Page 22 of Bound By the Moon

“Sierra went downstairs to answer the door. Your momwasn’t sure that you were completely under yet, and she didn’t wantto break the link you guys had. Your dad was down there, with asecurity detail, and Sierra let them in. He’s her pack master. Whatelse was she going to do?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged off the anger that was seepinginto my chest towards Sierra, because I knew she would never doanything to put her own baby in jeopardy, let alone mine.

“From what Sierra managed to tell us, Jack spit upall over his clothes, and it was the last of what she had in herdiaper bag. She grabbed one of the bigger shirts you had here forWillow, and put it on him after she got him cleaned up. She put thebabies down in the crib together so she could get his washed anddried. Jack must have pushed the covers across Willow, in the crib,when Sierra went to answer the door. When she got back up here, shethought both babies were missing at first. Willow was just underthe little blankets, that soft glow was the only reason she saw herwhen she turned to leave the room to get help.”

“You’re telling me that besides this glowing lightmy daughter seems to have developed, baby Jack is actually whosaved my daughter?” Ashley nodded in affirmation. “Jesus, hecouldn’t be your brother’s kid any more if he tried. Ashely’sstartled half laugh, half sob let me know she felt the sameway.

“My father mentioned a note?” Ashley walked over tothe dresser and grabbed the little slip of paper. It was nothingmore than a ransom demand. “So, basically, they want me to trademyself for the baby, but the note says I have to come alone. Dothey think I’m stupid? I mean, how else is the baby to get back ifI have to come alone, and they want to drain me. Also, they’reassuming I know where this portal is, because I definitely stilldon’t.” I rocking Willow back and forth in my arms as I paced theroom “I hope Serena had some luck finding her sister while I wasout earlier. We’re going to need to know exactly where to golater.”

“Jess, I know you’re still angry right now, but wehave no way of knowing if this was because of your father’ssecurity sweep or if it was something that would have happenedanyway.” Ashley spoke into my ear as she came in for a hug, carefulnot to squish my daughter as she did so. “We can’t afford to befighting each other here, not when there’s so much to lose.”

“I know. I panicked. All I could think about waswaking up and finding my Willow gone. Sierra must be besideherself.” I pulled away from the hug to look upon my daughter.“What are we going to do?”

“Let’s get our asses over to your parents’ place,get a hold of Serena, and see if they can help us figure out ournext move.”

“Isn’t my mom still here?”

“No, she left when your dad took off. Honestly, Ithink they were both afraid that if they stayed you would go fullblown nuclear wolf on their asses.” Ashley had been trying to avoidlooking at me, but then she stopped in front of me, and made eyecontact. “You are one scary bitch when you get pissed off. Holycrap! I don’t know how much your abilities have grown, or what’sgoing on with you, but that was some crazy stuff, Jess.”

“Yeah, it was new for me too, Ashley. Like I said, Iwoke up worried about Willow, and got hit with a one-two punchafter being knocked around in my dream a bit. It didn’t go oververy well with me.”

“That’s the understatement of the year!”

~*~

“Well, I guess we don’t actually need to get a holdof Serena then.” Ashley was looking right at the witch as shespoke. Serena wasn’t the only one already at my parents’ house whenwe showed up. Avery had tagged along with her, which was only fair,since his pack was feeling the strain from this Fiul Sange Vampirewho had been terrorizing our women. As he moved out of the way Inoticed that it wasn’t just the two of them either. A blond stoodperched just behind Avery, speaking very animatedly to my mother.To say that she was blond was to say the sky is only ever blue. Youwould be missing the descriptions of the vivid sunrise, sunsetswhen the sky turns to fire, or that of the night, so deeply blue ithas run through with black. No, this woman was not simply blond.She was moonstruck, a pale beauty with moon-spun silvery blond hairand bright liquid mercury eyes.

