Moon Child

Days passed as Dawn fell into a life she hadn't experienced in a long time. She was safe, alive, and loving it. Mornings were filled with lovemaking, days were spent sleeping in and nights were consumed with the change. She was getting better with every shift, and each time she felt closer to her Alpha.

Kane loved the way he felt her confidence growing. Little by little, she was beginning to trust every part of herself, and he felt it. He could almost picture the way her wolf calmly sat at the command of her human half. She was becoming one with her animal soul, and the way she walked exuded power. She was his, and he was hers. The mate of the Alpha, the pack mother.

It was after the second week of training that she came to him in her wolf form. She was opening herself up to him, allowing her scent to drag him in like bees to honey. His wolf whipped his tail back and forth in acknowledgement. She wanted to mate, and this time it was her human mind at the reigns. The need to have him mark her had grown so strong within her that she could no longer fight it. Hell, she didn't want to fight it.

When he mounted her in the woods it was consensual. He bent forward, his bite to her neck the mark of a mate. She would follow their finish with a similar marking, a unique bond between just the two of them. It was final, they would forever be one.

...

The pack felt lighter after their bonding, and she knew their relief. She may have bonded to their pack in her blood ceremony, but they had all still worried if she would run. She had the soul of a lone wolf, or so she had thought. Now she saw things differently and she was happy to be chained to their Alpha. This was her place, her family now.

For weeks they shifted and came together as one, Dawn allowing Kane to mount her under the light of the moon. It felt right, and after every meeting they would lie together as animals. No words, no fears or worries. Just one another, together in serenity. It was a peace she had forgotten could exist. It was a love she had never known.

Her nightmares were slowly escaping the recesses of her mind. She was able to open up to Kane and Hazel, to share her experiences with the old pack. They wanted blood, vengeance for her pain, but she refused. She would never want to put a target on their backs. Hunting her past down, destroying them? It wouldn't stop what had happened and it wouldn't reverse the damage.Her new family's love was doing just that.

"I still think we should wait a couple more days."

Kane stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her middle as his chin rested on the crown of her head. He was ready to share their news, but Dawn had been reluctant. He knew her fears, shared the worries as she tried to remain positive. The belief that sharing themselves fully with the pack might change something hurt his heart. He hated that she was so nervous, but understood and wouldn't push her to do something she wasn't ready for.

"Maybe...tomorrow?"

He moved to stand in front of her, his hands resting on her hips. Their gazes locked and he leaned forward to capture her lips in his own.

"If that is what you wish, I will wait."

She smiled up at him, thankful for his cooperation. They were both nervous about this new development, but her fear is what held her back. Fear of the unknown and the what ifs held her tighter than her past had. It was like the weight of the world was on her, and she didn't even feel as though she could share in Kane's joy.

When he left her to attend to his usual Alpha business she stayed in the room. She had received a full length mirror from Hazel after her bond was complete with Kane. A "wedding present" she joked. Standing before it in a light yellow sundress she looked over herself. Everything seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing anyone would notice, yet she felt like all eyes would be on her if she left the house.

With a sigh she ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm being ridiculous."

Maybe she was, but she had every right to. Right? She was scared of losing this. Losing a piece of herself she had never had but now couldn't think of missing. Her gut churned, leaving her bent over the toilet as her stomachs contents filled the porcelain bowl.

After a calming moment of breathing and thinking positive thoughts, she stood. Washing out her mouth was number one on the list. Then she would face the world.

Standing outside the door to her new home she breathed in the fresh air. The sun was making its descent toward the horizon, and she wished she could simply shift and avoid all of the questioning glances. She had been quieter than usual with her pack, her family. Would they understand why in the end? She hoped so, truly.

Spending the day with Hazel and her girls at the lakeside was almost too serene. She wondered where this had all been while she lived through Hell everyday. They had all been so close, yet so far away. Now, as she looked over her pack sister, she smiled. The woman looked past ready to pop. She would deliver a beautiful child soon, and she was brimming with excitement. All she could speak of was how happy Jeremiah and the girls were.

