Moon Child
Chapter 24

The sun was bright in the sky, the lake shimmering as Dawn and her younger brother jumped in. It felt amazing to cool down after working the land all day, their laughter filling the air.

"Dawn. Dawn look! Watch this!"

She couldn't hold in her laughter as the boy before her went under the water for little more than five seconds before resurfacing. He gasped for air before grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you see me? I held my breath for forever!"

Dawn laughed so heard she began to snort, shaking her head. Swimming out toward her brother she watched him go under the water once more. Her smile held for five seconds, six...and then the sky darkened. Why did the water seem so calm? No ripples from the boy's movements. No air bubbles.

Her heart raced as she tried to swim closer to where he had gone under, only she couldn't. Something was holding onto her, holding her back. Soft lips parted to scream out to him, but no sound came. A crimson moon covered the sun and suddenly she was neck deep in a sea of red.

Something grabbed at her feet, pulling her under with a helpless gasp. Thrashing her arms did nothing but sink her faster, and under the waves of death she saw two silver eyes looking back at her. No red or yellow or foreign or strange. No demon wolf or unknown monster. Within the depths of blood she saw only one being.

She was faced with herself, yet not. The woman's face looked so dark, so emotionless. Those silver eyes stared into Dawn's soul, and then she opened her mouth and sharp canines poked free. It was a sight to behold, like that of a goddess mixed with a nightmare. She wanted to swim away, to even look elsewhere. She couldn't.

Ensnared in this image of herself, she did nothing as it approached her. A soft hand reached out to touched Dawn's cheek, and suddenly she felt her heart skip a beat.

"They're coming. You will have to sacrifice one for the other."

It wasn't her voice escaping those cold lips, but a growling tone full of pain. What did it mean? What was she talking about?

Then she was gone, those silver eyes vanishing as the water sank deep. When the earth had soaked up the last drops of her childhood she was left standing at the edge of a forest. Looking down at herself she was naked, hands shaking as glowing eyes began to appear from all around her. She was surrounded, but by who? Her past pack? How? Why?

In the distance a piercing scream echoed across the breeze, and then came more. She recognized them. The kids, the women, even men cried out for mercy. They were in trouble, and their pain tore her apart as if it was truly her own body being tortured.

The green grass swayed in the wind as she turned to try and focus on where they all were. It was like they were moving, their screams bouncing off the trees and coming from every angle. What could she do?

Shift. She needed to change and replace them. They needed her help. Even as she thought of her other half the she wolf shrank deeper into her soul. Closing her eyes she tried to give in to the animal, but again she refused. With a frown she opened her eyes, her hands shaking and...human.

"I don't understand. Why can't I shift?"

The screams continued, and she was helpless. Falling to her knees she tried once more to shift, but again she was refused. Rejected by the same beast that had forced her into this new world. Through the cries of agony from her pack she heard him. Kane's words reached into her soul, her aching heart.

"My goddess, rest easy. You are safe. We are safe"

Tears filled her eyes as she moved a hand to her stomach. Safe? He was safe. They were all safe. She could breathe, because he was safe. Her heart could rest, and her mind could be at ease. Yet even still she felt the wolf inside shiver in the darkness. This wasn't right. Something was changing.