Page 45 of Shifted Fate (Broken Luna #1)

Chapter Forty-Three

I

closed my eyes and cleared my mind of everything, pain disappeared into the background, I could feel the doctor still working, the burn of the wolfsbane was still there, and I could hear everything around me, but the room faded away.

I drew in deeper breaths, clearing my nose of my blood and antiseptic and focusing solely on the people in front of me. I pushed my father’s scent to the side and Becks. I narrowed in on the two women.

The older women smelled ancient, powerful, and very cunning, using power to keep herself alive, dark power.

But the younger wolf she was something else.

She smelled as familiar as she looked. Nix and Megan sifted through the scents in the room with me.

But it was Megan who found the answer. She smells like Aurora. They both do.

My eyes snapped open, and I stared at the two women in front of me. The older woman had the same eyes as the the one beside her, older sure, but the shape and color was exactly the same. But Amara, Amara had dark hair, yet she had the same eyes and nose as Aurora. They could have been twins.

They were. I remember going through Aurora’s paperwork in my mother’s office, and I remember she had a sister Amara listed.

But anytime I wanted to remember the fact that Aurora had a sister, something was making my mind turn away from the fact.

Like there was something that wanted me to forget it.

My eyes settled on the older woman and I felt the squeeze on my shoulder.

Same eyes.

This woman was their grandmother.

Nix let out a growl, and Megan howled. What’s wrong? I called to them. But then I felt it, something biting along my insides. My eyes met the older woman, and I saw her eyes widen.

“It’s the cleaving.” My grandmother’s words came to me and my mind flashed to the page in the book with the spell.

It’s a spell to sever the ties between human and wolf.

The human feels nothing until her wolf is dead, and it is already too late.

“Remember the counterspell.” Her soft voice called to me. “Before it’s too late.”

Nix and Megan both howled in pain as I tried to remember what it was. A page flashed in my mind and I opened my eyes to stare the old woman down. “Alta nim for cle de nagh.” The biting stopped in my mind and my wolves settled. But the woman paled. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“I.” She stumbled back, but I slammed my power and aura out, causing everyone in the room to drop to their knees.

“Amy?” My father turned to me, as he was the only one left upright on his knees, then the rest were on the ground. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll ask again…did you think I wouldn’t notice?

” I felt the lupine solution take enough of the wolfbane out of my system enough that I could heal, so I told Nix to heal me slowly as I stood.

I walked closer to the three people by the door.

The old woman turned paler as she watched as my wounds slowly healed.

“How?” Her jowls bobbed as she swallowed.

“How?” Amara and Beck asked at the same time. I saw Amara and Beck scenting the air, and the wolfsbane was still in the air, still in my blood.

“How are you still healing yourself?” Beck tried to stand, but I pounded my aura into him and his wolf whimpered.

I knelt in front of them all and pulled back my power enough so that they could sit back on their heels. “How am I healing myself because I have wolfsbane in my blood? Or how am I still healing myself when Amara’s grandmother was trying to cleave my wolf from me and kill it?”

My father rose to his feet with a snarl. “You tried the cleaving on my daughter?”

Beck’s eyes widened. “You knew?”

“Oh Beck, I’m surprised by you.” I smiled over at him. “If you want to stage a coup. Then you need to know the strength of all of your opponents.”

“A coup?” My father paced. “Tell me she’s wrong, Beck.

” My father clenched his fists at his side and turned to face the three on their knees with me.

The doctor and nurse long forgotten. “Tell me she’s just young and foolish.

Tell me she is misunderstanding this. Tell me she’s wrong Beck!

” The roar was enough to shake the windows and the wall.

But Beck just sneered and turned his face to his mate. “Amara, I love you.”

My father raged, and half shifted as he screamed again. “You were my brother! One of my best friends!”

“One of our best friends.” Ronnie had silently opened the door to the bathroom, breaking the seal on the door.

“You’re dead.” Beck screamed and tried to stand.

“You didn’t do a good enough job.” Ronnie scoffed as he walked out, finally completely healed.

