Red Moon Rising(3)

The evening came flooding back to her. Her fight with the beast, and the agonizing pain in her side and back when he had thrown her against the tree. She paled and reached for the hem of the shirt, lifting it up and studying her side carefully.

It was swollen and bruised, and she could see four barely scabbed over cuts where the beast had swiped her with his long claws. She blinked in astonishment. Last night they had been wide, gaping slashes with blood pouring from them.

She looked down at her dog. “What’s happening to me Tia?” She whispered fearfully as she dropped the shirt.

She decided that for the moment she didn’t care. What mattered was getting out of here before he woke up. Her side was burning and throbbing, and she would have to move slowly. She needed to put as much space between her and the stranger as possible.

“Come Tia.” She whispered. Her eye fell on the sword lying next to his pants. She hesitated and then picked it up. It was heavy and it hurt her side to hold it, but she would take it anyway.

“Good morning.”

She screamed breathlessly and whirled around. The wounds on her side split open. She could feel blood dripping down her side as she lifted the man’s sword and held it in front of her.

The redhead was sitting up in his nest of blankets. He yawned and stood, and her eyes dropped automatically. She flushed scarlet at the sight of his penis. It was partially erect and as big as the rest of him.

He walked towards her and she stumbled back, holding the handle of the sword tightly in her hand and giving him a warning look. He ignored it and reached for his pants, slipping into them and smiling a little at the redness of her cheeks.

“Do you know how to use that?” He pointed to the sword in her hand.

“Yes.” She lied.

He reached out with terrifying quickness and knocked the sword from her hand. It clattered to the ground, barely missing her bare toes, and he picked it up swiftly. He held it out to her, handle-first, and grinned at her.

“Try again.”

She glared at him and snatched it back. Her sudden movement ripped open the barely-healed wounds on her side further, and she fought back the wave of nausea that went through her as she felt the blood soaking into his shirt. She swayed a little and he frowned.

“You’re not fully healed yet.” He held out his hand. “Come to me.”

She scowled and backed away towards the opening of the tent.

“Do not be frightened of me little one. I only wish to help you.”

“Stay away from me!” She spat at him.

“Tia - that is your name is it not?”

She frowned in confusion at him as the dog at her feet perked its ears up and ran to the man. She stopped in front of him, her tail wagging happily, and as the man reached down she rolled on to her back.

He rubbed the dog’s belly and the woman made a low moan of dismay. She whistled softly and the dog, after licking the redhead’s hand, bounced to her feet and ran back to her.

“We’re leaving. If you try and stop me, I’ll kill you.” She whispered.

She backed out of the tent. The man made no attempt to follow her as she stepped into the cold morning air. She trembled violently and pressed her hand against her side. It was getting hard to breathe again, and she felt weak and faint.

She took a deep breath and turned to flee into the forest. A blonde man, his expression amused, was standing behind her.

“Good morning.” He stared at the sword in her hand. “Are you planning on hunting for our breakfast?”

She lunged at him, lifting the sword and jabbing it at him weakly. He sidestepped her easily and she tumbled to the ground, crying out at the bolt of pain that went through her side. Dimly she could hear Tia barking and the blonde man cursing, and then the redhead’s face was over hers and he was staring at her gravely.

“Stay away from me.” She whispered weakly as he plucked the sword from her limp hand.

“We won’t harm you little one.” The man said as she fainted again.





Chapter 2




James sat down on the fallen log and pressed the girl’s tiny body against his naked chest. Nicholas dropped a blanket around his shoulders, and he nodded his thanks before wrapping it around them both.

He stroked the girl’s long blonde hair. It was tangled, and leaves and twigs were knotted throughout it. He stared at her pale face. The bruising around her eye was almost gone, and her formerly swollen lips had returned to their normal size.

She was so thin and frail. Last night when he had stripped her of her pants and underclothes, he had been shocked by how emaciated she was. Her breasts were nearly non-existent, and her body was nothing more than skin stretched over bone.

As Nicholas began to cook breakfast, he gave James a solemn look. “Those wounds on her side James – they were from our kind.”