Marked by the Moon, Bound by Blood

Chapter 7

He walked to the door and sat leaning against it. He pulled out a small knife and started whittling a piece of wood—a habit to calm his frayed nerves. I watched him. Even though he looked composed, I knew he was suffering. Every now and then, he’d clutch his chest and wince.

"Does it hurt that much?" I asked quietly after a long silence.

Anderson glanced over. "It’s like a fire burning in my heart every time you’re angry or hate me."

I froze. So my emotions had a direct physical effect on him? "Sorry. But I can't exactly force how I feel."

"I’m not asking you to love me. I’m just asking you to stay calm. That’s it," he said coldly.

I laid down on the scratchy straw mattress. It smelled like mold, but my exhaustion was winning. I stared at Anderson’s broad back. He looked like a fortress—strong, but somehow fragile at the same time.

"Anderson," I called out.

"What now?"

"If we don't fix this in three days... will you really let them kill me?"

Anderson was silent for a long time. The sound of the knife against the wood stopped.

"I’ll do what’s best for my pack," he said without turning around.

That answer stung like a b***h, even though I expected it. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. I tried not to think about anything so the pain in Anderson’s chest might ease up. Slowly, I drifted off into a heavy sleep.

Creak...

The sound of a floorboard being stepped on woke me up briefly. I opened my eyes just a crack and saw Anderson standing near the bed. He was looking down at me. His hand was raised, like he wanted to touch my hair, but he stopped himself halfway. He let out a long sigh and went back to his post at the door.

"Mmm..." I mumbled incoherently before passing out for real.

A few hours later, I was jolted awake by a commotion outside. Shouting and the metallic clang of blades were unmistakable.

Cring! Bugh!

I sat bolt upright. My heart was racing. I looked at the door. Anderson was gone. The door was wide open, letting the freezing night wind howl inside.

"Anderson?" I called out, my voice trembling.

I scrambled off the bed and ran to the door. Out there, under the flickering torchlight, I saw Anderson fighting three massive men. They weren't wearing the guard uniforms I’d seen earlier. They were in ragged leathers, their faces covered with cloth.

"Hand over the woman, Alpha! She’s only going to lead you to your grave!" one of the attackers yelled, swinging a heavy axe.

Anderson dodged with insane speed and landed a brutal punch to the guy’s jaw, sending him crashing down.

"You dare defy the elders' orders!" Anderson growled.

I stood frozen in the doorway. One of the attackers spotted me. He sneered, revealing yellowed teeth.

"There she is! Finish her now!" he barked, charging toward me with a drawn sword.

"Misha! Get back inside!" Anderson screamed in panic.

The attacker was too fast. I tried to slam the door, but he jammed his boot in.

"Where you going, little anomaly?" the man mocked.

He grabbed my arm roughly, dragging me out of the shack. I screamed as the edge of his blade touched my neck.

"Let me go!"

Suddenly, that intense heat exploded from my chest again. A purple light, brighter than ever before, radiated outward, blinding the man holding me.

"Argh! My eyes!" the attacker screamed, losing his grip.

I hit the ground. But this time, I didn't feel weak. I felt powerful—and absolutely f*****g livid. I looked at the man, and I could literally see the blood flow beneath his skin.

"Misha, don't!" Anderson’s voice sounded miles away.

I stood up slowly. I felt my claws growing back out. I wasn't afraid anymore. I just wanted to destroy the man in front of me.

"You... you want to kill me?" I asked, my voice deep and distorted.

The man tried to swing his sword blindly. I dodged it easily; it was like he was moving in slow motion. I grabbed his wrist and...

Snap!

The sound of the bone breaking was sickeningly crisp. The man howled in pain. I was ready to go for his throat when a massive hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.

"Enough, Misha! Stop!" Anderson pulled me away.

I spun around and snarled at him. My eyes were probably completely different by now.

"Let me go, Anderson! He tried to kill me!"

"If you kill him now, you’ll never have a chance to live as a human again!" Anderson yelled, pinning my arms down.

The other two attackers saw their mangled comrade and bolted into the woods. Anderson held onto me as I shook from the surge of this mysterious energy.

"Look at me, Misha! Look at my eyes!" Anderson commanded.

I tried to focus on him. Slowly, the heat cooled down. The purple light faded. I collapsed into his arms.

"Why... why do they want me dead so bad?" I wheezed.

Anderson didn't answer. He carried me back into the shack. But as he laid me on the bed, I saw how pale he was. He clutched his chest and suddenly slumped to the floor beside the bed.

"Anderson!"

I looked at his shirt. There was a stab wound in his back, soaking him in blood. One of those bastards must have gotten him while he was busy protecting me.

"Don't... don't worry... I can... regenerate..." he stammered.

But the wound wasn't closing. The blood kept pooling on the floor.

"Why isn't it healing?" I asked, panicking.

Anderson gave a pained smile. "Because this bond... my body is giving all its energy just to hold back yours... I don't have enough left to heal..."

"No... that’s impossible..."

I had to do something. If he died now, I’d be truly alone in this nightmare.

"Anderson, stay with me!"

Suddenly, the sound of many footsteps echoed, approaching the shack.