A day ago...
A knock came at the door just after Camelia went upstairs. Mrs Bishop stood and went to answer it. Upon opening the door, her face turned grim when she saw who it was.
Beck Reed stood by her door, the harsh claw scar across his right eye only adding to his intimidating aura.
"What do you want?" she asked, her fingers pressing tightly against the side of the door as she held it open.
"The Luna has requested your presence," he said, his expression stern.
"I will come by later."
"She wants to see you now, and this is not a request," he cut her off, taking an intimidating step forward.
Mrs Bishop gulped, terrified of the man. She glanced back toward the stairs for a moment before stepping out of the house.
"Let's go."
When they reached the Alpha's home, Beck led her to the garden, where the Luna was trimming some flowers.
"Oh, you are here already," Luna Grace smiled cheerfully upon seeing Mrs Bishop, as if they were close.
"Why have I been summoned?" Mrs Bishop asked, offering no pleasantries.
Luna Grace gestured toward the seats laid out around a table, with tea already being served by some maids.
"Have a seat."
"So why am I here?" Mrs Bishop asked impatiently.
"Have some tea, Mrs Bishop," Luna Grace said as she took a sip from her cup.
Mrs Bishop stared down at the teacup. She picked it up and took a large gulp before placing it back down.
"You know, if you were not still useful to us, you and your wretched daughter would be banished from this pack," Luna Grace clicked her tongue in irritation.
No response came from Mrs Bishop. Spiting the Luna would not be wise.
"I want you to stop giving Camelia those suppressants," Luna Grace said.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I cannot do that, Luna. The Alpha..."
"The Alpha what?" Luna Grace cut her off. "You claim to love your daughter, right? Now I am giving you an order to stop suppressing her powers with those drugs you give her."
"You know what could happen if I stop giving her those suppressants," Mrs Bishop shook her head, recalling what happened ten years ago.
Luna Grace burst into laughter.
"I see it now," she chuckled. "You are no different from the rest of us. For eighteen years, you enjoy poisoning her, do you not? Is it because she killed your dear husband?"
Mrs Bishop's eyes widened at the Luna's words. With clenched fists, she stood up.
"Do not you dare talk about my late husband," she huffed in anger. "I am leaving."
But the world suddenly began to spin before her eyes, and she slumped to the ground, her eyelids heavy.
The tea. She had been drugged. That was the last thought that crossed her mind before everything went black.
Back to the Present
"Fascinating," Luna Grace commented as she stared at Mrs Bishop, who was still in her wolf form, baring her teeth aggressively at her.
She turned to Beck.
"The drug is quite potent. How many doses are you giving her daily?"
"Two, Luna," Beck replied.
Fixing the next dosage into an injection gun, he aimed at the wolf and fired. It hit the wolf on the arm, the contents immediately seeping into its body.
Luna Grace already knew that Mrs Bishop would not listen to her order. She had already planned to hold her here captive.
"We have big plans for Camelia, and we will not let you or Alpha Caden or anyone else get in our way," Luna Grace said.
"What do you mean by we? What plans?" Mrs Bishop asked through the mind link.
"That is a secret," Luna Grace replied through the mind link.
She turned to Beck.
"Make sure no one finds her," she ordered.
"Yes, Luna," Beck nodded.
.....
The next full moon was fast approaching in four days, and Camelia could only grow more anxious.
The full moon was the only time she could actually shift, and yet she still was not strong enough to do it on her own without assistance.
Her mother always made a special tea for her to help her shift. All she knew was that it came from the healer.
So Camelia found herself sitting in the waiting ward of the clinic after closing from work. She did not mind the prying eyes as she patiently waited for the healer's daughter, Raya, who had taken over after her mother's death.
Shortly after, Raya called for her. Camelia followed her into her office.
There was a short silence between the two women.
Raya, Dart, and she had been close friends as children, but Raya had cut off the friendship around the same time the pack's hatred for her increased.
"Surprised to see you here," Raya said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Sorry I never came around. Your mother..." Camelia's voice trailed off. "I am sorry about your mom."
Raya clicked her tongue as she took out a cigarette and lit it before putting it between her lips.
"Forget the old bitch. She never liked you anyway," she said, blowing out some smoke.
Camelia smiled, not the least bit surprised by her attitude.
"So what can I do for you?" Raya asked.
"There is a herb my mom usually came to get from your mother. I was hoping to get a refill."
"Herbs?" Raya said as she opened her drawer and retrieved some files. "I should find the records here."
After flipping through page after page, Raya finally stopped.
"I think I found it," she said.
"Really?" Camelia's eyes beamed.
"Yeah," Raya replied.
As she read through the contents on the record, Raya's brows began to furrow. She glanced at Camelia, then back at the pages.
"What is the herb supposed to be used for?" she asked, curiosity and worry in her voice.
Camelia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She did not want to share her private problem, but she needed her help.
"My wolf is dormant, and I can only shift during a full moon thanks to the herbs. Without them, I will not be able to shift at all."
Raya's eyes widened. She looked down at the document again before closing it.
"These herbs are not available at the moment, but I can get them by morning," Raya explained. "You can come back tomorrow to get them."
"Okay. Thanks," Camelia said as she stood up and left.
Right after she left, Raya opened the documents again, a deep frown on her face.
"Wolfsbane... Moonshine," she muttered, her expression darkening.
Four wolves moved silently through the woods, their large forms slipping between the shadows as they patrolled the edge of the pack's territory. The forest was quiet, only the sound of restless crickets and the soft crunch of leaves beneath their paws.
One of the female wolves slowed, nudging the one beside her. They exchanged a glance, then veered away from the path and disappeared behind a cluster of trees without the other two noticing.
When they reached some distance, they shifted back into their human forms.
The man grinned as he pulled the woman closer.
"You have been looking dangerously sexy lately," he murmured, his hands roaming over her waist.
She laughed softly, leaning into him.
"We are supposed to focus on the patrol," she teased.
He dipped his head, his lips brushing her neck.
Then something moved behind the trees, but the two were too occupied to notice.
In a swift motion, something slashed the man. He did not even have time to scream.
There was a sickening wet splatter, and his body collapsed as his head was torn away.
Blood splattered across the woman's face. She froze, shivering, unable to breathe, staring at what remained of him. Her eyes slowly lifted, morphing into an even deeper horror.
Something large stood there.