Page 4 of Bound By the Moon

“He’ll be coming by in a few days to give anin-person update. He was trying to give you a little time to be anew mom before he came piling his problems on top of the ones wehave here already.”

“Well, I may be a mom now, but I still have a dutyto my people. Tell him sooner rather than later is good. We need toend this before any more women are brutalized for this sickbastard’s end game.” I tossed my hands in the air helplessly.“Whoever the hell the sick bastard actually is.” Then I looked upat everyone who was sitting around the table. “Maybe it’s just me,but this seems odd. I just can’t imagine the dark ones rallyingtogether like this for one specific cause. They don’t usually liketo be together in big groups do they?”

“Jess…” Mikael started worriedly.

“I can handle it. I have to. Being the white wolfdoesn’t stop just because you have a baby. It’s a calling, and onethat needs to be answered. It’s a calling that Willow may one dayinherit for herself. I’d rather do my job to the fullest now, andmake it easier on her in the future, if that’s possible.” Mikaeldidn’t answer, he just threw his hands up in surrender. “So, was Icompletely off base with the dark ones?” I asked, looking to my dadfor answers.

“No, you aren’t. It’s an angle we’re looking into,actually.”

“Along with others.” Mikael huffed out.

“Speaking of other angles, how the hell did she getaway? And why was Tamara attacked, her throat ripped into, if theywere supposedly saving her for some special place?”

“Maybe now isn’t the time for this, Jessie girl.” Myfather hadn’t called me Jessie-girl in an age. Not since before Icame home marked with Evan’s scent almost two years ago now.

My parents got up to leave then. “Seriously, I don’tget those answers? What’s going on?”

“Bring the baby by later, I have some things Ipulled down out of the attic that you might want.” My mom calledout to me as before they shut the door. They seriously just actedlike I hadn’t asked some pretty important questions. I rememberedthe look they all shared when I first sat down to join them, and Iturned to Mikael then. “My parents might be burying their heads inthe sand on this, but I’ll be damned if I am going to let you do ittoo, Mikael.” I put Willow down in her basinet so that I could helpclean up the mess from their breakfast while I waited for ananswer. As I took the dishes from the table to the sink I caughtMikael staring after me, worry-lines wrinkling his handsome face inspots. “What? Seriously, we promised remember?”

“Hmm?” He answered absentmindedly.

“What’s going on in that head of yours to causethese,” I had walked over to him and caressed the slight frownlines appearing on his forehead. “What on this earth could be sobad that you think you suddenly have to hide it from me?”

“I don’t know Jess. I just worry about you.Actually, seeing you and Tamara standing next to each other in themoonlight at the ceremony made me wonder a few things.”

“What things?”

“I wondered, just like you did, who is really behindthese attacks, because it doesn’t just seem like a bunch of darkones out to break free and come out of the closet to humanity. Ifthat were their game, they’d play it better. I am beginning toquestion who exactly is being targeted with all these attacksthough. It’s clear that they are looking for a specific woman, andit was almost uncanny seeing the two of you standing there side byside last night. I keep hoping that one day I will wake up, and foronce you won’t have a giant target pasted to you, but I think it’san impossible dream at this point. The moment you came out as thewhite wolf sort of killed that possibility.”

“Tamara looked a lot like me. You guys think thatthey’re looking for me, don’t you? I never realized before. I meanI knew they were mostly taking dark haired girls, but there are alot more dark haired girls in these parts than light. I neverthought that I might be the target.”

“No? How could you not? You’ve been kidnapped andattacked how many times now? Hell, some of it by my own family’shands.” He shook his head then, and sunk further down into thechair. “I worry for you, Jess. Now, I worry for Willow too. She’snot like you. Everyone will know who she is, and what she has thepotential to become…” Mikael looked up at me then, green eyesglowing with concern. “How the hell do we let her grow up normal,and protect her at the same time?”

“Honestly?” I smiled down at him, and cupped hisface in between my hands, feeling the rough stubble on his cheeks.“We do the same thing any other parents do. We watch, we prepareher, we raise her the way we want, and do the best we can with whatwe’ve got. Fortunately for Willow, we happen to have a lot ofresources and a lot of eyes around to look out for her.” I leaneddown and kissed his forehead. “She’ll be just fine. Just look atthe amazing genes she carries. There’s you… and there’s me… she’smade of nothing but awesome!”

Laughter at the door made me look up in time to seeEvan standing there with Natalia. “Your mom let us in on the wayout, but I didn’t want to interrupt.” Evan apologized.

“No worries,” I said as I stepped back from Mikaelthen. “Can I get you guys a drink or something?”

“When did you get back?” Mikael asked as he gatheredhimself, stood, and turned to face his brother.

“We got in late last night, figured we’d wait untila decent hour to come meet my niece.” Evan walked over and huggedhis brother then, “Congrats, my brother. I know you’ve waited forthis day for a long time.” Mikael gave a gruff, noncommittal noisein response, which triggered laughter from Evan. “Aww, what’s thematter, having a daughter not all it’s cracked up to be? Alreadyworried about the boys who will be beating the door down?”

“Don’t even start on that subject.” Mikael launcheda playful punch at his brother’s chest. “Besides, as her Uncle,it’s your job to help scare them off before they even think ofgetting to the door.”

“Boys!” Natalia rolled her eyes as she walked overto me. “Heaven help your daughter. She’ll never be allowed to datewith them around.” I loved hearing Natalia speak, her thick accent,and the roll of her tongue always reminded me of a couple of mywhite wolf ancestors. In that way, talking to Natalia always feltlike home. Both Evan and Mikael’s accents were much more muted.Apparently, when Antoine was alive, he made them practice for hoursa day to sound as though they were American. He had been planningon sending his boys to rule the roost over here long before theydiscovered I was alive and coming into my power.

It still took a little getting used to that Evan nowhad a mate of his own now. I didn’t think of him in any romanticway anymore, but it was still odd seeing him so at ease withanother soul. Those two were truly meant for one another.

“Yeah, well, where there’s a pretty girl, boys willalways find a way. Isn’t that right?” I looked up at Evan whosecheeks turned red at the reminder of how he had marked me when wefirst met.

Evan cleared his throat and decided it was time tochange the subject while everyone laughed at his expense. “So,where is my lovely little Niece anyway?”

Mikael had already walked over to the bassinet andpicked her up. “She’s right here. My little sleeping beauty…”Seeing Mikael melt every time he held our daughter would never getold. I just smiled over at them as Evan reached to take hold ofher.

“She’s gorgeous! Thank the wolf spirits that shelooks like her mother.” Evan announced amid laughter.

“I have to agree with you there,” Mikael started,“although if she was sporting my whiskers maybe I wouldn’t havetrouble keeping the boys away later.”

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