~
For weeks we had been mulling over the revelation I had received. The Elders had been notified of all the information we had obtained about it so far, but they weren't able to shed any light on it either. According to them, it didn't relate to any previous revelations that they were aware of so they had no idea, and here I thought The Elders were supposed to be all knowing and wise. Pffffft, what a load of shit if I've ever heard one.
Emily, Mum, Dad and I had all been working closely together to figure it out. A few sections seemed clear but others were just completely baffling. With all the time spent trying to decipher the hidden message I'd had virtually no time for the promiscuous lifestyle I had recently become accustomed too. Surprising though, it didn't really bother me. Emily had been teaching me some of the ways she uses to decipher revelations and I was so intrigued, I had thrown myself into the learning whole-heartedly.
My wolf was more relaxed around her now, no longer thinking she had come here to force her way into my life to become my mate. After a couple of tense weeks working together she had come to see me one afternoon in my room. Emily had sat me down and explained to me all about her mate and how he had died. At first she hadn't wanted to come here, to be forced into a mating with someone she didn't know, but her father had promised her that if she got to know me and still didn't like me, then he would stop the mating from proceeding. It was in this discussion that she revealed that, so far, she didn't like me one bit. A gutsy admission I had to admit, but it gave me a much needed wake-up call. No-one likes to be told there is nothing like-able about them, so in a split second decision I had asked her if we could start over and get to know each other properly, to which she hesitantly agreed.
That little talk had erased a lot of tension in the pack that I wasn't even aware of. All this took place three weeks ago and it had been smooth sailing since.
Movement on the cushion beside where I was sitting on the lounge broke me from my thoughts, 'girlie thoughts,' taunted my wolf. With a quick 'shut up' in response I looked to my left to see who was interrupting my unusual reminiscing time.
"Whatcha watchin'?" Emily asked while shoving half a cupcake into her mouth. She was real classy like that. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that she is comfortable enough around me to completely be herself. She has such a wacky side to her personality, there is almost never a dull moment with her around and I was quickly learning how great it was to have her as a friend.
"Why are you watching Dora the Explorer?" I had completely spaced out and forgotten to answer her question.
"I'm not. I'm watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She kicks arse and has great boobs."
"No, that finished half an hour ago. You're watching Dora. You space out waaaayy too much," she giggled.
"Shut up, what are you eating anyways? It looks disgusting." Best defence is offence, although when she opened her mouth as wide as she could to show me the mooshed up mess in there I really regretted asking.
"Such a lady," I gave her the most sarcastic face I could manage as she struggled to swallow the remnants of the cupcake.
"It was a coconut cupcake and it was dee-lish-us," she dragged out the delicious whilst licking the crumbs from her fingers.
"Oh gross Emily. How can you eat that? Coconut tastes like arse." I'd hoped she was eating something good so I could go get some but I really, really disliked coconut.
"And how do you know what ar-" Swiftly, I cut Emily off before she could finished her question.
"It was a figure of speech, gees you're such a smart arse sometimes." Whining really didn't suit me but I was feeling slightly upset at the let-down of my obtaining tasty cupcakes.
"You sound like such a whiny girl, you sad cause I'm so much more better at everything than you are?" Faking a pout my way, I watched as Emily's lips started to quiver from the laughter she was holding in. Deciding I needed some double chocolate choc-chip muffins I stood from my position beside her and made my way towards the kitchen.
"Did I make you angry Blaze?" Again, she pouted at me but this time added in batting her eyes at me.
"No. I'm going to make some double chocolate, choc-chip muffins seeing how someone only made shitty coconut cupcakes."
Emily quickly rose to follow me, "Ooohhhhh, I'm helping." It wasn't a question so I didn't answer her, instead just allowed her to follow me to the kitchen and started giving instructions.
"Flour," I called.
"Check," Emily sung out as she threw the unopened pack to me from the other side of the kitchen.
"Sugar."
"Check."
"Cocoa," We continued the pattern of throwing and catching the ingredients.
"Check."
"Choc-chips."
"Check."
"Eggs."
"Check," Emily threw two eggs at me. "Oh shit, wait," she screamed. It was too late.
