Fourteen

 

 

 

Despite the relative quiet of the house, Luna’s head was full of noise. Misty’s tragic story reverberated in her mind, twisted images of abuse and pain refusing to leave no matter how hard she tried. Since werewolves could smell when someone lied, and neither Michael or Chase and refuted her claims, Luna could only assume she’d been telling the truth.

What kind of madman would do that to a child? Chain her up and make her walk around on all fours like some dog? Raped at sixteen, forced into a life of slavery to keep the last of her family as safe as she could … A shudder ran down her spine at the thought of what Misty had endured for so many years.

Could I survive that long? The thought came out of nowhere, but it stuck. Could I allow myself to be abused like that every day for Michael to survive? To be degraded, to have a twisted psychopath rape me over and over again if it meant Michael would live? Even before the tear slipped silently out of the corner of her eye, Luna knew the answer.

Yes.

Michael was right. They were the only family they had now. Just as he would take on an entire army of Dean Russo’s, Luna would sacrifice her dignity and her life for her brother.

As she was contemplating this, the plate she was holding slipped out of her hand and back into the washing bowl. Lukewarm soapy water splashed over her chin and chest, producing a strangled gasp. Since Michael had stormed off in a huff, Pierre was checking the perimeter, and Chase had gone off to the guesthouse to guard Misty, that left Luna in charge of cleaning the kitchen.

At least she had something to do. Heaving a sigh, she picked up the plate and ran a cloth over it again. What she wouldn’t give to be sitting back in Paris, enjoying a meal out in a little café, watching the tourists stroll by, eagerly snapping photos to remind them of their time in France. Instead, she was washing up after werewolves and waiting for more to come and snatch her.

Oh, what fun! Paris had nothing on Virginia, obviously.

Blowing out another sigh, her shoulders sagging, Luna resumed the monotonous task of cleaning and drying. Pushing out all negative thoughts, she concentrated on the plates and cutlery, the fading warmth of the water, and the sounds of the wind blowing outside. The curtains were open, allowing a stream of moonlight to shine through. It wasn’t quite the full moon, but it would be in a few days. What she wouldn’t give to go outside and bathe in all its beauty. 

“What are you staring at, sis?” His voice was gentle, as though if he spoke any louder it would cause her to break.

Luna sighed, staring at the dark velvet sky. The tales of various moon goddesses from world mythology flooded her mind. She smiled. “The moon. It looks so beautiful tonight.”

“She is a tempting mistress,” Michael replied softly, standing beside her. “Apart from you and mom, she’s been the only other constant woman in my life.”

“Some men are married to their work, you’re married to the moon,” Luna joked, turning around slightly to give him a ghost of a smile.

Slightly shaking his head, the moonlight caught the natural highlights in his hair, making them sparkle. “Nah, she’s too beautiful and aloof to be wife material. She’s a goddess and I just a humble worshipper.” Turning, Michael slowly raised his hand to Luna’s face, gently wiping the traces of the fallen tear from her skin. A tender smile played across his lips. “Don’t cry. You can worship her, too, if you like. Perhaps not the way I do, but no one can be as perfect as me,” he told her, winking.

Laughter peeled from her lips before she could stop herself. “Oui, Michael, you carry on telling yourself that. Maybe someday someone will believe you’re as perfect as I am.”

“Well, you’ve got two guys who certainly think you’re God’s gift. Don’t know how you do it.” Even though the words were uttered light-heartedly, Luna could hear the pang of something else underneath it.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked, a crease forming between the delicate arches of her brows.

“Nothing,” Michael muttered, a flash of something shining through his eyes. Snatching the dishcloth from her hands, he began wiping the frying pan with an intense look of concentration on his face.

For a moment, Luna bit her tongue, but before she knew it, her mouth was opening. “No, come on, Michael. If you have something to say, then say it. Don’t keep me in suspense.” 

Throwing down the towel onto the counter, Michael turned to face her, his mask now removed. “Fine. I’m sick to death of your boyfriends constantly having a go at each other over the slightest little thing. Chase will say one thing, Frenchie will say another, and bam – it’s on. Then there’s me in the middle, trying to defuse the damned thing. I’m pissed off with the whole damned thing.”

The bitterness in his voice took Luna by surprise. Small frown lines formed between her eyes. “It’s not my fault they bicker from time to time. Actually, I thought they have been behaving pretty well recently.” Her voice held a warm trace of anger she could not control.

Scoffing, his eyes pierced down into her own. “You’re an idiot at times, Luna, especially when it comes to men. They both want you. Hell, I’ve never seen Chase as infatuated with anyone before and especially not over a human. He’s always stayed away from them until you came back. As for your bloodsucker … I’ve seen the look in his eyes when he glances in your direction. He may try to hide it, but it’s the same look a dying man gets when he sees an angel. Heck, he’s spent the last five months stuck in rural Virginia with a pack of wolves so that he can get you back. They’re both dating you despite hating each other. And they’re not even getting laid! That says a hell of a lot, sis.”

