In The Shadow of The Moon Ch. 09

The pain in her side and thigh receded and she felt some of the smaller wounds nit back together, healed completely. It was only then that Antony was able to shift back, though she could still feel his anger, both at the imbecile who had done the damage and at her for not calling him back.

"You know exactly why I didn't." She responded to his anger.

"It doesn't mean I have to like it. They should have told me, they should have let you explain." He was near constant growling as he finished his sentence. She butted her head against his chest.

"There is more going on here, we needed to fight both fights and who knows what might have happened if you had chosen to come back." She took a deep breath enjoying the calming affect his scent had on her. As she felt him responding the same way, she smiled, "besides, I'll let you punish me later."

His only response was a lusty growl as he held her tighter.

As she pulled her thoughts out of their conversation, it was then that she noticed Antony's growls were not the only ones in the clearing. Still she recognized them. She turned around to see Riley on his feet and seething. She quickly cast her mind out just as Antony had, but felt no eminent danger, even the dark magic that had lingered around the group as it approached the border was gone. She looked behind Antony. She could see Miranda in a panic, her body badly bruised, but healing and her hair slightly longer, but Miranda none the less. She was shaking her head and muttering under her breath, she was fighting to pull away from the warriors attempting to calm her. It seemed only to make Riley angrier as he began to stalk towards the group.

Shit. Victoria heard Antony through their connections, his emotions the equivalent of an eye roll. Go and calm her down, I will handle Riley. Now of all fucking times...Just had to be her... He was mumbling as he stalked off towards Riley, not responding to her request for answers. She moved quickly though, feeling the panic rise in Miranda. She ran over putting her clothes on her body and took her into her arms. Victoria shivered and wrinkled her nose at the combined smell of sex and terror that were rolling off her, but she held on. She forced her way into Miranda's mind and whittled away at the fear, soothing her.

MINE!

The mental blast came at her through her bond, though it didn't come from Antony himself. Riley was practically salivating and finally Victoria understood. Riley wanted Miranda, needed Miranda, Miranda was Riley's mate and right now his mind was pulled between a rabid desire to destroy the thing that had done such damage to her and laying claim to her body.

Victoria couldn't help, but muttering the same expletive her mate had. This was the wrong time for this to be happening.

She felt a power building in Antony and realized what was coming. The reverberant timbre of his voice fell heavily on the minds of all in the clearing.

RILEY! Calm Down. Now!

The command sent most in the clearing to their knees, Victoria felt Miranda buckle in her arms, but Victoria felt no compulsion to follow, the command wasn't directed at her. Though she did appreciate the affect it had on the woman in her arms. The shudders that had been running through her body fell still and her breathing slowed. She opened to Victoria's soothing and finally her tears stopped falling.

Riley was whimpering on the ground under the force of the command. Antony was talking to him quickly and Victoria could see he was shifting back, taking the wolf's sense off line or at least making it less keen. She could hear Riley asking to apologize, but Antony quickly turned him down and sent him inside. It was better that way, lest Riley's wolf make a resurgence, but Antony wouldn't be able to keep him away for long. They would have to figure out what to do for him when that time came.

"Come on Victoria, let's get them inside."

As they all stood up and began to walk towards the compound, Miranda began murmuring, "You, they want you... Have to warn you... They are coming... They're excited... something about...you..."

Victoria could not suppress the deep, cold dread that flourished in the pit of her stomach.