Luna's Sokjan (Book one) (43 page)

“We will leave this world
in ruins McKenna.” He screamed at me. “And I will own your spirit
when we’re done.”
“My spirit is already owned by another you bastard.” I spat at him.
“You have no claim on me now and you never will. See you in six
thousand years, Myurr.”

The spirits attacked the
organ and drank the blood. Myurr screamed in pain.

“I love the sound of you
screams, Myurr. I will dance to them in my sleep tonight.” I purred
moving closer to the circle.

“Payment accepted Golden
Witch.” The disembodied voices told me and then they were
gone.

Myurr’s screams died out.
Leaving only the shell he once inhabited. Lifting, my bloody hand I
licked off some of the blood. I closed my eyes against the pain I
felt as his power flooded through my body and joined with
mine.

“All down,” I commanded
the circle wall before walking to his empty body.

I stared at Myurr’s body
for a moment, “And now I am ready for your brothers.” I told him
quietly.

I walked out of the house
and back to the SUV. Opening, the rear passenger door I pulled out
a five gallon gas can and headed back to the house. Quickly I
dowsed the inside and then the front porch, before lighting the
house on fire.

Stepping back I threw my
arms up to the dark night sky, “Great mother, it is finished. Come
shine on your children once more.” I called out, and a sense of
euphoria filled me, Luna was pleased once again. “Come and play in
my fire, little spirits.”

I sat on the hood of the
SUV and watched the fire spirits dance in and out of the flames as
the old cabin burned to the ground. The circle of protection I had
invoked around the cabin would keep the flames from burning down
the forest.

An hour later, I settled
into the driver’s seat and headed back to the house, time to face
the piper. I looked down at the caller ID. Three missed calls, all
from Gabriel. I lost my guards on the trip to the house. I had also
turned off the GPS on the phone. So for the last four hours, nobody
had known where I was. The drive home gave me time to clear my
mind. I would need to be particularly sharp to deal with
Gabriel.

Once I reached the
driveway I called him, “Hello.” I said when he picked
up.

“Branwen,” his cold fury
rolled over me even through the phone. “Where the hell have you
been for the past four hours?”

I looked at the brightly
lit house. I knew the guards had called Gabriel the moment I had
pulled into the driveway. Gabriel had been gone for the past three
days on pack business and wouldn’t be back until the end of the
week. I sorely missed him. This mate thing sucked.

“Sōkjan business,” I
replied my voice was just as cold.

“What the hell does that
mean?” he asked.

“It’s just like pack
business, Gabriel.” I answered.

How was I going to make it
to my shower without everybody telling Gabriel I was covered in
blood and smelled like another man?

“You were out on Sōkjan
business?” he said, “So you either when out hunting Willow or you
called something, which did you do, my love?”

Well, I didn’t go hunting
Willow, because I’m talking to you right now, idiot. If I had found
Willow we would have fought. If we had fought, I would most likely
be wounded or dead. Really?

“I didn’t go hunting
Willow tonight.” I told him getting out of the car. “And just so
you know, before my babysitters call you. I am covered in blood,
and I smell like my victim.”

I heard him sigh, and a
smile played across my face.

“We’ll talk about this
when I get home, McKenna. If you disappear again, I will leave
early and kill you myself.” He warned me.

I laughed, whatever,
“You’ll be home at the end of the week right?” I asked and paused
at the front door.

“I am hoping to be home by
tomorrow night. Do you have any more Sōkjan business that I should
know about?” He calmly asked me.

“Nope,” I answered
him.

Opening the front door, I
walked in. No one was there waiting for me, that was good. I headed
straight for the stairs.

“How is your pack business
going?” I asked.

“Good, there have only
been two challenges so far, but the night is still young.” He
replied.

Opening, the door to the
sitting room, and I came eye to eye with a really angry
Jennifer.

“That’s good. Gabriel, I
miss you.” I said to him and put a finger to my lips when she
opened her mouth. “And I love you. I have to go. See you when you
get home tomorrow night.”

“I miss you and love you
too, McKenna.” He said.

We hung up.

“Where have you been?” she
yelled at me, “Is that blood?”

“Come on and I will tell
you all about it.” I sighed walking to the bedroom door.

I told Jennifer most of
what had happened at the cabin. No need in telling her everything.
Just in case Gabriel questioned her later. After my shower and I
had eaten something, we watched movies until we fell asleep on the
couch.

Chapter 28

There were three burly
grey wolves crashing through the forest behind me. They were so
loud and clumsy. I laughed to myself as we weaved through the trees
and under growth. I had led them on a four mile run, and they were
getting tired. I on the other hand, was just warming up. My
advantage, I knew this forest better than anyone. I grew up here,
and spent all my time running and chasing anything I could
find.

I peered back over my
shoulder as I jumped over a large rotten tree. I was ahead by a
length, and once I made it across the gap. I would be home free.
There was a lake nearby, and I could swim to freedom. Laughing to
myself, I landed in a run, on the other side of the rotten tree. I
took four steps before I crashed head on into something extremely
large, and exceedingly hard.

Bouncing back into a
crouch, I looked up into the amber eyes of the largest black wolf I
had ever seen. The enormous menacing black beast stared down at me.
I pulled my power to me. I knew I could take on the three grey
wolves, but not all four of them. I had to get out of here and
quick. Snarling at him and hugging the ground. I slowly circled
around him, to my freedom. He moved slowly towards me. I
froze
,
I knew
him, but how? My father didn’t let me talk to anyone that wasn’t in
our little family. I wasn’t even supposed to look at anyone I
didn’t know, but somehow I knew this creature in front of
me.

The three grey wolves came
crashing over the fallen log and one of them almost landed on me. I
snarled and snapped at him as I quickly moved out of the way. I
repositioned myself so I could face all four opponents at one time.
This was bad, very bad, what to do now?

