Their Silver Moon

Alice Black

His scent lingered around me, clinging to my clothes and the walls, hanging on my skin and remaining on my lips. I wasn’t quite sure when I’d become so dependent on him, I wasn’t sure when I’d stopped being fine alone, but now that I was alone again, the silence felt empty. He’d farewelled me on the porch, he’d kissed me softly, his lips lingering on my own as he said goodbye, and then he stepped into the car, vanishing into the evening and I instantly missed him. But I was fine.

Yet the walls of this house felt so big, the rooms now too empty and the space too clean. There was no need for a large kitchen or several bathrooms, a dozen bedrooms, when there was just one. But as much as it haunted me to eat my dinner alone, I thought what it must have been like for Nate before I came along.

I suddenly wondered if he ate with his parents and his sisters for each meal, or perhaps he’d dined in the pack house down the hill. I wondered if he bothered to turn the lights on in the house, or if he’d just go straight to bed at the end of a long day, I wondered if he’d traced the pictures that lined the walls and thought about where he would place his own.

Nearly every person who looked at me from behind the glass, every person, born into the family had the same sparkling green eyes and hair dark as night, every family photo – was like ‘spot the outcast’.

Now the newest addition to the wall, the newest addition what a large frame in his office, placed directly across from his desk – was a picture of us. We’d just said our vows, and he scooped my face in his hands as he kissed me softly and the picture was taken as we pulled apart, our eyes had met and a laugh, a smile, was born between us and I looked lovingly at the photo.

This was what I wanted.

To be here, with him.

To always be here to welcome him home.

* * * * * * * * * * *

My mind went numb, and my ears rang as the sound of the ocean seemed to overpower every other sound, all of my senses seemed to freeze and for the first time in years I felt frozen, I felt human, I felt like my wolf was gone.

His icy blue eyes seemed to burn as an unstable insanity sparkled behind the smile that was etched onto his face. The light danced over his skin as he passed each row of books in the library, walking straight towards me, his eyes fixed on me like I was a prize to be one.

“You look well, Alice,” he said as we entered my office and I feel a chill run down my spine at the sound of his voice.

I couldn’t speak, when I wanted to scream, I couldn’t move, when I wanted to run. I couldn’t tear my eyes off the scars of his skin where he’d been pulled apart.

“I have a gift for you, a wedding gift, if you would,” he chuckled and a man walked into the room, holding a black box, neatly wrapped with a comically large ribbon tied around it, neatly perched on top.

The thud it made as it was placed on my desk made my stomach churn and I felt like throwing up.

“Why don’t you open it dear, then I’ll tell you the good news.”

I couldn’t stop my hand from moving, tugging at the ribbon, the box fell open and rolling on a silver plater was the head of my mate. His face was stern, his eyes glazed over and not the sparkling green that I remembered. His skin grey and cold, not the burning sun kissed tan I knew too well. His hair wet with blood that stained his neck and where his shoulders should have been.

Hassan’s voice echoed as a toxic cackle filled the room, echoing off the glass walls and filling my lungs. I felt like I was drowning. “Isn’t it wonderful?” he mused, “Now I can have you as my second chance mate!” he proclaimed, rising from the chair he’d sat in and stalking towards me.

“You can be my queen! I will father your children and we will have the strongest of blood lines, together we will-” His hand nearly touched my arm, when I shot up.

My body shook and I was covered in a cold sweat that chilled me to the bone, and I looked around the dark room, the blankets tossed to the floor and a slight divot on Nate’s side of the bed reminded me that he wasn’t here. But I didn’t need the reminder of his absence, because he’d usually pull me into his arms, his soft voice calming me and comforting me in his sleepy state.

I had never seen so much of that nightmare, but I’d never slept alone since it started, I hadn’t really been alone, since I was taken. I’d never felt so alone as I rocked back and forth on our empty bed, looking around the dark room. The white curtains glowed in the moon light, casting shadows across the room as they fluttered in the semi-open doors that lead to the balcony.

I’d never seen Nate’s severed head and I suddenly realised, I wasn’t sure I could live without him.