Dark Moon Ch. 03

Note to readers: Hello all and thank you for the reviews. Quick disclaimer. Made a mistake in the weeks before the mating moon, instead of four weeks it's actually three. Thanks to Addy for pointing out the moon cycles :S. Anywho, please please review, I love them nearly as much as I love cake. Enjoy!

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Joshua glared daggers at his mother from across the dining table, angry that she had once again determined his life. Prodding at the beef on his plate his eyes drifted to the window were a wren sat on the fence.

Its small head twitched eagerly, impatient to be on its way. Joshua smiled as it swooped down and began pecking the earth, small worms hanging from its beak.

"Joshua don't play with your food." Naomi ordered, her voice booming in the all but empty room.

The small wren took off without looking back and Joshua watched it sadly, until it was a dot against the blue sky. His heart plummeted as he lost sight of the little bird.

"I've lost my appetite." Joshua said through gritted teeth, not wanting to spend another minute is his mother's company.

It had been three days since she had declared that Joshua could be fought over and he continued to hate the idea.

In retrospect he had been propositioned many times in his youth, and now that he was nearing twenty five he was in his prime as a male. Most mothers relinquished their sons at twenty one and he had been lucky that his mother had indulged his every whim.

However Joshua didn't want a mate from Stillwater, he didn't want his life dictated to him by his mate. He didn't want to be told what to wear or what to cook or who his friends could be.

"Marie has set her sights on you and she comes from a wealthy family, they would be lucky to have you." Naomi said cutting at the steak with her knife and fork, her eyes never leaving Joshua's face, smiling to herself as he clenched his jaw.

"I don't care. I want to choose my own mate, like any other shifter." Joshua said, knowing that he was sulking but past caring.

Other shifters decided who they wanted to be with, it was a mutual agreement not a deadly battle to the death. He didn't like the idea of Marie having to fight with another bitch to claim him, he wasn't worth the bloodshed.

"That is how it is here in Stillwater and everywhere else. You are an Alpha. I didn't want to force you, but I have given you enough time to be as liberal as law will allow."

"May I be excused, Marcus and I are going for a walk." Joshua said, blocking his mothers words of protocol.

"As long as you don't go too far, some of the women are in heat. I want you unsullied do you hear me! If those bitches want a quick lay they know where to go." His mother said trying to tamp down her anger.

Joshua backed away slowly, it was at these times when a blind rage took hold of her and she became wild.

Naomi caught whiff of his fear and tracked him with hungry eyes. The conscious part of her brain told her that she could not strike him, he was her son and her only child.

Another, stronger part of her wanted to rip him apart, for being a male and for looking so much like his father. It was when her thoughts concentrated on Zachariah Oaken that the shift took over her.

Onyx dark fur covered her entire body as she fell to all fours and changed into a large black timber wolf with blazing hazel eyes. The table groaned as she jumped into its polished surface. She snapped and snarled, walking with the lethal intent of a predator.

"Mother." Joshua whispered, paralyzed as her

cobalt blue suit fell in scraps on the floor, her teeth bared and deep guttural growls came from deep within her.

Joshua wanted so badly to shift but he didn't dare, for by the time he took his wolf form she would have him by the throat. Instead he raised his leg so that it would be the first thing she impacted. Shutting his eyes he counted the seconds before she ravaged his limb.

---

"Naomi went crazy again huh?" Marcus asked watching as his best friend walked with a pronounced limp, he had tried to bandage it up as best he could but Marcus was no doctor.

Joshua remained quiet his usual crystalline eyes dark with hurt and anger. Since Marcus could remember, Joshua had been abused by his mother.

It seemed to get worst with time and he worried that one day she would go too far and kill him. As Alpha and a female, Naomi had every right to beat her son even if it led to his death. Such were the laws of Stillwater.

"I'm beginning to think being mated isn't such a bad idea. Marie is nice enough and once mated to her, my mother relinquishes all rights to me." Joshua croaked, the agony of having his tendons ripped to shreds making it too hard to talk.

After the attack Naomi had shifted back, gathered her clothes and left the dining room, leaving Joshua to crawl to the door and let Marcus into their home.

