Luna

31

Taking a deep breath, I stood and headed for the basement to help the others. The second I stepped down on my foot, pain pulsed up my leg and into my back. My foot healed wrong and needed to be re-broken. Fighting back the pain, I continued down the hall, limping and biting my lip. Eventually I was able to waddle my way down stairs. Josh was helping pull the silver apart to let out more of the females while my mom helped them through as the others stood guard.
Without warning Connor snarled as he sprinted to one of the cells, "Mine!"
My heart ached as the love rolled off of them. The girl whimpered back behind the others. This seemed to confuse Connor, he reached out and touched the bars but yelped back in pain with the contact of silver. Again he reached out and grabbed the silver only to flinch back again in pain and frustration.
He looked at me, panicking, "Help!"
This kicked me into action. I painfully limped over to his side and took a hold of one of the bars. I was so tired and weak, I struggled with the bars. I could feel Josh press against me as he helped pull the bars apart. He stepped back away from me and I followed but winced with the pain it gave me.
"Please let me..."
Before he could finish Connor barreled toward the entrance. Reaching out, I stopped him, "No. She is scared, let her come to you."
He looked so pained at the idea of not running to her at that moment and sweeping her away. "Ok."
Josh cleared his throat and looked over the broken females, "You all may come with us to my territory. We will let you shower and eat and then accompany you back to your homes."
The females all looked at me, as if awaiting approval. I nodded, "He will keep you safe."
Connor's mate hid behind me as she peaked out to look at a broken looking Connor. All the feelings were overwhelming and I forced calm into everyone, making them feel safe. She was my age but shorter and petite with long black hair.
"Will he hurt me?"
Turning, I faced her, "No. Connor is my friend, he is a good man."
Tears filled her eyes and she leaned in closer to me, I could feel her insecurities as she cried. "I don't want him to look at me. Make him go away."
Not having the energy left to make her feel comfortable and okay, I turned and painfully limped to Connor, "Give her space, wait until she is fed and showered and feeling safe."
His jaw tightened, "I will keep her safe!"
This was exhausting, "Just listen to me and back off."
"No! She's mine!"
"Calm your wolf."
"No!"
"Connor..." I warned.
"Get out of my way Josie, I need her."
Growling, I stood a little taller, "I'm trying to help you."
He whimpered back submissively. Snarling, he stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
Kass moved to the girl's side with the baby in her arms, "You okay Brooke?"
She sobbed and took the baby from Kass, "No. Did they hurt her?"
Kass shook her head, "No. She is healthy, Josie saved us."
Brooke looked over at me with broken sorrow in her eyes, "Thank you."
"Is she yours?"
Brooke shook her head, "No. She's my sister, my mom died giving birth to her."
My heart ached, "I'm so sorry Brooke."
Josh cleared his throat and silenced the room, "Kendra will show you to the vans. We need to get out of here now so move quickly." He was being very cold.
They all huddled together as we made our way up the stairs. Josh grabbed my arm and held me back. When everyone was out of the basement, he looked me over. "What's wrong?"
"You never thought to tell me about all this?"
He looked down at his feet in gilt, "I wanted to."
"Then why didn't you? I told you everything!"
"You have seen enough of the monster I am! I am disgusted with myself Josie! I hate myself for what I did for William! You don't need to know this world! I know I don't deserve you." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "You are the definition of good and pure, you don't need me to taint you with what I am."
My heart ached, "You don't see what I see. I will tell you this until you understand. I don't care what you did, I see who you are and I love you. Nothing you tell me will change that."
His eyes glazed over with tears as he opened up his arms, "May I..."
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pulled him in closer. "I'm so tired."
He scooped me up into his arms, "We'll get you home and once the doctor looks you over, you can sleep all you want."
"I don't need a doctor." I wiggled out of his arms, "I'm fine."
He growled, "I feel the pain of your limp too."
I pushed away gently, "I'm sorry."
His growl deepened as he looked me over, "I can't take it anymore." His eyes darkened, "Please take off that shirt."
This, I was not expecting. "What?"
His jaw tightened as he fought with his wolf. "You stink like William and I can't stand seeing you in his shirt any more." He pulled his off, "You can wear mine."
Sighing and shaking my head, I took the shirt, forcing myself not to look at his naked chest. "Turn around."
He shook his head, "No need to be embarrassed Jo, you are perfect."
Shaking my head, I turned around and stripped off the shirt. Before I could replace it, Josh's fingers brushed across my tender back. It was still healing and I'm sure it looked disgusting.
"Don't look."
He whimpered and I could feel his pain as his thumb ran along the whip marks, "I'm so sorry."
Squirming, I tried to get the shirt over my head, "It's not your fault."
Leaning down he kiss my Luna mark and my body ignited with pleasure as my breath became labored. He ran his lips down my tender skin, placing soft kisses on each mark. He continued this until he was on his knees with tears in his eyes. "I'm..."
