Midnight Moon’s Embrace

Chapter Three

A surge of relief washed over Mara as the mysterious figure disappeared from view, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Grey’s scoff of disbelief only served to heighten the tension in the air as Mara gazed back at the bustling mall.

“What are you looking at?” Grey’s voice cut through the stillness, his eyes following Mara’s gaze, but finding nothing but empty space. Confusion etched lines across his brows as Mara’s determination solidified.

“ Wait here,” Mara instructed, Her voice firm as she rose from her chair and made her way outside the back .

Back at Mara’s house, the doorbell’s chime pierced through the silence, prompting her mother to hasten towards the door. As she approached, the insisted knocking grew louder, a sense of urgency creeping into the air. Peering through the door, her mother strained to catch a glimpse of the visitor’s identity.

Before she could react, the door exploded open with a forceful impact, the sound of splintering wood echoing through the house.

With a gasp of shock, Mara’s mum recoiled, her heart pounding with fear as the unknown intruders breached the threshold, shattering the fragile peace of their home.

As Mara’s mother staggered from the force of the intruder’s entrance, she crumpled to the ground, the impact sensing her sprawling. With a menacing air, the man brandishing a sword demanded, “where’s the key, Debby?” With a swift motion, he seized by the collar, hoisting her up the wall.

Gasping for breath, Mara’s mother managed to inquire, “How did you find me?” The man’s response was chilling as he blamed Mara, hurling her against the wall in display of ruthless violence.

Meanwhile, at the mall, Mara trialed the figure to the rear of the building, her mind swirling with questions. “Why can I see you but no one else can?” She pressed, her voice trembling with uncertainty, “I was gonna ask you the same question he replied.”

With a heavy heart Mara said,'' why am I even talking to you ? You’re a killer, a cold blooded killer,” but he countered, claiming to be a “peacekeeping killer.” The revelation left Mara reeling as he grappled with the implications of her encounter.

“ I know what I saw,” Mara said, “you think you know,” he replied,Pointing his hand at her.

As Mara noticed the symbol on his hand, she grasped for an answer, “why have I been drawing this ? Why have I been having weird dreams,” she asked, his response hinted at her true nature, “I knew you were half blood.”

“ What do you mean, ‘half-blood’?” Mara pressed, her curiosity piqued.

“Someone in the human world that’s not fully human,” he explained. “Like you.”

“If I’m not human, then what am I?” Mara asked with her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Meanwhile the confrontation at Mara’s house escalated, with her mother battling against the intruders. Despite her effort, she managed to lock herself away, frantically reaching out to Mara and Grey. .

As she couldn’t reach any of them, she kept on calling Mara till the guy got worried, “you might need to take the call, it could be your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she replied, as she pulled the phone from her back pocket. “Does he know that ?” He questioned, “pleased to know you,” he added.

Mara finally picked the Call, “mum I’m coming home now,” she said, no no no you can’t come home her mother replied.

“You can’t come home okay?” Mara’s mother’s voice crackled with urgency over the phone line. “Go to Anthony’s and tell him they’ve found me,” she added, panic seeping into her tone.

Mara’s heart raced with fear as she heard the sounds of furniture falling from her mother’s end, her scream of “Mum!” Echoing with terror. Without a moment’s hesitation, she bolted down the street.

Meanwhile Mara’s mother, hidden away from the intruder's wrath, whispered a message for Eden,her voice strained with desperation.

“He’ll never find the key,” she vowed as she drank from a small bottle and succumbed to unconsciousness.

As mats reached the house, she was greeted by the sight of chaos-the door broken,the interior scattered-but her mother was nowhere to be found. Desperate for an answer she searched the house, her heart pounding with fear.

Suddenly, a dog appeared before her, barking fiercely and sending chills down Mara’s spine. She fled to the room and locked the door, only to find the door transformed into a menacing creature, ready to attack.

In a moment of panic, Mara poured fuel on the house cooker and lit it up to cause an explosion, using the makeshift shield to protect herself. But the smoke cleared and the creature reformed, its threat undeterred.

Just as Mara braced herself for another attack, the man with the symbol appeared, swiftly dispatching the creature with his sword skills. His presence comforting the anchor amidst the chaos.

“Come on,” he said gently, helping her to her feet, as he gives a hug of comfort.Mara’s breath came with ragged gasps as tears streamed down her face, her body trembling with fear.

