Blue Moon (15 page)

“I need to work on this book, that’s all that is important right now, so you can help me, or act like fools?”

They both decide to come with me to Dallah’s room and look through the book with me.

As we enter the bedroom, Den and Dallah are standing on the balcony talking privately.

“Dallah?” I call for her.

She walks through the drapes with Den right behind her.

“Hey, you guys need some time? Oh, I didn’t mean like that!” She quickly says to Den, who has a face that looks like thunder.

“
No, it’s ok, you guys stay here, I’ll see you in a bit,” I tell her as I walk back through the door, with tears in my eyes. I can’t be in the same room as Den, not when he looks at me in that way.

“Zara wait!” Dallah calls to me.

“Let her go!” Den tells her with a cruel tone.

“Den, I swear to god, I’m gunna kick your fucking arse!” Ruk shouts at him, soon followed by
the four of them shouting at each other.

I run the rest of the way down the corridor, needing to be away from all
the noise and from Den’s loathing. I can take what Richard and his Coven have planned for me, but Den, he promised he would always be here for me, a lot has changed.

Sitting alone at the private bar, I take a gulp from my third glass of wine, trying to chill out, when the door creeks open and Richard walks in. Oh shit! My day is deteriorating.

“What are yo
u doing here?”

“What do you think?” I say, tipping my glass to him.

He walks around the bar and pours himself a large brandy, knocks it back in one, and slams the glass down on the bar. Surprisingly, I don’t flinch, or bat an eyelid; I have grown accustomed to his anger.

“What did you do to me?” He asks, talking barley above a whisper.

“Nothing,” I say coolly.

“Tell me the truth, or so help me I will...”

“What! Beat me; make my life a living hell? I don’t give a shit Richard.”

“Yes
, you do! I want to know what happened last night when you kissed me. TELL ME NOW!” He shouts in my face.

“I KISSED YOU! YOU MADE ME KISS YOU, SO I DID!” I scream back at him standing to my feet. I want him to hurt me; I need to numb the pain that Den is causing in my heart.

He doesn’t disappoint, slapping me hard across the cheek, knocking me to the floor. Grabbing my hair, he pulls me up to face him again.

“TELL ME!”

“FUCK. YOU!” I hiss at him, and hit him across the face so hard that every bone in my hand feels as though it shatters.

Again, he hits me across the face and I fall to the floor. He is trying to break me, he knows that something isn’t right, and it scares him, but as badly as he beats me, I will not tell him a word, or show him fear.

“One last chance, tell me what you did?” He says coolly, but in his eyes, I see the rage breaking through.

“FUCK YOU!” I tell him again through gritted blood covered teeth.

With a wave of his hand, I fly across the room, hitting every glass bottle lined up against the wall, and fall to the floor with a painful thud, as my blood pools around me.

Just then, Dallah appears, she takes a look at me, then picks me up from the floor and holds me tightly against her, whilst she faces Richard with murder in her eyes.

“You will regret this Richard. She has done nothing to you; you are but a vile monster!” She growls at him, just before she transports me back to her room, laying me gently on the bed.

I close my eyes tightly from the pain of the bed moulding against my open wounds.

“Ruk! Parrise!” Dallah screams
until they come running.

“Little one,” Parrise asks gently while Ruk’s howl shakes the room.

“Listen to me, any one of you goes after him and I swear on my life, I will never forgive you! We are too close now!” I tell them strongly.

“How can you do that to us, would you let someone get away with it if it were one of us?” Ruk asks.

“If it were your wish, yes.” I lie to them, but I make it appear to be the truth as they search my eyes.

The doors bursts open, then Angus’s lovely face is before me barley an inch away.

“What’s happened sweet?”

“That’s what I want to know?” Eric asks as he walks into the room from the balcony.

“Who are you?” Dallah, Parrise, and Angus ask at the same time.

“I’m here for Zara. I am Eric,
that is all you need to know. Zara, I will heal you, then I have to leave child?”

I nod my head to him, as I place my hand over his, where he lays it on my face.

“I’m sorry you’re going through this. It will all work out soon, but you need to trust these men and your sister to do right by you. Protector, where were you when this happened?” He asks Ruk, not in angry tone, but with sympathy as if he knows that Ruk will be feeling guilty.

