The Sleepless Moon

79. Manu

BORIS

Manuel.

Manuel.

Manuel.

I feel shaking inside, and I want to glance at Luna to see how she's doing, if she's looking at him, if her face is terrified like mine must be. But I can't seem to do anything not even to blink. I think that both of us is paralised, but seems that Luna's guardian isn't. Scar barks, no scratch that, he snarls, and that snaps me from my paralysis. I glance at him, and I meet with someone who isn't the Scar I used to know. But currently he is what he really is - an animal.

"Quieto!" The stern voice that belongs to Luna's...whatever he is to her, whatever he thinks he is to her, hisses, and he stomps his foot against the ground. But that doesn't stop Scar from snarling. No, it only rages him more. That more that he wants to walk to Manuel, and probably jumps on him, but I find some strength in myself, and pull his leash so strongly that he almost loses his balance, and falls.

As if he can sense that my strength came out of the blue because beforehand I could barely keep up with jim, his eyes soften, and he stops showing his teeth, and almost winces.

"Easy, boy", I say, not recognizing my own voice. I can't believe that I can speak when all I feel is fear. So much fear.

Now I'm alone. There's no Jason to jump and save me and Luna. It's all on me. Only me.

Luna is a first to talk. She acknowledges his presence. "Manuel."

"Luna." He nods. "Luna, Luna, Luna." His eyes fall on me after he tsks. His lips are curled in a small smirk, and how bad I wish I could wipe it off. "So here you are. I've been looking for you, you know?"

"Manuel..."

"Ccc, don't you Manuel me", he says in a what seems calm voice for him. "Here you are cheating on me."

"I'm..."

"¡Cállate!"

"Hey, don't tell her to shut up!", I hiss. He snaps his head to me, probably confused how I understand Spanish. I do. A lot.

Well, most of it. It's the talk I can't do. But the understanding part I can. Hell, can I. I understood what he said to Scar earlier, too. "You can't talk to women like that", I tell him as if he didn't already know that.

"Boris...", Luna whispers, and I move her aside, hiding her with my body. Protecting her.

Manuel steps forward, and I do my best not to show how scared I am. He is so much taller than me, his black eyes are like death, and I feel like he's threatening me with them, without even saying anything. In one word: terrified.

I gulp hard, touching Luna's body with one hand behind me, and with the one pulling Scar's leash because I can sense him moving to Manuel, too.

"You don't tell me how I treat my girl."

My girl. This word hits me in so many places, mostly in my heart, if I didn't feel Luna's shivering under my palm that is wrapped around her forearm. She isn't his girm. She is her own boss.

"She isn't your girl", I hiss through my teeth. They are hurting how much of how much I'm squeezing them so I can keep myself still. But that is a little hard when he says things like this. No, I don't want to punch him, but I...Okay, I kinda want to.

"Isn't?" He cocks his eyebrown, and then bursta into laugh. "Tell him, Luna." He peeks to see her, and she tries to move, but I make her stay behind me.

No way she's moving so he can hurt her again.

"Tell him how you tell me you're mine when I push myself into you."