Rejecting The Future Moon Goddess [Amazon Edition]

Chapter 4 - Bloody Picnic

Chapter 4 – Bloody Picnic

"Now you know the rules Geminie. Be polite and don't eat too much. You're a lady not a rogue." My father warns and I nod, my curly white hair bouncing with the movement. Mother and father set high expectations for me the moment I was old enough to hold a fork. Sit with your back straight and hands folded in your lap. Never rush to eat your food and only eat what is on your plate – never ask for more. Never speak unless spoken to and if I do not follow this rule when out in public around other pack members or dignified visitors, then father will punish me. I learned quickly what a leather belt felt like against my skin the first time I asked for more food when I was hungry. After that, I obeyed each rule without a fuss even if my back hurt from sitting straight for so long or if my stomach protested in the middle of the night for food.
"I understand father and I will behave properly." I answer quietly, catching Alex clench his fist and glare at our father from behind. After the first and only punishment from not following these rules, Alex and our cousin Gracie helped me with moving around and cleaning the wounds caused by my father's rage. I knew that my brother is thinking about those long and painful four weeks I spent last year. I could tell both my father and mother, who stood just to his left side, was about to say something else in warning, but the front door behind me opens revealing the easy going smile from Alpha Sorus as he walks in and ruffles my curled white hair. A tall man with black hair and tanned skin, Alpha Sorus always treated me like his daughter, like Lace. I felt safe with him and always wished that he had been my father and not the man who yells and threatens me.
"Sorry I am late Bastian, Mika was trying to find his new toy car to show Gemmie here. You know how kids are." Alpha Sorus says, looking down and winking at me. I knew that Alpha Sorus secretly wished for me to be his son's mate. It's something I had overheard my father and him talk about before one time when waking up in the middle of the night to use the washroom.
"It's fine Alpha I understand." My father answers smiling. Mother stays quiet, giving me one last warning look as a silent reminder to behave before excusing herself and heading into the kitchen. I could never understand why my parents always warned me to behave, couldn't they see that I am a good girl. I stay silent as the Alpha and my father talk about pack matters, Alex giving me a reassuring smile.
[Remember to tell me all bout your day when you get home tomorrow.] Alex links, giving me a wink and quietly slipping out of the room after I agree happily, heading up the stairs to what I assume is his bedroom. Being the next Beta, I know Alex has been given work from our father to look through on the weekends as a way to train him. He hated it as my brother had little to no freedom to go out on the weekend like a normal teen. Something he complained a lot to me about when ever Alpha Sorus took me out along with his family.
"Well, we should be heading out now before its too late. Bastian I will bring Gemmie home tomorrow safe and sound so have a good night. You ready to go Gemmie?" Finally the conversation ends between the two grown wolves and I grin, looking at the out stretched hand offered to me after picking up my bag that contained some clothing and a sleeping bag for tonight.
"Yes Alpha." I answer Alpha Sorus, taking his hand and skipping out the door as I leave with out saying good bye to my parents, the excitement of getting away from this house and away from them making me extremely happy. The walk towards where Luna Reena waited with Mika and Lace is filled with Alpha Sorus asking about my school life and what I have been up to since seeing the Alpha Family last. The path way through the pack leads us closer to the dense forest on the west side of Hidden Claws. I love the smell of our forest, the scent of wild flowers mixed with tall Canadian Maple trees and sturdy pines. I am almost done telling the Alpha about the book I am reading when I am tackled to the ground with a giggle filling my ears, Lace's scent filling my nose.
"Hi Gemmy!" She greets, the two of us giggling as we sit up and start chatting about our trip today. Alpha Sorus chuckles as Lace and I jump to our feet excitedly, my friend pointing to where Mika and Luna Reena stand waiting for us. As usual, Mika is holding a game Nintendo D.S. in his hand, the sounds of a video game coming through. I frown in the direction of the twelve year old. I know that it wasn't his fault my brother is forced to spend more time with him than me and that my parents make my future more of a priority than me, but I couldn't help but be mad. Even if he is cute.
Lace pulls my attention back as she babbles on about the Full Moon tonight and how under the full moonlight the unicorns will appear and bring their foals out to play in the pink crescent moon shaped lake. I pretend to be surprised but Lizaria had already informed me about this. The Unicorns would be celebrating the foals gaining their own powers blessed by the Moon Goddess. That the pink water in our Pack is filled with magic only the unicorns could absorb and when foals become of age, drinking the water would help their powers manifest. I had heard stories from Lizaria about her over seeing this event and how years ago she made a treaty with the first Alpha of Harvest Moon to protect the unicorns during this event. It is probably the reason why Alpha Sorus took his family and I out for the picnic and camp out tonight. Of course what no one knows is that a small stream flows from the lake into a small cave and out to the hidden the valley where Lizaria and the unicorns live and into a small pool that mixes with regular water from the river Lizaria calls a moon pool. I would always watch the foals play and run around the pink water, mesmerized by the shimmer of the small trace of magic in the air, each drop twinkling like diamonds. To say I am excited to see this but at the pure pink lake instead of the small moon pool is an understatement.
With a nod from Mika and a hug from Luna Reena, the five of us set off towards the lake, Lace and I chasing each other around the trees giggling. Alpha Sorus reminds us to stay in sight and takes away Mika's game, forcing him to play tag with us. Now it, I chase the other girl, planning to keep away from Mika as much as I can when she suddenly stops in front of me, causing me to crash into her.
"Gemmy, I seen the water! It's so pink." My friend squeals out in excitement, causing me to cup my hands over my ears and wince. But in front of us just peaking past the trees is the lake. With a call of 'Last on there is a soulless' the three of us race to the water's edge and happily spend the day splashing each other, eating the delicious picnic packed by Luna Reena herself. A day free from fear of my parents and pure happiness. As day turns to night, Lace and I huddle under a tree, our sleeping bags blending into the background and hiding us while we wait for the full moon to reach its peak and the unicorns to come out.
"A few more minutes." I jump at Mika's voice as he rolls out his sleeping bag, sits beside me, wrap his arm around my shoulder and grins. I couldn't help but blush and nod before looking out to the lake, my eyes blurry with the need for sleep as I manage to catch a glimpse of the creatures I love to watch so much begin to come out and frolic in the water...

