SHAME OF SHADOWMOON

ROSA'S POV

I regained consciousness, but kept my eyes closed as I tried to get familiar with my surrounding. The place seemed quite serene and too quiet for where I was supposed to be. I heard a couple of light footsteps, and could feel someone drawing closer to me. Just when a familiar scent hit me, my eyes flung open in curiosity.

"Thank the goddess you're finally awake."

I looked beside me, to see a worried looking priestess Ivana. What happened? Why was she worried, and why was I here?

Looking around the room, I could tell for a fact that I was in the priestess' shrine.

"What happened?" I whispered. "The shadow moon festival...."

"Ohhh dear...." She began, but paused midway. "About last night..."

Last night? Was it a new day? What happened?

"What happened...... last night?" I sat up on the bed. My heart was beating so fast, because I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was a disaster on my own end. Her face said it all.

"You.... you...." She sighed, clearly not knowing how to go about it. This was the first time I was ever seeing the priestess so tongue tied. She had always been the confident and bold woman. Seeing her stuttering before me, was very unusual and disturbing. "Ohh, dear." She blinked furiously, licking her lips as she did. "I'm so sorry." She reached out and pulled out my hands from underneath the blanket, squeezing them softly.

At that point, I could already figure out the problem. Priestess Ivana felt so apologetic, and that meant one thing. She had made a mistake with reading the enery within me.

I didn't possess as much energy as she thought I did. And I had ended up not being a shadow wolf.

"I'm not a shadow wolf." I whispered, my throat feeling so heavy as unshed tears stung my eyes.

"It's not your fault!" She rushed out, tears brimming in her own eyes.

"And they all saw it...." I muttered, not really paying much attention to what she said. "They saw my wolf." I felt my tears finally drop down my cheeks.

"That is also not your fault."

"I am deformed." An ear piercing cry escaped my throat, as more tears came pouring. The next thing I knew, priestess Ivana was pulling me to herself, and hugging me so tightly. My body shook as I cried, because it had just become clear that my life was gonna be ten times worse than it used to be. I was here in the priestess' shrine, and not at home. That already said a lot, about how my family had reacted to the whole situation.

I guess I felt more pathetic because I had clearly been unconscious throughout the entire episode, and couldn't really say for a fact, what actually happened.

I cried for as long as I could. All through, the priestess didn't leave my side, instead she kept hugging me and whispering calming words to me.

After a while, I finally felt calm, though my eyes were so sore. Why did my life have to be so horrible? Why was I such a carrier of misfortune? Now the entire pack knew that I wasn't good enough. At that thought, I felt another wave of self pity hit me, and I had almost began to cry again.

"No." I heard priestess Ivana's firm voice. "No, Rosaline. That's enough tears for one day. You're no weakling."

"But I am." I breathed out, readjusting my face on her shoulder.

"Trust me, you're not." She disagreed, softly patting me on the back. We both remained silent for some minutes, before I got the strength to pull away from her embrace and look at her face.

"But, did you really feel great energy within me?" I found myself asking. The turn out of the previous night had clearly shown that I possessed no such energy. But I guess I yearned for a sense of significance.

"Rosaline...." She sighed. "I truly did." She said, making me suprised.

"You did?" I rushed out.

"I did, my dear." She gave a nod. "Which is why I still cannot understand what really happened. I mean, your energy felt more powerful than a lot of the other pups who had ended up as shadow wolves." She released a sigh in confusion.

"But I have a deformed wolf." I muttered.

"Unusual as well, I must say." Immediately she said that, she quickly looked at my face. "But that shouldn't make you act weak."

"It's.... it's not like I do not want to be the strong and brave one. I want to be, but I do not have what it takes. I don't have power." I muttered, bowing my head in emotional exhaustion. She looked at me for a couple of seconds, before speaking.

"I would tell you this one thing, Rosaline. Power resides in the mind. Ultimate power comes to those who have the ability to wield it in their minds. When you act powerful, you become powerful."