He hated what his mother did to him, hated her even more for loving him. He knew that by tomorrow she would be lavishing gifts and affection upon him as if the attack never happened and like the weakling he was he would forgive her.

They walked to the small river that cut through Stillwater, it was a somewhat secluded area where most of the young shifters went to hang out.

There they met their usual group of friends; Marie, Letia, John and Simon. They had been friends from school and had faced all ups and downs together, and had even gone as far as to cover for Joshua when he had left Stillwater. To Joshua they were his real family.

"Joshua what happened?" Marie asked, pushing the black bangs from her eyes and inspecting his leg with great scrutiny.

Her fingers lightly touched the wound. Joshua groaned in pain, pulling away from her nosy fingers and pushing his pant leg down.

"Never mind that, let's talk about the mating moon." Marcus said.

Joshua smiled in appreciation as his friend diverted the attention from him, Marcus knew him so well.

"Well I've already made it clear to everyone that you are mine." Letia said sitting unabashedly on Marcus's lap, who began to nibble on her earlobe extracting small whimpers from her plump lips.

Maria looked pointedly at Joshua and he looked anywhere but at her, his cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

"Well we all know there will be a massive fight to claim our prince here." Simon laughed.

He was the only one out of them who had a mate and was expecting his first child in a few months. His wife was away with the hunting party, who would bring back game and distribute it amongst the rest of the pack.

Luckily for Simon, he and Samantha were a match made in heaven. She never demanded anything of him and treated Simon as an equal. Theirs was a coupling Joshua was deeply envious off.

"I'll fight to the death for you." Marie declared shooting up in the air, her arms raised high.

Everyone laughed at her exuberance except for Joshua. He didn't find her announcement so humorous, and her words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Well I hope Imogene will claim me, I have a feeling fat Bertha has a thing for me." John sighed with disgust at the mere thought of fat Bertha.

Despite her name, fat Bertha wasn't fat she was very thin, the complete opposite of Imogene who was the larger than life object of John's desires.

"Aren't you scared Imogene will flatten you?" Marie asked nastily, running her fingers along Joshua's arm in attempt to be seductive. She failed miserably.

"That's what I'm counting on. She's got these wonderful curves, perfect to hold on to while I..."

"While you what, John?" Imogene asked, having found their secluded spot.

Curly black hair fashioned in a bob emphasised her large and high cheek bones. Her simple forest green dress showed off an ample amount of cleavage and hugged her curves.

John blushed, shrugging his shoulders as if he couldn't quite remember what it was he wanted to say. Joshua chuckled as Imogene began to rant at John for having such a blue mouth, realising that the she-wolf was in love with scrawny runt.

When the conversation and company became too much for him, Joshua excused himself. He ventured further into the forest until he could smell the electricity from the high voltage fence surrounding Stillwater.

Joshua surveyed his surroundings. Making sure that no one was around, he quickly shed his clothes, knowing that if he shifted the healing process would be quicker.

Shifters healed faster than humans but it wasn't instantaneous. It took an eighth of the time for a wound like his to heal than it would if it was inflicted on a human. By night fall he would be fully mended.

Shuddering as he felt the change consume him, he concentrated on the burn of his bones changing shape and length.

Joshua howled with pain as his injured leg morphed, agony ripping through every nerve in his body. With exhaustion he fell to the ground with a small thud.

The forest was silent for a moment as the white timber lay on his stomach, his head cushioned by the soft spring grass.

With a small woof Joshua pushed himself up on to his paws, finding purchase on the soft ground. Slowly now, slowly now, he coaxed.

Taking small steps, he lifted his left leg inches from the ground. Gingerly he placed the injured limb on the grass, growling at the mild pain.

With a deep breath he took off at a lope, jumping though small bushes, and disturbing the birds in their roost. It was when he was in this form that he felt truly free.

---

Passion groaned again, as another bout of travel sickness threatened her stomach. Brent looked at her as if she had leprosy, dabbing repeatedly at the stains of vomit she had marked him with.

Hank, the human pilot, declared that they would soon be touching down and Passion sent up a prayer to the lord above as the wheels hit the tarmac.

