Moonlight Rays

“Happy birthday to you,”

My eyes slowly opened and I squinted them against the morning’s sunlight, my lips widening to form a smile when I saw the view in front of me, it quickly turned into full-blown laughter.

“Mom, dad.” I cried out flinging aside the duvet and jumping up from my bed in joy.

“Happy birthday to you, our beautiful Alena.” My parents’ voices died down as they gazed at me with love in their eyes. My mom and dad stood together with a huge birthday cake in hand and a candle that took the form of the number eighteen, that was right - today I was officially an adult.

“Come on, make a wish.” Mom urged excitedly.

I stood in front of them, shut my eyes, and made my wish before blowing off the candles, mom clapped and dad joined her too after setting the cake at my bedside.

“So what’d you wish for?” Dad asked.

“I’m not telling you of course,” I said, giving him an amused look.

“Ahh, I see you’ve grown up already, hiding things from your parents.” He said, shaking his head at me, I stuck out my tongue at him as I picked up the fork on top of the plate that was next to the cake. I took a large forkful of cake and shoved it down my mouth, my mom stared at me disappointedly.

“So mom,” I began with my mouth full. “Will I get to meet my wolf today?”

She decidedly ignored my manners before stroking my hair. “You might or it might take a month or longer but whenever it ends up being, I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

I nodded, “me too.”

Meeting my wolf was something I’d been excited about ever since I was a kid, I’d always badger my mother with questions concerning hers, what was it like to have something else in you with a mind of their own? And have conversations with them, it was all so fascinating and very soon I was going to meet mine, I felt my face redden when I thought of my birthday wish:

“Dear moon goddess, I wish to meet my mate soon enough and I promise to love him with all my heart and be entirely devoted to him.”

“Get ready and come downstairs then, have your first family breakfast as an adult,” Dad said ruffling my hair before heading out of my room with mom and the cake.

I entered the bathroom and stared at my reflection in the mirror, what did I look like at eighteen? There were no changes in my appearance, my dark hair was still the same, and my eyes, which were my favorite features - big, hazel-colored stared back at me. I pouted my lips at my reflection, it was a good thing though, I didn’t want to change so easily.

After taking a needed shower and making myself look presentable in a floral gown that reached my mid-thighs, I made my way downstairs and joined my family for breakfast.

I was my parent's only child and they’d never seemed to want anything more, my father was the Beta of our pack and we belonged in the top hierarchy amongst our pack members, living influentially.

“You look beautiful darling.” Mom complimented me when I entered the dining area.

I twirled while showing off my dress. “Don’t I?”

It got a chuckle from the both of them and I settled down, just as I grabbed a plate to dish my food, a man hurried into the room, breathless.

Dad immediately stood up and stared at him wide-eyed. “What happened?”

He bowed his head out of respect before speaking. “We’ve caught some vampires at the borders, we have no idea if they are more and…”

“Damn those vampires!” My father growled.

Mom looked up with fright. “How many did you catch? Are we safe?”

He bowed his head to her too. “We caught three of them but we have no information, they are refusing to speak.” And like an afterthought, he added. “Yet.”

I shuddered at his cold tone before fetching gravy onto my plate.

“Let’s go,” Dad said, shrugging on his coat. From how our windows shook violently against the wind, I was guessing it was frigid outside.

“Be careful,” Mom said in a soft tone.

“I will,” Was all he said as he marched outside with the man behind him.

Mom had turned somber at the news. “I wonder how long this will go on for.” She said,

For as long as I could remember, we and the vampires have been at loggerheads - they were cold, ruthless killers who thrived off in causing chaos. Our pack, Dark Moon was the most powerful one amongst the rest of our species, we were feared and respected, which was probably why the vampires had set their eyes on us, over the years they’d been many unsuccessful attempts to breach our territory, it was also why we had a lot of vampires locked down in the dungeon and a whole lot more bodies rotting down the cliff.

“They never give up, do they?” I asked mom.

“They must think we’re vulnerable without our Alpha,” She grinned at me. “They have no idea who our Beta is.”

I nodded with a smile, my dad was one hell of a scary person when in action and I shuddered at the thought of what would happen to those prisoners.

“Excited for tonight?” Mom asked, changing the topic.

“Of course I am,” I said. Once a year we gather up and set a bonfire at midnight where we offer an animal sacrifice to the moon goddess and sing her praises until dawn. It was a festival we all were excited about and luckily for me, this year it coincided with my most important birthday.

“I have a feeling something big is waiting for me tonight,” I said.

The night was lit up with the large bonfire we had made and everyone looked beautifully dressed as they mingled, laughed, and chatted with each other. My best friend was by my side whispering about other people’s looks in my ear as I watched on with a small smile on my face.

Silence swept across the crowd when my father stood up, his presence tall and loud.

“Today my daughter has attained adulthood,” He announced and loud cheers followed his words.

“Totally a daddy’s girl,” Marina whispered in my ear causing me to giggle.

Dad continued, “And it has luckily for her coincided with a special night in the Dark Moon pack. To seek the full blessing of the moon goddess, Alena will go round the fire three times while the rest of us simply sing praises of our blessed goddess.”

Claps went round as I made my way towards the fire, I glanced at the moon that was yet to fully develop in the sky and I smiled just before I began making my rounds, background singing followed me.

My chest was tightening in an uncomfortable manner as I made my way around the bonfire the first time, the pain was becoming unbearable and it worsened when I began the second round, no one noticed as they were all engrossed in their singing, all eyes staring up at the moon.

“You can do this Alena,” I urged myself to go on while clenching my chest tightly, and just as I made it through the third round, I collapsed heavily on the bare floor, the pain of my body hitting the ground was no match for the burning pain I felt in my chest and head, it was as though I was on fire, a scream tore through me.

My eyes stared up at the moon that had slowly made its way from behind the shadows of the cloud and was now in full view, its rays hitting on earth, or more precisely, me.

My screams were louder as the burning feeling increased until I felt myself falling into an abyss of darkness, just as something came crashing into me, loud and violent, splitting my head as memories I didn’t remember having resurfaced, gnawing at me. I wondered how long it was until my head finally exploded and if this was what dying felt like.

“Let the witch and her daughter burn.”

I heard the chants loud and clear continuously in my head, and I screamed and screamed until I felt myself being pulled finally into a world of unconsciousness.