Blue Moon

by Danielle Sanderson

  Den is the first to turn his head to me soon followed my Ruk, both looking scary as hell, with anger clouding their vision.

  “What’s got into you both, you were fine earlier?”

  “No, we weren’t!” Ruk growls in Den’s direction.

  “Tell me what happened?” I ask in a panic looking to the Brothers’ that surround them.

  “Angel, come with me?” Theo asks me gently trying to calm the situation.

  “I can’t, I need to know why you are acting this way. Has something happened? Richard has found out?” I ask heatedly.

  “No babe, we just had a disagreement,” Den tells me, whilst walking to stand before me.

  “Don’t touch her Den!” Ruk shouts his warning.

  “Or what?” Den shouts back as he turns to Ruk with a teasing grin.

  “Ruk? Please you’re scaring me, what is it?”

  “Fuck it! Nothing, come to me baby?”

  Sallack’s grip on me loosens as he allows me movement, which I take eagerly as I step up to Ruk.

  “Does he know?” I ask Ruk, while looking up at him nervously.

  “No, he doesn’t, he won’t. We are all worried for you, knowing what you are about to do, put yourself in danger has got us taking it out

  On each other.”

  “And that’s it?” I ask him suspiciously, holding his face in my hands to look for the truth in his eyes.

  “That’s it baby,” He tells me with a handsome smile, before he places a tender kiss to my forehead.

  “You don’t have to worry about me, I can do this, and I can live with the consequences. Stop thinking of me as a weak, frightened little girl, because I am not that person. I was gifted this life, so I will be strong enough to live it.”

  “We know that. You took all this on, by yourself, and didn’t tell a soul until Dallah practically forced you to. Once this is done, we think you and Dallah should come live with us,” Mickey tells me with a small smile and a nod of his head.

  “I get that Mickey, but you can’t expect me to live in fear from these men. If, and when these ‘Blackened hearts’ come for me, I will be ready, Richard has taught me that much. Come on guys, we need to be there for Dallah, not fighting amongst each other. Parrise and Angus will be here soon, we need to keep our cool. You are all Brothers’ now, and I couldn’t be more blessed than to have you in my life, as is Dallah, we will treasure you all,” I tell them with pride.

  “Babe, tell me one thing?” Den asks me as he stands with Sallack, who looks about ready to yank Den away from us all.

  I nod my head to him with a reassuring smile for him to carry on.

  “Who is your chosen?”

  “Um...I don’t... I don’t know Den,” I tell him with a frown, wondering why he would ask such a thing.

  “But it’s not Ruk, right?” He asks with a frown of his own, and pissing Ruk off no end, as I struggle to keep him from stepping forward.

  “No, he isn’t my chosen. Why are you asking Den, to upset me or Ruk?”

  “No babe, I just needed to know,” He tells us with a ghost of a smile.

  “Ruk is my protector, and most likely you are too, by the markings you share, so that is why I can’t be with Ruk because he is my protector. I will not know who my chosen is until I’m, bonded, mated or whatever to him,” I tell him and watch him closely for his reaction, but he gives nothing away.

  “Let’s get practising these new powers then, we will need to be on top form,” Sallack orders, but everyone watches Den and me as we stare into one another’s eyes.

  “Den, why have you been so different lately?” I ask as I step away from Ruk and make my way over to Den.

  “I have felt different, angry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you, I am ashamed of myself.”

  “Why do you feel differently?”

  “I feel powerful, like I could do anything, and have anything I wanted,” He tells me passionately.

  “You want to be like Richard?”

  “I will never be like him, not if I have you with me.”

  “Why have you befriended him?”

  “I needed to get in with him and gain his trust, find out what his plans are. I didn’t mean to be mean to you babe, I had to make him think I was a different person.”

  “Ok, so you back now, I get my Den back?” I ask with a smile.

  “You have me babe, all of me.” He tells me with an intense look in his eyes.

  “ENOUGH!” Ruk shouts making me jump, as I was lost in my own world, watching Den finally speak the truth, watching him be him, finally getting my Den back.