Luna tore her eyes from Michael’s, not liking the intense look in them. It was a struggle to find the right words. Ignoring the quickening of her heartbeat, she stood to her full height and looked at him straight into his eyes. Wasn’t there a rule not to look at a mad werewolf in the eye? He’s not getting out of this so easily. “It’s not like I wanted this situation. I never wanted to be stuck between two men. I do my best to calm any tensions between them, to be fair to them both. What more can I do?” She spread her hands wide, inviting him to give her advice.

“Pick one!” Michael snarled, throwing up in hands in exasperation. “For Christ’s sake, Luna, if you were a guy you’d let your dick pick for you. Do whatever it is you women do, and fucking do it fast, because I don’t want to deal with it anymore.”

Luna jabbed a finger in his direction, anger forming lines between her brows. “Don’t you swear me at me! Who do you think you’re talking to? What’s your problem tonight, Michael? Why are you like this all of a sudden? It’s not like you.”

Without saying anything, Michael pushed past Luna, his shoulder contacting with hers, leaving a small ache in his wake. Sweet gods alive, what is wrong with him tonight? Luna asked herself, her mouth agape, confusion running through her. Each word from his lips felt like a thorn digging into her heart. A hot tear burned at the corner of her eye, but she refused to let it fall.

Squaring her shoulders, Luna strode out of the kitchen, following him upstairs. Halfway up, she heard the slamming of his door. For a second, it felt as though the house would tremble under its force. When she stood outside his door, she gently pushed it open.

Luna watched as Michael’s chest heaved with ragged pants as he sprawled out on his bed, his arms flung across his face. Slowly she made her way over to the bed and sat down on the edge gingerly. The shadows weaved across the dark blue walls, blending in with the grey and blue bedspread slung messily over the bed. Moonlight poured in through the unopened curtains, highlighting the pale blonde streaks in his hair. Silence hung between them for a moment before she mustered up the courage to open her mouth. “Michael, talk to me,” she pleaded in what was almost a whisper.

Through the shadows and the moonlight, Michael’s face twitched. “I’m sorry, Luna, I shouldn’t have sworn at you. Dad would’ve clipped me around the head if he’d heard me.”

“And mum would have said that you weren’t too old or big to go over her knee.” Waves of memories of her parents crashed over her, the pain in her heart all-consuming. “I miss them.”

A sigh escaped from his mouth, layered in exhaustion and his own memories. “Yeah, so do I.” Although the silence seemed to stretch for an eternity, Luna waited for Michael to explain. Eventually, with another deep sigh, his arm fell from his face and grudgingly sat up. She found in the depths of his blue eyes a combination of dread and enervation. “I just … I just don’t know how everything got to this point, sis. I’m exhausted with everything. Mary’s dead. Tim’s dead. Kevin’s dead. Jack’s dead. Who’s next? There were fourteen of us in the pack, and now we’re down to ten if I include Misty. We weren’t the biggest pack in the country, but now … We’re weak, Luna. I don’t know if we can survive this.”

Shoulders sagging, and her heart lodged in the back of her throat, Luna struggled to swallow. “Michael -”

“This is one of the reasons why I wanted you out of the country. If Russo – when - Russo comes, I wanted you out of his reach. He can’t get to you when you’re in France. But you decided it was more important to stay for some reason I can’t explain. You should’ve left.” His last words were a whisper, but the sadness in his eyes screamed.

“I was never going to leave you, Michael. Even if I did return to Paris, Russo would have slaughtered you and the pack. How could I live with myself knowing my safety cost you and the others their lives? Besides, you could have offered to come with me.”

Shaking his head, Michael gave her a wan smile. “An alpha is tied to his land. I can leave for a short time, but the draw would force me to return.”

Questions burned the tip of her tongue. She turned to face him. “You’ve never really clarified that. Explain it, please?”

His hands ran through his hair, brushing the strands from his face. Fatigue saturated every one of his features. “Every alpha has some kind of mystical connection to their territory. It’s not so much with rest of the pack, but when one alpha dies, the land demands someone take their place. Shifters have this incredible relationship with the earth, and where we live. It gives us strength, power, a total feeling of oneness. If we leave it too long, we grow weak and eventually die. I’d probably be able to stay away from here for a while but anything over six months I would die, and the earth would choose someone to take my place.”

Luna gasped, horror rolling within the confines of her stomach. “You’d die?”

Nodding, Michael heaved another sigh. “The goddess is a demanding one, sis. She expects someone to look over each of the packs and if you’re not up to the task, well, why should she keep you around?”

“Jeez, there’s so much I still don’t understand about your world.” The realisation sent another stab of pain through her heart. “This is why Dad could never leave here, right? Why none of you could move to France with me because he would die?”

Another nod. “Yep. And since we all knew I was going to be the alpha after Dad, I would most likely have died after him. Then there was the fact that the pack would’ve found us. What’s easier to find – a family of four Americans, two of which are werewolves, or one little human girl young enough to blend in with her peers?”

