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Chapter 28: The Decision
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 28: Returning Home
DelaneyThe Underworld looks just like I remember it; the only difference is that this time, I feel unwelcome, and I’m not just imagining the looks I’m getting from the people I walk past. The meeting is held in Francesca’s bar. I’ve never seen so many people gathered in one small place all at once. People are standing because there certainly aren’t enough chairs, and I spot Francesca standing at the bar, though I don’t approach her. Matteo is greeted like a celebrity, which makes me wonder how Paola and Pollux didn’t know him prior to our meeting in the tattoo parlor. We’re eyed curiously by a few people, and I wait to see how this will unfold. “Welcome you all,” Matteo says in a loud, booming voice. “Thank you for being here. This is the first meeting we’ve had in…what? Five years?”There are murmurs of agreement, and he continues. “I’ve been upstairs for a long time, but no amount of fresh air will ever beat being down here with all of you. This is a place we’ve built with our s
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 30: The Hunt
AlecThe hunt that I’d been looking forward to was meant to be today, but after this disaster, it’s been forgotten. Pushed aside. Instead, I’ve been hunting nonstop for ghosts. The Omegas that were serving us have been questioned endlessly, and they swear that they have no knowledge of anything, even when beaten and tortured. I think we’re wasting time, but the grief-stricken Alpha Fredrick thinks that we should start killing people. Maybe then, the others will be encouraged to speak up. Being an Alpha is keeping up with appearances more than anything, and showing that you’re intimidating and fearless. Everything I do—every order I give—is to maintain the image that I’m formidable. But this is something I don’t agree with. These people are innocent, and we accomplish nothing by killing them when the real culprits are still on the run. Culprits like Delaney Waters and whoever is working alongside her. I believe that we didn’t catch any of the Omegas in the rebel army, and it would
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 31: Confessions
DelaneySomeone has been following me, but I don’t know if this is just in my head or whether it’s truly happening, and that terrifies me. I first noticed a shadow standing over my shoulder when I left the bar after having dinner with Paola and Pollux. I turned to look over my shoulder and didn’t see anyone, so I brushed it off. However, I had this distinct feeling of being watched by someone. This morning, the same thing happened. There’s a meeting at the Omegatrix, so we left the house at around nine. Sure enough, I had this feeling that someone was lurking in the shadows, but I didn’t see anyone when I looked over my shoulder. I think it’s paranoia, mainly because of the last time I was here. I’m still haunted by those men that came down here looking for me and had to be cut into pieces. I don’t know if I should mention it to someone. What if it’s more Gammas from one of the Alphas? I’m wondering this when the door opens and Matteo strides in. He’ll be staying down here for some
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 32: Seeing Someone Else
AlecI haven’t been able to move from my position. I’ve been sitting behind my desk, my body covered in blood, for the past two hours. The hunt has finally ended, and I’m horrified by the things I’ve seen. I was always aware that many Alpha-borns, Beta-borns, and even Gammas, hated Omegas, but I didn’t know how bad things could get until I saw the carnage first-hand. They’ve ruined the hunt for me, and it was an event that I always looked forward to. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go to one without recalling what happened. It wasn’t just about killing them. No, Alpha Fredrick and his cronies were determined to make the Omegas suffer as much as possible, and they did this by attacking a single Omega in groups and then tearing their limbs apart before killing them. Sometimes, they’d let them bleed out. They’d cut people up and leave them to bleed. It was horrible. I killed as many as I could in the most humane way possible. It was better than letting them suffer in the hands o
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 33: Collision
DelaneyOur mission is meant to be upstairs, and so we leave through one of the many unconventional exits, and make it to Pollux’s Ford. He still hasn’t told us what the mission is about, and it’s honestly so frustrating. If he understood just how anxious this whole thing makes me, maybe he’d be more eager for share the details at a much quicker pace. I get in the backseat, and he starts the car once Paola closes the door. He then turns his body around, and says, “Here’s the thing: there was a survivor from the hunt. A guy. Matteo wants us to fetch him, but he didn’t make it known because he doesn’t want to alert anyone.”“Why not?” Paola asks. “I thought we were all meant to be trustworthy. Does that mean that he trusts us?”“Yes,” Pollux says. “He does. He trusts us way too much for first-timers.” His eyes then land on me when he says, “I guess it’s all your fault, Delaney.”I frown. “What? That he trusts us?”“Of course,” he replies. There’s something off about how he says this.
