Heart of the Moon

I listened to the chatter around me.. knowing they would run every scenario they can think of, through the group, until they figure out what the Rogue King’s ultimate goal might be.

Kieran asked my dad “Did the Goddess tell you why her blood is silver? That seems so odd to me. How can she survive with silver blood?” Daddy laughs and tells him “She survives very well with it, obviously. Doc ran a million tests on it.. it consists of exactly the same genetic profile as our red blood, with two distinct differences. He discovered that mixing a drop of her blood into a topical ointment.. will heal nearly any injury, without scarring. However, ingesting even one drop of her blood, will make you very sick! He believes her blood will kill any being not of her pack that is unfortunate enough to bite her.”

I look up from the book “What? What the fuck? Why was I never told any of that? Why don’t I remember? How will Kieran mark me, then? My blood will kill him!? How the fuck is that fair??”

Kieran lifted me off the sofa, and sat with me in his lap “Shhh, baby. I am positive that doesn’t apply to mates. The Goddess wouldn’t make your blood toxic to me! We are going to mark each other, without incident! I promise!”

I was having none of it! I wanted answers! I asked Daddy “Which doctor was it? I want to see my file! I need to read what the tests determined!” When I saw my father start shaking his head, my stomach tightened in dread.. “The doctor disappeared in the night, nearly a week after you left for Ireland.”

Kieran jumped as I leaped to my feet, running for the infirmary. I went directly to the records room.. I looked through the file cabinets.. looking for my records. There wasn’t a file on me.. at all. I sat down and logged into the computer.. no information!

Walking back into the office, I looked at Alec “Looks like we may have uncovered a traitor! I found no records regarding me.. nothing. Even the computer is devoid of files!” He looked at Nick.. “Get to the infirmary. See what you can recover from deleted files on that hard drive! Now!” He and Cole both jumped up and left.

Kieran looks at my dad and asks “Were you not at all suspicious when the doctor disappeared? When I asked who knew about Calista, you didn’t mention the doctor. May I know why?”

I looked at Daddy and wondered why he didn’t mention it, too. This was a pretty crucial piece of information, in my eyes! He cleared his throat, saying “Honestly, I had forgotten about it. He ran those tests on a two year old! It never occurred to me that he could be a traitor. Who receives that kind of information, then just sits on it for fourteen years?”

Kieran sighs, exaperatedly, “Someone who already relayed the information to whomever he works with.. then remained a pack member to continue spying? I don’t know… but I doubt he sat on the information. I would put money on him releasing the information, as each test confirmed his diagnosis.. before you ever thought of issuing Command.”

Daddy leans his head into his hands.. and I rub his back “What’s done is done! I think we need to start digging into the doctor’s background. What pack he grew up in.. where he went to school.. all his family.. any friends. Simon.. you and Axel start on that. Maybe we will find a clue.. or ten?”

I walk back over to Kieran and sit down.. “If this Rogue King believes the myth.. about eating my heart.. then, he would die. If the doctor betrayed us.. and is actually working for the Rogue King.. then he knows that’s not possible. That makes me wonder, is the doctor working on a way to make my heart edible? Like.. I don’t know, an antidote or something?”

Alec smirks “Well, there’s a question you don’t hear every day! What bothers me most about it, is, they’re logical questions! As bizarre as they sound, they make perfect sense to me!”

Nick walks in, Cole following.. He’s carrying the computer tower from the infirmary. Hooking it up to Alec’s monitor.. he let it boot up. “I found four files.. deleted from the hard drive, but still on the mainframe. Apparently, the doctor was unaware of our systems automated backup system. At midnight, every night, our system backs up every computer on our servers. The infirmary being the first one.. The problem.. all the files are encrypted.. so, it will be time consuming to break it.”

Alec suggests “While working on breaking the code, I want you to run down all the information you can on the doctor. His name is Isaiah Jenkins.. I pulled his employee file when we started suspecting him.. He was born in Grizzly Mountain Pack in Colorado.. attended the Shifter University in Denver. Was mateless while he was here.. at least, his mate wasn’t with him. He lived off pack.. in a two bedroom house in town. Everything else is nondescript.. he didn’t fill out any information about family.. In the file notes.. the intervewer wrote the reason he gave for leaving it blank was his family no longer existed.. Obviously, he wasn’t properly vetted. I am hoping the reason for that is the interviewer was just lazy.. and not involved in any conspiracy!”

I said “Is the original interviewer still here? Daddy, did you not approve any new members.. or pack hires?” He nodded and replied “Of course, I did. The interviewer is a close pack member.. She has been handling new hires for twenty years! The doctor readily pledged and swore fealty to Dark Woods. Maybe call Mabel in here and ask about the interview?”

Alec agreed.. but said it will wait until tomorrow. I told everyone I was heading to my room to read the Moon’s Heart book.. and relax awhile. Kieran asked if I could show him to his room, and I took his hand.. pulling him from the sofa.

Once we were outside his room, he pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.. “Don’t worry, my love! We will find this Rogue King.. and I will kill him. I am called the Devil for a reason!”

I left him and went to my room. After a hot shower, I laid down, and opened the book to where I left off.. I learned I am the third she-wolf to carry the heart. The other two were hunted and persecuted every day of their short lives. The first one was killed when her entire pack was wiped out by rogues. She was only twelve. The second was executed by the council after fabricated evidence showed she was practicing the dark arts. It was later proven she was innocent. She was sixteen.

I felt tears streaming down my face. My heart broken for my moon sisters. I send a prayer to the Goddess for the safe keeping of their souls! I thank Her for my parents.. and the protection I have taken for granted my entire life! I am alive now.. because my parents were so cautious!

I continued reading… learning everything about my gifts.. I also found that while we are all creatures of the Moon.. I am the Moonchild. And my children will be the children of the Moon.

Just as my eyes were feeling heavy.. and my body, relaxing into sleep.. I felt it.. before I saw her. She appeared in the room.. a gossamer apparition and she knelt beside my bed.

She took my hand and kissed the back of it. I smiled at the feeling of pure love that engulfed my body. She whispered “You know me.. your heart recognizes I am your heavenly Mother. As my child, you represent me here on this plain. Now, sleep.. while I teach you what you need to know.”

My eyes closed of their own volition..and I entered a sleep realm of warmth and beauty. Standing in the center of a flowered meadow, was my earthly mother.