“Here, I’m sorry Zara; if I had known you were going...I looked but couldn’t find you.” He tells me full of regret.

“Stop Ruk! I didn’t want any of you to find me, I needed to be alone. This happened because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut,” I tell him, whilst fighting the pain that spreads over my entire body, making the pain excruciating.

“Please just heal her!” Dallah shouts at Eric in desperation.

He takes Ruk’s hands and lays one on my face and the other on my stomach, while under scrutiny by all.

“Heal her, take the pain away from her, heal the cuts,” He tells Ruk, as he removes his hands and watches Ruk.

Ruk looks at me, then back to his hands as his eyes close and warmth seeps through my skin, and then comes the pain.

“Aaaahhhhhhhh” I scream as my body jerks up right.

It feels like time has just been rewound, and I have gone through the pain of every piece of glass cutting into my skin again.

Then, as
quickly as it comes, it‘s gone and my body feels revived.

Sitting up I throw myself in
to Ruk’s arms and hug him as tightly as I possibly can. That must have so hard for him, to have carried on healing me, but he did it, without even understanding.

“Thank you Ruk,” I whisper to him, before I release him.

Dallah practically jumps on me crying, while Parrise and Angus join us on the bed.

“Well done Ruk. Zara, stay away from the Dark Prince, you scare him, which should scare you. Watch out for the one in red, she is different now child.”
Eric says and just like that, he is gone, leaving us all with questions.

“How do you feel love?” Parrise asks as he picks me up to sit in his lap.

“Good. I’m sorry that I worried you guys, I won’t go off alone again, I promise. This will all be over in a week, let’s just keep on track.” I tell them while locking eyes with each of them in turn, but not before climbing off a disheartened Parrise. I want Parrise to think as me as strong, just like I feel inside.

“Goddess Zara, I was so worried when I saw you in that way. I
can’t wait to see the life drain from his worthless body,” Dallah tells us full anger.

“Ruk, you’re getting extremely powerful, you need to watch yourself around here,” Parrise tells him, because he generally cares for him, which makes me smile.

“Yeah I know. I need you to show me how to control this fire shit that keeps flying out of my hands?” He asks Dallah.

“I'll help you Ruk,” She tells him as she walks to him and puts an arm around his waist to comfort him.

“So now we wait until the night of the bonding to kill him, while he can take you anytime and do this?” Angus asks annoyed, while pointing at the blood-covered sheets and my ruined dress.

“Angus,
we need to just hang it out, I will stay away from him, but you can’t get angry and go off to find him in revenge, he is a powerful warlock he would kill you before you even got close. We are almost there, I have the book. All I need to do now is learn the words.” I say as I take his hand in mine while pushing my feelings onto him, knowing he will accept it.

“Ah sweet, you are too stubborn for your own good,” He says as he leans and kisses my forehead.

“Where’s Den?” I ask Dallah, as they were all together when I left.

“He went off to find Sallack.
Don’t listen to what he says Zara, he doesn’t mean those things, he is just worried for you, he is scared.” She tells me in a serious tone. Everyone looks at me with a frown as I laugh aloud, thinking I have lost it.

“Den isn’t scared! I know when he is scared, and he definitely isn’t. He is angry, no
, he is fucking pissed! However, I can’t run after him, begging him to listen to the truth. If he wants to believe that I am a different person now, then I will let him, it is true, but not in the way he decides to believe. He has turned his back on me after I spent my life with him, loving him, being his best friend! What do I get in return? Spiteful words and disgusted looks!” I tell them angrily.

I don’t care about Richard or what he did to me, I’m glad he hurt me, because it numbed the pain that Den left me with.

“Zara!” Angus and Dallah both scold me, as they are feeling my emotions.

“He will come round beautiful, give him time?” Ruk tells me gently.

“I get that you all want me to believe you, but I don’t. Stop feeling sorry for me! I knew Richard was going to hurt me and I let him, I need to feel something other than my heartache, you don’t know what it is like to be ‘The Charmer’, it fucking sucks. Is this is my life now coming across these Blackened hearts, trying to show them love to change them! How can I do that, how can I help someone like Richard?” I ask them, needing, and wanting answers that I know they cannot give me. My anger reaches boiling point and my eyes fill with tears, while I sit and curse myself for the outburst. I want them to believe I can handle this life, not show them my fears.

