Moon Spell: Part One in the Tale of Lunarmorte

by Samantha Young

  “Why?” Ryder snapped.

  “Because we have no way of knowing how the Midnights will react. It could be explosive. The Centre is not fully prepared for that just yet.”

  “It’s alright, Marion,” Lucien reassured her. “We weren’t asking you to come anyway. We can take care of this.”

  “But Ethan...”

  “We’re going in as lykans. He won’t be able to touch us with his magik.”

  No one said anything after that and Caia slid down the door, her heart pounding. She wanted to be going with them. She needed to be. And unfortunately she was realising it wasn’t just about being the one to get Jaeden back.

  She couldn’t bear it if something happened to Lucien and she wasn’t there to help him.

  “Damn him,” she hissed and jumped to her feet as the car wheels spun on the gravel driveway, and the noise of the engines gradually faded into the distance.

  “Caia?” Ella knocked on her door.

  She braced her magik against it so that no matter how hard her adoptive mother pushed, the door wouldn’t open.

  “Caia, please.”

  “I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

  There was a moments silence and then the Elder sighed, “OK. But there’s food downstairs if you decide you’re hungry.”

  “OK.”

  As soon as Ella’s footsteps disappeared, Caia was clambering out of her window and down the side of the house as quickly and as quietly as she could. Once on the ground, keeping her back pressed against the wall, she sidled ninja-style along the porch and glanced quickly into the window. The kitchen was empty. Thanking Artemis, she ran full speed into the woods and began shedding her clothes at the same time. Like the night before, Caia was able to transform momentarily into a lykan, and she whooped inwardly as she tore through the woods, ignoring spiking bracken and branches that caught on her fur. At some point she was going to have to tell Lucien about her new cool ability. Just as soon as it entered her mind she dismissed the thought, wondering if it would only alienate her further from the pack. It didn’t matter she supposed. If she was going to live at the Centre she wouldn’t have to tell Lucien anything. Not that Marita was sounding a whole barrel of fun at the moment.

  It took her only fifteen minutes going at full pelt to get to Sebastian’s house. She had crashed out of the woods that cornered the estate he lived on when she remembered she was a wolf. Sheepishly, she cowered back, and fell down into the grass so she could gaze around at the surroundings. It looked like she was going to have to go through the back yards and hope to Artemis no one saw her.

  There were a few hairy moments. Such as when she thought the first back yard was clear and made to shoot through it and under the fence into the neighbouring yard. She just managed to squeeze herself back behind the garbage can when a short, squat woman trundled out the back door with a pile of laundry in her arms. As soon as the woman’s back was turned Caia streaked across it and out of sight.

  Two houses from Sebastian’s and her coat was soaked with sweat.

  “Is that a dog?”

  So startled at the booming male voice that came from behind her, Caia tore off not even pretending to hide, and jumped the six foot fence that bordered Sebastian’s house. There was some commotion behind her so she scuttled to the back door scraping and whining as loudly as she could.

  Caia had never been so thankful to see anybody in her life.

  “Caia?” Sebastian asked in amazement, his eyes darting around and then coming back to her. “What are you doing?”

  She whined again and he ushered her inside.

  “My mom and dad are visiting Cera. The kids all like each other,” he explained.

  She whined again as if to say ‘and I give a rat’s ass.’

  “I’ll get you clothes.” He nodded and hurried out of the kitchen.

  Back in a flash he held a pair of jeans and a large Killers t-shirt. “The jeans are my mom’s. I couldn’t find a shirt for you, though, so you’ll just have to wear mine.”

  Caia waited for him to leave but he just stood there with his hands jammed in his jean pockets watching her. After a moment’s padding, she growled politely, and he took the hint and left.

