Death moon curses, p.8
Death Moon Curses, page 8
“They’re all women,” Aimes said.
“That's what happens when all of your males are killed.” My mom sighed softly as she parked the Jeep and cut the engine. “We’re all that's left.”
As she clambered out, I turned back to Aimes.
“Hey,” I whispered. “Stay close to me?”
He uncurled my palm from his and pressed a kiss into it. “There's no place I'd rather be.”
My chest lifted at the beauty of those words. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he said warmly. “Now let’s go meet your people.”
When I stepped outside, women surrounded me, their eyes bright and full of wonder. I flicked my gaze to Mom, who stood back and watched all of this unfold with a smile.
“You look just like her,” one of the women told me, beaming.
“You've come back to us, finally. Praise the goddess.” Another one of the women hugged me out of nowhere, taking me by surprise.
Even that was nice, though, if a little strange. Like coming home to a family I never knew existed.
“Who is this male?” One of the older women with a long, patterned dress and matching headscarf faced Aimes, hands on her hips. She lifted her chin, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.
“We haven't had a male here in years.” Another woman sniffed the air like she was trying to suss him out.
“All you need is one male around for the entire dynamic to shift.” The first woman stepped closer to him, glaring. “Is that what you intend to do? You intend to take over this village and undo all the hard work we've put into it?”
Aimes didn’t even flinch. “I’m one of the good guys. Promise. Harlow even calls me a bookstore god, so I can’t be that bad.”
Everyone burst out laughing, including Mom and me.
“We’re just having fun with you,” the woman told him, backing away. “You're obviously Harlow’s fated mate. You practically have it written all over your handsome face.”
Was that a blush creeping up Aimes’s cheeks? Simply adorable.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said sheepishly.
Mom came over to me and took me by the hand. “We'll have somebody fix you up something to eat, and you can wash up before we talk. There's a lot of ground to cover. Are you ready to hear it?”
Yes. But also no. I had a funny feeling that hearing the rest of the truth would change me forever.
Chapter Eleven
It felt strange being here. Similar to our arrival at Annecy’s camp but much, much different. Here, I was accepted, not shunned and kept a prisoner. Here, I was loved.
We were shown to an adorable little bungalow that was all ours, and one of the women brought clothes for both of us.
“I'm sorry,” she said to Aimes, handing him a thermal shirt and sweatpants. “These are the biggest we have. I hope they're big enough for you.”
“It's an improvement either way,” he said. “Thank you.”
Like me, he was still grimy and covered in dried blood.
“Sarah will be waiting for you by the fire, along with the rest of us.”
“Sarah?” I asked.
“Your… Never mind. She’ll tell you who she is.” She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. “I'll regret it in the morning, but I admit I don't think I could sleep if I wasn't there when she tells you everything.”
“We'll be quick,” I told her.
Once she left, Aimes steered me toward the bathroom, which sat in the back corner of the single-story house. There was a bedroom in the other corner, while the rest was taken up by an open kitchen and a cozy living room.
“You go first,” he insisted. “I’ll find a phone to see if my mom’s okay. You're the one they want to talk to anyway, so you don't want to keep them waiting.”
“You'll come out too, though, right?”
They all seemed warm and friendly and glad to have us here, but I was still nervous. So many new people, all of whom seemed to have expectations of me.
“Absolutely.” He gave me a gentle kiss before practically pushing me toward the shower. “Go on. You've waited long enough to get the truth.”
That was the thing. Sure, I felt comfortable around the Moon witches, but there was something about getting answers that left me apprehensive. It was one thing to want something, but another thing to actually get it.
What if I didn't like what I heard?
My wolf didn't like this attitude—she was practically doing back flips inside me, trying to get my attention, trying to be heard. She wanted me to be open-minded and accepting of this.
“I don't think I have a choice either way,” I whispered as I stepped into the shower, just about groaning in pleasure as layers of grime washed off my skin.
Once I stepped out, feeling better than I had in a while, I quickly dressed in a sweater and jeans. The clothes were clean, soft, and warm. Like wearing a hug. I then padded out into the living room to see Aimes.
He was gazing out the window, watching as they gathered around the fire. They were all smiling, their energy high and happy.
“You're suspicious, aren't you?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around him from behind.
“Careful,” he murmured. “I'm still gross.”
“I don't care.” I squeezed him a little. “Don't duck the question.”
“I don't have any reason to be suspicious. But I am curious.” He turned away from the window, shrugging. “You go through your whole life thinking things are one way, and then you find out they’re another way. It's a lot to wrap my head around. And no, I’m not just talking about the Moon witches.”
“Yeah, I get it,” I said with a long sigh. “Did you talk to Jessa?”
He nodded. “She’s fine. She’s staying with my doctor friend who helped me at the Four Seasons.”
“Good. I’ll see you out there soon?”
He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I’ll be quick.”
While he took a shower, I took a deep breath and walked outside toward the fire. I relished its warmth, soaking it into my bones as one by one the members of the coven turned to greet me.
