The Red Moon's Daughter

Your Highness?

-Leila's POV-

My mate. I had a mate.

I rejoiced in the feeling of being in his arms. He was holding me tight, with one hand around my back and the other holding my legs on top of his. His nose tickled my cheek, and I lifted my head to look at him. He looked at me worried.

-Are you okay? – he asked.

-No – I answered sincerely – I… - I tried to find the word to express myself, but nothing came out.

What if he knew who I was? What I was. What I did.

I was scared. I couldn't hurt him even if he tried to kill me. He was my mate. The mate that I never thought I was going to have because Bill convinced me that I was a monster…

“…and monsters like you don’t get mates. Do you really believe that the Moon Goddess is going to curse someone to have you as a mate?” Bill’s voice rang in my head with the sound of the silver whip in the background. I could still feel the lashes on my back.

My face must’ve shown something because he lifted his hand and caressed my cheek with the back of one finger – light as a feather, to not scare me more than I already was.

-I wasn’t supposed to have a mate – I whispered – I am a curse –

-I don’t know who made you believe that, but I am going to find this fucker and kill him slowly and painfully – his face was dark for a second – You are a blessing that the Moon Goddess gave me, and you are mine – the possessiveness in his voice sent chills through my body.

He looked at me with so much intensity and adoration that I could not hold the tears that started flowing down my face. I didn’t cry for all the things that I’ve been thru; instead, I was crying quietly with desperation, begging life itself that this was not a lie, that this was not a trick, to not take him away from me - and he only held me close, buried his face in the crook of my neck and nuzzled me to comfort me. I held on to him to make sure that he could not leave.

-I’m here. I will always be here – he whispered, knowing exactly what I was feeling.

I let him go and dried my cheeks, ashamed now at my show of weakness.

-I can’t be your mate, Clayton – I tried to think logically – I have a horrible past –

-And that is exactly what it is… the past – he did not remove his arms from around me, making sure to keep me close – you are my mate, and we’ll be together for the rest of our lives –

He went back to nuzzling my cheek, which I realized was cold because of his warm skin.

-You don’t know what you are talking about – I put my hands on his chest with the intent of pushing him, but they just stayed there – you don’t know me! – I furrowed my brows looking at him.

- I know enough –

“How can a shrugging of shoulders make someone look so good?”

–And we’ll have a lot of time to know the rest of each other – he smiled at me with mischief and his hands traveled down my back, making me shiver.

I was not sure if I liked his arrogance. It excited me, but at the same time, I wanted to punch him in the face. I looked at my fist and then at his face, and his laugh shook the trees. It was manly and happy.

-You want to punch me? – he hugged me closer – I would love to see you try – “his smile makes his eyes twinkle”.

-Don’t test me, pretty pup – I narrowed my eyes, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

There were butterflies in my stomach, and the palms of my hands tingled, wanting to touch him.

-I have a feeling that I am going to love testing you – he murmured with a coquettish smile and buried his nose in my neck again, this time kissing my skin.

A gasp left my lips, and I felt his smile on my neck. His kisses kept going up until he reached the corner of my mouth, and I could do nothing more than close my eyes and savor the sensations that they created on my body. He stopped, his mouth hovering on top of mine like waiting for my permission.

“How do you dare stop?”

My hands grabbed fists of his shirt and pulled, bringing his lips down on mine.

I felt his body shake while one hand grabbed me by the back of my neck and the other locked behind my back. I closed my eyes and lights exploded behind my eyelids when he kissed me. Soon, I was lying on the grass with him on top of me, kissing me with passion. He supported his weight with one arm on the grass, while the other traveled down my exposed leg. My skin erupted with goosebumps, and a chuckle left his lips. His mouth went back down to the side of my neck, kissing down until reaching the juncture where my neck and shoulder joined. His teeth grazed that muscle, biting softly, and I moaned.

-Right here is where you will bear my mark – he bit again, a little harder, and I sucked my breath, a puddle forming between my legs – for all the world to see… - he raised his head to look me in the eyes with thundering electric blue eyes – … that you belong to me – he kissed me again.

