Mark Of Change (Firemoon Book 1)

by Sky Wilde

  Tears fill my eyes and I hug him tight. He doesn’t understand why I am crying. But, he still puts his arms around me and comforts me.

  As if I am not crying, my sister laughs and adds, “He is not fully human.”

  Wait what? He is a part-blood? “You said he is not of our kind...” She nods.

  I turn to Grey and ask, “Then what is he?”

  He brushes his thumb on my cheek and I lean into his touch. Delilah shrugs and waves it off. “He is not a magic user, but he definitely has some... thing, in his blood. It is too dilute for me to figure it out. But he is not fully human and you have nothing to worry. He might be one of those weird paranormals.”

  I feel immense relief on her words. At least my mate won’t walk away from me. I know Grey will never leave me even if he was a human, but this secures everything. And I am ready. Ready to give myself as a whole to him.

  Delilah claps her hand once and says, “Don’t forget sister. A favour for a favour. So, my work is done. By the way, finish the ritual as soon as possible. As long as you put it off you will still be in danger. Yet, be safe and have fun." She winks and vanishes.

  I reach over and put my arms around his waist. “So, you can feel the pull too.” He looks confused for a second before realization sets in.

  He nods, “I thought it was love at first sight, or at least intensive attraction. But I ruled out the later because I have never been interested in women before. All I had in my mind was to keep running my dad’s business. Though, it is not love at first sight, is it?”

  I put my fingers on his lips. “It is love at first sight. Except, it is more like my soul looked into your soul and decided that it can’t live without yours at its side. And thus, it pleaded fate and fate obliged. That is why there is the mate bond pull.”

  He puts his arm on my butt and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and put my hands on his shoulders to support myself. But, it seems he is strong... like really strong. He uses one arm to hold me up and uses the other to pull me into a deep kiss.

  I kiss him back with all I have. Because today is special. Today is the day I have confirmed that my mate will never break me. Today is the day I completely get off Mickelson’s radar. Today is the day I am going to make my soulmate wholly my own mate. After this I have no fear of my mom, no fear for my life because I have him by my side, forever.

  We live longer lives than humans. The average life span stays at about a two-hundred including everything. The strong ones live over three-hundred years. And I will share my whole life with Grey.

  He pulls back and I whine my protest with my eyes closed. I was just getting started...

  He abruptly puts me down. And I open my eyes to look what is wrong. Grey’s mouth is open, once again. He is starting to get pale, again.

  Seriously, he was still cool after the literal shell bomb I dropped. What could have him on the edge now?

  I look over my shoulder at the direction he was looking at, to find my heart skip a beat. There stands a figure of my aunt, again. I groan and turn my torso towards her to step between my sister and my mate, and of course, my palm starts getting itchy to slap her again. She is disturbing my mate too much. But, her face never wavers from the serious look.

  I frown and use my magic perspective to confirm whether this is Delilah back to mess with me. But no, this woman is not Delilah... this is my real aunt. I squeak and jump away from Grey.

  I put more distance between us and use my hair to curtain my face and cover up the deep red on my face. Damn, what is with me and getting caught in the most embarrassing moments...? It feels like I am destined to get caught.

  Grey approaches me and puts his arm around me. I look up to him and he has his jaw tense and his eyes hold hostility. I look over to the other person present to see that my aunt is literally fuming. Her face is red and she has her hands in fist.

  Grey stares back at her with his face impassive. I decide to step up and break the silence. I leave his side and take some steps forward, “Sorry aunty... This is my fault...”

  She approaches me. I look down from the intense gaze she has. Before I can say anything, my head spins for a moment and a mind-blowing pain appears on my cheek.

  Grey’s whole body tenses up and he rushes forward and catches my whole weight before I can fall from the blow. He yells something at his mom and she yells back at him, pointing her hand at me. I feel dizziness overtaking me. I let it have me.

  Darkness. Darkness is the only absolute peaceful place in this earth. I may be a sorcerous, but first and foremost I am a person and I have emotions too. I let out some tears and the darkness completely overtakes me.

  *Grey*

  MY MOM HAD HIT HER. All I could see was her falling down and my body reaching out to catch her. All I could feel was her steady breath when she slipped into unconsciousness. I didn’t even recognize the curses I spewed at my own mom...

  She started crying and left the room. I take December in my arms. She still has a swollen cheek. I gently rub it with my free hand. My December doesn’t even weigh more than a feather. She is light... so light that I could cradle her using only one arm.

  Her breaths are steady, but her body is heating. I place my free hand on her forehead and confirm my suspicion. She has a fever. I put my other arm around her and place a kiss on her forehead, whispering, “It will be fine. You will get well before you know it.”

  I rush to my room, ignoring the pang of guilt on yelling at my mom like that.

  I yell some orders for the maids to bring clothes, water, tub, towels and pills. They are running to keep up with my requests and some collide into each other. And I don’t care.

  My mom... hit... December so bad that she got a fever. A growl escapes my throat at the thought. I would kill anyone who hurts her, even if it is my own family.

