Chapter 15 – Run

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            Jing moved fast.  That extra fifteen minutes with Emma on literally nothing had cost her dearly as far as safety goes.  The sun was almost over the ridge and full night threatened with every second. The woods between sanctuary and town were starting to come alive with the nocturnal sounds of predators. 

            Out here, instinct rather than skills will most likely save your life. 

            She wasn’t sure she heard right but the sudden scattering of birds confirmed it.  She held her breath as she twisted around; swing her readied weapon up in the same move, taking aim in the general direction she felt the movement from.  The black and white blurs weaving between the trees leaving no target to focus on, racing toward her, left her feeling a little numb and resigned; she lowered her weapon. 

            The black wolf shifted back to human form as he slowed about 10 feet away from her, taking two more steps on two legs. 

            Jing realized almost too late that the white wolf didn’t appear to be stopping.  Taking several steps backwards, she managed just not to scream as he leapt on her, taking her down with a hard thump, pinning her to the ground with deadly claws that threatened and knocking the crossbow out of her hands.  He roared into her face, vicious fangs coming precariously close. 

            “KAI!” Xiu yelled as he scrambled toward them.  He’d not seen Kai lose control since 6 years ago when they had come so close to losing their baby sister.  But tonight’s a full moon, and they’ve been under a lot of stress, anything can happen.  “What the hell are you….”

            But Kai was in full rage and unable to hear his brother.  He was shouting even as he morphed out of his pelt, “Are you crazy?  Do you have a death wish?  What part of ‘no one moved alone’ are you not getting through that thick skull of yours?”  His jaw was snapped at her.  “Not you.  Not me.  Not even the Alpha.  NOT ANYONE!”

            She flinched at that last roar, screamed in her face with a very human voice but with every last ounce of power of the wolf behind it.  A sharp bubble of retort formed on her unruly tongue and she opened to spit it at him – but stopped.  Xiu stood right over Kai’s shoulder, looking at her with both concern and… fear.  He had been afraid for her and not because of the here and now.  And with Kai was still panting mad and crouched over her, she realized her mistake.  They had been afraid for her. 

            Being in the wrong was new to her and she didn’t particularly like the bitter taste of guilt. 

            Some of her internal thoughts must have registered in her eyes.  “Kai,” Xiu reached over and grabbed Kai by the shoulder, “Enough.”

            “Is it?  Do you comprehend?” Kai asked, his eyes the color of police sirens – piercing bright and demanding attention.  His human fingers dug painfully into her shoulder.  They could easily be claws – and they both knew it.

            Giving up a nod when he shook her again, she refused to wince as the pressure eased. 

            “She got it,” Xiu said and pulled harder.  “Now get off of her.”

            “She shouldn’t have to be told twice,” Kai grounded out through clinched teeth – fury burned in his illuminated eyes.  “She should know better.”

            “Kai…” Xiu’s voice went dark with warning; his eyes suddenly flared that impossibly beautiful blue touching on green.  “Let.  Her.  Go.”  The nails on his fingers where it gripped Kai’s shoulder extended to sharp points and began to dig into the pale skin.  “NOW.”

            The brothers faced each other for a moment, their Pure shifter eyes locked in silent combat as wordless threatens exchanged between them.  The tension crackled dangerously for a moment. 

            “Are we done?” Jing asked, ignoring what could potentially be a rather stupid move on her part: coming between 2 extremely dangerous predators.  But right now, she was too tired to care.  “The sun is almost completely gone,” she pointed out, twisting her head to look at the final golden rays descending over the horizon.  “Can we get going now?”

            With a final glare, Kai allowed himself to be pulled to his feet as Xiu extended his hand to Jing to help her up.  When they were all standing and Jing was busy brushing herself off and avoiding their eyes, the two brothers exchanged quick annoyed glances.

            “Let’s go,” Kai said sourly and started to walk on two legs.

            “Not like that,” Jing objected, gesturing to their ness as she retrieved her weapon.  “You want to be arrested for indecent exposure?  There are still normals around here, even if they know to stay out of the woods at full dark.”  It wasn’t law, or even an unspoken rule in any of the surrounding towns.  But all the locals ‘not in the know’ knew the dangers of the woods; no one ventures out after dark, especially on nights of the full moon; unless they had a death wish – which a few angst-filled teens have been known to do.  “Get back into your furs.”