  Her change back was just as quick and again she marvelled at it. It felt almost like cheating, she thought as she pulled on the clothes. Sebastian’s mom’s jeans were a little on the long side so she rolled them up as best she could, and pulled on Seb’s shirt. It smelled of him and she wondered momentarily if he had lied about not being able to find her a shirt from his mom’s closet just so she would be encased in his scent. Shaking it off as paranoia, Caia wandered through the house until she found him sitting, waiting for her in his sitting room.

  He smirked, drinking in the sight of her and she felt his rush of pleasure at seeing her in something he owned.

  “I need shoes.” She distracted him.

  “What size?”

  “Seven.”

  He grinned and got up. “My mom’s an eight, that’ll do, right - my mom has really small feet for a tall chick.”

  “You call your mom, chick?” she called after him.

  “Not to her face.”

  Once she had on sneakers and socks Caia was able to explain the entire mess to Sebastian.

  When she was finished, Sebastian shook his head in disgust. “I can’t believe he did that.”

  “Yeah, well, I should have seen it coming. He’s so...”

  “Obnoxious,” Sebastian supplied cheerfully.

  “I was going for overprotective, but obnoxious works just as well.”

  He grinned and then stilled, looking serious and very grown up all of a sudden. “So what’s the plan?”

  Caia began to pace, hoping to Gaia that Sebastian would go for it. “The guys are staying at a Motel called Motel En El Camino. I thought we could take your car and head out after them and meet up with them there. Once we’re halfway there, they’re not going to send us back, and if they try to, this time I’m pulling out the big guns.”

  Sebastian looked worried. “Magik?”

  “Yes. If it’s the only way.”

  “Caia, you sure you want to do this?”

  Yes. Didn’t he understand? Jaeden had been kidnapped because of her and now four of the pack’s strongest young males were headed out after her. Lucien was headed out after her. And they didn’t have the backup they needed. She wouldn’t let them do this alone.

  “I have to.”

  Sebastian nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  “Sebastian, you don’t have to. You could just give me your car.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “No way are you leaving me out of the action.”

  27 - The Fight Before Battle

  Sebastian left a note for his parents telling them he was at Caia’s. He guessed once they found out the truth they would already be with Lucien, who would most probably call Ella to let her know Caia and Sebastian were with him.

  The drive was quiet except for when Caia gave him directions. The closer they got, the stronger the icy pull she felt from Ethan was. What disturbed her more was the shades of familiarity that hit her every now and then as they passed a town; incoherent thoughts would reach out at her, some dark, some dismal, some mundane. But she could have pinpointed the exact location of those thoughts, told Sebastian to turn the car around and drive right up to the spot of those thoughts.

  This is what Marion is talking about, she sighed, leaning her forehead against the car window. Her body was humming with connections that grew more numerous as the hours ticked by, until Caia felt like she could burst out of her skin. It scared her more than she liked and she put a plug on her emotions so that Sebastian wouldn’t scent her fear and mistake its reason. She was frightened by the thought of being connected to thousands of Midnight magiks and just what it would do to her sanity once she reached full capacity.

  “Are you OK?” Sebastian asked quietly, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “You know we could just turn ba
ck.”

  “Is that what you’ve been thinking for the last two hours, Seb?” She replied, trying not to be snarly. His response was tense silence. “No, I didn’t think so. My bet is that you’ve been playing over and over in your mind Jaeden’s rescue.”

  He smirked wryly. “You know me so well.”

  “I need to get her back, Sebastian. There is no going back.”

  He nodded and let the silence fall between them again.

  They couldn’t be too far behind Lucien and the others. Caia breathed in deep relief when they found the Motel the guys had said they would crash at, and sure enough Lucien’s truck sat parked outside a room further down the lot.

  Caia got out of the car, her heart pounding. She could hear Sebastian’s beat just as erratically as hers.

  “He’s going to kill us,” Sebastian murmured, coming around the car to stand close by her.

  “Hasn’t seemed to bother you before.”

  They walked slowly towards the room, picking up the other’s scents until they were standing immediately outside room 15. The door flew open before they could even knock and Christian stood staring at them incredulously, before ushering them in without a word.

