Once the werewolves realized that the fountain of immortality would lose its magic because she wasn't there to sustain it anymore, oh, they would kill everyone in plain sight.

Good thing she wasn't there to witness the bloodshed.

The entire vampire kingdom was as flat as an arctic tundra.

Far off, there were snow-capped mountain ranges.

The wind sliced at her exposed skin, and her fingers and toes felt numb.

Just when she was about to say goodbye to the group, her ears rang, and the high-pitched sound pierced her brain.

Covering her ears, Luna didn't even notice that she had collapsed.

Her face hit the snow.

She moaned in pain and brought her knees together up to her chest as she pressed her fingertips into her temples.

Her thoughts shrank, stretched, pulled, and scattered in different directions.

Luna heard every inhale and exhale and tried to focus on them for a while.

After what seemed like an eternity, her thoughts settled, and she calmed down.

Her eyes found themselves glued to the man on the other side of her--the man with ethereal gold eyes.

He looked down at her.

Luna regained her balance carefully as she stood up.

Glowering at him, she hissed, "What did you do to me?"

He reached his hand out to her, but halfway he let it fall.

A burn mark appeared on his left hand when it touched the invisible barrier.

As he stared at her, he extended his hand into the empty air and shifted it as if he was stroking her face, careful not to touch the barrier again.

"Answer me, werewolf," Luna demanded again as she bared her teeth.

Gold Eyes had this serene expression on his face, giving her a smile that didn't reach those beautiful eyes.

"You dug your own grave, and now you have to lie in it." Gold Eyes didn't laugh, but there was a twinkle in those eyes that showed he was slightly amused. "That should be punishment enough."

"What are you talking about?" Luna demanded.

"You chose to be with Death instead of me when I only wanted you to be my mate," he chastised her as if she was a child. "Look around, and you will see."

The winter sun glared of snow and ice.

Dark silhouettes resting on the trees' branches surrounded Luna, and a closer look revealed several drops of splattered blood on the fresh snow.

Vampires.

"You still have time to get back to us." Gold Eyes' voice was deep and husky, but the hard tone in his voice served as a warning. "Stay with us. We will keep you safe."

"Thanks for the offer," Luna replied with a sarcastic laugh. "I will take my chances here."

No longer in a playful mood, the Alpha werewolf growled, and Luna took a step back. His angry voice rang in her ears. "You will become a consort for the Vampire King."

Luna abruptly turned her back on him, but before she could get far, she heard an empty, eerie voice--a voice flat and devoid of emotion.

She couldn't move, and her jaw went slack.

She clutched her own throat, choking herself.

Luna coughed and sputtered.

She couldn't breathe.

Blood trickled out of her nose and ears.

Finally, she collapsed onto her knees with black and green spots dancing in her vision.

Luna swore she could see a thinning silver thread every time she closed her eyes. The thread soon disappeared, and everything went black.

***

Edited by RedPandaChick