Sun, Moon and Stars

Chapter 4 (Part A)

I wake up in the woods, freezing, alone and ... naked. Unlike before, I remember everything that happened, at least I didn't kill anyone this time. For some reason I felt compelled to go to Ethan, physically I just wanted to be back in the mansion, close to – him. Why am I feeling like this? I hear distant yelling; I'm so dazed I don't realise they're calling my name; I instinctively want to shout out that I'm here but then I remember it could be the other pack, the ones that mean to harm me. I climb up to my feet and rush to the biggest tree I could find, I close my eyes and listen for the direction of the voices and try to grasp any familiarity, then I hear it, "I don't care how long you've been out there, don't come back until you find her!" it was Ethan, yelling through a phone, Wow, my hearing IS good. "You heard the boss" Another familiar voice! It was Michael, he's probably in a lot of trouble because of me, he was supposed to be watching me, but I snuck out. "Michael!" I shouted. "Over here, she's over here!" Shouted Michael as he ran towards me whilst taking off his coat and wrapping it around me. I felt safe and secure, even though I don't know him, I literally met him yesterday, but I know he wouldn't harm me, be it his kind nature or fear of Ethan. We get into the car that's parked in the muddy area just outside the forest entrance, as we're driving to what I'm assuming is the mansion I can't help but think what the fuck I'm going to do about all this, I mean I just turned into a wolf.... a Wolf! After what felt like forever we arrived at the mansion, before I could open the door, they flung open and there he was, stood Infront of me, still in the clothes he was wearing before, ripped and torn and red stained in his blood that had dried and gone crusty. I look up at him as he's scowling down at me, eyes a hint of red, I've noticed that happens when he's mad as it seems to happen only with me, "I told you to stay in the room" he says angrily but not shouting at me. "Well, it seems like if it wasn't for me a lot more people would be dead, I'm going to go for what seems like my 100th shower in 2 days and then you're going to tell me everything you know... and I mean everything!" I snap back as I walk off up the familiar staircase and back to the room I was in before. Now I'm cleaned and dressed again I go to find Ethan; I need to know what's happening and what I'm meant to be doing right now and where my mom and Maddie are! I walk past his room but he's not there, then I hear it, the loud thumping... he's close, I look around for him and as I turn the corner, I bump into something or someone, solid as a rock, "Jesus Christ!" I shout as I panic. A smile curls up in the one side of his mouth "No, just me" he jokes. "Hey" I say as I look up into his beautiful eyes, whilst I'm still holding onto his arms which I grabbed to stop myself falling backwards. "Hi" he smiles at me, wow, his smile is...no! I shake my head and step backwards still a bit dazed, "are you ready?" I ask. He looks at me confused, "You're going to tell me everything" I spit out as I look at him, the smile falls from his face slowly as I he looks down. "Right, let's go for a walk Alex" he sighs. We walk into the back yard, and I was taken aback by the sheer size itself, but it was beautiful and looked as if it was leading to the forest. "I hope Michael isn't in trouble" I ask, "He's not a child Alex, but he was dealt with accordingly" he replied. "Dealt with?! What did you do to him? Is he okay?" I shout as I scan my eyes around looking for him. He grabs my arm and for some reason it calms me down a little "Not like that, he's not dead! What you have to understand is I am an alpha, I must do things that I don't necessarily want to do but have to, it comes with the territory" he says sternly but with a look of guilt washing over his face. "So, you hurt him?" as I stare into his eyes he stares into mine "Yes, but he heals quickly. He's fine" "We have a lot to discuss, would you like to go and sit down or?" he asks. "No, I'd like to keep walking around, the garden is beautiful and calming" I say as I step out onto a path that seemed never ending. "My dad knew your dad, they fought together" he started "I remember my mom randomly mentioned it to me that night when I first met you, they fought in wars together etc" I explained. "Yes, well it wasn't just any war, there was a huge war between all the packs, there are 3, Luna pack, Estrellas and Solis, sun, moon and stars..." he paused. "It was for territory, but other things were put into place once the war was fought, the Estrellas pack won the war but not fairly, as they always do, they lie and cheat and the don't abide by the wolf law. Nether-the-less they "won" and what they wanted was the heirs from the other packs, the first born and that's why they want you. Your dad was a different kind of werewolf, he was the only one who could shapeshift into an actual wolf, that was a sign of great power in this world. The Estrellas alpha, Kali's father – Carlos found out his weakness, they captured him and kept him captive for months, it always baffled me, your father was born with great power, he could easily over-power all of them and break through the wolfsbane laced chains they held him with." he paused and looked at me, I'm walking and pondering what my life has become whilst I listen to Ethan talk about my father being a powerful werewolf. "Wolfsbane?" I questioned, as I look at him confused, "Oh, it's a herb that's toxic to werewolves, it's like acid, it burns, I'll show some to you later so you know what to look out for, its mostly toxic in its raw state but it has been changed into a herb that people can put into drinks or foods etc. Hurts like a bitch when you drink it." he replied with a hint of annoyance, not about me but about there being something that can hurt a werewolf in this way. "Too much of it can slow down your healing rate too" "Oh right, okay" I replied. "Carry on" I say as we're still walking through the mansion grounds "you're the only other wolf that can do that Alex, I've never seen it before it was amazing but you're different" he looked worried to tell me, "What? Why am I different?" I ask intently. "Your eyes Alex, they're different" My eyes? "What about them?" "They're two different colours, one is golden yellow – like your dads, like the Solis pack but the other one is..." He stops hesitantly "It's what Ethan?" I demand. He sighs, turns to me and looks me dead in the eyes, "it's purple Alex". I look at him confused as to what this means, "Your father loved your mother Alex but she's not your mother, Carmen is your mother" What the fuck! "Who the fuck is Carmen?!" I shout, "Calm down Alex" he commands, "Carmen was the alpha of the Estrella pack, its forbidden for other packs to mate with each other but Carmen and your dad were in love, they kept it hidden, a secret and when you were born, she was forced to give you to someone in the Solis pack, Carmen and your father were executed for loving and mated outside of the pack and..." "Wait!" I sighed with frustration and confusion. "Just wait, you're telling me that my father and this Carmen had a secret love child and that was me, my mother isn't my mother and Carmen and my father were killed for loving each other? What kind of fucked up law is this, Ethan?" I exclaim with exasperation. "Alex, that's not all. There was a reason that Kali reacted the way she did... Carmen was also her mother, she's your sister."

