Royal Crescent Moon

Twisting Knife

We got to school later than usual. Apparently because of my ‘extremely long’ shower. Reese parked his corvette in the school parking lot and I immediately went for my locker. I had chemistry first, I hated chemistry. I for one loved Wednesdays because I had had a free period. I had managed to walk into the classroom before the bell rang and I was greeted by Katie. I was glad that she was in most of my classes. As soon as I took my seat next to her, a sharp pain pierced my abdomen. “Sucks to be you.” Katie grinned in understanding. I moaned in pain in response.

“Shut up.” I retorted. She laughed at my reply and soon Mike came in the classroom. I was glad he didn’t know about it, and glad he couldn’t scent it as much because of the pill Evie offered me this morning.

First period went agonisingly slow and I was freezing cold. I felt numb to the point where I was huddled up into a ball with my knees under Jace’s hoodie, shivering. When the bell rang, I sluggishly got up and grabbed my stuff and slowly followed Mike to next class, Math. At least Jace was in this class. I still had that annoying, throbbing pain in my abdomen. It wasn’t too bad, but it did feel like someone kept stabbing me with a knife. I saw Izzy and Danny together and I totally forgot that they were mates. I suddenly got all emotional and I walked up to her and threw my hands around her shoulders. “You found your mate!” I exclaimed happily. Izzy chuckled and hugged me back.

“I’m sorry it had to be this asshole.” I pulled back to punch Danny in the arm. Izzy chuckled and looked lovingly up at Danny and smiled. Izzy was I were similar in size and height, although Izzy was elegant and graceful looking. She had ink-black hair like Jace and dark green-hazel eyes whereas I had ashy brown hair with grey, silver eyes. She was beautiful and I wasn’t even halfway there. Danny deserved her; he really did. He smirked at her and they both went into class. I stilled in my spot; feet frozen to the floor. I don’t understand the Moon Goddess. Why would she pare someone like me to someone as godly looking as Jace? I was standing there, wallowing in my own misery when I was interrupted by Esme. She looked at me, concern in her baby-blue eyes. Reese must have said something, but she dismissed him. “Don’t worry Reese, go inside.” He nodded, giving me a lingering look as he went into class. Esme’s presence seemed to make everything worse. How could I compare to someone like her? Like Izzy? She embraced me in a tight hug and asked. “Where’s Jace?” 

I didn’t know, so I didn’t answer her. I closed my eyes as the pain in my stomach worsened. It felt like someone twisted the knife that was buried in my abdomen. I hated going through heat, it was painful, and I found myself shivering again. My eyes started stinging. I didn’t care to scream in pain, I closed my eyes, silently waiting for it to pass.

----

- Jace's POV -

Class was excruciatingly slow, and I sat there, not paying attention as the time passed. Anna was late today and all I could think about was her. Did she even come to school today? I hope she did. Every time I saw her, I wanted to wrap her in my arms and keep her there. Even though she teased me for it. That’s where she belonged, in my arms or by my side. I felt on edge and bitter. Aiden sat next to me with Ricky and Sophie. All I wanted was my mate and she wasn’t even here. “Why are you so salty?” Asked Aiden. I quietly snarled at him. He put his hands up in surrender.

“I get it.” He said simply as he glanced at Sophie. How did he know what I meant? How did he know I wanted Anna? I guess he did understand, he did have a mate. I sat in my seat, arms crossed and stared at the front of the room. Why was my wolf so agitated?

The bell finally rang, and I stood up to follow Aiden out of the room. I turned the opposite way of my friends because they weren’t in my next class, but Anna was. I started to get excited as I wondered down the hall, but I was interrupted.

“Oops! Sorry Jace.” Said a high-pitched voice. I looked down to see Jessie in my arms, she must have tripped. Her overly sweet strawberry scent caught my nose and I tried my best not to gag. I was obsessed with Anna’s scent. She smelt like fresh peppermint and roses. It was relaxing and thrilling at the same time. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” She said in a sly voice.

