The Cursed Moon

Chapter 2

As soon as she stepped outside the oversized gates, Moon felt her whole body relax. Her thoughts, however, were still spinning.

She slipped out of her flats, discarding them in the grass. She loved the feel of the earth under her feet; it made her feel apart of something bigger than herself, bigger than the village.

Her mind was still on the man she was to marry. The only experience she had when it came to men were her books, but this would not be the fairy tale ending she had always dreamed of. Max wasn't coming to save her, to sweep her off her feet. He was coming to claim her as his, to own her like property. Moon found herself thinking she would rather not belong to someone; she wanted to belong with someone.

Moon kept walking through the grass, running her hands over the tops of the blades. She was heading in the direction of her favorite spot; it was on a large rise in the meadow, and from it, she could sit and look down on the village, watch the people go about their day without feeling the ugliness of their thoughts towards her. She pretend she belonged, that she was one of them.

Moon had settled into the grass, sprouts of wildflowers poking through, their aromas calming her. She then lay on her back, her hair tumbling around her as she stared up at the moving clouds.

She had nearly drifted off in the afternoon sun when she heard it, movement in the surrounding grass, circling her. Whatever was out there, she knew there was more than one.

Moon stood tall, and she became aware that if there was a time to be brave, it was now.

“I know you are there. What do you want!” her voice was firm, calm?

Moon heard another shuffle as a man rose from the lengthy shoots of meadow grass, except this man was like no other she had seen before.

His black hair fell wildly around his face, his tanned skin taut with muscle, his eyes the color of lavender. Just as Mena had described, he was strangely breathtaking.

"Your hearing is superb for a human.” The stranger's voice was pleasant, friendly, part of his trap, Moon assumed.

“Shifter…” Moon whispered to herself, the realization of what he was a terrifying one.

“Observant too.” She swung her head to where the second voice was coming from, and another shifter had appeared from the thick grass, now taking steps towards her. This shifter, on the other hand, seemed more menacing.

“What, what do you want?” She managed to stutter out.

“Well, we are here for leverage.” The first of the shifter's answer was vague, and Moon found him harder to read than the villager's. She knew she would have to work to get inside his mind.

“We are looking for a woman, one who is said to be the huntresses sister and, as of recently, betrothed, to be wed to a tyrant leader. You see, our Alpha believes this woman…. Well, he wants to congratulate her on her upcoming nuptials.” The second shifter eyed her, and he wasn't as coy or as hard to read as his companion.

His intentions were obvious. He was here to take her away, to deliver her to his alpha. If that happened, she was as good as dead. Moon spun and began to sprint away from the beasts, her breathing panicked, her heart racing. An eternity at Max's mercy would be better than this.

Moon ran in the other direction away from the men, and with them closing in behind her, she felt herself move quickly into the unknown.

The warm, expansive meadow was soon replaced by the shade of an extensive forest. She had no bearings here. The thicker she went in, the more lost she became. Even so, she kept moving. She had to.

“Stop taunting her, Grey. She is already frightened. What are we waiting for? Let's just grab her before anyone notices she's missing.” Moon recognized the voice as the first of the shifters. She felt helpless. She would never outrun them.

She quickly shook that thought out of her head. “Be brave, be brave.” She whispered to herself as she pushed forwards.

Just as she had almost convinced herself she would make it, she would survive, her foot was caught on an exposed root, tripping her. Moon tried to correct her balance, but it was no use. She crashed down, her head landing with a hard thud.

As she laid there dazed, she saw the shifters approach, but only as shadows and blurs. She looked up at them with pleading eyes before slipping into nothingness.

•••

Moon woke, her head pounding, her mouth dry. She took in her surroundings, and it was quickly apparent she had woken to a nightmare.

She sat up straight on what one may consider a bed. The smell of damp air and blood filled her. Moon was in a cell, that much was obvious, the bars rusted, the space small.

The village had always felt like a prison to her, but this was a literal one. Moon began to panic once she remembered the shifters. If they had bought her here, she wouldn't live long. She had heard the stories. She had been taught to fear them since she was a child. That fear ran deep. Now there was no escape.

“Sleeping beauty wakes.” The voice was as slimy as the walls that held her. Moon sought the source. When she found it, she shuddered inside. It was a shifter, but like her, he was a captive.

