by C Zinnia
The Sun and Moon Series
Book 2: Passion Found
By C Zinnia
Original Copyright for (The Sun and Moon Series: Passion Unleashed) ©2014 by Chesten Ponte
Copyright ©2019 by C Zinnia
All rights reserved.
Special thanks to Lois for helping me with editing the original version. You were a wise woman I had the privilege and honor to know and work with. You always encouraged my writing and celebrated my work even when it was at its most basic. I would have given up writing as a child if it wasn’t for you. You’re also the best grandma ever! You will always be in my heart!
Special thanks to Jonathan for giving me the idea of re-writing the series. If it wasn’t for you, I’m not sure I would have had the heart to work on this series again.
My sincerest apologies to my readers who read (and, perhaps, enjoyed) the previous version of this story. It was never my intention to change the story so dramatically (or to break it up the way I did), but if I hadn’t, these books never would have been completed. I decided to wait until I completed the series in its entirety before publishing to discourage any potential worries that I would change the series again. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me. Thank you for your compassion and understanding.
This is dedicated to anyone who has fallen in love deeply with a person and realized they were the wrong person for you. You are not alone. Many of us have been there. Trust me when I say, the best thing (and hardest thing) to do it walk away. You will thank yourself for it (after you go through your grief stages of course). I believe you will find the right person for you who will treat you the way you deserve. You deserve love and respect.
Chapter 1
Viola woke up while it was dark. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep. Her clock showed it was five in the morning. She was surprised she slept for so long.
Now that her mate was here and Viola could think rationally, she realized Mel meeting her for the first time in bed may not be appropriate. It was a very intimate setting that Mel may not be ready for. Viola had seen several romantic movies and it seemed like female humans liked to be wooed by male humans before doing anything intimate, even if it was her soulmate. With werewolves, once they had realized they were soulmates, the first instinct was to consummate the relationship.
Viola had heard stories about when Bruce first met Silvia. It was on the first day Silvia and her parents joined the pack. Bruce’s father was making introductions when Bruce came outside to see their new pack members. Bruce’s and Silvia’s eyes locked instantly. Their nostrils flared as they breathed in each other’s scent. They knew in that instant they were soulmates. In front of Silvia’s parents and Bruce’s parents, Bruce passionately grabbed Silvia. Silvia allowed Bruce to throw her over his shoulder and run into the house. They didn’t leave the house for a day.
Viola had a feeling that was not the response Mel was expecting. It could cause Mel to push Viola away. She didn’t want Mel to feel any pressure or obligation that Viola expected her to do anything. She wanted Mel to determine the pace of their relationship.
Viola slipped out of bed. She watched Mel shiver and bury into the spot Viola had been laying in just a moment ago. She wanted to go back to Mel, but she fought the urge. She would be able to cuddle with Mel again soon enough. She just had to be patient.
Damn patience, she thought.
Viola went downstairs to the kitchen. She made a large pot of coffee. She knew others would join her soon enough and she could use the company. Viola needed distractions so she wouldn’t think about Mel being upstairs without her.
The smell of coffee wafted through the air. Viola sat at the table and sipped from her mug. She enjoyed the sweet cinnamon taste. It was the way her mother had taught her how to make coffee when she lived in Cuba. Her parents never contacted her after her banishment. That was what hurt her the most.
Viola called her mother once after she was settled in Virginia. She never made that mistake again. She could still hear the ugly words her mother called her. In the background, Viola could hear her father saying even worse things. They told her their daughter died by the river. Viola agreed with their statement.
She touched her mother’s necklace. She liked to wear it when she wasn’t training, especially after Jesse had stolen it. Even with all the ugliness and toxicity that happened, Viola missed her mother dearly. That makes the rejection worse, she thought. It was easy for her to hate her father, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate her mother.
Viola wondered if Mel had parents. Do they know about Mel? Would they accept our relationship? she thought. Would they accept me? She wasn’t sure. She was always weary of new people. If my own family doesn’t love me, how can I not expect hostility from anyone else? Being in Bruce’s pack helped quell some of Viola’s fears, but some of them still reared their heads now and then.
Would Mel accept me? Viola thought. Mel may not be okay with dating a werewolf. The thought bothered Viola. Why wouldn’t she want to date someone like me? Viola reminded herself. I’m a great catch! She’s lucky I’m her mate.
Daren trudged into the kitchen. He was still wearing a pair of borrowed pajamas and a t-shirt. He had a frown on his face that Viola wasn’t accustomed to seeing. “Hey V, I’m sorry, but I just can’t train today,” he said as he slumped into a chair, defeated. “I barely have enough in me to go to work today.”
Viola smiled sympathetically and hugged him. “It’s okay. I think we should take today off. I really don’t want to leave Mel alone either,” she admitted as she made him a cup of coffee.
“So, she’s your mate?” Daren asked.
Viola didn’t pick up on the slight tone of concern. “It seems so, though I haven’t really met her yet,” she said.
Daren nodded. He took a sip of his coffee. “Thank you,” he said.
“No problem,” she said. She sat back down and studied her mug. She cleared her throat as she tracing the handle of the mug. “She’s not how I pictured my mate.”
