Moonlight

Chapiter 15

"NO !"

Addison's scream was deafening, and muffled the sound of wolves coughing violently, their necklace glowing with a sick green light. She fell to the ground, one arm held by Zed who had run towards her when she screamed. Tears flowed from his eyes. She wasn't sobbing, she wasn't screaming, her tears just flowed softly and silently, and oddly, this silence was worse than the cry she had uttered.

She didn't hear Zevon scream to get out of the ruin field. She didn't hear her father approach, his phone stuck in his hand, calling for help. She didn't hear her friends screaming and protesting. She didn't hear the wolves howl in despair and sadness.

All she heard was the sound of the detonations, which would deprive her of her friends... of her family.

She looked down, and closed her eyelids, hoping it was all a horrible dream. She did not want to face this reality, and still preferred to deny it. She had lost everything in a matter of seconds, when she had promised that she would help them, that she would be there for them.

"Addy, it's not your fault," Wyatt whispered to her, kneeling beside her.

She opened her eyes to plunge her blue eyes into the wolf's chocolate irises. In a matter of seconds, it looked like he had taken ten years. He gave her a small smile, which only increased Addison's sobs. She freed herself from Zed's grip and threw herself on Wyatt's neck, who hugged her tight against him as she wet his sweater with tears.

She felt Willa and Wynter surrounding her from behind, inhaling her scent, as she did the same, comforting herself as best she could that they were still there, with her. She didn't see her father watching her, his eyes wide, or Eliza and Bree exchanging knowing glances. She just wanted to stay close to her friends.

They ended up separating, without completely letting go. Addison took a deep breath, knowing that the decision she had just made was going to be strongly opposed, but she also knew that it was the best thing to do for the survival of the wolves. With a fluid gesture, she grabbed her old collar, which protruded slightly from Willa's pocket, who barked in surprise, and took off the big Alpha's. She tied the almost empty necklace around her neck and immediately felt the effect it had on her. She felt weaker, and flinched for a moment. She would have fallen if the arms of her three wolves weren't around her.

"Addison! Why did you do that ?!" cried Willa.

The young girl smiled at him as she handed her the Grand Alpha's necklace. "You need it more than I do. You need to be able to take care of your pack. Take it, Willa."

"No, Addison. It's yours," Wyatt protested.

"Then I'll lend it to you. I'll lend it to you until we find your Stone."

The wolves exchanged a puzzled look. Even her human and zombie friends didn't seem to understand what she was saying. Addison herself didn't understand why she had said that, before realizing it was exactly what she was thinking.

"Until I turn over every stone in these ruins, I won't give up. I refuse to give up. I won't be satisfied until I see with my own eyes that it's all over."

"But Addison, the Moonstone..." started Eliza.

"Is only buried. It's a magical object. I don't think a simple landslide can overcome it," she interrupted.

"Honey..."

Addison turned to her father who had approached and gave her an icy look. "If you had followed our agreement, we wouldn't be there now. I'm not saying it's all your fault, but you made a huge mistake. An error that I am ready to repair." She turned to the wolves, their ears twitching to listen to what she had to say. "The dynamite sticks that exploded were positioned on the columns outside the building. The interior and basement may be intact. The history books say the settlers hid the power source, but they still had to be able to use it. So why not in the basement of the plant itself?"