            The boys glanced briefly at one another, something zipped between their eyes.

            “I’m standing right here,” Jing snapped.  “It’s rude to talk about someone right in front of them.”

            “No one is talking about you,” Kai replied with the same bite in his tone.  There was something about Jing that always got under his steely eyed control.  It was damn annoying.  “Get moving,” jerking his chin toward the direction they needed to go.  “We’re right behind you.”

            “Or around you,” Xiu added with a sigh.  “We’ll be around.  Holler if you see something you’re not sure about.”

            “What happen to not traveling alone?” she said with a sneer.  She couldn’t help herself; Kai brought about the six-year-old in her. 

            “You won’t be,” Kai replied with a smug look before he dropped to all four and warmed himself with his white coat.  He gave her a warning growl before slipping away, disappearing too fast for her eyes to follow – born to run like that. 

            “Bastard,” Jing muttered under her breath and stomped toward the town again. 

            “You scared her.  Emma, I mean,” Xiu informed her after a few moments, walking along side her but always a few steps back, out of her peripheral vision.  He always did this when he came out of his shifter-skin; like modesty might be something they cared about.  But Jing decided long ago that it was because for all his native ways, Xiu was just a very shy person at heart and it was his version of showing her respect.  Damn him.  “We came back and you were gone.  Emma was practically frantic.” 

            “I’m sorry,” and she meant it; especially for any upset she caused Emma.  “It was getting late and I wasn’t sure how serious Kai was about the so…” she lied.  It wasn’t easy and she knew her heart jumped when she did… and that Xiu could hear it.  But he was too polite to…

            “Why are you lying to me?” he asked quietly.

            So much for that idea. 

            “What are you hiding from me?” he continued, concern and maybe a little hurt tainting his voice.  Like it had never even occurred to him that there were things she couldn’t share with him. 

            Because she couldn’t say it without hurting him, and she would never allow herself to do that, she could only convincingly lie by omission.  “It’s personal.  And I… I just can’t.”

            Xiu said nothing for a moment, wondering how far he could push but decided that doing so on a full moon wouldn’t be a good idea.  He’s always been extremely respectful of space.  “If you need to talk… if you need anything… you know where I am.”

            The smile she gave was tight around , painful and unnatural.  As was the answer she gave, “Thanks,” before she felt rather than saw him shift back into his black coat of fur and offer her a serious look of concern through his unnatural eyes and continued to follow her at ten paces, itching to run. 

            It was going to be the longest walk home she’s ever had to endure.

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            “Get some sleep,” Selina whispered into the darkened cabin of the car.  “You take over the driving in 2 hours.”

            Kristen crouched down lower in her seat, trying to keep warm in their chilly car.  The rain had started, dropping the temperature to uncomfortable levels.  “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

            “No,” was the answer given in the same sharp tone it’s been given over the three hours.  The last thing Selina wanted to do was talk.  Talking didn’t make the problem go away.  Driving as fast as she could in the opposite direction might. 

            “You can’t fight The Moon,” Kristen parroted quietly in that lost little girl voice that did nothing to quell the rising stress. 

            “But you sure as hell can run from it,” Selina replied determinedly.  She wasn’t trying to fool herself.  Right now, she was trying to buy time.  Time to get her sister to safety.  Time to plan her next move.  Time enough to prepare herself for what might be in stored for her. 

            Time… the one thing they were short on. 

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            Emma and Ella stood by the window, its curtains pulled back for an unobstructed view.  They watched the moon peek out from behind the thick clouds in the sky.  It was a full moon alright, bright beams of light beating down relentlessly, lighting up the darkened skies; all its powers seemingly focus all at once. 

            All around them, canine and feline howls erupted suddenly as control was surrendered to the moon.  It was a symphony of danger.  And a lifetime of it hasn’t made it any less awe inspiring. 

            “It’s started,” Ella murmured softly and sat down to pour tea.  Her long range rifle sat propped against the side table, loaded and within easy reach.  It would be first defense to the last resort handgun strapped to her ankle. 

            “What did you tell them?” Emma asked, her eyes on her sister’s serene face.

            “I lied,” Ella replied honestly to the one person she had no intention of lying to. 

            Nodding in agreement, Emma sat down next to her and absentmindedly counted the number of arrows in the quiver by her leg.  Her compound bow sat by the back door, oiled and strung.  “So you sent them all away?”

