Bound by Moon & Blood (Book 1)

After she made sure that she didn’t have a tail she walked unto the shore of the pitch-black lake. It was well past midnight which was fortunate as the wolves would have other things on their mind besides paying attention to her.

She knew she was right when she heard the first few moans of some wolves having a good time with their hand. Liv was still safe for now, but she needed to be aware the coming nights as their desire will grow with that of her own. Wolves are unpredictable and have no rational thoughts when the desire becomes too much. The last thing she needed was her willingly spreading her legs for any wolf here.

Liv walked to a cluster of rocks around a tree and crouched down.

“What do you want us to send to him?” Andrew asked as he grabbed a notepad and pen. Liv took it from him and sat down on the couch to write her message. She had to make it count.

’Finnegan,

You already know who I am. Lycaon has you looking for me after all. Sadly, King has beat you to it and has made me his personal blood bag.

I need your help. I want answers to why Lycaon wants me. You want me and the information you need to penetrate King’s defenses. Looks like we can help each other.

Kerra.’

She figured that they would also use her first name before her second, so there was no use to write it.

Liv ripped the paper from the pad and folded it four times, before she gave it to Andrew.

“Lycaon wants you?” Gerard asked from next to her. She got up from the couch and placed her hands in her pockets. “It would appear so.”

After Gerard and Andrew had agreed to send the message to Alpha Finnegan, she told them to bury the reply under the rocks near the tree close the lake. Since there was only one tree close to the lake so it was easy to remember. She removed some rocks and dug a little before she saw a piece of paper. She grabbed it and placed it in her bra before placing the sand and rocks back where they belonged.

Looking behind her she focused on all her senses. She was still alone.

Liv took out the paper of her bra and looked at it. She didn’t know if King had been smart enough to place cameras in her room, so it was probably safer to read the message now. Unfolding it she read the reply.

’Kerra,

It’s a surprise to even get any word from you. The Lycan advised me to not reply as it could be a trap from Ezekiel. Now, he may be right, but it also could actually be from you, and so, I made my decision to answer.

You are right I want you and I want to hurt King for once, but I cannot give you any answers through a written message. Us being not sure if the note truly came from you and all. I can only give you the answers you want face to face and to do that I need to get to you.

I’m sorry.

Finnegan.’

Liv sighed as she folded the paper again and moved to sit on her ass as she looked out over the lake.

He had a valid point, but it was against her instincts to be the first to deliver in a deal. It has come back to bite her in the ass more than once and that’s why she never wanted to make a deal with someone. Now she was stuck with the decision to go through with her plan or aboard it and figure out something else. Which was impossible to do as Finnegan was still her only lead. She didn’t know if she could trust him, but he has to be the better option between him and King. Exhaustion from the last couple of hours fell over her like a blanket. She needed sleep before she was going to decide to take a leap with Finnegan.

§

It was official.

She hated to be a shifter.

She hated to endure all those fucking urges. Especially when they are so annoying to come whenever they want, which was now. She willed the feeling in her abdomen away, not wanting to give into it.

There was a knock on her door. Liv groaned and turned on her stomach in bed, not wanting to be tormented even more.

“Just open the door, no one knocks.” She heard Rev’s voice through the door.

“Yeah, well not everyone is as much of a disrespecting asshole as the rest here.” Devon answered.

“Oh, so I’m a disrespecting asshole?”

“You surely can be sometimes.”

“You little...”

“You girls done bitching?! Some of us still want to sleep!” She yelled, making the males stop talking. Only now the door opened and both of them walked into the room. Liv groaned again as she moved the pillow away and placed it on her head to muffle the sounds. Which didn’t work thanks to the fact of her lovely wolf hearing.

Yeah, she really hated to be a shifter.

“Morning.” Devon said. Liv slowly turned and lifted her pillow from her head to give the human a death stare. “Is there a reason why you people must torment me already or not?” Devon chuckled a little. “There is, since I need your help and all.”

Liv moved to sit up and placed the pillow where it was before. “What do you need my help for?”

“You’ll see. Now get dressed and meet me downstairs.” Devon said with a wink before he walked to the door and left the room and Liv and Rev behind. Liv raised her eyebrows as she met the beta’s stare. “Do you know what that was about?” Rev sighed as he also moved to the door. “Just get ready.” Those were the only words he spoke before closing the door and leaving her alone. Sure, this wasn’t shady.