I stop in my tracks; I struggle to keep my breathing under control and feel like I'm going to pass out, my head is spinning, and I can't find my balance. This is too much information to process right now. "I need to go" I whisper whilst looking at the floor, "Go where" he asks sadly, "Home, and before you try and tell me no, I would re-think it because I am NOT in the mood to be told what I can and cannot do right now!" I demand. Ethan just looks at me, bows his head and replies "Okay, let's go" "Let's go? I'm going alone, I need time to think about all this, to process this, I need to be by myself, and I have to find my mom, or not my mom I guess, and I also really need to find Maddie" I turn to walk off as Ethan grabs me by the arm and holds onto it with barely a grip, he looks me in the eyes and lets go as his hand slides down my arm to my hand he pleads "Please Alex, I need to know you're safe, if you don't want me to go then at least take Michael" I look up at him with frustration but my feelings change from annoyance to empathy once I looked at his face, just full of genuine worry. "Fine" I say defiantly as I snap my arm back towards me and walk out to the parked car outside. Michael was there, ready and waiting to go, how did he know to be here? Then I remembered – werewolf hearing, He opens the door for me, and I climb inside, I look at Ethan as his arm is still resting on the car door and the other arm above me leaning on the roof of the car "Be careful" he says. "I will" I reply as he closes the car door, I get a knot in my stomach as we leave the mansion, and he fades from view.