Mona saw blood dripping to the floor. Her own blood mixed with saliva and sweat. She can hear Miranda's evil laughters and Bruce's vicious growling. Her sight, on the other hand, is blurry. She has wounds in varying depths and lashes all over her body. She lay crumpled on the floor, heaving deep breaths. She begged her wolf for help but it was silent. Have Thalia abandoned her? A new kind of helplessness and hatred is brewing in her heart. Hatred for deserving this kind of treatment. Helplessness for not being able to fight back. The Luna will definitely kill her this time, with an unforgiving look on her face, she never thought she'll survive. She thought she will be able to transform when she scratched Miranda awhile ago, but she was wrong. The claws vanished as fast as it came. Her body, deeply wounded and battered has turned numb after receiving too many blows. She ceased feeling the pain after being helpless. At last, Mona just wished to die. May the Moon Goddess take her for she have lost her will to live. She closed her eyes and let darkness embrace her.
It was the dead of the night when all others were asleep. Tristan was still awake, standing on the veranda feeling the chilly night air on his skin. Tomorrow, he will be wed. He thought of Mona and his confused emotions. The kiss they shared in the clearing delighted and brought him a wjole new feeling. Though, he still can't pinpoint the random feeling that rushed to his system. He has an idea what it is but it is too early yet to confirm. It is not fair for both of them. They are still yearning for their supposed-to-be-mates, especially him. The remnants of the broken bond still has influence in them, and recognizing new feelings between them is unjust. He sighed.
"Sleep trouble, eh?" His father, the Alpha speaks behind him. His pipe is smoking, and he is puffing out smoke.
"Or pre-wedding blues?" He felt his father's hand tap his shoulder as he stand beside him, leaning on the railing.
"No, Dad. I'm just thinking." Tristan said silently.
"About what?" William inquires, puffing smoke from his pipe.
"About things... " he shrugs and hold the railing tightly.
"Having second thoughts??" William teased. He grins.
"No. Not that. But yeah. Somehow." he heaved a sigh, he is truly confused. "Maybe I was wrong in rushing into marriage after being rejected. Maybe I should have sort my feelings first before I dragged someone else into my own mess. It's unfair for her..." he answered silently, his words filled with thoughts.
"Maybe it's wrong. Maybe it's just right. But who knows? We really don't actually know anything? All I know is there's nothing wrong when it comes to love, son. If it's love, everything will simply have to fall right into place... " William simply said, blowing smoke from his mouth. Tristan's eyebrow raised. His father laughed cheekily.
"Say Dad, I know I am in no position to ask this, but I still want to ask." he hesitated and chuckled at the same time.
"What is it Son?" The Alpha replied simply, looking up at the bright moon.
"Have you ever loved a woman before? I mean, aside from Mom?" Tristan inquired slowly.
William gripped the railing tightly and cleared his throat before he answered him. "Yes. I did love someone else other than your mother. She was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. We almost got married." He chuckled as he looked directly in his son's eyes and he saw Tristan's bewilderment. Maybe he was not expecting his answer.
"What happened?" Tristan inquired.
"I found my mate. Your Mom." he puffed out a smoke.
"And her?" Tristan curiously asked.
"She found her mate too. And we end up marrying the mate fated for us. And with that we fulfilled the responsibilities to our destined mates..."
"Have you forgotten her. I mean, easily?"
"To be honest, to forget her was like trodding in hell. It was difficult and it pains me so much but I have to fulfill my responsibilities with your Mom. Maybe I am unfair with your Mom, she loved me wholeheartedly but I love her with only the love that's left from loving someone else. But I don't want to lie to myself that after all this years, I still have that constant longing for her. It was like a hole that no one else can fill." The Alpha said sadly. Now, Tristan understands his mother's stringy behaviors. Sometimes she's firm and cold and possessive towards his father and him. She has that temperament that he don't want to deal with if possible. Because his mother, even she became the Luna of the pack, cannot fill the emptiness in his father's heart and will never fill it no matter what she do.
