Moon Daemon

Chapter Seven - Super Nova

I wake to the sound light snores and the smell of wet grass. I am suddenly very aware of the large arm draped over my side, holding one of my hands. I feel unbearably warm, however, unwanting to move from his calming embrace. I stay like this for a while, enjoying breathing in his delectable aroma.

I shift slightly, testing if I could manage to squeeze from his embrace without him waking, and when I finally do, I turn to look over at his peaceful sleeping expression; I find myself wondering what he's dreaming about. I gently remove myself from the bed, thinking about our kiss before we fell asleep this morning, my heart fluttering rapidly.

I still don't know much about the enormous castle I am in, but I can tell from the window that the sun is setting, so I get myself ready to find some food. I think about surprising Marrok with food when he wakes up, so I quietly exit the room.

The sun has set behind the mountain, but the skies are still pink and orange with it's setting. I wonder the halls, trying to remember how to get down to the kitchen. I hear voices coming up at the end of the hall and decide to investigate.

I poke my head around the corner and see an older woman scolding some young children. She looks up at my quizzically, and I am about to turn around, when I hear "LUNA" and see young Dakota running to me.

"Luna?" the older woman asks.

"No," I stutter, suddenly turning red. "Dakota, I told you, I am not Luna yet."

"Well you never told me your name," he says, looking down.

I let out a sigh, looking over at the older lady, who is holding the hands of two other young boys.

"I am Esmeray," I tell them. "You can call me Rae."

"Are you," the older lady hesitates. "Are you mated to Alpha Marrok?"

"Apparently I am," I whisper.

"Interesting," she smiles. "I was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his mate. I am surprised to see that you are daemon."

"I am still learning about the cultures of werewolves," I confess. "Apologies for sneaking up to you."

"Not at all, honey," she smiles. "I am Dawn. I am the pack chef."

"Oh that's wonderful!" I smile. "I was hoping I could make something for Marrok before he wakes up."

"Of course you can, honey," she laughs. "I'll help you in a second." She turns her attention back to the three young cubs. "I will let you off with one warning, you three; the next time I catch you sneaking cookies from the kitchen before dinner I will tell Beta Rollins."

"Yes ma'am," they all mumble in unison.

"What do you say to Ms. Dawn?" I find myself asking Dakota.

"Sorry ma'am," he says, his eyes wide with guilt.

"It's okay," she smiles gently. "Go back to playing in the court yard with the others."

The three cubs run from the room so quickly I find myself giggling.

"Those three," she mumbles, shaking her head.

"Handful?" I ask.

"It takes more than a village to raise young werewolves, especially when they are popping up all over the place and are around the same age."

We start making our way to the kitchen, and I find myself relaxing in Dawn's presence. When we arrive, I am shocked by the sheer size of the kitchen.

"Oh my," I gasp.

"It's a lot, I know," Dawn laughs. "What would you like to eat?"

"I can make something," I tell her. "I don't want to bother you."

"It's my duty," she smiles. "I can make anything you want."

"I was actually going to make breakfast," I mumble. "I tend to sleep during the day."

"Breakfast it is," she says. "Why do you sleep during the day?"

"It's safer for me at night," I tell her.

She just looks at me with a confused expression, picking up a bowl from the counter.

"Accalia calls me a shadow daemon," I explain. "I can manipulate darkness. So, I tend to stay out of the daylight."

The bowl she was holding falls suddenly, crashing into the floor and breaking apart into hundreds of pieces.

"Are you okay?" I gasp, rushing to her side.

"You can manipulate darkness?" she gasps, grabbing the sides of my face and forcing me to look into her eyes.

I just nod.

"I can't believe it," she whispers. "I've never met one, I've only ever heard of them."

"Them?" I ask.

"Daemons with the powers of light and dark," she says. "The most powerful creatures ever made in this world."

"I wouldn't say that," I mumble, moving from her embrace.

"I've read about them since I was a child," she tells me. "Daemon's with the ability to control any element as long as it is covered in darkness or light."

"There's light daemons?"

"Not anymore there aren't," she says. "Child, you do know how this war with the humans began correct?"

