Page 202 of His Blue Moon Princess

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry I didn’t even love myself. I will learn, I promise. Forgive me.”

She starts crying again, bawling out while holding on to me too. The more she cries, the more relieved I feel. Behind her, I look at the wolf, not wanting to go to her anymore. Thatwolf isn’t me. She is the one I’ve always wanted to be—the perfect, fearless, beautiful, and strong white wolf.

I am not perfect, and I will never be. It’s like Damian said. I have to allow myself to be weak sometimes and to cry, too. I have to learn to rely on others and to have faith in my friends. I need to accept their love and love myself. I don’t need to be a perfect Luna for Damian. He probably wouldn’t love me if I was. I think he said it before. He loves how fragile I can be and how I make him doubt and wonder. I can be that girl. I can be... me.

“Thank you...”

As she whispers that, she suddenly vanishes from my arms, and a wave of warmth washes over me. I glance at the wolf again. This time, she has changed. My scar is there. She looks a bit thinner too, and not as mighty as before. Now, she’s my wolf. That’s the real me.

She gently walks to me, and I pat her.

“Sorry I didn’t listen to you earlier... And sorry I wasn’t gentler with myself... With us.”

She puts her head under my arm, and I keep caressing her for a while before she retreats to look me in the eye.

“We need to go back now... To Damian. I need your strength.”

She nods, and we put our foreheads against each other. I finally feel her... All of her. As if I had only been hearing an echo all this time. This is me; this is my wolf. She starts growling, louder and louder. I feel a rise of power, something strong and beautiful coming from within.

I wake up to Marcus’ yelling.

“What are you doing? You slut...”

I suddenly get up. I don’t know where I get the strength to. I am a she-wolf, I amher. I growl, ready to attack.

Marcus grabs his gun, but I jump first. I go for his wrist and bite it as hard as I can. His screaming echoes through the walls, but I don’t care. If I back off now, I’ll be dead. I bite again, and again, and again while he swears and struggles. Blood flows down all sides. I hear a gunshot, and suddenly he stops moving.

I stop and let go. What a scene... I’m not sure if I killed him or if he unintentionally shot himself, but... Marcus is dead for good. His revulsed eyes and open injuries are gruesome, and I stumble away from it. I struggle to shape-shift back for what feels like an eternity. My body has gone past its limits. My leg is so painful... and I can barely see anything. I try to find my dress in the dark and clumsily put on whatever’s left of it. I’m tottering to the door. I feel so horribly sick; every step is a fight in itself. I use all of my weight to push against it, and while doing so, notice something bright bouncing on my shoulders.

Moon Goddess, is that... my own hair? I turned completely white! I check again, doubting my eyes, but every dark curl has really turned into a pure white, like my wolf’s fur. What is this? I don’t notice any other changes in this darkness, but my hair is almost glowing. I will wonder later— I need to get out of here...

I finally open the door and fall into what looks like the inside of a cabin... It’s barely enough for one person, but Marcus made this place a mess. And it reeks of drugs, too. I ignore it, and fight to stay awake, use what strength I have left to make it to the door.

When I finally open it, I see a silhouette running to me.

“Nora!”

I don’t really understand what is going on around me. I think my legs just gave up. I hear steps running to me, andscrawny hands grab my arms. It takes me a few seconds to recognize that face, those shivering hands holding me.

“Oh, Moon Goddess, no, no… I’m so sorry, Nora... Forgive me, please...”

“…Alec?”

I want to push him away, get away from my brother. What is he doing here? Instead, I feel him hugging me. I don’t have any strength left to push him away…I lose balance.

“You have to hold on... Nora...”

I hear his voice. Calling my name, again and again.

“I’m sorry... I promise I’ll do things right, this time. I’ll save you...”

Everything is blurry, and I’m so tired... I fight to stay awake, but I know myself how bad my state must be at that moment.

Why him? Why would my brother come to save me, of all people? How did he even get here...?

I smell him, but it’s different from before. Something has changed. I can feel he’s skinnier under his ragged clothes, too... I close my eyes for a second and struggle to open them again.

“You have to stay awake... I’ll get you there...”

---