"Okay." I nodded, obviously having no idea what she meant by that. As far as I knew, physical strength signified power. And that was something I may never have.

*****

*****

As I walked back home, I couldn't help but think of the bigger drama awaiting me. According to priestess Ivana, my father had refused to take my unconscious body home with him, after the festival was over. He had said and she quote, 'when she is finally conscious, she can find her way home'. Apparently, I had been a huge disappointment to him, after I had shifted and was in no manner, a shadow wolf. All the wolves had gone invisible in the dark, except me. My wolf stood tall in its glorious deformity, for all to see. And when the glowing green eyes of the shadows wolves were seen, mine were golden bright.

It was almost noon, and I hastened my steps, knowing I had a lot of work to do at home. Lena's children did nothing in the house, and I was more or less, their maid. I would have never complained if atleast, I was given as much food, as I worked.

The road to priestess Ivana's shrine, was a quiet and bushy path, so I was glad when I finally made it out to the busy road. Other children of my age range were all over the place, probably making their way to the pack house. I tried to walk past them without being noticed, and was quite successful, until I felt someone grab my arm. My relief quickly disappeared.

I turned back to see that it was Duncan's friends. About 6 boys, including him.

"The girl with the abnormal wolf." The one who grabbed my arm, said to me. His name was Lawrence.

"I'm not abnormal." I managed to say with my head hung low, regardless of how fast my heart was beating. These boys were bigger than I was.

"What did you say?!" Lawrence yelled in my face, making me flinch. At that point, the other children were becoming aware of the drama.

"Please I don't want any trouble. Let me go." I muttered, tears stinging my eyes at the thought of being bullied.

"And if we don't?!" It was Duncan who yelled at me this time, and I couldn't help but look up at him in disappointment. I could understand that he never liked or treated me as a sister. But the fact he joined others to fight me, was a different kind of betrayal. "What would you do?" He pushed. "Would you beat us?" He asked, and I remained quiet.

"Answer him!" Lawrence shook me by my arm, making me feel so harrassed.

"Please leave me alone!" I found myself yelling loudly.

"Who are you yelling at, you shame of shadow moon?" The next thing I felt, was my butt hitting the hard ground. Lawrence had pushed me. The excruciating pain I felt on my waist, did not hurt as much as hearing the other boys repeat after Lawrence.

"Shame of shadow moon indeed!" They all laughed in mockery, as tears rolled down my eyes. I felt someone grab my hair, making me hiss in pain.

"Please stop." I begged, as my wolf became more and more restless within. "Stop!" I cried, but whoever it was, only pulled on my hair harder.

I wondered if none of the other children could come to my rescue, but I figured I wasn't worth fighting for.

"What do you people think you're doing?" I suddenly heard an angry voice, and instantly, the person holding my hair released it.

I didn't look up immediately, but I could tell the entire place had become chaotic, by the sound of it.

"Where do you think you're running off to?" I heard a deep masculine voice, and then, someone yelling in fear.

"It wasn't me!" I heard someone else crying, and I quickly figured it was Duncan. Immediately, I looked up to see a soldier grabbing Duncan by the collar. I looked around to see other soldiers grabbing the other boys, while the rest of the children ran away.

I was shocked, to say the least. Was I simply lucky, or had someone called their attention? But then, how fast could they be, to have gotten here in record time? I guess I was just lucky. I was still thinking to myself, when one of the soldiers walked up to me. He was so tall and well built, and looked to be between 18 and 20 years of age.

"Here." He stretched his hand out to me, and I hesitantly took it. The next second, he pulled me up on my feet.

"Thank you." I muttered, feeling so useless.

"Nate, take them to the pack house. I would be with you guys shortly." He said to another soldier, completely disregarding my appreciation. I glanced at the 'Nate', to whom he spoke, and could see that he was currently holding a person I recognized as Lawrence.