After getting out of bed she took a quick shower and dressed herself in some black pants, a blue long-sleeved blouse and her combat boots. She walked out of the room where Rev was waiting for her in the hall and they both walked down.

“Do I need to be worried?” Rev snorted and gave her a side-eyed glance. “You always have to be when you’re living here.” Right on point there.

They entered the living room of the packhouse and Devon immediately got up from the couch and walked towards them. “Come on.” He said as he led them out of the packhouse and started walking into the same direction she followed Rev in last night. Was he taking her to their pack?

“Where are we going, Devon?” Her voice betrayed that she was wary.

“You should already know.” She met Rev’s gaze. “Given the fact that you followed me last night.” How the fuck did they know? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she already knew the answer. “Fucking Brandon.” She mumbled as she looked ahead again. Rev chuckled a little. “If he hadn’t shown up, I actually think that we never would’ve known you were there.”

“You wouldn’t have known.” She stated, knowing very well that she had been able to get away with following him and eavesdropping if Brandon hadn’t shown up. She couldn’t hate the guy that much for it though, since she now had a reply to her message to Finnegan. One she still hasn’t figured out what to do with. She shook the thoughts out of her mind and focused on the present.

“Why bring me to your pack though?” She asked as she didn’t really get why she would be allowed to go there when Rev wanted to keep her away from it last night.

“As I said, I need your help. I have been needing your help for a while already, but they never wanted you close to the pack. Now that you have already been there, they figured that you would try to get close again so this way we are aware of it.” Devon explained as he looked at her over her shoulder.

“They? You decided this on your own, Dev.” Rev said. “And Cay is going to kill you if he finds out you brought her into the pack.” He added.

“She may be the only one who can help and you know that too.” Devon countered as he stopped walking and turned to meet the beta’s gaze. “If you didn’t you would have stopped me already.” Rev grinded his molars as he held Devon’s gaze and sighed through his nose.

“What do you need my help with?” Liv interjected before a fight was going to break out between the two. Devon met her gaze and nodded his head to keep walking.

It was a quiet walk to the pack, but once they got there the silence was broken by laughter and everyday life. As soon as she stepped into the pack a weight was lifted off her, but another she couldn’t quite place replaced it. It was like familiarity, yet also not. They kept on walking through this part of the village. Multiple wolves gave her a surprised look, while others ignored her and patted Rev on his shoulder. She was right about him being respected here. It ached her heart to see it as the memory of her father and beta being treated the same way, as Rev was right now, crawled to the surface from the bottomless pit, she had put them in.

Liv forced herself to look the other way and take a deep breath to not break down in front of them. She didn’t need the reminder that her pack and parents were gone and that they forever will be.

As her gaze slithered over the houses it got stuck on something that made her jaw drop. It was a woman. A pregnant woman who was laughing with another woman before looking her way and giving her a polite smile.

“You’re catching flies, girl.” Rev whispered in her ear, which made her snap out of her stupor. Her head swung towards him and she realized that both males were looking at her with an amused gaze as they stood still. “Not your average pack, huh?” Devon said with a smile, before he started walking again. Rev and Liv followed after she had cast one more gaze on the woman who were now back to talking to each other and ignoring her.

“How?” She had to ask as she met Rev’s gaze.

“Humans were here before we were. They are the creations of the King of Gods. They don’t deserve to be treated like dirt, but to be treated equally.” He answered. That explains the kids she saw as well. “That is a nice change of perspective for once.” She mumbled as she looked around the pack again and saw two more woman walk past them, giving her a polite smile as well.

“How does King react to this?” Rev snorted as he gave her a look. “Why do you think our pack is located on the furthest corner of his own?” A weird feeling came over her at his explanation. King hated humans sure, but does he truly hate them so much that he even allows a gained pack to live on the outskirts of his territory?

She wasn’t so sure about that.

They walked on in silence until they reached the largest house. The same one where Rev met Devon, Caden and the kids last night. They walked up the stairs and entered. Where were they taking her?

They walked up the stairs and turned into a small hallway. An iron scent filled her nose and she immediately recognized it for what it was.

Blood.

Devon opened the door to a room and the smell became even more potent. It was so strong that both Rev and Liv slapped a hand over their mouth and nose to block it out. But before she could ask what happened another scent filled her nose. One of rot. She walked into the room, Devon and Rev followed her, and saw a young Lycanthrope boy on a bed. His arms were completely covered in some kind of severe burn wounds that bled and the skin that was still visible on his arms had blackened and it started to spread to his torso, His lips were a faded color black as well, the skin that wasn’t blackened was incredibly pale and his face had sunken in.