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 34: Captured
DelaneyMy ears are ringing when the car finally comes to a stop, and I'm all upside down. I look around, only vaguely aware of what's happening. Paola and Pollux are in the front seat. She appears to be passed out, and he's stirring and groaning in pain. I look around for the guy we rescued, and he's sprawled to one side, still passed out. His legs look broken, but I don't know if they were like this before he got in the car.I groan as well as I try to get out of the car. Beside me, right close to my ear, I hear footsteps, and when I turn my head slowly in its direction, I see heavy black boots. Then, the door is opened, and a loud metallic sound follows this. The sound is too much for my poor ears, that are still ringing. Then, without wanting, I'm pulled out of the car. A cry leaves my lips, and from inside the car, I hear Pollux call my name. "Delaney!"The man grabs the back of my coat and hauls me up so my knees aren't touching the ground. He's pretty strong. He's taking me
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 35: An Unexpected Savior
Delaney I let my head hang as exhaustion and pain overtake my body.I don’t know where pain ends and exhaustion begins. I’ve never felt this way before. This is the kind of pain that I never thought existed, and what makes it worse is how much he’s enjoying this. He steps back, and I don’t look up to see where he’s going. My blood is all over the floor. I know that most of these injuries will heal if I have the time, and they’ll do so seamlessly, but the psychological scarring is something I’ll never get rid of. If he doesn’t kill me here, I’ll never forget this until the day I die. My mouth is parched, and I taste blood in it. I don’t know how many hours have passed. One? Two? Four? I’m worried sick about Paola and Pollux, and the Omega man that survived the hunt only to be possibly killed in a car crash. I feel responsible for what happened to them. I should have covered my hair. Beta Whittle would never have recognized me under a hoodie. I hear the sounds of things being move
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 36: Chasing Evidence
Alec “But she’ll be alright?” I ask the healer. For the past five minutes, she’s been telling me the extent of Delaney’s injuries, and the more sickened I become. I should’ve killed Wade a lot slower. Him and his son, for putting her through this. “Yes, she’ll recover,” she tells me. “But she’ll need three days. The burns on her legs need to be closely examined. She could develop an infection and end up losing them.”I close my eyes, then nod and thank her. The healer, Anna, returns to the room and leaves me alone in the corridor. I had to bring her to one of the safe houses reserved for me and Carla if a war ever breaks out. These were built during the times when the last Omega rebellion was happening, and they haven’t closed them down. I’m glad my father decided to keep his because it’s come in handy today. I had nowhere to take Delaney. This is the only place I could think of. Anna won’t tell anyone about this, and in any case, she doesn’t know anything about Delaney. Besides,
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Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 102: Feeding Lies
DelaneyIn the morning, there’s an agitation somewhere deep in the settlement that wakes me up right away. I turn on my side, and see Paola staring at me. It seems the same noise has woken her up as well. I ask her, “Do you know what’s happening?”“No,” she says. “What time is it?”Before I can answer her, there’s a sharp knock on our door and Francesca walks in. “I’m sorry ladies. I wouldn’t have come in so quickly if it weren’t an emergency.”I sit up. “What happened?”“They’re saying something ridiculous,” she explains. “Some of the scouts that keep a close eye on the Alphas and everything that goes on in the city have just reported that Tobias Renner has been captured. Your father, Delaney. I mean, can you believe that?”My eyes widen, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. “What?”“We’re worried because it might mean that our informants got the wrong information, which means that they’re on to us. That’s bad, and we’re trying to figure out what to do now that we can’t trus
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 101: Fight For Survival
Alec The whole city is looking for the rebels, particularly Tobias Renner and his troublesome red-headed daughter. I couldn’t stop it or say no, not without making myself seem suspicious. I had to agree with it. Either way, I’m in control of everything that happens. Everyone’s looking up to me to take care of this and make this all go away, and this is easier to do when the people who were suspicious of me are now dead. Well, not all of them. Carla is alive still, and she suspects of me even though she hasn’t said a word about it. She hasn’t said anything since she woke up, to her precise, and I don’t know if it’s a head injury or whether she’s choosing to stay mute. As long as she doesn’t say anything, I’m good to go. She hasn’t gotten out of bed either, and the healers don’t know what’s wrong because she refuses to communicate and doesn’t want to leave the house. I check up on her only when I’m sure she’s asleep. One thing I can say is that I’m glad she’s not participating in a
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 100: Empty
DelaneyI hear Paola say my name. “Delaney?”I turn to look at her over my shoulder, and see her in Cade’s arms. I’m outside, getting some fresh air, and I’m standing right next to a metallic garden table with the polished green paint. He sets her down on one of the matching chairs, and then retreats. It’s almost like he was never here.I sit down beside her, and her eyes follow me the entire time. I stare at her face for a few beats, unsure of what to say. During my rant in there, I’d forgotten that she would be there, listening to everything that I was saying about her brother. I don’t know what came over me. The fact that he would ask me what’s wrong when he let innocent people die just touched a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. I’m angry, and I don’t trust that anger. “My brother…” she begins before trailing off. I give her some time to get her thoughts in order, and she then asks me, “Were those things you said true? Did he really do that?”I wait for a few beats, t
