"She has always poisoned the minds of our young!" Millie's screech has the raging undertone of a desperate mother whose son was wronged and who wants to find a culprit to blame. "Even when Hailey went through her first heat, Raelyn planted evil thoughts into her head. She is a disgrace to this pack."

Mumbles erupt from the gathered wolves.

"We need to send a clear message that behavior as such isn't tolerated."

I stumble back under Millie's glare until I crash into Cassum.

"Run, Raelyn, before it's too late." Her breath is heated against my cold skin.

I stare at her. The hunters will surely catch me in a chase. And even if they don't, where would I go? I couldn't survive on my own. All the lack of exercise and training, the confinement to the settlement, the constant nagging to obey, made sure of that.

A rumble erupts from Lance's chest. "She needs to be punished."

My pleading gaze finds the Alpha. He stands tall with his arms folded across his chest, obviously not inclined to rein in his Beta. With Bay banished, shame has fallen onto Lance and Millie. Dumping the blame on me will be their chance to save face with the pack.

"She should be banished," one female shouts.

Murmurs of agreement roll at me from every corner of the clearing.

Lance raises his hand and restores the silence. "That's not enough. She came here, pledging her loyalty to us all, but in reality, it was just a ploy to destroy the pack. Poisoning the minds of our young is treason of the worst kind. She should suffer for that."

The murmurs grow louder as wolves close ranks on me.

"Let the females go first," Millie shrieks.

Out of the corners of my eyes, I watch Cassum edge away. The other females huddle closer. The first punch flies out and hits me on the side of the head. About to shift, I wail as a silver noose is tossed around my neck. One pull takes me off my feet. With the metal burning into my skin, I gasp for air. The rest of my muscles are paralyzed; when the kicking starts, I'm not even able to raise my arms for protection.

As mothers unite in punishment, angry growls echo through the night. The blows to my body are precise and brutal even though they do spare my head, so I couldn't pass out. The raging pain that takes over my existence drives me close to the edge. I yank at the silver chain in an effort to breathe, but the links hold steady. When I finally surrender, the insides of my hands burn in agony. My cries rise toward the sky. Totally helpless, I gaze up at the moon. The edges have reddened, signaling the onset of the lunar eclipse. Or have my tears turned to blood? I can't tell.

Moon Goddess, hear my prayer.

When another kick cracks my tailbone, black spots dance in front of my eyes.

Moon Goddess, I need your help.

A boot buries itself into my chest. Bile clogging my throat chokes me. The black spots triple. I'm hurting so much that I'm craving darkness.

Please, Moon Goddess, just let me die.

"That's enough. Leave some for us males."

The females immediately follow Lance's demand and move away. Through the blurry shimmer of my tears, I gape at the long shadows racing closer. The noose is cut away from my neck, but I'm too weak to shift. Cradling my head into the crooks of my elbows, I await further punishment.

Flesh is ripped from my skin. The whooshing in my ears drowns out my cries. When a wolf nudges me with his snout, I look up. The metallic stench from Dante's muzzle is sickening. He bears his fangs. They glisten red in the moonlight from his blood-stained saliva.

My mate.

It's his chance to sever our bond forever.

He wants to drink from my vein of life.

It will clear the way for a new Luna.

It's not the path of the moon.

Somewhere, deep down in my soul, my fighting spirit awakes. A growl rumbles in my chest. It's weak, at best, but loud enough for Dante to hear. My joints crack and fur rises along my spine. My gums split open as fangs push through, just as claws break the skin of my fingertips.

Before I can complete the shift, the silver noose is back around my neck. My wolf buckles under the pain.

Whimpering, she retreats.

Allowing my skins to be exposed.

Preparing for the fatal bite.

I scream as more skin is torn from my body. The metallic stench surrounds me. Warm blood trickles from the wounds, drips on the grass, seeps into the ground. My life essence. Every breath is sheer agony. I try to protect my throat, but my muscles are filled with too much pain.

Powerless and at their mercy.

Teeth cut into the side of my thigh. Tear at my shoulder. Wrench my arm.

When will this end?

The pain burns in every nerve end. I can't breathe. My skull is about to burst open from my agonizing wails.

"Make sure she can never poison the minds of our young again!" Tears muffle Millie's shout.

Lance stretches back into his skins and forces my mouth open. The moonlight reflects off the knife in the Alpha's hand, fueling a final spark of resistance. I kick as hard as I can; only the hands of four fighter wolves manage to restrain me. The silver blade cuts through the soft tissue of my tongue like butter. Blood chokes me and the excruciating torment threatens to crack my skull wide open. I gurgle and spit.

Dante lifts me off the ground. "Let's take her to the woods. If the Moon Goddess gives her the strength to make it back to the packhouse, she will be allowed to live among us."

They will dump me in the forest to die. I won't receive a proper burial but have the wild animals feed off my carcass. That means I will never rise to the realm of the Moon Goddess. Even in death, they will have their revenge.

Too weak to raise my head, I lie on the back of the truck. The cool wind eats at my tortured body. Nothing is left but the taste and stench of blood. The red moon gleams dull in the sky—it's as if it were stained with my life essence. Dante nudges me a few times with his foot, but even my breath is too shallow to groan.

The truck stops with a screech. With one hard knock, I'm pushed from its bed, like a stinking piece of garbage they're trying to get rid of. When I hit the gravel, the pain vibrates in my bones. In a last plea for mercy, I reach for the spinning tires.

Don't let me die like this.

I'm left behind in a cloud of dust. All consumed by the raging pain, I fold into a shivering ball.

Moon Goddess, give me strength.

As the wind brushes over me, a peaceful numbness settles in my bones.

You will survive and then it will be you who takes revenge.

Two beams slice through the darkness of the night. As the driver shifts gears, an engine howls.

Are they coming back for me?

No, it's the other direction.

I reach for the branches of a fallen tree on the side of the road, but I'm too weak to drag my body over the gravel. My scream is reduced to a gurgle, my mouth filled with so much blood that I choke. As the beams edge closer, they catch my body. The car will roll right over me—and only the red orange moon will bear my witness.

~~~~To Be Continued . . .  ~~~~

Thank you for reading and supporting Lunar Eclipse. This is the official end of Part I, but Raelyn's story is far from over. The first chapter of Part II will post on July 1, 2024, and you will meet a brand new narrator -- Kendrick Raynes, Alpha of the Northern Light Pack. I hope to see you then :)

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

This work is protected by copyright and should not be copied, downloaded, translated or used in any way without my expressed consent. Please don't steal it. Thank you!