Blue Moon

by Danielle Sanderson

  My mouth opens in utter shock from her horrid words to Dallah.

  “Mother, always lovely to see you,” Dallah replies sarcastically.

  “So who are these men?” She asks Dallah in disgust as she waves her hand in the direction of the Brothers’. I automatically take a step forward when I see the anger building in Dallah’s eyes.

  “You are?” She asks.

  “I’m Zara, and these are our friends,” I tell her with a smirk, just to piss her off. I told Dallah I wouldn’t react towards her mother, but I cannot help myself.

  “Ha, a human, you befriended a human, and wolves are you really so desperate for friends daughter?”

  “Shut up mother, do not speak to her in that way, don’t go there!” Dallah tells her mother through gritted teeth.

  “Don’t be so dramatic Dallah, for goodness sake child, lighten up, you are about to bond with a fine man and Royalty at that,” She tells her with her head held high.

  “Are you really so deluded to think so, the mans a monster! You have made her life a misery!” I raise my voice to her, as she spins on her heel and faces me with a look of loathing, which I return fearlessly.

  “Zara, the one I hear that likes the men, hum?” She asks while gazing at the Brothers’ from head to toe.

  “Yes, that’s me; you must be the bitch of a mother!” I ask her with a smile and raised brow.

  “Stay away from my daughter or you will be sorry little girl,” She spits at me spitefully, but she doesn’t scare me, so I just laugh in her face for her to see that her threats are no use on me.

  Ruk pulls me to his chest and laces his arms over my chest, while he holds me with pride.

  “Why don’t you find Richard, I’m sure you have things to discus!” Dallah tells her harshly, but her mother doesn’t speak or move, she just looks on at me with hatred.

  “Who is the Alpha?” She asks looking at the Brothers’, but her eyes quickly land on Sallack,

  “She belongs to your pack?”

  “Yes she does,” Sallack tells her with pride.

  “And who are you and these men?”

  “I am Sallack, these men and I are ‘The Brothers’’,” He tells her with his head held high.

  “The Brothers! How are you friends with such monsters, and they have a Vampire, who is your sire?” She spits at Angus.

  “Demitri is my Sire, and yes I am a brother to these men,” Angus tells her with an evil grin, making her take a step back.

  “I will speak with Richard about this, stay away from my daughter, all of you!” She warns before she walks away from us all looking a little afraid.

  “That went well,” Mickey says with a sigh.

  “It did, didn’t it,” Dallah says back with a grin, happy that her mother has left her be, for now anyway.

  Turning in Ruk’s arms, I whisper up to him,

  “Thank you,” I tell him with a smile, knowing that he will understand that I’m grateful to him for always being at my side.

  Before we came downstairs, I spoke the words to the dagger, cursing it to do what it was made for, to take a life.

  I feel so nervous about this, I never thought that one day I would be killing a man, cursing his heart and soul, so that a dagger can remove the beat of his cold heart. However, I also never thought that a man would beat me repeatedly, but here we are.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Surrounded by the Brothers’ as we now stand in the gardens by the seating area where Dallah is to be bonded to Richard, I hear Den suck in a breath through his teeth, as if something pains him. Looking at him with a frown, he smiles at me sweetly, before locking eyes with someone behind me.

  Spinning on my heel, I come face to face with Parrise.

  Throwing my arms around his neck, I hug him for all it's worth, which is a lot, I have missed him dearly.

  “Parrise, I am so happy to see you. I have missed you so much,” I tell him while taking his face in my hands and smiling widely at him, but my smile soon turns into a frown when I see the hurt in his ocean blue eyes.

  “What is it?” I ask gently, and hold him a little tighter.

  “Love, I’m sorry I had to go away,” He tells me full of regret, before he looks away from me.

  “When and why did you go away?” I ask suspiciously, as no one will answer me truthfully on the matter, they act strange, sort of how Parrise is acting now.

