Moonbound Secrets

Chapter 2

The Chase Begins

The word "no" felt like a rock stuck in my throat. I could not say it loud but I could not agree either.

When he touched my chin it was like a shock ran through my body. It was the time he had touched me in three years and it brought back feelings I thought were gone. My wolf was whining inside me feeling scared and alone. Mate. Safe.. I knew that was not true. I was not safe with him.

I pulled my head back breaking the touch. "You do not understand " I whispered, my throat hurting. "You cannot."

His eyes, which used to be sad now looked hard and angry. "I understand that you are standing in front of me alive when I thought you were dead " he said. "I understand that you smell like my family. Please tell me what I do not understand, Selene."

He said my name like it was a weapon and it hurt me. It made me feel like the person I had been trying to be Lena Lenoir was not real.

"It is not safe " I said, feeling desperate. "For my son. For you to know about him."

He looked at me his jaw tight. "Safe? You call this safe?" He looked around the dark room we were in. "Hiding, being scared all the time? I could feel your fear from across the room. That is not safety that is a death."

He was right. It made me angry. My life had been a worry for three years. Every face every wrong number, every strange car made me scared. I was tired of it.

The other option being with him was what made me run away in the first place.

I remembered something from the past: a room, a mean voice. "The baby is a problem. Get rid of it. We will.. We will start with the mother." I did not see the persons face a ring on their hand with a twisted tree on it.

Someone had threatened me when I was pregnant I told him. They said they would hurt my baby if I did not disappear. They said it would look like an accident. I was scared. I did not know what to do.

Damien stopped moving. The air around him felt cold. "Who was it?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I do not know. Just a voice. A threat. It was real." My voice broke. "I found a note on my pillow, Damien. In our bedroom. How did they get past your security? How did they know everything? I could not take the risk. I could not risk my son."

For a moment I saw something in his eyes a c***k in his confidence. He doubted himself. That gave me hope.

Then his face closed off again. "That is a story " he said. "From a woman who's good at lying."

His words hurt me like a punch. "You think I wanted this?" I said, angry. "You think I wanted to have my baby without anyone to help me? You think I wanted to watch my son take his steps without anyone to share it with? You think I do not feel the emptiness where our bond used to be?"

Something in his eyes flickered. I knew he felt it too the pain of our broken bond.

It was not enough. "If you were in danger you should have come to me " he said.

I looked at him. The question just came out. "What if you were the danger?"

The room was silent. I knew I had gone too far.

His hand, which was by his side clenched into a fist. "Get out " he said, his voice calm and scary. "Leave this house. Go to your son. You have until dawn. If you are not at my place with my child I will find you. I will look everywhere. I will not be gentle."

He took a step back. I felt a chill. He was giving me a head start. I knew it was just a game.

He. Opened the door and I saw the light from the hallway. He did not look back walked out and left me there.

I stood still for a minute trying to think. Then I ran out of the room down the hall and into the service corridors. I had to find a way out.

I found a door. I pushed it open. I was in an alley and the air was cold. I had my phone and my clutch. I had no shoes.

I started running down the alley and onto the street. I had to get from him.

I called the person I trusted Maya. "Code Red " I said, using the code we had practiced. "He saw me. He knows I am alive."

Mayas voice was calm. "Where are you?"

I told her. She said she would come. "Go to the bench in Thornwood Park " she said. "Now. Run."

I ran, my feet hurting. I did not care. I just wanted to get

The park was small. The bench was, behind a playground. I sat down trying to catch my breath.

Maya. I got into her car. "Talk " she said, looking at me.

I told her everything. She listened. When I finished she said, "We have a plan. We have the bags, the cash, the IDs. We can leave now."

I nodded,. I was not sure. I thought about Damien. What he had said. I thought about my son and what I had to do to keep him safe.

We pulled up to our apartment. I saw the nightlight in my sons room. My heart. I knew what I had to do.

We slipped inside quietly. Maya went to the hall closet and got three backpacks that were already packed. She started checking what was inside: our passports, some cash, burner phones and protein bars.

I went to Leos room. He was lying in bed under his dinosaur comforter with one arm around his stuffed wolf, Lupin. His hair was wet on his forehead. When he is sleeping he looks like his dad. It takes my breath away.

I knelt down next to his bed. I finally started crying. I touched his face. "I am so sorry, baby " I said quietly. "Mama is so sorry."

His eyes opened a bit but he was not really awake. He could tell I was upset though. Kids of werewolves can sense things even if they are not werewolves yet.

"Mama?" he said, sounding sleepy. "Was I having a dream?"

"Yes sweetie " I said and I smoothed his hair. "You were having a dream.. We are going on a fun trip okay? We are going for a car ride at night."

He just. He trusted me completely. Then he closed his eyes again. It broke my heart to see him like that.

I stood up. Started gathering his favorite things. Lupin, his favorite book about the moon and his blue blanket. I was moving fast just doing what I had to do and I put all his things in a duffel bag.

Maya came into the room. "We need to go " she said. "The longer we stay here..."

Then we heard a creaking sound coming from the living room.

We both stopped moving. It was the floorboard near the front door. It always makes a noise when someone steps on it.

Maya looked at me. Then she pointed to herself and then to the living room. She got a taser from behind the bookshelf. She calls it her "legal defense tool."

I shook my head. I meant "no". I was thinking about Leo. Get Leo out of here.

Maya. She understood. She is supposed to protect Leo. My job is to distract whoever is coming.

We heard another creaking sound. It was closer this time.

Maya went to the window in Leos room. It opens up to a roof over the back porch and then there is a drop down, to the yard. That is our way

I took a breath. I walked out of Leos room closing the door really quietly behind me.

The living room was really dark the only light came from the streetlamp outside shining through the blinds. A big guy with shoulders was standing by the front door, which was now closed.

He had picked the lock, which was not a surprise.

He was not looking at me he was looking at the pictures on the bookshelf. One picture was of me and Leo at the beach we were laughing. Another picture was of him dressed as a dragon for Halloween something he had never done before.

He slowly turned his head the streetlight made the gold in his eyes shine.

"You are early " I said, my voice was steady which was surprising. "It is still hours until dawn."

He did not care about what I said he was looking at the hallway behind me at the door to Leos room. He took a step forward.

I stood in front of him to block his way. "No " I said.

He stopped his eyes finally looked at me. "Do you think you can stop me?" he asked.

"I think you said you would not do anything until dawn " I said. "An Alphas word is supposed to mean something." I was trying to use the rules of the pack against him.

He gave a fake smile. "I said if you were not at my place by dawn I would come after you " he said. "I did not say I would not watch the house until then." He took another step forward. I stayed where I was. We were close now I could see how tired he was it was not just because of what happened tonight. "Where is he Selene?" he asked.

The bedroom door opened a little and a small voice said, "Mama, who's here?"

Damiens whole body became stiff he stopped breathing. All his attention was, on the light coming from the doorway.

He did not push past me he just stood still like he was afraid of doing something

Then he slowly got down on one knee he made himself look less scary.

His voice was different when he spoke it was soft and gentle.

"Hello " he said, looking past me at the door. "What is your name?" he asked.