Moon Bound [Undergoing Rewrite]

Chapter Eight

No. He's at home. This is a trick. Nothing but a damn trick!

Ludovica blinked over and over, trying to see through whatever trick the witch was using against her but this was real. The witch no longer had the appearance of an innocent girl. Her dark hair fell below her waist in a braid adorned with flowers. Her pitch-black eyes held an immense darkness that would have made any man tremble with fear.

A dark grin played in her full blood-red lips before she dragged the crystal blade of a dagger across Jackson's neck with enough pressure to draw blood. An acute pain enveloped her heart as blood dribbled down his neck from the small laceration.

"Call them back, or he dies," the witch said as she raised the dagger to her lips then licked the blood from the blade. "Though, I would enjoy taking the life of such powerful wolf."

Why didn't you stay home!

Don't listen to her. Kill them all!

Tears falling down her face, she dropped to her knees. "Stay back!" All of the members of the warrior team froze then walked away from the cave. "I did as you have asked. Now release my brother!"

The witch lifted the dagger above her head, then shoved the blade into his chest. A loud cry escaped Ludovica's lips before she lurched to her feet, ignoring the pain in her chest that threatened to devour her whole. She tried to shift, but couldn't. "Kill them all, but I want her alive!"

As Ludovica stepped closer to her brother, her legs wobbled. Tears flooded down her face nonstop. This had to be a nightmare. She had lost her parents. She couldn't lose him too. No. Not him. In the center of all the chaos, lay the body of the man who meant everything to her, the one who had always her back unconditionally: her brother.

She was supposed to protect him.

She had failed him as she had failed their parents.

She hurried to his side, then fell on her knees. After placing his head on her lap, she wiped away the tears. With shuddering fingers, he raised a hand. A sob escaped her lips as she held it tight, terrified if she let go, she would never see him again.

She squeezed her eyes shut, then reopened them. "Please don't leave me." Tears streamed down her cheeks, filling her trembling lips with saltiness. She leaned her head against his, struggling to hold back the sobs.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" She pushed back his dark hair.

He coughed, blood splattering into his chest. "J—" Black lines spread through his entire body, then his eyes fluttered closed. Then, the hand touching her cheek fell to the ground.

Ludovica screamed at the top of her lungs. "No. No! Wake up, please don't leave me!" Howls rose in the distance as her pack sensed her pain and felt the connection to her brother falter then shatter to pieces.

After placing one last kiss on her brother's forehead, Ludovica rose to her feet, but fell back down, the pain feasting on her being too strong. She didn't want to leave him there but when her gaze fell upon the witch who had taken everything from her, she lurched to her feet and sprinted toward her.

When a wolf pounced on her, she skidded as he leaped over her. Seconds later, the painful howl made her glance back to find Caleb pulling a golden dagger with a glowing silver blade from the side of the wolf's head.

Ludovica halted when arrows tore from many directions through the air toward her. Perhaps it would be best if she joined her family. She was certain she couldn't live a day without them. Her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the inevitable.

When nothing happened, she opened her eyes to find Dmitri in front of her, covered in scarlet from head to toe. He lowered his arm to his side and all arrows dropped to the ground as the witch's eyes grew wide with horror, but then she masked her fear with a smile that wouldn't fool anyone.