            “Yup,” nodding in acknowledgment.  “Would you rather that I didn’t?”

            “No,” Emma nodded and took a sip of the rose infused tea.  It was one of their better blends.  “They need to run tonight, connect with their inner selves.  It’s better this way.”  She sipped the tea again.  “Pets?”

            “Upstairs.  I told her to lock the doors and not to come out until sunrise, no exceptions.”  Ella frowned into her tea.  “She didn’t even question it.” 

            Emma picked up a cookie and nibbled on it a moment with concern.  “Are we doing the right thing?”

            “Yes,” Ella replied softly but with solid conviction.  “She’s nowhere near ready.  A few lessons in the woods don’t mean she can pull the trigger.  It’s better that she gets more accustom, learn to draw and fire on instinct rather than lessons.” 

            Unable to argue against it, Emma merely nodded and settled in. 

            They both watched the open window and the woods beyond it.  It would be a long, long night.

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            “Where the hell are we?” Sean asked, apprehension starting to leak into his voice.  He was barely holding onto his humanity by a thread now.  Overhead, the bright full moon was playing hide-and-seek between fast moving clouds that threatened rain any moment. 

            Wes winced and survey their surroundings; cliff side overlooking a brightly lit bustling town.  The number of cars parked nearby but helpfully spaced out should have clued him in much faster.  But with the influence of the Moon clouding his thoughts, “Um…”

            “Tell me you did not drive us to some Lover’s Lane or Make-Out Point or whatever the hell they call it these days,” Sean hissed between clinched teeth.

            He’d be so much more embarrassed but for the fact that it was actually a pretty perfect location to hide.  Laughing now would probably get Sean more riled up than he already was.  “Well… everyone is kind of just minding their own business up here.”

            There were moments when Sean would really like to just howl his frustrations or lop his best friend’s head off with a well placed claw to the neck.  Unfortunately, today was not the day for such indulgences – though he did consider, just for an unholy split second, of punching Wes in the face.  “We’re going to have words come morning,” he growled as he opened the car door.

            “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Wes muttered and stripped off his tee-shirt before slipping out from behind the wheel.  Sean was the worse grouchy bay on full moons, like it throws his entire personality out of whack or something. 

            Parked several yards away at the end of the overlook, the two slipped into the shadows, keeping a close eye and ear on those around them – then quickly wish they hadn’t.  The activities currently being conducted in the others cars were… not meant for public consumption.  It was embarrassing to say the least and made both of them feeling like creepers. 

            “We need to think about this,” Sean said, chewing on his still human lip.

            “No time,” Wes replied seriously as he doffed the rest of his clothes and tossed it behind a bush.  They didn’t want to chance going in the morning if their car gets towed.  There was always a chance of that.  “We need to be running soon; the pull of the Moon isn’t getting weaker.”  He glanced up, feeling the force beaming down at him.  “If anything, it feels like I’m drowning a little now.  And we really shouldn’t be caught out here… together.  That’s how rumors start.” 

            Groaning in genuine pain now, Sean shook his head and striped.  “I’m so glad David is not with us.  He’d never let us live it down.”

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            “Let’s go,” Chun informed from the lit doorway.

            Calvin looked up and blinked.  The room was dark except for what little light was coming through the covered windows and from the two scrolling computer screens in front of him. For a moment, he forgot where he was.  “What?” 

            “I said let’s go,” Chun repeated with a frown.  There were shadows under Calvin’s eyes that had nothing to do with the unnatural light that made his face ghostly pale.  “Time for us to run.”

            Confusion crossed his face, “Run?” suddenly looking around for the danger that might be lurking in the shadows.  “Did something happen?”

            Raising a brow, Chun’s expression didn’t change as he crossed the room and pulled back the curtains and pointed to the moon.  “You don’t feel it?”

            Eyes suddenly flaring gold, Calvin grimaced and sighed.  “That would explain why I was starting to feel so restless.”

            “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Chun replied and threw a cushion at him. 

            Catching it in mid-air, Calvin made one last sweep of his computer and stood.  Stretching, he felt all his muscles scream at him for the abuse they’ve endured.  A run sounds exactly what he needed.  “Where to?”

            “We’re limited to where we can go,” Chun replied, chucking his clothes.  “But apparently sanctuary has its own safe grounds to run on.  We just have to make sure we don’t cross the borders.”

