Moon Daemon

Chapter Three : Others

  I can't remember the last time I've slept as well as I have in that bed. I don't remember much about falling asleep, but I do remember the sound of the door opening hours later. I sit up in bed, about to throw up my hand to attack when I see Marrok in the room before me, a tray in his hand.

  "How did you sleep?" he asks.

  "Very good," I say, rubbing my eyes.

  "The others know you are here," he says. "They are curious. I made everyone do extra training this morning because you snuck in here completely undetected."

  "To be fair," I start to say.

  "To be fair, every wolf knows what a daemon smells like," he interjects. "They just couldn't see you, so they did nothing. That's unacceptable."

  I take the tray before me and see that there is an assortment of fruits, eggs, and meat. I look up at him with an eyebrow raised.

  "I didn't know what you'd want to eat, so I prepared everything," he shrugs.

  "Thank you," I say, popping a piece of bacon into my mouth. 

  "The other's are going to want to meet you," he says. "It doesn't have to be today, but you can't stay locked up in my room forever now that they know you are here."

  "Why?" I ask. "I'm sure I've already made an impression on some."

  "You're my mate," he says, nonchalantly. "So that means you're Luna to this pack."    

  I nearly choke on the food in my mouth.

  "Luna?" I ask.

  "Yes," he says, tilting his head. "Surely you've heard that Alpha's have Luna's."

  "I have," I say, coughing. "I'm not a wolf though. How am I supposed to be a Luna?"

  "I've told you," he smiles. "It's rare, but it's not unheard of."

  "I can't be a Luna," I mumble. "I know nothing about werewolves."

"I can teach you," he says, reaching out for my hand.

I withdraw from his touch, knowing the moment our skin makes contact I'm going to lose sight of my senses, and I won't say what I need to say.

"I can't just uproot my life to stay here and play 'mate'," I growl, a little more angry than I wanted.

"You have to trust Hekate," he says. "She destined us together for a reason."

"Then she can come down here and tell me why!" I snap.

"Okay, let's breathe," Marrok says, looking around and seeing the phone on my nightstand. "Did you not like it?" he asks, nodding towards it.

I sigh, putting the tray down and leaning over and grabbing the phone. "I don't know how to use it," I shrug.

"Really?" he asks, his eyes widening.

"I've never had a cell phone before," I confess. "I've seen people with them, but I don't know even know how to turn it on."

He lets out a small chuckle, making my heart pound in my chest. "Let me show you." He shows me a small button on the side and holds it down, until the screen turns on.

"You're on my plan," he tells me. "You can do whatever you want on it. Internet, text, call."

"That's weirdly smart," I grumble.

"Well it is a smart phone," he laughs, making me smile.

"Can I read on it?" I ask.

"Read?"

"Like books," I blush.

"Yeah, you can," he smiles. "You can download any book you want."

"Can I get a book on daemons?" I ask.

"You can," he says. "But I have something better for you, if you're up for a little walk."

"I don't know," I look around, nervously.

"What about fresh air?" he asks. "I can take you outside, you can surround yourself with darkness and fresh air, maybe clear your head a little."

I feel my stomach flip, excitement filling my heart. "Okay," I smirk. "But I'm not ready to walk out in the castle yet, so we're going to do it my way."

I jump out of bed, grabbing my bag and running into the bathroom, sliding on my black leggings and a dark T-shirt. My long black hair falls around my body and my eyes glow in excitement. When I emerge from the bathroom, I see Marrok putting a shirt on in the corner of the room, his bare chest flexing with the movement of his arms.

I blush, looking away quickly.

"You can look," he smirks. "I got nothing to hide."

"It's rude," I mumble.

He walks up to the side of me, grabbing my hand and moving it to his mouth, kissing it gently. "I want you to look at me."

I pull my hand away quickly, running it through my hair pushing it behind my ear. "Are you ready?"

"How are we doing this?"

I walk over to his balcony doors, opening them and turning and smiling at him.

"No way," he shakes his head. "Its the top floor."

"I'm going to need you to trust me, if you want me to trust you," I say, holding a hand out.

"Good Goddess," he grumbles, taking my hand as I lead him onto the balcony. The sun is just finishing setting, the sky is a dark blueish color near the mountains, and it's nearly completely dark.

"Perfect," I whisper, letting the air whisper through my hair and caress my face.

"Now what?" he asks, looking around.

"How much do you trust Hekate?" I ask.