I hugged the ground ready
to strike. Growling menacingly and pulled more power to me. I
prepared for a fight.

The hulking black wolf
growled at the three grey wolves and placed himself between them
and me. The forest had grown quiet save for the growls coming from
the wolves. The little woodland animals hid, knowing something was
about to happen. I inched my way closer to freedom.

He could take all of them
if they were stupid enough to attack him. I only wished I could
stay to watch, but I had to get home before Da missed me. They
attacked him as one and I ran away.

Several days later I
walked into the small village of Dumfries, in between my parents.
It was a pleasant small country village, and at the moment, it was
overrun with people. A great moot had been called, and all the
residences of the area had been summoned by the celebrated wolf
king himself.

“Branwen, stay close to
your mother.” My father instructed me.

“Aye, Da.” I softly
answered him.

“We will not be here long,
my dearest. Don’t draw any attention to yourself.” He said running
a brawny hand down my hair.

I nodded. As if I wanted
anybody's attention. All I wanted to do was leave and go back to
the woods. I hated villages. I didn’t like being around so many
people at one time. At seventeen, I looked like my mother but had
my father’s coloring. Black waist length hair, grey eyes, and
golden skin from years of living outside. I was the same height as
my father, five feet, ten inches tall and had a slim warrior’s
build. The last time we had traveled to a village to stock up on
supplies. I had been attacked by a man trying to claim me for his
mate. I almost killed him, before Da found us and saved his
life.

Da told me we would be
staying with some relatives and would be here until after the moot.
Three whole days! I was nervous and anxious, a bad combination for
me.

We walked to a little
house on the edge of the village. We were greeted by a hugely
pregnant woman. She was pretty with long brown hair and large green
eyes, she looked like my mother.

“Fiona!” she called to us
and hurried to hug my mother. “I have missed ya so.”

“Alia, I have missed ya
also.” Mother said hugging the woman.

Mother studied her
relative's plump belly and laughed. “You will be having that babe,
before long.”

“Aye, it will be our
third.” Alia laughed back running a hand over her massive belly.
“Gavin, it’s good to see ya again, and this must be our little
Branwen.”

She hugged us in greeting,
“Come you all must be hungry. I have a big pot of stew and fresh
bread waiting for ya.”

We met the rest of Alia’s
family after we had eaten. I watched my parents interact with our
relatives and inched closer to the door. Kade, Alia’s husband was a
short, stocky man with wild brown hair and warm blue eyes. I liked
him from the first glance.

Their two sons, Braden and
Ian, looked just like him. The brothers stared at me. I have never
considered myself pretty, just pleasant to look at. The longer the
boys stared at me the more nervous I became. I couldn’t wait to
escape outside.

When our parents were deep
in conversation, I grasped my chance. Sneaking out, running
straight for the woods. After entering the woods I took several
deep cleansing breaths. I looked back at the little
house.

“I know ya are there.” I
said softly. “Come on out where I can see ya. I don’t like being
followed.”

The two boys stepped into
my line of sight.

“Ya shouldn’t be out here
alone. Too many strangers in the village right now, you are not
safe.” Braden the older of the two boys said.

“I know what to do if
someone bothers me.” I told him.

“Da told us to watch out
for you while your here.” He told me proudly.

By the looks of him and
his younger brother, I would be the one watching out for
them.

“Did he now?” It amused me
considerably.

I heard my mother call my
name. Turning back, I walked to the house with my shadows in
tow.

“Have ya seen the wolf
king?” I asked the boys as we walked back to the house.

It was rumored that he was
a real bastard and took the whole ‘rule by might’ thing to heart.
Da said that he was challenging all of the Alpha wolves and mixing
the clans together. For the first time in our history someone was
unifying the clans. At the age, of twenty five, he was the
strongest, and the meanest leader the werewolves had ever known. He
ruled his people through fear of justice, and if you didn’t follow
his laws, he would kill you.

I had no desire to meet
the one man
,
I
wasn’t supposed to ignore.

“Aye, he’s a big black
brute. Da says he’ll make an excellent king.” Braden answered.
“Ya’ll see for yourself tomorrow night at the moot.”

If, I go to the moot, I
was still trying to figure out how to get out of going. Maybe I
could volunteer to help cook. Not that, I was an accomplished cook
or anything, but ma would be pleased that I was showing an interest
in something other than hunting and fighting.

The next day nothing I
said would sway my father from making me go. I glared at the stupid
green dress my mother had given me to wear. How was I going to
fight or run in a dress? When I asked her about it, she laughed and
told me I would be dancing not fighting tonight. Help me
Luna.

Dressed and with my hair
in a long braid down my back. I followed my parents to the center
of the village. We waited in line for our chance to greet and
commit our lives to the wolf king.

I kept hearing the lush
green forest calling my name, and I wasn’t paying any attention to
what was going on around me. My goal was simple. First chance I
got, I was gone. My parents would be busy visiting with old friends
and family. To pay any attention to me and what I was
doing.

Now I had to come up with
a new plan to get rid of my two shadows. I didn’t want to be
responsible for them if something did happen.

Finally, our turn, I never
looked up. I simply followed what my parents did. Kneeling in the
dirt, I placed my right fist over my heart and kept my head bowed.
If, I hadn’t been so involved in my flight plans for later. I would
have noticed the hush that fell over the crowd or the gasps from my
parents. What I did notice was two leather cad feet that had
stopped in front of me. I held my breath. My eyes traveled up the
strong, muscular legs to the plaid tartan of blues and greens with
a little band of red weaved through it. To the red shirt covering
his enormous chest, and then up to the shoulder length black hair
in warrior braids. To his handsome face with amber eyes. I caught
my breath.