He glanced at Viola and knew what she was trying to say. He didn’t like it. Instead of acknowledging it, he played dumb. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Viola flushed. She fumbled over how to explain her feelings tactfully. “She’s just . . . I haven’t dated someone like her before,” she said. She knew Daren wouldn’t understand. He had dated women of all shapes and sizes. He viewed all women as beautiful and didn’t seem to have a physical “type.” Viola tended to only date petite women. She didn’t know how she would be able to handle dating someone Mel’s size.
“Maybe it’s a sign that she’s not the one,” Daren said casually before he took another sip of his coffee. “If you’re already seeing issues, then it’s hardly a good sign.”
She snorted. “Of course, she’s my mate,” she said. “How else would you explain the attraction?”
Before Daren could respond, Nana waltzed into the kitchen. “What on Earth are you doing in here?” she asked, interrupting their conversation. “You are usually training right now.”
Daren ducked his head down. “I can’t today,” he said.
Nana walked over to him and rubbed his back. “That’s more than understandable. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like breakfast?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m not hungry,” he said.
Nana was worried because Daren never turned down food. She bit her lip, resisting the urge to encourage him to eat. She made her coffee and sat down beside them. She looked at Viola. “You didn’t want to train either?” she said.
Viola shook her head. “I didn’t want to leave Mel. She’s in a house with werewolves and people she may not trust. I want her to feel safe,” she said. “But I want to meet her in an a
ppropriate way. We still haven’t formally met yet.”
“Formally?” Nana said. “Where did you sleep last night?”
Viola blushed. “Next to her,” she said.
Daren gave Viola a reprimanding look. “You didn’t mention that,” he said flatly.
“Because I knew how you’re react,” Viola said. He continued to stare at her. “I didn’t mean to! I was just going to stay for a second.”
“What? Did you trip and fall?” he asked wryly.
Viola buried her face in her hands. “I know it was dumb and borderline creepy,” she said.
“Only borderline?” Daren asked. “If it wasn’t for the whole ‘mate’ thing, would it then be considered creepy? You didn’t cut a piece of her hair, right?” He wasn’t able to keep a serious face any longer. His booming laugh filled up the kitchen.
While Viola was annoyed with his teasing, she was also happy to see him smiling and joking. “Knock it off, you aren’t making me feel better about it,” Viola said.
Nana was giggling. “I could only imagine the look on Mel’s face if she woke up and you were right there,” she said. She stopped laughing when she saw Viola’s frown. “Sorry, dear. I saw that poor girl yesterday, so I could only imagine how she would react. It is good that you understand the human culture. A formal meeting is better.”
“You met her yesterday? What is she like?” Viola asked.
“All things considering, she handled the stress very well. She remained calm even when she met Bruce and she knew he didn’t trust her,” Nana said.
“How do you know she knew that?” Viola asked.
“Because she told Bruce flat out she knew. She’s got some fire in her and seems to be blunt. I think Bruce likes her too. He even smiled when Silvia told him Mel is your mate. He said she was a good member to have added to the pack.
“Mel was worried originally we were going to kill her for seeing Trixie turn. It seems that Mel isn’t in the hunter’s good graces either. The hunter had attacked her in the hallway the night of the match,” Nana said.
Viola was angry. “Daren told me about that.” It was convenient for Viola that the man who mistreated Mel was a hunter. Now, if Viola happened to maul him, no one would get mad at her.
“And you know Mel saw your fight, right?” Nana said.
“Yes,” Viola said. She smiled. “I’m grateful it was such an impressive performance.” She nudged at Daren. “Think you can top that against Chris?”
Daren’s eyes twinkled as he peered at her from over his cup. “You aren’t going to be able to convince me to fight,” he said.
“What’s this about?” Nana asked.
“Alura and I are trying to convince Daren to fight Chris,” Viola said.
Nana brightened at the suggestion. “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” she said as she patted his hand. “You should do that, honey.”
“My fighting days are over,” he said.
Nana turned somber. “You know, Daren, I would love to see you fight again and I know one day you’ll get back at it,” she said. She sighed. “I just hope I’m alive to see it.”
Daren was aghast. “No, Nana,” he said. “Don’t you use that guilt trip.”
She managed to sniffle. “Can you blame an old woman for wanting to see her surrogate grandson whoop that Chris fellow?” she asked.
He groaned and buried his face in his hands. “No fair,” he said. He peered at her from between his fingers. “I’ll consider it and that’s the best you’re getting this morning.”
Nana immediately perked up. “I’ll take what I can get,” she said.
Viola was cackling. “You know Nana’s going to wear you down over it,” she said to Daren.
“Yeah, I know,” he said with a smile.
“You know, despite the hunter’s conflict with Mel, we can’t figure out why the hunter did all of this in front of Mel when she’s a human. We all thought they had rules against that sort of thing,” Nana said.
“Eli said Mel is gifted,” Viola said. “Maybe he hunts witches too.”
“That makes sense to me if Mel’s a witch,” Daren said.
“Really? Why?” Viola asked nervously.
“Don’t know. Just does,” he said.
