Forget Me Not (Phased Moonlight Series Book 2) (7 page)

              Sera whined, nudging his stomach with her head.

              “Others say it is the mark of the goddess, that she, herself, has laid her hand on that wolf to bless it. I believe  you have been touched by the goddess, my love.”

              She gave a gentle yelp, nipping at his pants.

He smiled and slipped out of his jeans. He called on his wolf, shedding his human skin. She made a cooing sound and rolled onto her back to expose her stomach to him.

He growled at the sign of submission but nudged her up.
“You are my equal,
mio amore.”

              She rubbed up against him affectionately.

             
“Shall we run, mate?”

             
Koda gave a playful growl and took off into the trees, leaving his worries in the dust.

* * *

              The next day seemed to fly by in a matter of minutes. Sera threw a torch into a large bonfire in the front of the pack house. As the moon rose high in the sky, she felt the pull on her wolf to run and hunt. Normally, she would have given into the temptation, but her run with Koda had relieved a lot of pent-up energy.

              Faith’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, making her smile. “This is amazing, Sera! I wish I could stay here forever.”

              “Me too,” Sera agreed.

              “So… Is there anyone I haven’t met?”

              “There are a few members who live off the island, but I don’t think you’ll have a chance to meet them.”

              “Members?”

              “Uh…yeah, as in, um…f-family members,” Sera stuttered, trying not to be too obvious.

              “Oh! I gotcha!”

              “Sera! Faith!” Koda called.

              Sera turned around and found her mate standing with Nodin, his third. She grabbed Faith’s hand and pulled her over to them. “Speaking of people you haven’t met,” Sera said, smiling. “Nodin! It’s great to see you again.”

              He didn’t even bat an eyelash; his gaze was locked on Faith.

Sera saw the slight glow in his eyes and felt the crackle in the air as his wolf came forward. Sera placed a hand around Faith’s waist, tucking her tiny friend into her side. “Watch yourself, Nodin,” Sera said, her voice deep and threatening.

              Faith stood up on her toes to ask into Sera’s ear, “What’s wrong with him?”

              “Jackson!” Sera called, noticing her beta walking toward them.

              “What’s up, Boss?”

              “Please take Faith to Ally and Richard.”

              As soon as Jackson laid a hand on Faith’s shoulder, Nodin’s eyes flashed, and he almost lunged at him. Both Sera and Koda unleashed their power, though, and he remained immobile.

             
“Take him behind the house,”
Sera growled in Koda’s mind.

              When Koda gripped the back of Nodin’s neck, she walked at a brisk pace to the opposite side of the house. Once they were completely out of sight, Sera took Nodin from her mate and slammed him into the side of the house. She held him by his throat and snarled. “I have warned you of the price of exposing us, Nodin.”

              “I remained under control.”

              “Under control!? You almost attacked Jackson for touching Faith. Now listen, Nodin, and listen good, because I’ll only say this once. You have no claim on Faith. She is mine and mine alone. I will not share what is mine, with the exception of true mates. She is not yours. Faith is human, and her body cannot maintain the intensity of the bond magic.”

              “She can always be changed,” Nodin gruffly said, growling. 

              Sera froze as her anger reached its peak. She felt her fangs growing and her nails sharpening as her wolf thrashed for release.

Koda laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. “Nodin,” Koda said, growling, “if you even attempt to change her, you will forfeit your life. She is protected by us, and she is to remain human. Do you understand me?”

              Nodin didn’t answer and only challenged Koda by holding his gaze.              

              “Sera, go back to the bonfire. I need to have a private talk with my third.”

              Sera nodded, trusting Koda to handle the situation for her. As she walked away, she felt him open the bond, allowing her to watch the punishment so she would be assured that all was well.             

              She walked over to her group of friends and looked at Faith, who was still quite pale, especially in the flickering of the bonfire flames. Sera could smell the fear coming off her in waves. She wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head to console her. She made sure to gently blow in her hair, leaving her scent on Faith.

              “Did I do something to upset him?”

              Sera shook her head. “No. It’s me. He’s been trying to avoid me because of an argument we had. I just didn’t want him to snap in front of you.”

              Faith nodded against Sera’s chest. “Okay,” she said, her voice shaky.

              “So…” Sera smiled, turning to her friends. “How do you y’all like it here?”

              “It’s great,” Ally said, biting into a thick, juicy cheeseburger Antonio had made for her.

              “Where’s Richard?” Sera asked when she didn’t see him in the firelight.

              Faith chuckled into her hand, and the others began to snicker.

              “Seems he’s taken a liking to our little Ressa.” Trisha said, with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

              Sera burst out in laughter, knowing full well that Caressa would tear Richard apart. A werewolf female and a human male was nothing more than an accident waiting to happen.

              “What’s so funny?” Cameron asked defensively. “You don’t think Richard’s good enough for your cousin? That’s not very nice.”

              Sera held up her hands. “Whoa, there, kitty cat. Put them claws away. It’s just funny because Ressa’s really not one for relationships, that’s all. She’s not exactly a romantic.”

              Cameron snorted and pulled out his phone. “Sure,” he snidely remarked.

Sera ignored his comment and watched through the bond as her mate disciplined his third.
“Come back to me, mate. He has had enough,”
Sera whispered into his mind.

             
“On my way.”

