The cursed Moon.

Moon covered her eyes and inhaled the air as she began counting.

“One, two, three.”Her voice echoed through the meadow as the children spread out into the tall grass searching for a place to hide.

"Four, five, six.” Moon continued counting loudly, hearing their stifled laughter, they were not as quiet as they thought.

Moon had been working with the orphans since she was sixteen, it was an age at which everyone in the village was expected to fill a duty for their community. An orphan herself, she felt a connection with them, an understanding that only the children and her sister could comprehend. Growing up without parents was like a flower growing in shade, never feeling the loving embrace of the sun.

There was only Mena, her sister, to hold her as she cried through the night. Only Mena to protect her from the taunting of the other children, from the isolation, hushed whispers and stares of the other villagers. Only Mena that didn't see her for what they did, the cursed child.

Working with the orphaned children would have always been her first and only choice. There were plenty of jobs to do in the village, however, due to the others opinions of her, their thoughts that touched her mind, this suited her best. The children were more light, their minds pure, innocent.

Moon had always been more sensitive to the emotions and thoughts of those around her compared to most, part of her curse she had guessed. It certainly wasn't a blessing to know the people around you considered you a freak, to feel the revolution they felt towards you.

”Seven, eight.” She felt their excitement peak as she got closer to ten, it brought a smile to her face.

“Nine, ten, ready or not, here I come!” She bellowed, as she began slowly slinking through the meadow grass.

Moon had always loved the meadow, the open air, the way the flowers bent to the breeze but never broke. She felt a connection to this place, and she bought the children here any opportunity she got.

Freedom wasn't something any human really got to experience, unless you were a hunter, of course. Hunters like Mena had the ability to travel the lands far and wide. Out here in the wildflowers was as close to free as Moon had ever felt.

“I found you!” she laughed as she scooped up as many of the hiding children as possible in her arms at once. They scattered and ran in all directions, trying to escape being caught.

Moon sighed, a sigh of contentment, then looked to the horizon. She could see by the way the sun was settling into the far-off mountains it was time for them to go home.

“Come, children, we must make our way back to the village. We wouldn't want to be locked out of the gates once dark comes, would we?” Her voice was gentle but stern.

The children all groaned, and she shared in their reluctance. The thought of being closed in behind the walls night after night was a displeasing one. Although the fear of what lurked outside the gates when the moon made its ascent, well, that trumped the feeling of being trapped tenfold.

Once they reached the village the children flooded inside. Moon, on the other hand, wavered slightly, a thought crossing her mind. “What if I just run, see where the wind takes me, have an adventure of my own?”

It was ridiculous, of course, she knew she would not survive the night, not if the shifters were close.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud bang of the gates snapping closed behind her. They would remain that way until dawn, no one would come, no one would go. It was, as she knew, to keep them safe.Only once had shifters passed the gates, the day her parents died.

As she trudged back to her dwelling she tried to remember her father and mother, their faces, their laughter. She had been so young when they were lost to her, they had been gone so long. Moon had wondered if they had been here, now, would her life be much different? Would the village still treat her as if she didn't belong?

She reached her small hut on the outskirts of the village just as the air turned cold. It wasn't much, but she had made it her own.

There was a small bed, an old set of draws that held all the clothing she owned, a makeshift bookshelf with some books Mena had collected for her on her travels, and a small wash area. Again, not much but hers.

Moon missed her sister terribly whenever she was away. Not only were the villagers less than kind without her there, but it made her loneliness run even deeper.

Mena was only a child when she picked up a bow. At first the men refused to train her, or train with her. It was unheard of, female hunters. When it became apparent that Mena would hunt with or without them, the men reluctantly allowed her to join their ranks. Her sister was a force of nature, deadly, her bloodlust born from vengeance.

Moon would usually be in the dining hall with her now, but she had gone with Luke, the village leader, and her fiancé. He had meetings in another village all week. Mena had taken the opportunity to hunt along the way, to see the mountains.

Moon could not face the others alone. Without the protection of her sister, she would be at their mercy. It was something she had learned the hard way. She thought about her sister more, it seemed where Moon had been cursed, Mena had been blessed.

Mena was beautiful, fierce, confident, and adored. She was everything a woman should strive to be, and as Moon studied her reflection she couldn't help but compare herself to her older sister.

Moon's hair was long, it fell in dark waves of brown, and although it wasn't black like most shifters, it wasn't fair like most humans either. It was one reason she was considered cursed.

The second was her eyes. The other villagers had eyes of blue, brown, some even hazel. Moons were green, emerald green, and while it was a spectacular color for a gemstone, it was again unnatural in her community.

She studied her olive skin, wishing it to be the creamy color of her sisters, of her fellow villagers. Her complexion, was another thing that was uniquely her own.