"Alright." Nate responded, dragging Lawrence with him in the opposite direction. I watched in silence as the other soldiers followed suite, with Duncan and his other friends in tow.

"Are you injured anywhere?" The soldier who had helped me up my feet, asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for your timely intervention."

"Great, then! You would be following me to the pack house, to explain your side of the story."

What?!

"But I.... you clearly saw that they were..." I rushed out, but he cut me off.

"Don't worry. We know you were the one who was bullied. We just need a formal statement of what ensued." He gave a reassuring smile that made me feel more at ease.

"Thank you." I muttered, dusting off the dirt on my clothe.

"My name is Theo Baldwin, what's yours?" He asked, disregarding my appreciation a second time. But wait.... Did he just say 'Theo Baldwin'? I quit dusting my clothe, and looked up at him.

"Like... Theo? Theo Baldwin? The Alpha's son?" I asked like a fool. He had been away at his maternal auntie's pack for 5 years, and that was definitely why I didn't recognize him. He released a chuckle, and I could feel the hairs on my body stand.

"I guess that's me." He replied comically, and I went mute.

*****

*****

It was night by the time we got home, and I looked up at Theo in appreciation.

"Thank you for walking me back home." I muttered, to which he nodded. This was the first time he was acknowledging my appreciation today.

"So, friends?" He asked, and Iooked at him in shock. Indeed, we had spent so much time talking today. But I thought that was only because he was trying to distract me from the tense atmosphere at the pack house, and make me feel less bothered.

For all I knew, this was probably another kind gesture from him.

"Friends." I managed a small smile, and took his outstretched hand for a shake. Almost immediately, I awkwardly pulled away my hand, and he let out a chuckle.

"Goodnight." He waved at me, and I watched as he turned and walked away. I remained at the doorstep for a while longer, and fear slowly started to creep into my mind. Earlier at the pack house today, Duncan and his friends had been punished for their behavior towards me. After that, their parents were called upon to take them home. Father had shown up, and the anger over seeing Duncan in tears, had not been missed by me.

I didn't need anyone to tell me that I was in trouble. I stood at the door step for some minutes more, until I finally gathered the courage to go in.

Just as I opened the door and stepped into the house, I was met with my angry looking father, sitting and shaking his legs in obvious annoyance. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and I began to perspire. I looked at my stepmother, who seemed like she could kill me in that instant.

"Father." I swallowed hard, making the mistake of approaching him.

"The nerve of you to call me that!" He growled, standing from where he sat and making a straight line for me. Before I could comprehend his next action, my right cheek stung badly from the impact of his slap. I was still trying to get over the shock of his assault, when I began to hear the clanking sounds of his belt. Goddess! No.

I turned and tried to run towards the door, but before I could get there, I tripped on my oversized dress and fell to the floor.

The next thing I knew, he grabbed my legs and unceremoniously pulled me through the floor, to the middle of the living room.

I was trying to stand on my feet and make and another run for the door, when the leather skin of his belt kissed my skin in the most unfriendly manner. I let out a strangled cry and as the continuous sting of his weapon registered in my brain.

"Ahhh!! no!!" I yelled out in tears, and I felt another wipe on my belly. The part of belly that had been the unfortunate recipient of my father's terror, felt inflamed instantly.

He had always slapped me and said hurtful things to me, but this was the first time he was abusing me in this manner.

I felt the third stroke hit my neck, the fourth stroke hit my thighs, the fifth stroke hit my back. It kept going, until I lost count. All the while, I screamed and cried, hoping he would eventually show mercy and stop causing me pains. Oh, how wrong I had been. He had been merciless that night, and kept abusing my body until I felt my soul leaving me.

At some point, I had become too weak to scream or cry, and my heart ached all the more, when I heard Lena laughing in delight.

"Father...." I heard managed to call out, as I felt my eyes drooping in unconsciousness.

"Don't you ever call me that, you shame of shadow moon." He said, as I finally lost consciousness.