Dark Moon Ch. 05

Note to readers: so this chapter is in a bit of a...dare I say mess. Had to edit a large chunk at the end, Martha and Clifton were meant to get their freak on, but I keep seeing them as a mother and father figure, eww, did not want that visual in my head so I got rid of that. Anywho, reviews are like lollipops and I have a pretty big sweet-tooth, so keep 'em coming. :D Enjoy!

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Naomi sat in her library her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose as she looked over the sheets of work before her. Pages of clan issues and complaints crowded her desk, and Naomi liked the clutter, enjoyed the responsibility that befell her as Alpha of Stillwater.

Rubbing her brow with the intention of soothing her banging head, she took a sip of tea and contemplated her son's current imprisonment.

She knew she had been overboard in his punishment and most of her anger was aimed at herself for the damage she had inflicted upon him. It had only been that morning that she had ravaged his leg in a fit of anger.

The metallic tang of his blood still lingered in her mouth, adding to the bitter memories she held forever in her heart whenever she hurt him.

Pushing herself angrily from her place at the desk she began to pace the room with agitated steps, her fury mounting to the point where she was struggling to stop from shifting.

Why did Joshua do things to annoy her, why did he continue to disobey her? What joy could be found when he knew the consequences of his disobedience, she thought she had beaten the rebellion out of him but it was obvious that her form of discipline only made him more defiant.

Packing away her files Naomi planned to go and see her wayward son, just to make sure she hadn't done irreparable damage.

"Alpha! Alpha!" The library door burst open as a petite brown haired she-wolf entered, her hands resting firmly on her knees as she regained her breath.

Naomi ignored the fact that the shifter had ignored protocol. Everyone knew never to burst in on the Alpha, knocking and making oneself known was important to Naomi, she could never let her guard down.

"What is it Lilly?" Naomi asked, not liking the look of horror on her face.

"It is Joshua, he's gone and he's taken the Oak River bitch with him." Lilly said, falling back as Naomi stomped towards the dining room. There the female pack members stood awaiting Naomi's orders.

"Is it true, has Joshua left?" Naomi asked, praying that this was some sick practical joke.

If anything happened to Joshua she didn't know what she would do. Her love for her son was immeasurable and though she beat him that was a side of her she couldn't control. If Joshua was gone she would use all her power to get him back to her side and this time she would make it so he could never leave again.

"Yes Naomi, I went to cage to check on the she-wolf but when I got there the gate was open." Tara said.

"I too went to check on Joshua his wounds needed tending but his room was empty." Lilly said wringing her hands in worry.

Naomi made a noise of discontent, incompetent oafs! How could they have lost the hostage and her son? Was it not pack rule to watch over the Alpha's family! Naomi had made it clear that Joshua was to be watched with the eyes of a hawk. Grabbing hold of a fellow shifter Naomi slammed her hard against the wall leaving a dark red mark, slumping to the ground. Dead or unconscious Naomi didn't care.

"Alpha we know how they escaped!"

The group of women parted as two shifters dragged a black and blue Marcus before Naomi. He looked up at her through swollen eyes, blood dripping from his lips.

"Marcus." Naomi hissed.

She roughly took hold of his chin, her fingers biting into the flesh of his face. Letia cried out, fighting against those that restrained her. Naomi ignored her pleas kicking Marcus hard in the chest.

"Tell me what happened!" Naomi demanded.

Grabbing hold of Marcus's throat she dragged him to the same spot where she had slammed the female shifter, who still lay unmoving on the ground.

"He distracted us." A shifter said, her cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.

The woman recoiled when Naomi struck out at her, her unsheathed claws scarring the shifters once flawless skin.

"So because of this boy you failed to protect my son!" She shouted backhanding Marcus as he wheezed with pain. Naomi crouched down to Marcus's level and gently caressed his bruised face.

"You are brave and courageous to stand up to me and help Joshua, for that I will let you live." Knowing that when Joshua was brought back he wouldn't be pleased to find his best friend dead.

"I want you all to go to Oak Falls, find the clan and retrieve my son." Naomi said addressing her clan warriors.

The group of twenty women came forward, seasoned warriors and faithful servants, they were the most trusted of her soldiers.