  Caia blinked in the dull darkness of the large motel room with its brown faded curtains closed across all the windows. Aidan sat on one of the twin beds with a matching look of incredulity and horror on his face. Lucien and Ryder were nowhere to be seen, and Caia couldn’t smell either of them nearby.

  “What in the Hades are you doing here, Caia?” Aidan jumped up, pulling her further into the room as Christian shut the door. Sebastian clung closely to her and Aidan frowned, sniffing her. His eyes widened and he spluttered at Sebastian, “You didn’t dare.”

  Just then the door banged open, nearly knocking Christian out of the way. Caia gulped as Lucien strode forward, his eyes on her, blazing with undiluted fury. Her gaze swung past them to Ryder who wore a mixed look of disappointment and sympathy.

  “Are you insane?” Lucien’s guttural growl was so animalistic, even the other guys flinched back. And then he seemed to catch the scent of the air around him and his silver eyes darkened to almost black. Caia would always be thankful for how quickly Ryder reacted, grabbing Lucien back by the arms and enlisting Christian’s help to restrain him whilst he writhed and spat and growled, his eyes locked on Sebastian with bloodthirsty intent.

  “Why do you smell like him?” Caia flinched back from the snarl. At first she was so taken aback by how uncontrolled Lucien was, truly scared of him for the first time, that she looked around at the others in incomprehension at his question. Sebastian had paled, but stood bravely tense. Caia automatically reached out to ease him by placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was a bad move. Lucien struggled harder and almost got free before Aidan joined them to hold him back.

  “Caia.” Ryder groaned, struggling to hold onto his friend. “He means why do you smell of Sebastian?”

  Oh dear goddess, she slumped in relief, understanding now that he had misinterpreted Sebastian’s scent on her. Oh, she flushed, embarrassed at what they were all thinking. They thought she and Sebastian had...

  Well... that isn’t insulting in anyway.

  “Oh, for goddess sake,” she snapped stepping forward, trying to be unafraid of him. “I’m wearing Sebastian’s shirt that’s all.”

  An eruption of disjointed growling followed this.

  “He’s asking why?” Ryder snapped, looking truly pissed off at her now.

  “Because I was bare ass after running wolf-style through the woods to get to his house.”

  Lucien snarled some more and looked more than ready to decapitate Sebastian.

  Caia threw up her hands. She knew Alpha’s could get pretty protective of their mates but this was just obscene, especially considering she had told him where to stick their mating. “Oh for the love of Gaia, nothing happened!” she cried. “But thanks for the swell opinion.” This was directed at them all, because they had all been thinking the same thing.

  Sebastian shrugged, trying to remain cool. “She’s telling the truth. I wouldn’t touch her without her say so.”

  Oh such the wrong thing to say. Caia glared at him as Lucien struggled some more. “Sebastian, maybe you should wait outside.”

  He nodded and then walked past the three large males not even flinching when Lucien snapped his jaws at his ear. When Sebastian was safely outside and his scent had disappeared, Caia turned to Ryder. “Will you let him go so he and I can speak?”

  “I don’t know if that’s...”

  He trailed off as Lucien began shuddering in their arms, obviously trying to control his lykan. His breathing began to even out and his eyes became more silver, although no less angry as they glared at her.

  “Leave us,” he demanded.

  “Lucien, you won’t hu-”

  Lucien’s head whipped around at his friend. “How could you even think I would?”

  “You’re just not yourself right now.”

  “Leave us.”

  The others nodded and quietly left them alone in the motel room. She flinched as Lucien strode by her and began rummaging through a holdall he had with him filled with weapons and clothes. He pulled out a black shirt and threw it at her. “Change.”

  His stormy scent infiltrated her olfactory senses and her stomach inappropriately clenched in desire. She blushed, turning away and hoping he couldn’t sense it. Holy Artemis, how could she still want him after that he-man display of outrageousness? She shouldn’t put the shirt on; how dare he tell her what to do!

