Page 175 of Conner's Luna

Careful darlin' there's a storm a-comin'

Dark clouds are headin' your way.

Catch your breath, there's a storm a-comin'

Blood and tears are washed away.

We place our hand on the door with wicked claws curling into the thin wood. Our chest is pounding. We are caught in a nightmare, trapped in quicksand with no way out. We can barely move and we have to. We need our family.

Careful darlin' there's a girl...

blue eyes and a dark, dark soul.

Hurry, now, there's a storm a-comin'.

she'll bring you down, down, down.

Drown, drown, drown.

We struggle to breathe as we push on the door. It opens with a protesting creak as if the humidity has swollen the wood shut into its frame. We take a halting step as our entire body fights. It's so small, just a closet. No room to shift to paws. Our feet will have to fight.

We are nearly on top of the gorgeous witch as soon as we step inside the room. Everything is wrong with her, with this exquisite creature. We scream inside our head. Everything iswrong.

Run my darlin' she's a-comin' for you.

Hurry now before it's too late.

Careful darlin' there's a storm.

Careful darlin' there's a girl.

Run, run, run away...

"Get out," we seeth through canines that drip with saliva. She is rocking Selene, who is half-asleep, unaware of the danger she's in. Our pup.

The witch's eyes slide to us. "You want me to leave, husband?" she asks, sickly sweet.'Husband...'she says it like a curse as if she's tasted something foul on her viper's tongue.

We clutch our chest. Claws sink in and draw blood, but the pain in our heart eclipses it all. The witch hasblue eyesand not our mate's honey-gold. The screams in our head turn to whimpers.

A wicked smile curls at the edges of the pink lips we have kissed a thousand times. Our lips, our hair, our beautiful mate... this isn't our Bailey.

"Hurts?" the witch sings.

Her voice is like a drug. We have to force our eyes to stay open. Panicked snarls slip from our maw. It helps to block the siren's song.

"Get out," we try again, "of mymate. My daughter."

"Mate," she says softly. Those blue eyes startle open. She looks down at Selene with a troubled expression. Gently she lays my pup back down in the bed. Thank the goddess.

The witch turns to me. We brace ourselves. "Bailey," we choke out. We're helpless. This is our girl, butnot. We can't kill this witch. She's inside of our mate. "Get out of her," we rasp out.

"She is my blood," the witch says quietly. Her head cocks to one side, staring at me in curiosity. I concentrate on breathing, my attention torn between my daughter and the witch. "You love her," she breathes suddenly.

"More than my life," we respond. Dark spots are dancing in our vision. "Please, don't hurt them," we beg. "Fuck." We take another step forward.

"You are a wolf. What sort?" she asks sharply.

"Please," we gasp. We shake our head violently, trying to force the fog from our minds.

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