"Alpha." Lilly, head of the warriors, knelt before Naomi and took her hand in hers.

She kissed her knuckles, a sign of devotion and loyalty, the other warriors followed suite pledging their lives to the cause.

"I want him back, alive." Naomi said, a deadly message to the women who were to bring back Joshua, they could do as they pleased with him as long as it did not result in his death.

...

Naomi watched as the electric fence was turned off, allowing the warriors to venture outside of Stillwater. It was the first time it had been turned off since it had been erected after Joshua's first escape.

"Bring him back Lilly." Naomi said clutching hold of her shoulder and squeezing it tightly.

"Bring him back Lilly." Naomi begged, angrily wiping at the tear that trickled down her cheek.

Lilly nodded before running to catch up with comrades her mind set on making Naomi happy, and the only way of doing that was to bring Joshua Stillwater back home.

...

Joshua jerked awake his body soaked in sweat as he regained his equilibrium, the nightmare that had plagued his sleep dissolved into the corners of his mind so quickly that grasping at any tendrils proved futile.

Sun and heat soaked the airy wood room that Martha had so lovingly prepared. It was sparsely yet lovingly decorated with a simple mahogany table and wardrobe.

He had especially enjoyed the mint chocolate he found on his pillow, although at that time his thoughts had been firmly rooted on the mind blowing sex he and Passion had enjoyed in the kitchen.

Smiling to himself, Joshua rooted in the chest of drawers for the clothes Clifton had left for him. Although the trousers were a little too short and the tops a little too tight he managed to find an outfit that wasn't too outdated. From his room he could smell the beginnings of breakfast and his stomach rumbled with hunger.

Taking the stairs two steps at a time he entered the kitchen with a wide grin on his face anticipating his morning with Passion.

"Morning Joshua." Martha smiled cheerily, placing a steaming plate of bacon, sausages and eggs in front of him.

"Sorry for the trouble." He said shyly, his eyes roving around the kitchen for any sign of Passion.

Martha chuckled knowingly, "Passion has gone into town, she's a teacher at the human high school and she has just been told she has to supervise the school dance, she's not exactly pleased."

Joshua ducked his head with embarrassment at being so transparent. He hadn't meant to appear overly infatuated with Passion but he couldn't help the way he felt about her.

Whether it was because she was the first woman he had been with or if it was because she had rescued him from his mother, either way he was growing more and more attached to her.

...

Passion sat in Lulu's Cove, a small café and bar in the town centre sat snugly between the gas station and nightclub.

It was in the seedier parts of Oak Falls but that didn't bother Passion one bit. Downtown, she could be herself and not need to worry about how others perceived her, here in Lulu's she could be Passion.

She sat by the window watching as the working class humans walked up and down the promenade, mothers with strollers balancing an array of shopping bags, the mechanics laughing and joking with one another, a few shady kids stood on the corner smoking cigarettes and drinking from brown bags.

"Damn kids." Passion looked up as Lulu poured her a cup of coffee a sagging cigarette hanging from her deep rouge lips.

Wrinkles marred her mouth as she sneered through the cloudy windows, her purple hair hung at a perilous tilt and threatened to topple over and squash Passion.

"How you doing honey, it's been a while since I've last seen you." Lulu said, sliding into the booth opposite her. Passion knew exactly when she had last been to Lulu's, it was when she had broken up with Brent.

They had been sitting at her favourite spot by the lake in her parents back garden, it was further away from the house but still on her father's land.

They were lying on the shore, trailing their fingers in the sand when she had asked him that fateful question.

"I'm thinking of claiming, this full moon." She had said, her eyes trailing up his half naked body still damp with aftermath of ferocious sex.

Brent drew a drag from his roll up, his eyes shut with fatigue. Passion wasn't sure he had heard her so she repeated herself.

"I don't plan on being mated too soon, who's the wolf you've chosen?" Brent asked dragging on the spliff.

Passion paused, scrambling up she slammed her hands on his chest causing him to choke.

"What do you mean, you and I. I thought you and I..." She trailed of as she saw the look on his face change from content to disgust his lip curling as he pushed her off him.

"Passion do you really think I would mate with some like you, maybe some other lower wolf who likes to slum would, but not me." Brent sneered.

