Moon Daemon

Episode Nine - Blood Pact

After the moonmacy, everything happened very quickly. Wolves were howling around me, people emerged from the woods and congratulated me, Nova shifted back to her human form, and only then did she become untangled from my hoodie, which is now ripped down the center. Rollins and Accalia moved me from the circle of people as Nova began screaming and pleading with Marrok to reconsider, which I was thankful for; hearing her heartbreaking pleas was like rubbing salt into the wound.

"What now?" I ask Accalia.

"Now we get you inside and away from what happens next," she tells me.

"What happens next?"

"Nova will be brought to the packhouse to gather her belongings, and she will be walked to the entrance of the territory before receiving her banishment," Rollins says, holding an arm up to stop one of the older wolves who approach us.

"What does that entail?" I ask.

"She get's pulled from the pack," Accalia says. "Stripped of her right to stay here and continue to live among us. Marrok will issue the banishment, where she'll be removed completely from the pack ties, breaking her connection with us."

"Connection?"

"Like the way we can talk to one another," Rollins explains. "She'll be stripped from the pack link, and ultimately, the packs protection."

"Does it hurt?" I ask, looking back at Nova and Marrok in the center of everyone.

"I assume it does," Rollins says. "I've never felt it before, but I've heard that it's like having something ripped out of your head forcefully."

"Oh," I mumble.

"You don't want to see that," Accalia says. "So we'll get you settled in the packhouse before she returns."

"Shouldn't I be there though?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm Marrok's mate, and the one that beat her in the Moonmacy," I say. "Wouldn't it be proper for me to see her out?"

"Normally, yes, a Luna would be there," Rollins says. "Sentencing someone to banishment takes a toll on the Alpha."

"Oh," I whisper. "So, I should go."

"That is completely up to you," Accalia tells me. "Listen to me, if you want to be there for my brother I am not going to stop you, it'll show you as a strong leader if you're going to be Luna one day. But, we will not force you to do something that you are not ready for."

"Didn't stop you from the moonmacy," I retort.

"That was different," she sighs. "If you didn't fight her, you would have lost automatically. Marrok would have lost his mate, Nova would have won a claim for Luna, and you could have been killed."

"I just feel like I should see this all the way through," I tell her. "I want to be there for Marrok."

"Okay," she nods.

"You're going to make a great Luna one day," Rollins smiles down at me.

"I'm not ready for that just yet," I say. "I just don't want to put Marrok through something like this without showing him that I am here to support him."

"Then let's at least let you go and shower, maybe eat something," Accalia says. "Nova will have until sun rise to pack. You can relax for a few hours."

I nod, walking in silence up to the castle like packhouse, before walking into the kitchen and being greeted by Dawn.

"Child," she smiles, grabbing me and holding on like a mother would to her daughter. "I am so glad you are okay."

"Thank you," I smile sadly. "Do you still think it would be possible for me to get that breakfast?"

"It's already done," she says, leading me to a table where there is an enormous amount of breakfast food laid out. "What ever you want, the rest will be distributed to the others who are coming back."

"Thank you, Dawn," I say, grabbing a plate and a waffle, realizing that I am ridiculously hungry. I scarf down what I can when I start to hear the others returning to the house. I grab a muffin to go, and walk quickly up to Marrok's room. I want to shower and sit down in the dark for a little to recover from the amount of energy I just released.

When I finally get to the safety of the room, I close the door behind me and sit down on one of the chairs, taking small bites of the muffin I confiscated, and go over the events of what just happened in my head.

I've been here for two days and I've already gotten someone kicked out of their home. I sigh, putting the rest of the muffin on the table next to me, my stomach turning at the thought of Nova being kicked out and forced to go rogue, for nothing other than loving the man I am mated to. I don't blame her, for any of this; Marrok is an incredible person, and I understand why Nova was so loyal to her love for him.

I walk into the bathroom, stripping my bloody and torn clothes from my bruised body. I look in the mirror and notice how deep the cut on my shoulder is, wondering if I should ask someone if there is a doctor in the house. There are teeth marks from where Nova grabbed me, the blood has clotted and dried on my arm.

"Jesus," I whisper, wincing as I touch the sensitive area around the wound.

I walk over to my phone, picking it up and looking through the contacts until I find Accalia's name. I find a little envelope that looks like how one would type a message, and I text her asking her to send someone to Marrok's room who knows how to stitch.

The phone rings twenty seconds later, with Marrok's name. I sigh, I didn't want to worry him with this, which is why I texted Accalia.

"Hello?" I answer the call.

"Why do you need stitches?" Marrok growls on the phone.

"I'm not a wolf, Marrok," I remind him. "I don't heal at wolf speed, unfortunately."

"Are you hurt?" he asks.

"I got a few cuts that need to be cleaned and stitched," I say.

"How bad?" he asks.

"Not bad," I lie. "Please, is there a doctor?"

"I'll send the pack doctor up," he says. "I'll be there as soon as I am done with something."

"Thank you," I say, hanging up the phone.