“Can you guys leave us?” Dallah asks Ruk, Angus
, and Parrise gently.

They all kiss our heads as they walk out of the room together. Dallah sits with me on the bed with her hand in mine.

“Where is this Eric, how do we get him here? We need answers.”

“I don’t know, he just comes and goes when he wants to,” I tell her in a sigh. All I want is for him to come to me and explain what he knows, I’m just left clueless.

“I think that Richard is more than a Blackened heart sweetie, there is nothing left of his soul, and I think that the ones you need to help are the ones much li
ke Parrise, Angus, Sallack, and The Brothers’. Before meeting you, befriending you, they were known over the world as monsters, they wouldn’t let anything stand in their way. Look at them now, they love us, treat us like family, and treat others with respect if they are deserving of it. Think of the good you have done, not the failure in Richard.”

“I know, it’s just that it gets on top of me, not the physical pain. Den, I want him to be the person he was only days ago. He has changed, and he is still changing, I can see him pushing me away, and I don’t think I can help him anymore. I promised I would always be there for him, and I want to, but if he doesn’t want me to, then what is left for us,”
I say as I look down at my hands, biting my lip hard to stop my emotions taking over.

“Zara, do not start using pain as a way to numb your emotions, it’s not right. Den is being a jackass, he knows that deep down, but he feels hurt, he is dealing with it the wrong way, just as you are. Now let’s get to sleep it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

“Why what’s going on tomorrow?”

“You, me
, and Ruk, are going to see what you can both do, and I will be the perfect teacher,” She tells me trying to smile but fails miserably.

“Ok,” I tell her without any enthusiasm.

“We will have our revenge sister.”

Chapter Ten

Standing in the kitchen with Dom and Julian, Richard walks in with a wide smile as he strolls up to us, soon followed by Ruk and Dallah.

“How are you, you look good?” He asks me while his eyes scan me from head to toe.

“I’m great thanks,” I tell him with a smile, while the
Brothers’ growl at his closeness, and Ruk’s arm laces over my shoulder protectively.

“Where is the Wolf that likes you so much?” He asks sarcastically while looking around the room for Den.

“What do you want Richard?” Dallah asks him, her face red with anger.

“I came to see my lovely
bride, of course,” He replies, while running the back of his fingers down her cheek.

Julian growls furiously as he struggles to keep his wolf from taking over.

“Oh, I see you have an admirer? Have fun with the dog while you can!” He tells her with a sneer before turning around and bumping into Den’s large frame.

“Here he is. You know I like you Den, you should think about
staying here with Dallah and me when the bonding is complete.”

“
Yeah, you should think about sucking my dick!” Den tells him, then smiles wickedly at him. Richards goes stiff with anger, and then he looks at Den with his eyebrows pulled together.

“What are you then, I have never come across a man that can withstand my power.” He asks tilting his head to the side.

“Whatever man. Julian, Mickey, you coming or what?” Den asks them in a bored tone, while keeping his gaze away from me.

“I asked you a question?” Richard shouts in Den’s face.

“And I told you... suck... my... dick!” Den shouts back in his face.

The
Brothers’ take a step forward, readying themselves for a fight, until Richard laughs a real belly laugh, shocking the shit out of us all.

“Oh
I do like you; I can’t remember the last time someone spoke to me in this way. Well, except for you,” He tells me with a curled lip.

“Yeah she’s got a mouth alright,” Den tells Richard with his brows raised, in agreement, to the man that has made my life hell. Again, Richard laughs as he puts his arm around Den’s shoulder, and surprisingly Den lets him do so.

“Come with me today, I’m going to enjoy your staying here,” He

tells Den as they walk out of the kitchen.

“What was that?” I ask the Brothers’ and Dallah.

“He’s up to something, take no notice,” Ruk tells me, while still watching them leave with a frown on his handsome face.

Den has become a man I do not
recognize; there is no softness in his eyes, just hate. The smiles have faded, as has the way he once looked at me with unconditional love. How he always had my back the way he had since childhood, and right up until the night he arrived here.

Wanting him is hard to forget, loving him is something I will never regret, but letting him go will be the hardest yet.

