Astoria POV
The moon is gone, and the werewolves are suffering.
The civil war among the werewolves has been catastrophic. Losses on both sides have been significant, but my appearance has turned the odds in our favor.
I have killed anyone who dares to support the Moon Goddess. I don't offer anyone mercy, much to Destin's dismay. He is worried about what my actions will do to Macy, but I like to think she would be pleased with our progress.
I did not plan on Selene snatching the moon from the sky in anger. She wanted to punish her warriors for their failure to kill me, but she has only wounded both sides. Only the strong can still shift. The rest run into battle with weapons of silver. When the battles are over, bodies litter the ground with burns covering their skin. It is a gruesome sight, but I enjoy it. Death is the only real promise in this world.
Another battle is underway. I stand on a hill above the battlefield with Douglas at my side. He wrings his hands anxiously. He is ready to fight, but he must wait a few moments longer.
"Are you going to release him?" Destin asks as he approaches me.
I wrinkle my nose in frustration. I don't like being told what to do with my pet. The longer I hold Douglas back from the battle, the hungrier he becomes.
Destin stands with his hands on his hips, waiting for me to let Douglas fight. I flick my hand in the direction of the battle, and he springs from my side.
I watch like a proud mother as Douglas kills. He is messy but effective. With time, he will perfect his skills, and he will be as lethal as me. I can't believe I ordered Macy to kill him. He is an enjoyable pet.
Blood sprays from one of his victims, and it covers his face. He turns to beam at me but pauses for a second too long. A werewolf thrusts a sword through his stomach. His vacant eyes look down at the blade, and he touches the tip with a single finger.
I am in the battle faster than ever before. The werewolf's heart is in my hand, and I squeeze. His skin turns gray, and I could create another pet, but I won't. This one gets to die.
My fingertips dig into the meat of his heart, and I rip it to pieces. Slipping my hand from his chest, I kick him to the side. Everyone dies tonight.
Pulling the sword from Douglas's back, I wipe his blood from the blade and move to the next warrior I see.
He smells like rotting flesh, like many of Selene's warriors. His clothes are tattered and worn. There is no armor to protect him from my attacks, but he holds a gun.
His hands shake as he aims the gun at my chest. I can see into his mind he isn't going to kill me. He's never fired the gun before.
I snatch the gun from his hand and turn it on him. He runs but not fast enough. I pull the trigger, and the bullet hits him in the back of the skull. His body falls forward, landing face first in the mud.
"Huh," I mutter, looking at the gun. "That was quick."
I aim the gun at the next rogue and fire, hitting him in the shoulder. Despite his injury, he continues to advance on me. Firing another shot, I hit him in the stomach. He slows but still comes toward me.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I hiss, tossing the gun to the side.
I wait until he is close enough to touch. He jumps in my direction, but I dodge his attack. He falls to the ground with a thud. When he doesn't immediately get up, I straddle his back and snap his neck.
The sound draws the attention of other rogues, and the fighting stops. I pick up my abandoned sword and twist it in my hands. Destin's warriors step back, leaving Selene's mutts to die at my hands. To their credit, none of them run, but that won't save them in the end.
In my head, I sing the silly nursery rhyme to decide who dies first. "And you are the fairy queen," I announce aloud as I point the tip of my sword at a rogue.
She loses all color when I step in her direction and drops to her knees. "Please," she whimpers. "I surrender."
"Pity," I click my tongue. "We were accepting surrenders before your comrade killed my pet."
Tears fall from her eyes, but they have no effect on me. I slice her head off anyway. It rolls on the ground, landing at the feet of another rogue. This one vomits. He will be the next to die. There is no room to be squeamish in battle.
All the rogues drop to their knees. They learned nothing from their headless friend. I will kill them all.
"Astoria," Destin shouts from behind me. "You have to let them go."
"That is a you thing," I remind him. "I am not in the business of letting my enemies live."
"But Macy is," he reminds me. "Don't add unnecessary kills to her conscience."
At the sound of her name, she stirs in the back of my mind. She has been trying to awaken for several days now, but it isn't the right time. Selene is still out there."
I drop my sword to the ground. "You all are lucky," I tell the rogues.
Alpha Charlie's men move in, taking the rogues into custody. I snarl at them as they pass by. It is fun to watch them jump in fear. If I can't kill them, I can at least make them piss themselves.
Destin lays his hand on my shoulder. Without Douglas here, there is no one to stop him from getting too comfortable with me. "Don't touch me," I remind him.
"I know she is trying to wake up," he whispers. "You need to let her."
"It is not time," I remind him. "We need to find Selene."
He hesitates before speaking again. "There is another problem."
"What is that?" I growl.
"The Luna Queen is dying," he tells me.
"We already knew that," I roll my eyes.
"No," he sighs. "It is the end. She has maybe a month left to live."
"What does that have to with me?"
He runs his fingers through his hair. "She is asking for Macy. She has heard rumors she is here. Macy will never forgive you if you don't let her say goodbye."