by JF Holland
Moon Sworn
The Bound Series
Book 1
Also by JF Holland
Dennison Property Story Series:
The Only One
This Time
Second Chance
Full Circle (coming 2017)
Bound Series:
Moon Sworn
Bound by the moon (coming December 2016)
Single Titles
Blue Christmas (coming December 2016)
Date Night (coming 2017)
Copyright © 2016 J F Holland
The moral right of the Author has been asserted.
All characters and events within the story, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental
All rights reserved.
No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission, in writing of the Author and owner of the publication. Nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my children who have been patient with me while I've finished yet another story that took over my mind. They've put up with late teas, and mum living in slippers while I got the story out of my head. I love them more than life, and it means the world to me that they understand that some things I just have to do. Thanks guys.
The Bound Series is set in a fictitious countryside town, in the UK. The series was born after reading dozens of articles over the years on various big cat sightings in fields, towns and other places that big cats aren't indigenous to.
Introduction to the series.
Welcome to lower Lunaton, on the border of Lunaton woods. The little British countryside town where the crop circle on the way in gives you heed, the inhabitants may not be what they seem.
By the dark of night, it's not only the moon that comes out to play.
There's many a creature living alongside you, so expect the unexpected. Growls, howls, the patter or paws, the beating of wings, maybe a conversation with a little more bite than bark. A place of magic, or is that just a myth?
There's always something going on in the little town, and sometimes it's not so friendly. When the moon is high, and the day is over, stay out of the woods. Just a gentle warning, you don't want to disturb the local's at play. You could get more than you bargained for?
Pull up a chair and rest your feet, you may be here a while. After all, most have been here more than a lifetime, well a human one anyway.
Moon Sworn
The Bound Series
Book 1
Words the Shifter Males are told from birth
By the light of the 3rd full moon of the year, man that goes from 2 legs to 4 will feel the pull when his mate is born, the other half to his soul. But patience must you show, for 21 years shall pass before she feel the pull of the binding, when at that time on her your mark shall appear. The other half to your own, thus making the mark and you whole.
During this time you must not unleash the beast within around her, for she may not know of your kind. But you should hasten and be warned, only 5 years shall you have to locate and bind her to you. If you fail to have your union sworn over by the last full moon at the end of the 5th year, your lifespan shall then be that of your beast. You will then permanently become the animal that you take form, and for the remainder of that life you'll walk on 4 legs. Forever to be alone.
Chapter One
Scrawny legs flying across the ground as Maya's heart pounded like a bass drum against her ribs. Her breath sawing in and out of her abused, oxygen starved lungs at her pace. She didn't have a clue where her speed came from, but she moved like a freight train as the dark shape kept coming behind her. Fear surrounded her, so thick it suffocated as it threatened to swamp and swallow her whole. She could feel the menacing icy breath on the back of her neck and pumped her arms as she tried to gain more speed. Her harsh breathing and stampeding feet the only sound to be heard as she rushed through the eerily, silent forest behind her home. Well, silent apart from her own frantic heartbeat pounding loudly in her own ears as her silent screams ricochet inside her mind.
The scene and sounds she'd fled from playing on a loop behind her horror-filled eyes. Alone, she was all alone because they were gone, dead. Brutally and heartlessly taken from her, their heads removed from their bloodless, lifeless corpses. Her father had pushed her through the front door as the back door had exploded inwards. She’d desperately tried to pull her young brother with her, but he’d clung to their father as he’d pushed the door closed on her. Then the sounds had started, the terrified screams of her mother as her family were slaughtered. She'd been unable to save them as they'd barred the door to prevent her from returning. She couldn't bring herself to move and leave them and had stood by helplessly, listening to their murder on the other side of the door. She'd been frozen in shock until the screams had turned to silence, but still she couldn't bring herself to move and leave them. Then came the gleeful laughing and scraping sounds. The clacking of something against the wooden floor as it came closer to the door she was stood before, but just before it had opened she'd been galvanised into action by her mother's voice in her mind 'run Maya'.
She ran with a fist shoved against her mouth, trying to stem the heart-wrenching sobs as they tried to break free from her aching throat. Silent tears tracked down her frozen cheeks as she continued flying across the forest floor. Uppermost in her mind were thoughts of vengeance, and her only hope of achieving that was to reach safety.
Those thoughts were the only thing that kept her going as the naked, twisted branches reached to ensnare her. They were like macabre, gnarled hands trying to hold her back and slow down her, greedily grabbing and scratching at the bare skin of her arms. Tugging and snagging the material of her white shirt, now blood stained and ripped from her many cuts. Her head sore as those eerie fingers pulled aggressively at her hair, as if trying to scalp her as she made her escape. The strands left behind hanging from those twisted limbs like a macabre trophy. The lone survivor of the latest massacre to have hit the area in the last month.
