Bound by Moon & Blood (Book 1)

“Livana?” Caden slowly walked towards her.

Liv hadn’t looked away from King’s body from the moment he fell to the ground. Whines and growls started to fill the air as everyone realized that King was dead. A wolf walked towards them before he shifted into Ben. “We need to go.” As soon as he said that, the remaining Alphas howled and King’s pack joined them. They indeed needed to leave before they were pulled into another fight.

Caden walked towards her and slowly rested a hand against her cheek. “Liv?” Her gaze immediately snapped to his as she felt his touch. He immediately took in a sharp breath and froze as her power took a hold of him. “He is dead, Liv. King is dead.” Caden choked out before he couldn’t talk anymore. Slowly Caden saw the red of her irises pull back and the white around her pupil come back. The effect of her power on him bled away with it until he released a breath and relaxed. Liv finally came back to herself. The power and the wolf pulled back and the strength she had disappeared with it. She gave him a small smile before the paralyzes set back in and fell to the ground once more. Caden reacted quickly and caught her. She gave him a thankful look before she rested her head against his chest as he picked her up in bridal style. The effects of the mixture were already starting to wear off as she could now move her mouth, neck and eyes again. Exhaustion came over her as chaos started to unfold around them once more. The Alphas that were bound to King are released, but as some had willingly followed the Prime Alpha, others were forced. At this point she couldn’t tell who was fighting who. There was too much going on. All she knew was that things had just changed. It just had to be determined if it was for good or for bad.

Caden started moving with her in his arms. “Order both packs to meet at the place in the woods.” Caden said to Ben who gave him a small nod. He met her gaze before he turned and shifted into the wolf, she had seen helping Caden. He marched into the fray and disappeared.

“Should... w-we... help?” Liv chocked out as she looked over Caden’s shoulder as much as she could. Caden started jogging and she could tell that they were moving to the edge of the pack.

“There is nothing more you can do, Moonblood. Not now. The fight is not mainly about us right now. It’s between the Alphas forced and willing. They need to find their place in this world again and they need to find that out for themselves.” Liv looked back at Caden who was looking at her as well.

“You knew I supressed my wolf.” He gave her a single small nod. “I also know that you stopped your shift the day I pushed you too far and that your wolf abilities had been starting to fail.”

“Ben and Doc...”

“Knew as well.”

“The story about Lycaon killing the feral Moonblood. It was a warning, wasn’t it?” He gave her a small nod again. Liv gulped as she rested her head against his chest again as a stray tear rolled down her cheek. “I’ve been trying to be strong all my life; thinking that if I acted like it, others would believe it. Wolves and humans alike. But all this time I’ve been a naïve and ignorant girl who doesn’t know shit about anything. I really am the worst Moonblood.” The truth forced more tears to roll down her cheeks. Caden’s arms shifted a little so he was holding her more against him.

“You shifted today, Liv. Your wolf wouldn’t have retreated if it had gone feral. No other wolf or Moonblood can ever say that they succeeded in the same thing. For the wolf inside of you to still be linked to your human after eight years is remarkable and rare. You survived everything that would have killed any other. You are strong, just not in the way everyone expects you to be.”

“Then why do I not know who I am?” She asked as she looked back at him. Caden met her gaze as he clenched his jaw. “Because you weren’t allowed to know.”

“Then why do you know? Caden sighed as he looked ahead of him. She already knew that he wouldn’t tell her. She didn’t even really care right now. Her body and mind have taken a big hit and this was a conversation for later. She looked over Caden’s shoulder once more. The sounds and view of the fight is slowly becoming something in the distance as Caden kept moving them away from this place. The heaviness in the air slowly bled away as she realized what has happened and what was happening right now. She looked back at Caden’s face who was looking ahead.

He was actually taking her away.

They had helped each other to finally get the revenge they both wanted, and now he was helping her by taking her out of this cursed pack. She knew that he had told her not to trust him, but she had never been more thankful to the gods for putting someone like him in her life.

She recalled everything as she closed her eyes.

He’s really dead. King really is gone.

She wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t had a part in it. She was finally free from his tyranny; they all were. Soon everyone will know that King is dead and all those who he had wronged, tormented or hurt will have the relief of knowing that the monster is dead. More tears rolled down her cheeks as the weight that had rested on her chest was finally removed. Her parents and pack are finally avenged and for the first time since she was twelve, she was going to be able to rest and relax for the first time in her life. Liv could hardly believe it. Everything is really over.

She’s finally free.

§

“Liv?”

A hand on her shoulder shook her and Liv was pulled out of her sleep. A groan left her mouth as she moved her neck and rested her head against the tree she was sitting against. She wanted to move her arm to rub her eyes, but they were still non-responsive.

