Moon Child

She woke with a start, sitting up and gasping for air as her hands moved to her throat. Another nightmare. They were getting worse with time, which caused her heart to weaken slightly. If she went on like this she may lose control all together.

“You ok?”

She jumped at the sound of his voice, her gaze moving to a figure leaning against the wall beside a wooden door that would lead to a bathroom she had found joy in the night before. He had slipped into dark blue jeans, the rest of him bare and gorgeous beyond belief. Despite her worries he hadn’t hurt her, not yet.

The night before, when she had tried to run, he had caught up to her and escorted her back to his house. She worried that he might take the chance to claim her, but he didn’t. He was gentle, lying her in the extra bedroom and covering her with a thick comforter before leaning down to kiss her forehead as if he had done this a million times before. She tried to stay awake, worried she might wake to him on top of her, but her fears were unfounded and she couldn’t fight the exhaustion that had seeped into her bones.

Now, sitting on a soft bed and looking over to him, she felt something open inside her. It was painful, but it was real. He had allowed her to stay under his roof, safe and comfortable within a large bed and wrapped in a warm blanket, and he hadn’t forced himself on her. He had allowed her a night of sleep, though the nightmares wore her down tremendously. Every night they seemed to get worse, and now they had turned into horrific night terrors. She was just glad she hadn’t slept walk like she did so often.

“I’m ok.”

He didn’t buy it, but allowed her to lie to him nonetheless. She needed time to open up, he understood that. Still, he had to do something to keep her here. Clearly the amenities weren’t enough to root her down. He sensed her fear when he was around, like she was waiting for him to hurt her. He would never lay a hand on her in such a vicious manner, but it was clear that someone from her past had done her harm.

“Shower, clothes are in the dresser, then come outside. I want you to meet someone.”

She frowned, but nodded and watched him turn to leave. When he got to the door he looked back over his shoulder at her. He didn’t want to scare her, but he knew this would be the only way to keep her close enough to protect her.

“Don’t try to run again. Trust me when I say it’s safe here and I can hunt you down in the blink of an eye if I need to.”

She nodded hesitantly, waiting until he left to get out of the bed and move toward the bathroom. She wanted to run, but there was no point. He was waiting right outside her door and even if she managed to sneak by she had no idea where to go. She was wondering aimlessly through life, but it seemed fate had other plans for her.

He stood outside her bedroom door, listening closely as she got up and walked into the bathroom. After a moment of silence she turned the shower on, but he still listened in just in case she decided to run again. When he heard the water hitting her flesh and hair he calmed slightly, but then he was tense all over when a soft moan reached his ears. Was that her? The boner in his pants was threatening to bust free from the zipper as he clenched his hands into fists and pulled his hearing back.

He wanted so badly to go in there and claim her as his, but if he did it now she would only resent him. He didn’t know her past, but he could see a darkness within her eyes that made him want to protect her even more. Her story would be a messy one, that much was obvious.

When Dawn left the house she wore jean shorts and a tank top, no bra and no panties. There had been panties in the dresser, and though she had tried them on she just couldn’t make herself wear them. After a few years of not caring about being commando she had a hard time forcing herself back into the restraints of lace and silk. Her feet remained bare, but that wasn’t a new development. Her whole life she had hated the idea of separating her feet from the ground, preferring bare toes over shoes any day.

When she stepped onto the soft grass she couldn’t help but close her eyes, breathing in deep as a soft breeze played with her auburn curls. The land smelled amazing, pure and rough all at once. Morning dew on long blades of green grass, dirt that held the seeds of what might grow next. Fresh air that promised clear skies and a sun that reassured of such. It was a serene scene, but nothing lasts forever.

Another scent caressed her skin and she was forced to open her eyes to greet endless cobalt irises. Kane; tall, dark, handsome, and hard all over. He was gorgeous and scary all at once. One wrong move and she might anger him and then what? He could easily snap her neck in two, although she wasn’t sure if that could kill her since hanging hadn’t done the trick.

“Good morning.”

Her soft whisper brightened his eyes and had a smile tugging up one corner of his lips. She had the urge to touch her fingertips to her own lips but stopped herself, reveling in the memory of his kisses mentally instead. She was weak, she knew that. She didn’t want to be a part of some clan, using their females like nothing but sex dolls and nannies, but the way he demanded her sexual attention had her mind wavering. It was despicable.

“Meet Hazel.”

Her gaze slid from him to a woman equally as tan. She was a few inches shorter than him, still taller than Dawn, and had caramel colored hair that was cut off at her shoulders. It fell into her slim face as she smiled and held out a hand in gentle greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Dawn took her hand cautiously, gaze moving down her form as she noticed a slight bulge toward her middle. It clawed at a dark memory, something she tried and failed to stamp out like a raging fire. She had to control her thoughts, but it wasn’t working. Being dragged here, sleeping in a real bed and being able to shower, having an alpha be gentle with her? It was all too much at once. She just needed to breathe.