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 99: Confrontation
DelaneySince Cade told me what he’d seen and heard, I’ve been in a deep, pensive state. It’s much more than just me thinking too much, though. It’s something else. It’s an overwhelming feeling of guilt that really could kill me. Guilt, helplessness, and regret, all mixed in one. It’s a truly miserable feeling. Because I had to realize way too late that Alec didn’t have anything to do with the attack, even though Carla had been leading the whole thing. He hadn’t known. This explains why I felt so guilty whenever I thought that he had betrayed me. It was because he hadn’t. He’d been innocent. He’d even tried to help the cause, which means that the second explosion had been his doing. And if Pollux had done the right thing and told us, so much could have been avoided. Alex wouldn’t be dead, and neither would Matteo. I’ve been too busy being angry to be able to cry about this. Pollux…he’d betrayed me in the worst possible way. He’d betrayed the whole rebellion in the most horrible w
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 98: Missing Her
Alec“Alpha Alec,” one of my Gammas says right as he enters my office. “Here’s the list of the casualties you requested. Also, the newly appointed Alphas have accepted your meeting request for this afternoon.”“Thank you, Jason,” I tell him before taking the envelope from his hand. My whole body hurts still, particularly my back, but I’m starting to heal well. The problem with burns is that they take time to heal, and they tend to leave scars. I’m not too worried, but it is in inconvenience. I’ve stayed home for what feels like an eternity now (even though, in reality, it’s only been a few days), when I should be doing better things. I scan through the page in front of me. Twenty-seven deaths, including security and some of the cleaners who’d been on shift the day of the explosion. All the Alphas gone, except for me. Even my Beta, Carla’s father, died in the explosion. She just doesn’t know because she hasn’t woken up yet. I’m the only one who survived it. This is a mere confirma
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 97: Cade’s Confession
Delaney The new location is supposedly safe, and I believe that because it’s in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think anyone could stumble upon us by accident. I look around and all I see is greenery. We must be in the middle of the woods somewhere, which makes sense because we’re living with rogues now, and they have a completely different way of living. The rogues are resourceful, I’ll give them that. There are shelters carved out of the land itself—wooden structures that blend into the thick foliage, and paths so overgrown you’d miss them if you didn’t know where to look. It’s rudimentary compared to the life I’ve known, but it’s safe. Safe. That word doesn’t feel real anymore. Not after the last few days. I’m still in shock concerning the bombing two days ago. Those of us who go into town come back saying that it’s all over the news. The Alphas have died. That’s all that’s being said. Names haven’t been released yet, and my guess is that the packs are trying to keep this
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 96: Two Bombs
AlecWhen I look up, my vision is completely blurry, and there’s a mess all around me, but that’s not the first thing that I notice. Carla.She’s lying beneath me, and she’s unconscious. There’s also blood near her head, which makes me think that she hit her head way too hard when I collided against her due to the explosion. I roll off her, groaning. I’m filled with a sense of urgency. I have to move. I have to do something. I check the time on my watch, and my eyes widen when I realize that this bomb went off way too early. Twenty minutes too early, to be exact. What the hell happened? Did something happen to the timer? Granted, I don’t know how to truly set up a bomb. I just followed the instructions I thought made more sense. But the timer was right. I’d made sure of it. I don’t know what happened, but there’s not enough time for this. I have to get out of here, and I have to find a way to help Carla. I rise, even though my head is fucking pounding, and then haul Carla up befo
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 95: Two Explosions
DelaneyMy ears are ringing from the explosion, and the windows of the car have all cracked. My head is a pounding mess, and I’m having a hard time seeing things clearly. Goddess, was the explosion meant to be that way?I look around at the car. Francesca is raising her head too, and I notice that there’s a piece of glass lodged on her hairline. I gasp, and point at it. “Francesca.”She frowns, and then she brings up her hand and feels the glass. Her face is a mask of horror, and she says to me, “By the goddess, don’t look.”I look away, and I imagine she removes the glass because when I look back at her, it’s gone and a bleeding gash is left behind. She presses her sleeve against it, and then stares out of the window. The building is up in flames, and I hate how long it takes me to process everything. Matteo is dead by now, and I’m guessing that so are the Alphas, as he’d planned. There’s no way anyone inside that building survived the explosion. It’s starting to fall apart, and th
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 94: Timing
Alec I check the time on my watch. It’s 7:45 on the dot, which means that in forty-five minutes, at 8:30, this entire courthouse will go up in flames. Since the bomb has a timer, I don’t have to do a single thing. I’ll just have to show up to the meeting and then excuse myself right before it happens. It’s a good thing that I’m not the head of the meeting. One of the Alphas from our neighboring city will be giving the speech. I’ll be in the background, where nobody will see me. It hasn’t been easy to get the job done, because I had to do it myself. I put all the bombs that we recovered from the rebels under the ground, the same ground where the meeting will be held. The massive office is covered in a blue carpet, so the floor is never seen. All I had to do was remove a few tiles, dig just enough for the bomb to fit into the whole, and then cover it up. I did it last night, and all by myself. It’s incredible how easily one can slip in here when being an Alpha. Nobody questioned it,
