In Full Moon's Light (Remastered) (Finished)

Prologue:

"Caleb. You screaming mindlessly at your brother does nothing but irritate me."

The world went quiet at the sound of the smooth reprimand. If Fang could smirk, she would have. No one ignored the Matriarch of their coven. Her amusement faded as the pain began to fill her consciousness. It started out as a slow ache, before graduating to a dull throbbing, then finally a sharp stabbing pain that began in each of her joints and screamed across her muscles, setting her entire body on fire.

She whimpered, and instantly hands started caressing her face, her arms, her legs. "Alixica, baby, are you alright?" The question was posed more than once in varying ways, almost simultaneously, each voice overlapping the other in a symphony of concern and love. She shook her head slightly and groaned as a thousand daggers stabbed her skull.

"It burns," She whispered brokenly, afraid to move. "Everything burns." As the pain intensified, she could feel her consciousness slipping away again. Before the world faded away, she managed to whisper three words.

"Make it stop."

The days passed by in a blur of fire and night.

Time dragged and sped in unintelligible intervals.

When she finally opened her eyes, the soft light of the setting sun filled her room. The curtains were open, and the soft breeze chilled her. She shivered, and slowly sat up. The world stayed where it should. That was good. She gently checked over herself. Her entire body was sore, but the pain was gone. A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"You're finally awake, Fang."

She didn't even look up at her visitor. There was only one person who could be in the sun- even the soft sunlight, like she could.

"Hey, Raven." She murmured, stretching cautiously. "What happened?"

Fang finally looked up. The bare dark oak walls of her room comforted her. Raven stood leaning against the closed door. She looked like a dark angel of vengeance. Her perfect lips curled in a smirk.

"You, my darling sister, have been out for about two months."

Fangs jaw dropped. "What?! Two months? What in the world was wrong with me?" Raven shrugged, before walking over and plopping down on the edge of Fang's bed, before replying, "Beats me. No one has a clue why you dropped. Lyza and Ky have been studying in the library non-stop, and Dem and Raiz have been stockpiling your blood type because they have it in their heads that this is all some sort of anemic attack."

Fang rolled her eyes and stood, stumbling a little before catching herself. "Well, I could definitely use a meal." Raven laughed and together the two of them left the bedroom. They made their way through the mansion and down to the kitchen.

Raven entered first. She nonchalantly pointed over her shoulder as she entered. "Fang's up." Fang entered the kitchen, only to be instantly caught up in the strong arms of Malachi. She laughed breathlessly. "I'm fine, Ky, I swear."

"I'm so glad you're awake," Malachi whispered. Fang smiled. He hardly ever spoke, and she always thought it was such a treat to hear his deep, rumbling voice. He set her down after a long moment, and Fang was instantly caught up in another hug. Elyza's slender arms wrapped around Fang's back and held her close.

"Oh baby, you had us so worried."

Fang chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, Lyza." She started to wrap her arms around Lyza's back when she was pushed back roughly. "Alixica Jones-Whitmore! Don't you ever, ever, ever dare do that to us again!" Fang smiled bashfully. None of them ever used her full name- or even, her real name- unless she was in trouble. "Yes, ma'am," She agreed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Elyza smiled and stepped back next to Malachi. He laid his arm on her shoulder, holding her to his side. The two of them smiled at her lovingly, looking more like siblings than each other's lovers. They both had the same light brown hair, the same strong build, and the same deep blue eyes.

An impatient sigh reminded her that she was supposed to be following Raven. Fang walked past Lyziztra and Malachi to face the three at the head of the table. Her sister stood closest to her, tall and imposing. Behind her, on the opposite side of the table, was Segan. His pale blond hair swept gracefully to the left of his face, his deep blue eyes both piercing and kind. Fang had never understood how such a slight man could have such a glare.

Behind them both, at the head of the table, she sat. The Matriarch of their coven. She sat with her slender legs crossed, her fingers together, her long auburn hair flowing around her face and down her ample bosom. She smiled at Fang in a way only mothers could.

Immaliah.

She was the mother of the coven, the first of many that Adrien Jones had turned to protect his two daughters after the death of their birth mother. Fang didn't remember much about her birth mother other than the smell of pine always in her hair. Not that it mattered. Immaliah was her mother now. She was everyone's mother. Well, except for Segan's. That would just be wrong on so many levels.

Fang waited for Immaliah to speak, but the silence just dragged on. She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Um, Immaliah, I-" Fang began, only to stop again as Immaliah held up one finger.

She shut her mouth obediently and waited.

Immaliah studied Fang for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes calculating. Just when Fang thought the silence would break her, Immaliah stood. All eyes followed her movements. With one gesture of her hand, everyone in the room began to follow her. She led the group out of the kitchen, through the living room and out the front door.

Darkness had just settled into the forest. The moon was still rising; its light had yet to break through the trees. Immaliah stopped in the middle of the front yard, which circled around the mansion 60 feet in each direction before the lawn turned back into the jungle.

After a few moments of silence, Fang turned to Immaliah. Before she could speak, three things happened simultaneously. First, Raislin and Demitri stepped through the jungle and onto the lawn directly in line with the rest of the coven. Second, the moonlight broke into the clearing. And third, Fang fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

The entire coven started to converge on her as one. All but one. And with one wave of the hand, the entire coven stopped.

Fang lost all awareness around her. All she could feel was the fire. Her body began to stretch, her muscles seemed to grow longer, her hair turned black and began to cover her body. Her fingers and toes seemed to shrink, her palms doubled in size. There was a twitch at the base of her spine, at two points on her skull. Her face elongated and her teeth sharpened.

The pain stopped as suddenly as it had come. Fang sat there, shaking, not sure what had happened. She didn't dare open her eyes. She didn't dare think. All she could hear were the shocked murmurs around her. And all she could think, over and over again, was one simple question.

What the hell just happened?