Page 38 of Bound By the Moon

“Jack, we’re going to work this out, but right now,I need to grieve with my mom, and Willow and baby Jack are outthere with a Fiul Sange, a couple witches, and a bunch ofwerewolves. I think maybe there’s more danger out there than therecould possibly be for me, in here, with my mom.”

“I know. I know. Ugh.” He turned, and appeared to bealmost pained as he walked back into the other room.

“That’s going to take some getting used to, Ithink.” My mom was watching as Jack shut the door behind him, butshe didn’t turn to me immediately. Instead, she picked up one of myfather’s shirts that was laying on top of the dresser. She put itto her face and inhaled deeply. “I can’t believe he’s gone.” Withthat one sentence, she crumpled into a heap on the bed with thatshirt clutched to her chest, and she let loose with great big,racking sobs.

“Mom, I’m so sorry. If I had known…” I cut myselfoff, because even knowing that I might be putting my father’s lifeat risk, there was no way I could leave a helpless baby to die inhis place.

My mom threw her warm hand around my own, and justheld it there, in mid-air between us. “Don’t.” That was all shesaid. So, I climbed in the her bed behind her, and spooned up to myher backside. I wrapped my arms around her, and just held on whileshe sobbed for a while. I’m not even sure how long we stayed thatway, but before long, my mom was asleep, and I remembered thatthere were more answers needed.

I dislodged myself from my mother as gently as Icould, and tucked her plush blanket in around her, before I wentback out into the living room. “Hey, we figured you would be inthere with your mom a while. I was just about to send everyonehome.” Mikael called softly when he saw me.

“It’s okay, please stay, just a little bit longer.”It was a directive to everyone still present. “With everything elsethat happened, I didn’t hear about why you and Asi were back hereto begin with. I mean, the last time we spoke you were stilltracking the prisoners down.”

Mikael took hold of my hand, and led me over to thecouch so we could sit while we talked. “Actually, I was so angrywhen you hung up on me that I threw my phone…” I heard Asichuckling from where he was seated in his chair, with Ashley asleepin his lap. Mikael ignored him, and continued. “Anyway, me gettingfrustrated turned out to be a good thing. Apparently, the stupidhunters have a cloaking ability we weren’t aware of before.” I sawGabriel shift uneasily then. “He had himself and Clarissa cloakedsomehow. We were almost on top of them and wouldn’t have known itif I hadn’t just chucked my cell phone at the guy’s head.”

“We would have thought it was odd that the damnphone bounced off of nothing and broke, but the hunter was sopissed about his head accidentally taking a beating that he losthis focus for a minute, and that’s all we needed.” Asriel finishedfor him.

“So, you guys found them by accident?” I looked backand forth between Asi and Mikael. Asi offered up a funny littleshoulder shrug and a sheepish grin. Mikael stayed stoic. “Anaccident that occurred because you lost your temper with me?”

“Yeah, that’s about the gist of it.”

“Huh,” I was lost in thought for a second before Iwas interrupted again.

“What’s ‘huh’ mean?” Mikael asked.

“Well, apparently, I’m so bad-ass I can solve crimeswhile solving crimes! I went off to get a baby back, and helpedfind your escaped prisoners while I was at it.” I was making fun ofthis situation, because if I didn’t laugh, I was going to startcrying, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I would stop. I thinkeveryone else was probably feeling a bit of that too, becauseMikael didn’t even yell at me for inappropriate laughter this time.He just shook his head, and joined in.

After I got myself under control again I rememberedan important piece to this puzzle. “Wait, where the hell are theynow if you captured them?”

“We dropped them in the hole, under heavy guard, fornow. Once we got close enough to the pack land, it was obvious thatit would be difficult to continue on without either losing track ofthem or just having to kill them altogether. One of the pack whowent with us on the hunt explained that you had a temporary holdingfacility just on the far border.”

“We hid them well, but it didn’t take long for thedark ones to find us.” Asi added.

“We had to fight a few stragglers before we got backto your parents’ house.” Mikael started again. “I’ll be honest,once we were here, I had a lot more on my mind than the those twodown in that hole. We only got back here a few minutes before Louisdid.”

“I have already called those who were left hiddenand on guard. They are alive, well, and continue to do their jobs.”Asi explained to me.

“So, what are we going to do with them now.Obviously, the locks won’t hold them, and what we have them in nowisn’t good for a long term scenario. At least, not until we get itfixed up.”

Gabriel shifted on his feet, and then came forwardto join the discussion. “The hunters have a place where they willnot be able to escape from. I think, since the one you havecaptured knows our system, we will need a witch to help us securethe prison further.” He turned to Layla then, “would you be willingto come with me to help?”

“Do I have much of a choice? You did, after all,save me from all those big, bad dark ones.” Layla was mocking him alittle bit, but she was also sincere. She would go and help. A planwas formed, and the two of them left to go secure the prisonersthat we had been incapable of keeping under lock and keyourselves.

“Were there any others? Escapees, I mean.”

“There were only two others who made it topside.They’ve both been dealt with.” Mikael told me. “One was killed, theother was put down the hole with Clarissa and her new buddy.”

“Okay, well, I don’t know about the rest of you, butI am exhausted.” My mom wandered out into the living room then, andlooked over at me then.

“You guys should all go home now. It’s been a longfew days, and everyone can use the rest. We’ll discuss…” her voicetrailed off for a moment. “… everything else tomorrow.”

“Mom, why don’t you come to the house with us? Idon’t want to leave you here alone.”

“I’ll be fine, Jessica. I just need some alone timeto process everything.” She jangled a glass in front of her.“Actually, I was just going to get some water when I realized youall were still here. I’m getting a drink, and heading back to bed.”She turned towards the kitchen then, and we all slowly filed out ofher house, giving her the space she needed.

“I don’t like leaving her on her own.” I toldMikael.

“I know, baby, but she needs time. I get that.”

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