The Blood Moon

Raine I’m crouching behind a rack of summer clothes in H&M. My wolf, Sienna, is near the surface with me sniffing the air for Alpha Pierce. It has only been four weeks since Alpha Pierce declared himself to be my mate. He told me he felt the mate bond, but I haven’t yet. I find it odd since I am 20 and mates are typically able to feel the bond starting at 18. Sienna insists he is not our mate, but Pierce has been relentless. He has moved me from my home to his and has banned me from leaving the pack land. At first, I wasn’t terribly upset about my abrupt move. My best friend, Talia, was still living at home with Pierce. For the first week we had a great time and spent almost every waking moment together. I even slept in her bed a few times and we would stay up late chatting about our hopes and dreams. She was doubtful about her brother’s claims, especially since I hadn’t felt the bond, but no one dared go against Alpha Pierce. It never ended well. Talia had left for college a week after. It was a bitter farewell. She was my only friend left in this pack. The rest of our friends had mated to wolves in neighboring packs and while they had promised to stay in touch, had drifted apart over the last year. Talia and I were the only ones in our friend group that remained unmated. The night Talia left, Alpha Pierce began to try and force the bond. He moved all my things into his room and forbade me from sleeping in a separate room. When I refused, the punishment began. He would yell at me, berate me, even hit me a few times. I relented and had been sleeping in his bed with him for almost three weeks now, if you could call it sleep. Sienna, my wolf, was restless and uncomfortable which in turn made me restless and uncomfortable. I had barely had a few hours of sleep each night. Every minute I wasn’t sleeping was spent thinking of ways to get out of this mess.I could tell he was trying to break my spirit, hoping he could wear me down until I accepted him as my mate. I shifted off the balls of my feet and knelt against the cool tile floor. I was warm from running here. It was a solid 10 mile run from Alpha Pierce’s house. I was hoping that the staggering amount of humans in the mall would mask my scent, but deep down I knew my elevated body temperature and sweat would enhance my scent and if Alpha Pierce was looking for me, it wouldn’t be long until I was found. Sienna takes control of my awareness, her heightened senses a better fit to keep watch for Alpha Pierce, which leaves me to my thoughts. I’m thinking about Alpha Pierce’s attempts to claim me. How strange it is that he feels the mate bond and I don’t, when I feel hot breath on the back of my neck followed by a hand. Sienna retreats from my consciousness, whispering an apology to me for not sensing him sooner, and I am forced to the front. Alpha Pierce isn’t terrible to look at. By werewolf and human standards, he is a truly handsome man. He is tall and muscular, with high cheekbones and cold grey eyes. His dirty blond hair is always cut and groomed in a slick and stylish manner. He yanks me back by the necks so that I am looking up into his eyes. They are filled with a terrifying rage. They are darker than usual which tells me his wolf is near the surface, fueling his anger even more. He is growling at me under his breath, his teeth bared. I am afraid his claws are going to retract and dig into my skin when I hear someone clear their throat behind us. He instantly removes his hand from my neck and his face softens into a smile. He whips around, pulling me up to my feet to face a saleswoman who has an uncomfortable look on her face. “Is everything ok here?” She asks, her voice shaking slightly. She is trying to stand up tall and seem authoritative, but compared to Alpha Pierce’s 6’5” frame, she is a dwarf. “Hello,” he replies cheerfully. “I was just telling my girlfriend here that it is time for us to be going.” He smiles at her with cold eyes. She looks at me, and I can see the worry in her eyes. “Ma’m, are you ok?” I freeze as she addresses me. What would happen if I said no? I can feel the heat from his glare as I consider my options. If I say no, I truly believe AlphaPierce would get me back anyway. And if he did, my life would be worse than it is now, if I even survived the fallout. I feel his arm wrap tightly around my waist and he pulls me impossibly close to him, as if he is confirming my thoughts. “I am ok, thank you though,” I reply in a voice much quieter and higher than I meant. She doesn’t believe me. She’s looking at Alpha Pierce and I with one of her eyebrows raised. She looks like she's about to say something to me when he starts pulling me towards the exit. “Thank you for your concern, but we are in a hurry and really must be going.” He shoots her a look that would make a werewolf tremble. Since she is a human, she isn't as affected by it, but I can see she cowers slightly and just lets us walk away. We make our way through the crowded mall. His hand is now gripping me uncomfortably tight around my biceps as he drags me through the throngs of shoppers, waves of anger rolling off of him. His breathing is heavy and his nails are digging into my skin. I’m sure there will be bruising later. I can feel his Beta and Gamma nearby. I knew he wouldn’t come alone. We eventually made it out to the Ranger Rover. He opens the passenger door and roughly picks me up and sits me inside. His beta, Marcus, and Gamma, Jared, slide in the back seat silently. He gets in the driver's side and slams the door behind