  “Sallack where are you going to practice using your powers?” I ask him, whilst stepping to him, trying to calm Ruk’s anger, as my closeness with Den was clearly making him agitated.

  “Ruk says he knows a good place.”

  “Ok, do you want me to take you?” I ask, holding out my hand to him.

  “Yeah, you take us beautiful,” He tells me with a stunning smile before placing his huge hand in mine.

  “Let's see if I can take you all,” I tell them with a burst of excitement, making them all smile.

  “Do we have to hold hands?” Mickey asks with a sigh.

  “Mickey stop it, come hold my hand if it makes you feel more manly,” I tell him with an eye roll.

  He walks up to me with a mischievous smirk before taking my hand, and then the rest of the Brothers’, which now includes Theo, takes hands.

  Sitting on a fallen tree log watching the Brothers’ try out their new powers, which they take to like pros and having great fun doing it. My mind drifts back to what Den was asking me earlier, I don’t think he meant to hurt me by asking if Ruk was the one, nevertheless, it hurt like hell making me admit it aloud. I want to be loved, I didn’t think I did, but I want someone to share my secrets with, confess my fears and doubts, but I don’t think I have it in me to ditch Ruk and go search for him.

  “Why are you sad?” Dom asks me as he sits with me on the log and laces his arm over my shoulder.

  “I’m not,” I tell him lying and forcing a smile on my face.

  “Ok, why are you feeling lonely and why does your heart hurt?” He asks me taking my hand while look at him with shock.

  “How?”

  “I have always been able to see the emotions that surround you Zara, as soon as you walked through the bar door at Sallack’s.”

  “Really, why didn’t you say?”

  “Because it wouldn’t have changed anything. Tell me why you’re lonely?”

  “Because I know once this day is up, Ruk will go back to his life, and I will be left alone watching on the sidelines when he meets his one, and loves her how I want to be loved.” I tell him holding the tears back, and bowing my head away from the Brothers’ eyesight.

  “Show me Zara, crying isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign that you have been strong for too long,” He tells me in a reassuring way, but I shake my head ‘no’.

  “Because you think it will make you look weak?”

  I nod my head to him, unable to answer.

  “Never weak, no one could accuse you of being weak. We are starting to seriously worry about you though Zara, you only ever show us smiles and laughs, but we know that inside you are dying.”

  “Dom don’t, today is the last day, then life will carry on.”

  “But will you carry on?”

  “Yeah, I have to. Dallah needs me, Den and Ruk need me to, you all need me to.”

  “Who is being strong for you Zara?”

  “All of you.”

  “You need someone to hold you, save you from losing yourself. You give too much of yourself, you should let someone help take on your troubles.”

  “No, I need to kill Richard and save Dallah so that she can finally be with Julian. I don’t want to find ‘The One’, and I don’t need his strength, I can do this.”

  “I have no doubt. You have us when you need us; you just have to open up to us. We love you Zara, some show it diff
erently to others, but we do.”

  He lifts my chin with his hand, where my eyes land on Ruk and Den, who stand watching us in return. Looking back to Dom I let out a sigh.

  “I need to be with Dallah, I will see you guys later ok?”

  “Yeah, how is Dallah?”

  “Still sitting with a wicked grin on her face, knowing that her life will be how she has wanted it to be for so long now. Thanks for speaking with me Dom.” I tell him with a sweet smile.

  “You wouldn’t want to be Dallah’s enemy would you,” He asks with a raised brow and a smirk.

  “Damn right you wouldn’t!” I tell him with a laugh.

  Walking over to Ruk, I stop only inches away from him.

  “I’m going back to Dallah; will you be ok getting back?”

  “Ok, yeah we told you we would baby, don’t worry for us. Zara, I need to speak with you tonight before the bonding, will you come find me?” He asks me, while his arms lace around my waist to pull me in close, which makes my skin tingle and my heart do a little flip.

  “Is it bad news?” I ask, hoping he tells me no.

  “Depends who’s looking at it.”