“A while ago, before everything started with the Moonbloods, King decided it was time for another experiment.” Devon started talking, but she didn’t look at him. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the boy as her power started to hum inside of her like it recognized something in the boy.

“He demanded a pup from two packs and since there are only two packs that had pups, we were forced to give him Erik. We didn’t know what was going to happen to the pups. All we knew were the screams of pain we heard. First from Ilene...” Her head snapped to Devon. “Then from the two pups. He kept them in the room for three days until new screams of the two boys were heard and a roar of anger from King. He threw the pups out of the packhouse for us to gather, and ever since then the wounds and blackened skin you see have been spreading. He had poisoned them with something we don’t know. We went to Ilene for help, but she suddenly had no powers anymore, and soon the other Moonbloods started to follow.” The curse had started. “Caden had demanded King to tell him what he had done to the pups, but King never answered him. Leaving us powerless and waiting for the poison to kill Erik.” Liv looked back at the boy. That explains why her power feels something familiar. Whatever King did, he had used Ilene’s blood to make it happen.

“I don’t know if I can cure him.” She said as she already knew what Devon was going to ask her. Liv met his gaze. He gave her a solemn nod. “I know, but you may be the only option we have left.” That was something she also knew.

Liv walked towards the bed and moved to sit on her knees next to it. The hum of her power grew as soon as she got closer to him. She had to clench her jaw to not succumb to it. Slowly she laid a hand on his arm. The hum of her power became even stronger and kept building in a way she recognized.

“What is going on?” Caden’s voice filled her ears, before and excruciating pain laced through her arm, making her scream before she pulled her hand away and fell backwards on her ass.

“Livana!” Devon reached her immediately and held her in his arms as she tried to catch her breath.

“What the fuck happened?!” Caden yelled as he got into the room with Rev. “What is she doing here?!” He asked next. Rev met his gaze but didn’t answer.

Liv didn’t acknowledge anyone as she kept her eyes on the boy. She knew what King had done to him. At least what King had tried to do to him. A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Liv?” Devon’s voice slowly pulled her out of her shock. She met his worried gaze. “What happened to you?”

“King has lost his mind.” She whispered as she looked at the boy again. Devon met Caden’s gaze over her head, before Caden took a few steps closer. “What do you mean?”

Liv moved to stand up. Devon released her as she turned and walked away, running her hands through her hair as she tried to realize what this meant. What it would mean if King were to succeed.

“Liv?” She turned around on Devon’s. All three males were looking at her with tense expressions. “King tried to make a male Moonblood.” The color drained from Devon’s face as he looked at her. Caden and Rev got even more tense and glanced at each other.

“What do you mean?” Devon asked as he looked like he was going to puke.

“King always talked about how he was going to create a Moonblood no one had ever seen before. This was what he meant. He injected Erik with Ilene’s blood and more importantly her marrow. It is killing him from the inside out.” She said, feeling like she was going to puke herself. “What I felt, it was Ilene’s power that is trying to find its way back to where it belongs. As soon as I touched him, it tried to go into me.”

“Fucking hell...” Rev whispered.

Devon excused himself and ran out of the room, before the three of them heard him throw up.

“Go check on him.” Caden ordered Rev, who immediately left the room.

A phantom pain ran through her arm at the memory of the pain she just felt. She held her arm against her chest as she kept her eyes on the boy. She couldn’t believe that King had actually tried to make a male Moonblood. He had signed the death warrant of Erik and the other pup as soon as he put that needle in their body.

“Can you cure him?” She met Caden’s gaze.

“I don’t know.” She said in all honesty. Liv took a few steps closer as she looked down on Erik. He was so young. Barely eight years old by the looks of it. He didn’t deserve what King had done to him. “The only thing I can think of to help him is pull Ilene’s power out of him and into me, but I don’t know if that’ll be enough for him to pull through. He’s dying from both the power and the marrow and the latter is something no one can take out of him as it has already made the cells he needs to live.” She said as she met the Alpha’s eyes again. Caden nodded in understanding.

“What will happen to you if you take Ilene’s power in?”

“Best case scenario? I gain more power.” Caden gave her a calculating look. “What’s the worst case scenario?” He asked. Liv sighed as she looked at Erik. “Ilene’s power is tainted and poisonous and I will end up lying next to him.”