Moonlight

Black & blue

The blonde vampire awoke to the sounds of growls, metal clashing and screams. The burning pain in her legs was gone, replaced by a feeling of strength. Immediately, she sat upright and bolted out of the door. Carnage met her eyes. Wolves fought wolves furiously, without mercy. Blood painted the grass as the injured limped away. Some healers helped them, frantic and scared. She noticed Martha with a bow, firing arrows with perfect precision. She saw Harry with an axe, backing Martha up. Ria and Alice stood side by side, Alice throwing her spear and dashing to retrieve it, Ria swinging at the dark wolves with her sword. Sophia sought Luna almost instantly... and her heart sank. Luna fought a monstrous dark brown wolf with red eyes. The wolf was huge and seemed so much stronger and faster than anyone else. She knew immediately that he was Malcolm, leader of the dark wolves. Seeing him should have filled her with a choking fear. Instead, she grabbed the nearest sword she could find and charged at him. He had Luna pinned down and just as he went to deliver the final blow...

Luna breathed heavily, awaiting her death with her eyes firmly closed. She was ready for the end. Taking what she thought was her final breath, her life flashed before her eyes. But, instead of feeling the final jolt of death, she heard a yelp of pain. Opening her eyes, she saw her beautiful Sophia digging a sword into Malcolm's muzzle. "Luna, attack him!" Sophia cried, just as Malcolm lifted a enormous paw and batted her away. Sophia fell to the side of the clearing. This only fuelled Luna's fury. She felt the red colour of fury wash over her. And she attacked. Biting and scratching at anywhere she could reach, Luna tussled furiously with her attacker. The two rolled around the clearing, desperate to get an advantage over the other. Then, Luna remembered a manoeuvre her father had taught her. At the next swipe of Malcolm's claws, Luna gave a fake howl of pain. Malcolm, thinking he'd wounded her, prepared for the final blow. This give Luna access to his underbelly, which she kicked with force. Malcolm fell to the ground as she pinned him down. But she couldn't lift her paws to kill him in fear of him getting loose. "You fight well, chieftain's daughter. But what are you going to do now?" Malcolm cackled, his black teeth showing. Luna had no clue what to do. She needed help.

Sophia woke almost as instantly as she fell. She stood and looked for Luna. "Luna?" She cried frantically, before seeing the black wolf pin down her attacker. But then she realised what was wrong. Luna needed help. Wasting no time, she ran forward and pounced on Malcolm. She slid underneath Luna and scratched as Malcolm's face. "Get off me, vermin!" He growled furiously. In response, she bit his leg, pulling a howl of pain from his revolting mouth. She scratched at the wound she had created with her long red fingernails, hoping to deepen the wound. Just as she went to kick his leg, his paw came up and scratched her face. She snarled in pain and stopped for a moment. Everything went fuzzy. She saw Luna bit down on Malcolm's muzzle, while yelling abuse at him. She saw the wolf next to her fall. She heard howls of pain and grief throughout the clearing. And with one final push, she kicked his leg with all her might, snapping the bones inside. Luna released him as he limped away frantically, over the border. Once he was over, he gave the howl of retreat. The dark wolves fled.

Luna prepared to chase after Malcolm, furious that he laid a paw on Sophia, when she heard someone call her name frantically. She transformed and turned round, to see Topaz running towards her. "It's your father" she panted, the pain on her face saying everything. Luna sprinted forward instantly and ran to the medical cabin. Her father lay on a bed. Cuts decorated his arms. One of his legs was mauled beyond repair. "Dad!" She cried and ran over. "I'll be fine" he assured her "But, Luna, there's something you need to see. Martha will take you." Immediately, Martha appeared, her eyes glistening with tears. "What is it?" Luna demanded, panicking. Martha simply shook her head and took Luna's hand. They walked out of the hut and past thousands of stretchers. Luna noticed that the bodies on them were cold and unmoving. She gasped in horror. They were walking among Camp Pine's dead. She noticed many people sobbing in grief. She recognised Ada crying, howling in pain. Then she saw Rowan on the stretcher. She felt sick as a spasm of grief lodged itself in her throat. But Martha didn't stop there. They continued until the final two stretchers. She recognised the two on them. Finn and Chris. Their eyes closed, bodies still and unmoving, faces beaten black and blue. The dull look that had painted Finn's eyes broke her. She dropped to her knees and screamed. The tears fell down her face as if they would never end. She noticed how their hands were intertwined and let out a howl of grief. She felt as if the sky was crashing down. She didn't even get to say goodbye. Martha fell down beside her. "Chris was fighting and got injured badly" she whispered "Finn ran to him but two wolves pounced on them. Just as they delivered the final blow, Finn and Chris transformed. I heard them talk to each. At least they got say goodbye. I'm so sorry, Luna. I tried to stop them. But I was too late." Martha sobbed on Luna's shoulder. The two girls cried over the loss of their best friends. Funny and friendly Finn. Sweet and shy Chris. Never again would she hear Finn's jokes or see Chris' smile. Never again would Finn tease her or Chris understand her. Never again could Finn protect Chris or Chris take care of Finn. Never. The word she'd previously payed no mind to now had the greatest meaning in the world. Its meaning was agony. The numb feeling took over her. Then came the anger. In her grief stricken state, she wanted someone to blame. And her eyes landed on Sophia.

