Willow From The Ashes (Children Of The Moon Book 1)

by Amelia Harding

  As he approaches I shift back. Being naked isn't something we're shy about. It's a normal part of shifting. Being in human form will make it easier to talk and I know that's exactly what he's here for. There's a purpose in his stride and a mix between determination and confusion in his eyes. It automatically puts me on high alert.

  "What's going on brother?" I call out as he nears me. "I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest". There are so many emotions written on his usually composed face that I can't imagine what this is about. Spotting a huge boulder I go and take a seat "Ask whatever you need".

  For a second he hesitates, loosens his tie and unbuttons his dress shirt. I raise an eyebrow wondering what exactly is going on. That's when he fishes out the ever-present necklace.

  The pendant is rustic and obviously full of some sort of history. Now, I'm really intrigued. "Before I showed you this years ago, had you ever seen it before?"

  I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that. I shake my head slowly trying to piece together what this could be about. "You had never heard anything to do with it?" Once again I shake my head. "As far as I know, No. Carter, What the hell is this about?"

  This time he comes before me so he's kneeling and we are eye to eye. "Is there any reason why Hope would have one?" Carter's voice is barely a whisper and it takes me a second to register his question. "Hope? What does she have to do with anything?"

  His eyes make a quick scan of the area, making sure we're alone although we both know there's no one even close to our location.

  "Today, in the library. I went in to look for a document. I had barely stepped foot inside when Hope fell from the latter. I was able to catch her but with the fall, a necklace seemed to half slipped out from under her shirt. It was an exact match to mine Max. How the fuck is that possible?"

  "Are you sure?" I see Carter's eyes darken at my question. "Would I be here asking you if I wasn't sure? The moment she realized what I was looking at and that it had slipped out, she hurriedly tucked it back and practically ran out just saying she had to go". My mind is now reeling trying to deduce what that could mean. Obviously, like Carter, there was some reason she hid it.

  "As far as I know, Hope is Adam and Charlotte's daughter. Always has been just like she's always been a part of the White Thorn pack". I try to think back but I can't see any connection between Hope and Carter.

  Obviously, there's something we don't know. "I know it's not a priority but I want to do some digging. She might lead me to the answers I've been searching for".

  I know how much this means to Carter and I myself don't exactly know what it means. I merely nod my head. Just another thing we need to figure out. Looks like things are gonna get a little complicated.

  Chapter 24

  Hope

  Changing into a long sleeve striped shirt and distressed denim jeans, I quickly slip into camel ankle booties and brush my hair out, doing it up into a ponytail with a thin black scrunchie.

  At the last second, I grab a rarely used red ribbon with a small stitched on pawprint and tie it loosely around the scrunchie. Looking in the mirror I study my reflection. My skin has a healthy color again, my hair has more body and bounce than I could ever remember.

  Most importantly, I have gained some weight and any lingering bruises have healed. Sometimes I get scared imagining this is all a dream and I will wake up to the feeling of being starved, weak and in pain.

  I will never go back to that again no matter what. It is a promise I am making to myself right here and now.

  From now on I refuse to be a Cinderella. This beautiful reprieve has helped me get back to who I should have been all along. This is more than I had ever expected to be given. Which is why from this point forward regardless of what happens, I will save myself.

  I won't wait for a strong man to show up and do it for me. That is not the girl I want to be. After a final glance, I grab my phone and wallet then go search for my mom.

  After a good fifteen minutes of searching around, I find my parents lounging in the backyard with what looks to be a couple of glasses of white wine. As I approach my father looks back with his usual easy smile and waves me over.

  I kiss them both on the cheek and sit on an empty chair. "She's alive! my only daughter finally graces the outside world with her presence". My dad jokingly teases which earns an eye roll from me. I can't help but giggle which was obviously his aim in the first place.

  My mom swats his arm with a small smile on her face. "Ignore your father. Poking fun seems to be his new full-time hobby. What he means is we're glad to see you out. Do you have any plans for today?"

  I love how comfortable and close my parent's relationship seems to be. Any time I'm with them I feel like a kid all over again, in a good way. "Actually that's why I was looking for you. I haven't been into town at all and I thought a mother-daughter day trip might be nice. If you're not busy of course".

  Almost instantly my mom's seafoam eyes light up and she claps her hands together. "That's a perfect idea! I heard of this cute little bakery in town. Ooh! and a new boutique opened up".

  My mom's excitement is infectious and it brings a huge smile to my face. My mom looks towards my dad and he covers his pocket as if protecting his wallet. I laugh at his antics, I had missed this so much.

  "Forget your father, we are gonna have an amazing time. I will grab my purse and we can head out". Getting up my Dad walks out with us and hugs "Remember to be back for the get together".

