Moonstruck | A Remus Lupin Love Story

Chapter 39: The White Wolf

Esmeray's greatest fear had come true. All the saliva from her gums evaporated. Her throat dried up like a desolate valley. A piercing, numbing ringing echoed in the canals of her ears. A cold sweat broke over her raised skin as she stood, frozen to the ground, forced to watch the sight before her. How hadn't she heard him. How hadn't she sensed him. If she hadn't of been wrapped up within her feelings, maybe, just maybe she would have been able to save him. But it was too late. Her nightmare was very much her reality. 

In the blink of an eye, a large mass had stampeded into the couple, grabbing hold of Remus on the way, and it now stood before Esmeray. Greyback, heaving heavily and with murder twinkling in his blackened eyes, held Remus's neck between his canine teeth. Blood pooled down his chin as he smirked mischievously at his prize, Voldemort's daughter. 

'R-run...please,' gurgled out of a squirming and scrunched up Remus, as he desperately tried to grab for his wand. However, as the life drained from his body, and his eyes lost focus, he failed miserably. He just needed Esmeray to escape. Then he could succumb to death. Tears pooled in Esmeray's eyes, not made of sadness, or fear, but of anger and determination. She made a promise, not only to the others but herself. She would protect Remus. She would not lose him. He would live.

Esmeray dug her heels further into the ground and bawled her fists by her side feeling the familiar rush of heated electricity at her fingertips. 

'Let. Him. Go.' she ordered. Greyback smiled wider. He released his jaws from Remus's neck, only to wrap his talons around his shoulder instead.

'You don't get to make demands. You come with me to see daddy, or your beloved werewolf dies,' he finished as he started to dig his claws into Remus's shoulder. Remus hissed and winced as he tried to escape his grasp, but nothing he did could save him. He tried again to make Esmeray run, but his words were trapped behind his pain. Esmeray remained where she was. A statue, unmoving. Determined not to give in to Greybacks threats, and his pleasure. But this only aggravated him. In a fit of rage, he flung Remus behind him. A pop sounded, and then a snap, then a yelp rang out before his body crashed to the ground.

'The Dark Lord will-,' Greyback began, but he was instantly silenced by a force of white knocking him to the ground. It had happened so fast. Like a spark to a wildfire, Esmeray's instincts had triggered her transformation into her White Wolf. She didn't care if Remus found out, she only cared that he survived. That was her only drive. The buzzing warmth that gathered in her hands exploded throughout her entire body as she lunged forward. In midair, the starlit child transformed into a mighty beast made of moondust and snow. Remus lay on the ground a few meters back, his pain pushed to the back of his mind as he stared at the beauty that was his White Wolf. His Esmeray. They were in fact one in the same. But how? But how could they not be. His head felt light, almost as if it would float away. He didn't need to find his mate, for she had been with him all along.

Esmeray lunged with all the power she could muster. She saw the smirk shrink from Greyback's face as she latched her jaw around the base of neck, throwing him to the ground with her. A series of howls and grunts decorated the tornado of dust that erupted from where they had landed. Esmeray was in a frenzy. She scratched and bit and tore at any flesh she could touch. However, so did Greyback. He dug his talons deep into her flesh, he pulled at her limbs, he bit at her shoulders. They fought for what seemed like hours, but while Greyback was fueled by nothing but his animalistic hate, Esmeray was fueled by love. And it's a well-known fact that love conquers all. She could feel him growing tired, his bites not as strong, his swipes not as powerful, his aim - messy. She had finally managed to pin the beast of a man down, and she lowered her snarling snout to his throat, readying to satisfy her blood lust. But just as she was about to take her second life, a grunt from in front of her startled her, giving Greyback the chance he needed. In that one moment, Greyback had pinned Esmeray under him, his hands locked around her delicate throat. His grip tightened. Esmeray wept. She had failed. They would both die, all because of her. She struggled desperately against him, but the more she fought, the more he tightened his grip, and soon all she saw was that wicked grin smeared across his face. But then, she felt something spark at her paws. It was an electric heat that pulsated up through her arms. It was like a calling. And she listened. She planted her paws on top of Greybacks hands that were squeezing at her neck. But as they made contact, Greyback's head fell back as he let out a torturous scream. She could feel herself pulling the very life essence out of his body. She felt it, like a flaming rope, slither up her veins and swarm around her body. Her vision went white as she continued to literally pull the life out of him. It was similar to when she poured her life into Remus's to heal him back at Grimmauld place, but this was reversed. Worse. Darker. She lost control. She couldn't stop. His body was crumpling before her. His wails of agony haunted her. She couldn't take another life, no matter how rotten someone's soul was. But it felt so good. And she couldn't stop. 

Remus struggled to watch from afar. At first, distraught, having to watch his mate die before his very eyes. But then, when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. He watched as Esmeray's eyes of the purest blue filled with an empty black. He watched as she began to drain the very life from Greyback. He watched as she slowly started to give in to the dark arts. He almost felt sorry for Greyback. But he couldn't allow this to happen, even if it was the last thing he did, which at that point, he believed it was. He would not allow his love to be corrupted, to live a life of torment and regret, to live as something she despised so much. 

Remus mustered the last of his strength, grabbed his wand from his pocket, took in one last breath of fresh forest air and filled his mind with the only thing he cared about, Esmeray. He struck his wand fiercely at the two bodies in his sight. He allowed the light and love that filled him to manifest through his wand. He let out a cry, releasing all the magic he could manifest. Esmeray and Greyback were wrapped in coils of pure white light, that flung Greyback off of Esmeray's form. As the light passed through her, it stripped her of her dark thoughts, of her bloodlust, of her demise. She could breathe once more. And as the white light faded, so did her wolf. She shot up, now back in her human form to see Greyback, staring at her with shock plastered on his face. Maybe even fear. But he apparated too fast for her to know. Without another thought, she whipped her head around to see Remus collapsed on the floor, his once white shirt now a deep silky burgundy. She raced over, pulling him into her lap. She clasped her hand over his open wound, but it was no use. She tried to bite back her hot tears as she racked her brain on how to stop this. After everything, she couldn't lose him. And then, she had an idea. An idea that made Remus try to speak out, try to stop her. But she had made up her mind. She once again, reached out for her magic. She felt it ignite in her palms, the flaming heat making her hands throb. She placed them over his neck, closed her eyes, and let her magic pour into him. She didn't care if it killed her. She would give her life to him in the blink of an eye. And that's what she intended to do. She felt the warmth grow around their bodies, locking them in an orb of sunshine. She pushed harder, poured harder. Why wasn't it working. But then, she started to feel the trickles of blood move slowly back towards the wound. She felt his body regain its warmth. She felt his heart pick up strength. It was working. He would live. She had done what she was meant to. And then she was pushed off suddenly, ceasing that connection. 

'Esmeray...' was all that escaped Remus's mouth. There was a weird unknown buzzing sensation that had enraptured their atmosphere. No one spoke. They simply stared in wander at the other. Esmeray, in wander that Remus was alive. Remus, in wander that Esmeray and his White Wolf were one in the same. As the sun finally settled behind the night, Esmeray moved to help Remus stand. They moved slowly and tenderly, as if they were trying not to startle a young creature. Their eyes never left each other's, and no words were exchanged as Esmeray helped Remus limp back to their camp, back to where the truth would finally be revealed.