We were so caught up in what we were doing neither of us stopped to think about throwing or catching the eggs. Of course reflexes forced me to catch one egg with a loud clap of my hands and watch as it exploded before me. Seconds later the way-would second egg smashed into my right cheek, also exploding on impact. It was as though I had just watched the whole thing happen in slow motion and I knew I was standing there probably looking like a complete buffoon, but I didn't know what to do. Two eggs had just emptied their insides all over me and I was now covered in eggshells, running yolk and sticky whites.
A high pitched, piercingly evil laughter started echoing off the walls, snapping me from my bamboozlement and forcing me to focus on the cause of such a diabolical sound.
Emily was leaning against the open fridge door, clutching her stomach with one arm while she was trapped in her hysterics. I could see the tears leaking from her eyes as she laughed so hard she was crying.
"I...and then you...and...boom...everywhere." Damn girl was laughing that hard she could barely speak, throw in the over dramatic and illegible hand and arm gestures she was making and she was the perfect poster girl of why you should never drink or do drugs.
Letting out a small chuckle of my own, I stealthily made my way over to her. She didn't even realise her plight until it was too late. She was caught between the fridge, the fridge door and me, prowling towards her.
Success, I wrapped my arms around her head and started wiping my egg covered cheek all over her face as she squealed and begged me to stop. We were both cackling like crazies by now, muffins forgotten as we both were glossed in egg gizzards.
Emily grabbed hold of my sticky face and held me still as she looked into my eyes, pleading me to stop sharing my eggy mess with her. Before I knew what I was doing, I planted my lips firmly on hers, hesitating slightly, waiting for her reaction. When she gently bit my bottom lip it was like a demon had been awoken inside of me. With an aggressive passion that arose from somewhere deep inside, I kissed her, thoroughly enjoying the way her warm, soft mouth felt on mine. Emily's hands were wrapped in the hair at the nape of my neck, tugging the tuft in her fingers which really drove me wild. Cupping her thighs in my hands, I lifted her petite frame and nudged her legs until they wrapped around my waist. Breaking for air, I kissed slowly down her neck before nipping on her earlobe.
"Blaze, stop." Emily panted out my name which made me hotter for her, but then the second word she had spoken registered, making me stop what I was doing and immediately put her down.
"I don't want to be one of your play toys," she whispered before stepping away from me in a half turn to leave the kitchen.
Without hesitating this time, I grabbed the belt loop on her jeans, physically demanding she turn back to face me. With a soft kiss on her forehead I mumbled, "Then don't be." She was looking anywhere but at my face as I spoke which irritated me to no end. "Look at me Emily.” Rather than command her like I wanted to, I asked her tenderly. Emily's eyes snapped to mine in surprise as I grinned down at her.
"Don't be a play thing. Emily, please will you come out on a date with me. Right now, or late
r if you want, but I want to take you out as soon as I can. Please?" Holy shit, did I just beg a girl for a date? I swore after Roxy I would never chase another girl.
'I pushed you to ask, you know?' My wolf thought to me as we both anxiously awaited Emily's answer.
'But what about Roxy, huh, Emily will get hurt when she comes back for us.' I threw that at my wolf feeling smug that I was right but slightly disheartened that I would hurt Emily.
'You know what? Fuck Roxy, Emily is so much better," he replied, spitting venom in his words when he spoke about Roxy.
"Ok Blaze, how bout we go get cleaned up and then we can go out somewhere, but I'm telling you now. You try to treat me the same way you do those other girls then it will be the last date you have with your favourite appendage attached to your body." Worried, I clutched said appendage, she giggled at my reaction before pointing at me with a serious look on her face and stating in a clear voice, "I mean business, you screw up and chop." She made a karate chop action as she spoke, which of course, compelled me to clutch my junk a little more protectively.
As though she hadn't just threatened my man hood, Emily skipped out of the kitchen and towards the bathroom, leaving me standing like a deer caught in headlight, holding onto my 'buddy'.
"What the fuck happened in here?" Dad's voice shook me from my trance like state and I followed his line of vision to the eggy mess surrounding me.
"I don't even want to know," Dad shook his head before muttering. "Clean it up now," and he left the room.