“Ok, Zara, go to our bedroom and then straight back,” Dallah tells me, wanting to see if I can manage transporting at a further distance.

“No, not alone,” Ruk tells us as he looks from left to right. Even though we are in a secluded part of the woods, miles away from the palace, Ruk is still on edge after what happened last night.

“I’ll take you then.” I tell him with an appreciative smile, while holding my hand out for him to take.

He lays his hand in mine gently with complete trust; he then nods his head telling me he is ready. I look at Dallah and laugh when she looks at her non-existent watch and rolls her eyes playfully.

“See you in a sec Princess,” I te
ll her, as I imagine Ruk and me standing on Dallah’s balcony, and this time without closing my eyes.

“
Shit, I did it, look Ruk!” I screech. I’m amazed that I have done it so quickly and with my eyes open, not to mention taking along a sexy Werewolf.

“
Yeah, you did,” He tells me with a wink, whilst wrapping his arms around me to take us both back to Dallah, which happens without too much thought.

“Impressive, Now try going home,” Dallah tells me with a smile.

“Uh, can we do something else instead? I want to see what Ruk’s fire balls look like coming out of his hands.” I tell them with a weak smile.

When I go
home, I want it to be forever, not just a quick stop.

“I’m sorry Zara, I wasn’t thinking straight,” Dallah
tells me with her voice laced with sympathy.

“Please don’t do that Dallah, not you, don’t feel sorry for me. Please can we just do this?” I tell her with a smile, and a nod of my head asking her to carry on.

“Right, Ruk I will fight with you. You throw fire at me, and I will throw spells at you,” Dallah tells him.

“Um, no!” He tells her, looking shocked.

“Come on, what you scared of?” She taunts.

“Hurting you!” He half shouts.

“Trust me, I won’t get hurt,” She tells him with a mischievous grin.

Suddenly Ruk is
flying above the trees, but it’s not him, its Dallah controlling him with a cheeky grin still in place.

“That’s fine Dallah, I’m not throwing fire at you,” He yells at her while 100
feet in the air, with his arms crossed over his chest as if he could not care less that a Witch is messing with him.

“He isn’t going to move Dallah,” I tell her with amusement. I shouldn’t find this funny, but, I really do.

“I know,” She says as she brings him back down to the ground.

“Ruk you have to practice! Let’s try hitting the trees, but you will have to practice on somebody that can move fast?” Dallah tells him in a worried tone.

“Yeah, I will Dallah, Parrise will be down soon,” He tells her with a wink, making her laugh and me roll my eyes.

We watch on in awe as Ruk hits the trees with his fireballs. I was shocked when I saw the first fireball hitting the tree; the tree was left with a gaping hole where the fire hit, and then set alight. So now, I’m thinking that Den was hit with two separate fireballs, but was only knocked off his feet! He should have been badly hurt, but he got up and brushed it off.

Ruk also showed us that he could levitate off the ground and move forward with amazing speed. While I showed them I could make things move with my mind alone, I’m not sure where this gift will come in useful, but I’m sure it will at some point.

When we headed off, I couldn’t help but look at rock as something different, amazing, almost godlike, I think Dallah did also, by the open mouth and the staring. There was me thinking that I couldn’t find him any more appealing, and he goes all god like on me.

Deciding to get something to eat before we head upstairs to get ready for the night, we make our way to the kitchen.

Tonight will be the start of the week’s celebrations, as tonight will mark day 7, counting down to the bonding ceremony.

Dallah has hardly spoken or smiled today, which breaks my heart, but I need to keep it together for the both of us.

As me, Dallah, and Ruk walk through the enormous kitchen, we see Den sitting talking to Richard in hushed voices. When they see
us, they both stop speaking and smirk at each other. What the fuck has got into Den, why is he making friends with the enemy?

“What are you doing Den?” Dallah asks annoyed.

“Alright babe, you had a good day?” He asks her sweetly.

“
Yeah, it was good. So what are you up to?” she asks full of suspicion.

“Just chatting. I’m off anyway
, see you guys later,”

Den gets up from his chair and kisses Dallah’s forehead and nods at Ruk, but me, he completely blanks. I don’t know why he wants to hurt me so badly, because right now he is breaking my heart.

