486We woke up to a beautiful day. Cecelia and I lounged in the sun, our bare feet submerged in the lukewarm depths of a kiddie pool. There was idle chitchat between us, the warmth of the sun's rays pulling me toward sleep, my mind somewhere far away. I hadn't mentioned my unusual night to my new friend. It had all happened so quickly, Jared and his beast illuminated in the moonlight. I felt as if I were remembering a dream. My fingers twitched at the thought of his metallic fur. I could still feel the gentle pricks as I ran my hand over his neck. There had been a power there, something I wasn't so used to feeling. I had power over him, over the strongest part of him. I saw it in his posture, in his kneeling at my feet. Despite the warm weather, my arms went up in chills with the memory.
"Have you ever seen Jordan… when he's turned?" Cecelia peaked at her over a pair of trendy oversized sunglasses. "No never." She smiled. "He doesn't ever stick around during that time. Full moon and they run off." She yawned, picking up a bottle of ridiculously strong sunscreen and applying it liberally across her cheeks and nose. It left white streaks across her face. "Why do you ask?"
I shrugged. I didn't want to share my experience, not yet. It seemed too personal. It didn't even seem real.
"The boys will be back in the morning," Cecelia stated after checking her phone. "Early for them." She mused, responding to the text. I closed my eyes. I wasn't sure I was ready to see Jared after he had lost control with Dustin. That had scared me more than I'd like to admit. He had gone somewhere I had never seen him go before.
On the other hand, I was also sure that my body craved his nearness more than I'd like to admit. I was anxious, my skin felt tight against my bones. I thought maybe this what addicts felt when needing a fix. My mind was darting from one place to another. I would go from hating him to wanting him within the same breath. I pictured his eyes, his hands, his mouth curving into a familiar grin. I needed something, but I wasn't sure what.
"You want to go to a movie or something tonight?" Cecilia agreed, excited to get out of the house as much as I was. I needed a distraction and in a small town, our choices were limited. We spent the remainder of the day grazing in the kitchen and watching a dozen or so episodes of some drama on our favorite video streaming service. I looked up movie times and we decided on a quick dinner out in town before the last showing.
"Pasta is never wrong!" Cecilia smiled like a madwoman over her plate of Alfredo. I laughed out loud, diving into my own dish. It was amazing how much someone so small could eat. "So… what was that earlier, about me ever seeing Jordan in his… ya know?" She spoke with a mouth full of penne. I made a face. Though I had tried not to, I couldn't help but replay the prior night on repeat in my mind. I didn't understand it. I loved it. Something in me had felt electric, picturing him all-powerful, bowing down to little old me had been a thrill.
"I didn't want to say anything cause this shit is blowing my mind right now." I looked around to make sure no one would hear the ridiculous things I was about to say. We were taking our meal out on the patio. It was loud and no one seemed to pay us any mind so I continued with my unbelievable conversation. "Jared came over last night," I whispered. Cecelia's eyes went wide, her fork dropped noisily against her glassware. She ignored the looks she got from the commotion and resumed her casual stance.
"You mean he came over as in HE came over?" I was glad she understood what I meant.
"Goodness." Cecilia shook her head, stuffing her mouth with a huge bite of cheesy pasta. "goodness." She repeated, swallowing. "I don't even know, Bailey. That has never happened to me. He came to your room?"
"No." I shook my head laughing softly. "I had gone out onto the porch and he was just there. He came up and I could see him. I mean I could see his eyes. I knew it was my Jared. It was also terrifying and exciting if I'm going to be honest." I sighed, biting my lip. "He bowed to me."
"Goodness." Cecelia sighed. "I honestly don't even know. No wonder you've been weird all day." I wasn't shocked that she could tell I'd been acting strange. I hadn't even tried to hide my daydreaming, too distracted throughout the day to even attempt to behave normally. I had felt like I'd been living in a fog and welcomed Cecelia's thrilled rambling throughout the day to pull me from own thoughts.
"I guess you'll just have to ask him tomorrow." She shrugged. "And then you'll have to tell me because this is some juicy stuff." She teased, picking up at least six noodles on her fork.
