Pure Moonlight Ch. 14

Hi all!

Welcome to the long awaited, pivotal chapter 14 of Pure Moonlight! This chapter has been very difficult for me to write, which is one of the reasons it has taken so much longer than I originally intended.

This has been my plan all along, and it is not the end, so never fear! I am hoping to have chapter 15 submitted before the end of October. I am one of those leave it to the last minute kind of people, so hopefully with a deadline I can meet it. If not, get on to me and nag!

Please don't forget to comment and send Private feedback or emails. It really helps me to focus and get excited about my stories and write more.

Enjoy!

<3 Shadowsung90

~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith moved to stand in front of his Alpha as the car came screeching to halt. Zac put a hand on his shoulder and stepped out in front, not wanting his best friend to be involved. A Were leapt out of the car and set upon Zac, howling in rage, its jaw snapping inches away from his face as it snarled furiously. Zac held him at bay while the rest of his pack descended and pulled the wolf off of him.

The wolf, hauled off of Zac, caught sight of the blackened form that was the Branaan woman and roared. The sound morphed into a man's screams as he shifted back to his human form.

He broke their grip and raced to her, cradling her gently in his arms. "What did you do?" He roared at Zac, hatred in his eyes as he glared.

Zac sat up and held out his hands in an open palm gesture to show he was no threat, "I didn't do this," he said as calmly as he could, "That woman was friends with my mate, and was with her when they were ambushed. My mate was kidnapped, and she was left behind."

The man looked down at his mate and brushed the hair from her face. Soot coated her, but her wounds were slowly healing. He morphed his snout and gently licked a cut on her cheek, watching as it slowly disappeared.

The onlookers watched silently as he repeated the process, crying softly and murmuring to her gently.

~~~

Caitlin sat on the edge of the fountain and considered what Bart had told her. She seriously considered moving towns. She had been born and raised in another pack, but the Colemans had taken her in from the dark place she had fallen to and brought her back.

It hurt her so badly that she would never be able to return to her home and friends. Finding a new and accepting pack that was as loving as they had been seemed impossible. Caitlin knew that most packs were harsh to newcomers, and the good ones rarely accepted any outsiders.

Without warning her stomach growled, causing her to chuckle quietly; she still had basic needs after all. Getting up, she went in search of food.

~~~

Ally watched as the cauldron bubbled furiously, its contents viscous and a startling shade of blue. Her arms had gone numb, and she could barely feel the cuts and chafing on her wrists.

More and more of the disfigured creatures arrived, each kneeling before Alamihr and presenting him with a bloody heart, which he would ingest with relish each time.

The first time Ally had seen the offering and devouring she had nearly screamed and vomited. She quickly learned to look away and do the best she could to block out the squelch of his eating. She definitely knew better than to wonder where the hearts were coming from.

Once the creature had presented their offering and Alamihr had eaten it, he would make a circle on their forehead using the blood from the heart. They would exchange the same murmured words in a foreign language as he did. To Ally it sounded like an oath, but she had no idea.

The creature would then take up vigil, kneeling just outside the circle of torches while Alamihr would wipe his hands on a rag before returning to the dusty tome.

If Ally hadn't been afraid for her life she would have been bored and sore. She tried to get a look at the book that Alamihr was reading, but she could barely make out the writing form. Judging by the language they had spoken, she doubted she would be able to read it anyway.

This clearly was some cult that had the wrong person, she thought to herself. They clearly didn't have anything good planned for her, and she was losing all hope of being rescued. Her heart hurt and her body ached. Her hope of a rescue was all she had to hold onto to help her through her predicament.

Her head started spinning and she began feeling light headed. Her arms had been above her head and she didn't know how long it had been since she was able to move around at all. Her feet had pins and needles which stung against the chains cutting into her ankles. She had never been so uncomfortable in her life.

Trying to distract herself from her situation, she set her mind to happier times and attempted to imagine her happy place. It was harder than she thought to find. She tried to remember Zac, his smile and their time together, but the jagged hole in her heart throbbed with a vengeance. Her last words to him echoed through her mind as she saw the hurt and devastation etched into his face.