  “You look amazing,” He tells me in a whisper as he brushes the back of his fingers down my cheek.

  “Hey, what’s got into you,” I ask with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Nothing little one. It’s good to see you look so well,” He tells me with a light frown.

  I can see he is having a war in his mind, but I don’t understand why, it’s as if someone has died and no one wants to let me know.

  “Tell me what’s wrong; what happened to you, you’re acting out of character, why?” I plead with him, but deep down, I don’t think I am going to like his answer.

  “When this is over love,” He tells me with a sigh, and the sadness in his eyes is breaking my heart.

  Looking to the Brothers’ and Dallah, they all hang their heads in shame.

  “Parrise?” I ask him in a cry.

  He doesn’t answer me; he just pulls himself out of my embrace and greets Dallah with a weak smile.

  As I take a step forward, Den’s big arms come out and hold me in place while he whispers into my hair, sending shivers to my core.

  “Leave it Zara, you need to trust me.”

  “I don’t think I can anymore Den,” I tell him regrettably.

  Removing his arms from me, I step up to Parrise and place my hand in his, shocking him as I transport us to the middle of the woods.

  Holding on to Parrise with both hands, I demand that he stays in my arms.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” I ask him in a gentle tone.

  “What if someone saw you do that.”

  “No one saw me. Tell me, please your killing me here,”

  “Remember,” He tells me, his face laced with pain.

  Just like that, every single heart breaking moment replays in my mind, and I hear the words that Den spoke to me, making me forget, while they all watched on.

  “How could you leave me?” I ask in grief.

  “I knew that when I left, Den would do what was right. You found happiness when I left, did you not?”

  “No! This is all a fucking lie! You make me happy Parrise! That was not you that night, I know it wasn’t you, I know that you love me and would never intentionally hurt me,” I tell him passionately.

  “I did hurt you love, I hurt you so bad.”

  “That was not you! How could you have left like that, we needed each other. Who has been there for you Parrise, who has made you smile? No one! I do not blame you, I never would. I could have told you that if you had stayed and spoken with me. How could you take the coward’s way out? I needed you,” I finish gently when I see the tears in his eyes. I don’t want to upset him, but I want to make it clear to him that we could and would have got through it together.

  “Why do you still look at me like that love?” He asks in disbelief.

  “Because I care for you. Den made me forget, but it’s still there, the love. Nothing, and I mean nothing you do could make me turn my back on you.”

  I jump onto him and hold him as if he is my lifeline. I don’t want Parrise to feel anything but love from me. Knowing that he has been sitting somewhere in misery while I have been getting it on with Ruk breaks my heart. I am so angry with them all for keeping this from me, it wasn’t their choice, it was mine. Why do those who are meant to see me for me, take my choices away? My choices!

  “I can never forgive myself for what I did.” Parrise says sounding broken.

  “There is nothing to forgive Parrise don’t you see that, this is Richards doing, he will pay for it,” I tell him meaning every word.

  Taking his hand and placing it over my heart, he g
oes to pull away, but I hold it there as my other hands lays over his.

  “What are you doing love?” He asks in wonderment as we lift from the dirt, and our eyes glow a brilliant purple.

  “Excepting you into my heart, into the family,” I tell him with a sweet smile, “Look into my mind,” I tell him gently.

  I watch the emotions play on his handsome face; soon follow with his eyes springing open with a look of disbelief.

  “Zara, you give me a life, a heart and a family, and I give you nothing but a broken heart. Take it back, I don’t deserve happiness.”

  “Do you wish to see me happy?” I ask upset by his words.

  “Always,” He tells me alarmed that I asked such a thing.

  “Then join us all in our lives, be a part of our family forever. Don’t leave me Parrise, don’t leave me again?”

  “Never love. I’m sorry little one.” He tells me before he kisses my forehead and our feet touch the earth again.

  “Where is he, Demitri?”

