Mark Of Change (Firemoon Book 1)

by Sky Wilde

  Taking a step forward, I wrap my arms around her waist, gently bringing her down. The sharp sting of fire licks my skin. I don’t give a damn about it; I finally have December back in my arms. Taking her chin with my fingers, I raise her head to meet me in the eye. The black of her eyes start to dissipate, slowly.

  “Grey... I am scared...” she whispers, when her brown eyes are almost back to its colour.

  I catch her by hand and pull her into a deep embrace. “Shh... Don’t worry, my princess. I am here. Everything is going to be fine.”

  Hot tears start falling from my mate’s eyes. It twists my heart a thousand times to see her like this. Dirt has covered her whole body, now mixed with blood. With her dress gone, I can clearly see the bite marks covering her intimate parts and I almost lose my control on seeing it. Her neck has a new cut, like someone threatened to kill her just some moments ago.

  With a touch of my hand, instinctively my mind sends out magic and heals them all. She smiles faintly and mutters a thank you, with tears still flowing free, like I just did something big for her. The deep-blood-red hue of her skin is now gone, and her fiery dress has snuffed out.

  I pull out my backpack, which I picked up, (not stolen, just borrowed), at nearby town before coming here, and take out a t-shirt for her.

  It is big enough to cover her lithe naked form. And I lift her arms over her head and pull down the t-shirt. She doesn’t stop crying. I pull her down and lean against the wall, and let her cry on my shoulder. My burn wounds had already knitted and healed in the time I was comforting my mate.

  She runs a tentative finger on the pink flesh, apologizing with her touch.

  Minutes pass and December finally calms down enough, as her sobs die down. I stroke her silky soft hair with my fingers. She whispers, “I am sorry, Grey. I... I.... had betrayed your trust.... I revealed our mate bond to the Alpha.”

  I tuck a lock of hair, from her forehead, behind her ear and place a kiss on her forehead. She sighs.

  “Doesn’t matter to me. You did what you had to survive. I would only feel betrayed if you had died on me... without me. So why does it matter now? Is mate bond supposed to be kept a secret?”

  I delegate my shifter to keep watch of the surroundings while I stand up and cradle December into my arms. The blue veins of my body are almost invisible, but present. And either December is warmer than normal, or I got colder than normal. But, I think it is the later, because of me completely unleashing my hunter side. She is warm and soft, and she is back with me. She is mine. With her in my arms, I leave behind the nightmare of blood, and walk through the halls.

  “No... It is not something to be kept as a secret. In old times, mate bond was celebrated. New soulmates were the happiest people on earth. But, now, they are the most afraid people of all. The Alpha council, if they know about our bond, will come down crashing on us with full-force and will kill us... I am sorry that I failed to shield you...” She whispers against my chest.

  A bitter laugh rumbles from me. She looks up, eyes filled with concern... those brown irises in the middle of a white ocean, which were gone with a whole black eyes just a moment ago, portray all her feelings as clear as crystal.

  “December let them come.” I can’t help but feel that this is the smallest of our problems... The first being getting the hell out of here.

  “Seriously! It is impossible to escape the wrath of Alpha council. Many soulmates have succumbed to the whims of Alpha council in the past... If the whole might of the council comes down on us... we won’t stand a chance.” Panic is transparent in her voice. Like she fears that even now the Alpha council can come down on us.

  “December, you underestimate me. With my full prowess, no supernatural can stand against me.” Her expression turns distant.

  I boop her nose with my forefinger and she giggles at the gesture. “I have embraced my hunter side. No one can stand up against me.” I place a fleeting kiss on her nose, “No one but you.”

  She sighs and rests her head against mine. Finally, I have her back in my arms. This is the only thing that can complete me. She completes me. I would protect her from the Alpha council, if that is what she is afraid of.

  The shifter billows out, “Watch out! Six o’ clock.” I whirl and turn around, just in time to see a charge beam of white light tumbling towards us in speed of light.