Interrupting him, I turned and held his face firmly, staring into his eyes. "Stop." I wiped a tear from his cheek, "Don't beat yourself up over this. You're here, you will always find me." I pressed my forehead to his, "I'm safe and your safe and we're together."
His hands moved to my waist. The skin on skin contact sent a haze of lust through both of us. His grip tightened as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on my neck, igniting the fire inside me. His kisses moved up my neck, leaving a trail of pleasure in his wake.
A soft moan escaped my lips and he froze. He pinched his eyes shut tight, "You need to put that shirt on or I will take you right here on these steps."
Biting my lip, I smirked. "Maybe I'm okay with that."
His eyes sprang open in surprise. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "Put it on."
He still held me tightly around the waist, "Okay but you'll have to let me go."
He cleared his throat as he released me and closed his eyes, "Sorry."
My cheeks flushed and I pulled his shirt on, "Dressed."
He stood and pulled me up beside him, "Alright, we need to get going."
The reminder of reality sent fear pulsing through me.
He looked at me confused, "Why are you afraid?"
I bit my lip, "William, Peter, the others. Did you find them?"
Josh's jaw clenched, "No. They fled before we were able to get past the first group of hybrids."
"Oh."
Anger filled his features, "I'll find them Josie. I'll end this."
Scooping up his hand in mine, I nodded, "I know you will."
He took in a deep breath to calm himself as he led me up the stairs, toward the others. We moved through the hallways on high alert. When we came to the room from before I was surprised to find a crying Maya. She looked up at us and hardened in anger.
"You." She stood and gripped a silver knife in her hand, "You're dead."
Josh stood in front of me, "You need to learn when you're beat."
Her smile grew smug, "Beat? I know that feeling." She released an evil laugh, "Should I tell her?"
His jaw tightened, "She knows."
"So there's no harm in a recap." She looked past him, at me. "Sex was how we dealt with living under Williams thumb for all those years, we weren't always safe about it and ended up pregnant. We were going to have a baby, a little girl."
My wolf snarled, "Stop."
"I was going to name her Lilly, after my mother but then William found out." She shrugged, "Kendra and I were supposed to stay pure till we were eighteen and then bare his children."
Josh growled, "That's enough!"
"Do you want to tell her what you did or shall I?"
"You're done."
She rolled her eyes, "When William found out, he called us into a room similar to this one," she gestured at the area around her, "then he gave Josh a choice."
She had my full attention, "What?"
"Either beat our child out of me or return with Bailey as a replacement for me." Tears streamed down her face, "So he beat me until William told him to stop."
Josh whimpered, "I hate myself for doing that but I couldn't let Bailey live this life."
She looked down at the knife in her hand, "I know, I would do the same for my sisters."
"Then why all of this?"
She shrugged, "Why not."
"Now the truth."
She smirked, "You're good. Always could tell when I was lying."
"So why?"
"I thought maybe it would get Peter's attention, make him see I was a worthy mate."
Josh growled, "William fucked him up, there is nothing you could have down to make him see the good in you."
She smirked, "So I showed him the bad."
"And look where that got you."
She laughed without life and her energy changed, darkened. Something powerfully overwhelming and desperate took over her. "Dead." Before either of us could blink, she brought the knife to her neck and sliced without hesitation. Blood pooled from her as she slumped to the ground and took in her last, gargled breath.
Whimpering, I turned away just as Josh attempted to cover my eyes and shield me from the gruesome sight. His breathing was labored and I could feel all of his pain and confusion but most of all, his guilt. My body began to shake uncontrollably as I screamed into a sob with the overwhelming emotions of everything. I thought I was going into shock with everything that had happened. My legs and arms seemed to go numb as everything sunk in and pulled my heart apart. Josh held me in his arms, securing me tighter to his chest as he carried me out the door, away from Maya's empty body.
He kissed my head, "Please Josie. Deep breaths, you need to calm down."
I tried, I really did try to gather myself but I had no strength left. This was all far too much to process and comprehend. My mind started to shut off the emotions as I began to go numb.
Josh growled and forced me to look at him, "Don't you dare give up like that. Feel the pain, don't run. You can't push it back, you have to deal with it." He pulled me closer, "I'm right here, feel with me." He rocked me in his arms.
Once I had calmed, I kept my face safely hiden against his chest as he walked me to one of the vans and climbed into the passenger seat. He kissed my head and rubbed my back as we headed back home. I didn't know how to process all of this, I didn't know what to do. I was Luna, I was supposed to stop death and pain among the wolves. They trusted me to keep them safe and I hadn't done my job at all. Nothing like this had happened when my mom was Luna, I didn't deserve the title. My heart ached as I softly cried against Josh's naked chest. I was a weak Luna and I didn't know what to do.
Josh leaned down and whispered into my ear, "Stop. We will talk when we get home but stop. You are strong and perfect." He kissed my forehead, "I love you Jo please get some rest."
Forcing back all the terrible thoughts that ran through my head, I let Josh's words and steady heartbeat sooth me to sleep.