Maya didn’t know where she was going. All she knew was that if she stopped- even to take a breath, then she’d be next. Her chest ached and her sides hurt, but there was no time to rest otherwise the sacrifice made to save her would have been in vain. That she could not allow, no matter how tired and terrified she was, she had to escape. She needed to survive to be able to meet out the justice the murderers of her parents and young brother deserved. Her soul demanded it of her and not by the authorities. No. They would get ‘an eye for an eye’ once she was strong enough to deliver the bloody justice to them herself.
Coming to a break in the forest she slowed, looking left then right up the unlit, quiet, country lane. Surprisingly the bright full moon gave her excellent vision, and she was able to make out the expanse of empty highway stretching out, seemingly endlessly in both directions. Then she heard that sound, the one that made the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand to attention. Bent over double, dry heaving and fighting for breath, came the sound of that sickening, maniacal laughter. Then the thing she'd been dreading, the overly loud sound of more than one set of heavy feet hitting the compacted soil. They were on her trail and not too far behind. Their laughter and growls of excitement piercing in the otherwise silence of the night. She could almost feel the icy breath of death on the back of her neck, spine tingling as she felt her imminent demise. H
er flight had been for nothing, her attempt at escape lost. It seemed impossible that she'd survive this encounter after all she was only one, but sought by many and rage built at the injustice. Her terrified gaze sudden lit upon movement on the other side of the lane. She was unable to make out the source as it was hidden within the abundant dark foliage, but a light was definitely there. It wasn't bright, but it was visible enough for her to make out and track its movement. It bobbed and weaved, like a ballerina performing an intricate dance, on its own speedy journey through the trees.
Then out of nowhere came a deafening crack of sound that shattered the eerie silence of the night. It was as if a starter pistol had been fired - or possibly a really close crack of thunder. The a piercing, pain filled howl lit up the night sky, tearing apart the silence and sending the already wary wildlife scurrying for further cover.
Holding the sheets to her naked chest, Maya shot up gasping as she fought to catch her breath. Just a dream, it was just a dream, none of it was real, it hadn't happened. She didn’t know why she kept having the nightmare, but she did? Every full moon she dreamt of fleeing for her life through the forest. Turning her head she scowled at the glowing circular ball that glowed through her bedroom window and lit up the dark of night like one of those torches. What the hell was..?
"Now I finally have you in my sights, nothing and no one will keep you from me. There's not a force on this earth that will stop me from taking what is mine. I've endured years of torment as I've searched for you, and for that you'll pay. Your life will be as much of a hell as my search for you has made mine. You'll be at my mercy, and never again will you be free. I'll be in your body as I'm in your head now. You will service me, take care of my every fantasy and be warned I'll be with you soon. Then I'll be the only thing you will ever again be able to think of."
Maya's, hand crept up her throat. Shocked at the inherent threat in his words as the voice began to falter, then just as suddenly it was gone.
The voice had appeared shortly before the dreams had begun. A sinfully dark, erotic man’s voice whispering inside her head. At first he'd been nice, soothing, sweet and endearing as he seduced her with stories of all they would be to each other. As time wore on, months turning to years his façade had slipped, and he was no longer as sweet or tender. His promises of shared pleasure had turned to hostile threats, and he in turn had become more volatile. The weirdest thing though - well apart from hearing a voice in her head, he sounded familiar. For the life of her she couldn't remember where she knew him from. How could a disembodied voice hold such fascination for her? It wasn't as if she was every likely to meet him. I mean hello, it was just a voice in her head, probably a figment of her own overwrought imagination. Therefore she shouldn't be turned on by his voice, no matter how sexy he sounded. She should have been scared by his threats, not excited. She should maybe even consider reporting them to the police. The only problem with that was how did she do it? She could see that conversation going down really well.
'So madam, you claim to be getting threats?'
'Yes officer.'
'And do you have any proof to back up said claim, a recording, letter or message. Anything at all that we could use to substantiate them. Something that could perhaps be used to help us identify said perpetrator, a description, age, height, anything?'
'Well no officer.'
'So how exactly are you receiving these threats?'
'Well maybe once a month when the moon is full, his voice kind of speaks directly into my head.'
'Okay madam, you just take a seat there while I make a few phone calls. The first to the psychiatrist, you obviously need evaluating for psychosis.'
Maya rolled her eyes at the thought. Yes, she could see that going down really well with the authorities. She knew that he was in fact communicating with her, but logically she didn't understand how it was possible? The theory had been tested countless times in psychological studies and had never been proven. Then again the little evidence they did have didn’t disprove the theory either, or was she just clutching at straws here? A way to explain his existence outside of her head. A way that he could be something other than a figment of her imagination, possibly even a flesh and blood man?
She snorted, yep she'd definitely lost the plot. Lying here trying to argue the probability of a man, a human being capable of being able to use telepathic communication? Logically it was preposterous, of course it was, but the only other possibility was that she really was losing her mind. Obviously that wasn't as palatable a solution, she knew all wasn’t as it seemed, but telepathy? Surely she should be looking to the theory that the loneliness and too many late nights were finally taking their toll on her. That was certainly more palatable than the thought of losing her mind.
