Moon Children

FACING THE FIRE (3)

Darci’s POV 

I wake up being blinded by sunlight flooding through a large, single-pane window. Trying to sit up, I groan in pain and lay back. Taking in my surroundings I instantly recognize that I’m back in the pack hospital.

“Not again.” I mumbled out loud to no one in particular.

“There you are sleepyhead. How are you feeling?” A familiar voice calls out.

Opening my eyes, I see none other than Ezra Harrison sitting in the chair directly next to my bed. My mate.

“Sore. Confused. A little pissed off.” I respond casually. He chuckles lightly.

“Glad to see you still have your... spirit.” He grins.

“Yeah, well, it’ll take more than some dirtbag man-child with a little boy complex to break me.” I smile back, speaking with a touch of sarcasm.

Wrong choice of words.

Ezra instantly tenses when I mention Jason.

“I want his name Darci. I haven’t decided on his punishment yet, but assaulting our future Luna is a crime punishable by death, or being exiled at the least.” He tries to reply coolly, but I can see right through it. Funny how just a couple of days ago I never spoke with Ezra, and now I can read him like an open book. He doesn’t keep a guard up around me whatsoever, which I almost envy.

“Ezra... don’t you think what you did was punishment enough? It was just an argument. Yes, he put his hands on me, but it could have been worse.” The last part coming out barely above a whisper.

“No, I don’t think it was enough. If it had been any worse than what he did already, he’d be dead right now.” He growls lowly.

I instinctively flinch, although not quite understanding why. I’m not afraid of Ezra, but after last night’s events everything has me on edge. I watch as his eyes soften instantly.

“Please, please don’t be afraid of me. I meant what I said before, I’ll never hurt you. Darcietta, look at me.” He pleads.

Using my full name caught my attention. Not many people know my full name, let alone use it aside from his mother.

“I’m not afraid I just, I don’t know. I’m a little rattled, I guess. He was my friend, I never thought he’d do something like that to me. He may have been drunk but that’s a shitty excuse in my book.” I stated quietly.

“What exactly did he do to you? When I got there he had his hand on your throat, I blacked out after that. All I know is before I heard you scream, I felt a burning in my stomach, like I was being stabbed or something. Then, I felt pain through our bond right before you screamed.” He spoke in a hushed, but agitated tone.

“Okay, but you can’t interrupt. A lot happened in a few seconds time. Promise me you’ll hold yourself together ‘til the end.” I demanded, rather than asked. I could tell he wasn’t being used to being told what to do, and he simply replied with:

“Fine. Promise.”

“Ah, right. Well he uh... he.. Uhm... So, he was super drunk and started hitting on me and man handling me so I told him to back off but he wouldn’t back off and then he tried to or rather did kiss me by force so I screamed and bit him and then he smacked me in the face so I spit in his and that really pissed him off so he punched me in the side and then... well you saw the rest. Oh and the burning you felt was when he kissed me. Infidelity causes severe pain for the other mate so thank you for all those good times.” I couldn’t help but blurt it all out at once, the last part laced with anger and sadness.  

Something about this damned bond made me feel as though I could trust Ezra even though I didn’t want to, like I’d known him for a thousand years. I realized then I had involuntarily shut my eyes during my outburst. I opened them just a little bit to gauge his reaction, and immediately widened them fully when seeing his face. His eyes were flickering by the millisecond, raw anger seeping from his pores. The gorgeous smile I know is replaced with bared teeth and a scowl. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“So, he hit on you, touched you, refused your rejection of his advances, sexually assaulted you, and then slapped, punched, and choked you? And you stopped me from killing him?!” He roared through gritted teeth.

“For f***s sake Ezra, chill out. Shitty men are everywhere. Is he complete and utter garbage for what he did? Yes. But does he deserve to die over it? Absolutely not! I’m not even the Luna yet, so it’s just an assault between two pack members.” I rushed out.

“You’re still the Delta’s daughter. We’ll see what the current Alpha has to say about it. You’ll be our Luna soon enough.” He grins at the last part of his speech.

“I don’t even know if I want to become Luna of Black Brook! It’s an honor, yes, but I still don’t know if I’m accepting you as my mate or not! After everything you’ve put me through, could you blame me? And besides, I don’t think I have what it takes anyway. I’m a great fighter, sure, but I don’t have the delicate touch of a Luna, nor am I a mother-type figure like a Luna should be.” I met his glare with a sad, cold look.

Ezra stared at me for what seemed like an eternity, before he whispered slowly.