The movie was a comedy and did its job. Cecelia and I laughed out loud, our eyes watering from it. It was nearly 1130 when the movie let out and the usually busy strip mall was almost deserted. We giggled while reliving a moment from the movie while on the way to the car she had borrowed from her mom. I could smell the buttery scent of theater popcorn lingering in my hair.
I flopped down in my moms' old sedan. Cecilia fiddled with the old seatbelt. "It won't start." I had turned the key but nothing happened. I pushed the gas pedal, keeping it down while simultaneously turning the ignition. There was no noise, no dinging to signify the car was even wanting to come alive.
"My mom is religious about tune-ups." I hit the gas once more, one more turn of the key. Nothing.
"Maybe it's the battery." Cecelia shrugged, suggesting I pop the hood for a look.
"We can look but I know less than nothing." I laughed and pulled the lever. We moved around the front of the car. Cecelia was quicker than me, her sharp intake of breath pushing me to pick up the pace.
"What is it?" I felt my hackles rise when I saw what had caused the abrupt reaction. There was no battery at all, just an empty space it should've been. Someone had taken it and left us stranded.
"Get in the car, Cecilia," I ordered quietly, suddenly very alert, eyes darting for any sudden movements. We moved inside the vehicle, locking the doors and giving the empty parking lot panicked looks. I was bossy when I got scared. It came in handy at times. Something was very wrong. It could be nothing but it felt like more. It was too quiet. The shops were all closed, the lot lights were still on but I wasn't sure how long that would last. I pulled out my phone dialing 911 and explaining the situation quickly to dispatch.
"Ok yes. Yeah. Please hurry." I hung up. The cops would be there soon. They weren't that far from the station. Cecelia was shaking. I tried my best to calm her with casual body language but it wasn't doing much. It seemed she noticed the wrongness of the night just as I had.
"Jordan told me to be careful," Cecelia whispered. Her eyes were darting along the many empty spots. "He said that there were more of them around and that we needed to stay alert."
"We don't know what this even is." I shrugged, trying to remain calm. "It could be some stupid kids playing a prank. It's my fault for not locking my doors. I just didn't think it would matter. Moms car is so old I figured why bother? Not exactly screaming valuable." I joked.
"You think it could be just a joke?" Cecelia seemed hopeful. I nodded offering the most sincere smile I could muster.
"I'm just pissed I have to get another battery before mom gets back from her vacation," I smirked. I was panicked on the inside. We both jumped when my phone dinged. The bright blue light illuminated the inside of the darkened vehicle. It was text from an unknown number. We shared nervous glances. I unlocked my phone. There was no text, just a picture of my car, taken from far right of the vehicle.
We were being watched.
"Not a prank then?" I felt the air whoosh from my lungs. I racked my brain for an explanation. Maybe someone was messing with me, someone who knew exactly how to scare the crap out of me. The only person with enough anger would be Dustin but he was in the hospital fighting off a beating that my new boyfriend had given him, that he didn't know he had given him. No. It was definitely not a prank.
"Is that us right now?" Cecelia whispered, eyes glistening with fear. The poor girl had gone very pale. I looked over, eyes squinting into the trees that met the asphalt. I couldn't see anyone, but they could most definitely see us. I cleared my throat, thumbs moving against the keys. Who is this? I texted back.
"Where are the cops?" I hissed, phone shaking in my palms. I was getting angry, the fear I felt deep down was boiling in my stomach. There was nothing I could do. We were trapped. I thought of calling Jared but he was probably in wolf form somewhere without a phone. "Shit." I tried to calm down but my eyes kept flying to the darkness.
"I don't see anyone? Do you?" I mumbled. Cecelia shook her head, but she wasn't looking. Her vision had fallen to the floorboard, her breath came out in shaky puffs.
I didn't know what to do. I had already called the cops. Other than a terrifying picture taken from the depths of hell, nothing had happened. That was the worst of it. Waiting for something to happen. I started digging in the console, pulling out a thousand or so fast food napkins and car documents that had been hoarded in the limited storage. I grabbed a pocket knife that mom kept inside her glove box for opening random things. The blade was no more than three inches long.