“You look like you feel much better.” Mom handed me a bowl of stew before guiding me closer to the fire with an arm around my shoulders. “Now eat up, and we'll try to explain as much as we can.”
The stew tasted so good. Rich, hearty, the meat so tender it just about melted in my mouth. I already knew after the second bite that I'd want another bowl, and something told me Aimes would, too.
“There's plenty,” Mom assured me, like she could anticipate my needs.
And why not? She had been anticipating them my entire life.
It was that thought that made me turn to her. “Your real name is Sarah?”
“It is.”
I squeezed my spoon to keep my hand from shaking. “It must have been so hard for you.”
She didn't insult me by pretending not to know what I was talking about.
A soft smile quirked her lips. “It wasn't so hard. I made a promise, and I kept that promise. That was all that mattered.”
“I could be such a brat, though.”
She let out a hearty, knowing laugh. “You were your own person. Stubborn. Fierce. Devoted to finding your own path.”
“And don’t forget bratty.”
She shook her head, such love in her firelit eyes that my heart melted. “I never took it personally.”
“Thank you for that.” My eyes began to sting, and I gazed down into my bowl. “And for everything.”
“You're so welcome, moon chaser.” She tucked a curl behind my ear, smiling fondly. “And for what it's worth, I know I wasn't easy on you. I hope you understand now why that had to be.”
“She was protecting you for us,” another voice said.
It was the witch who'd first challenged Aimes, a petite, older woman with a headscarf who watched me intently as I ate.
“For your mother,” a redheaded woman next to her added.
“Penelope and Ostera were very close with your mom—your birth mom—and me,” Sarah explained, gesturing to the two women.
That was nice, but I didn't want to hear from them. I wanted to hear from her. Sarah. The mom who’d raised me.
“Who are you to me really?” I asked softly.
“I'm your aunt. Your mom was my sister. See, for us, it used to be that there was a Moon witch for every Moon wolf. Usually a sister, cousin, even mother and daughter. The witches drew power from the moon for the wolves, and the wolves provided their witches with protection.”
“That’s how it used to be anyway.” Her jaw twitched as she stared into the fire. “Where we used to live, our ancestral lands… In all these years, they've sat empty for fear of someone returning and wiping out what's left of us.”
“Connolly,” I whispered, and the mention of his name was like throwing a bucket of ice water over everyone.
They sat stiffly, tension thundering through the air.
“You know who he is?” my aunt asked. “Who he is to you, I mean?”
My skin prickled all over. My stew threatened to come back up, but I managed to keep a hold of myself.
“Yes.” That was as much as I could bring myself to say.
There couldn't have been a more perfect time for Aimes to wander over, freshly showered, wearing sweats and a thermal that were a little short in the legs and sleeves but otherwise worked. Another one of the witches handed him a bowl of stew, and he descended upon it ravenously as he took a seat next to me.
His presence loosened some of the tightness in my chest.
“Tell me more,” I urged. “How did it happen? I don't mean what he eventually did. How did he and my birth mom…”
Soft grumbling rippled around the fire in response.
Aunt Sarah winced. “I tried. I need you to believe that. I tried to warn her about him, but he seduced her. At first, he did it in secret, since I'm sure he knew none of us would stand for it. We all knew he was a pig, even then, except for her. Or maybe she knew, but she saw something else in him. When I found out about them, I lost it. We had a huge fight. She was so stubborn.”
Even as she said it, I could hear the mixed affection and frustration in her voice.
“She swore she could handle him and refused to listen when I tried to reason with her. There were already so many rumors about what he was doing—attacking other packs, wiping them out so that his would be the strongest and best. There was never any proof it was him though. That was the problem, and she kept throwing that in my face. She wouldn't listen.”
She shook her head then and smiled, looking my way. “I guess we can be glad for part of all that, at least, since that's where you came from. When she announced she was going to have a baby, of course our goal was to protect her and support her. She kept it secret from Connolly—at least, that was the idea. He must have found out somehow. I wouldn't be surprised if that was his entire plan, to impregnate her and take you from her because of your power.”
You brought the Moon blood back to me, he’d said.
“Yes,” I whispered, shivering in spite of the warmth from the fire. “That was exactly what he had in mind.”
“One night, the night of a full death moon, he brought his wolves with him, stole some of our grimoires, and slaughtered most of us.” My aunt looked around the fire at the witches gathered around, and the pain in her voice was reflected in their faces. “Moon wolves and witches. Mates. Parents, siblings, friends. Murdered. Those of us who managed to escape got as far away as we could.”
“On the night of the full death moon, we cursed Connolly,” Ostera explained, squeezing her frail fists. “And we wrapped your mother in magic to conceal her from him.”
“It worked…to a point.” Sarah sighed. “Until the ninth full moon of your mom's pregnancy. She went into labor and gave birth to you beneath the moon. Soon, we realized our oversight: your mom was protected, but you weren't. The moment you were born, his wolf must have sensed you. It was three days before he found us. We managed to escape again, but it was obvious he would never stop hunting you. That left your mom no choice but to make a very painful decision.”
