bound to the moonlight

13.Amy

"Amy, Amy."

"Yeah." I said bewildered as I snapped out of my deep daydream.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked me looking completely baffled,

"Yeah I'm fine." I said going back to idly doodling in my jotter within seconds my mind had snapped back to Marcus where it had been flickering all morning he hadn't appeared last night which in itself wasn't interesting but there was something a restlessness, a god I don't know. I wish I could snap my mind back to reality and away from him, but he just kept pushing into my awareness he always had. He always claimed that he loved me although I know it wasn't true. He also insisted I loved him but sometimes I found myself thinking, Did I love him? Hell did I even like him? I didn't trust him and he scared me but did I love him? I didn't know. The question was too big for me Wolves maybe highly faithful to their mates but that didn't mean I was ready to be bound to the same guy for the rest of my life, especially not a pire they live a f*****g long time. I know a wolf doesn't have to form a pair bond every time they have s*x outside of the pack but I know it still wasn't a good idea. As well as the fact that a little voice kept whispering in my head that I shouldn't be trusting him he was a vampire and whatever he had done for me since he had still killed my family, and then my Guardian after what had happened to Scott I...no I couldn't think of Scott. But maybe that was Marcus' plan after all he was the only consistent in my life. He was the only thing I could rely on. "So what do you think?"

"Huh?" I said blankly to Matt , he smiled a little.

"You weren't listening." He said patiently,

"Yeah I was." I said defensively,

"Okay so what do you think?" he repeated with a small smile.

"Um." I said vaguely, He laughed.

"What is up with you today you haven't stopped daydreaming all morning?" He said I shrugged vaguely.

"Just stuff." I said as he put a playful arm around me and gave me a rough manly sort of half hug. I smiled resting my head on his shoulder. It was lunchtime and the two of us had fled the cafeteria to the playing field in spite of the rain lingering in the air, and settled ourselves down in the first row of the rickety wooden planks of wood that the school tried to persuade the student body was 'a grandstand'

"So do you want to talk?" Matt asked quietly holding a bag of popcorn under my nose.

"No not really." I said shoving my hand into the bag and pulling out a handful of toffee popcorn.

"So it's a guy." He said slowly, "so what did I do?" he said with a sigh,

"Nothing." I said honestly,

"Good so that means it's the other guy right? Mr Mystery."

"I didn't say that." I snapped my head snapping up from his shoulder to look at him, Matt smiled gently at me,

"I may have only known you a few days Amy but I know you well enough your not one of them," he said flipping his hand vaguely at the playfield "and you don't talk about guys that much you don't talk about anybody much." I smiled a little at this, "so I'm going by who you do talk about: me and this mystery guy who you desperately avoid talking about. So?" he finished looking at me quizzically, "You didn't do anything wrong" I said gently.

"Well good," Matt said smiling awkwardly averting his eyes. "Shit." He muttered, scrunching up the near empty bag of toffee popcorn and shoved it into his tattered blue Nike Backpack.

"What is it?" I asked grabbing my backpack as he began grabbing his books and shoving them in with equal fervour.

"Um...it's um them." He said yanking hard on the zip managing to half close his bag which he pulled

up to his back.

"Them?"

"Can we just go?" he said quietly "Sure." I said jumping off the stand to land lightly next to Matt who didn't even pause for breath he simply grabbed my hand and began to walk away as quickly as he could without actually running, seeming not to notice that he was half dragging me behind him. "Hey shrinky dink." A voice called out loudly Matt closed his eyes and cursed under his breath but kept walking. He suddenly grunted as a large muddy football hit him hard in the back off the head. Matt stumbled to a halt and let go of my hand as he rubbed the back of his head with his eyes a little out of focus.

"Hey watch out Jerk." I shouted loudly at the guys advancing behind us.

"Don't." Matt said urgently rubbing the back of his head as he tried to straighten up.

"Sorry beautiful we didn't want to get mud on you." The voice shouted again I squinted back at them they were still advancing again there were nine of them in all three girls and what looked like six members of the football team, the one shouting was the blond haired huge bulk of Harley Westport (I was an outcast and I still knew that) the ruler of the school, the Captain of the football team. "Yeah well you should get busy asshole if your aims that crappy you need to be working before the football season starts."

"No Kitten I had perfect aim I did miss you after all and yet manage to hit shrinky dink there." "Asshole." I snarled to myself, the use of the pet name Kitten had made me unable to respond with any true level of wit, or even any real composure I could feel my hands shaking as I leaned over trying to help Matt move away, but he was looking at the advancing group as though the captain of the football team was the grim reaper himself.