  “Riddles? Love them,” I tell him sarcastically and get a breath-taking smile in return.

  “Kiss me?” He asks, gazing at my lips.

  I don’t need him to say another word before my lips take him in a passionate kiss, a kiss of longing.

  Mickey’s wolf whistle and Theo chuckling brings me back down to earth as I open my eyes to the man that is perfection.

  “I’m sorry baby...”

  “Stop saying that Ruk, I know that we only have today, I am under no illusions that this is more than that,” I lie to him.

  Because I want him to finish kissing me and tell me that he is in love with me, he will never let me go and that he will fight against destiny for me, but I know he won’t.

  “I’ll see you guys later, you all look wicked by the way,” I shout to them as I turn in Ruk’s arms and take a step away from him ready to transport myself back to the palace.

  As I take one last look at them, a smile forms on my face. Sallack and Julian are fighting in Wolf form, Dom is levitating, and Mickey and Theo are fighting with fire, literally. Catching Den’s eye, I smile sweetly to him before picturing the bathroom in Dallah’s room, as I cannot let anyone know that I can transport. I also don’t want to bump into Richard, as he will more than likely have some evil plan of torturing me before he is bonded to Dallah, or so he thinks!

  Walking out of the bathroom, I take a seat beside Dallah who is having her hair twisted up into an elegantly up do.

  “Your hair looks beautiful,” I tell her with a smile.

  “Umm,” She replies, before rolling her eyes towards the woman standing behind her.

  “When is your mother arriving?”

  “Uh don’t, I’m dreading that. She will be here just in time for the bonding, so you will see her at the ceremony. Stay away from her Zara, she isn’t a nice woman,” She warns me sternly.

  She keeps telling me how she and her mother don’t see eye to eye, after she gave Dallah to the Dark Coven as a child. Dallah thinks her mother is unfair for doing so, and it is unfair, I couldn’t imagine giving my child away to such horrid people. Nevertheless, I haven’t met with her yet, so I try not to judge.

  There is a knock at the door, and everyone’s eyes turn to me, expecting me to open it, as I am so inferior to them. Rolling my eyes at the women, I go to the door and open it up wide.

  “This is for the Princess,” A woman tells me with a sneer on her face.

  “Ok, thanks,” I tell her unenthusiastically before shutting the door in her face, making Dallah snort a laugh.

  “Here you go Princess,” I tell her with a smirk as I pass her the small box.

  As I watch her open it, I sigh when I see her face turn red with anger. Richard! What has he done now, why can’t he leave her be?

  “What is it?” I ask gently.

  “A gift from Richard,” She tells me before throwing it into the bin next to her dressing table.

  “That good, huh?” I ask with a snort.

  “Ok, you can go now, my hair is done, my make-up is applied, leave me please,” Dallah tells the women with a stern tone, so that they will take her seriously and not try to argue.

  I sit and watch them pile out, whispering to each other, how they were only trying to help, not that Dallah is listening to them.

  The triplets take Dallah’s glare as a reason to leave also, so now it is the two of us.

  “Take my hands Dallah?” I ask her with my hands held out.

  I have wanted to give Dallah a gift for a long time, something that will be important to her, something for her to treasure, just as I do my necklace.

  Closing my eyes, I concentrate on producing the gift for Dallah. Over the last week, I have thought about bestowing something upon Dallah, something that money cannot buy. Therefore, I have build the image of a stunning gold bangle that has pink diamonds imbedded elegantly only millimetres apart, which go in a single line through the centre. It has taken me all week to get the bangle perfect. Pushing the bangle from my mind and hopefully into her palms, I open my eyes gently with a smile, feeling the coolness of the bangle.

  “Oh wow...I can’t...how could you...I love...”

  “Dallah, it’s a gift to celebrate today as the start of your life, I made this for you with my heart and soul,” I tell her whilst taking her in my arms and hugging her tightly.

  “It's perfect, I love it,” She tells me with tears running down her cheeks.

  “I have a good feeling about this Dallah, I can feel your anxiety, but it will work out, you will be free,” I tell her with a reassuring smile.