He arches an eyebrow.

"How much do you trust this mate bond?" I smile.

"With everything I have," he nods.

"Then we jump."

"Excuse me?" he asks, looking over the railing.

"You asked about my powers, and you say you trust me," I remind him. "So jump with me."

"I know I can survive that fall," he says. "Thorin doesn't think you will."

"Thorin," I say, watching Marrok's eyes flash dark momentarily. "Trust me."

"f**k," Marrok says, shuffling his hair around. "Fine."

"Marrok," I say, making him look at me. "Trust me." I grab both of his hands, his eyes widening as they stare into mine.

I summon the shadows around us, wrapping them around us. Marrok momentarily darts his eyes around, before finding mine again. When I summon darkness, to me it's the most beautiful color, swirling around me as a forcefield of protection, but I'm sure to Marrok, it's just fear.

Our feet lift off the ground and Marrok's face drops in awe. I've never tried to move someone else with me, but I feel more powerful when I'm holding on to him.

Marrok looks around and I concentrate on moving us to the ground, slowly, just incase I lose control.

"Esmeray," he whispers.

I look into his blue eyes, feeling a jolt of electricity surge through my body, more powerful than anything I've ever felt before. I gasp, my mouth falling open, as the surge lights up my core.

Our feet hit the ground, and I can feel my power whip my hair around in every direction.

I release my shadows, the power dying around us, still holding Marrok's hands and staring into his eyes.

Marrok looks up to the balcony we just moved from, then back at me. "Something tells me that wasn't normal," he says.

"What?" I ask.

"That power surge," he grins. "I could tell by how shocked you looked at first."

"Yeah," I say, releasing his hands and moving my hair behind my ear. "That was new."

"Mate," he grins.

I smile back at him, feeling the power in my continue to swirl in my veins. "You trusted me," I say.

"You let me," he smiles.

We walk through the darkness, I let my powers overwhelm me. I have never felt so invincible before. I look up at the moon shining brightly, smiling up at Hekate.

I look over at Marrok who is shaking his head, some internal conflicts are clearly written on his face.

"Thorin?" I ask.

"He's adamant about coming out and meeting you," he growls.

"Maybe you should," I shrug.

"Should what?"

"Let me meet him," I say.

"That could be dangerous," he warns.

"You both just saw what I am capable of," I smile. "I'm going to have to meet him eventually."

Marrok grunts in response, looking up at the moon pleadingly.

"Fine," he growls. "I want you to be ready for anything though, the moon is almost full, I don't know know if I'll be able to regain control."

"I promise," I smile.

"Behave," Marrok mutters, before closing his eyes and letting go of his control.

When he opens his eyes again, there is a distinct difference in his appearence.

"Mate," his voice is low and erotic. I feel myself recoil from shock, stepping back slightly.

"Thorin?" I ask.

"Why do you recede from me?" he asks.

"I was just surprised," I say. "I didn't expect you to be so different from Marrok."

"Is that bad?" he tilts his head like a puppy.

"No," I smile, walking closer to him. "You know I am not a werewolf, I don't have the same instincts that you do."

"That saddens me," he confesses.

"Why?"

"I don't have a counterpart like Marrok does," he says. "Normally when we mate, the wolves also mate with one another."

"Oh," I whisper. "I had no idea."

"That is okay, little mate," he smiles, tenderly. "I am just happy to have you as a mate. Promise me one thing though."

"Okay," I nod.

"Since I won't have a counterpart to be with, after you and Marrok mark each other, allow me to be present every now and then."

"Mark?" I ask.

His head starts to swivel around, and I know Marrok is trying to get back in control.

"Damn you Marrok," Thorin growls. "Let me talk to her."

"Thorin," I say, reaching up and touching his arm. His attention snaps back to me and his eyes soften into mine. "What does marking mean?"

His eyes go black for a minute and I move my arm back, unsure what is happening.

"Marking is a wolfs way of claiming their mate," he grumbles through his teeth.

"Oh," I say. "Like an engagement ring?"

His chuckle is light which surprises me. His face softens as he smiles and he looks more like Marrok. "Not really," he smiles. "Marrok told me that it's too soon to be talking about marking with you, so until next time little mate."

His eyes close, and I watch as Marrok comes back to the surface.

"Damn Thorin," he grumbles.

"I feel like there is more for me to know," I whisper.

"Another time," he says, looking around. "I think for now, we should just get to know each other a little."