He pulled his shirt on quickly, chucking the spliff into the lake. "Call me when you want a lay but never expect me to be yours forever, Omega." He had said the last word with so much hatred Passion felt her heart snap in half.

"Passion?" Lulu placed her withered hands on hers, jolting Passion from her memories.

Passion smiled politely, her eyes stinging from the memory. It had been almost five years but that hadn't healed the hole in her heart.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Lulu asked, calling another waitress and ordering two full breakfasts. Passion thanked her for her generosity.

"Well I work at the high school, I'm chaperoning the prom." Passion said with as much enthusiasm as a delinquent in a library.

Lulu laughed which trailed into a chesty cough. Thumping on her chest with her fist she tucked back into her meal. For the rest of the meal they talked amicably about mundane things such as the weather and what they had gotten up to in the past five years.

"Okay we can't all enjoy the summer vacation." Lulu laughed as she got out of her seat.

Lulu wandered to the bar, greeting regular customers on her way. Once alone Passion left with her thoughts, all of which centred on Joshua.

That morning she had left the house as soon as day break. She couldn't stay any longer, knowing that Joshua was down the hall from her. She had never run away from anything in her life but she just couldn't face Joshua.

Theirs was a secret affair would affect the entire clan if it was revealed. They had already been seen once, but next time they may not be so lucky. Passion knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her hands of, there was something about him that called out to her. How had she allowed things to go this far? She placed a hefty tip and left the Cove. Pulling up her collar against the sudden breeze she made her way to her pickup truck in the car park.

"Passion." A gruff voice called, Passion groaned then pasted on a smile and turned around.

Brent walked towards her with his usual self assured swagger with a smile on his face that he thought was alluring.

"Brent what are you doing here, I never thought this would be your kind of place."

"It's not but your mom told me you'd gone to town, since you feel at home here I figured that this is where you would be." Without her permission he opened the door to the pickup whilst Passion sputtered with indignation.

How could he be so callous with her yet expect her to easily allow him back into her life? Realising that there was no point arguing with him, she put the key in the ignition and made her way back to Oak Falls.

"The last time we spoke you seemed a little disinclined to continue our relationship." Brent said pushing the seat back and resting his feet on the dashboard lighting a cigarette.

"Open the damn window." Passion hissed.

"Sorry babe, forget you hate the smell of smoke."

"Don't call me babe."

For the remainder of the journey they endured a one sided conversation, Brent speaking mostly about himself and he wanted out of life.

"I was a fool Passion, such a fool. You and I are the perfect couple." He said. Passion braked sharply she had had enough.

"So this full moon you'll mate with me?" She asked knowing exactly what his reply would be.

"No but..."

"But nothing." Passion said cutting him off. "I don't want anything to do with you Brent, I'm Omega you're a Beta. Forget it."

"And you think fucking the Alpha is any better!" Brent yelled, slamming his fist against his thigh.

Passion chose to ignore him, exiting the car instead and leaving him to stew. She was grateful that Brent hadn't tried to follow her or she might have punched him, his every word reminded her of her differences between herself and the rest of the clan.

She would never be worthy of a mate, who wanted a social pariah as a wife? Nor would she ever be able to have children not if she had no mate, it was biologically impossible.

Passion walked slowly to the fountain in the centre of the town square, the gray rock glistened beneath the afternoon sun. She sat down, her fingers dipping into the water, enjoying the refreshing feel of something cool against her skin.

"I was wondering where you were." Passion looked up and smiled as she saw Spectre approach her.

She held a book in her hand and had her reading glasses on. Passion smiled with pride as she realised just how seriously Spectre wanted to

become a doctor.

"Come, sit." Passion said patting a space beside her. Nosily she took the book from her friend and began to read the first few lines.

"Interesting?" Spectre asked knowingly.

"I don't understand a damn thing." Passion chuckled, handing the book back to her friend.

"I saw you and Brent in the car together, what did that toad want?" Spectre asked crossing her long perfectly toned legs. Her pink manicured nails tapped lightly in her knee, knowing that her brother must have done or said something unforgivable to cause Passion so much aggravation.