“I know I’ve made a lot of bad decisions, and I’ll never be able to reverse history. I didn’t know, however, how badly I’d hurt you. If I had, it wouldn’t have happened. I’ve never once meant to hurt you on purpose. Ever. I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that I am everything you’ll ever need. You’ve also already announced the whole pack that I am your mate, so rejecting me is almost out of the question entirely. But even if it wasn’t Darcietta, don’t you dare say you aren’t Luna material. The Goddess would never have paired us if that were the case. The prophecy wouldn’t make sense if we weren’t together.” He paused, deep in thought before he started to rant, gradually becoming louder in tone.

“You are an incredible warrior with an unparalleled gift, perfect for defending our people. You forget Luca is my best friend and I’ve known you for your entire life! A “delicate touch”? You’ve literally hand-woven your own hanging ropes for your succulents to hang in front of your windows, planted an entire garden on the east side of the territory, and saved a bear cub from a hunter’s trap in the last year alone! For Goddess’ sake you’re a painter! And don’t even try to say you aren’t motherly. You’ve wanted a mate and a brood of pups since you were a child. You take care of your siblings as if they were your own, and you took the daycare elective at school 3 years in a row in place of study hall.”

“5 years... I did it for my last 2 years of school after you graduated too.” Asmall blush threatening to creep across my face as I corrected him.

I’ve never heard someone list my accomplishments, dreams, and qualities off like this before. How could he possibly know this much about me, when we haven’t spoken since we were kids! That moment, it dawned on me.

“Just how much does my brother talk about me to you?!” I pointed a finger at him accusingly.

“He doesn’t realize he does it Darci. I casually bring up conversation that eventually leads to your involvement in some way or another and I put the pieces together myself. I could never resist trying to learn about who you are, even when my own stubbornness prevented me from doing so properly. I’ve always felt our bond, and tried to stay as far away as possible. When I was young I didn’t want a mate, but as I got older that changed. I just didn’t want you to feel like you were forced to be with me before you could tell for yourself.” He answered me seriously.

I’ve never thought of that explanation much before. I can almost understand his reasoning for not telling me. Almost.. It still doesn’t excuse all of his mistresses, though. Especially after realizing he did want a mate. Right then, Dr. Murray walked in with a small smile on his face.

“What’s the damage this time Charles?” I laughed.

“Well, your worst injury is 3 broken ribs. You have some deep bruises and contusions, but otherwise you’ll be alright from this altercation. Speaking of which, I need the name of the assailant for your medical records. I also need to speak with you about... another matter Darci.” He looked away briefly, cheeks reddening as if he were embarrassed.

“Jason Flynn.” I whispered. Ezra still heard his name and growled. I caught myself before I reached to swat him, suiting him with a hard glare instead.

“Thank you Darci. Now, for the most important matters. One of the elders came to see me early this morning with some information. I thought that this matter would be better discussed between the two of you privately, since I’ve learned you are a mated pair.” He smiled.

“Maybe.” I muttered. Dr. Murray dismisses my annoyance and clears his throat before continuing.

“What I’m trying to say is I thought this should be discussed without any of your parents present. The elder that visited me told me something about imprinting, as it is practically unheard of and I have little knowledge about it. You two are aware that the next full moon is 11 days away, correct?” He questions us seriously.

Ezra and I look at each other and nod. He looks at the Charles and speaks lightly.

“Yeah... and?”

“Well Darci, now that you’ve found your mate and come of age your abilities will begin to surface. Once you’re officially titled Luna, your strength will become even more immense. If the prophecy about the female Moon child is true, a lot of strange occurrences will be happening soon. You will have to study and train these powers to use them properly, or face ultimate consequences. He gave me this book for you, it is an ancient instruction guide of sorts to help you in utilizing your power. A spell book, so to speak. No one can open it, or see the writing on its’ pages, except for you.” He says as he hands the worn, leather-bound book to me.

“And there’s one last thing you need to be aware of.” The doctor continues.

We both nod our heads to Charles, processing all of the information.

“When a she-wolf who is imprinted upon discovers her fated mate/marksman, the next full moon triggers her heat. It can only be eased... by completing the mating ritual. Otherwise, Darci, you will be in extreme pain for at least 5 days. The heat will also highly increase the chance of pregnancy.” He states, looking over at Ezra directly in the eyes.

Ezra tries to contain a triumphant smile, which is short lived when he realizes I’m still a virgin and now he is supposed to mate me in 11 days time, while simultaneously risking becoming parents at ages 18 and 20. It’s not unusual for Were’s to have pups young when they find their mate, but I was still unsure about him, my future, all of it. I love children and the idea of a family, but I don’t want one already! And do I want it with Ezra Harrison, soon-to-be Alpha?

“We’ll see about that.” I grimaced.