I walk over to Marrok's dresser, finding one of his dark T-shirts that fit him perfectly, but look like a dress on me. I take my bra off carefully and slip into his shirt. I grab a pair of shorts from my bag, and slip them on as well, allowing the cuts on my legs to be looked at as well.

There is a knock at the door and I walk over, opening it, to an older man holding a dark bag. "Luna," he nods.

I just shake my head, opening the door wider so he can come in. "I'm not Luna," I tell him. "You can call me Rae."

He nods, entering the room and flipping the light switch on. I wince at the sudden brightness.

"Sorry," he says, noticing my reaction to the light. "I need to see the wound clearly."

"I understand," I say, trying to open my eyes to the sudden light.

"I am Lupus," he says, holding a hand out. "Pack doctor."

"Nice to meet you," I say, shaking his hand.

"I've never had to help a daemon before," he says, smiling gently at me. "I'm use to werewolf anatomy, and quick healing, so forgive me as I figure this out along the way."

"That's okay," I say, walking over to the chair closest to the fireplace and sitting down. "I figure just a good cleaning and some stitches and I'll be good to go."

"Can I see the wound?" he asks.

I nod, reaching up and pulling the oversized T-shirt from my shoulder, revealing the teeth marks.

"That's a good bite," he says, walking over and analyzing my shoulder.

"Yep," I wince as he touches the tender area.

"You kept fighting with this?" he says, reaching into his bag for something to clean the wound. I look away, figuring if I don't see it coming, then it will hurt less; lies.

"I figured I didn't have much of a choice," I hiss as the cold liquid hits the wound. "f**k!"

"Sorry, Luna - er," he stutters. "Miss Rae."

"I'm fine," I whisper through the pain.

"I don't have anything to numb the area," he confesses. "I don't normally need it."

"Okay," I say through clenched teeth.

"This is not going to feel good," he tells me.

I nod, bracing myself. Just before the needle hits my skin with the stitch, the door flies open and I see Marrok and Rollins standing at the door, staring at me and Lupus. A growl escapes his throat.

"Alpha," Lupus says, standing up.

"Relax, Marrok," Rollins says. "He's just trying to help her."

I realize that Marrok's growl was because Lupus was sitting next to me with my shirt hanging low over my shoulder. I wonder if it was more angry of my wound, or jealousy of Lupus that caused the growl.

"Continue," he says, his jaw tense.

I hold a hand up to him, ushering him to come closer to me. "Please?" I whisper. "You might make it hurt less."

Marrok is across the room before I can finish my sentence, holding on to my hand. "I'm so sorry, Esmeray," he whispers.

"It's nothing," I offer a smile. "I'm fine."

"You sure are tough," Rollins laughs. "To fight with a wound like that, especially one that doesn't automatically heal. Thank the moon goddess for wolf blood."

Marrok looks up at him, his face confused and intrigued. Lupus also looks at Rollins, then back at Marrok.

"Is it possible?" Marrok asks.

"I don't know Alpha, I've never worked on a daemon before," he says.

"What?" I ask, thinking about how inconvenient it is to not be able to hear their thoughts.

"We can try," Lupus says. "It won't hurt her anymore than the stitches."

"What?" I ask again.

I watch as Lupus hands Marrok a scalpel. I raise an inquisitive eyebrow and watch as Marrok puts the scalpel in his enclosed hand and pulls it out, blood following.

"What are you doing?" I shriek, reaching over for his cut hand.

"Relax, Esmeray," Marrok says, opening his bloody hand and placing it over my shoulder wound.

I let out a hiss at the pressure on my wound, but it is quickly replaced with the electricity that I normally feel with his touch. I sit back, relaxing into his touch, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths of his scent, calming my body.

When I feel his hand move from my shoulder, I look down and notice that my blood and his blood have mixed. The next feeling is unfamiliar; the pain I once felt starts to itch like it would when a wound heals, and I watch as my shoulder wound starts to heal itself.

"What the f**k?" I gasp.

"I guess it does work," Marrok says.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"I'm using my blood to heal your wound," Marrok says, like it wasnt the most extraordinary thing that's ever happened to me.

"It's healing so quickly," I whisper.

"Most wolves heal from bites before they even shift back to human form," Rollin tells me with a shrug.

The bite marks that once felt like bullet wounds in my shoulder completely heal, the only remnants of where they once were is dried blood.

I look over at Marrok's hand and realize that his wound too, is completely healed.

"Oh," I breathe out. "Wow."

"Are there any other cuts?" Marrok asks, wiping his hand.

"Oh, uh," I mumble. "There is one more.. it's a little more.. uh.. covered."

Marrok raises an eyebrow before realizing what I mean. He looks back over to Rollins and Lupus, "Out."

"Oh," Rollins grins. "C'mon doc. Alpha needs some privacy to play doctor."

I blush furiously, watching as Lupus smiles, packing up the rest of his stuff, but leaving the scalpel on the table. "Alpha," he nods at Marrok before looking back at me. "Miss Rae."

