The Awakening: Book 1 of The Bloodmoon Wars (A Paranormal Shifter Series Prequel to Luna Rising)

by Sara Snow

  I stood up straight after a moment, and my chest suddenly felt tight. I took in a few sharp breaths before moving forward. I stopped in my tracks as a painful howl pierced the silent night, and I knew I was hearing a mother’s lament. The boy’s name had been Keith, and he had been a promising fighter. In his mother’s cry, we all realized what we had lost.

  So many bright flames die out early . . .

  There was so much beauty in this world, but also so much darkness, anger, and hatred. I was not naïve. I knew there couldn't be one without the other. There had to be a balance. But sometimes, it was just so hard to accept.

  I lifted my dress as I continued on my slow walk. That was, until I came to the end of pack territory. I stood there, just over the line, then fell to my knees and let the tears I had been holding back finally fall like drops of rain onto the ground. Sometimes witnessing such injustice drained a person’s energy and made them feel helpless.

  I hated that feeling. I hated feeling helpless.

  I covered my mouth as I screamed, and I continued to do so as my body shook. I didn’t care if anyone saw me. But that was before I heard his voice.

  “Little wolf?”

  I got up quickly and began wiping at my tears as Will walked forward.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, turning my back to him so I could try and get a hold of myself before he saw.

  I realized it then—with the way my tense shoulders relaxed—that without realizing what I was doing, I had come into the forest hoping he’d show up. But now that he was here, I was torn between wanting him to stay and hating that he had caught me crying.

  I inhaled deeply and turned to face him. His hair was combed neatly back, and this time he was wearing the same black, skin tight breeches and shirt without the cloak.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “You’re in werewolf territory. If someone sees you here, they will have all the right to kill you. Why are you here?” My words came out a lot sharper than I’d intended, and his brows pulled together for a second.

  He pointed to the deep claw marks on the tree trunk to my left, a sign that marked the beginning and end of our territory.

  “I’m standing outside your territory, not in it. But I have to ask again—why are you crying, Elinor? Did someone hurt you?”

  My jaws clenched as my hand by my side twitched. There was concern in his eyes, but was it real? I looked away. I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t grow close to him, not when one of his kind had just killed one of mine.

  You don’t know if that’s true, Elinor.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. No, I didn’t know if a vampire had killed Keith. I growled, angry at myself for thinking about using Keith’s death to justify why I wanted to end what had started here.

  “I came to tell you to stop coming so deep into the forest.”

  I froze, my brows knitting as I looked up. “Excuse me?”

  He clasped his hands behind him as he glanced at the claw marks on the tree trunk. “You need to trust me. It’s not safe for you to be out here.”

  “Who do you think you are?” His expression didn’t change when faced with my anger. “This is my home. I live in the woods. I’m a firstborn and fully capable of taking care of myself. Who are you to tell me where I should and shouldn’t go, or what’s dangerous for me?”

  “Elinor, I know you’re upset about something. But I need you to see reason and trust me.”

  I laughed, but it held no humor. What had possessed this man to come to me tonight, trying to control me? It was bad enough when I got this kind of attitude from my father. But coming from Will . . . well, it hurt.

  "Trust you? I don't even know you. I don't know what you are, and you refuse to tell me." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Did you come all this way to see me just so you could tell me what to do? Huh? I'm not weak, Will. I have never been."

  He frowned.

  The silence of the night stretched on, neither of us saying anything after that. I wanted this conversation to be over because I sensed an argument on the horizon. The pent-up emotions I’d been holding in were close to boiling over. And after conducting a burial for a young boy who had his whole life before him, all I wanted to do was punch something.

  I was angry at Will because I now understood that I’d never be more than just a fragile little wolf to him.

  I didn’t need his protection or anyone else’s.

  I bit down on my lip as I tried to control the rage that grew with every breath I took. “These woods are just as dangerous for you, Will, being this close to wolf territory.”

  He inhaled deeply. “I’m here to feed. That is why I’m here. And that is how I know Bleeders are on their way here now. That is why I want you to go! Stop being stubborn, wolf, and go home!”

  The blue eyes I had become so accustomed to seeing suddenly turned red, and my face fell as he stepped toward me. I understood at that moment that once again, he was only trying to protect me. My anger dissipated a little, but not completely.

  Trying to scare me was the worst thing he could have done. I tilted my head back to stare up at him, while my nails elongated by my side and my eyes changed to black.

  His body was almost touching mine, and this time, I felt no warmth radiating from him. He was cold. The memory of Keith’s cold body flashed in my mind, and I was unable to stop the expression of disgust that appeared on my face. It didn’t go unnoticed by him. Unfortunately, I was sure he’d misinterpreted it as disgust towards him, and when he stepped back, my suspicion was confirmed.

  I felt the connection that had been forming between us fall and shatter as his lips parted, and I glimpsed his fangs.

  "If you're trying to scare me, Will, you're doing a terrible job at it. I'm not the weakling you think I am."

  He titled his head to the side, and I grounded my feet as black veins began to appear on his neck leading up to his cheeks. His jaw suddenly snapped, and I couldn’t help the jolt that went through my body.