As Moon tied her hair neatly onto her head, she eyed the real reason they whispered, the real reason they shunned her, the mark. It rested just behind her left ear, a crescent moon in shape.

The mark was something only one who had been touched by the moon goddess herself should bare, the moon goddess that created the shifters.

Moon decided that although she may not look human, she didn't look like the shifters that her sister had so vividly described either.

They were said to be breathtaking, entrancing, in their human forms at least. With hair as black as night and eyes that shone with shades of purple, the definition of gods among men. Their looks were inviting for a reason, they were predators. Having the ability to change at will into giant wolves, fast and powerful, most frightening of all, hungry.

She laid down in her bed and pulled the covers over her head, snuggling down into a ball. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard a howl in the distance. An involuntary shiver ran down the path of her spine, and she knew sleep would not come easy tonight.

••••••••

The sun blared into Moons tiny window, she lifted her hand, shielding her eyes from the glare. Begrudgingly, she got up from her bed with a large stretch and began her morning routine.

Moon then buried herself in a book, when she was startled by a loud tap on her door.

“Miss Moon.” A small middle-aged woman spoke as soon as she opened it.

“Miss Mena has arrived home, she has requested your presence at the quarter's.”

Although the woman spoke pleasantly enough, Moon could feel the uneasiness that she felt roll off her. She could see the tremble in her hands, hear it in her voice. No one made eye contact with Moon, not ever. Perhaps Moon should be hardened to it by now, but she could never help but hurt a little knowing it was her who caused people to feel this way.

“Thank you. I shall wash and change, then I will be there as swiftly as possible.” Moon replied politely.

Once back inside her hut alone, she dug through her draws looking for something suitable to wear. An invitation inside the main quarters was a privilege, the best and brightest of the village resided there, including her sister.

Moon knew she would be expected to be presentable. Not that it mattered, it wouldn't change how they felt towards her.

She settled on a white flowing gown, Mena had bought home for her on one of her many outings. It was a birthday gift, and she reserved it specially for occasions like this.

Moon untied her hair and let it fall over her mark, resting round her waist. She then washed her face and brushed her teeth before briefly glancing in the mirror. She decided she would never like what was reflected back, even if it couldn't be helped. Moon then slipped her feet into some flats and made her way to the main quarters.

The building itself was settled in the very heart of the village. Whenever she stepped inside its towering walls she lost herself in wonderment.

Large white marble pillars held the expansive quarters up, sleek glossy floors spread out in every direction. The ceiling was high and painted with arts of man's war against the beasts.

Moon was studying a part of the painting that held a hooded man, bow in hand, filling a wolf with arrows. A smaller female shifter screaming out, her face looked innocent, too innocent to be part of the choas that surrounded her. Moon felt saddened for the girl in the painting, shifter or not she could see her grief, almost feel it as her own.

“Miss Moon, Miss Mena is right this way.” Moon looked to the servant as she gestured for Moon to follow.

Moon was led through wide hallways, until they came to the dining room. There, at the table was the lady of the house, maps were sprawled all over its surface, Mena studied them closely. Her blonde hair, that shone like a thousand suns, was sprawled down her back. Her blue eyes pulled tight together in concentration, she was the epitome of loveliness.

The servant cleared her throat, then silently bowed to Mena. Mena met Moon's eyes and her own lit up. A feeling of warmth wrapped around Moon, this was the only person who felt that warmth towards her, and it had been too long in the cold.

“Moon I have missed you!” She exclaimed as she slipped her hand into Moons.

“And I have missed you Mena.” She replied, giving her sister's hand a squeeze.

Moon studied her hand that was now intertwined with her sisters, the milky complexion meeting her own darker skin. A constant reminder that if Moon was the night, then Mena was the day.

“Come, sit.” Mena said as she dragged Moon by the hand, and to a seat at the table.

“I have so much to tell, the mountain village is beautiful. There is a waterfall that cascades down from the mountains, and settles into a fresh spring inside the village walls. It was so lush and green, oh you would have loved it!”

Moon felt Mena's excitement as she spoke, the wonderment seeping over her, almost as if she had seen it herself.

“Maybe one day I shall see it.” Moon replied, although she knew it wasn't probable.

“You will, the villagers were so friendly. Although you do know how I feel about their leader, Max. He was kind enough to let us stay on, and even kinder to stay well away from me.” Mena's face scrunched in distaste when she spoke Max's name, and for good reason.

Moon had seen Max in the village occasionally. He was a walking tower of a man, impossibly big, and he knew it. He was scarily intimidating with his fire red hair, his steely blue eyes were void of any genuine emotion.

Max had come more than once to their village for balls, social gatherings. He stared at Moon too, but in a way that frightened her more than the others. He leered, he saw Moon as something uniquely beautiful, something to own.

The thoughts of what he wanted to do to her loud in her mind, she fought back the shivers as Mena continued talking.