Feeling his aura, hearing his sick thoughts, she became glad for that. He was dirty, stale blood soaked his clothes, he wasn't alluring like the first shifter she had encountered, he was frightening.

Moon instinctively put her head down, not wanting to make eye contact. She wouldn't engage. It was a tactic she used when the villagers teased her. It had gotten her this far in life without serious harm.

“You're afraid, smart. If you're down here with the likes of me, then things will not end well for you. A delicate flower such as yourself, well, the alpha, he will break you easy.”

The wild shifter seemed amused by her dire predicament, but at the mention of flowers her mind wandered back to the meadow, the flowers there, how they bent but never broke. Moon would follow their example, she would not be broken.

The silent hours dragged and with no windows, Moon couldn't tell if it was night or day. She didn't even know where she had been taken or in which direction home was. It was hopeless, but she wouldn't plead, wouldn't grovel, she wouldn't let them know she was afraid. She would be courageous.

She had drifted into sleep without realizing, the sound of footsteps approaching waking her. Moon turned onto her side, facing the wall. In her mind, if she stayed quiet, she wouldn't be bothered.

The footsteps came closer, and with each one, her heart rate increased. She was terrified. Moon wouldn't show it.

“Here she is, the wolf slayer's sister and my new favorite inmate.” It was the second shifter from the meadow, the one called Grey. As he spoke, she heard the jangle of keys.

Moon smelt liquor before he even entered her cell. He was inebriated, his inhibitions gone, a dangerous thing for a shifter she guessed. Even with her stomach churning, the fear rising to her throat, she remained still.

He reached for her in two strides, and caught her roughly by the jaw, forcing her to face him. His eyes leering, the same way Max's would, tracing her body, lingering on her face.

“The way I see it, I found you. I bought you here. You are mine. The Alpha has his plans for you, but we can have some fun first, can't we?” She shook herself from his grasp. It was fight or flight, and right now, her only option was to fight.

“I belong to nobody, especially not you!” her voice was defiant, strong. Moon refused to be a victim any longer.

Grey chuckled. It was a menacing laugh. Her words had not deterred him at allin fact, they seemed to excite him.

“I like the feisty ones.” Grey was toying with her. She knew it, knew she was running out of options.

She slapped him hard across the face. This infuriated the beast inside. A growl rippled through his chest.

“You b***h, I always get what I want, I am the gamma, do you understand what that means? I have power here!” His voice was loud, belligerent, his anger filled the room. It tightened in her chest.

She tried to back away, to put space between them but there was nowhere to go, she was trapped.

He reached out his large hands and gripped onto her dress, he teared at it as she tried to hold it to her frame.

Grey shoved Moon hard onto the bed, his hands trying to grab more cloth as she kicked her legs wildly. Moon would not give up, she wouldn't let him take this from her.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the wild shifter, he watched her attack intently, a smile on his face. He wouldn't call for help, he was enjoying it just as much as Grey.

Moon could only save herself and that is what she would do, she felt a power surge through her, a power she had never felt before, she felt strong.

She pulled her legs close and kicked them together with all her might. Grey flew, her legs tossing him across the room, his body slamming into the bars. She stood, ready to fight, ready for his next onslaught, but instead she heard more footsteps.

"Grey, what is all the commotion, did a prisoner escape?" This voice was new to Moon, but at the same time familiar, as if from a memory, a dream.

She felt fear creep inside her once more, but it was not her own, it was Grey who was afraid. Whom ever was approaching frightened him much more then she expected.

With a few more steps the man was at her cell, his face instantly turned to rage when he took in the scene before him.

Moons shredded clothes, the scratches and bruising that now covered most her body, he read the fear in her eyes. He wasn't mad with Moon, he was mad at Grey.

"Are you okay?" He asked her gently.

Moon studied him, he had a kind face, he felt safe, his aura warm. His thoughts were that of concern, concern for her. Moon trusted this shifter and she herself couldn't understand why.

"I think so." She exhaled as she spoke, relief washing over her, this shifter, he would protect her.

"What the f**k were you thinking Grey? She thinks us beast's and you make it look as though we are. She is not yours Grey, this behaviour is forbidden!" His tone changed quickly as he addressed her attacker.