  I look at him questioningly. I don't remember hearing about a get-together. "There's a get-together tonight?" I ask now curious what it's for.

  "The one Onyx Moon pack has each month. It's out back so everyone can mingle and eat together while the kids play. There was a big announcement about it last week". I rub the back of my neck, I either tuned it out or ate alone in the library that day.

  My dad flicks my forehead lightly "You need to pay more attention little willow. You're getting older now, you need to be more aware of what goes on in the pack".

  I just nod my head and give him another kiss on the cheek "Got it, old man, I'll see you later". I laugh and move out of his reach jumping into my mom's car so we can drive into town.

  I turn the radio on but keep the volume low so it is easy to talk over. "You and dad seem to be liking it here". My mom smiles my way but keeps her eyes on the road.

  "Even though it has been a few years since your father has been involved in the running of our pack, he still worries about those things. Daniel and his Beta are young and running a pack takes a lot of experience to master. Coming here took a lot of pressure off of everyone. It's been nice".

  I look my mom's way, I guess I had never thought about what it must be like for them. The stress of seeing the pack crumble and the tension within it yet no longer having the power to do anything about it.

  "Do you think dad wishes Alpha Jamison were still in charge?" I ask out of curiosity more than anything. She takes a second to think it over before responding.

  "I think your father always felt Jamison should have waited until Daniel was older. All that power and responsibility when you're so young is hard to handle without losing control. Maybe a slow transition where the roles were shared until they were ready. In the end, though, we all just adapt".

  I nod my head in understanding. I know my dad was never quite sold on Daniel taking over. Out of loyalty to the pack he never publicly said it but he definitely had his doubts.

  "Anyways, that doesn't matter right now because everything is good at the moment. The move seems to have done you well too, your father and I have noticed how much happier you seem. We had been so worried about you but we knew if there was anything major, you would have come to us".

  So they really had noticed. Most likely not the extent of how badly I was doing but enough to be worried. They trusted in the relationship we had and that I knew I could count on them. I swallow the lump in my throat.

  My parents mean everything to me and th
ey were right if I could have told them I would have, but it wasn't an option. I will never let them know just how bad it got, not if I can help it. I never want them to feel like they let me down because they never have.

  I reach over and put a hand on my moms and give her my most sincere smile "I really love it here. I think I just needed a change is all". She squeezes my hand still paying attention to the road "We all need to make a change and break free sometimes. I'm glad this was what you needed sweetheart. Knowing you're happy is all your dad and I have ever wanted".

  Without realizing it, those had been words I needed to hear. It feels like another piece of my heart has been mended back in place. Slowly but surely it will feel whole again someday.

  "I love you guys and I know you always just want the best for me. Right now, the best sounds like a giant ice cream cone". My mom laughs and I join in "That is something I think I can manage". Perfect timing, just as she says that we pull into the parking garage in the middle of the small town.

  Chapter 25

  Hope

  Stepping out of the car I loop arms with my mom. Crossing the street is easy, there isn't much traffic passing by.

  Both sides of Main Street are lined with mom and pop shops and boutiques. I spot a bowling alley and a theater good ways down the road. I'm relieved the sidewalks aren't crowded, It's easing some of the anxiety of being out and about after quite a while.

  Feeling mom's arm looped with mine is also helping. You would think I'm seven instead of seventeen but I don't really care because nothing can get me down right now.

  "Do you wanna do ice cream then shopping or shopping then ice cream?" I ask mom so we can decide what we are doing. "Shopping first, of course!" Her response comes with no hesitation.

  I figured that's what she would choose but I don't mind. Assessing the window displays for the surrounding boutiques is interesting. Each has its own individual style and flair. Everything from classic staple pieces to flowy boho chic.

  Mom steers us towards a brick facade building with 'Gracieux' etched in Edwardian script onto what looks like a copper plaque hanging by the entrance. We walk in and this beautiful scent envelops us.

  Gracieux smells like jasmine and peony with just a hint of grapefruit. It is feminine yet youthful which perfectly encompasses the style of their clothing. Like kids at a candy store, we start digging through the countless racks.

  My style has mostly been defined by my ability to make myself invisible. Now as I grab items to try on, I do it thinking about how I wish to look not whether or not my bruises will show or if they will reveal how skinny I had become.

  It seems silly to place so much value in how clothing makes you feel but truthfully, a change of style can make you feel like a completely different person. The way I see it, its the perfect time for it.

  We each make our way into our individual dressing rooms but they are next to each other. "Let me know when you have the first outfit on! I wanna see". Mom calls out. "Sure, I'll just be another minute".

  Getting undressed I take the first items off their hangers and slip them on easily. Before showing my mom I take a look in the mirror. The top is a sleeveless white lace top with navy trim and a peter pan collar.

