Moonlit Beauty

The calm before the storm

Chapter 19

“And yeah, that’s basically what happened.” Daemon eyed his friend warily, waiting for any signs of anger. There were none.

Taro just calmly sipped on his cup of coffee that Daemon had quickly whipped up. He set the cup down gently and leaned on Daemon’s desk, interlacing his fingers together and resting his chin on top.

“So let me get this straight, my son came here, asking to join your pack… and you sent him on the most dangerous mission possible to prove that he’s trustworthy. And what’s more, you actually sent your own daughter with him?”

Daemon nodded hesitantly, trying to gauge Taro’s mood and failing. Taro had apparently mastered his emotionless face and gave nothing away.

“So…uh…well…are you ok?” He tentatively asked, a bit more confident that Taro wasn’t angry. He was sorely mistaken.

“YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!” Taro exploded furiously, his eyes blazing as he abruptly stood up and leaned over the desk to grasp Daemon’s throat in his hands.

“YOU SENT MY SON ON A SUICIDE MISSION!” Taro violently shook Daemon by his neck, ignoring his pathetic gasps for air. Daemon tried, uselessly, to pry Taro’s hands off his throat, his face turning an odd purple colour as the lack of oxygen started to affect him.

“Can’t…breathe…” Daemon managed to wheeze out. Taro suddenly realised what he was doing and immediately unwrapped his hands from Daemon’s throat, causing him to fall onto the floor, banging his head on his desk on the way down.

Daemon groaned as he pushed himself up off the floor and grasped his throbbing head. Taro crouched down next to him and smiled apologetically before hauling Daemon to his feet.

“Sorry about losing my cool there for a second old friend. “ Taro awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he waited for Daemon’s reply.

“Hey! I’m not old, I’m only forty six!” Daemon paused for a second before glancing back at Taro.

“That’s not old…right?”

“No?” Taro made it sound more like a question but it seemed to reassure Daemon who went back to happily rubbing the lump on his head.

“Anyway, we need to help our Dante and Zhalia, who know what those filthy rogues are doing to them by now! I can’t lose him again.” Taro put his head into his hands in despair.

Daemon looked at his friend seriously as he snapped into his ‘alpha’ mode.

“Look Taro, you need to have faith in Dante and Zhalia. I know that they will come back to us, I believe in them and I think you should too.” Daemon placed a hand on Taro’s shoulder in reassurance as he gazed out of the window.

Taro looked at his friend in surprise before smiling. Daemon might not act like an alpha most of the time, but moments like this made him realise that his friend fit his role perfectly and was serious when it mattered. He too, turned his gaze to the window, watching the sun pour its light down from the heavens and over the Midnight village. Both men stood side by side, solemnly gazing out of the window before Taro broke the peaceful silence.

“I hate to break it to you, but you are quite old.”

“TAKE THAT BACK!”

----

Zhalia listened to Faustus in horror as he was telling Dante what happened ten years ago. Her eyes welled up with tears and she bowed her head, casting shadows over her face. Hana looked at her worriedly and placed a small hand on Zhalia’s shoulder.

“Are you ok Zhalia?”

She didn’t reply, instead, she gently brushed Hana’s hand off her shoulder and stood up; her fists clenched and strode through the ferns and into the room.

----

Dante roared at Faustus. “YOU-“

He was cut off as someone strode into the room. “Zhalia?”

She didn’t acknowledge him or even glance at him. Her fists were balled up at her side and shadows danced across her face, hiding it from view. Her whole body was shaking as she stepped further into the room.

Faustus turned to her in surprise as did the other rogues in the room. “Well, well, well, look who we have here. A little girl who thinks she can brave us all.” He spat mockingly as the other rogues all jeered at Zhalia.

Dante just looked at her worriedly. Something was wrong. He could feel it. It was like the calm before the storm. Something was going to happen, something bad.

A sudden wind picked up around Zhalia, creating a mini hurricane around her. The wind lifted her long hair up behind her as she raised her head, causing all the wolves in the room to gasp. Her teeth had elongated into sharp fangs and her eyes bled red, burning with an intense inner anger that threatened to swallow everything and everyone in its path. She looked like...a goddess. Faustus stepped back in horror as his rogues immediately stepped in front of him protectively.

Zhalia chuckled darkly as her once calm, purple eyes narrowed in anger and hate. The wind grew more violent and suddenly the earth started shaking, loose rocks smashing to the ground. Zhalia stalked forward, her hands unclenched slowly as she brought them closer to her face. They stopped right in front of her face and everyone gasped as they burst into smouldering flames. Zhalia just laughed sinisterly as she threw her hands into the air and all the wolves in the room watched in horror as the flames travelled down her arms and engulfed her body. She was on fire yet she wasn’t being burned at all.

Dante’s eyes widened as he continued to look at the girl he had spent the past few days with. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t the sweet and caring yet slightly stubborn girl he had come to know.

The girl in front of him was terrifying yet…magnificent. She was a sight to behold. Her whole body encased in flames as she stood inside a vicious hurricane, unharmed, with the earth trembling under her feet.

“You hurt the people I love, my family and my friends. You hurt my mother’s wolves and for that, you will DIE!” Zhalia screamed in anger and everything turned black.