"How did they get your number?" Cecelia was near tears, her voice quiet and careful. I shook my head, staring down at the picture. Another ding, another picture but from the back of them. I shook harder, cursing under my breath. I whipped my head around, peering behind us toward the darkened strip mall. No one.
Another ding.
Another picture. This one closer from the front of the car.
"Oh my god." Cecilia gasped, palm covering her quivering lips.
There was someone there.
Far away, a silhouette of a male, tall and darkened by the shadows, stood motionless staring. I watched as he watched us. He was too far away to pick up any distinguishing features. He wasn't moving, but there was something so threatening in his posture. I reached over and held Cecelia's hand, we shivered, quiet, silent. I wondered if we were supposed to pray. Who do we pray to? If the gods in Olympus were real, did that mean we needed to speak to them directly? I held my breath.
He was moving forward, slowly at first, then fast. The lights cut off enveloping the lot in complete darkness. Cecilia screamed, her hand tight against my own. I looked out into the darkness, clutching my new friends' fingers in one hand and my tiny blade in the other.
Blue lights illuminated the once dark parking spots.
Cecilia broke down in tears, folding in on herself, face wracked with relief against her knees. I let myself breathe. He was gone, it was as if he had disappeared in thin air.
"So you received the texts after you noticed the battery was missing?" A female officer was scribbling things down on a notepad. Cecilia had calmed enough to answer questions and stood off to the side of the woman in blue.
"Yeah and then he came out, right there." I pointed to the spot we had seen the terrifying figure.
"What was he wearing?"
"Dark clothes… hoodie maybe?" I glanced at Cecilia who suggested it might've been a raincoat.
"And you're sure you didn't see his face at all?" The officers piercing blue eyes bore holes into mine. I shook my head.
"He came running at the car but the lights went off before he got close enough." I watched her scribble more notes down. I wasn't sure what was different. She had asked us the story three times, nothing had changed.
"He had my number though" I interrupted, more so bothered by the personal attack than the random figure. "That's weird right?"
"We will look into it. For now, I'm going to send one of my men to bring you home and we will get your car towed in the morning."
That was that?
The lack of answers made me nervous. I wondered if the same mystery man would be waiting at the house when he arrived. I didn't voice my concerns to Cecelia, the poor girl was still pale from the earlier scare. I asked the officer to search my home. There was nothing, no signs of breaking and entering. The older officer left with a polite nod and a mention of driving by later in the evening.
"I texted Jordan." Cecilia was sitting on the couch. I was circling the house nervously, checking and rechecking the windows and doors. "He won't respond until the morning but maybe they'll hurry." The younger girl was wrapping herself in a blanket, covering herself from the neck down.
"It wasn't one of them, right?" I perched on the arm of my moms' favorite lounge chair. "It's a full moon. One of those… things, wouldn't be able to be in human form right now, right?"
"They shouldn't be able to." Cecilia sighed. "Jordan and Jared and special. They could technically stay in human form, but their mood swifts dramatically when the moon is full. It's a lot harder for them to control their anger, Jared especially."
I shook my head. None of it made sense. Was it really some prank? I could still see the aggressive stance of the man in the shadows, his feet set wide apart, his hands hanging at his sides. I wished I would've seen his face. Maybe it would've made more sense then. I was grateful for Shiva, who was most likely watching the house from somewhere in the shadows. I at least hoped she was.
"Do you think your ex could have anything to do with this?" Cecilia looked pensive.
"No, he's in the hospital," I explained. "Jared almost killed him so he's really out of commission right now."
"And no one else?" She was really trying. I shook my head. I didn't have any enemies. Apart from my breakup, I hadn't really had any sort of altercation with anyone over the years. I kept to myself. It was me and my boys. There had never been any issues before … whatever it was that Jared and I were getting into.
"You try to sleep," I suggested. Cecilia laughed out loud assuring me that she would in no way be able to. After a quick pajama change, we turned on a movie and she nodded off before the first plot twist. I muted the television a couple of times, straining my ears to hear beyond the front door. There was nothing unusual. I finally let sleep claim me somewhere around the witching hour.
