Chosen by the Moonlight

}Stupidhead{

I open my eyes and see the fireplace. I sit up. Bandages cover my body. My arms are completely covered and my torso is grey gauze. My hands shake violently as I see a paper next to the pillow on the floor.

Verena

I whimper and take the note in my shaky hand.

I apologize for your wounds, I am off on business for two days time. As unfair as this may seem to you, I have won, and as the agreement I take all. I spared your life twice. I will not do it a third. Be good until I get back.

~R

I groan out and the door opens to the Aunts. They sigh.

"We have to stop meeting like this." I smile as I offer a joke.

"What did you do lovely?" Aunt Candy shakes her head at me.

"What do you mean?"

She motions to myself. Burns cover my body where some gashes run deep.

"In my culture you have to pick your mate. We usually fight if we don't want someone. I wanted a fight, and it seems he delivered."

I sit up my skin numb for now.

"You did a number on him. His chest was covered in blood when he walked through that door. He held you in his arms rather tightly, not wanting to let go. He thought he killed you."

I furrow my brows.

"Why would he worry about that?"

"A male wolf can sometimes be-"

"I know the dogs are all possessive, crazy, and have bad resistance. But he seemed to do pretty good the other day."

"A Lycanthrobe will kill to protect it's own. An Alpha Lycanthrobe with anger issues will do the same. Even if it means killing you." Aunt Marie hummed.

"So I should be grateful?"

"You should be smarter." Aunt Candy flicks my head. "Stupidhead."

I lay back as they rip off my skin with the old bandages, clean my wounds, and replace the bandages. I took this time to cry, even if I am stuck here, it doesn't mean I won't stop trying to leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The door closes quietly. I lay on my side silently listening to the quiet steps of the man I belong to now. I shut my eyes to not let the anger turn to tears.

The fire roars alive and I jump back away from the fireplace. Hands slide on to my shoulders then to my neck. He tied up my hair and moved his hands so they hover over my arms, over the burns. He sighs quietly.

"How are you doing?"

I turn to glare at him, he has a multiple scratches on the side of his face. I act instinctually and turn my full body toward him. I hold his face in my hands.

"What happened?"

His face morphed from concern to humor.

"A young woman decided to fight me, and she fought dirty."

"Well maybe the man I fought has some kind of elemental power and used it." I growl.

He sighs and closes his eyes. I run one of my hands through his hair. Ruban grabs my hand and sets it down.

"Why must you do this to me?"

"Do what?"

"Angry and fighting. War and a battle, then you act like this, and God if you weren't in pain I would be all over you."

"You mutts are insufferable."

I yank my hands from him and turn back to the fire. He hovers around me for a second and then walks away to the bed. Mama always said, never sleep in a man's bed until you are ready to sleep with the man.

I turn to look at him, he is putting his stuff to the side. He glances over to catch me watching.

"Did you do anything while I was away?"

"Ran away, stole your keys, drove away in your car, crashed the car. Went home burned the house down and I went to the police to make a kidnapping statement."

He exhales a large breath.

"Do you enjoy acting like a child?"

I turn my body to him and slide down into a child's pose with my hands propped up on my hands.

"Oh yeah, I do especially when it irritates people."

He scoffs.

"You are quite, well, catty."

My smile turns into a snarl.

"Your puns are horrible."

He chuckles to himself. He hangs up his suit coat from today.

"Maybe, but your attitude isn't any better."

"What? Would you rather me be a tease?"

I roll to my back and stick one of my legs in the air. Allowing the robe to hang off of my body. He locks his jaw and breaks eye contact to look at the rest of me. He shakes his head and sits on the bed.

"You are horrible."

"No I just enjoy watching you suffer." I roll back to my stomach and rest on the fluffy blanket on the floor. I pick at the strands of fur. "Where did you go?"

"I went to Romainia to murder your family and come back with the power of the base of our linage."

I growl and stare into the fire. I feel my robe belt being pulled back slowly. I glare up ad Ruban.

"I am going to check your bandages-"

"No funny business?"

"Nothing."

He peels my bandages back carefully. Maybe that warm water on my back was what put my mind to rest. It could have also been the purr of my Panthera at finally being tended to.