  “I know, but will you be free Zara, or will this suck you in further,” She asks with a frown, and the feeling of her concern for me hits me hard.

  “I will be ok, I have you, I have the Brothers’, a family. I will take on whatever life has to offer, never worry for me,” I tell her needing her to trust in me.

  “I want you to be happy,” She tells me with fresh tears.

  “I am happy.”

  “No you’re not,” she sighs, “You’re happy on the outside, but you forget that I can feel your heart, you long for it to be joined to another, Ruk?”

  “Dallah, please not today! I’m fine. There is one thing I want in life right now, and that is to see you happy, to love, to live a happy life. Don’t you see that?” I ask.

  “Damn it! I want the same for you! How can I be happy when you’re not?” She asks back in a sob.

  “You will be, I promise and when this is over I will be happy too,” I tell her gently, and smile an Oscar winning fake smile at her.

  “Let’s get this night over with,” She asks me in a plea, as she knows that her words are falling on deaf ears.

  I came here to do this, to save Dallah from a life of misery and torment, and I am so close to making it reality that I don’t want to think or feel anything other than that.

  I help Dallah into her dress, which is utterly breathtaking. The dress is in a midnight black, and has a trail running behind it with diamonds scattered all over it, the top of the dress has thin straps leading down to the top of her breasts. The dress is snug, to say the least, not the traditional wedding dress, but then again this isn’t a wedding, it is a bonding, or so everyone thinks. Dallah has red rose lips, her eyes are smoky and her cheeks are glowing, she looks amazing. I feel so proud of her, standing before me with a smile on her face.

  “Wow, you are stunning Dallah,” I tell her whilst gazing at her in awe.

  “Thanks sweetie. I have a dress for you also, let me get it,” She tells me whilst turning to fetch it.

  “No, I’m wearing this,” I tell her pointing to the peach coloured outfit I have changed into.

  “No you’re not, I want you to wear what I have for you,” She insists while passing me the dress in a zip bag.

  Opening it by t
he zip slowly, I smile when I finally have it in my arms.

  Pulling my dress over my head, I slip into the new dress perfectly. Is it a boob tube dress, which comes to my knees snugly, and is black with big red roses printed over it.

  Looking at her with a smile, I walk over to the mirror to have a look.

  “I knew it would look amazing on you, here take this,” She tells me with a grin, while passing me her red lipstick.

  “You girls done?” Mickey asks as he barged through the bedroom door without warning, soon followed by the Brothers’.

  They all wearing tuxedos, with their hair brushed neatly.

  “Holy shit! You boys look hot!” I tell them, whilst looking at them all from head to toe.

  “Yeah, you do! I have never seen you look so...so...”

  “Sexy,” I finish Dallah’s words as my eyes lock with Ruk’s, and my teeth capture my bottom lip to stop myself from saying anymore.

  “See told you, they want us,” Mickey tells the Brothers’ with a smirk.

  “Ego much?” I tell him with a smirk, before winking at him playfully.

  “Dallah, I wish it were me,” Julian tells her; now that he has her in his arms.

  “So do I,” She tells him with regret.

  Watching them both show their emotions for us all to see is touching, they are so right for each other, perfection.

  Walking over to the Brothers’, Mickey pulls me to his chest and hugs me while we look at Julian and Dallah, we should really give them space, but seeing them glow so brightly in each other’s arms is mesmerizing.

  “It will be you one day,” Mickey whispers into my ear.

  “Shall we head downstairs, Angus should be awake soon. What is the time?” I change the subject quickly and walk out of Mickey’s arms.

  “Its only 6 pm, Angus will be another hour. We will wait here for him, and go through our plans for this evening when he arrives,” Sallack tells me and kisses my forehead.

  “Ok, do you know when Parrise will be here?” I ask him, and watch him closely for his reply, as I have noticed he tenses up when I mention his name.

  “He should be here soon as well. Right, let’s get comfortable shall we,” He tells the Brothers’, and diverts his eyes from mine.