Shaking her head to rid herself of his face, she thought back to her childhood. It had always been just her and her mother. They had lived such happy days of bliss. Then the screeching of tyres and screaming of metal had torn her mother from her forever. She could still remember waking up in the car to find her mother dead in the seat next to her. It was a sight that had haunted her day and night for years.

She clenched her eyes and fists, trying to change her thoughts. Happy times, happy places, she thought to herself. Next she tried to remember Kate, who had pulled her from the wreck and became the friend that saved her from her dark depression. She tried to remember her smiling face, but all she saw was the sad look in her eyes as she sat trapped in a car about to explode as Ally herself was being pulled away to her own dark fate. Ally's heart hurt again. She hoped with her whole being that her best friend had somehow survived. Maybe she had gotten out before the car had gone up. Maybe she took the impact but survived because she was a Werewolf.

Werewolves. The word struck her suddenly. They hadn't existed to her yesterday. Never had she imagined there were hidden worlds among the human populace. She wondered what else there were out in this new, hidden world of secrets. All the mythical creatures played through her mind. What if they were all real and just hiding? What if they didn't have to hide? How different the world would be.

A sizzling broke her reverie. The small cauldron was hissing and bubbling furiously, its blue had turned very dark. Alamihr turned with a smile, pulling a jagged ceremonial dagger from somewhere in his tattered black robes. Rubies studded the hilt and tiny skulls decorated the cross guard. He advanced on her, his smile never faltering.

Fear and adrenaline rushed through her veins. His shadow fell upon her, and she clenched her eyes shut, suddenly scared for the end. She hoped it wouldn't hurt to die. The knife dug into her fore-arm causing her to gasp in pain and surprise.

Ally opened her eyes to see Alamihr holding the blade, its tip red. Looking at her arm, there was an open wound. He reached down and dipped his finger and thumb into the blood welling on her arm. He drew an intricate symbol on his forehead, his eyes closed and mumbling something.

The onlookers slowly stood and approached one by one. Using the blood pooling on her arm like an ink pot, Alamihr put a thumbprint of her blood into the centre of each circle, murmuring the same thing each time. Each creature retook their position silently after receiving her blood.

The wound on her arm stung, but Ally saw a ray of hope on the horizon. Was this what they had her for? If that was it, she felt like maybe she would survive this. It seemed like a lot of effort just for that, the reasonable part of her mind countered. But still that tiny ray of light refused to dim.

~~~

Kate woke slowly, embraced in warmth. Rick had arrived and had done much to heal her wounds. She was still hurting, but her wounds were definitely improved.

She laid quietly in her mates arms, bathing in his presence. Tears fell as she remembered the look of fear on her friend's face as she was dragged off.

"Ally," she mouthed silently, her throat was so parched she couldn't force any words out.

Zac rushed forward and grabbed her arm, ignoring the male who growled in warning. "What happened?" He asked desperately, "Where did she go? Did someone take her? Why didn't you stop them? How could you just let her go?"

Kate shook her head as she cried her voice still absent. Useless, she thought to herself bitterly, I couldn't do anything to save her. God knows what happened to her.

"Shut up!" Roared the man holding Kate, "Look at her! Don't you think she would have done anything to stop her best friend from being taken? Use your head and lay off."

He threw Zac's hand off of her and cuddled her close, whispering and crooning to her as she cried silently into his chest.

Zac stood silently, watching the pair as they embraced on the side of the road. Rick's face was calm and loving as he gazed upon his mate, gently stroking her hair.

Hurt and anger coursed through his body as he watched silently. He should have protected Ally. He should have been there for her. He should have never let her out of his sight.

His hand clenched around the object in his pocket, tiny feathers imprinting on his palm. It was left in the prison he had locked her in. The place where she had torn out his heart and left it on the pillow.

A hand clenched his shoulder, "Zac," Keith said gently, "You can't blame yourself. It is not your fault. We were all played. You need to focus. It is not over yet, we have to find her."

Zac turned to his friend and opened his mouth to reply. His speech was cut short in amazement of the sight in the distance before him.

Shouts coursed through the crowd as everyone turned to look.

"What is that?" cried Keith.