"You know what princess." Harley's thick tough voice continued, "You seem to have stumbled into looser Ville accidentally of course, and I'll be willing to help you find your way back to where you should be."

"Where I should be." I said slowly turning to look at him,

"Yeah you know with the non losers." Another member of the football team chuckled.

"Non losers?" I said with a sigh, "you must have an amazing thesaurus at home." The football players all looked at each to her a little bit confused.

"You know what ." Harley said crinkling his nose a little as he stalked towards me, "your not usually my type but maybe I can work out some sort of arrangement huh I mean I know girls like you." His eyes slid over my body with unconcealed lust. Behind me I heard Matt growl in his throat, I couldn't help but smiled fondly at this, but unfortunately Harley seemed to take this as an encouragement for him as he continued to attempt to stalk towards me. Behind me I could feel Matt begin to tremble in anger, this level of anger and he was in danger of shifting, I needed to end this quickly. "Doubtful" I said calmly noticing vaguely how muscular he was for such a young guy. "But I know guys like you too. I've been around guys like you my whole life." He smiled and strode a step closer clearly misinterpreting. I took two steps towards him and without pausing a second I just swung my leg landing a swift and yet very firm blow between his legs with a very satisfying sort of crunch.

Harley doubled over gasping for breath; I twisted and swung my leg into his exposed side hitting him with a hard round kick. It wasn't nearly so hard as my kicks could be but then again he didn't need it to be this light blow was already enough to fling him to the ground. The girls shrieked in pure horror. As the boys just blinked clearly stunned, although one or two scrunched up their faces in sympathy. "f*****g Bitch." Harley spat from the floor his eyes leaking out tears of pain and humiliation.

"Was it not good for you too?" I asked pouting for a second before I flashed all the boys a devastating smile flicked my hair casually and strode off making an effort to look supremely unconcerned although in reality I was feeling a bit guilty I would never have usually responded that way but I knew there was a real danger of Matt shifting here and if he did that would be worse than dented pride and a couple of crumpled testicles.. "Matt." I whispered placing my hand gently on his cheek, he flinched as though I had hurt him and his eyes narrowed slightly at me as though suspicious of me not believing what I had done. I stretched up onto my tiptoes and placed my lips next to his ear, "We have to get you out of here." I whispered.

"Huh?" he said blankly,

"look." I hissed directing my eyes significantly to the arm I was now holding gently and Matt's eyes widened as he wasn't blind so he could clearly see that the hairs sprouting from his arms had become thicker coarser and were spreading thickly, as well as the fact that his nails were lengthening and thickening. Matt's eyes widened at this sight horror settling painted across his adolescent features. "Come on." I hissed quietly "before they realise that there's only one of me and nine of them I'm strong but I'm not that strong." Matt nodded but I knew he wasn't listening I gripped his forearm tightly and tugged on it gently urging him on, "come on." I said pulling him and Matt still frowning began to follow my gentle lead although he still looked like he was less than half there, the guys behind us were still gaping at me though they didn't seem at all inclined to try and stop us as I pulled Matt back to the woodland track the cross country team used for training and I pushed him away into the shelter of the trees hiding the rest of the school from view. Hiding us from them or them from us? "MATT." I growled shoving him hard into a large oak behind him, he flinched and shook his head too far away to hear me. "Matt you need to let this anger go." I snapped he fell to the ground yelping as patches of dark fur erupted in large clumps of his skin which rippled wildly. He yelled. "No Matt." I said grabbing his upper arms hard I yanked him up to his feet roughly. "Come on focus for me focus." I snarled, as Matt's eyes roamed across the forest across nothing and everything. "Matt." I growled "MATT." He snarled and his knees buckled I lifted a hand and swung it slapping him hard around the face. "MATT." I snapped slapping him again "Matt." He slid down to the base of the tree panting "it's very nice your being so chivalrous but you have to let go of this anger." I snapped pulling him to his feet "you can't let him be ruled by anger not here not like this." "What can I do?" He snarled seeming to hear me for the first time.

"Come on." I said starting to run down the muddy track dragging him stumbling alongside me.

"What are you doing?" he panted his legs wobbling harshly beneath him.

"We are running." I said struggling to stay upright as he continued twitching violently as I ran on down the path trying to keep him upright. Matt staggered along beside me.

"I know that why." He gasped pitching forwards as he slipped in the thick mud.