"The usual. Me on all fours with my ass in the air." Passion smiled, as Spectre broke out in peals of laughter, tears trickling down her face.

"Let, let me get this right." Spectre hiccupped.

"He honestly thought you two would get back together."

"Dumb huh." Passion said picking at the moss growing between the cracks of the fountain wall.

"Maybe it's because you're getting on with the Alpha." Spectre said nonchalantly, peering at Passion beneath hooded eyelids.

Passion gasped, almost toppling back into the water. How did Spectre know about her and Josh, oh lord did the rest of the clan know? She thought they had been careful, everyone else had their own business to get on with. Then it struck her that the packs main priority was the new Alpha. The Alpha that Passion was stealing away from the pack.

"Don't get so worked up, sex is good for the soul, just be careful I'd hate to see you or Josh get hurt." Spectre said resting her hand on Passion's.

Passion smiled in appreciation, glad that at least someone treated her like a person. Joshua did too but that was because he was getting something from her. Once their affair was over he too would look down on her like shit stuck to his shoe. Passion didn't know why but the thought of Joshua turning from her made her feel uncomfortable and she rubbed her chest as if she could physically feel it being clutched.

"Anyway enough about that." Spectre said pulling Passion along with her. "We have shopping to do!"

"What shopping? You know I hate shopping." Passion said, dragging her heels into the ground, she wasn't exaggerating shopping just wasn't her thing.

She'd rather wear a worn pair of jeans and a sweater and save her money for more important things.

"Well I heard that you've taken on the responsibility of chaperoning for the prom." Spectre said tugging at her.

Spectre's smile was infectious and questioning her about how she knew about the prom seemed unimportant.

As a teacher it was her duty to make sure that everyone was well behaved and no one got hurt, she hated this part of her job and if it wasn't for her love of teaching she wouldn't have offered.

Then again she hadn't exactly offered, she had been coerced by the Head. As they entered the first boutique Passion knew she was in for a long day.

...

Joshua walked past the loggers greeting the shifters as they acknowledged him as Alpha. The humans, used to the packs idiosyncrasies, ignored them as they touched their foreheads to Joshua's hand, a sign of submission when in human form.

Clifton had kindly invited Joshua to join him at the logging firm he managed, having seen Joshua gliding listlessly around the house. Joshua groaned in self --disgust at his behaviour, he had never pined for anyone. No woman had ever stirred his blood as Passion did and that was what he was scared off.

"Time to go." Clifton said, wiping his hands on a cloth.

He took in Joshua's confused look and almost burst out laughing, it was obvious his thoughts had been elsewhere and Clifton had an inkling where. The thought sobered him quickly, he had smelt the sex in the kitchen that morning when he had come down for breakfast. Martha had blushed profusely when he questioned her and he knew instantly what his daughter had done.

"Let's go." Clifton said gruffly, walking to the black truck. Joshua shook his head, clearing the fogs of confusion from his mind. Clifton had spoken so coldly when a moment ago he had smiled at him, he didn't know why but he hoped he hadn't done something to anger him.

The drive home was silent and uncomfortable, the tension clawing at Joshua until he lent his head against the window and shut his eyes. Once shut he could pretend that he was somewhere else, a place where he could be himself and be alone without anyone trespassing on his territory.

Clifton turned off the engine, unbuckled his seat belt and slammed the door behind him. Just as quickly Joshua clambered out, watching as Clifton stormed up the gravel path stray stones flying in his wake. Joshua cringed as Clifton slammed open the front door, the sound of his footsteps reverberated through the house and he heard an exchange of harsh whispers between Martha and Clifton.

Sighing sadly, he walked out into the garden the gentle lap of water against the shore sounded melodious and he walked to the water's edge. Settling in the grass he leaned back to gaze at the stars and lost himself in their infinity.

...

Dinner was a tense affair that made Passion cringe, the silence was unbearable but the mundane and terse exchanges were worse. What had happened to cause such a rift, just last night Joshua and her father had gotten on so well.

"May I be excused?" Joshua asked, Martha and Clifton looked at him aghast.

As Alpha his word was law, he could come and go as he pleased, there was no need to ask for permission.

"Of course." Clifton answered awe replacing the scorn in his voice.