  Time slows as my magic kicks in. Right on time, I place my shield firmly. December whimpers against me, shivering from the blinding intensity. The beam bounces off my shield in continuous waves, and December whimpers more, whispering, “Mickelson...”

  “Shh... Don’t worry. No one will ever take you away from me.” I place my forehead against her hair, as the long white beam still keeps bouncing off my shield. My hands twitch from holding the shield, but I hold it firm and look deep into my mate’s eyes.

  I can’t help but admire how beautiful my mate is. Even during times of danger, even when death knocks at my door, I can’t help but admire her...

  She is my heart, my soul...

  ...And no one will take her away from me...

  *December*

  I WHIMPER MORE AS THE Alpha’s white concentrated beam of sol particles keep bouncing of my mate’s shield. He never should have come for me... he should have let me die. But, he came... for this traitor. A traitor who had put their mate bond at risk. Irrespective of the circumstances, what I did deserves my life as penance.

  I should have given away my life, and should have saved my mate from the Alpha council.

  “No can do.” He yells in my mind. I open my eyes to notice that my Grey’s pupils are now icy blue. A deep colour which entrances me for a moment. He mouths, “I love you.”

  I can’t hold back my tears and throw my arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He hugs me back with one arm, while using the other to keep the shield up. I know Mickelson has many harem girls to keep up his constant supply of energy... and my mate has only me, so I can’t help but think how we are going to escape from here.

  “Don’t worry. I got you.” He whispers into my mind and closes his eyes.

  I must feed all my energy to him, if he is going to keep up this shield. I tug at my mate bond and connect it to my reservoir, only to find that it is nowhere... Yeah, I forgot that my reserve is gone...

  Grey’s grip tightens on my body. And when he opens his eyes, they are fully ice blue, vibrant colours of the same icy blue... thick in the centre, and lighter in the corners. My jaw drops open at the sight. His eyes twinkle on seeing my expression of amusement. He winks and presses me closer to him.

  Wow, he got a lot stronger in this week.

  His shield strengthens tenfold and starts moving towards the Alpha.

  From out of nowhere four girls approaches Alpha’s body and touches him.

  The beam becomes thicker and the shield stops moving as power on both sides matches each other. “Alpha’s harem...” I whisper to my mate. He nods.

  The shield starts breaking under the intensity of the beam. Grey has his eyes closed, and brows furrowed in concentration. His fists are clenched and his arms are wound tight around my body.

  A crack large enough to shatter the shield appears on it. If it hits us, then we are done for. Mickelson will never stop...

  He won’t stop till he kills my mate and breaks my will...

  Rage takes over and I let it. Darkness closes in on me, and I fall back into the void, a first class seat for my new prowess’s demonstration. I will the eerie presence to help me, and it does.

  This time, my revenge will be complete and Mickelson will be dead.

  *Grey*

  DECEMBER GOES STILL as stone in my arms. Sweat breaks out on my forehead from the stress. Shit, the Alpha has more might than I calculated. I heard from my mate that, if the shield breaks and the beam hit us, we are done for...

  ‘I will never let that happen to you.’ I whisper into my mate’s mind. But no reply comes from her.

  Just like before, a strange calmn
ess has settled over her. Her mind is closed off from me, and I can’t reach her. I shake her gently, but she doesn’t stir. Her life force is stable. But, her mind is void of any emotions. All of a sudden, rage and revenge rolls off her mind and slams into mine. It shakes me to the core, but I catch myself before the shield shatters.

  Her eyes open and she stares deep into my own. Black voids with no hint of white, just like before. I gasp, but fear doesn’t grip me this time. Because, even in that emotional void, I can see that she loves me.

  She smirks and flies out my hand.

  At the loss of contact, my shifter growls, but just one touch from her outstretched hand sends him back into my mind.

