by Angel Nyx
Trailing Moon Flowers
A NOLA Shifters Prequel
Angel Nyx
Angel Nyx Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidences are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
Copyright 2017 by Angel Nyx. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Angel Nyx Publishing
Foreword
This book, and the series it is connected to, is set in the Louisiana Bayou. Many of the character you will meet in the NOLA Shifters Series are Cajun. Their speech patterns reflect this. Too often, authors are leery of using a dialect that is specific to an area or to a group of people. I feel it would be an insult to anyone who is Cajun for me to make my characters Cajun while having them speak perfect English. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into their world!
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other Books
Chapter One
Mia
Eight year old Mia Anaise Lafluer was pouting. Why was she pouting? Because her brothers were playing tag with some other boys and they wouldn't let her play with them. “You're too small”, “You can't run as fast as da rest of us”, “You'll always be 'it'”, and her favorite “You're a girl, girls don't play tag” were all the things they'd said to her when she tried to play with them. “It's not fair! I can too run fast,” she muttered under her breath. “I'm tellin' mama!” she yelled and stomped toward their house. Mama would make them let her play.
Gage Delacroix was presently 'it' and he didn't think it was fair the other boys weren't letting Mia play tag with them. He knew from experience she was fast despite her size. Just a few days ago he'd been teasing her and pulled one of her braids then ran off. She'd caught up to him and kicked his shin for it despite the fact he was two years older and already taller than most boys his age. He ran up behind her, tapped her shoulder, and yelled “It!” He flashed her a mischievous grin and ran off.
Mia squealed and tore off after him. Sure, she was small for her age, but she was actually pretty fast. When she saw her twin, Julius, she grinned and headed right for him. “It!” she said as she ran past him and touched his arm.
“Hey! No fair! No one told me you was playin' too!” he said.
Mia's laughter echoed in the trees as she ducked under things and jumped over what she could. They played until the sun began to set and various calls of 'dinner' echoed throughout the compound. “Thanks for lettin' me play,” Mia said to Gage before she followed Beau and Julius toward the small cottage they lived in.
“A'course. It wasn't fair dey wouldn't let you play, too. You're pretty fast,” Gage replied with a grin.
“Thanks!” Mia looked back and gave him a smile before she waved and turned to head into her house for dinner.
“Mia Anaise, how on earth did you get such a tear in your dress?” Eliza said when she noticed a long tear in the hem of her daughter's dress.
Mia looked down at it before she bit her lip. “I'm sorry, mama. I didn't mean to! Da boys were playin' tag and at first dey wouldn't let me play cuz Beau said I was too little, but Gage was 'it' and he tagged me and den I tagged Jules and... I musta done it when I was runnin' from him.”
Eliza sighed. “Well, don't just stand dere, go change and wash up, I'll mend it tomorrow after it's washed.” As soon as her daughter was out of sight she turned to her oldest child. “Beau Emmanuel, you know better den to pick on your sister like dat. What am I gonna do wit' you?” she asked.
“Sorry, mama,” Beau mumbled. “I won't do it again,” he promised. “She sure proved me wrong!” he added and there was pride for his little sister in his voice.
“You remember dat. Don't tink someone can't do someting just cuz of dere size,” Eliza admonished.
“Yes, mama,” Beau replied.
That night Mia went to bed with a happy grin on her face. Summer was just starting and that meant she would get to play tag with Gage Delacroix every day for the next three months.
Gage
At ten year's old Gage Delacroix was already starting to get tall, like his papa. He and his brother, Remy, had both taken after their papa that way. Landry Delacroix was 6'6” and towered over his much smaller mate. That was where the similarity between father and son ended. Landry was a very serious person but Gage was the exact opposite. He was quick to laugh and he got along with everyone. Among the children of their Pard, he was considered the most playful.
It was the beginning of summer and he was looking forward to spending every day playing with his friends. During the school year they had to be more serious, more reserved, because even though humans sort of knew shifters existed, they didn't really believe in them and if they knew their children were going to school with shifters, they'd no doubt throw a fit. So during the school year, he had to keep his leopard on a tight leash. Summer was for having fun.
During their first game of summer tag, he was presently 'It' when he decided to overrule what the other boys had decided. Mia Lafluer was every bit as fast as a lot of the other kids; he knew that because he'd learned it first hand. His shin was very familiar with the toe of her shoe. He'd been a bit of a shit and tugged her braid and she'd retaliated by kicking him. Since the other boys didn't want to let her play with them, mainly because she was a girl, he ran past her and tapped her shoulder. “It!”
When the game ended and he headed home for dinner, the smile she gave him lit up his world. He'd do a whole lot to see that smile all the time. He didn't understand why her smile affected him so much, he just knew it did. Yeah, the summer was really going to be fun.