            Grinning, Calvin kicked his pants off and worked the kinks out of his neck.  “First time in six months I’m going to have a safe place to run.”

            “We need to stay away from the inn as well,” Chun said as he headed for the door, suddenly very eager to get outdoors and stretch his limbs. 

            “Why?”

            “Orders,” was the reply though he looked less than thrilled with it.  He would dearly love just a glimpse of Ella, even if it was through his wolf eyes. 

            “And we’re obeying because….”

            “We’re guests,” Chun glanced over his shoulder with a sigh.  “And for now, we play by the rules.”

            “I’ll follow your lead,” Calvin said and literally followed Chun… down the stairs. 

            “How’s the search?”

            “What search?” playing innocent.

            “Calvin…”

            Making a face then grinned, his friend knew him too well.  The comforts of familiarity went a long way to ease his stress.  “Little bits here and there.  Nothing to confirm anything yet but I think I might have to do a little traveling for this.”

            “Be careful and be meticulous.” 

            Surprised by the advice and no discouragement, “Is this because of Ella?”

            “This is about us, and not treading on anyone toes,” Chun explained, avoiding his friend’s eyes in favor of preparing to head out.  He had no intentions of telling Calvin about Mrs. Chen’s offer; didn’t want to put that kind of burden on him.  Jeeze… the whole weight of their pack’s safety depended on whether they can solve the mystery of how Ella and Emma’s identities were disclosed to the world.  Talk about under pressure.  “Our position here is precarious at best.”

            “As Kai constantly reminds us,” Calvin smirked and shook his limbs loose.  But he was actually starting to enjoy the cranky Beta’s visits.  If nothing else, he was at least consistent with his wary treatment of the pair.  “Okay, let’s go.  I could use a good run.”

            “Be careful,” Chun warned as his eyes flashed that unnatural burnt gold and he shifted into his silver-gray pelt, giving up his resistance to the Moon. 

            “Yes Mother,” Calvin replied with a grin before he followed suit suddenly very eager to get in touch with his other side.  It was good to be with family again. 

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            Fei woke from her nap with a start, arms and legs going in every which direction.   It was through sheer will power that she kept from crying out in a panic.  The living room was dark, the windows covered by dark curtains for protection, the sun having long dropped out of the sky.  She and the others didn’t work on full moon nights for obvious reasons; one of the conditions of their employment.   

            Turning on the light on the side table, she grabbed the note card left for her with Wayne’s neat handwriting on it. 

Went on our run.  Didn’t want to wake you; you looked so peaceful.  Remember to stay indoors and lock all the windows and doors.  We’ll be back by sunrise, I hide a key so don’t worry about letting us in.  Dinner is keeping in the oven; try to eat something before you go back to bed.  See you soon.

– Your Brothers 

            Of course Wayne would see to her safety and health before he faced the full moon and the helpless pull of its powers.  She could always count on the guys to protect her, to have her back.  They were a family; it was as simple as that. 

            But for what she faced on nightly bases now, for what she was bracing daily for, no one can save her.  And there was nowhere for her to run.  The man her dreams had started to take on a fantasticalness that left her stunned and scared; no one should be that beautiful.  Either she was going insane or she had to prepare to meet her fate.  It was as simple as that. 

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            Even in his heightened state, with his animal’s natural affinity to the woods, Aaron could feel himself tiring fast.  His lungs burned beneath layers of muscles designed for agility and speed, a creature born to run.  As the ‘bait,’ his job was to lure those unsuspecting egotistical Browns into the waiting jaws of a much bigger and stronger ‘hunter.’  Jiro had no qualms about putting an end to the hunt with extreme prejudice, leaving Aaron to continue leading the prey to the trap. 

            So far, they’ve managed to eliminate the six tails that’s been following them since North Thumberland.  How many more was hard to say.  But it felt like for every one that they found, another two rose to take its place.  The cycle felt unending and Aaron wasn’t sure how much longer he would last under these conditions. 

            Distracted by his own thoughts, he almost ran headlong into the waiting two Browns that appeared around the bend too fast for him to avoid.  The downwind had played to their advantage so far; this… not so much.  Scrambling for footing, he twisted about and ran back toward where he had left Jiro to deal with a rather nasty take down.  The browns gave chase with an eagerness that was unnatural.  The Moon’s pull on their animal instinct was strong and they were happy to indulge in their more primitive side; the hunt was on!