             
Sera smiled to herself, watching the fire consume the logs. The smoke swirled up into the blackened sky, adding dimension to the already beautiful night. Just a moment later, she felt large, warm hands on her shoulders and turned up to Koda, and she reached up to kiss him. “You okay?” she asked as he picked her up, sat in her chair, and set her down in his lap. 

              He nodded against her. “Fine,” he said.

              “Aw,” Faith said, looking at them jealously. “Why the heck can’t I have a fairytale romance like that?”

              “You will one day, little one,” Nodin said, coming up behind her.

              Sera tensed, sitting up straight in Koda’s lap.

             
“Calm, my alpha,”
Koda soothed, rubbing her back.
“He merely wants to apologize.”

             
Sera watched them with a slight glow in her eyes, prepared for anything.

              “I am solemnly sorry for our previous encounter,” Nodin said sincerely. “I would now like to formally introduce myself the correct way.” He bowed and offered his hand. When she placed her hand in his, he said, “My name is Nodin Madichi.” 

              “I-I’m Faith Sharp. It’s a pleasure.”

              “The pleasure is all mine, little one. It is an honor to meet you.”

              Sera saw the fire ignite in her friend’s eyes as she snappily pulled her hand away from him.

              “I’m not little, you overgrown beast!” Faith then angrily pushed away from the circle and stormed off.

              “What did I say?” Nodin asked, looking at the group.

              “You called her little…twice,” Richard said, taking his sister’s chair.

              Nodin scratched his forehead. “Damn. I simply do not understand females.”

              “Get in line, pal,” Richard said, taking a swig of water before he pulled out a cigarette.

              Sera rolled her eyes. “I thought you quit that nasty habit.”

              He took a long drag and shrugged. “I only smoke when I’m…agitated.”

              “And, Richie, pray tell,” Ally said, smiling, “why are you so agitated?”

              “Piss off.”

              “All right,” Trisha interrupted, laughing uneasily. “Let’s stop that before people start saying things they don’t mean.” She nudged Richard’s shoulder, making him smile.

              A sharp whistle pierced the air, and Sera winced. She turned around and glared at Antonio, who was standing in front of a large screen that had been set up in front of a projector.

              “As most of you know, we normally have a movie to end these bonfires. However, now that we have our new friends here with us, we want to share a little slideshow with you. These are photos of all of us. Hopefully, it will help you feel closer, like part of our family.” He pressed a button on the projector, and images began to show up on the screen.

Sera stood up with a loving sigh as she watched a picture of Koda, holding a baby Aria in his arms.

              Koda wrapped his arms around her waist, and she turned in his arms and looked up at him.

              “You used to be so cute. What happened?”

              He growled at her, nipping her bottom lip. “I became sexy.”

              “Conceited much?”

              “Not conceited, luv. Convinced.” He gently kissed her forehead and let out a chuckle. 

              She rolled her eyes at him, but when a piercing scream suddenly rang out, she froze. She recognized that scream, for it was forever etched in her memory. She turned around and gasped at the projection screen when she saw Ryan giving her the first punishment she ever received. His wolf raked his claws down her unmarred skin, leaving deep gashes that oozed blood. The younger Sera screamed and sobbed as she was attacked by Ryan.

              Antonio ran to the projector and pulled the cord from the power source, apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know how that happened. Wh-what’s going on?”

Sera just stood there, frozen in place, with her whole pack and her friends staring at her.

Koda wrapped his arms around her tightly as he began to bark orders. “Trisha! Jackson! Take Sera’s friends to the cabin. The rest of you, go home…now!”

              Everyone jumped at his harsh tone, and the courtyard was quickly cleared, until only Sera and Koda remained. She stared at the blank screen as tears dripped down her cheeks.

              “Sera?” Koda asked tentatively.

              She cried out as her wolf fought for dominance.

He fell to his knees at his mate’s sound of unfathomable pain and humiliation. He watched in horror as her body contorted as she battled her wolf for control. “Let her out!” Koda demanded with a snarl, unable to bear her torment. 

              Sera’s wolf ripped through her human skin and shook away the remains of her clothes. She raced into the woods, harboring an unquenchable bloodlust, a need to kill.

Koda sensed her need to run, and he gave her the space to hunt without any competition. Suddenly, an odd presence filled his mind, and he gripped his head.

             
“Tick-tock…tick-tock, Alpha,”
the voice mused.

              He heard Sera’s sharp whine and felt agony through her bond. “Sera!” Fearing for her safety, he quickly shifted into his wolf and raced after his mate.

He found her rolling on the ground, digging at her ears as if some high-pitched sound was torturing her. Sera whimpered and whined, scraping her claws deep into her own skin, tearing her own flesh. The white, luxurious coat he so loved became stained with red blood, and he growled at her.
“Sera, stop!”
he silently cried to her.

             
She ignored him and continued to scratch at her head.

Seeing no other solution, Koda shifted back into his human form and lunged at his mate, well aware that she could turn on him and kill him.

* * *

              Faith felt her lungs kick into overdrive as Jackson and Trisha rushed them into the guesthouse. She noticed that Nodin was trailing behind them, and she shook her head.

              “Can someone please explain to me what in the hell is going on?” Richard said.

              “We can’t tell y’all anything till Sera says it’s okay,” Trisha said softly.