"Please Atlas, I beg you, do not tell the Alpha." Grey was grovelling, pleading, all the things Moon had vowed she wouldn't do. She no longer found herself afraid, he was a coward, she felt it.

"I am not going to tell the Alpha." The kind shifter replied. Moon heard a sigh of relief escape from Grey.

"But you will." He continued, Grey's eyes widened in fear, his body trembled, and it was unsettling to Moon to see how much terror the Alpha inspired in his own men.

Before Grey could utter another word he was shoved out of the door of her cell, her saviour looked back at her one last time and smiled, a smile that bought her comfort. Another wave of warmth washed over her.

Moon sat on the bed, stunned.

She had expected the shifters to be beasts, to be brutish and unkind. What Grey had attempted to do, it hadn't surprised her. The real shock came from her rescue, the shifter came to her aide, he protected her, he was appalled, angry even with her attacker, his actions were not condoned.

Shifters were suppose to be evil, cruel. This shifter however, he had felt warm, kind, safe. Something she had never felt come from her fellow villagers. There wasn't an ounce of bad in him, he must be the exception, not the rule. Moon then recalled the intense fear Grey had felt, the Alpha clearly didn't condone his actions either.

With her clothes shredded, her body sore, her head still aching, Moon curled into a ball and tried to sleep once more, but again her rest was interrupted by the approach of someone new. This time she sat, ready to defend herself.

Moon heard humming, it was sweet, melodic, calming, and soon a female shifter appeared in-front of her cell, a large bag in her hands.

Moon had thought some male shifters to be breathtaking but this creature that stood before her was dazzling, the most beautiful female she had yet to lay eyes on.

Her hair a brilliant midnight black, even in the dim light of the prison it shined, it fell straight all the way down her back.

Her cheekbones high, dimples on either side of her face. Her eyes violet and wide. She was angelic, she felt as beautiful as she looked, good, wholesome, pure.

"Oh you poor thing!" She exclaimed as she rushed to Moon's side.

Moon stared at her in awe.

"You don't have to be afraid of me sweet one, I won't hurt you. Atlas sent me to care for you, he was ever so concerned about you after he left.

As beautiful as you are, Grey had no right." She spoke as she pulled a flask of water from her bag passing it to Moon.

Moon took the water and gulped it, she hadn't noticed how thirsty she had been till now. The female shifter studied her with curiosity, she was just as in awe of Moon as she was of her.

"What is your name?" She asked softly.

"Moon" she replied shyly. This woman didn't feel disgust towards her like the many woman before her and Moon didn't want to say anything that may change that.

"Moon, it suits you. My name is Reign, do you mind if I treat your wounds? You've been scratched pretty deep in some places, we wouldn't want you to become septic now would we?" She reached into the bag once again pulling out bandages.

The conversation flowed between them as Reign tended to Moon, they spoke of books, they shared many of their favourites, and for the first time in her life Moon felt the bonds of friendship building.

"There all done." Reign said as she wrapped the last of the bandages around Moons legs.

"Thank you, I feel much better." Moon replied, and she did, she felt light, sleepy, warm, even in her dark damp cell.

"I have some more clothing here for you, they were mine but they are yours now." Reign handed Moon a wool knitted jersey, some fresh undergarments, socks and a pair of trousers.

Reign then rose from the bed and turned her back to Moon, blocking the wild shifters view, giving her privacy to change.

Once dressed Moon cleared her throat, indicating that she was decent and Reign returned to her side.

"I have to leave you soon, I am not thrilled about it. Leaving you here, in this place, you don't belong here sweet one, you are not a threat. I will speak with Atlas, see if we can change your circumstances. I can't make promises but the Alpha has a soft spot for his Beta, he can be pretty persuasive when he wants to." Reign radiated compassion as she spoke, Moon wanted to be near her always.

"Get some sleep Moon, it's late. I will return in the morning with food and hopefully we can get you out of this awful cell." she lightly stroked Moons hair before leaving her alone.

Moon curled up, her new clothes comfortable, soft, warm, just like Reign. Sleep would come easy now, her heart full with hope. Hope that she had made a friend, hope that tomorrow would be a better day.