Some say that death is peaceful, calm. That the sweet release of death is painless and quick. I say that is complete bullshit. My body feels like it's burning from the inside out. It begins to seize out of control and a scream builds up in my throat that I refuse to unleash. Screaming won't solve this. Screaming won't make this all-consuming pain go away. The fire devours me without mercy, like hot molten lava making its way toward my heart. My poor heart, defenseless as the lava crashes against it.
The real sad part is the longer this goes on, the more I begin to relax into it. Sadistic bitch that I am, I may even enjoy this. If I could laugh at the moment I would. Death can burn me for the rest of eternity for all I care. Nick is in charge and I have every confidence he will make a throne out of their corpses. I'm free to burn in what I can only assume is hell. It's no secret I'm obsessed with fire. I may have even been an arsonist in my past life, who knows?
As I become pleased with the warmth surrounding me, it's pulled away from me all too soon. The seizing stops and I fall. I drop deep down into a cold dark abyss. The flames diminish until they are gone altogether and I land roughly onto cold hard ground. Slam is a more accurate term. I grunt in pain as my eyes flutter open.
What I see is not what I was expecting to see. The night sky is lit up with the flames of the burning forest trees surrounding me. The heat rolling off in waves might've been overwhelming for an average wolf, but I reveled in it. A bitch in heat, oh the irony.
Seven wolves hover over me, their eyes a familiar red. They don't move. They just gaze at me, studying me. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, I grunt in annoyance "Either kill me or get the hell out of my face."
At that, they shift into their human form and I avert my gaze. Nudity is completely natural in our culture but for some reason their red eyes have me looking away. I've never encountered others with my same eye color, other than my grandfather that is.
"Alora." Says one of them.
I look to the left and my eyes widen "Grandpa?" I whisper in shock. I haven't seen him in over five years. He looks perfect as usual, not a brown hair out of place. He looks exactly as I remember him. Werewolves tend to age like a snail on even ground. Slow and smooth. My grandfather's wolf kept him so youthful and agile that as my father began to age, he looked more like his brother than his son. Something that my father was not too happy about.
My grandfather was always so powerful and indestructible that I just assumed he would always be around. Until one day... he wasn't. We had been so devastated. He disappeared off the face of the Earth. We couldn't even have a proper burial because there was no trace of his body anywhere. That always gave me hope that maybe he hadn't died and he'd just abandoned us. Honestly, I was hoping for the latter because as much as that would've sucked it would have been infinitely better than the alternative. He is the best person in the world to me. He's always there, always looking out for me making sure that I'm making good choices and comforting me when I don't. Like a light guiding me down the right path in life. He is the one person in the world that makes me feel like a little girl and a woman all at the same time. Looking at him now makes my heart swell and unbelievable joy sweeps through my bones.
He smiles and extends his arms. I run into them and hug him with a fierce grip. I almost faint at his familiar scent of faint cigars and aftershave. No matter who I am or what I have done, I will always feel like a little girl in his arms. I know that is not the case. I am most definitely not a little girl anymore. If my grandfather were to ever find out the things I have done, the people I've killed, he might have a heart attack. Albeit they were not good people, but that is still blood on my hands. I am no longer pure. What would he think of me now? Would he understand or would he be disappointed in the ruthless techniques my pack has been trained to execute?
He chuckles and returns my hug before the others clear their throats. As I look at them I see some resemblance in their faces although I've never met them before. My grandfather nods at me in encouragement and I look to the one who emits the most power among us. He smiles and extends his hand for me to shake. Returning the gesture with a strong grip his red eyes twinkle with pride. He is also the only one here aside from me that has red hair. His hair is shoulder length and he has on a puffy white shirt that makes him look like he's from the 1700s.
"I knew you would be the one." He smiles showing off a perfect set of pearly white teeth "The first female in the family with the gene."
"What gene?" I question as I cross my arms over my chest. I feel my wolf stir inside of me the longer I stare at him. Something about him seems off. I can't put my finger on it. "Who are you?"
"My name is Emerson. Emerson Lume and I am your great-great-great-grandfather. Well, there are a few more greats in there but you get the point. Let's just say great-great-grandfather so that I don't feel too old." He chuckles though he doesn't look a day over thirty. I look to my grandfather for confirmation and he nods, a tight smile on his face. "We are all your family. Come now child, there is much we need to explain before you return."
Return.