"Yes," I say. "Humans, or Vilark I should say, discovered that if they drank the blood of daemons they could gain supernatural powers themselves. But that aged poorly, and now they think if they drink the blood of any supernatural the same thing would happen."

"Not just any daemon, Rae," she whispers. "Vilark himself drank from a shadow daemon."

"What?" I ask.

"That is why Vilark got as powerful as he was, he drank the blood of a daemon that controlled darkness."

"How did I not know about this?" I ask.

"There hasn't been another shadow daemon since then, it was rumored that the Goddesses would not allow any more humans to gain powers from them, so they stopped being born."

"Then how am I here?" I ask.

"I do not know child," she says. "The Goddess must have an important reason for bringing you to this pack."

The door to the kitchen opens and I turn around, instantly grimacing as I see Nova and three other she-wolves walk into the kitchen.

"s**t," I mutter under my breath.

"Look what we have here, girls," Nova snarls. "I came in here to get food, but suddenly I don't have much of an appetite."

"Hello Nova," Dawn says. "I can make you something as soon as I finish breakfast for Esmeray and the Alpha."

"It's dark," she sneers. "Why would you be making breakfast now?"

"I can make breakfast Dawn," I tell her. "You can help them."

"No," she says. "I will cook for you two first, they can wait."

"You should listen to the witch, Dawn," Nova laughs. "She might put a spell on you like she did Marrok."

"Nova, did you just refer to the Mate bond as witchcraft?" Dawn asks, appalled.

"That is not the Alpha's mate!" Nova bursts. "That is nothing but a lowly daemon that has brought nothing to the pack other than a human raid while she hides from them."

"Maybe we should just give her to the humans," one of the other girls remarks. "Then they'll leave us alone."

I find myself backing into a darker corner in the kitchen, preparing myself if they start to shift.

"Is that so?" I hear from the back entrance of the kitchen and see a familiar large wolf walk into the kitchen.

"Beta Rollins," Dawn says, lowering her head slightly.

"Did I hear that correctly Aspen?" Rollins asks. "You want to feed our guest, and the Alpha's true Mate, to the humans?"

Aspen's head drops immediately. "Sorry, Beta."

"Don't apologize to me," he snaps, walking over so that he stands in between me and the she-wolves. "Apologize to Rae."

Nova lets out a quiet growl.

"Do it again," Rollins smiles. Up close, I see that Rollins is almost the same size as Marrok. He has ash blond hair and an impressive build. "Give me a reason Nova, I beg you."

"Why is everyone so protective of this daemon?" Nova yells. "She brought the humans here! They attacked!"

"The humans were coming either way," Rollins snaps. "They didn't even know she was here until they saw her out on the battle field, protecting our wolves. You should be grateful for her presence."

"This is a wolf pack, Beta, not a charity case," Nova sneers. I flinch at her words.

"Nova, enough," Rollins warns.

"No," she stands up taller. "Marrok deserves better. I challenge her to a Moonmacy."

I hear the gasps from the others in the room, including Dawn. Rollins is taken aback by her outburst.

"Winner takes Luna," Nova says.

"Are you f*****g joking me Nova?" Rollins roars.

"It has already been declared," she snaps. "We settle this tonight, during the full moon."

Nova and the others turn and walk from kitchen, leaving me in the corner, staring at Rollins and Dawn for answers, "Moonmacy?"

"It's similar to a Monomacy," Dawn says.

"Still not tracking," I say.

"A monomacy is the way that Vampires settle feuds for power; wolves renamed it Moonmacy," Rollins says.

"It's a fight?" I ask.

"Yes," he says.

"When is it over?" I ask.

"When one of you dies," Rollins mumbles, looking away from me. My heart stops; a fight to the death?

"Beta," Dawn whispers. "You can't possibly be thinking about allowing this to happen."

"There's nothing I can do!" Rollins snaps. "It's law. Once a Moonmacy has been declared, it must be upheld. or the person who refuses is automatically declared loser."

