Chapter 72

I stood up away from mother, and she was reaching for me, trying to figure out where I'd gone.

Jennifer said, "What did this bitch tell you? She's been out to ruin me ever since she came here, and now she's even after my own mother. How low can someone be."

Mother's blind eyes were searching the room to see. Her lips were quivering with pain, but finally she said, "I know my daughters, Jennifer. I know Alissa has come back, even if she has a new name. I could not be fooled."

I was slightly in front of her to shield her from my awful sister. "She's going to stay with me," I insisted.

"No," Jennifer said. "Mother, do not go with this imposter. I don't know what she intends for you, but she will never let me see you again."

Panic seized mother's face, her hands found the skirt of my dress and she gripped and tugged at me. "What is happening? Jennifer, why would you say that? Alissa? Don't you have kind words for your sister?"

My hands were balled to fists, Ariana was active inside me, ready to fight this time. I had guards outside, but I would not need them. I had already decided not to kill Jennifer, and I would never in front of my mother, that could only traumatize her further, but I was not going to let Jennifer lie any more, or take her away from me again.

"Why don't you tell mother what really happened to me?" I said.

"You ran away, and I took your place and the responsibilities you abandoned." Jennifer retorted angrily. "Do not come back here and pretend otherwise."

I could not contain myself this time. Ariana took over, I shifted to the white wolf and lunged at Jennifer. She also shifted, her mostly white wolf had one strip of black fur down her back, otherwise the wolves would be identical.

I ripped into her, not to kill, but to submit. She flailed and fought, but her effort to fight were completely without skill, she had clearly never learned to fight like I had. Her strength was purely in her willpower, and not in her body or wolf.

Ariana grabbed her by the back of her neck and threw her to the ground. She floundered and snarled, but I would not allow for her fangs to reach me.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Mother was shouting and crying. The room filled with the smell of her terror and pain. I sensed that when I hurt Jennifer, it only hurt her too. "What are you doing?" She cried out, only able to hear us growl, and tear around the small room, knocking over some of the furniture.

My heart broke, I did not want to hurt my mother. In a moment of doubt, Jennifer was able to whirl on me and slash open my leg. I bested her in the next moment with more strength and reflex than she'd ever learned or practiced.

I pinned her to the ground by her neck, and would not let her move. My body language insisted that she knew that I would not let her up till she agreed to confess.

She growled low in her throat, rejecting the demand. She would have me kill her first, and show our mother what a bitch I truly was.

"Alissa? Jennifer? Please stop! Don't hurt one another." She was sobbing. She had stood up from her chair with her cane, and was waving it around the room, tapping on the items to try to find us. "I love you both, I always have and always will, stop!"

I shifted back to human form, but I kept my hands at Jennifer's throat, comforted at least that mother could not see the fight. I was strong enough to hold her down still, and whipped out a knife to hold it to her throat.

"Tell her the truth, Jennifer," I warned low in my throat. "Or so help me…" I could not finish my threat for fear of upsetting mother too much.

"Alissa, is it really you? Why are you doing this?" Mother said with trembling words.

Jennifer sputtered and squirmed as she shifted back to human form. "Her name is Alyson. Mother, she's hurting me. Help!" She gasped out.

Mother's breaths were short and distressed behind me. She was tapping her cane all over the room as if to find us.

"Tell her," I pressed the knife firmly into her neck. "Otherwise, I will."

"Why would you break her heart?" Jennifer said. "And kill the only daughter she's had all these years."

I could not contain it any longer, I shouted, "Because you killed me! You betrayed me, Jennifer, and now that I've come back, I will be Luna. And you will be banished for the rest of your life."

"Jennifer?" Mother's sad voice rang out pitifully.

"She stole my life, mama," I said. "Her and Jacob had me locked away for six years and Jennifer killed me on our eighteenth birthday and married Jacob. They bled me and abused me for six years. I am not angry and violent for nothing. I only tell you this so you understand."

Confused sobs erupted from her, her hand clasped over her face and she shook her head with disbelief.

"What a disgusting thing to say," Jennifer said. "Mother, you can't believe this imposter."

"I don't know what to do," mother said. "I can't see."

"We don't look anything alike anymore," Jennifer said, slipping in her words and slightly indicating at the truth. Her mouth clamped shut and she glanced at our mother as if hoping she wouldn't catch that.

But mother's face resigned with understanding.

"I really died on my eighteenth birthday, but the Moon Goddess sent me back with a new face. That's why." What if she didn't believe me after all this? What if she went off with Jennifer. It's not like I would force her to stay with me. I could not be like my sister.

I thought long and hard, there had to be something I could say to prove my identity. Mother and I had many special moments between us and no one else. I could say something from that, and then she could know I was telling the truth.

"You used to call me your heart child, because I had a big heart like you. You would say Jennifer was spirited when she was really being mean. Well, her spiritedness went way too far. She's not a good person. She sold her soul to Jacob when she betrayed her own sister, and I don't think you should go with her. Think about how she locked you away in this house? Have you been able to see anyone in all these years?"

I knew my words connected with her. She was backing away, her eyes staring upwards, her horror was lit up by realization.

I took the knife and put it back in my hoslter. And I returned to mother, embracing her. She held me and stroked my hair.

Jennifer was breathing heavily on the ground and glaring up at us. There was murder in her eyes, but if we'd learned anything today, it was that I was a lot stronger and more dangerous than her.

"Mama, please come with me? I've already had to grow up without you. I need you to come to my wedding tomorrow. You won't have to be hidden away anymore." I said gently.

She nodded her head, but her trembling lips were speechless.

We passed Jennifer and stepped out of the cabin into the sunlight together. I was holding onto her to guide her. My guards met me out there.

"Please watch Jennifer. She will be banished officially tomorrow, but I can't have her causing any trouble."

"Yes, Luna." He bowed, giving me the respects that I hadn't even officially been granted yet, but it felt nice to be recognized early.

As mother and I walked away, arms gripped each other, Jennifer screamed after us from the cabin, "You're a terrible mother! You leave your only daughter! I hate you for this!"

I placed my hands over mother's ears, and kissed her on the cheek. "You're not a horrible mother."

"Then why did she turn out this way? Why did she do all that?" Her voice broke.

And my heart broke for her. I didn't know what to say to it, so I let the moment stir around us, and I let her feel my company.

"You did well with me. Or I never would have survived this long and grown so much from all these trials," I said. "We have catching up to do,"

"Hmm," she agreed, or maybe just accepted my words. It was hard to tell.

"And a long time to do it." I added.

Jennifer was still screaming behind us. The last thing I heard her say was, "You'll pay for this! I will not let you get away with this!"