"Okay," I say, turning and walking further into the darkness. "What do you want to know?"

"Where are your parents?" he asks.

"Dead," I say. "I was an orphan since a baby. I grew up in several orphanages and foster homes up until I was sixteen."

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't know," Marrok says.

"I didn't know them," I say. "When I was six I realized that I wasn't a normal child, and one day Hekate told me to keep my existence a secret. We learned about daemons in school, it didn't take me long to realize that I was one of them. So I remained alone for a majority of my childhood, and when I was old enough, I ran away in the cover of darkness and hid in the woods. I learned how to control my powers and use them to my advantage. That leads me to today."

"So no one knows that you're a daemon?" he asks.

"No one knows who I am," I say. "I went by Rae when I was in foster care and school. I was the weird kid that no-one wanted to be around."

"That won't be the case here," Marrok says. "You will be loved by the whole pack."

"I don't know about that," I smile. "What about you? Is there anything I should know before being introduced to everyone?"

He looks around awkwardly. "There is one thing you should know."

I lift an eyebrow, enjoying watching him squirm.

"There is a she wolf," he starts. "Her name is Nova. I slept with her a few years back when I was frustrated I still hadn't found my mate. She's been trying to become Luna ever since as a selected Luna. But I haven't given that to her. I have the feeling that she is going to be not very warm welcoming when you meet her."

I feel a pang of jealousy when he tells me another woman is trying to be with him, but I dismiss it quickly when I realize that we just met yesterday, of course he has a past.

"I'm sure everything is going to be fine," I say.

"Does that bother you?" he asks. "Knowing I was with other she-wolves."

"I think it does because of this 'mate' thing we got going on," I tell him. "But I know you're going to have a past. There's nothing I can do about that."

"I just want you to know that now that I know you, and I've met my mate, all of my love and attention is solely on you from now on."

"Marrok," I laugh. "I don't need you to say things like that. I don't know how this works, but if there's another woman out there for you that is better for you and Thorin then I won't hold it against you."

"You clearly don't know how it works," he smiles. "Once a wolf mates with someone, there is no being with someone else. If I were to sleep with someone else, you would feel it. Your heart would start breaking and you would be in pain."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes," he nods. "It's the same way with me. If you were to sleep with another man I would feel all of it."

"Weird," I say.

"Do you have anyone in particular I should worry about?" Marrok asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asks.

"No."

"Have you ever?"

"No," I say. "I've been on my own for so long, I'm not particularly good at being with someone."

"You seem to be doing okay out here with me," he smiles.

"Hekate told me this was the way," I shrug.

"What else can you do with your powers?" he asks.

"I've used them for good and for bad," I say. "I've stolen money, but I've also saved people."

"Why did you steal money?"

"I needed some, I was starving and living on the streets. When I found out I could manipulate darkness and use it to get in and out of somewhere undetected, I would sneak into banks and take only what I needed," I tell him.

"You'll never have to do that again," he smiles. "Being Alpha and Luna of the pack means that you'll have all of the money would ever need plus some."

"Thats not my money," I tell him.

"If you accept me as my mate, it will be," he says.

"Can I not accept?" I ask.

Marrok stops walking, his eyes widening at my question.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," I whisper.

"Technically, yes, you can reject the mate bond," he explains. "I don't want you coming into this not knowing all of your options. So, yes. You could reject me."

"What is marking?" I ask.

"Goddess," he hisses. "Do you really want to know right now?"

"You said you wanted me to know everything," I tell him.

"Marking is when mates bite each other on the back of the neck, putting a mark on each other so that others know they are claimed. It normally happens during s*x," he says.

"Oh," I whisper. "You've never been marked?"

"I would never mark someone who isn't my mate," he says. "It's considered extremely disrespectful."

"Wolves are so complex," I whisper.

"We have our rules and regulations," he smiles.

I smell something distinct in the distance and I see Marrok turn in the same direction. "Humans," I whisper.

"They are dangerously close to the territory." Marrok snarls.

"Why?" I ask.

"They're hunting," he says.

"Hunting?"

"They want supernatural blood, just like with that Siren you saved."

"They came for the werewolves?" I ask.

"They try and pick off the children or the weak ones, lead them out of our territory then jump the for their blood."

"What do we do?" I ask.

"We find them," he growls. "We find them and remind them why they shouldn't come into werewolf territory so they never do it again."