Chapter 26
The evening arrived where the moon was full and the villagers grew more anxious as the event began. Everyone could feel that Joy and Jude were their last hope for a Protector. That if they wouldn't unite, then their village would be doomed.
"Joy?" Krii tapped on her bedroom door.
"Come in," she sniffed, stepping away from the window.
She was dressed in a white, fur dress that reached above her knees. Her hair was tied to a fluffy ball, a flower crown on her head.
"Wow. You look great."
"Thanks," she smiled. "Kayla and Khaya made this for me." She nodded as a gesture to the flower crown.
"They don't make stuff for me," he pouted. Bob was in his arms, chewing on a cabbage leaf.
Joy played with the hem of her dressed, exhaling deeply.
"Are you okay?" Krii stepped close to her, gesturing for them to sit on the bed.
"I think so," she breathed.
"Have you guys spoken yet?"
"Not since last night," she spoke in a low voice. "You said the other time that there could have been more stuff being kept from me. Was it this then? Me being part of the Blood Moon pack?"
"Yes." He nodded.
"Why didn't you just tell me? Why did you have to be all cryptic?"
"It wasn't my place Joy. Be honest. Would you have rather heard it from me or him?"
"Either of you," she croaked. "What matters is that I'd know the truth."
"Okay, you're right. I am sorry." He placed his hand over his heart. "But I must say, I wouldn't have done it differently. I still would have let Jude be the one to tell you."
She let out a sigh. "Does this mean I'm different? Like... having Blood Moon blood?"
"Well, what I've noticed is that this pack thing isn't really about blood relations. It's more of a soul attraction. I'm not the only Outcast that lives here by the way, there are many of us. And though we had to work extra hard to gain the pack's trust, we are part of it now. And my birthday is the best way to prove that." He grinned. "You know this means we are actually siblings. From the same pack." He nudged her shoulder.
"Can't you be serious for once?" She muttered.
"Nope." He lifted Bob to her face and spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Cheer up Joy."
"You love that rabbit, don't you?" She huffed a laugh, stroking the animal's head.
"He's growing on me." He stood up. "Come up when you're ready."
"I am, let's just go together." She stood up as well, smoothing out her dress with her hands as they walked out.
The moon was silver, with faded streaks of blue all around it. Joy's mouth fell into an open smile.
"Do you see that?" She tapped Krii's arm.
"Yes, I see," he breathed.
They walked down the path lined with villagers towards a massive bonfire. Theo was at it, this time playing the marimba. He played a fast tune at the request of the pups who were dancing around him. Jude was standing next to the fire, staring at his knuckles. When he caught a whiff of her, he gazed up, taking her in. He had not seen her for almost a day and his heart constricted, yanking the strings around it to a point of agony.
"How long do we have to wait to shift?" Joy asked when she was standing next to him. She showed no sign of missing him, or any emotion for that matter. But deep in her core she felt the strain in her heart, begging her to tell her arms to wrap themselves around him. It took everything in her to ignore it.
"It can happen any minute," he responded. "Sometimes it waits for the moon to be completely blue, other times..."
He felt his wolf grumble.
"It's happening," he grunted and a few villagers gasped, before a line of cheers erupted.
"Already?'" Joy breathed, feeling her muscles tingle.
'Just relax,' Jude spoke into her head.
'Okay.'
Joy's bones cracked unnaturally. She was not used to the shifting yet, but the pain she felt was different from the usual. It was as if her bones were twisting in the opposite direction this time.
'Jude, this doesn't feel right.'
For the first time in forever, she screamed. The sound erupting from her lungs, burning her vocal chords. She felt her soul leave her body and a hand took hold of hers. Jude. He was floating in the air with her.
"What's going on? It's not working, is it? Jude!" She screamed and their souls and bodies pulled apart, a strong force throwing each of them to opposite ends. Jude crashed against the wall of the Enclosure and landed on the dust. Joy's feet pressed hard against the ground, dust rising as she screeched to a stop. When she stood straight, her eyes glowed red, a dangerous scowl on her face.