“That’s too bad.” I tried to be polite, but I grumbled instead. I walked down the hall and she started following me. Her presence was annoying, and my wolf was getting irritated. He was going to lash out and all I could think about that I needed to get to Anna, and quickly. She grabbed onto my arms as my pace quickened and I shuddered in disgust at the touch. She must have mistaken it for something else because she leaned into me. We got to the corner and the most delicious scent hit me. I pushed Jessie off me and walked around the corner. Anna was in Esme’s arms, tears streaming down her face. It physically pained me to see her like this. I stepped towards her and her head snapped towards me. Her face softened, but she sniffed, taking in my scent, and growled. For f**k sake, that stupid she-wolf. Jessie, as if on que, waltzed around the corner. “Oh, hey guys.” She said smugly and stood next to me. That’s all Anna needed and next she was lunging for Jessie. She pushed her to the floor rather viciously and started to growl again. “Don’t you see his mark? Stay away from him!” Then I realised it. She’s in heat.

“His mark? How about you get off me, you crazy b***h!” Jessie screeched.

“Shut up! He’s mine.” Anna snarled. Jessie stopped moving under Anna’s hold. She paled slightly and gulped. I liked the sound of that, no, loved it. That made me snap into reality and I pulled Anna’s arm, lifting her away from Jessie.

“Stay away from my boyfriend you b***h! Are you really that stupid? You’re such a f*****g i***t if you think you can just take him when he’s mine. How-“Anna started rambling, swearing like a sailor. I noticed the unnatural glow emitting from her eyes, her hands. I ignored it as I nodded at Esme and she gave one last glare at Jessie before entering the class. I held Anna on the arm, pretty hard as I dragged her to the glass doors, leading her outside. She didn’t seem to mind as she kept going on and on. “That f*****g b***h! I could kill her.” She continued to ramble. I didn’t doubt that she could kill her, she probably would of.

“Denny.” I said sternly and her head snapped towards me. Her eyes were blazing and her hands twitching. She silently stared at me for a good minute before she let it out. “What the f**k were you doing with her! What the f**k? Are you kidding me?” Anna shouted as she paced around the grass, hands ripping at her hair. She started muttering incoherent curses that could damn the whole continent when I walked up to her. I realised she was wearing one of my hoodies that she stole from my closet. She didn’t notice my presence until I placed my arms at her hips. I turned her to face me and I stared into her silver eyes. “Am I really your boyfriend?” I asked quietly. Her eyes widened and she blushed a deep crimson. Her reply wasn’t at all like I expected. Her hand started to crackle the same colour as her eyes, and she grabbed my bicep. It was like getting shocked by electricity. I fell to my knees in front of her. “What the f**k was that?” I shouted, gawking at my arm. It was like her handprint burned into my arm.

“So, what if you’re my boyfriend? You're my mate for god sake! And what were you doing with that f*****g she-wolf!” She screamed. Her hands ran through her soft hair again, ready to pull it out. I was still stunned about what just happened. Did she just- shock me? I decided to ignore it, for now, and answer her question. Maybe that will calm her down. “She bumped into me and started to follow me around. I tried to get rid of her.” I really did try, I pushed her off me, but I was distracted by Anna, even though it was just the thought of her. Her eyes softened in understanding. “Next time I see her around you, I’m going to-" But I stopped her before she said something she would regret.

“You didn’t tell me you were in heat.” I said instead. Her face scrunched up in confusion. She looked adorable, beautiful. I just wanted to-

“I told you yesterday.” She interrupted my perverted thoughts. She looked wild and distressed with her messy hair and wide eyes.

“So, your my girlfriend?” I grinned, teasing her. She blushed furiously and used her hands to cover her face, muttering curse words again. Laughing, I strolled over to her and squeezed her in my arms. I loved to make her frustrated, teasing her. “Yes. I am.” She replied timidly. I wasn’t used to seeing her in such a shy state, she looked so cute that I didn’t want to let go of her. Ever.

“So now that your my girlfriend, care to explain how you burned me?” I questioned. She sighed, quite dramatically and walked over to sit down at some concrete seat.