~~~

Alamihr, smiling, dipped his knife back into Ally's arm. She gasped as he dug deeper, causing fresh blood to well to the surface.

Scooping as much as he could on the blade, he went to the cauldron; its contents were a bubbling dark blue ooze. He dipped the dagger with her blood in and stirred.

The moment her blood mixed with the substance, it suddenly changed to a vibrant golden colour. Alamihr smiled as he dipped a large vial in.

With the same eerie smile, he went back to Ally. "Time to awaken your true self, Alluna," he whispered. He held his hand in the air over her face and she felt a force open her mouth.

Deftly, he poured the golden liquid into her mouth. Ally choked as heat exploded in her throat. Fire trickled down her throat and spread throughout her body. Gurgled screams forced their way out as she felt her body being torn apart and burnt.

Her back arched as she fought the pain coursing through her body. The liquid turned her flesh into a golden glow wherever it went inside her body. The glow pulsed as it spread and intensified. Her mouth and eyes shone like torches piercing the darkness.

Her entire body became a bright shining gold. With a scream the glow intensified, sending a giant beam of gold through the glass roof of the warehouse and into the sky like a beacon.

The followers all cheered to the skies as the thumbprints on their foreheads lit up like beams of gold. Alamihr laughed as the symbol on his forehead lit up even brighter than the rest.

Leaning down, he grasped her head and turned it to the side, exposing the veins pulsing in her neck. Without hesitation, he plunged his fangs into her neck, feeling them sliding through her flesh like butter. His fangs retracted and he latched on, sucking in her golden glowing essence with relish.

~~~~

Caitlin was finishing her fast food burger when the night exploded. A giant beam of golden light shot up into the heavens, lighting up the night. She realised that it came from the direction of the ocean.

Could it be Ally? She thought to herself. Something told her it had to be related. She didn't need to think twice as she ran from the restaurant.

People milling the streets were all looking at the light, transfixed. Caitlin weaved among them as she ran as fast and inconspicuously as she could.

~~~

"What is that?" cried Keith, pointing to the giant beam of golden light shooting into the sky.

Everyone stood, mesmerized by the golden beam. Like a moth to flame, something inside Zac was drawn towards it. He couldn't explain it, but somehow he knew he had to get to the source no matter the cost.

He ran to a car and jumped in, taking off with squealing tyres.

"Zac!" Shouted Keith, broken from his daze. He had barely taken a step before the car was barely a dot in the distance. Swearing, he threw himself into the other car and took off after him, ignoring the cries of the rest of the pack members.

~~~

Ally felt like a foot in a shoe three sizes too small. Her whole body was screaming for quiet and dark, but all she could find was an impossible light that refused to dim. Her ears rang with a shattering cacophony of sound that drowned out her screams. Her senses were overloaded and her mind was in chaos. Like a struck tuning fork; intense vibrations racked her body as she drowned in light.

There was no end to the brightness and the excruciating pressure. Golden tears poured down her face as she wished for an end. Dying didn't seem so bad to her now. The cold dark embrace would be welcome compared the agony she was suffering at the hands of the intense brightness.

And slowly and the light was fading. It was being pulled like thread through a needle. Someone was pulling the pain away. Relief washed over her as the pressure slowly released.

But the pulling continued and began to feel wrong. The light was disappearing, but she needed some light. No light was bad, pure darkness was awful. Her body grew cold and weak as it continued to lose its light.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she could still see bright light shining through like the sun. But it was different; it wasn't coming from her.

Alamihr stood up, basking in the blinding golden light radiating off his body. It was her light that he had stolen. Through the shining light she could make out his features. He had changed into a great being, pure and wonderful in his beauty and perfection and shining like the sun. He looked down on her and licked his lips, his smile malicious and sardonic.

Her body was weighed down; it was so heavy she couldn't breathe. She felt like a deflated balloon; after being stretched so far under pressure it was a horrible feeling of almost complete emptiness. Feeling inside, she could barely feel any light at all.

The golden shine around Alamihr slowly faded into his body, retracting through the still shining golden symbol on his head. His followers all had golden beams from her blood on their foreheads. Those prints were the only way she recognised them. They were no longer the grotesque and pitiful creatures they had been. Instead they had been transformed like their master into ethereal images of human perfection. Fangs protruded from behind their upper lips as they smiled and congratulated each other.

"It is done!" screamed Alamihr in obvious delight; his followers raised their hands in the air cheering.

Ally's vision swam as she fought to keep her heavy eyelids from staying closed. Each blink took more effort to open her eyes. Each time her blurry vision could only make out shapes, and her hearing was distorted and blank in spots.

Even through her semiconscious state, she knew that something was changing. The blurry shapes were in chaos and sometimes she wouldn't see any shapes for a few blinks.

A warm hand pressed against her cheek. It startled her how hot it felt. She numbly realised it was her that was cold. The icy darkness was barely held at bay and she knew that she would be swallowed soon.

Another warm hand grabbed her hand and squeezed it, making her want to open her eyes. Her blurry vision showed a shape before her. Slowly it sharpened and focused.

Taking in her vision, she silently thanked the heavens that she had held on long enough to see the one thing she had wanted to see before the darkness took her away.

Tears fell as she managed a watery smile "Hi," she whispered sadly.