Mena had just begun speaking about rogue shifters, and how much she despised them, when they were interrupted by Luke's presence.

Luke was a conventionally handsome man, his blonde hair styled neatly on his head, lean and athletic, his face soft and always smiling. He was always sure to be polite to Moon, but his thoughts told her that he felt the same as the other villages. In his mind Moon was a freak.

“Mena, are you boring poor Moon with your stories again.” He joked.

“Not at all, she loves them, don't you Moon?” She looked to Moon, who lightly nodded her head. Luke took a seat next to Mena, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Moon felt how much he adored her, but at the same time, even he found her intimidating. For some reason he was more nervous then ever.

“I am glad you are both here, we have some things to discuss.” Luke felt increasingly uneasy, something that was not lost on Moon.

“We have had word that Zions pack members have been testing the boundry lines, learning the lay of our terrioty. This is dangerous for us for many reasons, his pack will follow any orders he gives blindly. He loathes humans, more than most shifters. He is ruthless, and we cannot fight him alone. His pack is a large and well-trained one.”

Luke sounded calm, but his feelings gave him away. Moon could tell he was afraid, but not just of the Alpha.

“So…will Max help us? Will he send men? He has a large army.” Mena questioned.

“He has agreed, but it is conditional.” Luke stated.

“What is the condition? We need his men, we are closest to wolf territory.” Mena's curiosity spiked.

“Mena there is no easy way for me to say this, Moon is the condition. He wants to wed Moon, he believes the marriage would unite the villages. That was his one and only condition” Luke was internally wincing, waiting for Mena's response, there was also relief that Moon would no longer be his problem.

“Tell him no, we refuse, he cannot have her!” Mena's anger rose, the red of it appearing on her cheeks.

“Mena I cannot if I do that, if I refuse Max he may attack for the insult. We need his men, as much as I don't like it, we need him.” It had become clear then that Luke had decided, Moon would be going no matter what Mena thought.

“Moon is gentle, kind. She deserves to marry for love, not for war. That man is a brute, if he tries to take her I will kill him myself!” Mena was now full of rage, the intensity of it almost suffocating Moon. Reading Luke she knew there was no amount of anger that would change the outcome, it was already in motion.

“I will do it.” Moon cut in, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“You will do nothing of the sort!” Mena retorted.

“It's what's best for the village.”

Moon knew it too, the village too small to survive a full pack.

“Fuck the village, they don't give a shit about you Moon. I do, only me, and I cannot allow this. I have to protect you!” Although her words stung, they were true. The village never cared for Moon.

“You have to let me do this Mena, he will take me either way. Let me be brave for once, let me do this for you, for Luke, for the children. If marrying Max will keep you all safe, then I have to do it.” Moon was trying to reason with her sister. It was no use, Mena was as stubborn as she was lethal.

“I will have no part in this, and you Luke, I shall not forgive this!” Mena fought back tears as she stormed from the room.

Moon stayed and talked over the details with Luke. Max would arrive before dusk this very day. At dawn when the gates reopened, he would return to the mountain village, Moon at his side. Before the week ended, she would be his wife.

Moon left the quarters feeling heavy. Although the arrangement suited Luke, although it would bring much needed men to the village's aide, she knew, for her, it would be devastating.

Moon began packing the little items she had as soon as she reached her hut. She felt the rejoicing from the villages outside as she did, they were glad to be rid of her, it hurt her deeply. She had grown here, lived amoung them, but they would never consider her one of their own.

She had just finished packing her books when she felt Mena's presence.

“I will kill him, you know I would. Just say the word.” Nothing in Mena's tone suggested it was a joke.

“I cannot allow you to risk your life for mine. I have to do this Mena. I cannot be your burden to bare for the rest of your life.” Moon smiled lightly at her sister.

“You are never a burden, you're my sister. I love you, I never say it, but you know I do.” Mena no longer held back the tears, they fell freely from her face, and as she pulled Moon into her arms, Moon too wept with her.

“Please be careful Moon, there are perils outside these walls. One of which you will be your husband, Max is a very dangerous man.” Mena whispered into her ear.

“I have learned to have courage, from you.” Moon replied.

Their farewell was a very tearful one, as if it would be their last. Moon found solice in the fact that no matter what happened next, someone out there loved her, a love that was returned.

Moon felt overwhelmed after the morning's events, her mind ticked over non stop. She knew as a wife she would have wifely duties to uphold, and that thought sickened her.

Moon had always wanted to save herself for love, she had always been a romantic. She could never love Max, she would never give herself willingly to him. Regrettably she knew enough from his leering, and his repulsive thoughts, that he would take that from her.

The more she thought about her inevitable future, the more Moon felt panicked, trapped in her own mind. She needed air to breathe, she needed the meadow. So she left her small hut, and the village behind. She headed for the gates, for the salvation of freedom.