Page 27 of Bound By the Moon

“Just like that?” I questioned him indignantly.Obviously, he was trying to figure out what sort of treachery I wasoffering. “No, not just like that. You already have the baby here.I knew when I came to get Willow that there wouldn’t be any hopefor saving…” my voice trailed off as I conjured the exact way Iwould feel were it Willow in my arms that I was risking right now.“I came to be with her. I knew we wouldn’t make it home this time.”Tears actually spilled over and ran there course down my cheeksthen. Still, I could see that he didn’t fully believe. “You leadyour dark ones, and they follow. They do so out of fear, but fearbrought on by respect for who and what you are. My people are nodifferent. They fear the fact that I am something other than theyare. Now, the women of my pack, and others, fear that if they looklike me, they will also die in my place. I’ve been the captivebefore. My mate has been held captive as well, we’ve both beentortured, used, and abused while held in tiny little cages. Thelast time for me, while I was pregnant with Willow.” I hesitated asI blew a shaky breath from my body. “Call me selfish, but I wouldrather be here to take my baby peacefully from this world than seeher undergo any of that torment. I’d rather go peacefully than gothrough another ounce of the madness again.”

A slow smile spread across Louis’s face. “Ah, now,you’ve finally said something that I can believe in. Selfishnessand cowardice. These are things that I understand in the weak. Theyare heavy motivators, are they not?” He actually chuckled then.“How does this work then?”

I didn’t bother explaining. Instead, I figured showand tell was the better option. Raising my fingertip to my sharpcanine, I ripped a spot open, and amped up both my nerves andadrenaline as all the dark ones at the edge of the room suddenlybecame very aware of the baby and I. I could smell the freshcoppery essence of my blood above that of the rotted old stenchfrom the gunk that covered the dais. Apparently, the dark onescould too, and it was enticing. “Just a few drops,” I called outshakily, then flung the drops onto the dais as I moved myself andthe baby to its center. “Then I ask that the portal be opened andaccept the offering of bonded blood.” I did everything as I said itout loud, only my askance was given silently in my head. There, Iwas able to request the portal to open long enough to allow babyJack and I through, and to seal again behind me. As I reached outwith my mind a thin veil appeared just beyond the center of thedais. Everything grayed out on the other side of that veil, as italways appeared in my dreams, and I could smell the scent oflavender through the portal now as well.

“Now what?” Louis asked.

“Now, we step through the gateway into the beyond.Our sacrifice will open the portal.”

“Fair warning, girly. If you step through thatportal, and things don’t go as I planned, I will rip through yourentire pack with my own teeth. My little minions won’t even get ataste, but I promise you that no one will escape my savagery.”

Every muscle in my body tensed, and shook. There wasno doubt in my mind that Louis was completely serious in thatmoment. I didn’t have much of a choice though. I knew he wouldn’tkeep his promise to protect my pack. He was a monster, and I knewfrom personal experience that there was no bargaining with them.They took, they killed, and did everything in their power to takesome more. What they never did was give back. I just hoped thatwhile I was there, stepping through the veil, I could send out onelast message to warn the others of his coming.

I took one last unwavering look at the determinationand anticipation painted on Louis’s face, and then I steppedbackward through the gateway to the dead. Just like that, ice ranthrough my veins, baby Jack cried out too, so I knew I wasn’t alonein feeling the cold finality of the death plane. When I opened myeyes again the white wolves were there. They lined the back side ofthe dais, waiting patiently. This time, they were not one beingsharing a body, they were many. Some appeared in their human forms,others were in their wolf form. It was an incredible site to beholdas I took in all the lovely pure white wolves. The only differencein them were the eye colors they each wore. There were so manydifferent shades of greens and blues. They all acknowledged, withthat one shared glance, that I had just made the ultimate sacrificeto try to give my people a little time.

“I need to contact Serena. Please, can you help me?”A nod came from one of the women towards the back, as sheapproached, I realized it was Aislynn, the first of us.

“I am sorry that you were lost, and with this littleone too, Jessica.”

“Who are you talking to?” A voice boomed from behindme.

I jumped, startled by the sound of Louis in thisplace. I turned to look, and noticed he watched me with a greatdeal of anticipation. I had been about to tell the white wolvesthat I needed to warn her, but thankfully I think they anticipatedthat. Had I said it aloud, it would have been all over.

“You still stand upon the dais, Jessica. He canstill see you, although he can’t see beyond that, to us.”

A smile spread across my face as a plan formed. Iwhispered to her, “warn Serena, he’s coming, and he’s pissed.” ThenI turned to look back out into the land of the living. Louis stoodthere waiting. “The portal is open.” I reached my hand forward andtouched his cheek quickly to show that it was. He knew better thanto get on the dais himself, so he didn’t bother to move closer. Ijerked my hand back to the other side as it began to burn. I didn’twant him to see that I couldn’t actually come and go freely. “Whowould you like for me to send over?”

“I don’t want you to send anyone. I want the portalto be free flowing. Open it all the way, get off the dais, JessicaSt Marks De’Lune. Step back, and away to allow for the spirits toenter this realm.”

The Willow tree that stood just a few inches fromhim swayed in a breeze that was not evident in the rest of the caveon his side, but it was on mine. Tiny hairs that got caught up inthe breath of the undead, tipped up to tickle my nose. I swattedthem back down defiantly as I looked out at Louis, and his minionswho had moved in ever closer to the portal. No doubt, they allanticipated seeing some of the people they had lost over thecenturies.

“There’s no one over here waiting.”

“Then who were you talking to, girl?”

“I was talking to my ancestors. They are all thatawaits the other side of this portal. Would you like me to sendthem through to you?” It was a bluff, but I saw the fear spike inhis eyes then. He didn’t feel he had a lot to fear from one WhiteWolf, but from an entire familial line of them… We could wreakhavoc on the world if we could actually move freely between theliving and the dead.

“You are the only one stopping that from happening,Jessica.” Aislynn called out from behind me. “Your will alonecontrols that portal. What would you have it do? Who would yougrant access to that kind of power?”

“I could go back?”

“Yes, but you would come out in the same place youwent in. He would still be there.”

“I can see the others now,” I tipped my head backover my shoulder indicating curious souls who were moving our way,probably sensing that the portal was opened.

“Send them through to me, wolf girl.” Louis wasbecoming very anxious on the other side. There was a mixture ofanticipation and a little anxiety that I was pretty sure didn’thave anything to do with whether or not I was going to uphold myend of the bargain. That got me thinking.

“Some of these souls don’t look too happy to seeyou.” He blanched a bit as the words left my mouth. ‘Gotcha!’ Ithought. “Are you certain you really want me to open this portal?The souls that are gathering look hungry, and I don’t mean in a,‘let’s go get a combo meal together,’ kind of way. I’m getting allkinds of vengeance vibes here.”

“You’re bluffing!” Louis bellowed it, and the cavernaround him picked up the sound, and reverberating it in a scaryechoing effect that I would feel in my bones for years to come,living or dead.

“I wish I were, because these things are creeping meout a bit. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure if they can hurtme or not, but if they do to try to get to you… well…”

“You’re already dead if you’re on their side, whatdo I care if they torture your soul?”

“You care, because if I take one step off this dais,the portal closes forever. It becomes sealed with my final death.Right now, I am hovering in-between worlds. It hurts like a bitchtoo! Seriously, like pins and needles in your limbs that just won’tgo away times about one hundred.”

“You step off that dais before my people arereturned to me, and I swear to you right now, that I will hunt eachof your people down. I will kill them slowly. I will gnaw on theirbones.”

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