  She snuggles closer to me placing her hands on my chest. I look at her small figure and see that her eyes are fitful. Even in her unconscious state... she cares for me. She instinctively is trying to ease my worries. I let out my tears at the sight.

  How could I let her fail like this...? I should have stood by her against my mom. I could have saved her from all these trouble. Yet... I was weak.

  I will no longer be weak. I will get strong and stronger till I am sure I can protect her from anything. Even if the world comes against her, against us... I will tear it down and protect her.

  I promise today to keep her happy for the rest of my life.

  I swear today to make her worries go to dust and I will protect her.

  Something snaps in me and I feel an instant rush of power inside me. I feel warmth from my chest, but I don’t care about anything... First comes my December, then I will see what is the matter with my body.

  I rush into my room and place her on my bed. Her arm reaches out and grabs my wrist. I lean in and place a kiss on her forehead and gently remove her grip. Ordering the maids to wash her using towel and change her into something less constricting, I leave the room to give them some privacy.

  I decide against facing my mom. I might hurt her if I see her now.

  The maids knock from the other side and I walk in. She is all clean and her face doesn’t look red and pale like before. Her body is covered with a frilly dress, maybe my mom’s or the maids’. I wave them off and push the arm chair beside the bed.

  I plop down on it and watch December for as long as I can.

  Every time she moaned from the fever, I took a wet cloth and placed it on her forehead. I gave regular pills to her, every time the fever spiked up into higher levels.

  That was when she started shivering. The windows were closed and the heater was on. I covered her with blankets and still it didn’t stop. I started panicking, but when I placed a hand on her forehead, the shivering stopped.

  So, I get on with her and snuggle her closely to my chest, laying my arm around her. The shivering goes away, and the fever is reducing. I mumble the words, “I love you...” to her knowing she is not awa
ke and fall asleep.

  I will take care of mom later, but now she needs me and I will be there with her.

  I will be there for her every day and night from this day, if she lets me. I hope she lets me.

  Shell Bomb

  *December*

  I wake up with something hot under me. It is too hot and sweaty. Like someone had put me in a frying pan. I push the blanket off, thinking it is just the plush blanket. But, the heat doesn’t reduce.

  Damn... Just let me sleep.

  I open my eyes groggily and look around. The curtains are closed and the light is coming under the room. That is when I realize that I have an arm around me.

  I rub my eyes and when it focuses, I realize I have my head on someone’s shoulder. That is when the past rushes in. I wake up so fast that I trip over the interlaced leg we have, and fall straight to the floor.

  Ugh... When am I going to get over falling to the floor?

  Grey bolts upright from the bed and is in full alert, surveying the room for threats. Finally, his blue eyes lands on me on the floor. I rub the hurt place and shake my head to clear my gaze.

  He laughs. Of course, he can be the only one who laughs at a time like this... at a situation like this.

  Involuntarily tears fill my eyes. I stand up, and rush into the bathroom attached to the bedroom. I hear him yelling, “December. I am sorry,” and “Please open the door," and more apologies from the other side. I can feel how much he is hurting through the bond. It is a faint pulsing indicating that my other half is in danger or is hurting.

  The mate bond is getting tight and is growing because of our time spent together. I wanted to complete the mate bond today and this is how he treats me. Even his mom slapped me for hugging him. Maybe it is best I leave him... he won’t have to put with this clumsy, emotional, weak and terrible me.

  I unlock the door, deciding to put it out there. If he agrees with me, I will find a way to break this bond even if it breaks my heart. And I will leave his family alone.

  As soon as the lock opens, the door swings in and I stagger backward. Grey’s eyes are not blue anymore, it is bloodshot and he has a vein popping out on his forehead.

  “Don’t dare you take self-pity on yourself. It hurts me so bad to even take in about the fact that you feel things like that.” He approaches me. I look away from his intense gaze.

  “How could you say?” Can he feel the mate bond as well as I can? I never thought so.

  “I can sense your feelings December. Your self-pity is radiating like pieces of shards from you and pierces straight into my heart.” He shakes his head and pulls me into a hug. I sigh at the gesture and my worries melt. He can sense my... Wait!

  “Did you... Did we have...?”

  Oh my god. I don’t remember completing the mate bond... and Grey is not the type who takes advantage of an unconscious girl.

  He shakes his head and clenches his fist. “I would never do that to you December. Yes you slept on my shoulder and I cuddled with you, but that was only because you had shivers last night and your fever was high... I gave you a pill and watched you into late night, but the shivers never stopped, so I used my body heat.”

  “Oh...” I didn’t know I was that bad off. Damn, my aunt is something else. If she could do that to me with just one slap... without even realizing her real power... then she could just snap me like a twig if she wants to.

  “I need to talk...” He cocks his head to the side. “... To your mom.” His face becomes red once again.

  “No.” Just one single word said it all. He is afraid and he will never let me do it.

  “Please, Grey. You know I have to speak with her. Please.” I really want to warn her about her magic and say that I will have Grey whether she lets me or not.

  “No.” Again, only a single word says volumes about his feelings. He cares for me, but he cares for his mom too. He will not risk hurting either of us.

