"The Replacement Luna..."

Bruised...

Glare:

"Just because you're a Rosewater doesn't mean you're welcome here." The fat boy who stood over me said. I felt my lip sting, as a cut started bleeding.

I stood up, dusting my slacks and faced their group of ugly mongrels.

"Lowlife peasants! How dare you raise your hand on an elder's son?" I glared at all five of them, feeling the magic swell in my very core.

"Seems you need more than just a cut on your lip to teach you a lesson." The same boy who hit me moved to strike me again, but a more bulky, muscular form blocked his attack.

"You never learn do you Cornwall. Always trying to prove you're better than the purebloods?" He said in a slow, sinister way.

"Mind your own business Alpha's son. This is not your battle." The fat boy snatched his hand back from the newcomer.

"You're right pug face, it's not his... but it is mine. A Rosewater does not forgive. A Rosewater... exacts payment." And immediately I cast a spell to take all their voices away, and they started clutching at their throats as the pain intensified while their vocal cords were crushed slowly.

"Looks like the Headmistress is going to have a headache trying to keep you out of trouble." The bulky teenager who tried to mediate awhile ago said.

"I doubt she'll be able to control me, but she's welcome to try. Thank you for coming to my aid, these punks won't hurt anyone else after today... or they'll lose their eyesights next." And all five bullies started scampering away from me.

"Here. You have a little crud pooling at the corner of your lip." He smiled, handing me his hanky.

"Thanks." I took his hanky, and smiled at him. He was ruggedly handsome.

"See you around Rosewater. Schoolyear just got more interesting." He winked then started walking towards the main school building.

"See you around." I whispered after he left, realizing I forgot to ask his name.

I slowly opened my sleepy eyes to find Atlas watching me sleep. He had a smile on his face, his hair pointing in several directions.

"Goodmorning, love." He whispered sexily.

"Goodmorning." I croaked when I felt my body start to ache. "God Atlas, you could've been gentler. What are you smiling at? Atlas! Look at what you've done!" I said panicked. My body was covered in little bite marks and hickeys.

"I am looking." He chuckled. Naked he started to reach for me.

"No, stop. We have a mission to complete, remember?" I recited a short incantation and all the marks vanished from my skin.

"Why'd you have to do that? You looked good in my marks." He pouted, and I briefly felt bad.

"You shouldn't even be marking me. I'm not your mate, remember?"

"You don't know that!"

"And you're not certain either."

"I didn't actually mark you, Glare. You of all people know that if I marked you, I would have sunk my fangs at the junction between your shoulders while we were..."

"I know what the process entails Atlas! But these little love bites and kiss marks are none-the-less markings as well."

"And? You're ashamed to be branded as mine. Why? Because I'm not as famous or well respected as you or your clan?"

"I never said that. Regardless of who you are or what you are, I decided to share your bed lastnight because the attraction was mutual. But putting all these marks on me when we can't even label what we are is just plain irresponsible." I started to get out of bed and Atlas did the same. Picking up his pajama pants from the foot of the bed he then strode naked to the door as I tried to fold our blankets.

"I placed those marks on you not because I wanted to make you feel dirty and violated. I placed those marks on you because I wanted to bind you to me. To have the security that what we had wasn't just a one-night thing." Atlas was clearly still affected by the harvest moon.

"Atlas, you're not being rational here."

"Fine! I'm a mindless brute. There, I said it for the both of us. Happy now? Well guess what Glare. This mindless brute is falling for you... and he's falling really fast. So, if you have the slightest feelings for me, please let me down easy the next time you make it clear that I'm the only one who wants a relationship with you." He huffed before storming out of the room. The sound of the door being ripped from its hinges sounded louder than if he had smashed it into several pieces.