Moonlight Kidnapping

Chapter 24: It Doesn't Stop For Anyone

Emily

Noah pulled me along to the pack house. When we stepped foot into the village we could hear the blood curdling screams piercing through the thick blanket of darkness. The front porch light was on and by silhouette we could see a man leaning over a body. Noah let go of my hand and ran to the porch, kneeling down and finally smashing his fists into the ground yelling. I jogged up beside him and my breath hitched.

In a pool of blood laid Harmony, Noah's mom. Her eyes glassy and open with little life inside.

Jamie was holding her body, clutching her to him like a thick second skin. She smelled like death and I feared the worst. Tears slid down Jamie's face, mirroring Noah's. Haylee was held by Brad, who covered her eyes and hugged her. I sunk down into the soil and stared hopelessly.

She was gone. 

Dr. Smith pulled Jamie off of her body and had a few pack members I had never met carry her away.

I sat there thinking until a thought flashes into mind.

"Wait!" I yelled after them. "What if she's not dead?" I pulled on the doctor's arm. He looked at my hand and smiled a sad smile.

"Her heart isn't beating. She's gone." He placed his hand on mine and started to walk again.

"But what if she isn't?"

Jamie came up beside me tugging me to him.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was raspy.

"I died here but I wasn't dead. Declan told me it was a paralyzed state." My words rushed out of my mouth in a huff. His face jerked to the doctors as he left me and ran to catch up. He yanked the doctor back and started speaking with him. They shared a look towards me then hurried into the pack hospital, taking Harmony along.

I looked back at Noah still sitting on the ground. His body was shaking and the anger was pouring off him. I took his arm but he jerked it out of my grasp.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to hurt you." He hissed, standing and going back into the woods.

I ran to keep up and stepped in front of him.

"Where are you going?" I asked him repeatedly only to be ignored.

Finally, I slammed my fists into his chest and stopped him. I met his eyes and glared at him.

"Where. Are. You. Going?" I poked my finger into his chest with each word.

"Get the fuck out of my way. Now. I'm going to kill him." The venom dripped off his words.

I gasped and shoved him back.

"No. You are not going to kill him! That's what he wants! Who knows what that could do to your mom!" I yelled at him trying to reason with him. He just huffed and crossed his arms. His intense glare is no match for mine and he finally rolled his black colored eyes and threw his hands in the air.

"Whatever!" He spat and walked back towards the pack house.

I let out the breath I had been holding and followed him. He went into our bedroom and collapsed on the bed. I went to my dresser and pulled out a weathered grey tank top and white sweatpants and slid in the bed beside him. Resting my head on his still clothed chest, I listened to his heart beating. I knew Declan wanted to anger him. I knew Declan wanted this to be a pushing point. I was not going to let this happen.

Noah made no move to cuddle me, I knew he was still mad at me for stopping him, no matter if he knew I was right or not. After what feels like forever, his arms snaked around me. His breathing went back to normal and the color in his eyes was back to that ocean blue.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into the night. I pulled him closer, leaning up to capture his lips with a kiss. He reciprocated and snuggled me towards him.

"You are right. I was just so mad I couldn't even see straight. He is hurting her. Her own son is torturing her. And here I am not doing a damn thing about it." He ran his left hand through his thick hair.

"Why does he hate us?" My voice was timid.

"I have no damned idea. I thought it was always about the land but now it just feels so personal. He's my brother why would he do this?" The sadness cuts through me like a knife. I thought about my time with him, when he cut me with his claws. The burning pain was so intense I wished for death. I prayed Harmony wasn't going through that. Thoughts started wheeling through my head. Thoughts about the good times Noah had with him. The times Harmony changed him and James fed him. When he helped take care of Haylee. That couldn't have vanished.

"Noah. You said you had darkness in you. I've seen it. You let it take over you in the cave when you saved me. I have it now too but I feel nothing bad in me. Maybe your brother just let the darkness take over him? He can't be all bad. He just can't. One person couldn't possibly have that much hate."

"Emily, I don't know why you're ok. I'm guessing it's how happy and trusting you always are. Darkness loves dark people. People with sadness and guilt.  I don't know why the darkness has stayed away from you, but that is what I'm guessing. I know it wants me I feel it every time I get angry and sometimes I want so bad to let it have it's way. The one thing I know without a shadow of doubt is that Declan is evil. Every part of him that I used to look up too is gone." He shook his head at the thought and I tried to push the notion out of my head.

But I couldn't shake the nagging feeling I had that we were wrong. 

How do I prove it though?

"Sadness and guilt? What do you have to be guilty about?"

"If it wasn't for me, Declan would still be in that cell and none of these things would've ever happened."