"So," I mumble. "I have to fight a wolf, to the death, in the middle of a Full Moon?" I ask, a slight chuckle escaping my lips. "This is honestly a joke, right?"

"We have to tell Marrok," Rollins says. "Alpha oversees all Moonmacies."

"This is a joke, RIGHT?" I shout.

"I'm sorry Rae," Rollins whispers. "It's not a joke."

I am still wrapping my head around the events that just took place as Rollins ushers me from the kitchen and back to Marroks room. I can hear him speaking to me, but my mind is not interpreting what he's saying, instead it runs a mile a minute. Should I flee? It's dark enough for me to get out of here without being seen, I can run from this pack and never return.

My heart sinks when I think about leaving Marrok and never seeing him again.

We arrive at Marrok's door before I realize it, and I stand there, still in shock as Rollins knocks.

Marrok answers the door, shirtless and in sweatpants that hug his large legs perfectly, rubbing his eyes. He catches my glance and immediately perks up. "What happened?"

"I went to the kitchen to make you breakfast," I whisper.

"There's a problem," Rollins tells him. "She ran into Nova."

"Did she hurt you?" he asks me, reaching out for my arm. His touch immediately sends electric through my being. All I could do was shake my head no.

"Nova declared Moonmacy," Rollins says. "For Luna."

"What?!" Marrok shouts. "She can't do that!"

"She can if the future Luna is unmarked," Rollins reminds him. "Which Rae is."

The growl from Marroks throat is unlike anything I've ever heard before, causing me to take a step back away from him. His eyes immediately lighten at my withdrawl. "Sorry," he whispers. "Thorin is very unhappy."

"There is a way out of this," Rollins says.

"Anything," I gasp.

"Rollins," Marrok warns.

"Mark her," Rollins shrugs.

"What?!" I ask.

"If he marks you and you accept the title of Luna, Nova will have no claim," Rollins announces.

"I told you I will not be doing that until she is ready!" Marrok growls.

"My choices are to either become Luna of a pack that I have zero knowledge about, or fight to the death?" I scoff. "This is too much."

"Those are not your choices," Marrok says, reaching out for me again. "Nova declared it before she was marked, if we did it now in spite of the Moonmacy, Esmeray will never be accepted as Luna."

"It's a full moon Marrok," Rollins whispers. "Nova will be especially powerful tonight."

"When is it set for?" Marrok asks.

"Midnight, when the moon is at its highest," Rollins says.

"f**k," Marrok says. "Get Accalia up here right now, and make sure Tala and Conan know whats happening."

"Yes, Alpha," Rollins says, walking away.

Marrok grabs my arm and pulls me into the room behind him, closing the door. As soon as the door clasps shut, I am immediately pulled into his embrace, his large body completely engulfing mine in a hug. I breathe the smell of fresh rain from his chest and attempt to calm my breathing.

"It's going to be okay," Marrok whispers, hearing my broken gasps for air as the realization of everything that just happened comes flooding into my mind.

"What the f**k, Marrok?" I say. "I should have never stayed here."

"Don't do that," he says, smoothing down my hair. "You know that the Mate bond you feel is real."

"This is too much," I whisper. "I can't fight her, even if I win, that means killing someone, and I will not do that unless it is absolutely necessary. I don't murder for fun, Marrok."

"I have an idea," Marrok says. "You're still going to have to fight her, but it won't be til death."

"How?"

"Don't worry about that right now," he says. "Accalia is going to come up here and explain the rules to the Moonmacy. I have to go down and prepare for it, it's the Alpha's job."

"I'm scared," I whisper.

"I know," he says, just as there's a knock at the door. "But I've seen you fight before. You're incredible. Think about that time you got us off this balcony, and all the power you felt within you because of the mate bond. She does not have that bond power yet, so you have an advantage."

Accalia appears at the door, her face is sad and furious at the same time. "Marrok," she starts to say.

"Not now Acallia," he stops her. "Explain this to Esmeray. I will go down and start the preparations for tonight."

"Yes, Alpha," she says.

"Marrok," I start to say, but catch myself.

"I know," he says, bending down and kissing my forehead, before walking from the room and closing the door behind him.