  The t-shirt she is wearing starts to burn out and all the elementals start surrounding her. Fire comes out from nothing. Air concentrates around her. Earth rumbles. Water precipitates from nothing. The fiery dress once again covers her naked form and she flies out towards my shield.

  I stare in awe, as she touches the shield, as it breaks out into a million pieces.

  The beam is forced back into the opposition’s body; he grunts and twirls the magic particles around. The women surrounding him are almost as pale as milk from the stress.

  I gasp from the sudden change in my defence magic and try very hard to put the shield back in.

  The Alpha releases those particles as a highly concentrated beam again.

  Time slows.

  The beam approaches my mate’s un-protected body. I start sprinting through the gap, but the air suddenly forces me back into a wall, pinning my body.

  The beam slowly, in super slow-motion, approaches her and all I can do is watch. I growl out my rage, “December!”

  Her black eyes turn towards her. She winks and her eyes have the same twinkle I had. She turns toward the beam and takes a step forward. I struggle against the air, but I can’t even move an inch.

  “I got this.” A voice resonates in my mind. The voice resembles my December, but is eerily not hers. It is cold, like icy cold... like the void of her eyes.

  The beam hits her. I close my eyes, as the light reaches blinding intensity. I expect that pain is going to strike me anytime now...

  But it never comes.

  A collective gasp rebounds through the room. I open an eye and look at my December, willing against will for her to be safe. White particles of glittering snow falls all around the room. I look around to see that the whole room is covered in them. Glittering like stars of its own universe. I turn back towards her. My mouth open.

  Her black eyes are focused on me. She smiles and blows a kiss.

  “Wow...” I whisper into her mind.

  “Yeah, I know. December maybe weak on her own, but as long as she has my power, she is unstoppable.” Her eerie voice booms through my mind.

  “Who are you...?” I ask, being puzzled by this.

  “I am no one of importance. The important thing is that December has my power, because she has my mark. She is my vessel. My voice.” Confusion swirls around me, but the voice continues, “I am just helping her adjust to her true power. And now, it is time for you both to fulfil the current mission. Kill that lowly sorcerer.” Her voice is still eerie and what she said is intriguing at the least and jaw-dropping at the most. But, as it said, killing that man is my first and foremost mission now.

  “With pleasure...” I whisper and take a step forward toward my opposition.

  The whole front is down on their asses. I laugh at the ridiculous scene. They are the one who has more number, more experience, more influence, everything. But I and my love are the only ones standing.

  I lance an arm through my mate’s waist and pull her close to me. Her fiery dress doesn’t burn me, fortunately. And her black eyes are not as black as before, it borders on little grey.

  “Impossible!” The Alpha, Mickelson Diaz as I heard from my mate, billows.

  “You may have everything, but we have the only thing you never will have for your women. Love.” December points at the other four women down. One of them with a baby bump on her stomach lies unconscious, and the other three are at their most exhausted states.

  “You did the wrong thing by messing with my mate. Now, I am going to torture you till she is satisfied with her revenge. Get ready.” I approach the Alpha.

  He pathetically whimpers.

  But, suddenly stands up. The other three women start grunting in pain and starts grovelling in the ground. Yowls of pain leave their mouths, and they whimper more. Their body twists itself and spasms wreck their body, like their souls are being stripped of them.

  “Mickelson! Stop, you are going to kill them.” My mate yells. But he doesn’t stop. All of a sudden, a white light surrounds his body and steam evaporates from him, and his body starts morphing.

  Shifting using magic particles

  The women’s bodies go still on the ground.

  “That selfish egomaniac has taken everything out of them.” December yells into my mind.

  He shifts into a tiger and lets out a roar. My shifter smirks. I let him take control, and retire back into my mind. My shifter lunges at his massive tiger form, so confident that he can take out that beast of the tiger.

  Well, he is me... and my instincts also are so confident on getting him.

  The Alpha must have used up everything he had for this, because tigers don’t come in this size— almost like a horse.