“It first happened when Reese and I were training. It came out of nowhere when we tried to attack each other.” She started to explain, staring at her hands. “Turns out that these ‘gifts’ run in the family. We can heal people with our bare hands. But it was enhanced by our witch blood.”

“Witch blood?” I asked. How did she have witch blood?

“Our mother was a witch. Rowan and Leah can heal, but Reese and I are ‘special’ or something. I've never met a witch though.” She rolled her eyes. I stared at are in amazement. Her bloodline carried the gift of healing, but she could summon a whole electrical storm at her hands. She grabbed my arm and rolled up the sleeve to examine the burn she gave me. Her small fingers traced the outline of the marred skin and it started to tingle. I watched in wonder as the charred wound mended back to its original tanned skin, no mark to be seen.

“Reese is pretty s**t at it.” She said smiling, proud of herself for being better than her brother at something. A few minutes passed and I realised I hadn’t said anything. The real reason, I was captivated. She practically burned my skin and healed it. “You must think I’m a freak.” She said, more to herself. Anna started pacing in front of me, back and forth. Her hands stressfully ran through her hair and rubbed at her face. I got up and grabbed her wrist before she could pull her hair out.

“I think your beautiful.” I admitted. She was the most gorgeous person I have ever seen. She had long, dark brown hair that flowed all the way down her back, and she had the most alluring grey eyes. She was quite short and had she had curves all in the right places. Her skin was quite tanned, and the left side of her body was marred with scars. Every part of her was beautiful, right down to her name. I left my mind open, hopefully she could feel the truth seeping through our mating bond. Her forehead fell onto my shoulder and I played with her soft hair.

“You’re such a liar.” She whispered. I pulled back and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Anna. You truly are the most attractive person I have ever laid my eyes on.” I said, straight forward. She rolled her eyes and snaked her hands around my waist, pulling herself closer to me.

“Whatever.” She mumbled. “You’re not that bad.” She finished. I immediately looked down at her. Did she really find someone more attractive then me? Who was it? I would kill anyone who tried to get their hands on her. I nearly did with that guy Kane. I would not even hesitate- I was brought out of my thoughts from the sweet smile on her face. Not only did I realise that she is lying, but that she can listen in on my thoughts. I sighed in relief and nudged my head against her neck. This woman frustrates me so much. I would do anything for her. I inhaled her scent; I was obsessed with it that I did it often. Even if we were in public, I didn’t care who saw their Alpha acting like an obedient cub towards his mate, I couldn’t stop myself. Then it came to me, she was on heat. She smelled delightful, edible. I growled, feeling my eyes turn obsidian. She breathed in my arousal and looked at me, eyes glowing. She pushed me back onto the concrete seat, straddling my legs. She crushed her mouth onto mine and I happily responded. My tongue swiped across her lower lip and she melted in my arms. She bit my lip as I opened for her and our tongues fought for dominance. I won, obviously. Anna didn’t seem to like it as she sat up straighter, grinding into my lower half. I slipped out a groan, unable to control myself. This is what happens when a she-wolf goes into heat. She becomes unbearable. I was so glad that I would be the only one to properly scent it. Some unmated males would try to have a go at her, but I wouldn’t let anyone so much as look at her. Her soft hands slipped under my shirt, trailing patterns with her fingers up and down my stomach. I grabbed her hand, placing it further onto my chest, craving her touch that sent sparks venting through my whole body. We couldn’t go any further, not here where anyone could see. She deserves better. I pulled back and leaned my forehead on hers. “We have to stop.” I declared, breathless. She pouted, with those soft, swollen, kissable lips.

“I won’t be able to stop.” I huffed in her ear. I could have sworn she blushed, but she nodded and climbed off my lap. I stood up and quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her closely. 