him. I wince. We sit in a tense silence for what feels like half a lifetime. I look over at him. He’s staring straight ahead with his hands clutching the steering wheel. His eyes are closed but I Can feel his rage. He inhales sharply. “Why did you run away, Raine?” He asks me cooly. He isn’t looking at me, but I am still staring at him. “Why would you do that to me? After everything I have done for you? You scared me baby.” I am shocked. This was not the reaction I was expecting. He turns to me and stares into my eyes. I swear I can see tears forming in the corners of his eyes. I can’t gage what I am seeing. Anger? Sincerity? Fear? He’s impossible to read at this moment. I clear my throat. “I’m sorry Pierce, I -- I don’t know why I left. I felt trapped. I don’t want to be stuck at home all the time,” I whisper at him. He narrows his eyes at me. “It is Alpha Pierce. Who do you think you are, not using my title?!” He’s angry again. “I’m sorry, Alpha, I thought I was your mate and -- “ I don’t get to finish my sentence before he slaps me. The sound echoes through the silent car, his beta and Gamma unsure of what to do. The sting is unbearable and I gasp in response as my hand rests on my cheek where the blow had fallen. “You will respect me, Raine. I won’t tolerate disrespect!” He roars. My wolf is shaking and whimpering. Tears are beginning to silently stream down my face as my cheek burns. He looks at me again and sighs. “Great. Now I’m the bad guy,’ He groans. He rests his head on the steering wheel and closes his eyes, then starts the car and looks at me again. “Why do you make me lose my temper so much, Raine? Why can’t you just listen to me?” I don’t respond. I move my gaze to the window and watch as we pull out of the mall, then the town, and begin to head towards the forest that we call home. ***** Content warning: domestic violence An hour later, we pulled into the driveway. It’ snight time. A few minutes into the drive, the men had begun talking about pack matters. I stared out the window at the forest, uninterested in their jabber. We get out of the car and stand awkwardly by the front door. “Well guys, thank you for your help finding Raine. Hopefully we won't have to do it again,” Alpha Pierce says coldly, his eyes narrowing at me. “Any time, Alpha,” Jared replies, looking at me carefully. “Raine, if you need anything give me a call.” I feel Alpha Pierce tense up beside me. I smile at him and nod. They turn and run off into the darkness towards their homes. With that, Alpha Pierce and I are alone. “Alpha, I am very tired. I think I’m just going to go lie down for the evening,” I say looking down at my shoes. I don’t dare make eye contact with him. He turns suddenly and I feel his hand against the front of my neck. “I’m not done with you yet,” he growls at me. He opens the door and throws me in the house. I land on the floor in the open living room just barely missing the black leather sofa. I sit up and see him stomping toward me. He is shaking with rage and I can tell his wolf is fighting to get out and have a go at me. I try to back away from him but I can’t get on my feet. He picks me up by neck again and slams me against the wall. I’m gagging as he strangles me, his eyes boring into mine. “DO YOU LIKE TO EMBARRASS ME RAINE?” He screams at me, as he pushes against the flesh of my neck with his hands even harder. I’m beginning to feel light headed as my brain is deprived of oxygen. “Alpha,” I squeak, scratching at his arms. “Please, let me go.” He loosens his grip on my neck and holds me by my upper arms instead. He pulls me away from the wall and then slams me back again. I can feel my wolf shaking and crying in my mind. “YOU WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!” He screams. He drops me and I fall in a heap on the floor at his feet. He grabs my cheeks and forces me to look at him. I’m sobbing as his eyes lock into mine. “You have deprived me of our mate bond for too long you b***h,” He says to me in an even tone. His eyes are looking at me hungrily. I can see one of his hands move to his crotch and he begins to gently rub himself. He forces a finger into my mouth and I instinctively bite down. He pulls away from me, screaming and holding his hand. “YOU STUPID b***h!” He screams. He’s kicking me now, in my ribs and my abdomen. He lands blow after blow with no end in sight. I am sobbing, pleading with him to stop. The pain is unbearable and I cower away, pulling myself into a ball. After a few minutes he stops and stares at me as I cry. “You are forcing me to do this, Raine,” he says. “You will not leave this house. Until you bond with me and let me take you, you are confined here. You will have a constant guard with you at all times. You will join me for pack business when I work from home. You need to learn your role. You will be my mate and Luna of the Harvest Moon Pack whether you like it or not,” he begins to grin evilly at me. “I’m sure you will come around.” He turns and walks out of the room, towards our bedroom, leaving me on the ground. I am unable to move. Every piece of me hurts. I am sobbing uncontrollably. I can feel my injuries beginning to heal. It doesn’t hurt, but it is uncomfortable. I’m healing you as fast as I can, Raine. Sienna whispers to me in my mind. I’m going to have you sleep now so I can work more forcefully. You won’t feel it, I promise. I continue to cry as my vision darkens. I can’t believe this is my life now. I’m trying to stay awake in case he comes back for more, but Sienna wins me over and sleep embraces me.