  Is he really going to attack me?

  His mouth began to stretch open, his fangs on full display as his tongue swiped over his lips. “You should be afraid, little wolf. I’ve never called you weak, but don’t think for a second that you can win against me.” He leaned down until his cheek was beside mine. “My own kind fears me, and you should, too.”

  I felt his tongue flick against my ear, and I clenched my fist and punched him in the chest with as much power as I could muster. He was thrown back a few steps, but that was all. I held my shock inwards because it was as if I had barely touched him.

  “I came here out of concern for you. You don’t know what’s happening outside of this town or the danger you’re risking. Stay out of the woods, and stay away from me!”

  “Gladly!” I yelled back, my voice echoing around us. “I was a fool to think that you . . .” I stopped myself from finishing that statement, and his eyes widened as the black veins on his skin started to fade. I inhaled deeply, letting go of the anger. “Don’t you worry about me, Will. I’ll stay away from you. But don’t hunt anywhere near this territory again if you want to remain living.”

  Then I turned and walked away. And I kept walking until I could no longer feel his eyes on me. I didn’t understand why my chest was aching so much. But I did know that all I wanted, at that moment, was to crawl into bed and sleep for an eternity.

  Why had we just argued like that?

  I reached up and covered my face at the memory, at the things I had said to him. I hadn’t been angry at him—I was just angry at everything. But I’d lost it when he said I should stay out of the woods. I lived here, damn it, and while I knew what he meant, the thought of not being able to run in my own pack’s territory just rubbed me the wrong way.

  Maybe this was for the best. Our friendship was doomed from the start. So why did it feel like I had just lost someone dear to me?

  16

  Skye

  I sat down and pulled my hair into a bun, sighing l
oudly. I smiled at the spotless living room before getting up to take a bath.

  I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the vampire Elinor had told me about two days ago. It was clear she liked him.

  But I was worried about her. This was a vampire we were talking about, after all. Who knew what his real intentions were? Yes, I was aware I was judging the guy before I knew him. And I could be wrong. Cyrus was a demon, and look how amazing he turned out to be. I trusted Elinor to understand what she was doing, but was it wise for her to be friends with someone like him? And what was up with him having blue eyes?

  First, she had been attacked by Bleeders, who were hunting very close to our territory. Thankfully Will had been there to save her—he had my respect for that—but was that just lucky . . . or had he planned it to gain her trust?

  I rested my head back against the edge of the steel tub and listened as the water splashed around with my movements. I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed. Well, she actually met him long before then, on the road heading home that one day. But why had he been hanging around our town so much in the first place?

  Now a boy’s life had been taken by something that had drained him of blood. It all seemed a little too fishy for me.

  I jumped as I heard the front door open and close. I quickly grabbed my towel and wrapped it around me before heading out of the bathroom.

  “C-Cyrus?” I stuttered as I entered the living room and found him standing by the door.

  He was sweating profusely, his hair damp and his white cotton shirt sticking to his body. I tried to avoid looking at the toned muscles of his chest showcased by the wet shirt and instead focused on his droopy eyes.

  "Cyrus, what's going on?" I stepped forward.

  He quickly raised his hand to stop me. “I’m fine. I just feel a little under the weather. I just need a moment.” He inhaled deeply, and his nose crinkled as he grimaced. “May I have some water?”

  I quickly filled a glass while keeping an eye on him. He leaned against the door, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he closed his eyes. I’d seen him like this twice before, and just like those times, my heart hammered away with panic.

  Why do you keep doing this!

  I walked back over to him and put the glass in his hand. “I know what’s happening, Cyrus. You can’t keep doing this.”

  He pulled his lips away from the glass, and my heart sank as his eyes slowly opened. They were changing from gray to black, and somehow, he looked even paler than he’d appeared just moments ago.

  “I’m fine,” he replied weakly.

  I had to fight the urge to smack him the way I usually did. "You're not fine!" I growled through clenched teeth. "You need to stop starving yourself, Cyrus. How long have you gone without feeding this time for it to get this bad? Huh?" He looked away, and I smacked his shoulder. "Answer me! You can't keep doing this!"

  He gave me a weak smile as I adjusted my towel. I wasn’t at all bothered by him seeing me in this way. We’d grown up together, and I was sure he'd seen me naked at one point after shifting.

  “You need to take better care of yourself. I swear to the Goddess, I won’t tell you again. You can’t survive on only human food. Look at you . . .” I poked his chest. “How long?”

  He sighed. “Four months.”

  I stepped back. Ever since we were teenagers and his cravings started, he’d been rejecting his Incubus side by not feeding. As an Incubus, he must feed on the sexual desire of others to survive. But given the relationship he had with his mother and the fact that he silently detested being an Incubus, he refused to feed that way as long as possible.

  I walked away to set the glass down before facing him once more, my arms crossed over my chest. "Why? Why do you insist on doing this? Feeding once every week or two won't kill you, Cyrus. You are what you are, and you need to do what you have to in order to survive."

  “I’m fine, Skye. All I need is a minute to rest a little.” He turned as if to head to his bedroom.