Despite the hurt that still lingered, his words did make sense. After all, the boarding school run by supernatural beings and protected by powerful magic was the best place to send her. Michael and her father would have needed somewhere safe to change and run freely, not to mention the danger they would be putting the local packs in by staying with or near them. No, as much as she hated to admit it, Michael was right. Sending her away by herself was far safer for them all.

But it didn’t stop Russo from coming after her.

For an instant, the idea of escaping back to France seemed like a good choice. Russo couldn’t leave his territory for long, and since she had no such ties to her brother’s land, she would be safe. But then shame flooded through her. Russo would slaughter Michael and the rest of the pack. If Michael was willing to die for her, she would do the same. It was the right thing to do. The only thing to do. Sucking in a deep breath and forcing back the tears threatening to fall, Luna reached out and took her brother’s hand in hers. “Michael,” she said in a breathless whisper. “Family sticks together. It doesn’t matter what happens, I would never leave you to face any kind of danger on your own.”

Slipping his hand out of hers and sliding around her shoulders, Michael’s arms pulled her into a soft embrace. His skin warmed her own, his scent a mixture of salt and pine, reminiscent of a forest on the edge of a cliff, surrounding her like a soft blanket. “Together forever, sis. It’s us against the world. But you’re seriously going to have to do something about your love life.” Although there was a firmness to his words, his tone was gentle. He was right.

Luna rested her head on his shoulders, breathing in his warmth. “I know I do. For a while, I thought that if I left it, the whole thing would play out. That I wouldn’t need to make a decision. But you’re right. I do need to decide.”

Michael’s voice was soft, his tone tender. “What does your heart tell you?”

“When I was dating Pierre back in France, it was wonderful. He’s so cultured, so gentle, so sophisticated, and we would do amazing things together. Everything a woman would want that. I truly loved him. Then I came here, and I met Chase again. Chase is everything Pierre isn’t. Sexy, powerful, utterly tempting. Before I knew it, I was giving into that temptation. Telling Pierre was the hardest thing I had to do – it was harder than facing Lyulf or even those werewolves last year. Then all of a sudden, he’s back, he’s half-vampire, and telling me he wants to try and work on our relationship again. It’s hard to describe, Michael, but it was like I had this chance to put things right.”

“And you wanted to try to make things OK?” The gentleness in his voice was etched with curiosity.

A soft sigh trickled from her lips, and she rubbed a hand over her weary eyes. “I knew I could never make it go away, but I wanted the chance of redemption. I still loved him, even though he lied to me about what he is.”

“And Chase?”

“Chase.” Luna released a lingering breath as she whispered his name. “I love him, too. He’s funny, gorgeous, protective, and wicked. I love the way he says my name, the way my knees go weak when he touches me.”

Michael lifted a finger in warning and grimaced. “Too much information, sis.”

Laughter bubbled from her lips. “I didn’t mean … Anyway, the point is that I really don’t know how to pick. They are both wonderful in their own ways. But there are times when I wonder if I keep Pierre around more because of what I did to him.”

“Redemption can be a strong urge,” Michael admitted.

Luna sighed. “I’m not the only one who’s been feeling it.”

Michael rolled his head back, and Luna could feel his body tense against hers. “Misty. I have no idea what to do with her.”

“I don’t want the Blood Slave spell forced upon her. She’s been a slave for most of her life. Plus, she saved me twice in a week. If she had wanted to kill me, she could have done it either time,” she told him, her tone firm. 

“I suppose. I just …” Michael’s voice trailed off.

Luna pressed him further. “You just what?”

“It might sound nuts, but I’ve forgiven her for trying to kill me, even if no one else does. If it had been me in her situation, and Russo had you in his hands, I would’ve killed anyone he asked to keep you safe. He’s a sick bastard; he shouldn’t be ruling over any wolves, or even be alive. One of the reasons I like being alpha is keeping others safe. I want our pack to be a source of safety for wolves who’ve suffered under assholes like Russo. Misty’s suffered more than any other wolf I’ve known. She needs protecting.” There was a strange tone to his voice, as if he was just learning something for the first time.

Lifting her head, she raised her eyes to see a strange tension at the corners of his eyes. “Are you in love with her?”

“No, I wasn’t ever in love with her,” he clarified, shaking his head slightly. “She was sexy as sin and fun, so I bedded her, but love was never in the equation. Now, she needs protection and to be shown how healthy packs run. I want to show her how true packs live. That’s what separates us from the Crescent Moon pack – we’re a true pack. If we don’t lead the way, how would others follow suit?”

Luna squeezed her brother’s waist before giving him a warm smile. “You’re a real alpha, Michael. I know you have your doubts, but I could never doubt you. And I don’t think anyone else would either.”

Pressing her closer into the warmth of his body, Michael rested his chin on the top of her head. “I hope so. I really do, because we’re going to need all the help we can get.”