We walk further into the woods until we start to climb up the slope of the mountain side. I slip a little on some mud and John grabbed my hand right away as if my life depended on it.
"Relax, it was a little mud I stepped on," I look at him and he pulls me up into his arms to carry me the rest of the way.
"I can walk just fine," he leans down to kiss me as he picks up the pace of the walk.
"I know you can walk perfectly, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy your body against mine while we walk uphill. Plus, this counts as a workout." He winks at me as I role my eyes in response.
"Fine. But be careful, we need to make it back in time before sunset." I wrap my arms around his neck as he runs up the slope.
We get to the top of the mountainside, and I see a whole body of water on the other side of the mountain. With the sun at its highest peak, the sun makes the water glisten like millions of stars from the night sky. The only difference is that the sky makes the water appear blue with the glistening stars colliding against each other. I watched for a long time until my eyes felt as if I could see the glistening inside my eyelids.
"I used to go here when I was a kid," says John, "My mother use to take me here before my dad would go against the challenging males." He set me down on my feet but kept his arms around my shoulders in embrace as we continue to gaze at the dazzling water.
"John, where is your mother," I ask him. I tear my eyes away from the scenery to look up at his expression. He looks down at me and I see his eyes holding back tears which makes me turn back to what's in front of me--blinding beauty of nature.
"She used to tell me to take it all in before it disappears because it's never going to be the same ever. I never knew what she meant until now." He plants a kiss on the top of my head and squeezes me tighter. I close my eyes to try and take a mental picture in my mind to never forget this memory with John. Whatever the outcome is tonight, I'll cherish our little moment in my heart.
. . .
We make it back before sundown, but all was quiet between us. All we could think about was the fate of tonight. John kept my hand in his as we enter our home to dress in our clothes for the battle tonight. I wore my first warrior clothing for women and John only wore a cloth around his waist since tonight is full moon. Werewolves don't dress in clothes when the transformation happens. I walk towards him and embrace him before we meet the rest of the village at the center. John looks down at me and plants a kiss on my forehead. I close my eyes to fight the urge to cry and beg him to run away from this whole facade of order in this Moon Village. No one should be fought to the death for a new leader in their pack.
"I know this must be hard for you," he whispers in my ear. I cover my face in his chest so he could stop examining my facial expressions. I just want to get this day over with and continue my life with John. No, I wish none of this happened in the first place, I'd be with my father in Cidra living my own life as Chief. I'd probably die young due to childbirth with a man that I'd be trapped in an arranged marriage that would inherit the title Chief.
"It's hard to watch you battle for a title that should be automatically yours." I look up finally. "I want you to give it your all no matter if you come out with a missing eye or a missing leg. I'd rather you live another day with me than die for a stupid title that wasn't worth it."
"It is worth it, Minerva. I need this title to keep you and everybody safe. I was born to lead and accomplish more than my father and even more. I earn the respect of every man in our village, and I get to call the shots of when to travel and save more women that suffer the same consequence as you did." I agree with him until the very ending. Once he wins this stupid battle, I will hopefully convince him to stop with stealing women in the night. That is my only goal to achieve while I'm still alive even if this Moon Village disagrees with my intensions.
"Minerva," John whispers. I put a stop to my thoughts to see what he'll say next. "Please let me make love to you." My body melts to his words and before I have a chance to respond, his mouth is on mine with much urgency and swiftness. I want to say no, but my body feels possessed by his simple touch. My hands come up to circle around his neck as I kiss him back. I feel tears spilling from my eyes as my lips moves with his passionately in heat. I back up gasping for air and push him to our bed, startling John from my quick reflects. I move my clothes to the side and rip John's cloth away to reveal his huge organ that's ready to be inside me. I climb over his legs and gently push him inside me slowly to revel in our sexual sensation. John holds my hands in his and we gently rock slowly as we look at each other's face. Our eyes stay locked while his hands move to my hips to move my body up and down repeatedly. I start to pant a little from the friction between my legs and I feel my muscles spasm from the penetration deep within me. John circles his hands around my waist and turns so I'm pinned beneath his body.
"Wrap your legs around me," he says in a husky voice. I listen without saying anything as he quickens the pace. The whole time he's holding me as I cling to his body while he keeps going deeper to the point where I feel like exploding. Just before I feel like my body might not take it anymore, he slows down and circles his hips closer to mine, making me moan lightly in his shoulder. He lifts his chest from mine and unhooks my left leg to hold near his chest. John kisses my knee and thrusts himself in me once more. I moan louder from the deep penetration. His motions are slow but still at a pace. Each time we come together the sensation starts to build up within my body causing me to explode from within. My mind feels fried along with my ears ringing as he lowers my leg to spread my knees and holds my hands down with his as he picks up the pace. I continue to moan louder after the first explosion as he thrusts faster inside me. He starts to moan as he feels near to exploding inside me. I moan as he pulls me toward his chest and explodes in me, twitching a few times as we're wrapped in each other's arms.
He slowly kisses my head and brings my lips to his so tenderly. His lips are as soft as a rose petal against mine while try to catch our breath. He lowers me back to the bed and lays beside me while he twirls my hair in his fingers. I draw circles on his chest while we lay like that for a few minutes.
"We need to get up," I said while still laying on John.