Caine
Every morning, after eating breakfast, Caine Bordeaux slipped off into the bayou. Things were often stressful there in the compound. Many of the cottages were in ill repair, not everyone had enough to eat, and the older members of the Pard were often neglected. The adults did their best to shield their children from how bad things were. Despite wishing for a change, though, no one had the courage to challenge the Alpha.
At fifteen, Caine was already proving to be a dominant male in the Pard. He was strong, stubborn, and determined. But he wasn't strong enough, not yet. When he thought about the squalor the Pard lived in while their Alpha lived high on the hog, it infuriated him. What gave Zachary Eitenne the right to live in such luxury when the basic needs of most of the Pard weren't even being met?
A snarl was ripped from his throat as he ran through the swamp. He'd stripped as soon as he'd left the compound behind and had shifted into his animal form in hopes of running off some of his frustrations. He should have known it wasn't going to help. The only thing that would was beating Zachary and taking over as Alpha.
Just a few more years. He needed to be sure he could properly take care of the Pard before he issued challenge. He could prob
ably beat the lazy cat now if he fought him, but at fifteen, Caine knew he wasn't ready to take on the responsibility being Alpha would give him.
By the time Caine returned to the compound, the sun was sitting high in the sky and the other boys around his age were playing a game of football. “Hey, Caine, you wanna play some football?” The question came from Beau Lafluer. He was the oldest of the Lafluer brood and only a few years younger than Caine.
Caine shrugged. “Sure.” He might as well. It wasn't like he had anything else to do. He noticed Mia on the sidelines pouting and cocked a brow. “What's wrong, cher?”
Mia huffed. “Dey won't let me play. Dey said I'm too little for football.”
“Well I reckon dey're right about dat. As big as dey are, dem boys, dey'd squash you if dey fell on you.” He held his hands out to the sides when he said 'big', implying he was calling them fat.
Mia giggled. “You're funny, Caine.” She didn't feel quite so bad about not getting to play now.
“Dat was da point.” He winked at the little girl and went to join the game. It was something to take his mind off of things for a while.
Chapter Two
Mia
“Ugh! I don't wanna wear a dress, mama!” At eleven years old, Mia was a tomboy through and through. Trying to get her to stop climbing trees, or heaven forbid, wear a dress, was like pulling teeth. She fought it tooth and nail.
“Mia Anaise, you will wear a dress and dat's final,” Eliza said to her daughter.
“But mama,” Mia whined.
“But mama, no'ting,” Eliza countered. “Dis is a special occasion and it calls for dressin' up.”
Mia crossed her arms and grumbled. “But it's just Constance's christenin',” she grumbled. “No one's gonna care 'bout what I'm wearin'.”
“I care. You'll wear a dress or I'll go get me a switch and tan your hide,” Eliza said in frustration.
Mia looked down at her feet. “Sorry, mama,” she mumbled. She knew her mama didn't like to take a switch to them so if she was threatening to do so, she was serious. Mia slipped the dress on and tugged at it. She wasn't comfortable in it, but if it would make her mama not be so unhappy, she'd wear it.
“Dere, don't you look pretty?” Eliza said. She brushed Mia's hair out and put it back in the pigtail braids her daughter loved so much. “Thank you for wearing da dress,” she added.
“Welcome, mama,” she mumbled. When it was time to head out of the house she kept her head down. What if one of the other kids saw her? She'd never hear the end of it.
Gage
Any time there was a christening all of the Pard attended. Today's christening was that of Constance Lafluer. As of right now she was the youngest of the Lafluer brood, behind Beau, the oldest, Mia and her twin brother, Julius, and the second set of Lafluer twins, Adele and Auguste, but Mrs. Lafluer was already expecting another baby. Sometimes Gage felt a little envious of his friends for having such a big family when it was just him and Remy. Then he'd think about having to share a bathroom with that many people and be glad his parents didn't have any more kids.
He was following behind his parents and brother when he stopped in his tracks. There, just outside the Pard's church, stood the Lafluer clan. That wasn't why he stared though. No, he stared because Mia Lafluer stood there in a dress. It was the first time since the summer, three years ago, when he'd let her join in their game of tag, that he'd seen her in a dress.
He was really starting to hit puberty, hard, and he couldn't deny that seeing Mia in a dress made him feel funny. She was so pretty and the dress made her look even prettier, like a flower opening it's petals. He shook his head and took a breath to get his teenage hormones under control before he approached. “Hi, Mia.”
Mia was mortified when Gage spoke. Of all the boys to see her in a dress, he was the worst. She didn't want him thinking she was all girly all of a sudden. “Hi, Gage.” She gave him one of her warm, albeit a little shy, smiles.
That smile warmed him on the inside. “You look nice. What'd your mama have to say to get you to wear a dress?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Mama was gonna get a switch and tan my hide,” she whispered back.
He blanched. “Ow. Good idea to just wear it and get it over wit', I say.”
“Yeah, me too. You like nice too,” she said. He'd cleaned up and was even wearing a nice button-down shirt instead of a t-shirt.
