Chapter 133: Chapter 132

Chapter 43 – Missing

“The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Kiya

When someone is on the brink of death, their life flashes before their eyes. They see their successes, mistakes, long–forgotten memories, treasured memories, and more. No matter how they live, they see everything they’ve done before leaving life forever.

Dying is a process I’ve familiarized myself with. I craved it whenever the pain became overwhelming. It was a path of escape. The sweet relief. What remains afterward is silent tranquility.

However, I’m not dead. I’m very much alive, as told by the pain running through my body.

Malodorous scents suffocated me as I slowly grabbed the reins of my consciousness. Diesel fuel was the strongest, but my werewolf senses detected more. It detected blood from multiple people integrating into what I believe Hell smells like. The ringing in my ears hammered against my skull, and my eyesight slowly cleared to reveal the horrific scene before me.

I remember everything now. My family and I were on our merry way back to California until something hit our van. Something hard, large, and powerful. Our world tumbled and spun like the inside of a dryer before coming to a chilling stop. Glass made their home in and on my flesh, preventing my rapid healing from working properly.

We’re in a car crash.

And the smell of blood is coming from my friends and family!

Oh my Goddess, Abigail!

A car crash won’t kill a werewolf, but it can kill a human. Groaning, I tried to move but was met with searing pain. The impact of whatever hit my side created a huge dent with the depth of a moon crater. The people who suffered more from it would be Mom, me, and those behind me. Abi is sitting on the other side of Jackie, shielded by her body. But, with the tumbling, there’s no telling how hurt she is.

This is going to be tough, but I must do it. Miraculously, the framed portrait Neron gifted me didn’t have a dent. It’s as perfect as when it was unwrapped.

Shuffling and ignoring the mind–numbing pain, I reached my arm over Jackie’s awakening form and grabbed hold of Abigail’s hand. I concentrated all my thoughts and emotions to heal her. Sure enough, the lunar power flowed from me into my human friend, mending and weaving through her arteries and veins to repair her injuries.

“Kiya, be careful,” Artemis warned. “Healing uses a lot of energy.”

“I know, but I need to be sure she’s okay!”

Abigail is not dying on my watch.

As I’m healing her, I grow weak. It feels like a weight is pressed against my back. My grip on Abi’s hand slipped, but I held on as tight as I could. When she started moving, I stopped, elated that she’s okay. A chorus

Chapter 41 – Masing

of groaning and cussing followed as everyone came to consciousness.

My family is okay.

“What the actual f*ck?” Darien grumbles behind me, irritated. “There’s no one for miles; how the hell did we get into a crash?”

“What matters is that everyone is alive,” Dad spoke strongly, working to push open the driver’s side. “Abigail? Are you alright?”

“I’m 6

fine, Nikolai; thanks to Kiya and her healing.”

“Healing?” Mom inquired me, dusting the glass out of her hair. “You can do that? Since when?”

“Since I’ve awoken. It’s a long story.” As Artemis warned, healing someone else sucks up a lot of my energy. I feel winded, like I ran a double marathon and I hate it. I hate feeling weak. It’s the major reason I don’t heal others unless it’s necessary. Since Abi can’t heal like the rest of us, I use it mostly on her. “It’s an avatar thing.”

Given the seriousness of the crash, there’s no way we can drive the rest of the way home. Dad pushed open. his, finally, slowly and cautiously stepping out into the sun. Mom had to crawl to the driver’s side because the impact totaled her side, which Dad helped her out. My parents worked to get the rest of us out of the damaged car one by one, cautious of the broken glass and fallen metallic pieces.

There is a mixture of confusion, frustration, and sadness surrounding us. This road is rarely occupied by many cars unless people are crossing state lines, there are rules and safety measures put in place to prevent crashes from happening.

But how were we hit at the side? It’s a two–way road! There are no intersections around us. Whoever or whatever hit us had to come from the surrounding forests. But there are no pathways for cars through the woods.