Turning over she squinted at the clock on the bedside table, 1.30am. Groaning, she flicked on the lamp and flopped back against the pillows. What the hell was happening to her and how did she stop it? She groaned at the movement, her arms ached. Actually, her whole body ached, even her head and jaw were painful. One minute she'd be wracked with chills, then the next she'd be so hot that not even a cold shower helped her cool down. Maybe it was time she made a doctor's appointment, time she got things checked out? Maybe she wasn't delusional at all and her imagining his voice was due to a high fever or an illness? After all, it certainly wasn't normal to be hearing voices in your head. Well, maybe it wasn't so much hearing the voice in her head that was the problem, it was being attracted to it that was the real problem. She rolled over onto her back. Hearing them wasn't the problem, or even being attracted. It was wanting to believe and to act on them that caused problems. Ask anyone with schizophrenia. She found the whole thing kind of depressing.
Flopping back in bed she scooted down and tried to get a few more hours, and okay maybe she was hoping to hear him again. If she was losing the plot, she may as well enjoy it. She drifted off with a smile on her face.
Chapter Two
Jaden woke with a start, growling low in his throat. Pupils still huge, making the amber seem brighter as if his annoyance caused them to glow. Pushing his thick, wavy, black hair off his wide forehead with frustration. It was getting long again, maybe it was time for another shave? No, what was the point it would be grown out again within a fortnight. Lying in the hotel bed, broodingly staring at the ceiling, his chest rumbled as he tried to picture her? He still didn't have a clue what she looked like, and couldn't quite get a feel for where she was either. He was definitely getting closer though because the telepathic link between them was becoming clearer, stronger. The only problem was it was taking too long and his patience was running out. He sighed, wiping a hand over his face and felt the edge of his long canines. Fuck, he was shifting now whether he wanted to or not. His vision was also switching between normal and heat bandings, which wasn't a good sign. Well not according to the old laws that his father had told him of. It meant he only had another month or two at the most to find her. Then he'd be out of time, and shit out of luck. Fucking prophecy, why the hell couldn't it have bypassed him?
Groaning, he pushed himself up from the hotel bed and padded over to the mirror that hung above the dressing table. Ropes of muscle undulating with his movements as he used an index finger to lift his top lip to get a closer look. Yep, his canines were definitely still there, and longer than they should be. He let go of his lip and held onto the edge of the dresser, head hung low as he took a couple of deep, calming breaths. Frustration wasn't doing him any favours either, sex kept him on an even keel and helped keep his animal side in check. He could do with a woman about now. It was a pity their bodies - human or animal, didn't respond to anyone but their mate. Well, once their mate reached maturity at 21-years old that is. It was a free ride before then, and he'd taken many a turn on that merry-go-round. It had been nearly 5-years now though since he'd gotten off with another person. A hand job in the shower just wasn't cutting it for him anymore.
Letting go of the dresser he punched the door frame
in anger and frustration. She would pay for all his frustration once he found her. Growling low in his throat, the sound rumbling in his wide chest as his top lip lifted, once again revealing his razor sharp canines beneath. Fuck the prophecy, he'd collect his 'fated mate', he sneered at the term. It was all kinds of messed up that they didn't get a choice. What sort of sick twisted game was it to pair him a female? He liked being alone, craved it even. He didn't want the responsibility of another life. He wanted to be left alone to carry on as he was. Fleeting hook ups before moved on, no chance of attachment, no chance of loss. Once he found her, which he would as there was no other option, he would not lose his life because of a female fate had dictated he be tied to. He'd hunt her down and bind the bitch to him, thus fulfilling the prophecy. He was not going to hang around though, once it was done he'd be gone again. Off on his merry way and solitary existence again because he would not be dictated to by no damn prophecy, no matter what. Yes, he knew he had to claim her, but there was nothing written in the laws that said he had to fucking keep her. Once they were moon sworn, her body tied to his he'd be back in working order, thank fuck for that. Why couldn't they be more like their animals in that department at least? Fuck them and fuck off. Leave the women and kids behind and move on. Stupid fucking laws. Why the hell would he want to settle down with a female and cubs? He enjoyed his solitary existence, moving around no one to please but himself. Just him and his beloved Harley hitting the road. Speed and the engine vibrating between his legs, the wind in his hair, and the smell of freedom. Riding his bike was the closest he could get to the exhilaration and freedom he felt running in animal form, and the only way he could do it without worrying about detection. Too much technology around now. Bloody security cameras and mobile phones, everyone and his friend had one nowadays. A few had been caught on film - luckily only grainy pictures, but it was enough to make people begin questioning. It especially raised questions in areas where big cats were not indigenous to the area or country.