They had everything ready for the new edition, picking neutral colors to welcome a boy or girl. They didn't care which, as long as it was healthy. The girls were splashing in the water, laughing and enjoying the setting sun. It was a clear afternoon, but not many of the pack were by the water. Most of the men were with Kane, discussing perimeter guard duties and such. The rest of the pack had been in the gardens the last Dawn saw.

So she was sharing a quiet, yet laughter filled, night with the girls. It was amazing how easily they filled her heart with a longing for a family of her own. Children to fill her arms as they smiled and talked nonstop about their day. They were so different in personalities, and it was beautiful watching them bloom into flowers of their own wild creation.

"Mom."

Yet flowers could be so fragile. May was swimming toward the shore, her look of fear stomping out Dawn's smile completely. The girl had just gotten out of her arm sling the day before. This was her first swim in the lake, and already something was wrong. The woman shot to her feet, running to the water as she looked for Destiny.

"Destiny?"

Her instincts kicked in, images of her human brother caught underwater flashing through her mind. He had barely made it, and it was her fault. She had been too slow, too weak.

"Destiny! May, where is she?"

Hazel's voice trembled as Dawn rushed into the water. The little girl was nowhere to be seen, and suddenly the woman's heart dropped. How long could she hold her breath? What if she was hurt? She could remember how to do CPR, right?

She dived under the water as soon as it was deep enough, her gaze catching on the limp figure of a child. She was slowly sinking to the lakebed, and Dawn smelled blood. She pushed forward as she tried to find the source of her wound. Covering her right foot she noticed a large metal trap. Another one? She thought the pack had destroyed them all. Why would this one be here?

How could it have been close enough to the surface of the water to catch Destiny in its jaws? It would have been too heavy to float. The girls should have been safe. Something was wrong here.

When she got to the girl she wrapped an arm around her waist, grabbing the trap with her free hand. She would've tried to free the girl while under water, but she wasn't sure how long the child had been sucking in the lake. Her heart sounded weak, and that was enough to make Dawn rush to the surface.

She swam to shore with the girl and trap within her arms. Hazel's eyes were filled with worry as she rushed over to them. May was nowhere in sight, probably getting help. Dawn didn't have time to ponder the possibilities as she laid the girl down and grabbed onto the traps metal teeth. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Hazel was crying as she watched her pack sister rip the giant bear trap apart with her slender fingers. The woman worked fast, slipping out of her own shirt to hand it to Hazel.

"Rip it up, wrap the ankle."

In the next second she was pressing her hands into Destiny's torso, forcing air from her own mouth to the child's. It felt like an eternity as Hazel bandaged her own daughters torn flesh with trembling fingers. When she was done all she could do was sit back and hope to hear her daughter breathe once more.

May came running out of the tree line, half of the pack in tow. Jeremiah was at Hazel's side quicker than a bullet, his knees hitting the ground like boulders. Dawn ignored them, continuing CPR. With every move flashes of her human life hit her like icicles to her heart. Damn it all if she lost this little girl. Would Hazel ever forgive her, the woman unable to save her child?

Moments later the girl began to cough up water. Dawn lifted her and tilted her to the side. The position allowed the water an easy exit from the child's blue lips. When those sapphire eyes opened they looked dull and empty. Cold.

"She needs a blanket, something to get her warm."

Suddenly Kane was at her side, covering the girl in his jacket. Dawn moved back, standing and allowing the child's parents the room to care for her. Hazel's tears fell freely as Jeremiah picked Destiny up, holding her to his chest. The couple met May at the trees, making their way back home to Magdelynn.

Dawn leaned against Kane, her heart skipping a beat as her vision blurred.

"Kane, it was a bear trap. Floating in the water. It wasn't...it doesn't make sense."

He looked out to the water, his gaze moving along the trees around them. Then something caught his attention, but it wasn't far away. It was right beside him. He felt her heart speed up, then slow. Her breathing was erratic and inside his own mind he felt her fatigue.

"Dawn, are you hurt?"

She frowned, lazily shaking her head.

"No I...I'm..."

In the next instance she was gone, her limp body falling into his arms. He felt his whole world darken, her eyes closing as if she would never look up at him again. Suddenly he saw nothing but her, felt nothing but worry and pain. Magdelynn. He needed Magdelynn.