Lunar Eclipse

10 - Sacrifices to the Moon

I wake up to terrible cramps and stickiness between my legs. When I reach down, my fingers are coated in blood. Shit. "Jos, I got my period."

"What do you mean?" His voice is thick with sleep and I can't be sure he comprehended my words.

"I'm bleeding and have bad cramps the same way I did after my previous heats. This means I didn't conceive."

This finally gets his attention. "That's impossible. You went through the entire heat with Dante. No way you didn't get pregnant."

"Well, I'm not. And he did mate with that rogue during the most fertile time."

"That shouldn't matter. It only takes a couple of times during the second night. The rest is all just for pleasure."

He is right; at least that's how it has always been taught to me. Marked females are guaranteed a pup as long as they mate during the second night. The only exception is infertility.

Tears well in my eyes. "What should I do now?"

"You have to tell Harla. It makes no sense keeping it from her."

"What if they punish me?"

"Don't be ridiculous. This isn't something under your control and they know that."

Queasiness still twists my guts and I dread the morning. After Jos leaves, I stare at the ceiling of the barn. I'm not going to bear the desired heir, at least not for now. If that rogue ever shows up with a male offspring, who knows what they'll do. Banishment means certain death and even my old pack didn't teach me any useful survival skills. Us females only got some basic defense training so we could roam the woods around the packhouse alone, but otherwise, I'm clueless.

When the barn door is rolled back, I turn my head. The Luna appears with a tray in her hands. Her forehead wrinkles. "What's wrong?"

I point at the bloodstained hay.

"You started your period?"

I nod, fighting fresh tears.

Setting down the tray, she reaches for me. "Come. You can take another shower and then I'll fix you a warm breakfast."

Her grip is firm and her arm steadies me as we make our way to the packhouse. My knees wobble like jelly. The buildup pressure of the last weeks is slicing through my defenses; my nerves are shot and all I seem to be able to do these days is cry. On cue, silent tears fall when we reach the main bathroom downstairs. Harla pulls me against her shoulder and strokes my back the way my mother used to do. Floods of tears soak into her bathrobe and it takes forever before I manage to calm down.

"You can take a shower here since Dante is still sleeping. Sanitary pads are right in the cabinet under the sink."

My gaze flicks to the ceiling. Our bedroom with the small ensuite bathroom is right above me. Though I can't smell Lara through the thickness of the floors, I sense he isn't alone. The aura around him is filled with content and his even pulsing heartbeat prickles under my skin.

I slip out of the old, worn dress and discard the bloody underwear in the garbage bin. The water is cold at first but warms after a few minutes. Careful not to miss a spot, I rinse the blood from my body. The metallic stench is nauseating and bile pushes up my throat. My cramps calm from the warmth of the water; when I cuddle up in the big towel after I'm finished, I almost feel whole again.

Fresh underwear and a newer dress are neatly folded on the broad ledge by the window and I quickly get dressed. As I open the door, a whiff of bacon and freshly brewed coffee drifts from the kitchen, making my mouth water. Sashaying over the cold tiles, I'm almost at the door when Lance's angry voice paralyzes my muscles. He's in the Alpha's study.