            Moving fast amongst the unfamiliar trees, going on instinct and the slight scent he had left as markers, he twisted around the area with light footing, hoping Jiro would catch up soon.  He was slowing, his body protesting the push on top of the recent exhaustion, and he couldn’t afford to be caught.  He was dead if he…

            The solid snot slammed into Aaron’s side, throwing him off his gait and knocked the wind out of his lungs.  Unable to keep going, he rolled with the fall, putting as much distance between him and the enemy as he could through sheer momentum.  When he got back onto his feet, he faced the three approaching Browns with steely determination and years of pent up hatred. 

            *Well, well… look at the little orphan pup,* the taunt would have come with a sneer if a wolf could sneer. 

            Aaron’s eyes shone a brighter shade of gold and he shifted his stance carefully.  Three to one weren’t good odds even if he hadn’t exhausted himself already.  His only advantage was he was bigger, younger, and there was all the chance in the world that Jiro was but minutes away from finding him.  A loud enough scuffle will definitely bring the older gray to his side.  And if he was going down, he was taking someone with him. 

            *Did you lose your way home, puppy dog?*

            *Stop wasting time,* one of them growled.  *Dead or alive; that’s the orders.*

            *Dead is preferred,* the other answered and dropped his head, ready to charge.

            Bracing himself, Aaron went low and raked the damp ground beneath his paws carefully, learning the feel of the earth.  Looks like he was about to get his first taste of real violence. 

            *You boys talk too much,* was the words heard just before a flash of silver hit one of the Browns, throwing the scrawnier canine into the nearby tree. 

            Of course, the gray that attacked wasn’t the one that spoke.  That distinction was made clear as another gray stepped up beside Aaron, staying downwind of the circling wolves and carefully examined the younger gray.  *You okay?*

            A little stunned but relieved, *Where did hell did you guys come from, Benji?*

            *Sorry we got here so late,* George answered as he appeared behind one of the Browns.  *We got held up,* nodding to his side.  Jiro appeared, moving a little slower, covered in dirt and blood, but very much alive and still very much angry. 

            David’s tongue lolled out a second and his tail wagged rather happily, *Glad we didn’t miss all the fun though.*  He eyed the Browns with vicious glee, eager for a little retribution.  *So boys, you were saying something about going back dead or alive?*

            George’s head suddenly went low, his eyes flared with rage.  *I think he said something about preferring dead.*

            Benji’s eyes glowed bright against his charcoal gray face as he crouched suddenly, every line of his body taunt with danger.  These guys have been hunting his brothers, had endangered his family.  *That can certainly be arranged.*

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            Bernice stood by the window, her hand braced on the frame as she gazed out into the woods.  Her family home sat on the edge of the village, as did many of the pack families, back door facing the safety and wilds of the woods that surrounded them.   It was the first full moon in six months she’s been home for.  Sanctuary offered a kind of peace for things she knew she couldn’t avoid forever.

            Six months.  That’s how long she’s been avoiding the inevitable.  And she dared not speak of it to anyone; if anyone knew… if they understood exactly what Holy Ground can do…  She didn’t want to think of the consequences. 

            Despite everyone’s assumptions, she wasn’t nearly as blind or dumb as they think.  She understood more than they gave her credit for.  She knew a Mating Dream when she had it.  And her unprecedented resistance of it would cause a ripple of problems though the pack if they knew.  Six months; no one in their history had made it pass three without going a little crazy… or all the way crazy.  She couldn’t help but wonder if she was crazy to be even thinking she could resist it at all. 

And she couldn’t help wonder if he could feel it too, especially as the dreams came more frequent and increasingly powerful… and intimate. 

            She had run when it started, begging Emma to let her stay with her at the inn on the pretense of helping.  Emma never questioned it though she suspected that her seer friend knew more than she was letting on.  And she’s not seen him since. 

            So why was she standing there, just waiting?  Waiting to see if some of what she suspected was right; that the other half isn’t as passive as…

            The black wolf melted out of the shadows, stood there just below her window watching her.  His tawny golden eyes met hers with piercing intensity.  He seemed to recognize her; understood something was there that he may not fully comprehend but his nature has accepted. 