"Yeah," he chuckles while he still holds me. I smile as I attempt to get up, but he holds me firmly. I look up at his face and he's smiling at my stern gaze.
"You know what I'm capable of doing so you better let me up," I threaten him. He gulps and quickly let's go. I leap off the bed to fix my clothes and toss his cloth to his face.
He catches it in his hand before he stands up and stretches with all his might while cracking a few joints and bones from his back and legs.
"You'll be weak now," I told him, "I need you to stay alive. Otherwise, I'll become someone else's problem." I walk towards him to smack him on the butt, and he gasps.
"I will, Minny. Don't worry about me, I'll make it back to you." He smiles at me and takes my hand in his. "Let's go now, we can't be late." We walk out of our hut and towards the center of the Moon Village.
. . .
We are in the middle of the village with over thirty other men and women. There are no kids surrounding the area since it's a battle to the death. The women all turn to look at me as I hold John's hand.
"I don't know why he wanted her," whispers one woman.
"She's pretty but very dangerous."
"Can she even have kids with the things she does?"
"I heard she likes beating John before mating."
"Too bad John's gonna die, I heard Greg is gonna take her in as his mate when he wins." I stop walking and look up at the voice who made that last comment. They all look at me except the one who spoke out of turn, she looks down away from me.
"Ladies," I look at all of them without smiling, "I know I'm different from all of you and I have no idea why I'm here to begin with. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but one thing is for certain," I stop to look at the woman who can't meet my gaze. She's about 5 feet with blonde hair that goes below her shoulders with brown eyes. "I'd appreciate it if you keep your snide and inconsiderate comments about John out of it and away from me." She looks up at me and glares with hate and a hint of jealously.
"Or else what? You're gonna kill us as well," she asks sarcastically. She smirks like she won this battle verbally. I smile in return to return the gesture.
"I only intend to kill when I feel threatened. You don't want to be on my bad side little girl, I only wish to survive, not gossip with the flock." I turn to leave without giving them the benefit of continuing this conversation. John watches me as I walk back to him.
"I'm glad you didn't kill them," he chuckles as he leans in to kiss the side of my cheek and nips my ear. I gasp and look at him with a smirk.
"I don't kill women; besides, I would like to know what it feels like to make friends with some of these women." I look back at them and they're all looking at us. "Hopefully, some of them will leave their group to talk to me eventually."
"Just give them time, Minerva. They just need time to adjust to a newcomer becoming the Alpha's mate automatically. Not everyone is a skilled fighter like you," he chuckles once more and plants a kiss before a loud roar causes a rumble around the crowd. We all quiet down as the Beta and Omega enter the middle of the crowd. Everyone moves out of the way to create an opening where only the two men stand.
"Thank you for coming here tonight during our Blue Moon stage. In a few minutes the moon will be at its highest peak, and we will transform and battle to the death for our ranks," Enzo announces, " for those who are simply here to observe, please keep clear and out of the way of the men or go home if it becomes too violent for your taste."
"The men who choose to fight please step forward and remove your cloth," says Greg. Only two men step forward and start to remove their cloths. I notice two women walk away from the crowd, clearly the mates of these men who oppose the battle. Greg and Enzo stay in the middle but remove their cloths as well. I see John in front of me remove his cloth and step more into the circle by Enzo's side.
"There can only be three winners who will be ranked as the Alpha, Beta, and Omega. Anyone else who stays with injury won't participate in the next battle for the new ranks," Enzo gives John a side glance before looking up at the moon before it changes to the lightest shade of blue, causing the men around us to change into the hairy beasts with red eyes. The men start to moan in pain as they transform before our eyes. They drop down to all fours howling to the Blue Moon as hair grows all over their skin and their eyes change color.
All the men in the crowd changed as well but remain outside the center away from the competitors. I look at John and notice how his body looks small next to the other werewolves, makes it almost impossible to win.
The beasts circle each other slowly, waiting for one to strike first. It takes a while before Enzo strikes first at the other men who joined. Greg goes for John, but he manages to dodge by rolling to his left. The two other men try to fend off Enzo who refuses to be brought down and takes a scratch at one of the men. One runs off after being slashed in the eye but the other guy takes a bite out of Enzo's front left leg. I look back at John and he's managing to dodge all of Greg's blows before he decided to scratch Greg's hind leg with his claw. Greg winces in pain but manages to move out of the way before John's tackle.
I look back to see Enzo biting the neck out of the guy as he yelps one last time before the men on that side start to howl in response to the death. I look again to John as he moves backward to try and move Greg out of the side and back into the middle. Greg stays until John runs toward him at full speed. Before I could get a word out, Greg sidesteps at the last second to make a hard swipe of his claw to John's right side. John yelps loudly causing me to fall to my knees in shock. This cannot be happening, please stop this fight. I can't lose John like this.
John is on the ground unable to move except his chest for breathing. Greg walks up to him slowly and looks in his eyes before growling and taking his neck in his mouth to bite down hard to snap his neck in one swift move. The crack vibrates around the crowd leaving me hallow as I look down at John's lifeless body. The men start to howl again but louder now that Greg won the Alpha's position. All I can process is that I lost my only chance of happiness and my plan of making this village my home. Now I'm certain this Moon Village will surely bring inescapable death toward me and others to come.