I woke to a pounding on the front door. Cecilia screamed, jumping from her crumpled mess on the couch. It was daylight. The sun streamed in through the windows. Another loud bang. We both ran toward the front of the house. It was Jared and Jordan standing impatiently on the other side of the glass.
"Real fucking nice." I bit, my heart threatening to jump outside my chest.
"Jordan." Cecilia scolded him for his forceful entry. "You didn't have to beat the door down."
"You didn't answer the softer knock." Jared shrugged, dropping his dusty duffel bag on the entryway rug.
Cecilia fell into her mates' arms, her face easing up for the first time since our unpleasant experience with the shadow man. Jordan rubbed her back. I couldn't look at Jared, suddenly very aware of his eyes on me. I, instead, chose to invite them all into the kitchen for some cinnamon rolls and hopefully unspoiled milk.
"Let me see the messages." Jared held out his open palm. I dropped my half dead phone into it, making sure there was no skin to skin contact. I wasn't ready. My body thrummed with the nearness of his. I wasn't sure if he knew it or felt it as heavily as I did. If he did, he didn't show it. I turned and kept myself busy with breakfast. Jared walked away from me. I felt his presence move across the room. Jordan kept a hold on Cecilia who perched prettily on his lap.
"So you never saw who it was?" Jordan's voice was calm and commanding. Cecilia explained the details. She talked about the battery missing and the weird pictures and the strange man in the shadows running at the car.
"You should've called me," Jordan spoke softly to her. She shrugged it off.
"We were safe here." She smiled giddily at his closeness. "Bailey was really so level headed through the whole thing. I was the one freaking out. Thank god she was there." I could feel them all turn to look at me but I stayed moving. The oven beeped loudly as it preheated. I started wiping down counters.
"Thanks for taking care of Cecilia, Bails." Jordan smiled through his voice. I laughed it off, ensuring them over my shoulder that I was just in autopilot and there was no need for thanks. The group talked about the night in great detail, Cecilia giving as many answers as she could muster. The room filled with the delicious smells of pastries. I couldn't stay my distance much longer. I iced the rolls and took a deep breath.
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" Jordan asked me as I placed a steaming plate of deliciousness on the table in front of them. No, I didn't and I was sick of talking about it, to be honest. I shook my head, plopping down at the nearest chair.
"The dude wasn't a wolf. He didn't look abnormal in any way other than he was stalking us in the middle of a parking lot." I shrugged. "He was too far away to really see his face but he disappeared really quick. Like the cops got there and he was poof, gone." I threw my hands up in the air to signify how significant his disappearance was. "To be fair, the lot lights went out just before so… I've got nothing else."
Cecilia dove in, scarfing down two cinnamon rolls before I even had one. The boys ate the rest, Jared abnormally quiet at my side.
"We are going back to the house." Jordan yawned. He was obviously tired and Cecilia obviously didn't want to leave his side. I wanted to beg them to stay or maybe go with them. Something about the uneasy quiet that Jared was producing was making me wiggle in my seat. Instead of begging, I nodded from my seat. Cecilia threw her arms around me before she left, thanking me again for putting up with her mental break down.
"Are you still not talking to me?" Jared was leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm talking to you." I rolled my eyes. I placed the dirty dishes in the sink and ran some water. He wasn't sated, watching me with unknown intent.
"No, you're not." He stated calmly.
"I am too." I groaned. "I just don't have much to say." I was moving past him. He followed me into the living room where I began anxiously folding the blankets Cecilia and I had used the night before.
"You were in real danger last night and you don't have much to say?" He wasn't impressed.
"I don't have much to say because we said it all." I gave him a pointed look. "We've talked the shit out of it all. I don't know what else you want?" I was going to run out of things to tidy up soon.
"I want you to tell me how you're feeling, Bails. I can feel how you're feeling but I'd like to hear it from you." There it was. He could feel how I was feeling. Great. I sighed, leaning forward and bracing myself on the back of the couch.