  The top is tucked into a pair of high waisted white shorts with a scalloped hem. The outfit is nicely fitted with a feminine yet casual feel and I love it.

  More than anything, I feel amazing in it. With the amount of weight I've put on, I now look healthy although still a bit thin but light years from the image I hated looking at not too long ago.

  I can't even remember the last time I put a shirt on that showed my arms and although they lack muscle they look nice and normal. I step out to show mom but hesitate for a second. Will I be drawing too much attention to myself? It is a definite style change and Daniel would definitely notice.

  Taking a deep breath I stare myself down in the mirror, you promised to not let anyone put you down anymore and to stop being scared. I will dress how I want without feeling bad about it. Never again.

  With a smile on my face, I step out "What do you think mom?" a turn so she can get a full view. "That looks so cute! oh, my little girl is so beautiful" my mom says while squeezing me and I start to laugh.

  "Come on mom that's a bit much" although I say that I know my smile is still intact. "Okay, momma will stop embarrassing you. I say the outfit is a winner. Now go try on the next one!"

  For the next half an hour we try stuff on and model it for each other before paying and moving on to check out some other shops. We hit up a bath and body store to stock up on lotions and candles.

  Then, we stepped into a beautiful shoe store where we got a couple of cute sandals and a pair of heels in case a special occasion comes up.

  Without realizing it we have been out for hours now. I had been having such an amazing time with my mom that I completely forgot we had to be back at nightfall for the pack dinner.

  I offer to take the bags to the car while mom runs into the ice cream parlor and gets us a couple of cones to go. Making my way back to the parking garage I use the remote on the car keys to find where we parked.

  Somehow I manage to get the trunk open and carefully stack the bags and secure them so I can close the trunk. It shuts with a loud thud and I shake my arms out, glad to no longer be carrying all the heavy bags.

  I turn so I can walk around and jump in the passenger's seat to wait for mom to arrive when all my senses suddenly seem to shut down. I stay still hoping that whatever is going on will fade away.

  Slowly my hearing comes back and I can hear my shallow breaths. I reach out to try to feel where the car is and my hand touches something. Instead of cool metal, it feels like fabric and flesh. I hope that it's my mom finally back with the ice cream and move forward getting closer. Almost instantly I realize this is definitely not mom.

  The hand that wraps around my wrist is large and the body I practically ran into is muscular and obviously male. I go to jerk away, the inability to see making the situation more terrifying.

  Unfortunately, the hand around my wrist pulls me forward and an arm is now wrapped around my waist. I try to pull away feeling panicked but it's impossible.

  My sense of smell now kicks back in and I'm hit with a rush of coriander, citrus, and red cedar. Spicy and warm yet refreshing, it works in a weird way and under different circumstances I would even say I liked it. Not now though.

  I try to yell but no sound comes out and I curse whoever this is and whatever the hell they've done to me. The feel of hair light grazes on my cheek lets me know how close he is now. His breath against my ear making me squirm even harder.

  "I will be seeing you very soon my love". His voice is smooth like velvet and I know I've heard it somewhere. I wrack my brain but I can't place it in my current state.

  Just like that, as soon as it came it was gone. I was in the parking lot again with no one in sight. I could hear, see and speak normally. Was it a hallucination? Was anyone even here? I look around the now dark parking garage. The sun has set and nothing seems to be out of order but the shiver running down my body is still there.

  I don't get the chance to keep thinking about it because mom arrives and we jump into the car with ice cream in hand. I do my best to block out the strange incident and eat my ice cream before we get home and I'm forced to mingle with the packs.

  Chapter 26

  Hope

  When we arrive, things are in full swing. The large expanse of the backyard which leads into the woods is full of life. The children are running around and playing.

  Some of the older men are gathered around the grills with a beer in hand. Small groups are formed here and there but for the most part, everyone seems to be trying to mingle.

  I can't help feeling just a tad awkward. Gatherings aren't exactly my scene and I'm not sure what to do. Mom comes up behind me and leads me towards where my father is. He seems to be laughing it up with Alpha Jamison and a few others who I don't really recognize.
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br />   He spots us coming towards him and waves. I give him a quick kiss and offer greetings but say I'm going to grab a drink so I can slip away. Trying to join in on a conversation between your parents and their friends sounds more awkward than hanging out by myself.

  On my way to the drink station, I take my time observing the surroundings. Lanterns hang from the trees and are scattered throughout the yard along with tiki torches. A large bonfire to the side helps illuminate the night casting a warm glow over the smiling guests.

  The sounds of excited chatter and jovial laughs ring through the air and seem to fill the open space. Somehow all of this makes me feel calmer.

  There's a welcoming spirit in the air that I had rarely felt before. A group of children runs into my path, playing and laughing and teasing. There are sparklers in their hands and the sheer innocence of it brings a small smile to my face.