Their Silver Moon

Nathaniel Black

You can feel it coming, the urge to throw up, to vomit. I now regretted the food I’d eaten – if you can even call the grey mush food. Rolling from my back onto my side, the cool concrete floor was comforting, I wasn’t sure how, or when I’d been returned to the room where I was being kept. I felt like an animal, being prepared for slaughter, kept alive – but barely.

As if it were trying to deprive my lungs of air I coughed, the bile and grey food coming back up and I rolled onto my stomach, my arms shaking as I coughed and choaked, gasping for air. A sweet smell suddenly hit me and I looked up to see a pair of fine black shoes in front of me, “it’s okay,” she whispered, her voice nothing more than an echo in the room.

Her hand softly rubbed my back, trying to sooth me, but she was not the woman who I wanted. “Go away,” I growled, and I looked up at her. But I was taken back, by the woman who looked down at me, her orange-brown hair framed her face, but it was the same bright eyes and soft features rattled me. “Gina?” I choaked.

She shook her head lightly, “no, Kate,” she said, brushing the soft skin of her hand against my face, “drink,” she ordered, holding a bottle of water to my mouth and sat me up. Taking the bottle, was barely able to swallow a mouthful before I gagged again, heaving my guts onto the floor and the space between myself and Kate.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Alice Black

“Alice, Alice,” Patricia called out, and I blinked back to reality, her face was laced with concern as she looked into my eyes, scanning my face, “are you alright?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” I lied, straightening back up from the tree which I’d grabbed onto to support myself. As I pulled my hand away, bark and wood came with it and I realised how firmly I was gripping the thin tree, my fingers had carved away at the bark and wood, etching my handprint into its trunk.

Patricia looked at tree and then my hand and a wave of fear washed over her, “how strong are you, Alice?” she asked.

I looked at her, now rugged up with insulated snow gear to battle the mush and rain that had become our surroundings. The weather was still warm and the snow that fell at night, would turn into rain, making a vicious cycle of rain and snow, wet and cold – constant and soaking into each layer of clothes we rugged our selves in. “We are still a day from the boarder, we should keep moving,” I replied, trying to end the conversation.

“Alice,” Patricia said, her voice sounding somewhere between an order and begging. “How strong are you?” she repeated.

“I’ve never really tested it,” I replied, tacking through the wet snow and digging the toes of my shoes into it as I hoisted myself up the slope. Patricia followed in my tracks, and I could feel her gaze burning into my back, “you never saw me fighting in the rebellion the other year, did you?” I asked.

“No, I only heard you lived up to the expectations of the White Wolf, no one seemed to want to talk about it,” she replied.

I threw her a glance over my shoulder as I grabbed another branch and lifted myself up, passing her my hand she took it and I seamlessly hoisted her up, her feet lifting off the ground as I cleared her of the sharp rocks I’d clambered over. Her eyes grew wide and she grasped my hand now with both of hers, “dose that answer your question?” I asked, her eyes still wide as I planted her back down.

“No,” she objected, “I only have more now.”

“Like what?” I groaned, Patricia walking by my side as we continued through the rough terrain.

“Have you always know?”

“Know what?”

“You were so strong? I mean Jamie and Nate seem to dance around you and protect you form doing everything, but you just lifted me up like I was a loaf of bread, like I was a child.”

“It dosen’t come to mind straight away,” I shrugged.

“That you’re incredibly strong? Why?”

“The more I shift, the stronger it gets,” I shrugged.

“So, it’s to do with your wolf?”

“I guess.”

“Why do you not care about this more?”

“Because I’ve had other shit going on,” now starting to find her questions irritating.

“What is more important than finding out your epically gifted and strong?” she asked.

I let my fist collide with the rock to the side, and a loud crack filled the space between the rain that beat around us. Shards of rock, dirt and grass fell in the space between us, and it shifted within me, the power that I so desperately hide within me, the strength that I would forget I possessed.

Patricia swallowed and took a step back, dropping her gaze, “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“No, no,” I sneered, “tell me, tell me how going on an adventure of self-discovery is more important that being raped, running away from my mate who I alienated, tell me how kidnapped interfered with everything.”

Her lip quivered slightly as she kept her head down, “I’m sorry,” she said again.

“Tell me how my mate being kidnapped, tortured and on the verge of death, interferes with some cosmic plan fate has for me. Tell me, how the unplanned child I carry is a blessing. I never wanted any Pet, I never thought about marriage, about power, about children, until Nate came along. I was content with living that life.”

“I’m sorry, Al,” Patricia said, looking up, the fear laced within her.

“But fuck, I love your brother,” I sighed, “and I will do anything to get him back, I will bring the world to it’s knees if I have to.”