He stomped over to my father, clearly hanging on to his anger by a thread.

“I came here to tell Gavin that you betrayed us. Him. But thankfully Amy saw behind your mask before any of us could have.” Ronnie came over to me and kissed my forehead. “Thank you pup.”

“How are you alive?” Beck screamed, veins in his neck bulging.

“I saved him.” I looked up next to my father and Ronnie. “My blood saved him. He made it here, even though you betrayed him, surprised him and attacked him, poisoned him, he was strong enough to make it here, and the doctor and nurses saved him. And do you want to know why?”

“Why he’s alive?” I nodded. “You just said it!” the venom in his words curled my stomach.

I laughed. “He could make it here because my grandfather wasn’t stupid enough to include you in the training he did.

He might have been a horrible father, but he recognized who you were deep down.

” I lifted my hand to trace my finger down Beck’s face.

“You could have all lived well here, the Gammas of this pack, cared for even. The best friend of the Alpha and Beta. You could have thrived here.” I turned to Amara and her grandmother.

“You could have used your power to help this pack thrive and you would have been rewarded.” I felt my eyes shift to the golden hue of Nix’s and my voice grew smoky.

“Now you, Amara, Aurora, and their grandmother are all going to die.” I watched as the two women reacted.

Their eyes grew wider, and I smirked. I grabbed a tendril of her hair and twirled it around my finger.

“Come now. Amara, you are the mirror image of Aurora. Dark to her light. But wicked to the bone, same as her.” I dropped her hair and reached for the older woman.

“Don’t touch me.” Her voice was firm, but it still trembled with her fear.

“Your power won’t help you now.” I snatched all the necklaces from around her neck and I yanked. Chains and threads snapped, amulets and beads flying around the room as both women screamed. “You won’t be needing any of these where you are going.”

“My spells!” The hag tried to bend down to collect the shattered pieces of her power, but she was still stuck within my grasp. I grabbed the few necklaces around Amara’s neck and yanked those free as well.

“You.” I pointed to the older woman, “When you die, you will fade on to the next life and may the Gods have better judgement than they did this time. You don’t deserve to have any power until you learn how to wield it without harm.

But you Amara, you and Aurora have to answer to the Moon Goddess herself.

She blessed you with your wolf and power.

Yet somehow you still turned from her path and betrayed her people, your people.

” I leaned in and whispered into her ear as she trembled next to me.

“I don’t think she will be as forgiving as she is known to be. ”

“You don’t know that.” Her voice was small.

I felt a second hand touch my shoulder, and I saw a blinding light flash as a tingling sensation took over my forehead.

There were a few gasps that went around the room and Amara sat back on her heels, Beck slumped against my hold and Amara’s grandmother prayed to the three-headed Goddess she worshiped.

“Moon blessed.” I heard a nurse whisper, and I turned to look at my father.

“Daddy?” I tilted my head as Ronnie’s mouth dropped open and my father smiled as he took out his phone and snapped a picture. “What are you doing? What’s wrong?”

He turned his phone so that I could see.

I was kneeling on the floor. My eyes were still golden, my black hair was a mess, my face a mask of confusion.

But blazing on my forehead was a silver crescent moon.

The moon shone as if a fire burned behind it.

“Nothing is wrong. Just the Goddess herself agreeing with you.”

“I look a mess.” I absently said as I studied the moon on my face.

“You are stunning, baby girl.” My dad pulled back his phone.

“I can’t walk around with a glowing moon on my forehead…” I could feel the worry bubbling up, but my father just chuckled.

“It’s already fading. I think she was just supporting you.

” I turned back to the three on the ground and I could see the fight had gone out of them.

My dad crouched down next to me. “Now. Why did you betray me?” But Beck just glared back at my father.

Ronnie helped me to my feet, and the door opened to warriors.

“Take these three to the cells. I’ll deal with them later. ”

“Wait!” I held out a hand.

“What?” My father turned to look at me with furrowed brows.

