The Chronicles of Moon

Jake Woods

Moon and Emily are hugging as Ben bounces a fussy Rose. “I’m sorry we didn’t call you back. Things got a little crazy getting the last of the pack here.” Emily explains, looking at Moon, hoping she isn’t too upset.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m just glad you are here.” We have a lot to talk about.” Moon hadn’t realized until then just how much she had missed them.

“We do have a lot to talk about,” Ben interjects. “I think sooner rather than later would be for the best,” Ben adds, and Moon can read him like a book.

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you too, Benny.” Moon half glares at him.

“Why don’t we all go up to my office.” Colin appears next to Moon after he pulling himself together. He is still battling with Farrell, who thinks throwing Moon over his shoulder and running away with her is the only thing they should be thinking about.

Colin wonders how he ended up with the most impulsive and emotional wolf. He is trying to get Farrell to think reasonably, but the wolf isn’t having it. Colin finds he always has to be the voice of reason, and it’s tiring.

“Well, I need to change Rose and put her down for a nap. She screamed for most of the car ride.” Emily says, taking Rose from Ben. “We’ll catch up later, okay, Moon. Or is it Luna Now?” Emily gives Moon a sneaky grin. Moon just shakes her head a little.

“Okay, my office, and let’s see what we can figure out,” Colin says, placing his hand on the small of Moon’s back. He can’t help but want to touch her every chance he can, and getting all this figured out with her wolf sooner rather than later would be much better for him and Farrell.

“Oh, I talked to my dad, and he will be here in less than an hour. He is bringing my sister and her kids. I guess they are looking to stay awhile if that’s okay with you?” Ben says, looking at Colin hopefully. The corner of Colin’s mouth twitches as he suppresses a smile.

“No, that is better than at the end of the week. I’m happy to have them all here as long as they want.” Colin is trying not to sound so happy about it, but he is hopeful they will finally get somewhere in all this mess.

***

They sit in Colin’s office for a long time while Ben tells Moon everything he can remember, and Moon tries hard to put the pieces together. She has no memory of the things Ben tells her. She ends up walking around the room and fidgeting with her necklace as she thinks about it all.

Colin had heard most of it before and tries to see if there is any small detail he had missed earlier. He couldn’t find anything to go on either. By the time they finish talking, Chris linked Colin, letting him know that Jake Woods and his family had arrived. Colin tells Chris to show Jake to his office right now.

Moon is still walking around the room, and Colin isn’t sure what he can do when Jake opens the door and steps in. Moon turns to look at him, her face full of so many emotions.

“What did he do to me, Jake? Why did he do it?” Moon is holding back tears now, the hurt at everything she has learned finally seeping through. Jake does the same thing for Moon that he would do for his own daughter and rushes over to her hugging her tight. Colin stiffens in the chair he’s been sitting in, holding himself and Farrell back. He hates that this man is touching her. He already had to stop Farrell from losing it as well several times though the conversation with Ben.

I don’t like him. He did something to our mate. Make him stop holding her. She should be letting us comfort her when she is upset. Farrell is fuming, and Colin can feel the wolf pacing and snarling in his mind. It is doing nothing to help him keep his own temper in check. He grips the chair’s arms, trying to rain in his emotions and jealousy.

“I will tell you what I know, but I see Ben has already told you the little he can remember.” Jake casts a cold eye at Ben, clearly unhappy that Ben didn’t wait to tell her what he knew or thought he knew.

“Come on, Moon, let’s sit down and talk about all of this, okay.” Jake continues, and She wipes away her tears and nods slightly.

Jake takes the other armchair, and Moon walks by Colin, who can’t stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her into the oversized chair with him. His arms wrapped around her. “Mine.” He growls softly in her ear as he hugs her. She shudders a little, but Colin is beginning to calm down, taking in her scent; he relaxes just enough that she can sit up again. Tears keep brimming in her eyes, breaking Colin’s heart more than he ever thought anything could.

She brushes them away again, “I’m okay now.” Moon says, sweeping the loose hair from his forehead. Colin reluctantly lets her go completely, and she moves to a chair close to his.

“I am sorry, Moon. I will tell you Mark only had what was best for you in mind. He only wanted to protect you.” Jake continues when she sits down.

“What do you mean? Protect me from what?” Moon questions Jake.

“From yourself, Moon, or anyone that might just want to use you,” Jake says slowly, shooting a quick glance at Colin, who sits with his blank mask up again, completely unreadable.

Moon is taken back a moment, and so are Ben and Colin. “What do you mean herself?” Colin interrogates.

“Mark was not only worried about someone finding out what she is, but he was more worried about what she might do to others,” Jake replies, his hands clasped as he hangs his head a moment.

“She has more power than you know. Her wolf is stronger and faster than any other wolf. But the animal part of her was wild and relentless. When her wolf took over, it was nothing more than a wolf. There was no logic or humanness in it. It would hurt anyone that crossed it. Mark didn’t know why her wolf was so different from all the other wolves, but she was. Mark hoped that keeping her contained and giving Moon time to grow would help. He hoped that her mate could help calm the savageness of the wolf.” Jake glances at Colin for a moment when he looks back up to look at Moon.

She sits shocked, and Kiara feels the same way. I wasn’t like that, was I?

“That doesn’t make sense. Kiara isn’t like that at all.” Moon affirms. Concern and disbelief are all over her face as she furrows her brows.

“Are you sure?” Jake asks, “Mark never could learn the wolf’s name, but he worried about the power she had and that someone would take you just to have that power, and Mark knew that he had to keep you safe from yourself and anyone that would use you as a weapon.”