            All around them, shifters of all kind were taking to their natural habits.  And he was there simply waiting for her to accept hers.

            Pulling her curtains closed quickly, Nicie braced her back against the wall and buried her face into her hands.  She wasn’t ready.  She knew she wasn’t ready.  And she didn’t want to accept that he was out there because he knew and was ready. 

            She just had to make it through the night.  Tomorrow she would be back in Sanctuary and within the protective confines of Holy Ground. 

            But this would be the longest night of her life.

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            “Screw this,” Jing muttered and grabbed her long bow.  It was sleek piece of weaponry; a gift from her brothers and modified to perfection for her tiny slender hands.  Though they never treated her like a girl, they always made sure she was protected like one. 

            The alarm on her digital pager, one of those ancient things that the council refused to give up because it was hard to hack and who the hell still carried a pager anyways, had gone off fifteen minutes ago with an “All Hands On Deck” notice to all pack defenders; her included.  But on Full Moon nights those that weren’t in their pelts weren’t required to head out to hold the lines; too dangerous all around.  It was their job to keep watch and stay out of the fray. 

            But Jing had never been very good with stay out of trouble, especially when she knew her brothers and friends were in the front lines.  Besides, she was too pent up to remain in her apartment.  No good could come of her staying indoors with only her thoughts and emotions to keep her company tonight. 

            Warnings be damned, she yanked open her front door and came to an abrupt stop.  If she had been startled, it didn’t show on her face.

            “Where exactly do you think you’re going?” Kai asked, taking a step forward – right across the threshold. 

            Her eyes went to the pager by the door, the neon green one that still flashed the last message broadcasted to every member of the pack. 

            “That wasn’t meant for you,” Kai informed her in that soft low growl of warning that should have clued her in on the state of fury she was facing, “And you know that.”

            She took a step back, mostly because she didn’t really have a choice.  “Shouldn’t you be at an Elder’s meeting?”

            “Shouldn’t you be barricaded behind locked doors?” throwing his thumb over his shoulder before kicking the said door closed with a rattling bang. 

            Since she wasn’t going to be getting that physical fight she was looking for, Jing set her long bow down on its cradle and prepared herself for the verbal one she was about to be engaged in.  “What are you even doing here?” striping off her archer’s brace, the one that would have protected her delicate wrists from injury. 

            He raised an arrogant brow at her.  “Since you can’t seem to be trusted to do the rational thing lately…”

            “What the hell is that suppose to mean?” Around here, irrational was a term used exclusively in reference to overly emotional females.  No one treated her like a girl – especially an irrationally overwrought one; no one.

            “Really?” he gestured to the bow then at the uncovered window, “It’s a full moon!”

            “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve patrolled on a full moon,” she snapped and turned to look at the moon again.  She briefly wondered where all her good humored nature and love of life went… then remembered the gentle look Pets had directed at a certain person who had returned it with a not-quite-so-guarded one.  And her heart ached all over again. 

            “Oh for god sakes,” Kai mutters and looked dangerously impatient.  “You know I can hear it, right?”

            “What?” annoyed but relieved at being brought back to reality.  Her thoughts weren’t her friends these days and Kai was doing a splendid job in distracting her from them. 

            Reaching over, her poked her just below the collarbone, “Your heart; it’s a tale-tell sign of every one of your thoughts.”  He frowned at her, irritated as hell, “Or in your case, all your emotions.” 

            Knocking his hand way, “Of course I know,” she snapped, “Any third grader would know,” and didn’t address the other thing he pointed out: she was emotionally unstable right now.  It was extremely dangerous for someone in her position. 

            Getting right into her face, he hissed a warning, “So get it together before you get someone killed.”

              To question her emotions was one thing but to question her ability and her dedication… Hopping mad and not thinking straight, she shoved him in the chest.  It was like trying to move a mountain.  “Who the hell do you think you…”

            He grabbed her by both wrists, her hands tiny and fragile compared to his own, and held them up between them, forcing her to face him.  His eyes spat fire at her but never changed.  “You knew it was never going to happen!  He was never going to be yours.” 

            She reared back as if he had hit her.  Jerking out of his hold as her eyes blazed with rage at having her heart torn open, she gritted her teeth to keep from screaming obscenities at him.  It was like he had taken a dagger to her, leaving her gasping in pain. 

