Page 36 of Chasing Luna
“Stay away!” someone yells—one of our older guards, I suppose—and a growl pierces through our ears.
Someone turned without my grandmother’s permission?
“My Queen!” Another guard yells as he enters the dining room. Before he can utter another word, his body is ripped to shreds by a werewolf right before our very eyes.
“Save the royal family!” the lead warrior screams and starts to shift. I see now a large, black wolf in front of me as he starts attacking rogue wolves that have entered the dining room.
I spot a knife on the table and arm myself with it.Can’t exactly use my powers now, can I? God, I wish I brought my silver daggers with me.
Someone grips my arm from behind. “Get behind me, Isabela,” Katarina commands and pulls me behind her, shielding my view.
“Katarina, I can fight.”
She spins around quickly. “I know. But we both don’t know how you fare against fully-formed wolves. So, let them handle this first.” She guards me with her hands, and I feel the heat emanating from them.
Is she acting out of care? Or is this one of her schemes to look good in front of everyone?
My eyes narrow at the back of her blonde head. I try to subtly move around her so I can look at what’s happening, but she pushes me aside as a brown wolf is thrown by a Sentinel, hitting the wall behind us. “Holy fuck,” I say, looking at the blood pooling around its body.
“Isabela!” Katarina shrieks, motioning me to run.
I shake my head. “I’m not leaving you!” I yell back. I step away from the mangled body ahead. A growl so close to my ear sends shivers down my spine. I spin, ready to attack with my knife when the whole creature is lifted up in the air and repeatedly slammed against the floor. I can hear the bones breaking inside the beast, and I know immediately that my grandmother is the one controlling its body. I scan the entire floor before finally settling on the calm and collected atmosphere surrounding my grandmother. She looks at me and beckons me to come closer to her. I try to, but out of the corner of my eye, another wolf is headed straight for her. “Watch out!” I squeak, but she seems distracted by the enemies in front of her.
I start to sprint; however, someone else collides with the wolf about to attack the Queen. Both of them land in the middle of the room. I squint and recognize the figure immersed in the action scene: Gregory. His entire human body pins the creature to the ground, and with one swift movement, he twists its neck. The wolf slumps to the floor, lifeless.
“Are you alright, Queen Mother?” he asks in earnest. My grandmother, stunned at the gesture of who she considered a nuisance before, can only nod in response. Gregory assumes a fighting stance in front of her, just as she focuses on another wolf to attack.
Katarina pulls me to the side, away from any visible threat. “Isabela, are you alright?” She scans me for any visible injuries.
“Yes, I’m okay. Are you okay?” I ask her too.
She nods, looking around us. “They’ve got us surrounded.” I turn and look at the carnage that’s unfolding.
“They’re not ours, are they?” I query hesitantly.
“No, I don’t think they are. They look different. Wilder.” I glance at her then, expression unreadable. Her eyes narrow at something and she immediately steps in front of me. She lifts her arms to aim at something I can’t see.
A sudden wave of heat courses in the air, and Katarina’s unknown target screams in pain until it can’t scream anymore. She steps aside to deal with another wolf, and I am confronted with the charred remains of what resembles a wolf. Tufts of fur still connected to some of its skin, blood and guts completely disintegrated.
She… cremated it. I didn’t know she was this powerful. I fight the urge to vomit at the ghastly scene, focusing instead on my surroundings for any impending threats. One by one, the enemies seem to fall down, slowly decreasing in numbers and knowing that they were outmatched.
I hear quick footfalls run toward me and I turn my head in time to see a gray wolf lunge at my torso. I slide to the floor to meet it halfway and quickly slice across its neck, blood pouring out almost instantly. Warm liquid hits my neck and body, and I push the beast off of me.
“I ruined my favorite dress!” I complain as an immediate response.
Katarina is beside me in an instant. “We’ll get you a new one, sis.” She grabs me and pulls me toward our grandmother.
“Stay close and stay alert,” my grandmother orders, and we flank her side. “No, Isabela. Get behind us. We can’t afford to lose you.” I obey the command of the Queen, to my dismay.
Gregory takes my place, looking discreetly at me. I tightly grip the knife in my hand, and I nod at him.“I’m okay,”I mouth silently. He gives me a once-over, and focuses on the dangers in store for us. Warriors surround us and my vision is completely obscured by the sea of bodies all around.
I hate feeling helpless, but this is the right thing to do. If I get hurt, or if I go “crazy” again, it will be more reason for them to hate me. I stay still, listening in on the groans and yelps coming from afar.
After some time, the situation seems to simmer down and the warriors have dispersed around us. I stare at the bloodbath that adorns the dining room. Looking closely if I recognize any familiar faces.
“Take the wounded to the infirmary, and the bodies of our enemies to the morgue. Have the guards start an investigation immediately! We need to get to the bottom of this.” My grandmother lets out a sharp exhale.
“Yes, my Queen!” And instantly, the members of the pack go to work.