The Moon Phase Trilogy | Protected
Three

Ericka woke up to sounds of girls laughter, silly screams and the smell of a large, tasty breakfast. She slowly got up and fell back down in her bed. “Whatever I was knocked out with did some damage on my muscles,” she said to herself with a groan. Ericka managed to get to the floor and crawled to the hallway slowly before shouting for some help. She saw her sisters and the old couple come running to her side worried.

“Are you okay, deary?” Mrs. Connerton asked as she helped Ericka up gently. Ericka gave a small weak smile as she groaned in pain again. “What happened to you?”

Ericka shrugged slightly as she slowly moved to the living room with some help. “She was thrown against many items at home after she was knocked out,” Alyx said bluntly and Ericka looked at her baby sister so confused. Mr. Connerton took the girl by the hand and led her into the kitchen to help with breakfast.

“No wonder why my head has been pounding since I woke up the first time...” Ericka said with a small chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

Maxie just gave her a small glare and hugged her big sister tightly. “I’m just glad you’re okay. That guy sure was strong, doing that to you last night...” she said into Ericka’s chest. She rubbed her sisters back to comfort her quietly and Mrs. Connerton went in the kitchen to get some orange juice and ice packs to put all over Ericka’s body.

“I’m glad I’m okay too kiddo. I’m glad you and Alyx are okay as well Maxie,” Ericka said softly in her sister’s ear. She played with her moon phase necklace and wondered why the man wanted it so bad. Why was it so important to him? Ericka then remembered the cloth she had put on the nightstand before she changed last night, ‘What if his friends come after that one...and come after my family again...I don’t want them to be in danger yet again before school starts...’ she thought to herself frantically as she held Maxie in her arms. “Go get some breakfast Maxie. I’ll be in there in a moment if I am able to get up.”

“That’s okay Ricky, I can bring you your breakfast,” Maxie smiled softly and Mr. Connerton came into the living room and gave Ericka a look of confusion.

Ericka chuckled a little, “It’s a nickname from my family. They always had called me Ricky, my friends do too,” she smiled and slowly made it over to the couch. She lied down and tried to get comfortable, but it wasn’t working out so well. She closed her eyes and suddenly felt something cold on her muscles. “Holy crap that’s cold!” She shouted as her eyes shot open. Ericka saw Mrs. Connerton standing over her and Alyx holding a plate full of food.

“I am sorry deary, but I figured ice would help your aches and pains,” the old lady said with a small sweet smile. Ericka nodded and smiled back adjusting the ziplock bags filled with ice cubes to make herself more comfortable.

Alyx plopped at her sister’s feet and waited patiently to give the plate to her. “This is for you too Ricky,” she smiled brightly and set the plate down on Erika’s lap.

“Thank you Alyx. I appreciate it, but can you do me another favor? Can you get something from my nightstand? It’s a piece of cloth,” Ericka asked kindly and Alyx nodded, hopping off the couch and running into Ericka’s new room.

Mrs. Connerton watched as the young girl left and looked to Ericka, “You have the necklace then? My husband had given it to you last night,” she asked curiously and Ericka nodded in response. “Good, keep it close with you all the time. It will feel warm when you have found the right person.”

Ericka looked at her confused, “What do you mean by that?” She asked but the old lady got up and left for the kitchen. Her words kept playing over and over in Ericka’s mind as she ate her breakfast slowly. She saw her sister come back with the cloth and smiled softly. “Thank you kiddo.”

“You’re welcome,” Alyx smiled and skipped off to the bathroom. Ericka shook her head and chuckled as she finished up her pancakes.

Ericka started to slowly doze off and the plate started to slip from her lap. ‘I must have slept terribly last night.’ She thought as her body became very heavy on the couch. Her vision went black and she was sound asleep as soon as her eyes shut.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sissy help us! Help mommy!” the girls shouted. Ericka had tried to save her mother, but it was too late, the man had already beaten her unconscious and she watched him dig his fangs into her mother’s neck. Ericka screamed, but nothing came out of her mouth. She tried to run, but her feet were planted to the ground. She then saw a large beautiful dark brown, blond and white wolf standing behind her growling low and ready to pounce. “Stay away from my family,” it said and lunged at the man, swinging him side to side like he was a large chew toy. Ericka just watched this unbelievable scene unfold. She heard her sisters come down the stairs and hid behind her, as the scene continued. Ericka couldn’t say a word, no words were coming from her mouth and she wanted to scream ‘Stop’ but nothing came out. She heard a bark instead and she instantly looked down at her hands and feet.