“My name is Dawn.”

The woman nodded, smiling as she looked over the newcomer. She was a sweet little thing, her aura soft and gentle. She looked nervous, cautious in her movements and soft with her words, but there was a power in her that remained buried within a broken soul. Though she had worried over meeting her brother’s new girl, this one was a nice surprise. Nothing like the others he brought home.

“Hazel is my sister, she will be showing you around.”

Dawn frowned, looking from Kane to Hazel and back again. Showing her around? What was he talking about? Why was he prolonging the inevitable? Was this a part of his plan? Perhaps he wanted her to think she was safe, only to pounce on her when she least expected it. Did he get off on such things?

“Ok.”

Her voice remained soft, his still deep and rough.

“I have matters to attend to, but I will be around if you need me.”

She nodded, her lips remaining sealed as he turned to leave. She felt the sudden urge to grab onto him like a sledgehammer to her guts. It knocked the air out of her when he threw a genuine smile and wave over his shoulder. Why was he being so sweet? Her nerves were practically fried as she tried to center herself once more.

She didn’t want a tour of his land, or to meet the people within it. She wanted to run, to escape and never look back. Her future could depend on one small decision. She needed to calm down, think things through, but her mind was going wild and it was too late to save herself now. Surprise smashed into her when a slender hand slipped into hers, squeezing gently.

“Come, I don’t bite.”

The woman, Hazel, was clearly a bold one. Dawn remained silent, allowing the woman to drag her along as they began the tour of what might be her new prison. She didn’t want to stay, but what could she do? Running would only bring her more trouble and get her butt dragged right back to the start. She needed time to think, to plan.

“This is Marcus and Julie, they share this home with their two youngsters.”

A man nodded in their direction, his stance held back and almost uptight as he looked over the new woman in town. He looked to be in his mid-forties, though changelings age slower than humans so she couldn’t say for sure. His brown hair and eyes reminded her of the chocolate bars her brother use to sneak out of the fridge at night when he thought everyone was asleep. It was a bittersweet memory, but it made the fog in her mind clear slightly.

The woman standing beside him smiled, waving as she held a baby on her hip and a small boy ran around her legs like a tornado. Her hair fell to her waist in straight black strands. Her tan skin looked naturally dark, eyes the color of storm clouds shimmering with joy. She looked happy, but it had to be a facade. She was being used for sex and reproduction, and who knows what else. They were putting up a front, playing out some kind of sick show for her sake just so they could rip the rug out from under her. Right?

“This is Magdelynn.”

An older woman, in her late fifties to early sixties, approached them. She looked more stern, but Dawn could tell by the wrinkles near her eyes that she had smiled more than frowned in her lifetime.

“Well, aren’t you just a young little thing. That boy treatin’ you right? I always tell him to speak softer, he scares the kids sometimes just by talkin’. Course he was raised good, so I suspect he’s been a kind man to you. Let me know if you need anything sweetie, my door is always open and if I’m not here you can find me in the gardens.”

She was speaking a mile a minute, causing Dawn’s anxiety to rise as she subconsciously tightened her hold on Hazel’s hand. The old woman hitched a thumb over her shoulder, drawing Dawn’s attention to a large community garden full of fruits and vegetables. The woman beside her smiled down at Magdelynn, her voice gentle as she tried to keep the situation calm and upbeat.

“Thank you, I know your hospitality means the world to her.”

The woman smiled then, nodding and turning to head toward the family of four she had been introduced to first. When she was far enough away Hazel rubbed her thumb over the back of Dawn’s hand.

“Take a breath darling, no one is here to hurt you.”

She tried to take a breath, but her heart continued to race forward as they went down the line of houses. There were new couples with small children, older couples with half grown kids, widows, and houses with two to three single changelings residing within it as roommates. It was a diverse community, but they stuck together without a doubt.

Even as a newcomer she was treated as an equal, handled as a friend, and looked at as family. It made her chest heavy with emotion as each of them introduced themselves and either shook her hand or hugged her. Hell, one little old man gave her a kiss on the cheek before patting her free hand and reassuring her that everything was going to be alright.

She was confused, but what she did know was simple. They were all born into the curse, never knowing a different life. She couldn’t relate to them, not on a spiritual level. They had all come to terms with themselves early on, finding happiness where she found pain. How could she ever feel at home here? How could they ever understand her worries and fears? She had to run, sooner rather than later.

Before she knew it they were at the last house on the right, Hazel’s hand leading her up to the front door with ease as if she were a puppy on a leash. She opened the door, dragging Dawn along with her as they moved out of the sun and into a small living space that was almost identical to Kane’s. The difference was the warmth of it all. Every wall held pictures of Hazel’s family. Kane’s home had felt safe, but not lived in.