Damn, Emily left me to clean up the mess on my own and I could already feel the egg starting to set on my face. I'll get her back for leaving me with this mess. Mark my words.
Roxy
"Put me down. This is cheating and you know it." Baydon, the sore loser, had picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder just as I was about to intercept the pass he made. I swear that boy cannot throw a football to save his life.
"Oh! So this is cheating, but distracting me with your sexy, hourglass physique isn't?" Baydon's eyebrow was cocked up in an arrogant kind of way.
"It's not my fault you are so easily distracted. Maybe you need to control yourself a little more?" Granted, I had been using my naturally gifted body to gain a certain advantage, but really it wasn't my fault his attention is so easily drawn to me.
"What do you mean, control myself a little more?" He flicked his fingers in the air, making quotation marks, as he repeated what I had just said.
By now we had both forgotten about the heated, pack football game we had just been participating in, and seemed to be subconsciously moving away from the makeshift football ground and closer to the thick trees that surrounded us.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. If you didn't lust after all of this," at this point I ran my hands up and down my torso seductively, "so much then I wouldn't be able to distract you so easily."
Baydon's eyes were glued to my hands that I was still running over my hips; his eyes had taken on a hungry look as he followed the movements I was making. Boys, I rolled my eyes before continuing on.
"And then the ninja penguins declared war and that's how I ended up pole dancing for money to feed my children." The first illogical thing I could think of was what I spurted out, and still he seemed to have no idea that I had continued talking. After waiting a few more moments, watching him licking his lips as though planning to devour me, I gave up and started clicking my fingers in front of his face.
"Baydon, you in there? Did you hear what I said?" That snapped him out of it quickly as he slowly dragged his eyes to look me in the face.
"Sorry what? I must have zoned out for a minute there." Baydon looked genuinely confused, his eyes still glazed over with lust as his hands slowly reached out to grab my hips and pull me in close. All I could do was laugh at him, and laugh I did.
"Stop laughing, what's so funny?" He was getting angry again, which in turn fuelled my anger and gave it cause to rise to the surface again.
"I'm laughing at how easily you are manipulated!" I pulled away from his hold, even though it made my body feel cold without him around me. I'm sure my eyes were burning with the same anger and passion that his held. The relationship between us had become pretty tense lately to say the least. Refusing to give him an answer about mating me had caused a wedge to drive in between us and although we could still laugh and have fun together it was quite obvious that we were both walking on eggshells, trying not to piss the other one off. Not to mention that I had decided to put a stop to most of our making out in fear that it would lead to something more. I didn't want Baydon to lose control and attempt to mate me the same way Blaze had done. To say hormones and tensions were at an all-time high would be an understatement.
"Easily manipulated? What about you? A few negative words from me to some fellow pack members about you being Luna had you rejecting your mate and running away with me. Talk about easily manipulated, you fell right in with me and after only days you declared yourself mine, even though you knew what I had said about you. Granted, I never expected Blaze to act the way he did, which just made everything easier for me. But now you are with me, which is where you are meant to be anyway. You. Are. Mine." Whoa, I had never seen Baydon so angry, his eyes kept moving around in rapid motions as he threw his hands around in crazy gestures while slowly advancing on me.
As his words sunk in, I realised what he had said was true. I was easily manipulated by him, and as crazy as it sounds, I had only just realised it. They say the truth hurts but it felt like my mind and my heart wanted to break at his harsh words. I could feel tears springing into my eyes, and from the sudden change in Baydon's facial expression I could tell he saw them too. Refusing to let him have the last word I stood my ground, crossed my arms and puffed out my chest, looking him straight in his guilt stricken eyes, I stated in a firm voice, " Well if that's the way you see it then I guess I should just go back to him and be Luna, huh? But you need to remember I have never and will never belong to anyone."
The look of hurt and shock on his face almost made me want to stay, but the white hot anger flowing through me forced me to change into my wolf and I ran off into the forest. Not once glancing back as I heard Baydon's scared voice calling out to me.