"I'm feeling like I'm going to explode." I smiled at him sardonically. "We have the first real fight we have ever had over something so serious that I'm not even sure how to start that conversation." I shook my head, eyes set on his. "And then you show up in full-on beast mode followed by a night of terror being stalked by some psychopath who, for some reason, has my own personal phone number. So yeah, I'm a little aggravated about the recent turn of events."
"Was that so hard?" He teased, eyes lit with mischief.
"Yes. It was." I sighed, my posture relaxing with the release of words.
"What else though?" He was smiling.
"What do you mean what else?" I made a face.
"I mean what else is it you're feeling?"
I cringed, refusing to go there. He didn't need to know that. He probably already did. Prying bastard.
"I'm still pissed at you so you don't get to flirt with me right now," I warned, moving around him toward my room. I wanted a shower. I wanted to be clean and under the covers while my favorite television programs played infinitely. Jared followed, closer this time.
"You know when it comes to you I can't help it." He leaned down, his breath hot on my ear. My entirety went up in chills. I swatted his face away, digging in my dresser for clean underwear and the baggiest shirt a girl could find.
I emerged into the real world after a quick scolding shower and a few painful combs of my hair. I was pink from the heat but I smelled like vanilla and I knew Jared would appreciate that. He was asleep on the couch. I sighed inwardly, feeling relieved at his presence. The night before had been very stressful and I wanted nothing more than to pretend it was a couple of weeks ago when things were simpler and I knew all the answers.
"Come here." Jared yawned, arms open and inviting. I hesitated, biting my lip with the thought. I had been doing good keeping my distance, keeping that pesky heat from overwhelming my insides. He noticed my pause and propped himself up on elbows, giving me the familiar Jared grimace I had gotten so used to over the years. "Don't make me come over there and get you." He warned. I rolled my eyes, walking over casually and plopping down beside him. He didn't push it but wrapped his arm around my waist possessively.
"You can lay down, Bails. I'm not gonna bite."
"You might." I corrected, eyeing him jokingly over my shoulder.
"Only if you want me to." He grabbed my side playfully earning an involuntary giggle on my end.
There was a comfortable silence in which it did feel normal. Jared had always owned me and me him. I didn't think of it that way before but it was true. I had always been safe with him and I could always trust him with anything and everything. He was so perfect but I never once thought maybe I could have him completely. I had assumed one day someone beautiful would come along and steal him away. There was a big hole in my future that I just knew would be filled with someone less worthy. Jared would meet the love of his life and I would settle for someone less than, pretending that I hadn't let him ruin me for everyone else. Since the day he had confessed his love for me near the old treehouse, I had to come to terms that my life would be different than I had imagined, very different.
"Just come here." He tugged me down against him. I was on top of him, face to face. I smiled, tucking my head under his chin and playing with the fabric of his t-shirt.
"Do you want to marry me?" I asked. It felt like such a stupid question. We would eventually be joined for life. What was a marriage when you were a demi-god?
"Hell yeah, Bailey. I thought that much was obvious." He yawned, his fingers running up and down my spine. I listened to him breathe.
"What if we were normal and you weren't forced?" He laughed, giving my hair a playful tug. I slapped his chest.
"I've loved you since forever." He was so tired. I could feel the fatigue falling off him in thick waves. It made me tired too. "Don't ever doubt that." I yawned then too, falling into the most peaceful of sleeps.
That night I dreamt of different things. It came to me in bits and pieces. I was standing in the woods, a white camisole sticking to my damp body. My hair fell down in messy waves all the way to the souls of my dirty feet. The air was filled with mist. Sounds of the forest echoed. Jared was there, watching me from across the clearing, his eyes dark with want. I smiled at him, a knowing smile that promised things I wasn't so sure of. My lips were red, poison apple red and slick and sweet to the taste.
Jared was shackled like a prisoner. He pulled against his restraints. I noticed that as I walked closer, his wrists and ankles burned with sterling silver cuffs that clanked with every movement. I twisted a rose in my fingers, bringing it to my poison lips in thought.
Shall I set you free, little wolf? I grinned.