  I suddenly need to know where he is, as the image of him imprints in my mind, of him telling me that he will be back for me.

  “I don’t know love, I have been looking for him. You need to mate with your chosen one Love, he will be the only one strong enough to save you from him,” He tells me with full of grief.

  “I truly wanted it to be you Parrise, I swear I did.”

  “I know that, its best we had found out now before we bonded,” He tells me with utter regret.

  “You would have bonded with me?” I ask in surprise, as he never mentioned anything about wanting to bond with me.

  He looks at me with a small smile before he pulls a small jewelry box from inside his tuxedo jacket.

  No! Please don’t be what I think it is, please god.

  “I was going to ask you tonight.”

  “Please Parrise, don’t do that... ah!”

  He did it, he opens the box to show me the ring.

  “I know that a bonding is done with only the heart and soul, but I wanted to get you something that you would have dreamt of from a child,” He tells me whilst taking the ring out of the box.

  “Parrise, I can’t...”

  “Take it in your hands, and imagine it as something smaller, something different,” He tells me with a plea.

  Wiping away my tears and taking it from his cool fingers, I study it.

  It is a gold band that has a huge yellow diamond sitting on top sparklingly magnificently, like he has gone to the sky, picked out the most perfect shining star, and placed it gently inside. How can I change this, its perfection, I would never know what to do with it.

  “Save it for when you met the one for you Parrise, it’s too amazing to change.”

  “I had it made for you Zara, I couldn’t, and I won’t give it to another woman,” He tells me simply, whilst pushing my hand away.

  Holding it to my chest, I shut my eyes tightly and ask for help from my mother, I need her help, and I know that she will, I can feel her all over me, at my side where I need her.

  Opening my eyes, I smile up at Parrise as I open my hand for him to see. There, sitting in my palm are two breathtaking rings, they are the exact same, gold bands, which are completely covered with tiny little yellow diamonds. One to fit his finger and, one to fit mine. Taking his hand, I slip it on his middle finger, and he then slips mine onto my middle finger of my right hand.

  “Perfection, only a woman like you would share such a gift little one, I will wear this with pride.”

  “They are stunning. Remember the good time we had together when you look at it Parrise, never the bad, will you promise this to me?” I ask looking deeply into his eyes.

  “I promise love. Such a pure soul, I will always be thankful for the time we had,” He tells me with a small smile creeping upon his lips.

  “It was perfect.”

  Transporting the two of us back to the others, we are met with guilty and worried expressions.

  I am so angry with them all for lying to me, for making me forget about Parrise and what happened, I understand that think they were looking out for my best interests, but it wasn’t their choice.

  Standing beside Dallah, I give her a knowing look, which I get a small sigh in return, when I push my feeling on to her about how I really feel about it all. I then look to the Brothers’, as I lock eyes with every single one of them in turn finally landing on Den.

  “Never think you know what is best for me, any of you! It was not your choice, and I will never forgive you for that! Is there anything else I should know?” I ask them in a harsh tone and a raised brow.

  “Mary’s here,” Sallack tells me in a sigh.

  “You have got to be shitting me!” I tell them through my teeth.

  “She won’t get near you,” Julian tells me with sympathy.

  “Why would you say that? Do you think that I’m afraid of her?”

  “No, we know you’re not, it’s just that she is different,” He tells me with a frown, trying to work something out.

  “Different how?” I ask with a frown.

  “She’s a Vampire,” He tells me.

  I look at the men with wide eyes and a partly opened mouth.

  “How did that happen?” I ask them in shock.

  “It has to be a very strong Vampire with great power. Changing to Vampire from Werewolf is near impossible,” Theo tells me with a stunned look.

  “Where is she?” I seethe.

  “Not now, remember what is important here, you can kill her later baby I promise,” Ruk tells me whilst walking to stand before me, and blocking me from the others with his huge body.

  “Please don’t go near her Ruk,” I ask in a plea and then bow my head in shame.