Sophia sat on a log, surrounded by her fellow vampires and a healer. The cries of grief that came from the far side of the clearing were unbearable to her. Each one felt like a dagger to the heart. Eventually, the healer finished dropping to ointment on the claw marks on her face and went to work on the single mark all the way down her back. "You did incredibly, Soph" Harry mumbled, trying to distract her. "You three were amazing. And so brave" she pulled her friends into a hug. They were careful to avoid her back. Then, she noticed Luna storming towards them. Tear trails streaked through the grime that covered her face. Her hands were balled in to fists. Her jaw was clenched. Martha ran behind, seeming confused. Sophia stood up. "Luna? What's wrong? What happened?" She asked desperately. Instead of responding, Luna pushed Sophia to the ground with terrifying force. Cries of protest sounded around them. "What the hell?" Harry screamed. Ria and Alice helped her up. Sophia stood, cowering, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's your fault, you poisonous bitch!" Luna spat furiously "My father wouldn't have those injuries if you hadn't come! Rowan wouldn't be dead if you stayed over there! FINN AND CHRIS WOULD BE ALIVE IF I'D NEVER MET YOU! IT'S. ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" People were holding Luna back as she tried to punch Sophia frantically. Harry, Ria and Alice helped hold Luna back, while yelling at her. But only one voice was clear to Sophia. "I HATE YOU, VAMPIRE!" Luna screeched. Sophia let the tears fall. She continued backing away, accidentally crossing the borderline in the process. Suddenly, out of the shadows, two werewolves jumped Sophia. Screams of shock sounded. The werewolves bit her legs and dragged her away. "SOPHIA!" Luna cried desperately, trying to chase after her, arms still holding her back. "Luna!" Sophia sobbed as she disappeared from view.

"SOPHIA!" Luna let out a final howl as she collapsed. Everyone stared ahead, shocked. Luna couldn't breathe. She needed Sophia. She wanted Sophia. She started crying desperately. Her father was injured. Half of camp were dead. Finn and Chris were dead. And Sophia, the vampire she loved, was gone. Taken by their enemies. And she couldn't get her back without attacking. And that was not an option given their numbers. The entire situation felt hopeless. Those who had been holding her back finally released. Her legs gave out and the werewolf crumpled. She laced her fingers into her hair and tugged. Everything was too much. But her people needed her. Taking a soothing breath, she stood and looked across at the vampires. Harry was crying softly as Martha comforted him. Ria and Alice clung on to each other, sobbing gutturally. Luna took another breath and summoned her thoughts. As the new chief, she had to take control. She noticed Claudius, the second in command nearby. "Claudius" she called out. He walked forward and nodded. "Make sure anyone with an injury has seen the healers" He nodded and walked off. "Albert, call a meeting of the elders in an hour's time" she commanded. "What is the subject of the meeting?" He asked instantly. She took a deep breath "The recovery of Sophia Heartley from the dark wolves."

Sophia woke to darkness. She let her violet eyes adjust. She realised she was in a thin, dark, tall room. The only light that spilled in was from a tiny window at the very top. Her first reaction was to find her werewolf. "Luna?" She called out. No response. "Luna?!" She yelled "Finn? Alice? Ria? Please, somebody!" Her cries were met with absolute silence. Sophia scanned the room again, needing an escape, and noticed a door. She rattled it frantically. Locked. She banged on the door. "Let me out! Please, let me out!" Nothing. She banged on the door once again. Feeling claustrophobic, she pounded at the door with her fists, pleading to be released. Eventually, when her hands were raw and bloody, she dropped to the ground. Tears fell out of her eyes. In one last desperate bid for freedom, she jumped up to the window, hoping to open it. As soon as she landed on the ledge, she knew that she wouldn't succeed. Solid metal bars covered the window. She tried to break them but failed miserably. Losing hope, she decided to jump down. Sophia gave a cry as she landed on her leg. She heard the crack of the bones and slumped to the ground. The walls seemed to shrink around her as the air was ripped from her lungs. She panted desperately, hoping to regain her regular breathing pattern. The notion of accepting air into her lungs became impossible to the blonde. Her thought process left as pure, unadulterated panic invaded her mind. She was choking on air that wasn't there. It was getting impossible to breathe as she forced herself to calm down. Eventually, she coughed out a breath and calmed. Sophia had never had a panic attack before. She wished that Luna was here, to hold her and flirt with her and tell her that everything would be fine. But she was all alone. And she didn't know where. She sobbed quietly as tears spilled out. She could feel herself losing consciousness. Out of exhaustion and pain, she surrendered and let darkness take her with one word on her mind: Luna.