Imperial Moon [Complete]

Chapter Five - Collapse

The fire engulfed the house, smoke billowing out of the windows as Katja approached. Fear swirled in her heart, sharpening her senses.

People ran screaming around her throwing buckets of water at the blaze. Katja moved through the crowd easily, slipping around the mixture of human and wolf forms.

She entered through the back, creeping up the staircase she knew so well. She could hear shouting above her.

"Leave, now. I'll let you live." a gruff voice commanded.

"You think I will surrender my pack to you willingly? Over my dead body!" Katja recognized both  voices.

"I didn't want it to be this way." the gruff voice growled.

A woman screamed and Katja felt a searing pain in her chest, she ran recklessly into the room.

A man stood tall in the middle of the wreckage, shaking with rage as a huge wolf moved away from the woman.

Her body fell to the floor, broken, her head rolling away from her shoulders. Katja let out a blood curdling scream.

The man turned and, grabbing Katja around the waist, he ran from the room. He was fast, she had learned her speed from him.

After he had put considerable distance between them and the wolf, he put her down carefully.

Kneeling in front of her he looked into Katja's eyes. Loss and grief mingled with purpose shone in his glassy orbs. The blue was draining out of them, soon to be replaced with blinding white, Katja knew.

"Run as fast as you can. Don't stop, don't look back. Promise me you'll survive, Katja, promise me."

"I promise." Katja sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck. He held on to her tightly, his huge muscles crushing her. She wondered when she would feel safe again, like she did in his arms.

"Remember I will love you, for eternity, little Kat." he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Katja's head. The trees around them shook, the beast was closing in.

"I will love you, for eternity, too." Katja whimpered, blinking tears from her eyes.

"Don't cry, little Kat. Remember what you are, let it bring you strength." 

He stood tall, turning towards the crashing noise. The beast was here.

He took a final look at her, his eyes bright white, a golden ring circling his iris.

"Survive." he said, reminding her, "Now, RUN." 

His Alpha command, stronger than any she'd ever known, compelled her feet to move.

He turned to face the beast bearing down upon him as Katja ran for her life. The man twisted, contorted, into a monster of legend.

She ran with the wind, shifting into her wolf in mid-air as a howl rang out around her. She gave in to curiosity and glanced back over her shoulder, just in time to see her father's head ripped from his body.

Kat woke up with a scream caught in her throat.

Bathed in sweat, Kat looked around the room warily. She was on a plush bed in a room that smelled like fresh paint and sawdust.

Her heart beat erratically in her chest, her breathing coming out in gasps. She groaned at the dream, the memory.

The light flicked on, bathing the room in a yellow glow. The walls had been freshly painted white, one wall papered with silver swirling patterns, weaving up to the ceiling like ivy. Tate stood in the doorway, hand on the switch.