Eternal Moon.
*********I do not own any of the rights of the characters. No copyright intended. *******
PLEASE DO NOT READ ME IF YOU NOT AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS PLUS. THIS STORY CONTAINS PROFANITY, VIOLENCE AND ADULT SITUATIONS. SO IF THIS OFFENDS YOU SHOULD STOP READING NOW.
Chapter Seven.
SAM POV:
After Bella had disappeared, Sam had remained in his tent. The longest a divider had ever remained in the dark world was twelve hours, before they had been beckoned back to their own world that was unless they had been bonded to someone here and returned on their own. Every bonded divider could choose how long they decide to stay. Would Bella even dare to do this?
The scent of Bella still lingered in the air. This beautiful female made him feel unexpectedly foolish, and she had no idea of the danger she was in.
That first night that she arrived here, she should have died a spy's death, because that was what everyone of his pack assumed she was. A spy who'd come from one of the neighbouring villages past the treaty boundaries. The pack was protective of their alpha, and so they usually took it upon themselves to make spies they caught suffer. Since Sam had been in camp that night they had given the honour of killing her to him. As soon as he'd laid his eyes on her he knew. She was not a spy. She was a divider.
The pack did not know the truth, if they had realized what she was; a spy's death would have been made to feel like foreplay to her. Sam, unlike his pack, had spent most of his life hunting these dividers. Finding them and slaughtering them. Dividers were mostly male, so that was what his people expected, but sometimes on a rare occasion came a female. Bella had been far too shy to be a spy, and almost instantly as soon as he'd seen her, he recognized that frightened look in her eyes. Many dividers wore that expression as they'd died by his hand.
Stupid, foolish man. He should have killed Bella while he had the chance. Anyone else would have.
All dividers were born to her world, and as he'd told her, once a year those dividers would become bonded to this world. He had no explanation as to why this happened. One thing he did know, dividers were the only beings capable of dividing between this dark world and their light world.
Years and years ago, his people had welcomed the dividers. Protected them, fed them and sheltered them. They had even been taken to his chief and questioned, as the chief had hoped that they too could find the way to divide between the two worlds. Many of the dividers that had come through and bonded and mated to some of his people and so had stayed, but yet they still lived in fear of the monsters, as they so kindly put it, and had them destroyed.
This began the process of the dividers finding one another, and once they came into contact they began to build their armies and plot the perfect way to take down his tribe. His family. When Sam was younger he had to watch as his father, mother, sisters and one of his brothers fell to the dividers weapons of guns and grenades. He and Embry, his youngest brother, had barely escaped with their lives.
The dividers would have gotten away with their crimes, but like every divider they all had to return every year. Though Sam had been made chief of his tribe, he spent most of his time hunting these dividers rather than leading his people.
Once he'd punished the ones who had taken his family, he would be free. But still others came. Others who he'd hunted. They always ran and hid, and they'd learnt to hide well, but he always found them in the end. Or so he'd thought.
Bella might not have been the one to hurt his family, but yet she was still one of them and to his belief she had also found others like her. Dividers he had not found himself. What if they banded together like before? Would they work on finishing to destroy him and his family?
He'd known he should have killed her. But after meeting her the first time, he'd thought he could use her to learn about the others that he couldn't find. He could learn how many there were? Where they travelled to? When they travelled? Their strengths and their weaknesses. When they had met the second time, she'd given him nothing and still he hadn't hurt her.
He looked forward to their third meeting, more than he'd wanted to, but not to learn from her. So he could see her.
"I'm more than a damn fool, where that woman is concerned." He muttered.
He'd had his pack prepare the tent in the woods that surrounded the tribal lands. On his way here, he had been attacked. A fight had broken out and he almost hadn't reached the tent in time. Bella would've appeared where ever he was, out in the open and in front of his pack. If they saw her, there would be no denying her origins. Damn those Vamps from the McCullen land.
She would've been instantly put to death, actions first questions later. He wouldn't have had his questions answered. Questions he had no right to ask. Like, how would she react to him? What would she say to him? Would she appear with fire blazing in her eyes as her temper became enflamed?
Time had definitely changed her; she had more curves in all the right places. She'd lashed out at him, dared him, defied him, and boy did those eyes blaze brightly.