“You look hot when your  jealous.” I smirked in her ear. She groaned as she pushed me away. I laughed at her, but she only zapped me on the arm in return. We walked over to the tree line at the edge of the fields and sat down under a tree. I noticed Anna got cold easily and she ended up with her head on my chest and her body sprawled out against mine. She was chatting my ear off about the most random things to her favourite colour to her favourite music. I listened intently, mostly just to the sound of her voice. She stared at her open hand, little strands of energy moving through her fingers. It was like this for the rest of the lesson until the bell rang. She stood up and pulled me up by her hands. She continued talking as she jumped on my back, to lazy to walk. We made it through the glass door around the building and into the cafeteria. We were the first ones there so I placed Anna on my lap, mostly so everyone could see that she was mine, that she was not to be messed with.

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- Anna’s POV –

I was sitting in the cafeteria, on Jace’s lap. I was telling him about the time I got arrested, since he asked. 

“I only got caught because some human called the cops.” I huffed in annoyance, remembering the time when Aaron picked me up. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Jace chuckled at me and I slapped him on the shoulder, it didn’t seem to work. He was a wall of muscle; it was like he was made of solid stone. We got lunch early and I was busy eating the fries off Jace’s tray when people started to fill the room. This school did have their clichés, in fact, I was sitting at one of them. This was the Alpha’s table, and only the beta, third and other close friends sat. And family of course, Izzy was Jace’s cousin, practically siblings. Then there were the jocks and cheerleaders, filled with people from Lucy and Jessie’s group. My thoughts evaporated as Reese and Esme joined the group, sitting across from Jace and I.

“I heard you gave Jessie a beating.” Someone said from behind me. It was Sophie, followed by Aiden, Izzy and Danny. Aiden sat himself down next to Jace, shoving him in the shoulder. I instantly saw red as I remembered that stupid, she-wolf. “That f*****g b***h wouldn’t get it through her head that Jace is mine. I could kill the b***h if I saw her again-“I started to growl, getting up from my seat, but I was cut off by Jace, his hands slipping under my hoodie and he dragged me back down by my hips. As soon as soon as I sat down in his lap, I hid my head in his neck. I just admitted that Jace was mine, in front of everyone. I heard Izzy chuckle and sit next to me. “Well I’m glad you did, she deserved it.” She said proudly. I lifted my head to see Jessie near the door of the cafeteria, conveniently staring at our table. I felt my blood crackle in my veins, ready to burn my hands around her throat. My canines formed from under my gums and I clutched onto Jace. She swallowed and continued to walk to the far table on the other side of the cafeteria. How did most of the school population know about our incident? 

“Intense.” Mike whistled. When did he get there? I placed my head back into Jace’s neck, inhaling his strong, overpowering scent. I needed to calm down, Keelie wanted to get up and strangle the life out of her. Jace held me closer, understanding my rage. If he wasn’t holding me, I would probably be halfway over there already trying to claw her face off. When lunch ended, Jace stood up with his arms around my waist, refusing to let me go. Even as I followed Esme to class, he wouldn’t let go of my hand until I stopped at the door. “You have to let me go.” I teased him. He rolled his eyes and he kissed my forehead. “Come straight back to me.” He murmured, probably so no one would hear. I nodded as I stepped into the Art room and took a seat next to Esme. It was getting hotter and hotter, so I took off my hoodie. I smelled like Jace and I was already missing his presence.

----

By the time class finished, I was in pain. I slipped off the stool and clutched my abdomen. Without Jace near me, I was in agony. Esme walked me to the cafeteria, laughing at me. She did give me some painkillers, but they didn’t work that much. Esme sat down at one of the silver seats and I took the one across from her, sprawling myself out. Later, Mike showed up. “Were going outside to watch the guys play football.” Mike stated. Esme stood up, laughing at my lazy attempt to stand and follow her outside. I didn’t want to move around, but as soon as I stepped outside, I changed my mind. The cool air hit my face and brushed through my hair. I sighed and followed Esme up the steps and onto the fields where the rest of the group was. They had found a wooden table near the tree line and most of the guys were shirtless, playing football. I walked across the field with Esme and I saw Jace near the table. I pouted at him and he frowned back at me. I walked over to him and put my forehead on his chest. “It hurts.” I whined like a child. He huffed out a laugh and dragged me to the table. Katie, Esme and Izzy were sitting on the grass next to the field, watching the guys play a game of football. Jace sat down and placed me on his lap. He put his hand on my bare stomach and  I sighed at the relief when the hot pain disappeared at his touch. I leaned back into him and he nuzzled my neck. “Why are you wearing that?” Jace grumbled and I chuckled at him. This is precisely why I chose it this morning. We stayed like that until a bunch of guys came over, asking to join the game. Jace involuntarily grasped me closer to him and he raised to his feet to join the conversation. He didn’t even take one step forward before he pushed me behind him. I rolled my eyes at his possessiveness and I put my hands on his shoulders, to lift myself on his back. He snapped his head to the side, and I could see his wicked grin. His massive hands gripped under my thighs and he walked over to the group of wolves. I instantly recognised two of them as Jake and Mason from the creek. I smiled at them and they returned the gesture, until Jace scared them off with a scowl. I pulled myself higher so my chin could reach his head. He held onto my thighs as I was playing around with his jet-black hair between my hands.