The elite team carried very little, since they were making their way to Stillwater in their wolf forms. Food would be game they caught and shelter would have to be dens.

"I hate cars, I hate cars." Alyssa whispered under her breath.

She clutched the door handle for dear life, as if at any second the contraption would fall apart, leaving her at the mercy of the highway. Passion laughed to herself, wondering how shifters with extreme strength and superior senses could be so frighten of things like planes and vehicles.

The car stopped in Colorado Springs where the Cheyenne Mountains could be seen in all their glory.

"Please don't tell me we're going up there." Lucas grumbled, feeling intense hatred towards any strenuous activity.

They found a secluded spot where they could make camp. Luckily there were dens which had been inhabited by actual wolves before, if they should return the shifters knew how to get rid of them.

"Wish I had some marshmallows." Alyssa said, gasping in shock when Passion threw her a packet of the treats.

The young she-wolf was surprised that someone like Passion would carry something as sweet and soft as marshmallows. She came across as a tough as nails bitch and Alyssa never wanted to cross her.

"Thanks." Alyssa mumbled piercing a pink marshmallow on the end of a sharpened twig.

As the others conversed, Passion walked away from the group taking in the nights surroundings. She revelled in the clean air and the sound of crickets singing their night song.

"You look beautiful." Brent murmured pulling her into his arms, his lips finding her most responsive spot, the base of her neck.

Passion allowed herself only a moment to enjoy the sensation of being held before she pulled away from his tempting arms. She never wanted to endure the pain that came with giving her heart away, again.

"No Brent, I wouldn't want you to lose your status." Passion sneered, remembering full well what loving Brent had cost her.

"That was a long time ago." Brent said grabbing hold of her waist, pressing her buttocks against his erection, evidence of much he lusted for her.

Passion smiled grinding into Brent.

"If you and I were to have a relationship would you mate with me?" She asked, smirking as Brent instantly stopped his ministrations as though he had been doused in ice cold water. "I didn't think so."

Passion pushed him away forcefully, laughing as he fell onto his back.

"What are you so happy about?" Alyssa asked when Passion returned to the camp site.

Passion just tapped her nose, stripping out of her clothing and shifting into a wolf. The sound of her fellow warriors shifting lulled her to sleep.

---

The next morning they started their trek to Stillwater resting infrequently as possible so that they covered more ground.

Stillwater wasn't on any map and finding it was proving to be one hell of mission. It was on their third day that Passion ordered the members to split up, they were to immediately report back at their rendezvous point if they found any sign of the phantom village.

Passion sniffed the ground for any trace of something foreign, her ears straining for the slightest sound that might hint to where Stillwater was located.

Passion continued her search, ignoring the shadows that loomed ever closer as the sun completed it course. Just as she was about to call it quits she felt a strong electrical current caress her body, causing her to whimper.

Passion walked towards where the energy was coming from, moaning as another wave of delicious tingles flowed through her body.

Then she saw it. A seven foot fence that buzzed with electricity. Oh shit, she thought to herself, calculating the probability of clearing the fence.

She could go back and tell the others, after all that was order she had given. But something told her it was now or never.

Bracing herself, she backed away a few yards. She raced to the fence and bunched her hind legs, leaping high into the air.

The fur on her underbelly sizzled as it made contact with the mesh spokes and her hind legs had no chance of making it over unscathed. Passion whined in pain, shifting into her human form mid jump slamming into the ground.

Passion lay on her back, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Every single muscle in her body screamed.

She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she had a mission to complete. She couldn't let her parents down, she couldn't let Zachariah down and most importantly she couldn't let herself down.

If she was successful she would no longer be a complete pariah and maybe, just maybe, her status as Omega would be revoked.

When she finally felt her heart return to its normal rhythm, Passion pushed herself from the ground. Her arms shook with as all her weight was distributed to them.

Lifting up her head, she came face to face with a white timber wolf with iridescent blue eyes. Their eyes locked and Passion wanted to pull away but she couldn't for she knew who this wolf was.