Worried, I hugged the framed portrait to my chest like a teddy bear, looking for comfort in this insane predicament. Jackie comforted Abigail with hugs and sweet whispers, Isaiah made sure Sapphire didn’t have glass residue and vice versa, and Mikhail is talking to a shaken–up Galen. Mates are soothing one another, and I feel like the odd one out.

“Little Bit, how are you holding up?” I turned to Darien, walking to me with a look of worry. He searched for injuries on my person but found nothing.

“I’m fine. A little tired and spooked, though.” I shot him a reassuring smile to soothe his fears.

“I can imagine.” His eyes narrowed to my chest, or rather something at my chest. Something brewed in them I couldn’t make out, but it raged like fire. Shutting his eyes and inhaling deeply, he gave me a curt nod. “Glad to see that you’re okay.”

“Same to you,” I replied softly. There’s more Darien wanted to say, but he held back. Instead, he simply walked away to lean against a tree.

Huh. That was weird.

“I’ll call Anthony and let him know what happened,” Dad muttered, pulling out his phone. “Knowing him, he’d come down here himself, breaking all traffic laws.”

“He cares, mi amor.” Mom chuckled,

However, he didn’t get the chance to dial Anthony’s number. A foul, decaying, but familiar stench assaulted our noses, causing us all to bristle in place. Apprehension roamed through the atmosphere as we prepared for The worst. Memories of the attacks succeeding the stench flooded my mind while growls reverberated all

around us.

The undead rogues are back!

I tuck the portrait in a bush safely away from the impending calamity before joining my family. If there’s another thing I don’t want to get damaged in the fight, it’s that. Seconds later, undead rogues, the same ones who attacked Zircon Moon a couple of months back, stalked toward us with their glaring deformities.

One became three. Three became ten. Ten became twenty.

It became an army.

My friends growled, warning the disgusting mutts to stay away, but like the heathens they are, they didn’t obey; remaining true to their titles as disobedient and ruthless dogs. Mom and Dad instantly got in their fighting stances in front of all of us, daring the rogues to charge.

They aren’t Alpha and Luna anymore, but they’ll still fight as if they still are. My favorite people don’t f*ck around when our safety is threatened.

We’ll be victorious, I know it!

The rogues growled and barked, green drool dripping from their diseased jaws. Not long after did they pounce on us, aiming for the kill. My parents attacked, and we followed suit. Abigail, like a true warrior, had her weapons ready on her person and went toe–to–toe with the mutts with Jackie by her side.

Mates shifted and battled–ripping, biting, and clawing at our enemies. I’m not at optimal strength, but I fought my hardest. Punches to their snouts, kicks to their stomachs, and clawing at their backs; I became a savage beast.

Threatening to harm my family is a guaranteed death sentence.

Darien protected my blind spots, ripping apart any mutt dumb enough to approach. Knowing him for so long, his fighting technique is memorable. However, this time, there is a level of viciousness in his slaughter. Restless in his pursuits, he chased the rouges that tried to escape and tore them like paper. The ferocity remained when he shifted to Sirius.

He’s fighting something else besides the rogues. And I have a good idea of what it is.

Before I could continue to fight, something big and heavy wrapped around my head and effortlessly lifted me in the air. Suddenly, my body was violently thrown like a rag–doll away from the chaos. I landed on the forest floor on my arm, rolling in a cloud of dust until I hit the roots of a tree. My world spun and vertigo settled in.

“Ah, what the f*ck?!” I bellowed, slowly rising on my feet. That’s when I heard it. The loud unhesitant stomps coming toward me. Just by that singular sound, it floods my mind with the recollections of his horrific onslaught against my friends before my kidnapping.

Not to mention yanking me through a f*cking windshield on my date!

Chaplet 43 – Missing

I narrowly avoided the large fist hurtling towards me, rolling away. The tree bark groaned from impact, but the monster didn’t flinch. All this time, I thought the bastard was dead.

“Cerberus…” I whispered fearfully. His black–cloaked form marched toward me, ready for another attack. This time, I caught his fist with both my hands, restraining against his indomitable might. I pushed, and he pushed, equalizing the force between us. Cerberus‘ expression is stony, unflinching.