Geminie wake up... please my love...
A soft voice flutters through my ears and I yawn, looking around the night my dream of watching over the forest and some blurred faces now gone. Dizzy, I look around at the still pink lake and the eerie silence of the forest causing goose bumps to form. Soft snore from my left and right makes me aware of Mika and Lace still fast asleep, but the Alpha and Luna were missing. That's when I heard it.
Growls and howls came from everywhere and my first thought is to wake up Mika. Shaking the sleeping boy awake, the growls and howls get closer, fear closing in on me. What if they were soulless.
"What is it Gemmi?" He asks as he swats me away.
"Wolves and lots of them." I whisper sob with fear, watching him bolt up and silently slip out of his sleeping bag while motioning to Lace. I quickly shake my friend awake.
"I smell blood." My friend says as she rubs her eyes, and she is right. The coper tang hangs in the air and we both look in fear knowing who exactly this scent belongs to.
"Where is she?" A scream echoes through the lake and all three of us freeze.
"I don't know who you're talking about." The Luna is crying. She never cries, her answer filled with fear. Fear that she has never shown any of us.
"The Future Moon Goddess. Your wolves took her from her as a new born." The voice rings again as a loud smack rips through the air.
"I don't know anything about this." Luna Reena wails. Mika and Lace are frozen to their spot but I slowly crawl forward. I see wolves in both human and wolf form standing around the lake, but I can't see Luna Reena or Alpha Sorus. But I had a feeling this night would not end well.
"I do not believe that you know nothing about the kidnapping of the Moon Goddess' pup stolen the night of her birth. We have searched everywhere and the only pack who's wolves gained a new pup that same night is this one. For you insolence in this incident, you will die just like your husband." A cold voice shakes the trees as the sounds of something tearing and the Luna's screams fill the air. The all is silent with a thud of something or someone falling to the ground. The strange wolves leave the lake but Mika, Lace and I are too terrified to leave our hiding spot. The Alpha children curled up by the tree sobbing while silent tears fall from my face. I knew what that tearing sound having heard it while my father slaughtered soulless in front of Alex and I. The day passed until the sun was setting when wolves from the pack came, calling out our names and looking for us, my parents being the first to find our hiding spot.
"Thank goodness you're alright Mika and Lace." My parents coo over the Alpha pups and I stand in the back ground, everyone fussing over Mika and Lace but forgetting about me. They blocked the site of the lake from the sibling pair but I see everything.
The lake is died red in spots where bodies of wolves with the scent of those last night lay, the ground holding small puddles but not of the lake water. What hurts the most is seeing the Alpha and Luna both missing their head and both dead just at the edge where the water slowly laps at their fallen form.