She took my hand in one of hers while stroking my hair with the other. “She gave you to me, sweet moon chaser. The coven concealed you and me with magic, and I vowed to protect you and hide you from him. I did the best I could until there was nothing more I could do. That’s why I was so protective of you. So he wouldn’t be able to track you down.”
Aimes’s spoon rattled in his empty bowl as he set it down at his feet too roughly. “Until I led her straight to him.”
I looped my arm through his and squeezed. “You didn’t force me to go,” I said gently.
“There's no fighting fate,” Aunt Sarah reminded him. “This is how it was meant to be. Don't blame yourself.”
“So my mom, my birth mom. Is she still wrapped in magic? Is she still alive?”
I didn't very much like the look the women exchanged.
“Honestly, we don't know,” Ostera offered with a shrug. “She vanished during the attack. Some of us scattered, but she never returned. We’ve done location spells, but…”
“So probably not, in other words,” I whispered, my heart sinking.
“We don't want to give up hope,” my aunt murmured with a sad smile. “And to tell you the truth, there have been times when I thought I felt her. It was our sisterly connection, always there but invisible. Sort of like the connection between mates. Powerful. Hard to ignore.”
She pressed her lips together, thoughtful, before nodding. “Think of it like a radio tower. Say you're taking a road trip. Eventually, you lose the radio stations you listen to at home and pick up new stations as you keep driving. There have been times when I was so sure she was close to me because I felt her again. A weak signal, but I know I didn't imagine it. It never lasted very long, though. I don't know if it meant she was traveling, or maybe she was sick, under the influence of a drug or a spell. Something that would dull her wolf and silence her.”
I very much got the feeling she was telling herself whatever she needed to in order to make herself feel better, but I wasn't exactly about to come out and say that.
“I hope you're right,” was the best I could do.
My voice was flat, emotionless. I was hollow inside, empty. Wrung out. My real mother was probably dead, and because of me, my aunt had spent more than two decades in the human world, away from her coven.
“I'm sorry,” I whispered as tears welled in my eyes. “I'm so sorry.”
Instantly, she reached out and brushed my tears away. “Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for.”
“But I feel like I do. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been separated from everybody you loved for so long. I mean, you had to get a job and clean the house and do all those things humans do.”
“We still have to clean around here too,” she murmured with a wink and a grin. “It wasn't that much of a sacrifice.”
“Still,” I choked out. “You must have felt so alone.”
Something like agreement flickered over her face, but she hid it quickly. “I still got word from the coven from time to time. It wasn't as if we were completely separated from each other. I knew I had their support, no matter what.”
That was good to hear. I hadn't completely ruined her life just by being born.
“I am grateful, though,” I told her, throwing my arms around her and squeezing tightly. She felt and smelled like home, so much that my eyes flooded all over again. “Thank you for everything you did for me. I wish I had understood better at the time.”
“That's the way it always goes. Kids aren’t meant to understand until they're older. I shudder to think of some of the misery your mom and I put your grandparents through.”
“I just feel so mixed up inside,” I admitted.
“It's understandable if you'll need some time,” she assured me before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest now. You've had a long, long journey in a short time.”
She looked over the top of my head at Aimes. “Thank you for taking care of her. I hope that doesn't sound insulting. I realize you’re her mate, and that's sort of your responsibility, but it was my responsibility, too.”
“I do my best,” he offered and reached out to rub my back consolingly.
I clasped his thigh, so grateful that he was my rock in this constant swell of unease.
“Considering what we heard about what happened during that so-called wedding, you've done a great job,” my aunt said. “I only thank the goddess you made it out alive, when so many didn't.”
“But not Connolly,” one of the witches muttered before spitting on the ground. “There is no greater evil.”
I couldn't think about that. I couldn't think about anything, not when I was practically swaying in place. It wasn't only physical fatigue, which really wasn't all that bad anymore. I was exhausted emotionally, in my heart, in my head. The more I tried to make sense of everything, the worse it got.
Aunt Sarah walked us back to our little bungalow. “This is yours for as long as you want it,” she explained. “You could stay here forever if you choose, but…” She cocked an eyebrow my way, the corners of her mouth twitching. “Something tells me you won't. You're like your mother. She was never willing to sit back and let others handle things for her. She always wanted to be in the middle of the fight.”
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked this before, so I did it now. “What was her name?”
“Diana,” she said with a smile. “For what it's worth, Harlow was the name I chose for you. I was desperate to hide as much of you as I could.”
“What's my real name?” I asked with a lump in my throat.
“It's still Harlow, if you want it to be,” she told me. “But your mother named you Phoebe.”
“Phoebe,” I whispered, trying it out. “I like it, but Harlow is who I am. I’m not sure who Phoebe is.”
“Then Harlow’s your name.” She kissed my forehead again. “Get plenty of sleep. There will be food whenever you want it. This is your home for as long as you need it to be.” She smiled at Aimes. “You too.”
