Blood Moon's Tears

Eriena’s return to the Blue Ash Packhouse was shrouded in a cloak of calculated calmness. As she crossed paths with Jhon, a cunning glint in her eye met his, and a subtle smile graced her lips.

Jhon met her gaze with a nod of acknowledgement. “Eriena, good to see you’re back.”

“Nice work, you’re improving,” Eriena remarked, her voice laced with genuine admiration as she approached him. Jhon’s careful orchestration had set the stage for their intricate dance of deception.

Jhon’s gaze was sharp as he observed her. “And how did your end of the operation go?”

“Relatively smoothly.” She answered. “But I must ask,” Eriena continued, her voice measured, “How many men did it take to subdue and relocate Sama’el’s pack members?” she inquired.

Jhon’s expression turned solemn, his gaze fixed on a distant point. “Enough that would get the job done swiftly.”

Her fingers absently traced the edge of a nearby table, her thoughts a whirlwind of calculations. “And what about the pack members that were in the clear?”

Jhon’s expression grew enigmatic, a flicker of mystery in his eyes. “Got some wolves with the abilities to erase memories. Don’t worry, no one will remember a thing.” Jhon’s phone buzzed, as he looked at it he reminded Eriena, “Sama’el is still yours to bring in Eriena and the association won’t be able to wait much longer if you keep stalling now that you’ve found him. You personally asked for this assignment so make sure to wrap it up quickly if you don’t want to lose your title as ‘the best’.”

Eriena’s jaw set in determination, the weight of her purpose settling upon her shoulders. “I know,” she affirmed, her resolve unwavering. But before Jhon departed, a lingering question tugged at her thoughts. “By the way, did you manage to obtain the floor plan for this place?” she inquired, her memory catching onto an unexplored avenue—the wine cellar Sama’el had mentioned but never revealed during her initial tour.

Jhon’s response was swift and confident. “Of course, I did how else would we be sure we caught everyone? Can’t have them hiding from us.”

“Good, can I see it?” It was more of a demand than a request.

“Sure.” Jhon whistled for one of the guys, who produced the floor plans from a duffle bag. Eriena leaned over, her eyes tracing the intricate layout that sprawled before her.

“Did you notice anything unusual about the wine cellar when you were there?” she probed, her thoughts fixated on the hidden depths.

Jhon’s chuckle held a hint of amusement. “Not really. Just some vintage wine collections, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

Eriena’s curiosity gnawed at her, a relentless itch that demanded to be scratched. “I think I’ll take a look myself, get back safe.” she decided, her determination unyielding.

With Jhon’s departure, Eriena found herself alone in the dimly lit corridor leading to the wine cellar. Every step she took echoed with the weight of her choices, the culmination of her journey laid bare in this pivotal moment. As she descended the stairs, the cool air embraced her like a whispered secret. Though she wondered why the wine cellar wasn’t attached to the house if all it held were vintage wines.

Rows of bottles stood like silent sentinels, their contents ageing gracefully in the darkness. Eriena’s gaze swept over them, her mind drifting to the memories of her past, of a time when she was part of the Grey Fangs Pack. She spotted a particular wine that stirred her heart, a relic of her old alpha’s taste. She was told that was the wine the Alpha and Luna would drink for their anniversary.

Reaching for the bottle, her fingers brushed against the label. The familiar insignia brought a bittersweet smile to her lips. Memories resurfaced, of laughter and camaraderie shared over a glass of this very wine. She carefully pulled the bottle out, her heart carrying the weight of nostalgia.

But as the bottle left its compartment, a faint click reached her ears. Eriena’s instincts flared to life, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. The floor beneath her feet shuddered, and a portion of the cellar’s wall silently slid open.

Eyes widened, Eriena stepped forward, her heart pounding in anticipation. She found something she had not expected in the newly revealed chamber; a childlike figure huddled in the shadows. “Are you Veleena?” she breathed, remembering that Lucian said she was missing.

The figure stirred, lifting her head with a mixture of surprise and fear. “Please… please don’t hurt me!”

Her voice gentle and reassuring, Eriena closed the distance between them. “It’s okay hun, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Veleena’s voice trembled “Chase!”