“Get the hell away from me!” Summoning my moon magic, I kicked the goliath in the stomach with both my feet, forcing him back far enough to slip away. From the distance, I spotted my family fighting as rogues began pouring out from all sides.

I need to help them, but I can’t lead Cerberus to them! I don’t want a repeat of what happened last time, especially now my parents are there. He’ll kill them.

“Mija!” My mom shouted through our mind–link. “Where are you?!”

“I’m in a sticky situation with a seven–foot–tall avatar hunter.”

“Qué? Moonbeam, what are you talking about?!”

“I can’t explain right now, Moar!”

If I lead Cerberus away, then he won’t have the chance to attack them. He’s always been after me, so I can use that to my advantage. Hopping on my feet, ignoring my lightheadedness, I yelled for his attention and began running away from the madness.

As expected, he followed me through the trees, tearing them from their roots. Once I’m far enough, I turn on my heels and growled at the juggernaut, ready for a fight.

It’s just him and me.

“Come on, motherf*cker!” I screamed, feeling the shift into my avatar power. “You’ll die this time!”

The battle raged on between us. Cerberus is tough, but I’m tougher. Hand to hand, feet to feet, I fight my hardest against him, ignoring the glaring differences of our heights. Artemis peered through sometimes, delivering her blows as we worked together. We became a one–woman machine as the beast tried his hardest to cut us down.

I had the upper for a while.

However, the exhaustion from earlier began creeping in as my attacks began slowing. I don’t regret healing my friend, but I wish I had enough energy to pull through this fight. Cerberus, noticing my obvious weakness, smacked me. The force of the impact propelled my body to hit a distant tree. I slumped painfully onto the ground, nursing the bump on the back of my head. The goliath marched toward me again, fists ready to meet. flesh.

“Stand down, Cerberus.”

But he stilled under the command like a statue. Suspiciously, I eyed the scene in front of me carefully for any

extra surprises.

And a surprise is what I got.

Chapter 4 Masing

The mark on my neck throbbed and burned mercilessly, mapping the pathway for the pain to hit every sensitive area in my body. My hand clutched that side of my neck, feebly trying to lessen the agony.

Suddenly, I’m pulled to my feet and two arms wrap around my waist. My back is pressed up against a hard chest and puffs of hot air tickle my ear. Forbidden sensations swim through me, masking my pain with pleasure. “We meet again, Little Moon. I must teach Cerberus to not play so rough with you.”

Oh, no.

Osiris sensed my panic and tightened his hold on me as I struggled against him. “Let me go, you leech!”

“I don’t think I will.” He chuckled in my ear like a sweet child.

“You sent the rogues! If my family gets hurt, I’m ripping your head off!”

“Really? I’m so scared!” Osiris retorted dramatically. “Oh, whatever shall I do?” Laughing at my anger, one arm loosened around me but the other tightened. “It’s time for you to rest, Little Moon. But, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

He injected something into my neck, making me shriek from the pain. Darkness crawled from the corners of my vision rapidly, and Artemis‘ growls quickly quieted to whines. The mysterious substance burned, but not as

bad as the mark on my neck.

I tried to fight back against Osiris, but my weakness held me hostage.

My body worked against me. It surrendered to the unknown substance in me. Muscles turned to gelatin and my energy fleeted away. If I wasn’t held up by the manic vampire, I’d fall onto the ground. The only thing that can make me like this is…wolfsbane.

“You won’t be needing this.” Osiris tore the necklace from my neck and tossed it like it was garbage. My consciousness flickers in and out. I felt my body was hoisted up into the vampire’s arms and Osiris pressed my head against his shoulder.

“No…”

“Shh, my Little Moon. It’ll all be over soon.”

Artemis is unresponsive. I couldn’t wake her. My mind is so disoriented that it muddled with my mind–links. But, with the last of my energy, I send one last message to my parents in hopes it gets to them.

“Mom, Dad. I’ve been taken. Get help.”

Finally, my world faded into darkness.