“That’s enough,” he murmured, enfolding her in a comforting embrace, they both stared at themselves intensely as his lips mistakenly pushes her, and she immediately grabs him closer as the begin to kiss. Just then Jack realized that it wasn’t the right time for that and maybe Mara acted that way because of what happened so he immediately pulled away from Mara. “ What the hell was that?” Mara choked out, her voice trembling with fear and disbelief.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” he replied cryptically. “It was a wolf slayer.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe you,” Mara declared, her voice firm with skepticism. “And that thing you saw me kill at the club, that was also a wolf slayer,”he replied, his gaze intense as he spoke. “ they can take possession of any form. You can’t trust anyone, even people you think you know.”

“So why should I trust you?” Mara challenged, her doubts evident in her voice

“I just saved your life,” he retorted, his shoulders lifting in a gesture of defiance.

Without another word, Mara bolted down the stairs to her neighbor’s door, her breath coming In ragged gasp. “Clara open up, please!” She shouted, her voice heavy with desperation and fear.

Clara swung the door open, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the man with the symbol. Without hesitation, she slammed the door shut, cutting Mara off before she could explain further. In that moment Mara realized that the danger she faced was far more insidious than she could have ever imagined.

Mara’s frantic knock echoed through Clara’s door as she pleaded for an answer about her missing mother. “So you know what happened to my mum?” She gasped, her breath heavy with urgency,

Clara finally relented and opened the door once more, but Mara’s attention was immediately drawn to the man with symbol from Clara’s eyes. “Wait, you can see this guy ? She exclaimed, pointing accusingly.

“Of course she can, she’s a witch,” the man declared, Mara in disbelief stormed into Clara’s house.

Desperate of any shred of information, Mara pressed Clara about her mother’s whereabouts. “ Do you have any idea about where my mother is?”

“Mara I have no idea,” Clara responded, her voice tinged with sympathy. “But she mentioned the name tommy,” Mara pressed on.

“You better leave,” Clara insisted, attempting to close the door.

“No please, not until you tell me something,” Mara pleaded, blocking Clara’s attempt shut her out. “Anything.”

Clara relented, her expression heavy with concern. “Sit,” she instructed, gesturing towards the chair. “Let see what the card has to say,” Clara said.

Mara hesitated, skeptical of Clara’s methods. “Sorry ,but you know I don’t believe in any of these,” she remarked, pointing to the cards.

“Just sit,” Clara urged, her tone firm. As Mara complied and sat, “run your hand over these cards and pick one,” Clara said. “My mum have one of these,” Mara remarked, her confusion deepening.

“Yes, this one was a gift from her,” Clara confirmed, her gaze intent as she watched Mara movements. “Let’s see which card gets picked.”

As Mara’s hand hovered over the cards,one seemed to stick to her finger. With a mixture of surprise and apprehension, she turned it over to reveal a picture of a key. “It’s a key,” Clara stated, matter of factly, but the man interrupted.

“That’s a wolf key,” he interjected, his voice cutting through the tension. Clara shot him a furious look. “Ignore him,” Clara commanded Mara, refocusing her attention on the cards.

“It’s a wolf instrument, one of the three holy objects,” the man continued, directing to Mara. “What is going on here?” Mara questioned.

With confusion clouding Mara’s features as she struggled to make sense of revelations unfolding before her. “I don’t understand what any of these has to do with my mum,” she admitted, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

“Your mother is a wolf like him,” Clara revealed, her words landing like a weight in the room. Mara’s confusion deepened, “No, but my mum is a writer,” she protested.

A forced smile on Clara's face as her expression still remained solemn. “She never told you any of this? Did she?” She asked softly.

“All I know is that she’s gone, and I don’t know where to start looking for her,” Mara confessed, her heart heavy with worry and unanswered questions.

“Let me read you,” Clara said, her voice soft but determined. Taking Mara’s hand in hers, she closed her eyes and began to rub them gently, seeking answers within the depth of Mara’s mind.

“There’s something blocking your mind,” Clara declared, her brow furrowing in concentration. “so guess your mother hired someone very skilled to seal your mind to protect you”.

With a solemn nod, Clara opened the door and gestured for Mara and the man to leave. “From what?” Mara asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Your old memories,” Clara responded cryptically, her gaze searching Mara’s eyes for understanding.

“Why?” I don’t remember anything she wants me to forget,” Mara exclaimed, her confusion deepening as she tried to piece together the fragments of her past.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from Mara’s own apartment, jolting her into action. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, she rushed upstairs, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.