            But he kept at her, “You knew this day would come.  You knew that the likelihood of him being yours was slim and yet you still let that heart of yours get all wrapped up in cotton candy and roses until it gets shredded by a tainted arrow.  Then you let yourself get into some noble attempt at teaching his mate to defend herself instead of protecting your own damn heart.  If you’re not being a martyr than you’re doing a damn good job of imitating…”  

            Her fist connected solidly with his cheek, snapping his head back.  It was a proper punch with force and weight behind it, learned from years of lecture and practice.  Her brothers taught her how to hit but Xiu made sure she could execute it correctly.   And despite being trapped in her apartment with a full grown shifter on a full moon; in that moment, nothing felt more right and more wrong.  His words hurt so much that all she wanted to do was hurt him back. 

            Kai’s eyes flashed icy electric blue for only a split second when he turned back and Jing had a jarring moment of fear as she watched him slowly maneuvered his jaw, testing for damage.  Then he stunned her, shoving her into the wall and crushed beneath his own. 

            It was like touching lightning: unbelievable for a moment before the sheering pain clouded her thoughts.  It bruised her lips, cut the soft tissue with her teeth.  It was meant to punish, meant to jolt her awake to her surroundings, meant to remind her just how vulnerable she was.  It was not the kind of kiss a girl expect to be her first. 

            She hit him, trying to shove him away.  He caught her wrists and held them tight.  She tried to bite him.  He retaliated with like, refusing to let go.  She struggled under his onslaught and he let her for a few precious frightening seconds before he crushed her into the wall with his body, forced her face into his shoulder. 

            Over her struggling gasps for air and his own ragged pants, he hissed into her ear.  “You think you’re the first to have had her heart broken?  To be disappointed by the Moon’s choice?”  He waited to hear her breathing regulate; her fear and anger easing back a little as she heard him.  “None of you gets to choose.  Not you.  Not her.  Not him.  And no amount of sacrifice or hard work is going to change that.” 

            The words hurt more than the very physical threat of him.  It hurt so much Jing couldn’t move, not even to try to stop him – and closed, choking the anger and rage there. 

            “You play the good friend, the loyal companion, just hoping that it’d be enough. But it’s not.”  He could hear the way she swallows, knowing what it was costing her.  But that hope she’s harbored has got to be severed.  “And him?  He lives like a monk because he knows there’s a chance whoever he offers his heart to won’t be the one that gets to keep him for life.  So he never gives himself a chance to try or a chance to break someone’s heart.”  He grounded out the words through clinched teeth, not certain if he was punishing her… or himself.  “We don’t get to choose.  You can’t fight the Moon.”

            The first sob of despair escapes suddenly, unexpectedly – startling her.  And she chokes on the second one. 

            Kai lets go of her hands and his arms close tight around her, tight enough to be painful.  He could feel the wet tears on his shoulder where she had buried her face, trying to hold back the wave.  “Let it out,” he whispered, bracing her head against him.  “There’s no shame in it.”

            And the floodgates opened.  Every moment of disappointment and heartache came in tears, sobbing with agony as she accepted what she hadn’t realized she had been hoping for. * It wasn’t fair.  It just wasn’t fair.*  She was so angry at herself for even allowing the entertainment of a hope she knew had no happy ending.  *Stupid.  So stupid…*  And she hated Kai for ripping that band-aid off and exposing the wound.  She beat his back with half formed fist that had no strength left in them, struggling for some relief as she felt choked with hopelessness. 

            “It’s okay,” he said urgently, and pressed his face into her hair, gripping her tighter.  “Let.  Go.”

She screamed into his shoulder, letting all her hurt and anger out in one long continuous howl of pain until was raw and there was nothing left in her. 

            When she slumped boneless against him, Kai finally eased her back to stare at her tear streaked face, so peaceful now as she slipped into slumber’s embrace.  Picking her up with ease, he carried her to the bed, kicked back the covers, and gently set her down into it.  Removing her shoes and her phone, he set everything on the nightstand before tucking her in.  And just before he left her there, Kai leaned down and brushed his mouth over her bruised lips, trading the earlier punishing touch for a much gentler one. 

            Pulling up a chair to the window, Kai eased his aching body into it to stare out at the bright full moon… and cursed it. 

To be continued…

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Author’s Note:  I had so much fun writing this chapter.  Hope you enjoy it as much.  Let me know what you think!