His Rogue Luna

Forty Nine

Secodont
(adj.) Having cutting teeth

Life could never be simple for me. I knew that my new positions would come with a lot of power and responsibility but what people failed to mention is that it also came with a lot of stress and pain. What I believed to be the start of a beautiful and happy day turned out to be something far more sinister and menacing than imagined.

As I stood with Apollo at the weapons table, analysing and testing new prototypes, the shrill sound of alarmed howls broke through the air, piercing my ears and going straight to my heart.

I didn't need to be a spirit wolf or a Luna to feel the mass panic through the pack bonds.

The patrol guards and the warriors that were training only a second ago, dropped everything and rushed to the east to offer some back up to the wolves trying to defend the border.

'There's at least sixty of them!' One of the guards snarled.

I watched through his eyes as wolves emerged through the shadows, growling and snarling like rabid dogs. Their eyes were pitch black and hollow, filled with nothing but pure rage.

Not these monsters again.

I quickly shifted myself and ran as fast as I could to get there. The warriors and guards were handling it well but we were significantly outnumbered three to one. The reinforcements had yet to arrive so it was just the three guards and the twenty or so warriors that were with us on the training grounds.

I dodged the snapping jaws of one wolf and quickly dived under him to bite up into his neck. I tasted his foul blood in my mouth as my teeth broke through his neck.

Two other wolves decided to pounce on me from behind, one of them getting a good bite on my leg while the other clawed at my back. I quickly dropped onto my back to crush one of them but the other wolf still hadn't let go of my leg.

Before I could do anything else, a large black wolf appeared and took the wolf off of me. I made quick work to kill the wolf clawing at my back before turning to my mate who had saved me.

'Thank you, Baby,' I licked his snout.

'Anything for you, Love,' He replies, nuzzling my head. We quickly broke off from each other to survey the scene and relief washed over me as the other guards appeared and made quick work of destroying the rest.

Kieran and I shifted back into our human forms along with a few others. After pulling on some spare clothing, I went around to heal the injured while Kieran gave orders on what to do next.

Suddenly, I sensed something in the forest. I couldn't quite catch a scent with the stench of blood and death heavily permeating the air and I certainly couldn't hear anything over the groans and shouts of the warriors.

But I sensed a mind, and before I could attempt to hear their thoughts, I heard something fly through the air and hit me in the chest.

Everything around me quietened and slowed down. The world around me spun and tilted until I was suddenly facing the sky. I felt several people run towards me but I couldn't quite hear them.

I looked down at my chest, where the pain was blossoming and I felt something hot and sticky trickle out. I was shocked to see the protruding arrow sticking out from directly where my heart was.

Several hands were all over me, some hovering over the metal weapon jutting out and some trying to stop the bleeding, but I only truly felt one pair of hands.

Kieran's.

His hands cupped my face as my head lay in his lap. He was murmuring things to me that I couldn't quite catch as he smoothed my hair back. I tried to speak but I couldn't quite move my mouth. My body was strangely paralysed and growing colder by the second.

There was so much to say, so much I wanted to do that I refused to accept that this was the end. I could tell from the thoughts of others that I most likely wouldn't make it though. The arrow was lodged in my heart and taking it out would mean I would most likely bleed to death.

'Please stop worrying. I'll be fine,' I mindlinked Kieran, unable to say the words aloud.

'How can I not worry Artemis? You're my everything,' he replied. I felt something warm and wet hit my face and I realised it was his tear. His blue eyes were glassy with grief and sadness, reminding me so much of the ocean.

I wanted to go to the ocean. I hadn't been in a long time.

'Trust me, I'm not going anywhere,' I assured.

Although it felt like my body was dying, slowly going numb and cold, I wasn't ready to part ways with anyone just yet. I had only just found my happiness and my future, I couldn't let it go so easily.

Mustering up all the energy and determination I had, I closed my eyes and lifted my right arm. It was a lot heavier than normal and made me break out in a cold sweat just from the sheer effort it took.

Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed the arrow in my chest and pulled it with all my strength.

The searing pain it left in its wake was my only indicator I had taken it out. Despite the fact that more blood was gushing out of me and making me lightheaded, I had hope that I would make it.

'Artemis, stay with me!' I hadn't realised my eyes were drooping till I heard Kieran's urgent voice yell in my head.

'I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere,' I stated, looking up at him through half lidded eyes. 'I'm just tired,'

The pain in my chest was dulling down as the darkness beckoned me closer. I could feel everyone's panic around me and vaguely sensed some doctors arrive on the scene. I wanted to reassure them all that I would be fine but I barely had the energy to open my eyes again.

As I finally succumbed to the darkness, I had but only one thought stuck in my head: I did not see this coming.

A.N: I'm very excited to write the next few chapters. This is the start of the biggest arch in the story and I hope you enjoy the mental rollercoaster as much as I did.