“Gifted? Really? Papa had said he thought there was more to Mel than what we saw. That would explain why Mel was able to read Bruce so well,” Nana said. “Perhaps the hunter picked up on her gifts. It would make sense. He could go after anyone supernatural. What kind of gifts does she have?”
“I’m not sure and Eli didn’t say,” Viola said. “Do you know, Daren?”
“Nope,” he said. “Not that I’m aware of at least.”
“Good morning, my beautiful mate,” Papa said as he entered the kitchen and gave Nana a kiss. He hugged Viola and Daren. “It’s good to see both of you. No training today?”
“No training today,” Nana said. She gave Papa a look and waited for him to catch her eye before she looked pointedly at Daren.
“You know, I’m very hungry this morning, Nana,” Papa said. “I think I’m going to make some jok.” He saw Daren perk up and smiled at him. “Would you like me to make you some too, Daren?”
Daren’s stomach rumbled at the suggestion. “That would be awesome, Papa,” he said. “Do you need any help?”
“I’m going to help,” Nana said as she stood up. “You sit and relax a bit.”
“How are you, Viola? I bet you’re as happy as can be since your mate is here,” Papa said as he started cooking.
“Yes, I am,” Viola answered, smiling at the thought of Mel.
“Apparently, Eli told Viola her mate had gifts. It seems you were right about Mel, darling,” Nana said to Papa.
Papa nodded. “I’m not surprised. I’m right most of the time,” Papa said with a wink and a chuckle. “Where is Mel anyway?”
“Asleep upstairs,” Viola said.
“Viola hasn’t formally met Mel yet,” Nana said to Papa.
“Well, I can go get her and introduce you two,” Papa said matter-of-factly.
“No,” Viola said. “I want to meet her when she’s ready.”
Nana patted her hand. “That’s very good of you, dear,” she said. “Very thoughtful.”
Viola glanced towards the kitchen door. She hoped she was handling the situation appropriately. Viola wondered; How slow will Mel want to take our relationship? Will Mel even want a relationship with a werewolf?
Chapter 2
Mel was outside of the B&B. Trixie and Bill were arguing on the porch. How is Trixie alive? Mel thought. How is the B&B here? It felt like déjà vu. Mel was confused.
“I’m going to kill the human,” Trixie said.
“No, I get to kill her,” Bill said.
Trixie snarled. She transformed into a wolf in front of Mel.
Not again! Mel thought. Mel’s analytical side collapsed from the disturbance of her reality.
Trixie’s mouth and nose morphed as her body twisted and fur covered her skin. Trixie’s clothes tore from her body and fell in pieces to the ground.
No matter how many times Mel saw the change, Mel couldn’t absorb it.
Trixie howled. The sound startled Mel.
Instead of rushing at Bill, Trixie charged at Mel. “You’re mine,” Trixie said.
Bill’s gun was pointed at Mel. Bill said to Mel; “I’m coming for you next.”
Bill pulled the trigger as the B&B exploded.
BOOM!
Mel woke up with a jolt. Her back was covered with sweat and she struggled to breathe. Her heart raced as she took gasping breaths. She looked around in a panic, trying to find the enemy. There was enough light in the room that she realized it was empty.
Where am I? How did I get here? she thought.
The energies and scents surrounding her confused and disoriented her.
After a few more anxious moments, Mel realized she was alone in a bedroom. Viola’s bedroom, she thought. She slowly calmed as she regained her bearings
. It was just a nightmare. Her face stung like she had a bad sunburn and her right shoulder was throbbing. Mel hoped her shoulder would feel better soon. She had forgotten to mention it to Silvia and Dana last night.
“I don’t think I fractured anything anyway,” she muttered. She realized she could hear herself clearly in her left ear, but it was still faint in her right ear. She snapped her finger by her right ear and it still sounded muffled. The high-pitched note wasn’t as noticeable unless she focused on it.
The sun had already risen. The clock by the bed said seven. Mel glanced around, but there was no Viola. She must have had the nightmare after Viola left. Mel had woken up in the middle of the night to find Viola’s arms wrapped around her. It felt like Mel was in Heaven. Mel had been amazed by how well the two of their bodies had fit together. She had fallen back asleep before she had realized it.
The fact that Viola wasn’t lying beside her was disappointing. At the same time, Mel was grateful. She wasn’t sure how she would have reacted if Viola was in bed with her when she was fully cognizant.
How does it work with werewolves anyway? Do they immediately take their relationship to the next level? Mel blushed at the thought. She was shy about the thought of just kissing Viola.
Mel felt Viola was still in the house waiting for her. She knew Viola was in the kitchen. Mel knew Viola wanted to meet her, but not when they were in bed together. Mel appreciated the thoughtfulness. There were lots of other people in the house. All of their energies were feral.
Oh my God, I’m in a house filled with werewolves, Mel thought. Panic crept back. How am I going to stay safe here? She thought Viola would protect her, but Viola couldn’t be around her all of the time. It’s not Viola’s job to protect me. I want to be able to protect me. Mel strived to be an independent person and she didn’t want to give up her independence now.
Mel felt more people coming near the house.
Everyone was curious about Mel. They were hoping they’d get a glance at her if they casually came by.