Baydon
"Roxy, please I didn't mean it. Please don't go." My pleas fell on deaf ears as I watched her furry tail slide between some bushes and disappear from my sight. I desperately wanted to chase after her, but I knew we both needed time to cool off, I just hoped she would come back to me, and not return to Blaze. He didn't deserve her, the way he had gone all caveman on her was a sign that she wasn't the right one for him. Even though he was, and I still consider him to be, my closest friend, there was a driving force that pushed me to be with Roxy. To keep her safe, watch over, and, most importantly, love her.
Falling to my knees in the dirt, I had no idea how long I had been standing there watching the trees for any glimpse of her return. The rest of the pack members were calling out to me, so with forced energy I stood again and turned to head back towards them.
"Please, bring her back to me and I promise I'll love her the way she deserves," I whispered into the weak breeze blowing past me as I walked.
"Oi, Baydon. There you are. Is Roxy with you? We are heading into the house for dinner and didn't think you guys would want to miss out." Axle, one of the guys from the pack called out to me as the rest of the members who had been outside, headed indoors to eat.
"Yeah man, she just went for a run. I'm sure she will be back soon. I'll grab something later; I'm just gunna go hang out in my room for a while." Company was the last thing I needed, I just wanted to be alone and wait for Roxy to come back.
"Did you guys fight again?" I nodded in answer to his question. Axle just sighed and shook his head at me before responding.
"You know, the sooner you guys get it on the better. You are both so wound up and frustrated that you are taking it out on each other, everyone has noticed. Take her out for dinner,
moonlight walk and all that crap then BAMN, get it out of your system so that you stop fighting." He made it seem so easy and yet I knew it wasn't like that at all. I understood her reasons for wanting to slow it down and I respected that, but I guess Axle has a point. Just because my mind understands doesn't mean my body does, and right now, it is hornier than a heard of rhinoceri.
"Maybe you're right Axe, I'll see if I can have a talk with her later. For now, I'm still heading up to my room. I'll catch you later."
"Later man." Axle headed inside with the others while I stood on the back veranda for a few more minutes hoping that Roxy would show up. With no sign of her I went inside and headed up to my room, well our room as I shared it most of the time with Rox.
'Why did you say all that? She is never going to come back to us now.' My wolf was howling in pain, he was just as much in love with Roxy and her wolf as I was. I really don't know why I said those hurtful words, I just opened my mouth and they came pouring out. I had barely realised what I had said until I finished speaking, and now she was gone.
The truth was I had no idea why I had started those rumours about her being Luna to our pack mates. I truly believed she would make an excellent Luna. She had all the qualities that were required of a Luna, and then some. It was like this insatiable drive I had internally to ensure she didn't mate with Blaze. I can't explain it, I just knew, deep down, she was the one really meant for me. Even though there hadn't been that instant mate connection, the feeling had grown until it almost consumed my every thought. The fact that I had been around her at the most vulnerable time of my life, and that she had helped me through it without even knowing the cause, was the beginning of the end for me. I had to have her. I had to make her mine.
If she comes back I'll treat her like the princess she is, we will do whatever she wants no questions asked. I will protect her with my life and never lay an unwanted hand on her body. Anything and everything I could do to make her happy, I would. 'You sound like a sappy love chick,' my wolf commented before going back to his painful howling. Funny he makes that comment when that's exactly what he sounds like.
Throwing myself down on our bed I buried my head into her pillows, inhaling her sweet scent. And that was where I stayed until I heard the commotion downstairs and someone screaming my name.
Bolting down the stairs to the front door I could see Sampson holding a limp body close to his chest as Doctor Evelyn scurried around him checking the body for a pulse, I'm assuming that's what she was doing anyway. The group of people surrounding them parted as they heard me coming and I had to hold back the sadness that overwhelmed me at the sight of my raven haired beauty, her face and arm coated in fresh and dried blood. Her eyes closed and her body unmoving.
"Take her to my rooms now Sampson. Baydon you better come as well, she has a pulse but it's weak. I need to see where all this blood is coming from. Come on people lets go now." Doctor Evelyn's voice took on such a demanding tone I almost skipped a little in my haste to follow her down the hall.
Please let her be ok, those can't be the last words she hears from me. She has to know how much I love her. Please Goddess, just let her be ok.