His ignored body had reacted to her fire. He'd needed to touch and to taste. Over and over again he had to repeat to himself that she was just too young. It still hadn't stopped his mind from screaming at him. MINE. A typical hazard to the bond he'd performed between the two of them. It made her seem more appealing and dear god, was she appealing. The softness he'd felt under his hands, the hard lines of his body fit with her height perfectly.
Would she have welcomed his kiss?
Thankfully he hadn't found out. Because sex with a divider, he'd be the laughing stock of his family and especially his pack.
Should have just killed the damn woman, his thoughts turned again. But instead of killing her he'd tested her strengths and endurance, even her combat skills. He'd even instructed her on how she could be better, wondering how her people would react to her origins if they ever found out. Thinking he wouldn't be there to protect her. If she ever did decide to live here, she would have to be prepared for his people.
God. Was he absolutely mad? Live here? She could never live here. His people hated her kind. If Embry ever found out… Sam sighed. There would be no living anything down. His brother's disappointment would be worse and the hurt would just slay him down.
It was his thoughts had summoned him into flesh, the flap of his tent flicked open, and Embry just strode inside. With him was his right-hand man, Vane, trailed behind him. Both were dressed in the clothes of the warrior. Leather bound chest-plates and pants. Boots with daggers implanted within them. Both men appeared to be sodden.
Embry looked like the less hardened version of himself. Black hair, black eyes, tall and muscled. Even though his instincts were more honed than Embry's, he was still no less skilled in combat. And plenty savage when riled passed a point. That had been one of things that he'd drilled into his brother more than anyone or anything, he had wanted Embry to be able to care for himself. The training Embry had received had been the same training he'd taught Bella. No mercy.
"There you are." Embry said with a grin. He spoke in their native tongue, and before he'd opened his mouth he made a mental note to do the same. No more of Bella's English for him. Talk about giving him away. "Are we interrupting anything?"
Obviously that had been the aim. "Not at all. Brother." Sam replied flippantly.
Embry's expression fell. "We heard a female grunting and groaning. Which means that after a yearlong chastity, our chief has finally shown an interest in a woman? Who is she, huh? And more importantly where is she?"
"She is long gone." He could hear the truth in his answer, but it contained an undertone of displeasure. Was it because she hadn't stayed?
Damn it, he had wanted her to stay. And now he'd stupidly told her how to return to him at her will, even after going to such lengths to keep her hidden and out of sight of his village and his people. All he'd wanted was her absence. No question.
He fisted his hands in frustration. Wonder what in the world he would do if she appeared in front of his brother? What would he do if she appeared during another of his battles? Stupid, stupid, stupid, these thoughts occurred over and over again. He'd known it before he'd told and yet he still opened his mouth and told her.
And now all he could think about was if she would appear before her next birthday. If they'd spar, tease and touch…
Blood… Heating…
"Sam you should be embarrassed to have finished so quickly." Vane crossed his arms and there stood the picture of a confident male. "Had it have been me, she would still be shouting out my name."
Twelve hours was finishing quickly? What in the world did Vane do with his women? Like most of the beings in the dark world, Vane was a Were. His Were animal was the wolf and he shifted when the moon was at its highest point, but when he was in normal form he possessed the same strength that Sam and his pack did.
The surrounding villages considered the Were's to be nothing more than expendable warriors. The unworthy, slaves. Sam didn't do this to them. He respected their strength and their loyalty.
"You wear them out, so they don't come back for more." Sam informed his favourite warrior. "Mine always come back begging for more." Not that he welcomed them, once he was done, he was done.
He should of just taken Bella and be done with her.
"I just wish I could make just one come." Embry muttered. When he realised what he'd said his cheeks reddened, under his admission.
Sam slapped his brother on his shoulder. Embry's easy manner should've brought him favours with the ladies of their village. But unfortunately it was not to be. Embry was shy and bumbling around anyone of the fairer sex and always had been.
When he'd first reached his maturity, the females had wanted him feverishly and had quite literally thrown themselves at him. He'd found it difficult to speak to them and had sweated uncontrollably and could never seem to look anywhere else apart from his feet. They'd begun to tease him and this had only made his shyness more apparent. Now Embry just tended to avoid all females.
"You can have any woman you wish for. You just have to stop running in the other direction. They only bite if you ask them nicely."
Vane laughed.
"What's her name?" Embry asked quickly, so diverting the banter away from him. "The one you were with today?"
What could be the harm in speaking the truth? "Bella."
"Bella?" His brother choked on his laughter. "Bella?"