***
Joy's eyes fluttered open to a dripping sound. The smell of wet wood and dust filled her nostrils. Her eyes stung, and head ached. The place she was in was dark, too dark even with her apparent heightened senses. Flashes of memories filled her head, and she had to shake it to make them go away.
"Jude?" She croaked, and only silence responded.
'Jude?' She tried his head, but still there was no response. She tried to stand up, using the wall to balance herself as a sharp pain stung her thigh. She could only feel the cut and the blood around it, but could not see what it looked like and a memory of Khaya biting her thigh flashed into her head. She blinked in the darkness and a stray tear escaped her eye. She felt other cuts and bruises around her body, and more memories flashed in her head as more tears escaped her eyes. Her mind was foggy, but it was as if her heart could remember everything, telling her eyes to cry.
"You're awake," Reid's voice sounded, coming from the entrance. He walked in with a torch in his hand and flashed it in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" He spoke softly.
"What happened?" She whispered.
"Something went wrong."
"What did I do?" She croaked, feeling her entire being tremble. Her hands shook and she pressed them together.
He jiggled the keys in his hands, stepping close to unlock the gate.
"N-No, don't open it." She stepped back, pressing herself against the wall. "It could happen again."
"Don't worry. It won't." He walked into the cell and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come." He led her out of the dark and into the light of day.
The pack was going about their day, but she did not miss their worried eyes and strange looks as they walked past them. She kept her head down until they reached the Enclosure.
"What happened Reid?" She asked, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "What did I do? And where's Jude?"
"Go to the bathroom and shower, then Jem will help you with your wounds. We'll talk about everything after." He squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her.
"Reid-"
"That's an order."
***
Joy's shower was quick, and she tried to focus more on the wounds than the memories they brought to her head. Her hands continued to tremble, and she squeezed them into fists, closing her eyes as memories forcefully surfaced.
'Joy stop, please.' Jude's voice sounded in the memory.
'Joy!' Jemima shouted.
"Joy?" Jemima tapped on the bathroom door.
"Coming," she sniffed, putting on a pink morning gown. She wiped her eyes and nose as she stepped out of the bathroom.
Jemima was sitting on a stool by the bed, a little bag with medicine on the floor next to her feet.
"How do you feel?" Jemima asked, concern filling her tone and expression.
"Clueless," she mumbled, sitting herself down. "Again, I have no idea what's going on."
"That makes two of us." Jemima began to tend to her wounds, starting with her thigh. "I have no idea what happened to you last night," she told her. "Maybe the others do, but... I've never seen anything like that."
"What did I do?"
"After the two of you got pulled apart. Your eyes were glowing red, and you started to attack people," she explained.
"Like an Attacker," Joy whimpered.
"That's not what I meant." Jemima looked up with an apologetic expression. "I was just saying what happened. Adonis said it's a half-shift. You're not fully you, or fully wolf either and you can't control it."
Loud footsteps sounded outside and Jude bolted in. "Joy," he breathed at the sight of her, his eyes scanning her wounds. "Joy," he choked, stepping closer.
She wanted to get up and hug him, but the flash of a memory stopped her, and she glared at him instead.
"Keep this leg elevated," Jemima said, packing up her medicines. "You should begin to heal in a few minutes." She gave her a soft smile then stepped out of the room after glancing at Jude and patting his arm.
"Are you okay?" Jude asked, reaching out to touch her face and she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me," she snapped, but her eyes softened when she took notice of the bruise on his neck.
He rubbed it, as if trying to rub the bruise away.
"Did I do that?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He pressed his lips together, failing to meet her eyes.
"Please answer me," she trembled and his heart cracked.
"Yes."
"This makes me one of them, doesn't it?" She said under her shaky breath.
"No, you aren't."
"I am."
"I'm their Attacker half sister who is going to destroy this p-ack," she muttered, her voice cracking.
"You are not one of them." Jude stepped closer, but did not reach her. "You are nothing like them."
"I can barely even remember what happened last night but it looks like I tried to kill you." She gestured to his neck.
"Something went wrong with the shift-"
"Because I'm one of them." She cut him off.
"No, because there was no trust between us."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Mine."
"Yours," she spat, tears falling from her eyes. "You hurt me the first time and stupid idiot that I am, I still tried to trust you."
