A Luna Chained

Chapter 12 - By Any Means

In her semi-consciousness, Livia could feel the water caressing her naked body as she floated, slipping over her neck and belly like weighted silk. She enjoyed the sensation and smiled to herself.

The night air was fresh and fragrant, the smell of water and damp leaves wafting around her. She breathed it in deeply and sighed. A moment later, she was suddenly aware of a new smell mixing in with the smell of the forest and the lake. An earthy musky odour, like leather, cloves and damp forest moss. It struck a chord deep within her. Deeper than she even knew existed.

Slowly, she came to realise that the water wasn’t the only thing caressing her. But for some reason, she wasn’t frightened.

She opened her eyes and came back from the edge of consciousness. A man was standing over her, framed by the glowing moon. She couldn’t make out his features, but he was tall, taller than even she was. Wide shoulders and heavy biceps were silhouetted in the moonlight, and she could faintly see shaggy curls making a halo around his head.

Livia dropped out of the float and crouched in the water, instinctually hiding her naked body from the man.

“Wh-?” Livia’s lips formed a word, but the man interrupted her before she could speak.

“Livia…my true mate…I can’t believe I found you.” He said hoarsely, taking a slow step towards her. Something inside her was drawn to him, and to his rich earthy scent.

As if in a trance, she stood up, baring her full breasts and soft curves to the stranger.

“Oh Goddess…” The man’s voice cracked like he was about to cry. He reached out and stroked her cheek tenderly, then traced his fingers softly down her neck, shoulders, and down her spine. He pulled her close by the small of her back.

Her logical mind was ringing alarm bells, but at that moment, they seemed far away and unimportant. She looked up at him, only now seeing his strong jaw and deep eyes clearly in the dim moonlight. His eyes were filled with...love? Lust? She couldn't tell. She didn't care. All she cared about was the intoxicating smell that emanated from him.

He was so close that she could feel his heartbeat against her breasts.

"Who are you?" She whispered, searching his face for any trace of familiarity.

"I'm your destiny." He replied, smiling, and leaned in to kiss her.

Before their lips met, the wind shifted, and the spell broke. Suddenly, Livia was a young woman in a lake at night in the middle of nowhere, with not even a shred of clothing to protect her. And in the arms of a naked stranger.

“Oh my god!” She muttered, backing away. “Get away from me, pervert, or I’ll scream! My boyfriend is nearby!”

She couldn’t see his face anymore, but his posture deflated and he held up his hands in a show of innocence.

“Don’t you…know me?” He blurted.

“No! I’ve never seen you in my life! Why were you touching me? Ugh!” She shuddered as she climbed out of the lake and pulled on her nightshirt. She grabbed up her lantern and toilet paper and made for the safety of her campsite and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend! Oh god, what the hell was she thinking? And where the hell did this guy come from?

Before she could reach the treeline, though, another man, equally nude, stepped in front of her.

“Please don’t go.” He said gently. His face was illuminated by her lantern. He didn’t seem malicious, but the fact remained that she was one unarmed woman against two large men. She raised the lantern threateningly.

“Leave me alone or, so help me, I’ll bash your face in.”

I wouldn’t do that, Livia” The other man had come out of the lake and come up behind her.

“How do you know my name?” She demanded, turning her raised lantern against him. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.

“I know all about you.” He said, slowly approaching her and smiling hopefully. “You’re my mate, given by the Moon Goddess.”

“What the f**k does that even mean?” Livia was getting desperate. She glanced around her, hoping to find an escape route. But the moment she looked away, there was an arm around her neck, squeezing.

“Careful Dylan. Don’t hurt her.” She heard the man from the lake speak.

She thrashed and bucked, trying desperately to get free, but the arm around her neck only tightened. She tried to stomp on the man’s foot behind her, but he was solid and unmoving as a marble statue.

Livia’s vision started to blur. She couldn’t even scream. As a last ditch attempt at self-defence, she dug her nails into the arm around her neck and sunk them in, raking her nails across the skin as hard as she could.

“Aarrrrggghhhh!” The second man yelled and released her. Livia didn’t even look back, but scrabbled up and dove into the woods. She’d barely run for three seconds when something hit her from behind with the force of a pickup truck. She slammed into a tree and, knocking the air from her lungs. She crumpled to the ground, and instinctively curled into a fetal position to catch her breath.

“Don’t kill me. Please.” She gasped, when she found her breath. She was scared and alone and had no idea what to do. She prayed that Ewan heard them from the campsite, and came to rescue her.

But her prayers were in vain.

“Please…please…please…” she whispered, curling into herself as tightly as she could, expecting a retaliatory beating from the strangers.

A shadow emerged from the trees behind her, but it wasn’t the men. It was an enormous wolf. It slowly crept up to her, then snarled and bared its fangs menacingly.

This was too much for the terrified girl. All the blood drained from her face, making her almost glow in the moonlight, and she collapsed into a dead faint.