From Altar to Ashes
On October 9th, it becomes clear the world is in trouble.
An overwhelming sadness takes hold of every soul. Cries of anguish fill the air. Babies do not enter the world today, and the rotting smell of stillborns permeates everything.
This is a promise fulfilled, a warning unheeded.
A curse upon us.
The Goddess is angry. She has turned her back on us, cutting off her love, withdrawing her protection.
The moon goes dark, and the earth trembles beneath our feet. No stars appear this night, no wind stirs the trees.
Only the stench of death.
The promise of the Crimson Moon has descended.
I run as fast as my legs will carry me, my brother strapped to my back. The attacks come at the speed of light. Word has already spread, and evil arrives to take what was once ours.
The kingdom of the werewolves has fallen.
Vampires, elves, dragons, even the fairies want their stake. I stare in disbelief, helpless, as fire swallows the place I once called home.
I hear the cries of the dying, the anguish of regret, and I will myself to run faster.
I jolt awake to my mother’s face, crying out for help. I see my father take his last breath, mouthing for me to run. The pain of my sister being dragged into the night tears through my body.
“Goddess, please forgive us,” I scream into the darkness.
“Please forgive us.” I cry until there’s nothing left, rocking on my knees.
I look around. Darkness. I need to find a better place to hide. I need to get out of these woods, but not tonight; I have nothing left. I’ll leave at dawn. I glance at my brother, and I’m grateful he’s asleep. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s done nothing wrong.
How could the Goddess punish the innocent?
Tears run freely through the night. Just yesterday I was putting the finishing touches on my wedding. I was to marry the man of my dreams. I was one of the lucky ones.
I’ve known my mate my entire life. We came into the world only days apart, childhood friends destined to become lovers. Our wolves had played together since birth, learned to fight and hunt as a team. We were the perfect pair, blessed by the Goddess.
I close my eyes and remember our first kiss, the first time our wolves performed the pre-mating ritual, how our scents mingled with the urge to become one.
Every wolf within a thousand miles was coming for our wedding. The future Alpha and Luna to be celebrated with grandeur. Women in their finest gowns, men in their best suits, children staring in hushed delight as I walked by.
My Jace, handsome, waiting at the altar, biting his nails, nervous but thrilled we would finally mate, to finally claim me as his. It’s all he talked about for the last month.
A single tear runs down my cheek.
I hope he’s still alive.
My lungs gasp for air. The sadness of the broken bond engulfs me; I can no longer feel my pack. I try, over and over, to mindlink, searching for a surviving member of my Tribe.
The silence is maddening.
Sleep won’t come, so I sit and watch dawn break. The red-rimmed moon lingers, eerie, low. It’s time to move. Light is coming. I need to find civilization, give my brother a chance at survival. I’ll head west, to California.
A big state, easy to disappear into among the humans.
After a few weeks of hitchhiking and running through unfamiliar woods, I make it to Colorado.
“What do you think about staying here a few days, little man?” I ask my brother, tickling his stomach.
I’m exhausted. I need to rest, find work, do something; my resources are running thin. I’ve used my charm to get us food and sometimes a place to sleep, but I need money if we’re going to reach California.
I check us into a homeless shelter, playing the part of a single mother running from an abusive husband. The woman running the place takes pity on me and doesn’t ask too many questions. She even hands me some used clothes when she realizes we arrived with nothing but what’s on our backs.
Or maybe it’s the smell.
Finding work while caring for a three-year-old proves nearly impossible. Childcare costs more than half these jobs pay.
“Don’t worry, Jack,” I whisper, staring into my brother’s hazel eyes. “I promise, we’ll be alright.”
“Hey,” I call out to the giant of a man behind the bar. His eyes roll slowly over my body. “Still looking?” I ask, pointing to the flyer in my hand. He nods, flashing a wide grin, and waves me over to sit.
I exhale and settle onto the stool across from him. I listen as he runs through the rules and hands me a schedule. “Can you start tonight?” he asks. I nod. “Don’t worry,” he adds. “Easy money for a sexy young thing who knows how to move her hips.” I smile and head for the door, waving goodbye, telling Tony I’ll see him later.
Stripping isn’t an honorable job, but it lets me take care of Jack during the day. I pay Mrs. Thorn to watch him on the nights I work. She runs what’s best described as night care for the children of the night.
Street walkers, illicit peddlers, exotic dancers, and other oddities.
Jack adores her. She’s short and stocky with a broad, amole bosom, and he’s all too happy to rest his head against it.
After a month dancing, I’ve made enough to get Jack and me a small apartment. It’s not much, but better than the shelter.
Things start to settle.
I make a few friends, start to feel almost normal. I even start to think about staying in Colorado a while longer. It isn’t so bad here.
“Karis, you’ve got a booking in the champagne room,” Tony calls out, handing me the tab book.
I roll my shoulders back, adjust my breasts, check that my makeup is still in place, and push through the door.
Morphing into Desire, my sultry alter ego.
The moment I step inside, he grabs my hand and pulls me toward him.
“What pack?” he growls.
Welcome to Book 0 of the Two Halves to a Soul series.
This is not where the story begins. It is certainly not where it ends.
This is where a Luna is crowned Alpha. Where a Luna devours the Moon.
Welcome to No Gods Left to Beg.