“Den!” I shout and follow him out, he doesn’t stop, so I run up to him and grab his arm.

“What is your problem Den? Why are you treating me this way?” I ask with a frown.

He removes my hand from him, and looks me straight in the eye with mixed emotions.

“I don’t want to be a love sick puppy like the rest of them, you don’t need me
anymore, and I don’t want or need you either!” He shouts at me.

“Fine you want it that way you can have it that way, but I have always wanted and needed you, but never like this. You have changed from the Den I loved and adored,
you have changed into a bitter, nasty son of a bitch. I hope you look back at this one day and realize that!” I tell him angrily before I turn on my heel and return to the kitchen. Dallah and Ruk are the only two in here now, luckily, Richard decided to vacate.

“Sweetie...”

“No, please stop telling me the same shit! I don’t need wrapping up in a cotton - wool,” I tell her before I head back out of the kitchen and upstairs needing time to be alone. I feel bad for speaking harshly to Dallah when she was trying to help, but I don’t want sympathy from anyone.

“Whoa, where you are going so pissed off?” Sallack asks me as his hand comes out to take mine.

“Just up to get showered, I’ll see you later,” I tell him as I turn to walk away quickly, but Sallack being a fast little fucker, grabs my arm and pulls me to him.

“What he said now?” He asks, knowing that I had a run in with Den.

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter, and please don’t tell me he is having a hard time. He doesn’t know what a fucking hard time is!” I tell him getting angry.

“I wasn’t going too beautiful, he is being a prick, and he has been since we got here. Just keep your chin up. Ignore the looks, the snide comments, you’re stronger than that.”

“Thank you
,” I tell him sincerely.

That is
what I needed, someone to tell me how it is, not sugar coat it.

“You're welcome,” He tells me with the same stunning smile I fell in love with.

“Don’t look at me like that beautiful, not here,” He sighs.

“What?”

“The hurt in your eyes. You walk around with a smile on your face, but us that are close to you can see the pain, the loneliness you hold in your heart.”

“I don’
t want to show weakness Sallack,” I tell him through tearful eyes.

“I know, but we are here to take care of you, to love you, but we can see you pushing us away. Let us in, tell us what scares you?”

“I don’t want to push you away, I don’t mean to, I just want to be strong, and if that means I have to handle things alone, then I will. I can make it through any situation I’m put in and I want you to all see that.”

“You build these walls, but they will have to come down soon,” He tells me in a hypnotic tone, the wise Alpha
shines through as bold as ever.

“Strong walls
shake, never collapse.” I reply before I turn away from the hurt I see in his gold eyes.

I am now stronger in hiding my emotions, I haven’t cried or shown weakness to Richard or the Brothers’, but when I see Sallack, I find it so hard, he broke my heart, but I love him with all the little pieces.

Being a Charmer, which means only feeling
a strong attraction to these ‘Warriors’ is so hard, I see the Brothers’, Parrise, Angus, and now Theo as perfection, and our bodies call to each other. No matter how hard I try to fight against it, I can’t help but look at them all with want and desire. This is why Den is calling me a whore, but at least I don’t give in to my body’s desires, unlike him! Moreover, if he wants to be this way, then for the first time in my life, I won’t give a shit!

Walking into Dallah’s bedroom, I sit at her vanity table, as I capture my reflection in the mirror. I feel and look different, not in my face, or my body, but in my eyes, they cannot help but show the hurt, the anger within. It is true what they say; the eyes are the mirror to your soul.

Why am I doing this to myself, l
eaving the real me behind? The Brothers’ need me to show them love and tenderness, but I feel trapped. I am surrounded by people who love me, care for me, but I feel lonely, and that scares me.

I don’t care what this world thinks of me, but Richard, I want him to see me as strong, fearless. Forgetting about the consequences, I will take him down, just as he has tried to do to me.

Den has drained the last of my love, I feel stupid and pathetic for ever being in love with him. I want to forget him, but it’s hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember.

There is a knock at the door, breaking my train of thought.

             
“Who is it?”

             
“Dom.”

Jumping up from the chair, I rush to the door and pull it open.

              “Hey you,” I say to him with a smile.

             
“Zara? What's wrong?” He asks searching my eyes eagerly for the truth.