  I quickly ran forward to block his path. I wasn’t going to sit by and watch this. He was starving himself, hurting himself, and I wouldn’t stand for it. “Blow this off as if it’s nothing, and I swear I’ll go get Elinor. Try telling her you’re fine.”

  He frowned at that, knowing that dealing with Elinor was a completely different story. Whenever Elinor became concerned about someone, she was almost unbearable to be around. Her stubbornness would not permit her to let it go.

  “So, what will it be, huh? Should I call for her?”

  He leaned forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I just need to sleep for a bit, Skye, and I’ll be fine. Why can’t you trust me on this?”

  “Feed on me.”

  The words left my lips before I’d even really thought about it. But even as his eyes lowered and became even blacker, I didn’t regret it.

  His hand fell off my shoulder as he stood up straight. “Don’t say that to me . . . ever.”

  “I mean it. You refuse to feed on a random person, so feed on me.” My shoulder slumped somewhat. “Please, I can take it. Let me help you.”

  He stepped back, a strained look on his face. “You can’t.”

  He turned to leave, and I grabbed his arm to stop him. He pulled away from me, and suddenly, he had me pinned to the wall. I reacted simply on reflex and tried to trip him, but his wings shot out from his back as he grabbed me and flipped us over, so I landed on the floor beneath him.

  Something fell to the ground and shattered in the room—no doubt his wings had knocked something over—but I was too transfixed by the emotions in his eyes to think about anything else.

  "You have no idea what you're asking me, Skye." His eyes drifted from my face to my lips and then down to my hand gripping my towel.

  I reached up to touch him. Without warning, he grabbed my left hand as it moved toward his face, pulled my other hand away from the towel, and pinned them both above my head. He closed his eyes for a moment, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply.

  “I can’t feed on you, Skye.” His eyes opened. “I won’t be able to stop myself.”

  I swallowed hard as his grip on my hands tightened a little. Of course, he wasn't hurting me. It was the passion and need on his face that was rendering me speechless.

  We remained like that for a while, neither of us moving, and I didn't want to. His breathing was steadily becoming more labored. As his lips parted and I caught a glimpse of his fangs, my eyes widened. My mind and body were at war—my mind telling me this was a mistake, my body suddenly saying something else altogether.

  I didn’t know if he was the one doing it, but a burning need began in my heart and began coursing through the rest of my body. He inhaled deeply once more, and my stomach clenched as a growl slipped from his lips.

  All I wanted to do was help him. He had no idea how much it hurt me to see him like this. How much it hurt to know that he hated a part of himself. He looked away from me, his face turning red as he fought against what he needed . . . what he wanted.

  I’d never been able to admit it, even to myself, that I’d always had feelings for him. There was a time when I thought he saw me as nothing more than a sister, but over the years, I could tell, sometimes from the way he’d look at me or from certain things he’d say, that there might be more than familial love and friendship between us.

  Although he was basically a part of our pack, I knew Alpha Grayson would never allow there to be anything between us. So, I kept my thoughts and feelings to myself.

  But I couldn’t anymore.

  “Cyrus, I need to tell you . . .”

  “Shhh," he whispered as he released one of my hands. He cupped my cheek, and my body heated from the inside out as he pressed his thumb to my lips.

  I clenched my fists, not knowing what to do as he slowly lowered himself until his body was pressed to mine. He released my other hand, and I whimpered as his warm fingers slid down my body to my thigh. I could feel the heat his body produced through my
towel, and it was as if I was surrounded by warmth. I was entirely at his mercy like this, trapped on the floor with nothing between us but my towel and his wet shirt.

  I’d never been touched like this. I’d never felt this strong a need for anyone else. His wings flapped above us, and I pressed my legs to the side of his body.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he told me, his breath fanning my lips since he was now only inches away from my face.

  “You won’t, I promise.”

  A pulse-like shockwave suddenly left his body and seeped into me, and I quickly grabbed his shoulders as desire blossomed in my core. I arched off the ground, my body shaking violently, and my legs at his sides squeezed against him even harder.

  My thoughts became foggy. He caressed my cheek with his hand, but it felt as if he was touching every inch of my body. My eyes opened slowly as I felt my towel finally come undone. His mouth was open, his eyes now wide with color returning to his cheeks as he looked me up and down.

  I didn't feel ashamed or shy. I felt beautiful with the way he was gazing at me. I felt a pull on my body as if someone was yanking on a cord that was attached to me. I grew even more aroused, a moan slipping from my lips as I felt him place a gentle kiss on my shoulder.

  He captured my lips then, and my body exploded with raw, untamed lust. I smiled as his tongue darted out to gently flick against my lips, and I opened myself to him.

  There was no going back now.

  Elinor

  A knock came at my door, and I rolled onto my back before sitting up. I sighed and rubbed at my eyes. “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Jackson poked his little head in. “Sleeping?”

  I waved at him to come in. “I’m not. What’s wrong? Are you looking for Mother?” He shook his head, and his curls danced as he crossed the room to stand before me. His hands were behind his back as he swayed from side to side, and I chuckled. “What’s wrong?” He glanced at me from under his lashes, looking so adorable, I couldn’t help laughing. “Come on, spit it out now.”