  In mid-air, I fly out of pieces of pant cloth scraps as I shift into my lion form and land on the tiger. We roll on the ground, all the while going for each other’s throats. His body is big, but not agile, and definitely not built for attacking throats. While, I am agile and lithe than him, so I have the most success rate in make the killing hit first.

  I get his throat near my muzzle. When I’m gonna launch the killing hit, he realizes my intent and kicks me away from him. Without anywhere else to go, I roll over and land in a crouch. Preparing my next lunge, I use the built up strength of my calves and lunge. But reaching his throat is going to be tough.

  If his massive tiger paw hits me in the right place, he will win so easily. I would crumple so easily against that power.

  “Use your hunter magic.” My December whispers into my mind. I smile and ask my shifter for control. He hesitates for a moment, but gives up the reins.

  In a moment, I shift back into my normal form and twirl around a dagger in my hand for one second. The tiger lifts its ear from the sound of the cutting of air from my dagger. With a flick of my wrist, the dagger flies true and hits him in the eye. The tiger roars out his pain and rolls over to his side. With another flick, another dagger buries itself into his shoulder. Another yowl of pain echoes through the room.

  The three women starts stirring and reaches out to touch him. To give him their power.

  “Stop. We don’t want to hurt you all. My target is the overbearing asshole Alpha, not you guys.” My December yells at them. They all look up from their Alpha and into my mate’s eyes. I cross my arms, looking keen for any threats.

  “You... killed our sister... You are going to destroy our home... Why should we stop...?” The older woman of them three, her voice throaty and weak, resounds around.

  “She made my life a living hell for one year... She gave me nightmares every night, making my sleep times hell... She gave the idea of locking me in whatever room that is, to strip me off my magic...” December’s eyes start brimming with tears, “And she succeeded in stripping me of my reserve... Do you know what happens to Sorcerous without reserves? You are also a sorcerous...”

  The older girl nods sympathetically at that, eyes getting a little downcast.

  “I still feel this lingering pain... like my body is trying to burn itself from inside out... I live a far worse life than your dead sister. Or worse than even yours...” Her voice breaks and she hugs herself in the middle. “You know... I never wanted this... I just wanted freedom in my life at first, and now I want to live by my mate. But... Everything, I mean every single thing happening
here, is due to the single reason that I rejected to submit to this Alpha.” December continues, voice holding so much anger and pain.

  The women’s eyes start to soften at her words.

  Pain... that line keeps echoing through my mind. She is in pain? I don’t feel anything of that sort...

  I leave the Alpha and approach my mate, looping an arm through her waist. “You are in pain?” My voice is weak. She nods. “And... you are not sharing it with me...” My voice breaks totally. She doesn’t trust me.

  She looks up into my eyes and mutters, “It is not my place to share. My love... this is... something only my body does to itself. I found a way to block it off forever, from you... and I blocked it off...”

  She has blocked her pain form me... taking it for herself. Tears fill my eyes and I sweep her off the floor and hug her tight to me. All the whispers, the grunts of Alpha, every sound drain out of my mind. And only my December fills my whole senses. Like she is my whole universe.

  She is everything to me. And... She is suffering due to me...

  “No... Don’t take pity on me or on yourself... This had to happen, because it is my destiny... I know what I am right now. I know my true power. I...” her sentence cuts off mid-way by the sounds of footsteps and shrieks of women.

  I look over to see that the Alpha had run off from here. Knowing I am now left naked, I find the bag lying in a corner and adorn myself with another pair of sweats.

  I give the women who stayed behind, an appreciative smile and a nod, “I am the assistant CEO of Stone Enterprises. Sorry that your life had to get into this whirlwind, but we will give you a new life, if you accept...”

  Their eyes shine with gratitude. They all fall to their knees. “We have no choice, but to accept... because my sister here is pregnant, and we still have no idea about the outer world. Thinking that our Alpha might have killed the baby for his own selfish reasons, we couldn’t follow him anymore. But, it all lies in our sister’s hands.”