“Here.” Ben said as he held a water bottle against her lips and helped her drink some. “Thanks.” She said as she swallowed. He gave her a grave smile. Something was bothering him. Maybe it was the fact that his pack had lost some wolves due to the attack, but before she could even ask, he spoke first.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like most of my body is still paralyzed.” She said as she looked down at herself. Finding herself wearing a long t-shirt that covered her ass. A little horrified that she had no idea when they put it on her, she looked at Ben. He gave her a small smile. “You were passed out.”

“Okay?” He snorted at her. “Would you rather have stayed naked?”

“Good call.” She said a little embarrassed as she looked at herself again. Ben didn’t say anything else before he got up and walked away.

Liv looked around. She didn’t know where they were. All she knew was the fact that they had already put some great distance between them and King’s pack. She just didn’t know how much as she couldn’t recall anything from the moment Caden carried her out of the pack. It has been a long time since she slept that deeply, and it was kind of frightening. She didn’t even feel them setting her on the ground or putting on a shirt. In any other case she would have reprimanded herself, but she knew these wolves. If they had anything planned for her, she would have noticed by now, right?

Looking around, her eyes got stuck on a large partly decayed cabin. There was a hole in the roof, the wood was rotten and the windows were smashed in. Everything about this place gave her chills and she couldn’t help but feeling like someone was watching her from inside the building. The hairs on her body rose and the sense of danger came over her. Something was going on; something she didn’t know about.

“Back to the world of the conscious, I see.” Her head snapped to the voice, making her neck ache. Liv hissed as she felt something sharp in the side of her neck. Caden crouched down in front of her and moved his hands to her neck. Their eyes met as she heard something click, before he removed the thing that was making her neck ache. A small sound came from her as the pins left her neck. She had still been wearing the collar. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at it in Caden’s hands. “We didn’t want to remove it when you were sleeping.” He picked up one of her hands and turned the palm up, before placing the collar in her hand. She couldn’t look away from it as the memories of what King was going to do to her flooded her mind. She had been so terrified and disgusted that she even puked. More tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before she met Caden’s eyes once more. “Take it away.” Her voice cracked and she dropped her head again. “Please, take it away from me.” Closing her eyes again to fight the tears, she felt Caden take the collar from her hand. She didn’t know what he did with it, but she didn’t care. As long as that thing was far, far away from her.

“You’ll never wear a collar again, Liv.”

Liv looked up at his words. His eyes told her he meant what he said. A warm feeling filled her chest, almost forcing the tears out she had been fighting. “Thank you. For everything.” Caden’s jaw twitched as he briefly looked at the cabin, before meeting her eyes again.

“Don’t thank me. You may regret it soon.” Her eyes snapped to the house as well and she knew that her gut feeling was right. “What’s going on, Caden?” Her eyes met his again, but this time there was something cold and hard in them.

“Where are we?” He didn’t answer her. A shiver ran down her spine. The realization of what was happening hit her. This time one tear slipped out of her eye. No, no, no, no... This couldn’t be happening. She helped to kill King. They helped her escape! She was finally free!

This couldn’t be happening... They couldn’t do this to her!

Desperately hoping that this was all some cruel prank she refused to believe what her instincts were already telling her.

“Caden, what is going on?” As soon as she asked the question, the door of the cabin opened. Everyone grew quiet as a single pair of footsteps walked down the porch. She looked at the male walking towards her and a strange sense of familiarity hit her.

He stopped multiple paces from her as he placed his hands behind his back.

There was no sound. Nothing was said, he only looked at her with a strange small smirk on his lips. Her heartbeat sped up. This was it. This was why Caden had warned her not to trust him. He helped her escape one monster, only to be captured by another.

The male’s eyes turned emerald green. Liv closed her eyes as her lip trembled. She had never been free, and she was never going to be.

The sound of footsteps and chains filled her ears, making her open her eyes. Ben walked towards Caden with silver chains in his, slowly burning, hands. Regret was written on his face as he passed the chains to Caden. The tears she had been fighting broke free as she dropped her head against the tree behind her. This couldn’t be happening...

Caden crouched down in front of her, making her look back at him.

She was an idiot. He warned her for crying out loud. He warned her!

And yet here she was. Something hard and cold washed over her. He warned her, but at the same time, he helped her. In more ways than one. This had been his plan all along. He had always been after her. And she had allowed him to have a clear shot at her.

The chains touched the skin on her wrists, but she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t even hiss as the burn started. She was only filled with rage. Caden clicked the lock together, and turned to Ben who gave him a syringe. He turned back to her and met her gaze.

“I told you not to trust me.” The purple liquid told her immediately what it was and that it was going to knock her out. Caden moved closer and placed the syringe against her neck.

“I am going to kill you.” She snarled at him, her eyes never leaving his.

A small smirk ghosted over his lips. “I know.” It was all he said before pushing the needle in her neck and injected the aconite in her body. She flinched right before darkness took over.