“Thanks, Mia. Guess I better git inside,” he said and followed his family. He glanced back one last time and met her smile with one of his own. She really was a pretty girl.
He didn't really understand why he found himself wanting to steal glances at her all throughout the ceremony. What was it about Mia Anaise Lafluer that was so darn distracting? Maybe he needed to ask his papa about it. It'd be too embarrassing to ask his mama.
When the christening was over there was a party to celebrate it. Gage could tell Mia was itching to change clothes but her mama wasn't letting her out of her sight. Gage grabbed two glasses of lemonade and moved to her side. “Want some lemonade? How long is your mama gonna make you stay in da dress?” he asked after he handed the glass to her.
“Thanks. Til da party's over,” she grumbled. She took a sip of the cool, refreshing drink and sighed. “At least she didn't make me curl my hair or someting.” Her younger sister, Adele, loved getting her hair curled but Mia couldn't sit still long enough for that. She had to get outside and run or climb trees. Something.
“It might look pretty curled.” Gage wasn't sure where that came from. What in the world was wrong with him? “I mean, not that it's not pretty anyway. It's kinda like da sunset.” Now he really sounded stupid. “Anyway, sorry your mama's makin' you stay dressed up. We're supposed to play some baseball tomorrow, you gonna play wit' us?” he asked to change the subject before things got awkward.
“A'course, as long as mama doesn't make me do chores all day.” Mia hated doing chores but with the baby coming there was a lot that needed to be done.
“Well if you get to play, you'll be on my team.” He flashed a grin. He'd learned the hard way to not have her on the opposing team. She was a hell of a ball player.
Mia giggled. “You just don't want your team to lose.”
“Nope and if you're on my team we won't.”
Julius stomped over to where Gage and Mia were talking. “Mia, mama needs you to help wit' Adele and Auguste while she puts Constance down for a nap.”
Mia groaned. “Okay. Bye, Gage,” she said with a wave before she went to keep an eye on the twins.
“Bye.” Gage watched her go and felt a pang in his chest that confused him. He really needed to talk to his papa about why he felt so funny around her.
“Papa? Can I talk to you a minute?” Gage tried to not fidget as he waited for his papa to respond. He'd been standing there near the small group of men his papa was talking with for about ten minutes before there was a lull long enough for him to speak up.
Landry Delacroix looked down at his youngest and nodded. “Sure. “S'cuse me,” he told the others and moved away from the group. “What's on dat mind of yours, son?”
Gage took a deep breath. “It's...I dunno, it's kinda strange. Ever'time I get around Mia Lafluer I feel funny. Like at da christenin', I couldn't even pay attention cuz I kept lookin' at her. Why is dat?”
A hearty laugh escaped Landry. “Son, dat's just you growin' up. You'll be noticin' dat more and more when you're around a pretty girl. It's just your hormones going all crazy like, you'll get used to it. Just don't go lettin' dem control you because it could make controllin' your leopard harder.”
“Oh.” He felt stupid for not realizing that was all it was. “Thanks, papa.”
“Go on now and enjoy da celebration,” Landry urged his son before he returned to his conversation.
Gage kept an eye out for Mia the rest of the evening but he didn't see her again. By the time he followed his parents and brother home he wondered if he'd embarrassed her when he said
her hair would look pretty curled and she was avoiding him. It would serve him right for being such an idiot in front of her.
Mia
Mia kept wanting to get back to the party but Constance was fussing so much that her mama wasn't able to put her down. As a result Mia spent the rest of the evening minding her younger siblings. She kept thinking about what Gage said, that her hair might look pretty curled, and wondered why he said it. Did he think her hair looked ugly braided? She didn't understand why that thought bothered her so much. She pushed the thought away and focused on getting the twins to bed so she could try to get some homework done. Just because it was Saturday didn't mean she could ignore her math homework. Maybe tomorrow would be better.
Mia's plans of joining the ball game just so she could hang around Gage for a while were thwarted when her mama went into early labor. The Lafluer household was in a frenzy as they prepared for the newest member of the family. An early birth could be dangerous, especially since her mama couldn't go to the hospital, so they had to hope the baby was strong enough to survive. She'd half expected Jules and Beau to slink away but they both surprised her by staying and helping to keep the younger kids calm and as quiet as possible while their mama brought their newest baby brother or sister into the world. A celebration wouldn't take place until they knew for sure the baby was going to survive.
By the time her baby brother, Dempsey, was strong enough for them to celebrate his birth, a week had passed and any awkwardness between her and Gage from Constance's christening seemed to have faded. Mia stuck close to her mama in case she was needed but she watched the boys play their game of tag with a bit of longing in her heart. Every time she saw Gage it felt like her heart skipped a beat and it made her want to run out of the house and join their game but she just shook her head and told herself she was being silly. Her mama needed her right now so playing games had to wait.