Eriena’s world shifted in an instant, the tranquil solitude of the wine cellar transforming into a battleground of hidden intentions. She turned just as a pair of eyes illuminated the darkness—a haunting glow that revealed a hidden presence. Chase, the Beta, stood before her, his gaze unwavering and intense. Their stares held the weight of unspoken truths, a clash of purpose and intent.

Eriena’s hands instinctively rose in a gesture of defence, a visual declaration of her intentions toward the young girl.

His voice cut through the charged air, steady and composed. “So you lied. You knew exactly where she was.”

The words that followed were cautious, laced with a curiosity of their own. “No, I didn’t. How long have you been following me? I didn’t sense your presence.”

A subtle nod confirmed her suspicions. A subtle nod confirmed her suspicion. “I’m a tracker, my abilities let me hide my presence from anyone, even if they’re looking directly at me. Lucian had his concerns, so he sent me to follow you in case you did know about Veleena’s whereabouts. Which you did.”

Her gaze remained fixed on Chase. “And you think I’m responsible for the disappearances?”

Chase’s gaze softened. “I don’t know what to think since you said you didn’t know she was here. But I’m here to ensure no harm comes to my pack. The details can be sorted out after, you clearly do not want to fight me since you’re still in a defensive position.”

Eriena’s resolve burned like a steady flame, her stance unwavering. “Well… I don’t know whether to trust you or not. I’m looking for Lele.”

Veleena’s voice shook as she spoke, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Sama’el... he kidnapped me, I don’t know where Lele is. Please don’t let him hurt her. She’s the closest thing I have to my mom.”

Eriena’s gaze shifted between the two. “Then we’re on the same side. If Sama’el’s plans involve hurting your pack, then he’s our common enemy.”

Chase’s stance relaxed, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Perhaps we are. But first, we need to untie Vel.”

Eriena let out a shallow breath as she turned to Veleena, a flicker of trust kindling between them. “Agreed.”

As Eriena’s hands worked diligently to free Veleena from her bonds, their fingers briefly brushed against each other. In that fleeting connection, a rush of images cascaded through Veleena’s mind, a doorway to Eriena’s past. She witnessed a series of haunting scenes, each one painting a vivid portrait of the trials Eriena had endured.

She saw an unconscious Eriena being dragged out of a building by a young Lele. Lele had moved Eriena into the woods and covered her with a pile of leaves and twigs. She watched as Lele wiped away tears from her eyes and whispered to Eriena. “If you survive, please take care of yourself. Thank you for being my friend. I’m sorry you are once again left without a pack. You were bleeding a lot from your head but I have hope you’ll make it. Take care, Eriena and don’t worry about me.”

She saw Eriena strapped to an iron chair, a cloth bag over her head as ice-cold water was poured over her. She saw a guy pull out her fingernails one by one demanding she tell him what she did with his girlfriend.

She also saw Eriena strapped to a large X made of iron, beaten with a whip and acid pressed against her wounds. What made Veleena start crying was seeing Eriena gagged and tied, kneeling on a mat filled with tiny needles as was sexually assaulted as the men called her derogatory names. Spat and urinated on her saying that Omegas are nothing but a burden to packs.

Chase’s voice pulled Veleena back to the present. “Vel, what’s wrong?”

Blinking away tears, Veleena managed a tremulous smile. “I’m just… happy you came to save me.”

Chase’s reassurance was a lifeline. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch a reminder that safety was finally within reach. “Don’t worry. We’ll be home soon.”

Once Veleena’s bonds were finally undone, she turned and embraced Eriena tightly, gratitude and relief radiating from her.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. I promise I’ll bring Lele back,” Eriena assured, her hand tenderly patting Veleena’s head in a gesture of comfort.

Veleena’s voice quivered with emotion as she spoke softly, conviction lacing her words. “Omegas are not a burden to their packs. They are just as important as everyone else.”

Eriena looked at the girl in surprise and removed her hand from Veleena’s head. “How do you-?”

Before Eriena could finish her sentence a sudden onslaught of pain gripped her head. Her vision blurred, and a familiar voice echoed within her mind.

Lele’s voice pleaded desperately, her words though faint, pierced Eriena’s consciousness. ”Please! Can someone help me? Anyone! If you can hear me, please, say something!"