I woke with a groan. I was warm, too warm. Jared was still underneath me, his body relaxed and deliciously solid under my own. I bit back a groan. I wasn't used to feeling this wanton. Dustin had never made me feel this way. Even in the middle of sex, I could've stopped to make popcorn. I bit my lip, looking down at my beautiful boy. I needed some space or I was going to do something stupid and thoughtless. As if he knew I was about to bolt for my life, his eyes flew open and he was looking directly into mine.
"You woke me up." Jared pushed a loose wave behind my ear. I must've looked confused. "Your thoughts, Bailey. They're really loud." He finished, gripping the back of my head and dragging me down to meet his lips. The kiss was urgent. My heart sped, his hands were everywhere, squeezing and pulling. I was straddling him, not sure when it happened, pulling my oversized shirt over my head, fingers sliding up his jaw, down his neck. He touched my chest, his calloused fingers running over the pebbled peaks of my breasts. He stopped kissing me, pushing me back. He was watching me, his eyes glued to my body. It was as if he were fascinated at the site of his hands on my skin; those tanned fingers spread along the pale flesh of my chest.
"You're perfect." He was holding his breath, his thumb circling against my body, enticingly slow.
"Oh I know Annie but even a mom has to let loose once in a while." My heart dropped into my stomach. My mothers' voice was outside the door, along with the sound of her keys jingling against the locks. I fell off the couch most ungracefully, grabbing my shirt and pulling it sloppily over my head. Jared sat up and pulled a small pillow across his lap.
"Shirts on backwards." He nodded, a lazy grin spreading over his lips. I groaned, pulling my arms inside the loose material to rotate it around myself. By the time my mother finally made her way inside we were the picture of innocence, watching tv on the couch.
"I didn't know you were coming back today." I smiled. Moms had a way of knowing things and by the look on her face, this was no exception. She let it go, dropping her many bags on the ground near her feet and joining us in the living room.
"Don't sound so disappointed, sweetheart." She kissed the top of my head before turning her attention to Jared. "So you're finally dating?" She sighed, shaking her head in mock disbelief.
"Yes ma'am" He smiled fully. He looked happy. He truly did. I felt my cheeks go hot.
"I would give you the whole speech about treating her right but you know that one already, don't you Jared?" She yawned. "I'm going to take a shower and then a nap. Four days with your aunt has me hankering for a bout of quiet time." She laughed and moved down the hall.
"Your mom doesn't love me." Jared threw his arm around my shoulders, a comfortable position I was used to. I shook my head, denying the claim. He didn't know her like I did. Even after years of small bouts of conversation, she didn't give any of her true feelings away. She was good like that.
"My mom does love you. She just loves your brother more." I laughed as Jared scooped me up and riddled me with tickles. I gasped for air, punching him in the shoulder until he relented. I doubted that my weak human hits had anything to do with him giving up.
"Too bad Jordan wasn't yours then, eh?" Jared was looking at me with that intense stare again. I felt the smile die off my lips, my eyes moving over his face in question.
"Yeah too bad," I whispered. "Stuck with you."
"Stuck like glue." He nodded, dipping down to press his lips to mine. I let him, cupping his face with the palms of my hands. He felt safe and familiar. There was also a distant buzz of electricity nipping at my lips, something brand new and exciting. I groaned when he pulled away.
"Come on, Bails. I want to take you somewhere."
NOTE:
If there's anyone still here. . .
It's only been like ten years right. I'm not even sure at this point. I have a little spare time here and there and after rereading what I already had posted of MOON CHILD I decided that it was time for me to, at least, finish it. I'm not saying it will go fast but hopefully, it will go. I do love Jared and after I got those familiar country boy tingles, I started and finished this chapter.
There are probably many mistakes. There will probably always be. I try my best to read over and correct them but ya know how that goes. This story is mostly for fun. I don't plan on trying to get it published but it's fun to write and I hope someone enjoys reading it. If you have any questions, I do still replay to messages (even if it takes me a while to do it)
Love to my first love (Fiction press and the readers who read)
Hitanner85 – Brittany Terese