard a soft knock on the door, and a soldier informed us that everything was now under control.

How could he say that everything was under control when Logan was wild? I got up intending to find out how things were if there were any wounded who needed treatment, and most importantly, what had been done with Logan. Before I took the first step, Lia held me back and pulled me back onto the bed.

"I need to go outside," I said, firmly.

"To do what? To hinder the soldiers who are trying to keep everyone in this castle alive?" Lia said with an irritated tone. "You will stay here until Michael says it's safe for us to leave."

"But there might be injuries," I retorted, getting up once again.

"And that's why there are healers; they'll take care of everything. Now, stop trying to come up with reasons to go out and sit down." Lia used all her authority on me, and I, as a much younger wolf, complied. I still wasn't a Luna and had no power to make that decision.

Calmer now, I agree with Lia. Leaving the room at that moment would only disrupt everyone. As worried as I was, there was nothing I could do to help.

"You didn't know?" I turned to Lia, who had a sad look on her face. "He didn't tell you?"

"Didn't know what? Who should have told me something?" I replied, alarmed.

"Do you know about the Alpha King's curse and how his life is intertwined with it, right?" Lia asked calmly.

"Yes, I learned more about it when I was in the North," I said, feeling my stomach churn as the conversation progressed.

"But no one explained to you how or when the curse manifests." She concluded, and I simply nodded in agreement. Lia took a deep breath and held my hands again. "Michael told me one night, after receiving instructions from the Alpha King, in case an incident like this happened." Lia took a deep breath, searching for the right words to tell me what was necessary.

"Lia," I said, alarmed. "What's happening to Logan?" Lia looked at the maids who were still in the room, rearranging the furniture, and signaled for them to leave. As soon as the doors closed, she began to speak.

"On the night of the Blood Moon, when the Goddess sheds tears of blood for those who have departed, Logan loses complete control of his wolf, becoming a completely wild creature, and as a result, part of his human side dies."

"So the life that the curse mentions being lost refers to Logan's human side?" I concluded, and Lia nodded in agreement.

"The curse is already quite advanced; one sign of this is the fact that the Blood Moon hasn't appeared yet, and Logan has completely lost control in front of everyone. Michael told me he usually locks himself in his room, which has been modified to contain him."

Then I understood why Logan's room wasn't the main room of the castle, but the farthest one. All the objects and furniture hadn't been destroyed because of constant fits of anger but because of his wolf being out of control when it happened. My heart tightened, and my eyes filled with tears. Logan had been suffering alone with this torment for decades, feeling himself lose with each Blood Moon, just as I felt during full moons when my wolf took control of my body. I, more than anyone, understood Logan's situation and could help him. Lia held my chin and turned my face, making me look at her.

"I know very well what's going on in your little head, and you can't go to where the King is," I became furious and pushed Lia's hand away, getting up.

"I can help him," I yelled angrily. "I can ease his pain; he doesn't have to be alone."

"Should I remind you, my lady, that he was about to kill you when I arrived in the garden, and this tragedy only didn't happen because Michael and other wolves restrained the King at the exact moment?" Lia said, then stood up and gently held my shoulders, like a mother would when explaining to her child not to misbehave. "Be patient; as soon as the Blood Moon ends, he'll return to his usual self. I know it's difficult, but you're a smart woman." Lia kissed my forehead and left me alone with my thoughts.

I had so many questions in my mind, like why Fenrir was the key to breaking the curse, a simple and harmless baby. By that point, I had given up seeking answers from the Goddess, as she never responded to me. I needed to understand all of it to be able to help Logan.

Night fell, and the moon shone brightly, casting everything under its light with an intense red hue. Logan's howls echoed through the castle corridors, spreading fear and apprehension. I was already in my nightgown, ready to lie down, but I wasn't sleepy at all. Logan howled again, but it was different somehow; it was as if he was calling for me, calling me by name and pleading for me to come to him.

I cautiously left my room, carefully observing each corner for any soldiers. To my surprise, there was no one guarding the hallway leading to Logan's room. I approached the large door; a heavy chain embraced the handles, joined by a chain that seemed to be made of pure silver. I pressed my ear against the cold wood and managed to hear heavy footsteps inside the room.

"Logan," I called in a low voice, and the sound inside the room stopped.

I looked around for something I could use to break those chains and enter; then, a key was passed under the door. I understood that Logan kept the key so that no one could open the doors, but he was giving it to me so I could enter. I took the key and unlocked the padlock, which made a very loud noise. I looked around, fearing that someone might have heard, and then removed the chains and opened the door, taking all of it with me.

The first thing I did was pass the chains through the door handles and, once again, lock the padlock, but this time from inside the room. I looked around, and everything was chaotic, much worse than the first time I had been there. I took a step forward, and then I was grabbed by the neck and lifted off the ground. The moonlight entered through a curtain that had been completely torn apart; Logan growled, and his blue eyes were filled with the intense red glow of the Blood Moon. He didn't recognize me, and I was in danger; there was no way I could survive the wild wolf before me.