~~~

Zac raced toward the golden beam of light that was shooting into the sky. He pushed the car to its limits, somehow knowing that he had to get there as soon he possibly could. He could sense Keith following him with just as much urgency. He felt calmer knowing his best friend was backing him up.

As he neared the coast, he saw the beam of light was coming from a shabby warehouse. He came to a screeching stop in the car park and took a deep breath while waiting for Keith, who pulled up and leapt out the car.

"Don't ever do that again!" He yelled at his Alpha.

Zac smiled an apology as they turned to face the warehouse. The beam of light shrunk and paled until it finally disappeared. A sense of foreboding washed over Zac and he raced into the building with Keith hot on his heels.

~~~

Alamihr sensed the Coleman alpha approach and decided it was time to depart. The power pulsing through his veins was so delicious but still new. It had been almost a thousand years since he felt this sort of power, and he would definitely need to become reacquainted before he took on any of Luna's Children.

With a few words, his followers left through the back doors, pouring out into the night with gleeful whoops as they revelled in their new powers.

Looking down at the semiconscious woman wrapped in chains, he was swamped with happiness; his revenge would be soon complete as he saw her life force dimming. The puncture wounds on her neck still bled sluggishly, and he knew it would be her end soon.

He considered killing her, but decided to let her suffer in her last moments. He put his hands on the silver chains, retrieving the power and magic that he had used to create the bindings, leaving just enough to make sure that Coleman Alpha would be unable to touch them. He would be helpless and she would die in his arms, he thought cruelly. A just ending to torment her lover and hopefully the foolish and sentimental beast would follow her quickly.

With one last smile he sent a ball of fire into some cardboard boxes that lined the shelves of the warehouse. It would sit for a few minutes before it released all its destructive power. With a chuckle, he twisted on the spot and vanished.

~~~

Zac raced into the open building and found his mate chained to a stone slab in the centre of the room. She looked pale and gaunt. He ran up and inspected her, crying in dismay when he found her neck wound. He willed his tongue to change and licked her wound, closing the punctures and preventing any more blood loss.

Ally's eyelids fluttered, and he gently put a hand on her cheek. She felt like ice to his touch as he watched her struggle to open her eyes.

He grabbed her cold hand and squeezed it gently. "Ally," he called gently, tears welling, "Ally, sweetheart. Look at me. Open your eyes, Ally."

She opened her eyes slowly. He saw that she recognised him and she smiled sadly.

"Hi," she whispered her voice hoarse and weak. Tears fell from her cheeks as she drank in his features.

He managed a smile in return, despite the emotional turmoil going on within. She was so cold to the touch and looked so frail. He grabbed the chain that bound her to the table, but as soon as he touched them his flesh was burned. It was like holding acid. With a cry he released them, knowing that he couldn't free her.

She watched him quietly, memorising his features, his movements. His eyes were bright with tears and she found them captivating. He took her hand again.