  As if sensing her defiance, Lucien growled and repeated the command.

  Um, it may be better at this point to just humour the angry, muscular lykan. Keeping her back to him, Caia drew Sebastian’s shirt over her head and heard Lucien’s intake of breath. She tried not to be pleased at how she affected him, but it must have been a female thing because she couldn’t help but want to wag her tail in smugness. Instead she quickly threw Lucien’s black shirt on which drowned her even more than Sebastian’s had. Turning back to face him, he looked somewhat appeased by her obedience, but still blazing angry.

  “And why are you here?” He bit out without any ‘how d’ya do’s’.

  She braced herself for war. “To get Jaeden back. We’re coming with you.”

  Lucien had a hold of her so quickly he gave her whiplash. “Like Hades you are.”

  “You can’t stop me,” she replied calmly.

  His face crumpled, losing all anger and filling with desperation. “Caia, I can’t go into this worrying about your safety.”

  “You need someone, a magikal someone, in there with you. And I need to do this.”

  Lucien shook her none too gently. “It is not your fault they took her.”

  “Yes. It. Is.”

  “Caia-”

  “I’m not arguing this out with you, Lucien. You either let me go with you or I’ll just use my magik to keep you here and go it alone.”

  His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’ve not got that kind of power yet.”

  Caia tensed at the challenge and smiled humourlessly. “You wanna bet?” And with that, she drew her focus and energy carefully into seizing a hold of Lucien. He gasped as his hands dropped from her uppers arms and he was pushed back gently with an invisible force. She smiled at his surprise which seemed to infuriate him back to his senses and he made a move towards her, only to bounce back off an invisible barrier between them.

  “Caia,” he growled and hit at the barrier.

  Her amusement faded as he walked the length of the room trying to escape the shield she had created around him. Marion had taught her this the day she returned, and Caia had picked it up with surprising ease. But watching Lucien growl and hiss and spit in his growing failure, Caia felt terrible, caging him in. She didn’t want to do this to him.

  The barrier disappeared and Lucien had a hold of her again. “Don’t ever do that again,” his hot breath rushed across her face and she
closed her eyes not wanting to see dislike of her in his own.

  “Caia look at me,” he demanded.

  She shook her head.

  “Look at me.”

  Slowly her eyes fluttered open. Lucien didn’t look angry at her anymore. Sad. Awed. Scared.

  “You’re not disgusted?” She whispered.

  He shook his head. “Not happy either, though.”

  “I don’t want to do that to you, Lucien, but I will. To protect you, to protect Jaeden, I will.”

  She felt him tremble and knew he was trying to remain calm. He definitely didn’t like not getting his own way. He let go of her and dropped down heavily onto one of the beds, his elbows braced on his knees, his head buried in his hands. “Fine,” he snapped.

  Caia wanted to rejoice. She had won a battle with him. She would get to be there to see Jaeden out of the clutches of her twisted uncle. She would make sure that Lucien would get home safely, too.

  And then she could get on with her life.“Before we get Jaeden back, we need to talk.” Quietly she settled into a threadbare armchair in the corner of the room, distancing herself physically from him.

  He looked up, his eyes searching. “About what?”

  “Us.”

  He nodded and exhaled loudly. “Is this about the Centre?”

  “Partly.”

  Unnerved, Caia waited for him to say anything, but he sat their immobile, like stone, so stoic now compared to the writhing animal he had been merely fifteen minutes before.

  “I think the air should be honest and clear between us before we attempt to rescue Jaeden.”

  “Agreed.” He shifted casually, so that he lay across the bed, his back pressed against the headboard. Caia looked away, hot flashbacks scoring across her eyes and bursting into goosebumps up and down her arms. Dammit. It was the whole mating thing, she assured herself; the attraction between them would always be there because of that.

  Caia swallowed and managed to look back up at him, annoyed by the mischievous light in his eyes that told her he knew what she was thinking.