I turned to look at the three before me. “I command you Beck and Amara to never command another wolf to do your bidding. May the Moon Goddess take your rank away.” I felt the power leave me as the two screamed.

“Amy.” Ronnie sputtered beside me.

“They would have tried to weasel their way out of this by using their power to escape. I won’t allow them to escape punishment.” I glared as the warrior’s came in and pulled them up off the ground.

Once the warriors moved the three out of the room, the doctor and nurses checked both Ronnie and me out once more, and then they left as well. I finally collapsed against the bed, and Ronnie and my father came to stand in front of me.

“Are you alright?” My dad stared down at me until I nodded.

“I am just exhausted. How are you two handling everything?” I glanced at both of them.

My dad turned to Ronnie and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’d never question you, but I have to ask. Are you sure?” I could hear the hope in his voice. Even after everything that had just happened, he was hopeful.

“Am I sure I know who stabbed me in my stomach?” Ronnie gave a tired chuckle.

“Yeah Gav, I am.” He sagged next to me on the side of the bed.

“I checked on him after the Agora and the attack. He was in bed, but healed. I told him about the attack and he played it off as if he knew nothing. With all the injured coming into the hospital, he got dressed.” He looked over at me.

“Your dad mind-linked me you were in here, and non-responsive and I lost my mind. I went hunting.”

“Hunting? For what?” I nudged his shoulder.

“For Aurora.” He tossed out. “I wasn’t going to let that woman go after she let rogues attack us.

Not after you were hurt.” He clenched his fists.

“Beck said he wanted to come with me. And I let him. We searched the town and followed her scent into the trees.” Ronnie stared at my father.

“Once we were out far enough that no one could hear me, he attacked. We were in wolf form and I was winning, but he shifted. So I did too.”

“Ron!” My father screamed.

“I know it was stupid, but I wanted to ask why.” He stood and paced.

His anger was so high. “He was our best friend. We grew up together and randomly he was attacking me and I needed to know why. But he had planned for it. He stabbed me once I shifted, and he laughed. He said that he was sorry, but he knew I would never turn my back on you.” Ronnie grabbed my father.

“This was a plan to bring you down. Not the pack. He said he told the rogues to keep the deaths to a minimum. This attack was to end you and Amy. After he said that, I shifted and ran.”

“And you came here?” My dad shook his head in disbelief.

“I needed to tell you.” Ronnie pointed out and looked to me like my father was an idiot and he was.

“Dad…I don’t know if you realize this, but you are the Alpha.” I laughed at the absurdity of my statement.

“I know that pup.”

“And you are Uncle Ronnie’s best friend. And Alpha. It was his duty to protect this pack and you…add in you are best friends. Of course he would head here. If it was the other way around and he was the Alpha, wouldn’t you?”

My father nodded. “Of course.” Ronnie and I threw up our hands.

“Then why are you so surprised he would do it for you? You know we love you. You are the most important person in this pack. To us.” I wrapped my arms around him.

“Well, my mate is the most important to me, but you are second. But to this pack, our way of life, you are the number one.” Ronnie patted my dad’s back.

“We need to find out why they betrayed you all.” I pulled away.

“We also need to find Aurora.”

But my dad shook his head. “Aurora will show back up in due time. And I don’t need to know why they betrayed me, just that they did. We will be more vigilant for rogues in the near future.”

“Dad, you can’t let this go.” But my father was already pulling away. He turned and shared a look with Ronnie. “Dad. We have to find out why.”

“No pup. We don’t. Ronnie told me the King is heading here soon, and I will speak with him about everything that happened here. It’s too similar to what happened before.”

“Before?” I looked between the two men. “Like when the last King died?” My dad nodded slowly.

“It seems we didn’t catch everyone that betrayed us, and they are starting again.” My dad walked to the window and stared out. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

“What do you mean?”

“What matters now is to finish copying the book from your grandmother and then…”

“And then what?” I followed him to the window and I saw his look of devastation before he closed his face off.

“And then I send you home. You have mastered what you needed to here…and now it’s time to face your last life.”