"I was only doing this for you. If you-"
"Stop making decisions for me. You don't know how I'm going to react, stop assuming." She wiped her eyes.
"I only assumed because I know you still don't trust me. You can't trust. You say you're trying but I know you don't."
"You don't know that."
"Fine, do you trust me?" His voice rose. "Before we get to everything I've done. Joy, do you trust me?"
Her lips trembled and she pressed them together.
"I thought so."
"You're the one who has been giving me reason not to. Pinning the blame on me is not fair. You're the one who hurt me first." She pointed at him as she leaned forward. Her teeth were clenched as she spoke.
"Don't blame me for not trusting you. You don't tell me anything, and you make decisions for me. So, tell me, how am I supposed to trust you? You know what? I don't trust you. And I will never trust you." She sat back, folding her arms, watching her broken skin slowly come together.
Jude closed his eyes and exhaled, clenching and unclenching his fists. "We are not going anywhere with this," he huffed, opening his eyes.
"How can we? Our method of communication is unhealthy," she said. "On one side," she added under her breath.
A knock sounded on the door before Jude could responded and Krii poked his head in. "Are you guys done fighting? We have more pressing matters at hand."
"Come in Krii." Jude rolled his eyes.
"Joy." He nodded in her direction as he walked further into the room. "I just have to say this-"
"Please don't talk about how everything will be okay. And don't ask me how I feel." She cut him off.
"Oh, don't worry. You probably feel the way you look. No offence," he smiled a mischievous smile earning himself a glare from her. "I just wanted to say, thank you for not trying to kill me."
"What do you mean?"
"When Krii tried to stop you, you just walked past him," Jude explained. "You were avoiding him each time."
"What does that mean?" She inquired.
"It doesn't mean anything," Jude grumbled.
Krii faked a cough. "That 'one side' is starting again," he muttered and Jude let out a low growl directed at him.
"Were you eavesdropping?" Joy folded her arms.
"I was right outside your door, you were yelling at each other, and I have such heightened senses that I can hear Bob pooping." He counted out, showing them three fingers.
"Back to the question then," Joy uttered, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"It means," Krii said, glancing at Jude who nodded. "That the Blood Moon Attacker is only meant to attack outsiders. Not members of the pack. You could sense that I'm a former member of the pack, so you left me alone."
"Is there a way to control this evil side?"
"Well, there are two possible options." A mischievous smile began to grow on his face. "Have you guys..." He wriggled his eyebrows, glancing between the two of them.
"Have we what?" Joy raised her eyebrows. "I have no patience for this."
"You know." He nodded, his smile growing wider. "You know."
"What Adonis Krii?" Joy hissed.
"Come on, you know what I mean. When two people love each other-woah!" A pillow flew across the room directed at him and he ducked, sprinting for the door.
"I told you that I have no patience for your nonsense," she yelled after him, throwing another pillow. He howled in laughter as he shut the door behind him, leaving the pair alone again.
"What do we do now?" Joy huffed, looking at the new skin on her thigh. It was lighter than the rest of her thigh, slowly darkening to match her natural tone. "We didn't shift.
It will take a few hours for your wounds to completely heal. Then well try again tonight."
"What if it doesn't work again?"
"It has to."
She bobbed her head up and down, though her expression gave away her worry. "What if it happens again?" She swallowed. "What if I turn into a man-eating monster again?"
"You didn't turn into a monster, you just attacked people."
"Wow that helps," she rolled her eyes. "Thanks for clarifying that I'm an Attacker."
"Babe, that's not what I meant. You're not an Attacker."
"Makes sense now why those weird wolves were after me when I was first here. What if they told Rollin about me?"
"They didn't. We killed them all."
"What if they used some magic trickery to read your mind and they know I'm here?"
"That's not possible-"
"You don't know that. You said my step-sister tricked you into thinking she was your mate, who's to say what else she can do? Jude, if those guys are really determined, they'll do everything it takes to find me."
"We have a problem," Reid stepped into the room without knocking, Krii and Jemima following behind him.
"I knew it," Joy hissed. "They're attacking, aren't they? I told you." She pointed at Jude.
"They're not attacking," Jemima said. "But they are coming. They know you're here."
