Runaway

twenty three

twenty three

My mind won't stop; replaying today over and over. The stairwell behind the bookcase, the gigantic painting, the original werewolves. There's too much to learn, I've been trying to learn years of werewolf history and laws in weeks. As much as I want to know more about the world I come from, too stay within the security of Xavier and his werewolf committee I can't do it. I have to leave before I become too attached, too intrigued.

"Isabelle, I have something for you." I hear Xavier's voice outside my door.

"Come in." I say thanking the heavens I didn't stutter.

The white door swings open revealing a hollow man. I've been so worried about myself this whole time that I forgot to notice. The emptiness in Xavier's eyes, his hunched shoulders and messy hair. "A-are you okay?" I whisper taking a step towards him. The closer I get the more apparent it is that he really isn't okay. Xavier's skin is almost transparent he looks; weak.

Brushing off my question Xavier continues into the room his shaking hands wrapped tightly around a small box. Adorned with carvings and writing I can't understand he places it on my bed.

"Open it."

Quizzically, I look up at Xavier and back at the box. What's the harm? Brushing my fingers over each design I reach for the lid, inside lays a doll. Blonde hair, blue eyes, two pigtails, one is plaited the other isn't, scar on the right cheek and dressed from head to toe in blue. I blink, this is the doll, the one Dexter gave me to hold.

"H-how-w? W-whe-ere? W-what-t?" I scramble to form a proper sentence. I stare down at the doll, she's small enough to hang on someone's keychain or hide inside someone's purse for good luck. "W-who?" I try once again failing to form a sentence, instead a single word.

"That's you Isabelle." Xavier whispers softly taking a seat on my bed. "Do you remember that day?"

Tearing my eyes away from the doll I look up gazing at the white wall in front of me. Do I remember that day? "N-no."

"That was your 10th Birthday." I freeze the day I was told I would be Luna, the day Natalie left me, the day my own father started hitting me.

"H-how d-do you k-know that?" I say my voice barely a whisper as a single tear slides down my cheek. The hell that I've been through is all somehow intertwined with that day, and now I can barely remember it.

"It's the day my sister went missing." Xavier says staring at the wall, his body may be here but I can see his mind is in a faraway place. "She was one of the last she-wolfs left who was born of a leading bloodline. Her mother did the best she could to hide that fact from other wolves but my father paraded her about like a prostitute. So proud of his little Luna." Xavier spat the last words his fists balling up.

I shut my eyes, her mother, do they have different mothers? "She was beautiful, hypnotizing blue eyes, waves of dark hair and her smile, that smile." I look back at Xavier surprised at his openness.

"And then she was gone, shortly after that my father decided to go into hiding as well. That damned man I know he took her!"

I bow my head instinctively his tone is so forceful. "W-what d-does this have t-t-o d-d-d-o with m-m-me?" I say in a whisper.

"Remember when I told you that there was a massacre and most true Alphas and Luna's from leading bloodlines were killed?"

I nod my head, of course I remember.

"Since then there has only ever been a handful of true Alpha's and Luna's to exist, it is even more rare that they are born that way. Any of the surviving wolves from leading bloodlines went into hiding and most of them have remained there. As an Alpha I can sense if someone is a true Luna or Alpha, it's something we are born with to ensure that we find the right Luna."