I Am The Luna (Moonlight Muse) novel Chapter 73

73. A Memory

NEW YEARS DAY OVER FOUR YEARS AGO

VALERIE. “It’s so late.” I massage the back of my neck as I step into my apartment. We had left the Whispering Mountain Pack after midnight and the journey wasn’t too short.

I yawn, pausing as I stretch when I hear the faint creak of a floorboard, making me freeze. It’s not a violent stormy night that the wind would cause the apartment to creak.

I tilt my head, but there’s nothing more and I almost smile. Why am I being so paranoid? I walk to the fridge, grabbing myself a bottle of water; gulp it down and look through some papers. I have work in the morning.

I sit down at the counter, skimming through one of the reports of a big operation we have tomorrow when I think I hear something again.

Tilting my head, I pause, I really am imagining things. I shake my head. Well, I should shower and get to bed. I need to get out of this dress too.

I get up and walk to the bedroom. Sighing, I mull over everything with Zaia. I hate how life has done her dirty. I wish there was more I could do for her.

I’ll keep sending her the antidote, and I’ll keep checking her bloods but it’s just not enough. Fucking stupid alpha!

That stupid bitch Annalise!

Karma. Karma will bite their ass.

I walk to my bedroom, pausing when I see it standing ajar. Strange, I’m sure I shut the door when I left. I specifically remember trapping my dress in it and then opening it, pulling out the dress and then closing it…

I shake my head as I step inside and flip the light switch. Darkness. I groan in annoyance. “Do I even have a spare bulb?” Tonight is not my night!

I’m about to turn to leave the room when I see a slight movement from the corner of my eye. On reflex, I turn sharply, my heart dropping when I see the tall, masked man who stands in the corner behind the door. He’s in baggy clothing with his hood up, his head is lowered and in his gloved hands he’s holding… a hammer.

We move at the same time, and I instantly grab the small vanity table that stands beside the door, lifting it up and swinging it at him with all my might. He ducks, and the table goes flying against the far wall.

I turn, knowing I’m no match for him! I need to alert security!

I’m barely two steps out of the bedroom when he grabs my dress, yanking me back into the room and kicking the door shut. He grabs my hair and throws me to the floor.

“What do you want!” I scream as I hit the floor. Fuck, he’s strong! I’m about to shout for help, but his gloved hand covers my mouth. “I need to make sure you aren’t a Blood Born.” He hisses.

A what?

I kick him off, scrambling away. “I don’t know what that is! You got the wrong person!” I say as he grabs me by the arm and violently throws me onto the bed and climbs on top of me.

Fear envelops me as I struggle fruitlessly. “Don’t fight me and let me see if there’s a mark or not. You might just live,” he snarls. That voice sounds so… familiar…

“If-if I’m not who you’ ‘re looking for, will you let me go?” I ask, my heart thundering, feeling his strong thighs against my own.

They feel like rock. He’s pure muscle and in a battle of strength, I will lose. His hand wraps around my throat squeezing tightly. He pauses slightly, and at that moment I’m able to see his blue eyes.

Alpha? My heart plummets as confusion fills me. He was asleep in the car ten minutes ago. “If you really aren’t, then, of course,’ he says, caressing my cheek. “But one sound and I will kill you.”

The threat is real. My blood runs cold, even though he’s speaking extremely low, it’s him. It’s Sebastian. But if I tell him I know… he might just kill me… even if he’s wearing that black mask. I remain frozen as he moves my head sharply and begins searching for something. What is he looking for?

I break out in a cold sweat, sensing his anger rising as he yanks and pulls my hair – until he takes a long shuddering breath.

What has he found on my head? “Ah… there it is…” he yanks my hair as his attention falls to the hammer that lies on the bed.

No! I begin struggling as he lifts it, and I manage to throw him back. My eyes blaze and suddenly everything in the room is enhanced.

My wolf’s eyes! I’m using them! It’s rare for a werewolf to be able to do this, but I guess my emotions are helping me.

I manage to throw him off, but not for long as he grabs my arm, yanking me to the ground. I grab the bed sheets trying to pull myself up but it’s futile and I only manage to drag the bedding right off. I hit him in the face.

“Bitch!” he snarls, raising his hammer and then intense pain ricochets through my head. I let out a choked gasp and I grab my head, crying out.

There’s a faint silver glow spreading around me, but the pain is too much. “I’ll destroy it,” He hisses, as he keeps striking my head, bludgeoning it with the hammer.  My ears are ringing and then… I can’t hear anything but my own laboured breathing. I’m going to die…

Each blow is dragging me into the darkness and that silver light… is beginning to fade.

This is it… I can feel it…

My heart hurts, my head is being split open and the pain- it’s… too much…

There’s a pause, and then the most excruciating pain I’ve felt rips through-

(PRESENT)

“Valerie!” I gasp as I look around the car, my heart hammering. I’m safe. I’m safe. I clutch my head as I rock myself, trying to compose my emotions. Goddess…

“Alright, Jai, take the luggage up. We can unpack later… Zaia, we need to go see Dad and Mom.” Sebastian says quietly.

Zaia looks at me. “Are you alright to stay with the children and Jai?” she asks. I’m not sure I want to be alone with him. I’m just so confused.

“Yeah, sure,” I say. I still can’t walk much, but I’m getting some strength back in my arms and legs. “Alright, we won’t be long,” Sebastian says as he ruffles Zion’s hair.

Zaia gives Sia her medication and I notice she opens a new pack without touching the ones in the open carton, but I say nothing.

Once Sia is settled on the couch after taking her meds, Sebastian turns the television on for the children and Zaia passes me a phone.

“Call me if you need me.” She says before giving me a hug and kissing the children goodbye. I nod and they both take their leave, leaving me with the twins and Jai. He’s busy taking the luggage up and I simply sit there on the sofa playing with Sia.

“Aunty Val, you are so pretty,” she says to me, making me smile. “Oh, thank you honey, but I’m not as pretty as the little princess in front of me!” I respond.

“Who me?” she says. “Who else?” I say, tickling her lightly but not wanting to overexert her. She gives me a toothy smile before she returns to watching TV and I see Jai approaching. He takes a seat opposite me and I keep my gaze down, but when he calls me, I have no option but to look up. He’s serious as he leans forward, resting his arms on his knees.

“Val…”

“Not now Jai,” I say..

“Then when?” he asks, switching to French. “Oh no, not again,” Zion grumbles, making me smile. “Everyone just speaks French. Maybe we are French.”

That makes me chuckle as he continues playing with his cars, clearly not happy when we aren’t speaking English.

“I don’t know,” I respond to Jai. He sighs. “You need time, I get that…. but I just want to say I’m sorry, sorry for hurting you. For everything I’ve done, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise. You did enough to make up for it. You didn’t need to… You shouldn’t have.” I say quietly, now looking him dead in the eye.

“That was not to make up for it. That was because I wanted to, Val. I fucked up… but I love you. I really fucking love you. I never stopped loving you, even though I know I don’t deserve you.”

His words make my heart squeeze. They’re abrupt, but filled with so many emotions. He cheated on me once, and I don’t know if I can forgive him even if he is regretful.

He watches me for a second before he looks down and forces a smile. “I just wanted you to know.” With those words, he stands up and leaves the room and for some reason, I just feel far worse than before we had that short conversation.