Chapter 5 The truth

"Alexa, no running into the woods." Her mother scolded her 6 yrs old daughter at her hundredth attempts. Their small house was located at the end of the wild forest. They had been changing places, moving from one city to another. Most of the places they moved to were near the forest, the kid didn't have any friends to play with so she always ran into the forest.

When her mother was busy making her dinner, the girl again ran away to have her adventure.

She hummed as she made her way inside. Her eyes teared when she didn't find what or whom she was searching for. When she spotted the black-furred animal lying on the ground, her eyes sparkled as she recognized him, the one who guided her back home multiple times when she got lost.

"Doggie!" She called out excitedly.

"Not again!" He grunted as he passed out.

"It's the talking doggie!" She ran to the big-sized dog, unlike other dogs he was large but she hadn't seen normal dogs to compare him with.

She got close and called out to him when she didn't get any response, she hit him. "Doggie? Wake up!"

She almost cried when he didn't open his eyes, "Doggie?" She called out to the unconscious animal.

Finally, she noticed his body covered in wounds, "Doggie..hurt...doggie!" She shook it.

When the dog didn't respond, she ran over to her house and brought a medical kit. When she reached the spot the dog was awake, she smiled "Doggie!" The dog flinched and tried to run but he couldn't, his legs were injured. She opened the ointment and applied it to its wound, "Pain, pain go away." She sang as she blew on it. The spell worked the wound healed, they literally closed up in a second.

"How did you do that?" He blinked at the girl. When she heard him talk again, she hugged him excitedly.

"Alexa!" They heard her mother shout.

"Did you run away again?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"I came to meet." She replied.

"You're stupid. Your mom she's more stupid. Who leaves her child alone in this dangerous place?

Why do you humans live here anyway? It's dangerous." He scolded her. None of the words registered in her mind. She just grinned, staring at him with amusement.

"Go to your mom and don't ever wander alone inside the forest again." He warned her as he began to walk away.

"You going, Doggie?" She asked.

"For the last time I'm not a dog, dogs don't talk!" He glared at her.

"Doggie!" She cheered.

"Forget it. I'm just hitting my head against the wall," he rolled his eyes as he turned his back.

"No!" She ran behind him but tripped on the way and landed on her butt with a thud.

He stopped as she began to cry.

"God! What a troublemaker!" He sighed as he turned to her. She immediately stopped crying and smiled at him wiping her tears.

"Come." He lowered down as he let her climb on his back. On their way back home she rested her cheeks against his shiny black fur, soft as velvet, enjoying the feel of it she dozed off.

When she woke up, she was sleeping on the front porch. Her mom was crying holding her close, "Thank god, you're okay. I was so worried when I didn't find you."

After that day, not being able to find her only friend, she cried herself to sleep every night and went to search for him every day but she never saw him again. Soon they too moved to another place.

***

Her eyes opened to an unknown ceiling, a large empty room, traces of memories of her dream lingered. She sat up on the bed, she ran her hand over the blanket, velvety black, reminding her of her dream. "A talking dog? You were so stupid as if anything like that exists." She laughed it off.

She got off the bed and went out.

"Where the hell is this place?" She tilted her head, outside it was dark and the bonfire was lit up on the street, people sat making a circle around it. Little kids were playing, running after each other, her lips curled up to form a smile but it soon disappeared when she saw people turning into wolves. "Oh god! I've got something worse to deal with." She sighed as reality hit her.

Everyone looked at her as if they heard what she said. "oh-oh" She gulped. Just then a few silver-haired wolves made their way to her. Everyone around greeted them with a simple bow. "Now what?" She frowned as she stepped back. A woman from the crowd zoomed right in front of her, "Your highness!" She knelt down in front of her. She was taken aback by the speed she moved with, she turned back to look at whom they were referring to when she figured out she was the only person standing there she was flustered, "ME? You must've been mistaken." She shook her head.

"No, we were waiting for your arrival." One of the silverette wolves turned into a woman. Alexa almost collapsed on the ground, okay animals turning into humans she's so not used to it. She thought.

"Don't be scared, we're your family." Spoke the other wolf.

Talking wolf? Okay! She caught her breath.

"We are the previous Luna, before your mother." Soon all the silver werewolves turned into beautiful ladies, belonging to different age categories.

"Stop confusing the child with your Luna title, first let her understand where she is, what she is." spoke the eldest of them all.

"We're in the countryside, far from the city and all those bustling noises, we prefer to live here, it's peaceful isn't it?" She smiled at her.

"Hmm, yes?"

"Come it's cold, let's sit around the fire, this night is going to be long." She held her hand and led her to the bonfire, surprisingly Alexa was not scared by her touch, she felt comfortable.

The lady introduced herself as Adira Blakesley, her great-great-grandmother from her mother's side. Werewolves were not immortal but they did live for almost 1000 yrs, an exception made only to one pack 'Silver Selene' where a Luna always ruled, the Luna chosen by the moon goddess herself. She was then explained about the existence of vampires and werewolves and thousand of years of friendship turning into worst enemies.

"Yes, not just in fairytales and those novels and movies of yours." She commented.

"How.... hmm... can you read minds too?" Alexa blinked at her.

"Your face says it all, child, very expressive." She chuckled.

"Let's come to how you're related to all of us and to them." She eyed the women who had previously greeted her as 'your highness!'

"They're vampires. From your father's side." She smiled.

"Father...." She whispered. She had heard of her father was busy with his business with the inverted commas, her mother didn't talk much and she didn't push further, only one thing she was told was her father loved them and would have given everything to be with them, the question always was, why wasn't he with them? She never got the answer.

"Are you ready to go further?" She was asked. When she gave a nod, she continued.

"Your father was a Vampire King, a very special one, the one who possessed and controlled dark powers. Your mom and dad fell in love, naive kids thought they would bring a change in this world, thought that if two of them married, problems would be solved."

"What sort of problem?"

"At that time, Vampires and werewolves who dared to fall for the other kind were caught and slaughtered. They thought that they'd be able to stop those if they combined the two powerful clans, Vampire King and Luna from the Silver moon, no one would dare to object. But they were unaware exactly what were the murders for, usual enmity? No, they were scared of the prophecy, of a single ruler ruling us all like those of ancient times. Vampire council, when they had the kings as their puppet, a powerful ruler to challenge their authority, they didn't want it and werewolves, all of them have their own pack, their own leader why would they want a ruler? All the rulers were Vampires until now, why would they let a vampire rule over them?"

"We here are the werewolves who have chosen you as our leader." She then looked into her eyes. "You're the true heir for the throne, royal bloodline of Vampires, and the next Luna of the Silver moon. You're the chosen one to unite both clans again, ending the enmity and bring in the peaceful times again."