They leave the room, closing the door behind them. I stand from the chair and walk over to the door, flicking the light off. "If this has to happen," I mumble. "The lights will be off."

"That's disappointing," Marrok says, walking up behind me. I am suddenly aware of his proximity as I feel his large body tower over my back. "Why?"

"It's embarrassing," I whisper.

"How?"

"I've had my very first kiss yesterday," I remind him. "And now I have to stand half naked in front of you?"

"Your outfit earlier didn't leave much to the imagination," he argues.

"But I was still covered," I say.

"Whatever makes you more comfortable," he shrugs. "But you are going to have to go closer to the fireplace. I need to at least be able to see the wound."

"Fine," I mumble. We walk back to the fireplace, and I feel the energy of the surrounding darkness recycle through my body. The room is lit, but not much. The candles around the room give the furniture shape, and the crackling of the fireplace lights up the chair I once sat in.

"Are you ready?" Marrok asks.

"Sit down," I tell him, pointing at the chair.

"Okay," he says, walking to the chair and sitting down.

I sigh, turning away from him and facing the fireplace. The warmth radiating from it hugs my front half, as if it was trying to tell me it was okay.

"I could go and get the pack doc," Marrok tells me. "If that's more comfortable for you."

"You would be okay with me undressing in front of another man?" I say, rolling my eyes.

"Not one bit," he shrugs. "But I would allow it if you felt better about it."

"Just promise me one thing," I whisper.

He doesn't say anything behind me, but in my head I pictured him nodding in agreement.

"Don't freak out when I do this," I say.

"Why would I?" he asks.

"This isn't the first fight I've been in," I say. "But this is the first time I've been healed like this."

I reach down for the hem of his oversized shirt, hesitating before lifting it up. I know that this is insignificant for him, seeing a naked body, because he's seen many bodies before, being a wolf, but for me, this is my first time being this vulnerable in front of a man.

I feel the floor shift under my feet as he stands and walks up to the back of me. I feel his breath hitting the top of my head, and his hands as he reaches around me and holds onto my hands that grip the hem of the shirt. I breathe in his scent, closing my eyes and allowing him to assist me with the shirt.

The warmth of the fireplace hits my bare skin like a soothing embrace. I feel my hair lift with the shirt as he gently takes it off my head, and falling around my body as the shirt hits the floor next to me.

I stand there, covering my breasts with my arms, and listen as Marrok gasps softly at the sight of my naked back, covered in scars. This is not the first time I've had to protect myself. I have several large scars on my back from other fights, but none of them have been stitched, because I never had access to a doctor before.

The first wound I sustained from the moonmacy was went I dogdged Nova's initial attack, rolling on top of what I assumed was a rock. I felt it cut from my shoulder blade down to the middle of my back. I haven't seen how bad it was, but judging from Marroks reaction, it wasn't great.

It sure didn't feel great.

"Is it bad?" I whisper.

I feel something soft and gentle hit my shoulder, and I realize that Marrok was bending down to kiss my back. I shudder at his kiss, allowing my head to fall back onto his shoulder, letting a small moan escape my mouth in a breath.

Marrok is still kissing my shoulder when I hear him take the scalpel from the table next to him. His light kisses move from my bare shoulder blade to the back of my neck, the sensation of his lips on me cause my body to react in a confusing way. His teeth nick the back of my neck, and I let out a sharp breath, my legs unsteady, when I feel something warm and wet on my back.

The pain that I felt moments ago starts to diminish, and I lean back onto him as he runs his hand over my back.

"I promise to be your strength," he whispers against my skin. "To heal you when you are hurt, and to comfort you when you need it."

"Marrok," I whisper.

"This is my blood pact to you," he says.

His hand leaves the area of my back that once hurt, but now tingles with a sensation of erotic healing.

"Just so you know," he whispers into my ear. "I can smell your arousal."

My cheeks flame in embarrasment, and I turn to face him, covering my breasts still. I watch as his eyes scan over my body, flickering with desire and restraint.

"Don't say things like that," I whisper.

"It's normal," he tells me. "Remember what Thorin told you? Marking? The place on the back of your neck is where I would put it. Your body is reacting to the mate bond."

"Then why would you do that?" I pout.

"To distract you," he smiles. I look down and notice that his hand is once again dripping blood, but the cut on his palm is already healing.

"Does that hurt?" I ask.

"Not as much as seeing you in pain," he tells me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

I realize now that it takes a toll on Marrok because of the mate bond. He feels what I feel, just like I can feel his comfort and strength when hes around me; this pain, however, doesn't heal like the rest, because his body is not the one injured. He has to sit with it, just like I do, and concentrate on something he can't control.

I allow my hands to drop from covering my breasts, watching his eyes immediately drop to my chest. I take a step closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as his arms connect behind my back, pulling my naked body closer to him. Our lips meet, and I fall into his embrace.

"I promise to give this everything I can," I whisper into his kiss. "That is my blood pact to you."

"Wait," he says, breaking from our kiss and looking down at me. "Are you saying-"

"I accept our mate bond," I tell him. "I accept you."