"How? We made sure-"
"Well they figured it out," Reid snapped, cutting Jude off. "I think they sensed her power last night, our barrier wasn't strong enough to conceal it. And she is their blood so a fight might break out."
"Or maybe not," Krii muttered and they all stared at him. "We don't have to fight them off, or hide Joy because nothing can happen if she doesn't have a mate. Even if they take her, Attacker has to be a pair. Once they realise that they'll let her go."
"What about Joy's other evil shift thing?" Jemima asked.
"That's what I'm getting to." Krii ran a hand through his hair then pulled a piece of tattered paper out of his pocket and handed it to Joy. "I think she has to go to the Blood Moon village. I think that's the way to stop it."
"What is this?" Joy muttered.
"Poems written by Lyssa," he told her.
"At first I couldn't understand. But now that you're here they are beginning to make sense."
Joy's eyes scanned each letter of each poem, feeling a warmth in her heart as she read them.
outside the forest
there she awaits the war cry
of the blue moon pack
the wolf gets stronger
when the red moon rises up
all of them are doomed
the red moon hangs
where that wolf can only see
to catch it she jumps
over the water
further into the forest
the gate lies open
"So, what? I go there then what?" She looked up at Krii from the paper.
"I think just getting there breaks the curse."
"She's not going anywhere," Jude growled.
"It's actually not a bad idea," Reid mumbled.
"The curse breaks first. Then we will use Lyssa's key to get Jude in. The two of you shift to Protector, and it's game over."
"Reid, no," Jude stated firmly. "I'm not comfortable with this plan."
"Jude, they don't know you're mates," he smirked. "All we have to do is make sure they don't find out that you're mates. Krii has a brain- I mean point." His smirk grew, glancing at Krii whose eyebrows furrowed.
"I am not putting Joy in danger. We're not doing this."
"That's not really your decision to make," Joy finally spoke, and their eyes met. Hers a golden yellow, his deep blue.
***
"Joy," Jude huffed for the umpteenth time, taking her hand in his. The others had left them to discuss the issue in private. "Don't do this, please."
"Jude, if it means getting rid of them, then I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to do this for the village, for Khaya, for my mother... for you."
You being in their hands is dangerous. Who knows what they could do to you."
"Says the guy who was trying to find the good in people."
"I was talking about other people, not those two. Rollin and Una are just pure evil. If they could kill their own mother imagine what they can do to you. Their half-sister."
"They won't do anything to me." She squeezed his hand. "I need you to trust me on this, okay?"
He faced the floor and nodded. "Promise me you'll be careful. If anything feels off then it is. Find a way to escape, and if you can, go home. Promise me."
"I promise."
"Dad," Khaya's voice sounded behind the door.
"Yes pup, come in."
"Where is-" He paused, staring at Joy with fear in his eyes and it broke her heart.
"Hey Khaya," she muttered, licking her lips.
"Are you okay now?" He whispered.
"Yes," she nodded, pressing her lips together to stop herself from tearing up. "I'm okay."
He stepped close to her with a soft smile and threw his arms around her.
"Don't ever do that again," he mumbled. "I don't like it."
"I don't like it either," she sniffed, a tear slipping from her eye. "And I won't ever do it again."
"I love you..." he pulled away from her, gazing deep into her eyes. "Mo-mmy."' The word was foreign to him, and he wasn't even sure if it was the right one, but still he said it.
Joy's eyes moved to Jude whose eyebrows slowly rose. He rubbed his chin as he stepped towards Khaya.
"Err... pup-"
"It's okay," Joy whispered, nodding at Jude.
"It's okay, you can call me mommy if you want to. Your dad and I are mates... so, it's okay."
Khaya hugged her again, taking in her warmth.
"Okay, all of this has been beautiful," Krii made himself known, wiping away an imaginary tear. "But the bad guys are here."
"How long have you been standing there Adonis Krii?" Joy uttered, a small frown on her face.
"Long enough to know that there will be a wedding in the village once the two of you swallow your prides and this mess is solved," he turned to the door, then back to them. "If we don't all get killed, that is," he added with a smile, then left.
Joy let out a breath as they followed after him.
"Here goes nothing."