Blood Legacy (Rewritten)

49. A childhood memory pt.2

"Luna, are you okay?" I heard Zara say as I continued to stare at Jess, watching those mixed emotions swirl in her blue eyes.
"You were screaming so hard, we thought you were in pain,"

"I was," I absently told Zara, not taking my gaze off of Jess' pensive features.
It was true. I felt everything Jess did in that soul-shaking memory.

"You're not human either, are you?" She quietly said after a moment, her question though sounding rather like a statement as she continued to look at me, her expression calm and collected, no trace of judgement crossing her features.

"It's...complicated," I managed to say, offering her a small and uneasy smile. She only nodded in reply, thankfully choosing not to insist on that subject.

"That wolf though...He kinda looked like Nathan's wolf," I uttered with staggering realization, that horrifying day when I'd accidentally discovered Nathan's true nature now playing before my mind's eyes.
They looked the same; the wolf I'd seen in Jess' memory and Nathan's, the only difference reflecting in their sizes.

Surprise glinted in Jess' dark blue eyes, not even sure how to react as she only stared at me, visibly affected.

"He helped me shift," She quietly said after a moment, looking between my eyes as if she was telling me a secret.

"I was a kind of a wild child, I always used to run away in the forest to play by myself because I enjoyed the solitude," She lightly smiled to herself, recalling those memories with fondness as she lowered her gaze for a moment.

"I liked playing alone, being by myself,"

"I was only nine when it happened," She said as she met eyes again.

"I'd ran off to play in the clearing by myself when I noticed that I'd started to feel kinda weird," She mildly frowned.

"I didn't put much thought into it though as I was still just a clueless kid and minded my own business, wandering through the woods like always,"

"Until the pain started," She visibly shuddered upon recalling the memory.

I thickly swallowed as I couldn't stop myself from reminiscing that horrible pain that echoed throughout my entire body.

"I was screaming so loud my throat hurt,"

Those terrifying screams she was talking about rang in my mind again, raising goosebumps over my skin.

"And I was feeling so scared," I quickly wiped that stray tear that trailed over my cheek as I gazed into her glassy and red-rimmed eyes.

"I knew what was happening because my parents had warned me about it. What it would be like, the first time I'd ever shift. But that didn't stop me from feeling so scared, knowing that I was going to do it alone and with no one around to help me get through it," I watched those tears spill over her cheeks before she quickly wiped them away too.

"But then he appeared, the black wolf," She said after swallowing, intently peering into my eyes.

"I knew that he was still a pup too. I could smell him. But he was so big, almost the size of my parents' wolves," She said with a hint of wonder.

"And even though she was merely a newborn, my wolf could already sense that he had Alpha blood in him. He reeked of other members from his pack.

I knew that I should've tried to run away...My parents have warned me for so many times to steer clear from pack wolves. They told me that they could easily hurt us, seeing as us lone wolves, we're usually much smaller and weaker than a normal wolf from any pack.

But I was in so much pain that I didn't even have the energy to fear him anymore,"

"So I let him do whatever he was about to. I was already hurting enough on my own to even care if he hurt me some more. But he laid himself down instead and curled his larger body around my much smaller one in a protective way, comforting me in any way he could as I endured hours of pain and agony. He cared for me as if I was a member of his family, one of his own,"

"And when the time finally came and my transformation was complete, he guided me to my first few steps as a wolf. He waited for me to gain strength and then we ran together, wild and free," She said, a light smile forming over her lips as she seemed to recall the memory.

"We played together and sang to the moon like two normal pups, simply enjoying each other's company until I finally realized that I'd lost track of time and my parents would no doubt worry for my whereabouts,"

"Imagine their outrage when they saw me coming back home late in the night, all naked and dirty and reeking of a pack pup. And with Alpha scent nonetheless," She snorted with amusement, earning herself a few giggles from the wolfy girls at our sides. I however couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by that mental image.

"I felt so grateful for his help though...I still do. I told myself that I will never forget him. His nurturing nature and heart-warming gentleness. He was still a kid too yet he already had so much kindness in his heart,"

"Wow...Who knew that our Alpha is capable of such noble acts..." I startled as Brie suddenly said from behind Jess' back, abruptly reminding me again that they were still there with us too.

Wow indeed. I was still reeling after hearing that wild story behind Jess' muddled memory.

"I didn't even know that it was your Alpha who did it until mere moments ago," She said with a hint of wonder, giving me another warm smile as she looked at me.

"Thank you," She gently placed her hand over my arm, my brows though furrowing with confusion, expressing that unsaid question that danced at the front of my mind.

What for?

"Thank you for making me remember that,"