"Come on come on." I gasped continuing to run down the path clinging to Matt. I felt my pace get faster and faster as Matt's grip on me loosened and he seemed to regain his balance more and more as we ran. He stopped gasping and stopped asking questions and instead just stumbled along next to me trying hard to force his legs to become steady. "Come on." I said loudly as my speed continued to increase steadily as mud began to spatter up my legs, I knew he wasn't going to fall behind. The path continued twisting around through the trees; I leapt over tree roots and branches which jutted out. Matt's legs steadied I was fast and yet he stayed in step right next to me stride for stride. Surprisingly quickly the trees began to thin out and as we twisted around again I heard the sounds of a distant bell signalling the end of lunchtime and the two of us were suddenly hurtling down the path towards the school again. We had run that circuit very quickly. I slowed my pace to a light jog and continued to slow my pace down steady coming to a halt just short of the tree line.

"What the f**k?" Matt panted doubling over resting his hands on his knees, "what the ....what...were you... what was... that... about." He struggled to get the words out through his panting.

"What the f**k was I doing?" I put in helpfully; he nodded lifting one hand to push his long greasy locks back from his sweaty forehead. He was already slightly sweatier than most guys but of course we had just run five miles in a rather quick pace so he would be tired, I could feel my heart beating a little more rapidly and I was a bit warm but I hadn't run fast enough to begin sweating or to make myself out of breath in any way, the pleasures of being a wolf even a slightly out of shape one, as I knew I didn't exercise as much as I should. I reached out and gently rubbed a hand up and down Matt's warm sweaty back feeling the cool slick layer of mud that clung to his sodden school uniform. "I was trying to calm you down; when you run the only focus tends to be on running its good for clarity. You ran out your anger."

"Aren't I supposed to be trying to shift?" he panted breathlessly,

"Not in the middle of lunchtime at school. Besides you wouldn't have shifted baby it's not far enough along yet but you would have been in pain and you could have been found by anyone that would be awkward."

"Right because this isn't." he panted pushing himself up to half standing, "we can just walk right back in to school like this?" I smiled as I slid my eyes over his sodden, dishevelled uniform that was spattered liberally with mud up to his shoulder blades. I glanced at my outfit casually though I knew I must have looked in a very similar sort of state. I smiled,

"I guess not."

"Damn it." Matt sighed collapsing to sit down on the path as though oblivious to the wet floor or the thick mud.

"What's up doc?" I said playfully sliding down to sit next to him, he didn't smile.

"Well my parents already think that I'm a weirdo and I'm going through....some stuff that they really don't get ...they can't get it and showing up halfway through the day covered in f*****g mud I...it's not going to help."

"Yeah I know I'm sorry, I didn't really think this through."

"Well it's not like you had much choice. You kind of had to do something." He muttered "or I would be f*****g dead right now?"

"Huh?" I said blankly,

"I." he sighed noisily I glanced over to see him rubbing the back of his head roughly looking awkward. "I...I didn't like the way he was talking to you. Or...about you... I didn't like that...I ...um... well to be honest I ... well I wanted to kick his ass... and I'm well I'm me and " he snorted again being careful to look anywhere but at me" and there is pretty much...well no f*****g way I could kick his ass... those guys can.. Would and have ...kicked my ass more than once. "He sighed and continued talking to his hands, "but I was on the verge... of losing it and jumping in... to like defend you honour or something." He snorted, I smiled leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Matt flinched his head snapping around to look at me his eyes again wide with terror. I laughed loving the way he could endure a group of bullies, and his body transforming into that of a wolf and yet a simple kiss on the cheek could all equally terrify him.

"Thank you." I whispered gently

"For what?" I shrugged, "

Thinking I have an honour worth defending and if it helps if anyone attacks your honour I'll defend it for you." He did c***k a smile at that

"Believe me there are no girls out there wanting to ruin my honour. It's a bit... crazy though I mean.... I've only known you for a few days and...well I'm being ... like this it's stupid."

"I think it's sweet." I said ruffling Matt's hair. "Come on then let's get you cleaned up." I said pushing myself up to my feet and extending a hand to matt who frowned at me as if I was speaking in Spanish (which I actually could do but I wasn't obviously). "Come on." I said shaking my hand as Matt frowned. "Mrs Collins isn't in we can go back to mine and wash you and your clothes up before home time."

"I'll still get a call home saying I was cutting class" Matt said glumly.

"Well I can make everything perfect."I said lightly and he smiled taking my hand and allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet.