Under a Paper Moon

I’ve enjoyed staying at Alex’s place. It’s nice to be away from the pack and escaping from the war. I knew all too well that Jack will track me down or some hunter will find me here with Alex, and will end up killing us both. But I don’t want to be anywhere else.

Since Alex brought me in and I told him about the imprint, he’s been getting closer to me. I’ve told him all about what it felt like to be raised to hate and even fear hunters. He even told me how growing up as a hunter wasn’t as fun either, that is was keeping him from going after his true passion in life: music.

My true passion in life was to have a normal life with a normal family. No worries about hunters or wars. Just being me and having a husband that loved me and having a couple kids of my own. But I would never have a normal life. I will always be a werewolf until the day I die, and the same fate will fall on any children I manage to have.

“Hey Miranda,” Alex poked his head into the guest room I had chosen to stay in, letting him have space within his room, “I’m heading out to the store, do you need anything?”

“I know it sounds weird,” I got up out of bed, “But with the full moon coming up in a couple days, I need chains and padlocks. I also need a lot of wolf’s bane.”

“Okay,” he was confused.

“You have to lock me up in your basement and drug me up,” I told him, “If you don’t already have silver chains and syringes loaded with wolf’s bane oil, get me something from the store to weaken me.”

“I have all that here,” he replied, “Hunters are forced to have cells in their homes to lock up wolves they capture.”
---
Miranda had me worried about the full moon. The way she wanted to make sure I could lock her up, made me think she was even more dangerous on the full moon. I knew that wolves were strongest and the least in control on the full moon, but she made it sound even more so.

As I was shopping, I spotted Jack. Miranda told me his name so I could actually put a name to the face. He looked pissed off. This only meant he knew Miranda was hiding from him. She was in danger now that Jack knew she was gone.

I ducked off into one of the crowded aisles in the store to hide from him. I didn’t want him to see me, and know I had something to do with Miranda running away. I also had to resist the urge to just kill him in the crowded store for what he did to Miranda. The last thing I needed were witnesses to something that didn’t concern the normal population.
---
While Alex was away, I heard someone come into the house. I had to check it out. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t another wolf, one sent by Jack to take me back. As I entered the kitchen behind the intruder, I saw it was a woman. She was a little shorter than me, but she was dressed like a hunter. That’s when I knew she was Alex’s ex.

“I can smell you,” she warned as she turned around, “Wolves always have a foul smell, like that of a wet dog.”

“Hunter,” I growled, “Stand down. I am not a threat.”

“You took him away from me you bitch,” she screamed as she charged me.

She wrapped her hand around my throat. She wore a glove laced in wolf’s bane and silver, just like Alex had before I moved in with Jack. I felt my skin burn against her touch as she held me in a vice grip. I was gasping, struggling to breathe as she crushed my windpipe.

“You have to be punished for what you made him do to me,” she growled as she stabbed me in my stomach with a silver dagger, breaking the blade in me. She did again to my leg. Then she let me go, letting me crumble to the floor. She then dumped wolf’s bane water over me, burning my entire body.

She left right after her bottle was empty, leaving me in a crumpled heap on the floor. Steam from the water burning my skin rose off me as I blacked out from the pain.
---
I got back to the house, finding the front door open. I ran inside and I found Miranda unconscious on the kitchen floor. I could smell the wolf’s bane that had burned her body. I picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. I laid her in the tub and took off her contaminated clothes off. I began to rinse her off, being careful to not scrub her delicate skin as she healed. I found the blades stuck in her stomach and leg, and pulled them out quickly.

Once I had her cleaned up, dried, and bandaged, I carried her to the guest room and laid her down on her bed. I got her a clean shirt and some fresh jeans along with a bra and pair of panties. Once I had her redressed, I tucked her into bed and stayed by her side.
---
“Hmm,” I groaned as I finally woke up. I opened my eyes to find Alex sound asleep next to me. He was snoring lightly as he was curled up on the pillow beside me.

“Are you okay,” he mumbled, not opening his eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” I told him, “I’m just sore.”

“You can curl up with me,” he offered, “I don’t mind.”

“Thanks,” I got closer to him and curled up into his side.

“I promise to take care of you,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around me, “I’m staying by your side. Always.”

“You have little choice,” I told him, “That comes with the imprint. But I’ll always be here for you too, Alex.”

With that, we fell asleep again.

Notes