I was lost in thought until I heard Reese’s voice. “Denny?” He asked. At first, I didn’t know if he was talking to Danny or me. But when I lifted my head, he was staring right at me.

“What?” I asked, not looking at him.

“Jace is going to play a game with us.”  Reese explained. Then I understood why he was telling me. I had my legs wrapped around him and my chin rested on his head. “No.” I simply replied, refusing to look at him. I thought the conversation was finished until I felt a shock of electricity run up my arm.

“You b***h!” I screamed at Reese. He stood behind me with his hand engulfed in silver light and a smirk on his face. I jumped off Jace and ran after him. I tackled Reese to the ground and pressed his shoulders into the grass.

“At least your away from Jace, baby sister.” Reese smirked again. My hands lit up and he groaned in pain.

“I’m not a baby.” I whined. He laughed at me and I rolled off him and onto the grass. I sat there as Esme joined me and slapped Reese at the back of his head. He growled at her and she scowled in reply. “Go join the game." Esme dismissed him. Reese huffed in annoyance and left to join the game of football. I fell on the ground and laughed at him. He had a sour look on his face, like he bit into a lemon. My attention went to the middle of the field. Everyone who wanted to join the game was split into teams. The game started and Izzy was cheering for Danny, who scored another point. Esme got to her knees and started to scream. “Go Mike! Go!” This pissed Reese off and Izzy and I fell to the ground, roaring in laughter.

----

The bell rang and the game ended. Everyone dispersed and I headed straight for Danny, who was raging at Mike. Izzy tried to pulled at his arm and she finally dragged him away. I giggled at him when they passed. “Shut up Denny, your about to get an earful.” Danny spat. I laughed at him even more, glancing over my shoulder to see Jace walking up to me. I turned to Ricky, ignoring Jace.

“Great game, I didn’t even know who won.” I said to Ricky. He chuckled at my lack of attention towards the game. “The other team won. They had the best players.” Ricky replied before he left. And I could see why, Jace was behind me, seething in anger.

“That wasn’t fair.” He snarled at me. I laughed as I put my hands on his biceps, leaning into him.

“Aww, are you jealous I wasn’t cheering for you.” I teased. He growled dangerously at me, and if I was an ordinary pack member, I would be terrified. “Don’t growl at me.” I said playfully and Jace rolled his eyes. I lead him to the group of people standing in the field. Esme was in Reese’s arms, laughing at something, while Izzy was talking to Danny. As soon as I got to the group, Jace shoved me behind him, hidden from the eyes of everyone in the area. I tried to move away from him, but he towered over me. 

“Why are you doing that?” I whined as I tried to push him.

“Everyone is staring.” Jace grumbled as he turned to face me with a frown on his face.

“No, they aren’t, your being paranoid.” I grumbled.

“Fine.” He paused. He went to turn around but stopped in his tracks. I looked into his sea-green eyes, seeing the gears turn in his head. “You are staying at mine for the rest of the week.” He announced. A smile instantly found its way onto my face. The rest of the week. At his house. “Okay.” I replied happily and he pecked me on the lips before we faced the group again.