I should've been scared after that statement. Why was I not scared? Why was I not running for the heels? I couldn’t. How could I when it was true? I belonged to him. After only a few seconds of knowing him, my body and soul knew that I was meant to be by his side.

My back arched to be closer to him, and my fingers tangled in his black hair, scratching his scalp with my nails. He groaned and his hips buckled, grazing his hardness against my center. I bit his lower lip, discovering this new version of myself. This passionate woman that would move heaven and earth for this stranger.

I hooked one leg around his waist and used it as leverage to graze my center against him once more, starving for that contact that brought me so much pleasure. He muttered a curse and his hand wrapped around my butt cheek, squeezing it and pulling me towards him as if trying to fuse us into one. And I discovered another power – being able to disarm this man who looked so in control of himself.

This was a different power to the other ones that I had, and by far my favorite, because it made me realize that although I might be weak belonging to him, I owned him too.

I pulled his hair to break the kiss, and he moaned again. I looked him in the eyes, and I knew by the surprise on his face that mine had changed color like they do when my powers or feelings were on the surface – they turned a bright shade of red.

-And you are mine – I whispered, my lips very close to his.

He sucked a shaky breath and grabbed the leg that I hooked around his waist, to slam his hardness against my core much stronger than before.

-I will not claim you yet, but be warned that once we are in our home, I will f**k you senseless until you scream my name, and then we will mark each other –

-Yes – I moaned.

He was about to dive for another kiss when I heard a rustling of leaves to our left. I whipped my head towards the noise and concentrated on finding the source. He looked at me confused, not hearing anything yet in comparison to my augmented senses. After a few seconds, he was able to hear the person approaching us.

He got up and lifted me with him, engulfing me protectively in his arms.

-Your Highness! – someone called, and his shoulders visibly relaxed.

“Your Highness?”

A man came out from between the trees and looked relieved when his eyes landed on Clayton.

-I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Your Highness – his tone was chastising, but his expression was playful.

“Your Highness?”

-I am sorry, Raul – Clayton smiled without guilt- As you can see, I’ve been busy – his eyes lowered towards me – let me introduce you to my mate and your future queen – “what?” – Leila –

He was about to let me go when he remembered what I was wearing. I flushed in embarrassment, discovering now that my chemise did not protect me at all from other eyes, as I thought.

The man called Raul looked at me with amazement, but then cleared his throat and looked everywhere except me, understanding the situation.

-It is an honor to meet you, my Queen – he bowed – At last we have been blessed with your presence – he made a flourish with his hand and Clayton snorted, rolling his eyes.

-Hello – I murmured, trying to understand what was going on.

I looked at Clayton again, this time with new eyes.

-I'm not understanding – I took a step to get out of his arms and he let me go reluctantly – You are a king? –

-He is not a king, he is the king – Raul smiled – Clayton is the King of Werewolves, and I am his Beta – he stated with pride.

King of Werewolves? No! It can’t be.

My mate was the same man that Bill trained me so hard to kill. The purpose of all his abuses and all the killings was for me to be invincible to kill the very man that was standing in front of me looking at me so sweetly.

I took three more steps back. This had to be a joke.

A sob escaped my lips, and I covered my mouth with my hands, trying to control the new tears that wanted to fall.

-It can’t be – I whispered – No… no – I sobbed again, covering my face with my hands.

-Leila? Darling? – Clayton tried to approach me, but I only backed away more – What is wrong? –

-I… - I shook my head from side to side, feeling the guilt of what I have done squeeze my heart – I can’t be with you. I am too dangerous – I whispered.

Once again, the voices and screams of all the people that I had killed filled my head. All of them had only been pawns for my biggest kill. My mate. Bill’s tortures consumed me again – I could feel the pain of my broken bones, the bleeding of the lashes in my back, his crazy laugh haunting me after another kill, mocking me.

I could not face my mate with that dark past, especially when the purpose of that past was his death.

I opened my eyes again, took my hands off my face and they were stained with blood again… but it was his blood this time. My mate’s blood.

-NO! – I screamed and took off running.

I could hear Clayton and Raul running after me, but I was faster. I lost them in no time and ran towards my safe heaven – my home.