Eriena’s inner wolf stirred, a surge of recognition and urgency coursing through her. ”Lele! Eriena, she—"

Eriena interrupted, her voice edged with a mixture of concern and determination. ”I know. She’s mind-linking us, but it’s been years, and now my head feels like it’s splitting. Were you able to get a feel for where it came from?"

“She’s somewhere in the cellar. It felt close enough to say she’s somewhere here maybe trapped behind another hidden door.”

Chase’s voice interjected, his concern palpable. “You good?” Chase asked Eriena, as he took hold of Veleena’s hand.

“Yeah.” Eriena lifted her hands from her throbbing head, her eyes meeting Chase’s gaze. But a transformation had taken place- Lele’s sudden call had brought Eriena’s inner wolf to the surface causing her eyes to change colour. with how little light there was in the cellar her light grey eyes looked almost white. “Get Veleena back to Lucian. I think I know where Lele is, but you both need to leave now.”

Chase’s grip tightened on Veleena’s hand. “We’ll come back once Vel is safe. Until then, don’t let anything happen to Lele.”

“Yeah yeah, I get it. The Luna is still a priority.” She dismissed.

As Chase and Veleena departed the cellar, Eriena watched them go. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and reached out with her mind, attempting to establish a connection with Lele through the mind-link that had once been dormant.

Eriena’s voice reverberated with urgency in Lele’s mind, a lifeline amidst the shadows. “Lele, I hear you.”

Lele’s response was a mixture of desperation and relief. “Eriena! I’m strapped to an iron chair. I can’t move or use my abilities—though I doubt they’d help much in this situation.”

Eriena’s concern deepened as she sought to determine Lele’s location. “Do you have any sense of where you might be?” As she spoke, she rushed around the cellar, shifting bottles in her search for a clue.

Lele’s voice carried the weight of her predicament. “No, I can’t really tell where exactly I am. I just know I’m underground, in some kind of chamber. Honestly, I’m grateful I’m in a chair and not that X-shaped contraption nearby. There’s so much blood here.”

Eriena’s heart clenched as a chilling thought struck her. “Is it dimly lit in the room?”

Lele conveyed a sense of her surroundings. “No, there’s a light above me and there is a steel door behind a wall made out of the material you use to make fences.”

Eriena’s search became more frantic as she started pulling random bottles out of the shelves. “Just keep talking, Lele. Your voice is getting clearer, so I must be getting closer. Keep speaking or humming. I promise I’ll get you out of there.”

Following Lele’s guidance, Eriena navigated deeper into the wine cellar, taking turn after turn until the surroundings shifted. Memories of her past, of a place that had caused her nightmares for years, resurfaced. Eriena’s steps faltered as she realized where she was—back in the concrete corridor of her first pack’s hideous chamber. Emotions long-buried resurfaced, the trauma of that time still leaving its mark on her.

Her inner wolf’s voice cut through the tumult. “Eriena, breathe!” The urgency of her wolf’s command snapped Eriena out of her reverie, halting her hyperventilation.

With purposeful breaths, Eriena regained her focus and continued onward. She manoeuvred through the labyrinth of concrete passages until she reached the steel door Lele had described. Swinging it open, Eriena’s heart caught in her throat as she locked eyes on Lele—bruised, battered, and bound to the iron chair.

Taking a deep breath, Eriena’s heart pounded as she confronted the daunting task ahead. She surveyed the room, realizing there was no easy way to remove the straps. Without hesitation, she approached Lele, mentally preparing herself for the pain she was about to endure. With sheer determination, she applied all her strength to pry open the first strap, the sizzle of burning flesh filled the air as it yielded to her efforts. Tears streamed down Eriena’s face as she struggled with the strap, her resolve unshaken.

With a final effort, the strap gave way with an echoed clink that reverberated throughout the room. Lele’s gag was removed, and the praises of gratitude and concern for both females were put on hold when a male voice spoke. Terror washed over both of them like a petrifying spell.

“What are you doing?”

Both girls turned their gaze toward the source of the voice, their fear was palpable as they faced the enigmatic figure that stood before them—Sama’el himself. The encounter marked a critical turning point, plunging them into an unsettling confrontation with a threat that could shatter their hopes of escape.