The Moon's Secrets

Betrayed chapter 1

I woke up to the sound of my father's frantic voice screaming in my head through our mind links.

' Hexton, son wake up! We are under attack! '

It was then that I could hear the cries and screams of my pack coming from outside the castle walls. I went to get out of bed but was paralyzed by the agonizing and painful feelings of my pack. I usually leave my mind link open to communicate and watch over my kingdom but today I regretted it dreadfully. The pain was crippling I couldn't breathe. I closed my mind link and left it open to my father. It was as if a painful force was pulled out from within me as I rolled off my bed and landed with a thump on the gray marble floor.

'Hexton! Pull yourself together and find your Mother and Sister.' His voice filled my mind. The concern in it was evident.

'Yes father at once.' I said between gasps.

I crouched low to the floor and gathered as much strength possible and leapt through the dark brown door landing on my feet in the hallway which was filled with thick gray smoke. Sniffing the air in search of Mother and Heidi scents. It was hard to pick it up at first but then I smelled them both and their scents was coming from the direction of Heidi's room. The smoke was getting thicker and I knew I wouldn't be able to run without covering my nose and mouth. So I ripped my red pajama shirt off and tied it so it was covering my mouth and nose like the old village robbers tended to do.

Taking a deep breath I ran towards Heidi's room as fast as I could. Having just turned eighteen two weeks prior I was barely learning my new adult strength. Never realizing I could run so fast. Soon I was standing in front of Heidi's lavender door. Without hesitation, I kicked the door in.

"Mother, Heidi !" I yelled frantically. "Where are you?"

"We are here son." Mother answered intwining her fingers in mine.

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders and raised her hand to my mouth placing a kiss on the back of it.

"Thank the Goddess." I sighed. "Now Mother forgive me for my next actions. Without a second thought I threw her over my right shoulder.

"Heidi get up!" I yelled at my sister who was sitting on the marble floor crying with her tanned hands covering her face.

"Now!" I demanded.

Heidi stood and I grabbed her and threw her over my left shoulder. I ran down the hall and towards the staircase I needed to get to the castle's library which was located on the first floor. Once we were in front of the library's door I gently set Heidi and Mother on their feet. Heidi pushed the door open, and we both ran towards the fireplace which was directly in front of us. Above the fireplace there was a portrait of my parent's that hung with pride since their wedding day, I knocked it down and looked for the yellow button that was attached to the marble wall. Heidi punched it, and we both stepped back as the marble wall began to move to it's right revealing an old wooden door with a brass door knob. When it was completely open I turned the door knob and stood in front of a secret tunnel that led to the ocean shore.

" Go Mother. You and Heidi follow this tunnel till you get to the beach and whatever you do. Please do not return. Father and I will meet you as soon as it is safe."

I gave my mother a hug and kissed her forehead. I looked at Heidi who was turning the lamp on.

"Be safe baby sister and use your defense skills if needed."

Pushing my sister into the tunnel I closed the door behind her and mother.

'Father where are you?' I asked as I began to run back in towards the smoke filled hallway.

'The garden.' He answered weakly.

I began to run towards the garden when I felt my father's link getting weaker. I could feel his emotions and at that moment I was engulfed with great sadness. Then came a sharp pain in my heart. It felt as if I had gotten stabbed.

"No! " I cried out loud picking up speed and running out of the castle into the garden. I slowed my pace and began to look around. There were dead bodies of men I didn't recognize. Some were missing heads others their limbs. It was a horrific scene.

'Rogues.' My wolf growled within me.

The smell of rotten blood filled the air stronger than the blazing fire that destroyed the west wing of the castle.

"Son." I heard my father's weak voice.

I turned to my right and saw my father laying in a puddle of his own blood amongst mother's red roses. At once my wolf lost control within me and I couldn't stop the rage and anger. It took ten seconds of bone cracking and popping for me to shift into my gray wolf. I ran to my Father's side and nudged his head with my nose.

"I haven't got much time." My father choked on his own blood." Tell your m-m-mother I love her."

I shifted back to my human form and was now crouching on one knee and naked. Something sparkled in the blood stained grass next to my father's face. I picked up the object and noticed it was a gold ring with a large blue sapphire that represented the royal guard of the Elentran kingdom.

"We've been betrayed." Father whispered. His once sparkling gray eyes losing their glow.

"No father! No, do not leave me!" I yelled at him.

"I will always be with you." My father smiled lifting his hand to my face and wiping the tears that were freely falling. His hand then dropped lifeless beside him.

I threw my body over him crying in agony. I could smell his blood leaving his body. Anger began to build rapidly within me.

'The king is dead. We've been betrayed." I relayed to my kingdom through our link.

Howls were heard in the distance and I hugged my father's lifeless body tightly. I heard footsteps approaching and the scents that now filled the air were familiar to me. One in particular stood out. I squeezed the Elentran ring until my palm began to bleed. Ryan, my cousin ran up behind me.

"The Rogues are dead." He informed.

"Pity." I spat threw my teeth and stood facing him.

Ryan's eyes were glowing yellow with sadness as he looked at me and towards my father. He paled and dropped to his knees his hands gripping the bloody grass.

" How is this possible?" He whispered.

"The Elentran's."

"The Elentran's? No. That can't be." Shock was written on Ryan's face. His black wavy hair dampened with enemy blood and sweat.

My wolf was thrashing rabidly within me. If it were his choice we would go to the Elentran Kingdom and kill them all, so I tried to contain him and found it impossible. I shifted as he dominated. Standing on all fours above my father's body. He growled and snapped at Ryan's face. Ryan jumped and stood with his hands stretched out to his sides.

"Hexton, control yourself." He pleaded.

My wolf lowered his growl but was still rabid snapping at the air. The royal Guard began to approach the garden's entrance. As they approached one by one they knelt and bowed their heads. My wolf stopped snapping. He stood silent as he watched the guards continue to approach. A sudden sadness filled him, and he flopped his body next to father's and looking up at the moon he howled.

One by one the guard began to shift into their wolves, and one by one they began to howl. Mourning the loss of their Great King, an Ancient Royal.

' They will pay for this I swear.' My wolf growled through our mind link.