  He is not going to let me even if I pleaded him... that much seems clear to me. So I push him back with air and hold him in place. Thanks to my sister’s generous gift of her reserve, I am stronger than before and my reserve is full.

  “You will forgive me later, but now, I got to speak with her.”

  I shut out the curses and his pleas, as I pull on leggings. This sundress is really short for my preference. I walk out, and ask directions to a maid dusting something off. She points the way and I trot toward my aunt’s room. I don’t bother releasing him until I was out his room and already halfway to my aunt’s room. At the moment I release him, I can feel him running towards me. So I take off to my aunt’s room.

  I burst in, knowing that she will not be pleased to see me. But what I didn’t expect was her sipping coffee on her balcony, sunbathing with a robe on. I lock the door, knowing full well that Grey is already halfway from here.

  My aunt looks at me and sighs. She wipes out her eyes and that is when I notice that she has dried out tears. Her voice is low, like a wounded animal. “I am sorry... for yesterday.”

  Ironically I was the one who was out all night. But my voice is clear. “Aunt, I need to explain something to you.”

  She cuts me off with a wave and plops her head back on the chair. “You realized that I am a part-blood of your kind, right?” My mouth goes agape. She knows...

  “Yes I know it. My dear niece, I was raised by my mother knowing what my powers are. I married an Alpha and I was in his harem for years. That is when I met my husband and his little son, your Grey. I instantly knew that he was my mate. He fell in love at first sight with me. Despite being used as a harem girl by that Alpha, I hung out with him every day secretly.

  “My alpha found it out and decided to take us both out of the equation... He was about to kill me and him... and I hugged Grey tight as my mate hugged me, giving up on everything. That is when I saw the truth. My mate was not of our kind. He was a real shifter. He shifted into a lion and tore out the opposition despite the numbers. When the magic neutralizer of one of the Alpha’s harem girls hit us, it changed him back to human. That is when I understood him as a whole. He was also a... hunter.” I gasp at that.

  Hunters, descendants of angels, created to battle the supernatural beings, descendants of demons. It is a pretty fucked up history. But in short, the demons mated with humans and impregnated them in their short stay and created offspring of them to rule. The angels also impregnated the humans and let them fight the demon children. Yeah, pretty messed up.

  And those Divines are vicious. They don’t show up anywhere, and live in secluded places. But, when they do show up... It doesn’t end well for us supernaturals, or paranormals like my mate. Or... is Grey a hunter too?

  Despite the shell bomb, she continues, “He killed them all like it was nothing. His body had this blue hue around it, and daggers were flying through air. Before I knew it, he had taken out everyone. And he turned towards me. I was ready... for him to kill me. I gave up, utterly devastated to find that my life would end by my mate’s hand. I was ready, December... to give my life away. I pulled Grey behind me as I saw my mate moving towards me with his eyes utterly glowing icy-blue.

  “That is when he knelt down before me and apologized for everything. I cried at once. Then we bonded, we ran together and we settled nearby my family. They never knew the truth about him and Grey being a hunter, but they knew I found my mate in the Shifters Clan and was happy. We put off any thoughts of having children of our own, till Grey was safe. Still, we led a peaceful life.”

  Grey is also a hunter... Oof, it is something to take in...

  “That is when your mom came into our life. She was powerful, so we stayed away from her, living in peace. But when you were born, my mate took an instant liking to you. He put off his son at your home to play with you and he was happy at you both getting along. He wanted our son to be happy and you gave my son happiness.”

  She clenches her fist and adds, “That is when fate decided to fuck us up good. It paired off my part-hunter and part-shifter
son, to you, a part-blood sorcerous. The second your mom knew that my son was your mate, she... decided... to take us out. We went into hiding, but it didn’t stop her. One night, she caught us good. My mate fought her off, but his shifter powers weren’t enough to take her out. He didn’t want to put his son to death by showing his true colours of being a hunter. So he made a bargain, his life for our safety and also that she could erase your memory of mate bond and leave us in peace. Powerful sorcerous likes a bargain, so she accepted it.”

  Tears fill my eyes. That is why my life is as it is now. I was a weak part-blood, but still I, finding my mate, at a young age is what made my mom force me into marriage... she destroyed me... she destroyed my mate’s family. Being soulmates in general is frowned upon everywhere in my society. They are punished, and I was too...

  “That is when I took over my mate’s business and started earning money. I home-schooled my son in all the tracks of trading and he became the best, better than even his father. I earned this mansion in the middle of forest for us to hide, but he brought all the lands surrounding it. To protect him from any unwanted supernatural beings... I laid a powerful magic around this, using months of my life. It allows only the invited to come in. My son took you in and I was happy.”

  She abruptly stands up and yells, “And you invite your powerful sister here. I know of her true power and if she knows the truth about my son, your mate. She will not hesitate to kill him. Do you get it? Do you get why I slapped you? Do you get your damned foolish mistake?” She comes almost near to my face so that our noses are almost touching.

  “I... didn’t know... I am sorry, aunt... But, she is... sworn to secrecy. She knows about me being mated to a non-magic user and she had sworn her secrecy on her magic itself... But, I didn’t know... I am sorry.”