The Chronicles of Moon

Orders

The two had drifted off to sleep just to be awoken by the sound of cars pulling into the driveway, making both of them jump. Colin sucks in the air sharply through his teeth as he sits up. Moon pulls the shirt back on and looks cautiously out the window at the four black SUVs pulling in.

She’s tense, and Colin joins her at the window. He still can’t shift and that makes him feel vulnerable. The pair are holding their breath when Chris is the first out of the vehicle they both exhale and relax. More people exit the cars, and about six people shift and take off around the area, one of them being Jess.

Moon’s heart drops when she sees Ben. They must have seen the wreck and stopped to look it over. Ben’s face is a storm of emotions as he and Chris move to the packhouse.

“Looks like the calvary arrived,” Colin remarks dryly but also relieved to see them. He’s relieved to see them but hates that he still doesn’t know who the rest of the traders in his pack could be. He’s just hoping they didn’t have another amongst them.

“I have to tell Ben,” Moon whispers, her shoulders sinking. She still hasn’t told Colin what happened.

“What did happen?” He asks gently.

“I killed him. I killed all of the men in the car. Well, Kiara did, but it was me as well.” Moon looks thoughtfully out the window. She never thought she could end a life like that, let alone three of them.

Colin puts his arms around her holding her close. He has the blanket wrapped around his waist as Chris calls out to them. Another thing the silver is suppressing is his ability to link anyone.

“Yeah, Chris, we are up here.” He calls back, refusing to let Moon go just yet. She buries her face into his chest and uninjured shoulder.

“Are we interrupting?” Chris is smirking and trying to hide his unease with the situation. “Funny way to get some alone time.”

“You are less than amusing, Chris,” Colin growls back.

“Just trying to lighten the mood a little.” He shrugs. Ben looks like he is about to blow a gasket.

“Moon, what the hell happened? What happened to my father?” He demands, and Moon flinches.

“We will talk about it downstairs. Chris, I hope you brought some clothes for us. I also need your help. There is a piece of a silver bullet in my shoulder. I need you to get it out for me.” Colin is stone-faced as he looks at both the men, and they nod.

“I will have someone bring you something to wear, and we’ll meet you in the kitchen.” Chris is serious now.

Once Colin has some clothes, he hands a shirt to Moon and a pair of leggings. Thank the goddess, several of his best warriors are women, so there are things for her to put on that doesn’t reek of another man. Colin even gave her one of his shirts, and she looks at him funny for a moment before changing. As much as Colin might like Ben, he definitely doesn’t want Moon to smell like him.

They meet Chris, Ben, and Jess in the kitchen a few minutes later, and Moon feels like she might be sick.

We did what we had to do. Kiara assures her.

I know that, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it or make it any easier to tell Ben his dad was a traitor and tried to trade me off. Moon snips back.

“I need to know what happened and why my father is dead. Please, tell me what happened.” Ben sighs. He sits at the table with elbows propped on it, his head in his hands.

“It was an ambush. Caleb knew that we would be here. Jake was the one that told him.” Colin states the facts, his face still unreadable as he studies Ben for any sign that he might have been in on it.

“NO! he wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t do that.” Ben yells, shaking with anger as his hands slam on the sturdy wooden table, and he shoots to his feet, knocking the chair back with a crash.

“He did, Ben. I’m sorry, but he had been wanting to find a way to give me to Maddox for years. I don’t know what stopped him after gramps died unless gramps ordered him not to do anything. I don’t know what gramps did, but it’s the only reason I wasn’t handed over sooner. I think gramps ordered him to never tell anyone directly what I am. I don’t think Jake could just come out and say what I was to anyone that didn’t know. When Caleb and Maddox learned what I am, then he wasn’t the one telling them, and he could give them all the information they needed. I’m sorry, Ben.”

“Mark ordered us to protect you. Not do this.” Ben’s shoulders sag as he hangs his head.

“I think he figured that he was protecting me. He seemed to think Colin was the one I needed protection from, not Caleb.” Moon slowly adds the pieces together.

“I just can’t believe he would do that. Mom felt it. She felt him die. My sister is with her, and we got people together as soon as we could to get here. We couldn’t get ahold of anyone, and when Mom.” Ben doesn’t finish what he was going to say but pulls the chair back upright and sits.

“Please, believe me, I didn’t know. None of us did.” Ben is looking right at Moon now, and she believes him. She nods and runs to him, hugging him.

“I’m sorry, Benny. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Moon squeezes the man she has always seen as a brother, and he hugs her back as Colin stiffens, clenching his jaw. He is not as trusting as Moon, and he will not be taken by surprise again.

“Come on, Colin, let’s get the silver out of your shoulder,” Chris says, grabbing the field bag full of first aid supplies.

Colin begrudgingly sits in the chair, and Moon looks shocked. “What? We are doing that now?”

“Yep, need to get the rest of it out before it moves or poisons him even more than it already has.” Chris is rather nonchalant about the whole thing. “Trust me, it’s better to do it now that way Farrell can heal properly without being poisoned and suppressed like he is now. Also, nice love bite.” He smirks at her making her blush, and Colin growl. “Oh, I’m just teasing. Maybe you will get some of her sense of humor and be tolerable.”

Colin growls a bit more, and Moon smiles. “Well, I don’t know about getting my sense of humor, but he will get something interesting. When is the next supermoon exactly?”