“I have paws...” Ericka was confused and turned to see her sisters as wolves too. She shook her head in disbelief and pulled her ears back scared and confused…

~*~*~*~*~

Ericka woke scared out of her mind and looked at her alarm clock seeing six-thirty on September first. It was the first day of school already and she realized the last week had gone by so quick. Ericka’s body felt much better now and she rushed to the bathroom to get in the shower and get ready for the day. She had a strange feeling that the dream wouldn’t leave her mind all day.

“Ricky, come on! You always get the bathroom first!” Maxie shouted through the door. Ericka chuckled as she finished putting a light coat of makeup on.

“That’s because I’m the oldest!” Ericka shouted back as she made faces in the mirror. She knew it was her last year at the school she had gone to for the past three years, and she wanted to make it her best year at that school. “Okay I’m done in there. Just relax would you Max?” She gave a smirk.

Maxie rolled her eyes and pouted, “You take too long in there you know. It’s like you’re trying to be pretty or something,” she teased and Ericka glared at her little sister before she headed into the kitchen.

Ericka saw Mr. and Mrs. Connerton sitting outside on the front porch enjoying the lovely morning and she went outside to take in some fresh air before getting some breakfast, “I apologize for our constant fighting in the morning,” she said as she looked down at her bare feet. Her fashionable light brown and yellow trimmed flip flops were in her right hand dangling between her fingers.

“It’s okay deary, we miss all of the fighting in our home from our kids,” Mrs. Connerton said with a smile as she looked back to Ericka. She looked up from her feet and gave a small smile. “Come here and sit down for a minute before you three leave for school.”

Ericka went over and sat on their porch stairs, hugging her knees after she slipped her flip flops on. She played with her moon phase necklace and the other necklace she had gotten was around her neck as well for safe keeping. “Don’t worry, you’ll figure out who it belongs to soon enough my dear,” Mr. Connerton said and Erika looked back at him with a raised brow. She saw her two sisters running to the screen door excited about school starting up again.

“Shall we get heading out?” She asked and Alyx took Ericka’s hand with a nod. Maxie shrugged and headed down the steps before Mrs. Connerton grabbed her cheeks like she always did in the morning. Ericka chuckled and followed her sister to the sidewalk, “Hand please,” she said before they started heading off to school.

“Fine, but I won’t be happy about it,” Maxie said pouting a little. Alyx stuck her tongue out at Maxie playfully and she glared at her little sister, “Why Alyx, why do you act like such an angel?”

“Because I am!” Alyx shouted and Ericka couldn’t help but laugh at her two sisters fighting like usual when they headed somewhere. “Why are you laughing, Ricky?”

Ericka looked down at her sister and shook her head, “Because you two are always fighting when we go somewhere. You two better be on your best behavior today, the first day of school is important,” she explained and the girls pouted. “If you don’t behave, you’re not getting home-made ice cream tonight.”

Maxie made an obnoxious sigh and swung her arms, “I like homemade ice cream...but I’ll think about being good today at school,” she said with a smirk. Ericka sighed and felt Alyx let go of her hand. She skipped out in front of them happily, but she stayed close enough to where Ericka could see her.

“Homemade ice cream!” Alyx shouted happily, skipping. She stopped at the crosswalk and waited patiently for her sisters to get there.

Ericka couldn’t help but smile at her baby sister so excited for kindergarten. She felt the necklace she was given get warm and she looked around frantically for someone who was nearby, but all she saw was an animal that looked like a large blond dog. “Well that’s strange...” she said under her breath.

Maxie and Alyx just looked at her confused and didn’t see the dog like animal standing near them. Ericka just shrugged it off and quickly took the girls down two more blocks to school before she headed back the way they had come for her first day back.