"Joshua?" She whispered scrambling to her feet, her crotch bumping against his muzzle. She froze as his breath caressed her intimately and she knew that she was in deep shit.

---

Joshua had been lured by the scent of a strange female, knowing instantly that she wasn't part of his pack.

He had hid in the bushes as she leapt over the fence, his eyes widening when her lithe body had made contact with the monstrosity of the electric barrier.

It was when she had hit the floor that he had sprung from his hiding place, needing to know that she was okay. She had been more than okay. The only woman who he had ever seen naked was his mother and that wasn't something he would happily admit.

In Stillwater males and females shifted separately, hunted separately and were never ever left alone naked. But she was naked, glorious and small, a little over five feet.

Her skin was dark and clashed with the red of her hair, both on her head and where he had his nose intimately pressed. Her scent was evocative and he couldn't help but taste her.

The woman shot up and away from him, her eyes suddenly very wary. Joshua wondered if he had over stepped his mark, didn't all females want a male's touch? He wanted to taste her again.

---

Passion backed away from Joshua as he began to shift, his fur melded with tanned skin. He stood tall and magnificent.

Though she stood a few meters away from him, she had to crane her neck. Lord he was big. From his bulging biceps and shapely thighs, to the very erect, very large cock twitching at her.

She felt her own body weep with desire, her eyes taking in the strong contours of his face. Passion felt her feet move against her will, towards the sultry giant.

Her eyes followed the motion of his hand pushing his hair from his eyes, which shone like twin orbs of blue topaz.

She could even pinpoint a bead of sweat running down his broad and muscular chest, glistening as it caught in the dark blonde hair that nestled his raging hard on. Like a moth to a flame Passion was drawn to him.

Joshua watched as the she-wolf walked towards him, as though she were unsure of her own intentions. His body knew what it wanted but his brain knew that to fornicate with this outsider could lead to death, his or hers he wasn't too sure.

His body ached with lust and he could barely breathe as she gave him a sultry look, licking her lips in anticipation. When she reached him, her hand snaked along his skin, her fingers curling around his neck.

Her eyes darkened to a rich copper, urging Joshua to do something more than just gape at her. Before he could touch her back, the woman forced him to the ground straddling his waist. Her mouth smashed against his and Joshua was lost in her sweet heat.

"Who are you?" Joshua gasped between kisses.

"Passion." She replied kissing him in earnest, her incisors scraping against his chin as her mouth moved to his throat.

She suckled the flesh of his neck, extracting a moan from Joshua. Passion couldn't remember when she last had sex and she knew that sleeping with an Alpha was a big no no, but here in depths of the Cheyenne nothing mattered but the man lying beneath her.

Sliding her hand down his chest she found the object of her desire pulsating angrily in her palm and she grew wetter as Joshua slid his hands over her breast plucking at her hardened nipples.

"Forget the foreplay, I want it now and I want it hard." She growled.

Joshua didn't know what she meant by foreplay but he wanted to explore every inch of her succulent body.

He found it endearing when she moaned, realising that it was from pleasure and not pain. His fingers itched with the need to explore the wetness he had tasted before.

"Later." Passion said moving down to his hips.

Her hands massaged his cock, taking a drop of pre-cum with her finger and tasting it. Joshua watched her actions beneath hooded lids which widened when he felt her soft slick entrance engulf him.

Both hissed in unison as he embedded her to the hilt. Joshua was uncertain as to what he had to do. This was his first time with a woman and he only had the vaguest idea of what it was he was supposed to do.

For a second he experienced a deep regret and stifling fear. Regret that he would deceive Marie and fear that his mother would find out. Only when Passion caressed his cheek did he relax, and then she began to move.

Passion smiled as Joshua lifted his hips when she withdrew, as if seeking her out with his body. She ground her hips against his gentle rocking, smiling triumphantly as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Her body shuddered in response to moving above him, mildly surprised by his lack of domination. Compared to the other males Passion had lain with, Joshua was being docile and Passion liked the feeling of controlling this moment.

Joshua sat up suddenly, startling Passion. She couldn't stop the giggle that passed her lips when he raised his brow questioningly. Passion leant into Joshua, arranging herself on his lap.