Immediately my hands flash to my chest, searching for the bullet hole only to come up empty. I look down but all I see is the hole in my shirt and dried blood, no wound. That's impossible, I was shot through the heart with a silver bullet, no wolf can heal from that. I should be dead... aren't I dead? I must be if I'm standing in the woods with my dead ancestors. They are dead, aren't they?
"Yes. You are dead. We are dead. Everyone standing here is dead." Answered my great-great-great- whatever "For now."
"What the hell do you mean 'for now'?" I retort. Once you're dead that's it. There's no going back.
My chest tightens as I realize that if this is the afterlife... where is my family? My dad... my mom.... Nora...
"Alora." My grandfather chastised as he shakes his head. "Respect your elders."
"Will someone explain to me what the hell is happening? I vividly remember getting shot through the heart which means I am dead and if memory serves, that's a one-way ticket. So you'll excuse me if I don't have my best bedside manners at the moment."
Emerson smirks and offers me his hand. I look at it then back at his face as I cross my arms "You said there is much we need to discuss before I return, so get on with it."
"Come now, child." He grins as he turns and walks away.
Huffing in annoyance I follow as they begin to walk through the forest. The vicious flames of the trees crackle and sizzle like a lullaby, lighting up the otherwise quiet darkness. I look up, freezing with shock as I stare at it. Having been too distracted by my dead ancestors I hadn't noticed it before this moment.
"It's called the Blood Moon. It only happens once every three hundred years." Says Emerson in a bitter tone as he gazes up at the red full moon. It's red light casting down on us. "For everyone else on the planet that is. I, however, get to see it every second of every day."
I stare at it, completely mesmerized at its magnificent size and deep red color.
My grandfather tugs at my arm and pulls me to follow Emerson and the others. We walk into a small clearing and Emerson dismisses everyone else. My grandfather smiles at me half heartedly and gives me a quick kiss to my temple before leaving. He gives me a slight nod of reassurance before completely disappearing into the fiery forest.
My heart tugs as I watch him leave, wanting to follow him.
"Walk with me." Emerson says "Let me tell you a story about a man's foolish attempt to defy the will of the Moon Goddess."
Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion "Why the hell would I care?"
A small grin appears onto his face and his eyes twinkle in amusement. The moon's light illuminates the scar on his right cheek. Although it must have been inflicted long ago it still looks fresh. The deep gash looks painful and completely gnarly. Though that seems to be the only imperfection he has on his otherwise flawless physical appearance. If I wasn't so on edge around him I would dare say he is actually quite handsome. Like the dashing protagonist of a romance novel only with a hint of something unnerving that I can't seem to grasp.
Noticing my stare he smirks and answers my earlier question "You should care because if you don't know your history you won't be able to protect your pack against those... "rogues"..." He says, lips twitching as he fights back a smile.
My eyes narrow as I glare at him "What do you know?"
"Come with me and find out." He taunts.
"You know what? I think right here is fine." I challenge and he grins.
"I like you kid. You remind me a lot of myself."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I retort "Listen, to be quite honest I don't like you and I don't trust you, relative or not. So tell me what you know about those wolves, and stop wasting my time."
I can feel my patience wearing thin. His very presence grates on my every nerve as he mocks me with knowledge that he knows I need. Although his body is calm and relaxed, his eyes scream danger. My wolf can feel it and so can I.
"Very well then Alora." He smiles as he steps a few feet away and takes a seat near the small stream glistening with lava. He perches himself on the grass right in front of it as his eyes become distant. He's completely unfazed by the molten river of death before him. My hands twitch with the urge to push him in and be done with him, but I don't. As strong as I may be at the moment, the air of raw power he generates is unmistakable.
"You can stand there and try to figure me out, or you can come here and I'll tell you everything you need to know." He smirks with a taunting gleam in his red eyes.
Rolling my eyes I close the short distance. Blades of grass scratching against the soles of my bare feet as I come to a stop next to him.
"Her name was Clementine." He begins with a thoughtful face, eyes distant as his mind goes back in time. How far back in time, I'm not exactly sure but if the clothes he's wearing is any indication I would say roughly around two or three hundred years back. He quite literally looks like he's just stepped out of a Jane Austen novel.
"And she is?" I sigh with feigned interest. My eyes glued to the blood moon above us.
"A vampire" He states and my eyes immediately flash to his face "And I loved her with all of my heart at the time."
~~~A/N~~~
Today was legit an exhausting work day. I needed this extra chapter to release some pent up stress. Writing is the best medicine. Hope you guys like it.