I scrubbed my eyes, shaking my head and staring intently at the body being dragged with each arm by the two bodyguards. Thick red blood was smearing in a straight line as her body trudged along the floor over to the front of the cage, where I was.
Her face and entire was bloody with deep cuts and stabs, but I could clearly recognize her as Joy, the girl who just left here after bringing food for me.
They dropped her motionless body on the floor and unlocked the key of the cage before flinging her inside before locking the gate back, leaving me with Joy, who seemed to have been tortured and wounded so severely. Every part of her body, from head to toe, was bleeding, and her breath was shallow, forced, and hitched at intervals.
She was dying.
"Joy!!" I shrieked, taking her into my arms and trying to wake her up, but the young girl doesn't seem like one to survive it anymore. Her eyes were closed, and apart from her heart, which was thumping, no other part of her was in motion. They had beaten her cruelly and in the most heartless way.
"You should have warned her not to come any closer to you. Now you caused the innocent girl's untimely death." One of the bodyguards said to me in a voice filled with resentment and disgust.
"You know your life is cursed, and you allowed her to get wallowed by it. Murderer!" The other added, and I raised my gaze at them, squinting my eyes as I wondered what the fuck they meant with what they were saying.
"Don't tell me you fools did this to her because she brought food to me!" I screeched, my heart feeling so much pain as if it were stabbed with thousands of knives.
"The Luna found out about it and gave orders for her to be beaten almost to the point of stupor, then brought to you so you will enjoy her bleeding to death. The naive girl had no idea that this place was being monitored with cameras. No one betrays the Luna and goes scot free." That was the last word I heard from them before they walked away, shutting the door and actually leaving me with the dying lady who was about to take her last breath.
I tore the hem of my gown, using the pieces to tie and cover some of her wounds, but it was just too much. I couldn't stop her bleeding, and as her blood formed a small pool around us, it dawned on me that she was literally going to bleed to death right in my arms.
And from what the guards said, I was the reason. I was the cause of her death. Apparently, I killed her. My heart sank with guilt, and I couldn't stop sobbing, staring at her bruised and swollen face, hoping she would miraculously open those eyes and tell me she was fine.
So she was real. I didn't believe her and thought she was sent to tempt me, but that was never it. The young girl was actually by my side and really wanted to be my friend. Now that closeness to me, even when I doubted and shoved her away, was going to cause her death.
Why is this world so cruel?! Why?!
No...
The world isn't cruel, but the Luna of this pack is! She did this! She gave the order!
My heart swelled with rage and so much sadness that I could never have imagined. Joy must have been going through a lot, which made her confess to me her deep hatred for the Luna and ask if I felt the same way.
Oh God, I am fucked at this moment.
"You can save her." A voice spoke inside me, and even my wolf flinched as we wondered where it came from.
"I'm inside you. I'm your vampire beast. You can't see me now because my time to rise hasn't yet arrived, but that is a story for another day. Now save that young dying lady before it becomes too late!" The voice came again, rumbling in my heart like a thunderclap. It sounded so dangerous, and the aura that came with it made me chill and shudder as if cold water were poured down on me.
"Can I really save her? How?" I asked with urgency.
"I wish you realized who you are earlier, because that would stop you from suffering unnecessarily. You are a rare breed, the last of its kind, powerful and celestial, and a threat to the enemy. Your strength and prowess are beyond anyone's understanding. I'm really fortunate to be your beast. All you have to do is sink your teeth into her neck, and instead of sucking out, surge life into her, and all her wounds will be healed. She will be healed and healthier than she ever was."
I listened with rapt attention as he relayed this to me, and never in my life had I been more confused than now. At first, I thought it wasn't referring to me because how could he say I have strength, powers, and prowess beyond anyone's understanding. How the hell was I a rare breed and the last of my kind?
Nothing else can be used to describe me except as a cursed, unfortunate, and miserable wolf who got her gene mixed with that of the vampire, our enemy.
Let me give it a try, then...
I took a deep breath and drew my mouth to the side of her next, and in flashes, the memories of those dreadful moments of my birthday rushed in like nightmares, hitting me with the realization of the killer I was.
I began to tremble, scared that I would do the same to joy. The memories of seeing myself sucking life from an innocent soul were really heartbreaking, and as my lips touched her neck, I pulled out in a snap, panting as sweat covered my face.
No.. I can't do...this..I...
"Do it, please." The so-called vampire beast pleaded with a voice that showed so much respect and submission, as if I were some kind of queen while it was my subject.
Oh God, what's happening? I mumbled and shut my eyes tight, then quickly sank my teeth into her flesh until I could feel the rush of her blood all over my tastebuds.
What happened next was very strange. It was the reverse of what I did on my birthday. Instead of sucking out her blood, I felt mine pumping out of my mouth and surging into her veins.
"Her wounds are healing rapidly!" My wolf screamed in awe and excitement, and soon enough, I heard her rough breath as she panted and coughed.
In a rush, I pulled out, and Joy's eyes fluttered and opened wide. I couldn't hold back as I leaped and screamed so loud in so much excitement, tears forming in my eyes, especially when she rose to her feet with a surprise look on her face.
"I am healed?" You...you.."
I couldn't wait for her to say anything before hugging her tightly.
"I am so sorry for not believing you. You took that risk and endangered yourself to get me fed, and I ended up shoving you away, suspecting you to be what you aren't. I was really stupid." I muffled, my tears dropping.
"I wasn't angry. I didn't blame you, but myself, because I had joined others in hurting you, so I needed to prove myself to you. I needed to convince you, but the Luna's secret cameras saw me, and even now, I think she will see you heal me."
I broke the hug and stared at her in fright, as what she said made me realize something.
"What do you think she will do when she finds out I healed you?" I asked in a rush as my heart pounded.
"They will realize how stupid they had been thinking you are a monster when you aren't. You are the real doctor who could heal any kind of fatal wound in an instant. Selene, you have the power of the moon goddess." She exclaimed, her eyes lit as she gazed at my face dreamily.
"No...no... It can't be. I don't even know how I...healed you. It.." My voice was cut short as the door of the dungeon was kicked open so hard that the door broke down. From the cage, we both drifted our eyes to the door and were frozen in panic as we saw the Luna standing right there with her eyes filled with venom as she glared wickedly at the both of us.
"Good evening, ma'am." We both greeted her at the same time, but it was like a mockery to her, and her face squeezed more. She scoffed and shook her head as her eyes peered at Joy's body, which looked fresh with no scar or sight of injury.
"And what am I seeing here?" She seethed, deep hatred evident in her voice, and it surprised me that she doesn't care anymore about how smelly this place was. The shock must have been so triggering that she had to leave the festival and check for herself.
"Joy and Selene, standing inside the cage." I replied to her question, and with the way she looked at me, I swear, if she were given the opportunity to kill me, I'm sure she would take the time to skin me alive.
"Take Joy out of there." She ordered her guard, and I leaned into her ears and whispered.
"We are best friends now." I kissed her gently on her cheek before the guards pulled her off me as if I were a leper.
"Gross!" The Luna spat and stomped out while I burst into laughter, flipping my hair dramatically.
Her plan to blame me for Joy's death just failed, and she can't even understand how I got the power to heal miraculously, something that only the moon goddess can do.