"Don't hate me for this son. But I am just being honest with myself. And don't get me wrong. I love your Mom. She is my wife and I love her even more when she gave you to me." He smiled wistfully. "I did my best to make her happy and loved, but I know, she never is contented with the love I gave..."
"That is why, I am telling you this. If you love her, go for it. Let her feel it, tell her. Never waste a moment wondering why and what if. Love her with all the love you have because you'll never know what tomorrow will bring. Maybe today she's here, and tomorrow she's gone. I don't want you to regret the words you could have said and could have changed everything. " The alpha said wisely, it struck Tristan directly to his heart.
"What's with that look? I know how love looks like when I saw it. And I am seeing it in you." William squeezed Tristan's shoulder. In the moonlight, he can see his son's utter disbelief. One day, he himself will be able to recognize it. But he hoped that he won't take forever to understand what he truly feels.
"Well, I'll go back to sleep. You should also sleep. Tomorrow's your wedding day..." He winked at his son as he step away from him.
Tristan just shook his head with the thought. But his father is right, he needs to sleep. With one last look at the moon, Tristan steps away to his quarters.
A piercing scream broke through the night. Suddenly all of his senses were alert. His eyes immediately scanned the sorroundings. "What is it?" he whispered.
Troy was looking for Mona since he returned to the Manor. He had not seen her and it gave him a bad feeling. He scanned the entire Manor and failed to find her. He was in the kitchen when he heard laughters and growls from the basement. He went there and he saw Mona, lying bloody and crumpled on the floor, almost unconcious. He also saw the wolf-forms of Miranda and Bruce, circling her, ready for another attack.
"What is the meaning of this, Luna?!?" Troy yelled at Miranda. He saw the Luna looking very vicious it send shivers to Troy's spine.
"Here comes the great body guard! What a shame, guess you're too late!" the Luna yelled back, saliva falling from her mouth.
"Do you realize what you two have done!?" Troy was angry, he went to Mona and collected her. Her body was cold and listless, she was unconcious. His hand touched her hair now cut unevenly, one side of her head was almost shaved. Troy felt pity and regret for Mona. And he was too furious for what they did to her. This time, he would definitely will not hold back. He'll kill them!
"How touching?!" Miranda exclaimed. She give Bruce a knowing look and the latter nods on what to do.
"Mona, wake up. Can you hear me? Mona... " He called her name but she did not respond. Bruce attacked him while trying to wake Mona up, tearing his flesh. He shifted to his wolf form and an grim fighting between two wolves ensued.
Miranda was about to tackle Mona but she was rooted on the stop. Mona who was still unconcious, eerily stood up and floated in the air, her unevenly-cutted hair swaying upwards, she was then covered with a very bright light. Her eyes suddenly opened and purple lights were coming out of it. Then she let out a terrifying scream. The room shook and was then filled with cold wind, she was still covered with the bright light,her brown hair was the only thing visible and slowly the white light is starting to creep from the roots to the ends of her hair until she became a ball of blinding yellow light. It took only seconds but for them, it seemed like a long time. From the light stepped a magnificient and marvelous beast Troy had known only in legends. A snow-white nine-tailed fox covered in a yellow light as yellow as the moon's gleam above, so huge it reached the basement's ceiling. It was magnificient and terrifying, emitting a danherous aura. Miranda and Bruce cowered in fear, Troy himself was rooted on the spot. It's purple eyes were furious, and with a blink of an eye, Miranda and Bruce lay facedown, unconcious on the floor. It growled and the ceiling exploded and the night sky was then visible. It flew up, so high as if kissing the moon.
Not long after the echoing scream, something exploded in the Manor's groundfloor. Tristan ran to the end of the veranda and saw a ruined ground floor. From it, a shining yellow light spurted to the sky. Tristan cannot believe what he had seen but it is real and it was here. It flew straight to the moon as it let out a cry. The celestial beast has risen.