“Good, you’re here, and you seem cooled off a bit.We waited while you pulled yourself together.” Serena turned herback on me after speaking, and if I’m being honest with myself, Iwanted to punch her in the head. She acted as if I had no right tobe angry about a baby going missing from my house. Never mind thefact that the kidnappers thought it was my baby they snatched. Asharp pinch to my arm from Ashley’s fingernails stopped my forwardmovement long enough for me to think sensibly though.

“Who is this?” I nodded in the mystery woman’sdirection, but didn’t receive an answer until we were all seatedaround my parents’ large kitchen table. Both my parents, Serena,Avery, Ashley, a very distraught Sierra, Gabriel the Hunter, andmyself were all there. “And why is he here?” I tossed my headtowards the hunter.

“This, is my sister, Layla.” Serena began theintroductions

“Layla?” I questioned, and then heaved a sigh ofrelief. “You are a sight for a sore eyes.” She bowed her head to mein a quick gesture.

“That she is.” Gabriel spoke up, seemingly entrancedwith the witch. “As to why I am here, we recently acquired a darkone who gave us some rather helpful information. Avery was justcatching me up to speed on your own interrogation of a dark one,and unfortunately, you have already learned all that I know.” Assoon as he finished speaking to me, Gabriel’s focus returned to themoonbeam drenched goddess to my left. At least I could rest easilyaround him now, knowing that his fascination with me seemed to palein comparison next to that of the moon goddess, Layla.

“I tried to reach the white wolves through the dreamworld. They basically kicked me out, and wouldn’t let me back in. Ineed to know where the hell this portal is so I can get Jack back.He’s just a baby.” I didn’t say what was probably on everyoneelse’s minds. We’d all heard the rumors that the dark ones favoredinfant blood above all else, because it was so pure and untainted,as if the deeds of man somehow factored into the flavor their bloodwould take on as they aged.

“I understand what is at stake, for everyoneconcerned.” Layla spoke, and I swore I could hear wind chimes inher voice. It was an icy sound that sent chills up my spine, justas a her wintery scent enveloped me in a minty-cool essence.

“I will tell you where to go, but only after we’veestablished a plan to get you there and back safely again.” Laylatipped her head to her sister. “She will not allow me to send youotherwise.”

***

LAYLA

We were all perched around the kitchen table minuteslater. It seemed to be as though hours had passed. Everyone had anopinion of what we should do, and none of those rescue attemptsinvolved me going to the portal. “The only way to open the gatewayto the dead is by spilling your blood, Jessica, or that of yourdirect line.” Layla spoke softly. “If we keep you both safe, thenwe needn’t worry about your blood spilling there.”

“That’s the problem. They have Jack, but they thinkthey took Willow. If they get desperate they may attempt to useJack’s blood. They’ll drain him dry because it won’t work. Hell,they’d probably drain him dry anyway, just for fun. We’re talkingabout monsters here. And all of you are acting as though I have anychoice in the matter. Little Jack is family. It doesn’t matter howhe came to be, how long he’s been in our lives, or anything else.The truth is, he inadvertently saved my daughter tonight, and nomatter what, he deserves a chance at a wonderful lifetime ofhappiness. I won’t be the reason he doesn’t get to grow up.”

“You won’t be the reason, Jessica. That’s whatyou’re not understanding. Bad things happen to people all the time,some of them are out of our control.” My father said to me.

“Only this thing wasn’t out of our control. Wescrewed up. You, me, every one of us screwed up, and that baby iscounting on us to make it right.”

After a while of fruitless argument, I excusedeveryone else from the room except Serena and Layla. I sat in thekitchen with the two of them while Willow I fed Willow, and wediscussed the realities of the situation.

Layla reiterated, “It only takes a willing drop ofyour blood and a desire to see the portal opened on your part,Jess. They don’t realize this though. When others hear that theportal was sealed with a blood sacrifice they get all dramatic andextreme, thinking it requires death. A mortal sacrifice issomething I would never dabble in.”

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