"It's a fine name. What's wrong with it?" He growled out. Feeling unsure as to why he was suddenly feeling anger burn through him. Bella was his enemy. Anyone was welcome to make fun of her. Especially his brother.
"Yes but Bella, like a Bell? Like the tattoo you had inked on your arm last year?"
He clenched his jaw so tightly he could hear his teeth start to crack. "No. Not like that all." He managed to push the words out through his tense jaw.
He'd never known why he'd gotten that tattoo. He hadn't wanted to analyse it back then and he certainly didn't want to analyse it now. All he knew was when he looked at his tolling bell, he smiled.
"You've known her all this time?" Vane shook his head, just in the same way that Sam did with Bella. "And yet you've kept quiet all this time."
"He must have feared one of us would steal her away." Embry said nodding as though he'd solved some tightly kept mystery.
Before Sam could reply to either of them, not that he had anything to say in response, they turned to one another, cutting him out of the conversation.
"No wonder he raced from the warm dry village to get here. He missed his woman." Vane said, and then cooed mockingly. "Ah. Poor baby."
Embry stroked his chin thoughtfully. "She must be hideous if he feels that he must hide her away like that. Or perhaps she's too precious for the poor baby to share."
Sam felt privileged. No one ever saw them like this, relaxed and teasing. To the rest of this world Vane was a snarling beast of a man, a savage and Embry was quiet and withdrawn. Both of them saved their charm for him, as if he was special and he was glad of this. Both of them were an important part of his life. So he never did mind their teasing. Much.
Trying to bring himself back into the conversation. "So what are you doing here?" He asked.
They both chuckled, at him.
"We must find another woman for him." Vane continued his chatter to Embry. "This Bell obviously hasn't worked him out of his yearlong temper."
Embry carried on chin stroking. "We've placed female after female in front of him and each one he has refused. And sent them away in tears every time."
He sighed. "I asked you a question."
And yet still they ignored him and continued on.
"Perhaps we could ask around." Embry said. "Find out what the others know about the Bella. Where she lives and why she leaves her man in such a bad mood."
Vane massaged his neck. "When we find her we should instruct her on the proper ways to treat the chief. I do my best instructing naked."
Oh shit. There was no way he could let them go around asking questions about her. And there was definitely no way he could contemplate Vane and Bella in bed. Not without turning feral. "Why. Are. You. Here?"
At last, they'd finally turned their attention to him. Both flashing him, unrepentant grins.
"We both heard of the attack." His brother said to him, with a slap on the back. "We came to offer our aid."
"As if I can't handle a few enemy warriors, on my own." Damn McCullen, the lord of the neighbouring village past their treaty line, he wanted Sam's land, and constantly struck at random times. "I sent the men back to their lord. Minus their heads."
"Perhaps that's why he failed to satisfy his Bella." Vane continued on to Embry. "She's too frightened of him to enjoy him."
"Surely not. That would mean she rejected him, and my brother will be the first to tell you how irrestable he is."
Enough now. "Let's return to the village. I'm in need of dinner and a bath." And a woman, damn his always aching body, but he couldn't have one of those. Unless Bella chose to return.
Too young, damn it. She'd lived for nineteen years now and he'd lived thirty-three. Up until a year ago, she'd been his fearful little mouse and he'd been a lion his entire life.
A part of him wished he could have followed her to her light world, where he could have had her without any worry. No one to disturb them, no one to threaten her and no painful past to remember. He hated that part of himself. But this was his home and he wouldn't leave for any reason.
"Look at you, all serious all of a sudden." Embry said. "You're right Sam. It's time to return home and get you fed. I want my pain in the ass brother back."
He snorted, but allowed both men to lead him out of the tent, where his feet splashed in puddles. The rain continued to pour from the dark sky, he mounted a horse. Many different Were's were nearby and his pack guards waited as his protection as he'd ordered, ensuring that no one entered or left the tent, without his permission. Except for Vane and Embry, they always did as they pleased.
"Leave the tent." He told them. "And go home." No reason to have them out the rain any longer. Not that the rain ever stopped this time of year. And his command had nothing to do with maintaining a hideaway for Bella in case she chose to visit without any warning. Of course.
Everything taken care of, he spurred his animal to home. He almost hoped someone else attacked him tonight. He itched for another fight. Something, anything to release some of this pent up tension.
Yet, deep down he suspected only one thing would release that tension and he might not see her for another year.
Finally completed it. Had my other stories cropping up, but thank god it's done!