Moon Child
Chapter 27

Questioning the wolf had become easier after Dawn's confession of his cruelty. Kane knew that every hit he dished out, every drop of blood he spilled, was like payback for his mate. Maybe some darker part of him liked torturing the shifter.

Still, the bigger goal was in sight. Figure out the wolf's reasoning for being in his territory and replace his alpha. After that, he would be disposed of. A bad seed isn't any good, even when it's replanted in the best soil.

"The sooner you tell me what I want to know, the quicker this is all over."

Judas smiled from ear to ear, blood covering his sharpened teeth. It wasn't just part of his wolf. The man had shaved his smile into permanent weapons. Just showed them what kind of a monster they were really dealing with.

"How about a deal?"

Jason stood up from where he was leaning against a tree, clearly intrigued now. A deal huh? What could they give the man? He wasn't going to leave here alive, so what did he want?

"Speak."

Kane's bark of an order had the man's smile falling for a moment. Before he did anything he might regret his smile stretched back into place.

"Let me see the girl."

Jason looked like he was lost in thought. Perhaps thrown into his bloody past? Kane remained calm.

"What girl?"

The laugh that came from the wounded man's throat was gravelly, almost like a hyena's cackle.

"The girl you took from us. The whore you bed!"

Every muscle in his body was wound tight as a spring, ready to pop and knock the shit out of the bastards face. Before he could do it another fist hit the wolf in the side of his skull. As he fell sideways Kane took a step back in surprise.

"Jason?"

The man was snarling, his eyes pitch black as he looked down at the unconscious enemy. Kane kept his distance, combing through his allies waring emotions as the man tried to calm himself. After another minute or two he finally came back to reality. Straightening up he cleared his throat, brushing off his shirt as if it had been dirtied.

"Forgive me. Despite my training I was unable to hold myself back."

Kane looked from him to the unconscious man, then back again. So the dude definitely didn't like the word whore?

"No big deal man. Everyone needs to let it out every now and then."

With a nod Jason turned and headed away from the scene. With a sigh Kane ran a hand through his hair. Well, he guessed it was time for a break anyways. Clearly there wouldn't be anymore questioning the subject until he healed enough to come around.

On the air he smelled her coming closer, his spine stiffening as he turned to face her path. What was she thinking coming out here? He looked back at the man. What if she had heard what he said? Or felt Kane's surprise at what Jason had done.

"Dawn, go home."

When she was a few steps away from him she placed her hands on her hips. Wearing jeans and a tank top he could see a slight bump at her middle. Time was going too quickly.

"Hazel's staying in with the baby, which I understand, but I'm driving myself crazy. All I can do is worry over you out here playing soldier. And then I heard Jason go off and I thought maybe something was wrong."

Hazel had just recently gone into labor, birthing a healthy baby girl. She was staying inside with her for the moment, until things felt a bit safer outside. He understood how protective she was feeling. She had even told the twins they had to remain inside at all times unless their father was with them.

With Jeremiah on patrol duty most of the time the girls were going just as insane as Dawn. Who, despite his orders, went outside every chance she could. She made the excuse that she had to tend to the garden, or needed to check on Hazel. Hell, the other night he caught her begging Magdelynn to let her help with something. Anything that would occupy her time and stop her from nervously pacing.

"Dawn, you shouldn't be here. It's dangerous, especially now."

She was looking past him, toward the ground. Her face was a flat mask of nothingness, but he knew better. He could feel her fear, the pain of the past, the echo of agony she would always be able to feel. It made him want to rip the guys head off, but he couldn't just yet.

"You heard him Kane. He sees me and you'll get the answers you need. The answers we all need. Whatever they were here for, do you think it's a coincidence that I'm here too? Judas is always the one that comes for me, this time it just took him longer. None of us will be safe until we replace the alpha and end this."

Erasing the space between them he blocked her from his view. She sighed, resting her head against his chest as he moved a hand to her growing belly. This wasn't something he wanted to argue over, or stress her out about.

"As soon as he sees you it's done. You leave, no confrontation. Got it?"

Nodding she agreed to his terms. He moved back, slipping the shirt off over his head.

"Put this on. The less he knows the better."

Again she nodded, pulling on the shirt that was so big on her it could've been a dress. With that he held her, relishing in her calm to regain his own strength. It was like they switched off being the battery and the charger. When she was low he held her close and made it better, and she did the same for him. Most of the time though, they were both too happy to explain.

She was his sun and he was her moon. A love made for the legends.

...

When Judas woke Kane was squatting before him, his eyes shaded in onyx. He sat up the best he could, the world spinning as he tried to regain control of his mind.

"You fucking idiots. What are you going to do? Kill your one source of information?"

Kane reached out to him, grabbing a patch of hair at the base of his skull.

"You listen and you listen good. You wanted to see her, fine. The deal is on. You get a peak at the goddess you betrayed and then you spit out some answers."

The sheer shock in the man's eyes was evidence enough that he didn't think Kane would actually make such a deal. In his surprise he simply nodded his head. The girl who got away. He was about to set eyes on the only girl his alpha had refused to allow him to kill. The only one that survived the massacre. The woman that lived through every beating he threw her way.

He looked up to see her standing by a tree a few feet away. He would recognize those green eyes anywhere, that auburn hair making his fingers itch. How many times had he dragged her back by those unruly curls?

"Well, don't you look healthy."

Kane looked her way, wanting her out of this leaches sight as soon as possible. She nodded toward him, turning her back and heading into the trees. He felt her anger, her fear and her disgust. It wasn't for the man though. Inside himself he felt the desires she experienced, the need to hate herself. She was still battling with the past and she may never win.

"You got your end of the deal, now talk."

Suddenly his head dropped back as he let out a howl. A signal. That stupid smile was back on his face, his voice half laugh.

"He's going to come for her. She's a dead little whore!"

With that he was knocked out once more, Kane's knuckles covered in his blood.

"Damned useless mutt."