  “I would never hurt you Zara, I will never touch another woman,” He reassures me.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just...”

  “I know baby, but she has no power over me. Come here,” He tells me seductively, and takes my face in his hands, kissing me so tenderly so perfectly that every noise, thought, and worry disappears, leaving just me and the man I have chosen with my heart, to live my life beside, now and forever.

  “God I love you Zara,” He tells me as our lips part.

  “I love you Ruk, I love you so much. I want my life to be with you,” I tell him but more in a question.

  “That’s what you will get baby, all of me, forever.”

  My eyes cloud over as I blink away the tears, I have never felt as happy as I do right now. I thought that I would have to go back home, and watch Ruk meet his chosen one, have the life with her that I wanted, have the family with her that I wanted, but I get to be her after all.

  “Be careful tonight Ruk, don’t you dare leave me after I have just found you,” I beg him with raw emotion.

  “I promise,” He tells me with a mesmerising smile before he takes my lips again.

  When we break apart, I instantly notice that we are alone, so I take the time to really look at Ruk, before our whole world turns upside down. Laying my head on his chest and breathing him in, a smile covers my face from his closeness.

  “Come on, let’s find the others, we need to stick together, stay close to me baby, don’t leave my side,” He says, fearing for me.

  “Always,” I tell him with a smile, getting a handsome smile in return.

  Walking with Ruk, hand in hand, we come to a stop when Mary walks directly in our path and steps up to me. She has on a blood red dress, high heel shoes, and her red hair loose down her back. Talk about too much red!

  “Well look at you,” I say sarcastically.

  “Stick it bitch! Ruk I need to speak with you, there is some things you need to know,” She tells him and finishes with a sneer directed to me.

  “Fuck off Mary!” Ruk growls angrily at her, soon followed by him taking my hand, and dragging us forward and slamming his shoulder into her.

  Because she wasn’t expecting Ruk to knock into her, she loses her footing, landing on butt, with her ha
ir all over her face. The smile that spreads on my face is wonderful. I hate Mary with a passion, and she hates me more. I don’t know why she took such a disliking to me when we first met, but it increases every time we see each other.

  Surprisingly she starts to laugh hard, so Ruk and I automatically turn our heads in her direction.

  Before I can make out what has happened, I am stood in the middle of what I think is a room. I cannot see anything as it is pitch black, but the smell of dampness and mold hits my nose tenfold.

  “Mary!” I hiss.

  “Not yet,” She taunts back.

  I want to stay here and kill the bitch, but I can’t miss the ceremony, Dallah is relying on me to get her out of this bonding, I won’t let her down, not even for revenge on Mary.

  Trying to transport myself back to Ruk’s side, I quickly shut my eyes and try again. It isn’t working! What the fuck is going on?

  “That won’t work little Charmer!” She taunts with an evil laugh.

  She knows I am the Charmer. How? Shit! What am I meant to do now? I cannot feel Dallah or Angus, and Ruk will be freaking out right now.

  “What do you want Mary?” I ask in irritation.

  “I will drain you of your powers and then watch the Brothers’ as they walk into this room and see their poor little Zara dead on the concrete, that’s what I want!” She tells me angrily.

  Can she really be so deluded to think that she can take the power from me? I know that she is nuts, but I didn’t think she was brain dead. Being the Charmer is something you are born as, and will die as. Who would have told her that she could take my power? Moreover, how the fuck does she know that I am the Charmer? Moreover, did she tell anyone else? She must have help with her, but who? Who is the Vampire that changed her, who is her sire?

  “Why are you hiding in the shadows Mary?”

  “I’m not hiding!” She roars.

  “Looks that way,” I taunt, whilst walking around the brick walls trying to find the bloody door.

  I haven’t stopped trying to transport out of here, or connect with somebody, anybody. It's only one hour until the bonding ceremony takes place; I need to find a way out.