Their Desired Luna

Jonah.

Argh, what the fuck? What in the actual hell am I supposed to do to get a whole fucking night’s sleep around here?

The decision to suffocate the little sod couldn’t be taken lightly, under any circumstances. However, only this time, I am pretty sure suffocation is the only way I can get some rest, some alone time, and an actual full night of sleep. No fucking interruptions or whining about anything. Just sleep, blissful, calm and wonderful sleep. Just the thought of a good night's sleep is turning me on, which I have never experienced before. Who would have thought I could get hard on over the thought of restful sleep?

“Sleep is the new wet dream,” Jax mutters.

A rather annoyed growl slips from my lips as I gather enough strength to roll onto my side. I close my eyes and try to force my mind to listen to my voice as I whisper the fucking never-ending mantra. “Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out,” I whisper it for another three times and groan.

I bring my hand to my face and barely restrain from facepalming myself. Instead, I pinch the bridge of my nose and swallow the growl that is already forming in my chest. “Nope, I still want to fucking suffocate him,” I mumble, completely defeated. I am so fucking annoyed that I flip off the tent ceiling.

Why, oh why, did Kat have to make me his partner? I don’t understand; all my life, I have thought she loved me like her family, but apparently, there is some hidden hatred if she thought this is a good idea. God fucking damn it, this has to be a punishment for whatever sins I have committed against her. Nice, now even my mind is losing any freaking sense - that’s for the lack of sleep.

I can nearly feel the frustration radiate off me as I glare at the sleep thief. Every night, every goddamn night, he keeps stealing my dreams away. I swear, he is doing it on purpose.

At the beginning, maybe not. Perhaps then, it happened here and there by accident, but I believe since he knows how easily he can get under my skin - now, he’s doing this on purpose. Bitch.

“Don’t do it,” Jax growls in warning just as I sit up and grab the pillow. By the time I reach his bed, I am already clutching the pillow and I hold it over Eziah’s face. My wolf’s warning sounds like nothing but a distant memory, floating through the darkest tunnels of my mind.

Don’t do this. Don’t do that. But, Mom, I really want to! I really, really fucking want to smother the little shit!

Jax refuses to step back. He goes as far as trying to nudge to the surface, well aware that he can take over control with ease since I’m too tired to remember how to breathe properly, let alone stand against a full-grown asshole. I mean wolf. Yes, my wolf.

He growls at me and pulls on my hands to pull the pillow against my chest. I grit my teeth, refusing to let him have his way. I’m ready to kill, destroy and sleep over the corpse of this snoring, whimpering fucker. “I am putting him out of his misery and mine,” I bark at Jax. If my wolf won’t let me be, by the end of this adventure, I’ll dye his fur pink and make him look like the gayest wolf in the woods.

I know Jax has something to say, but his attention, the same as mine, is caught by the sleeping beast himself, lurching upright in his sleeping bag.

Eziah’s breathing is hard. His whole body is drenched in sweat and he keeps blinking his eyes as if he’s trying to click through one of those old cameras that holds photos.

His head snaps to me and Eziah finally stops blinking like a maniac when his eyes go extra fucking wide. I don’t know, I’m too tired to think anymore.

“What the fuck, Jonah?” he snarls and smacks the pillow away while he still struggles to catch his breath. Asshole. First, he takes my precious moments of rest, and now he’s abusing my pillow. The nerve of this guy is unreal. I’m so telling his mom!

“What the fuck? For your information, I was about to do a goddamn public service, cost free. If not me, who else would sacrifice their sanity to get rid of the sleep thief?” I snarl at him, my voice low and dangerous. He has to catch on the damn warning, because later on, there will be none. The next time he takes my wet dreams from me, I will kill.

Eziah glares at me. I don’t care how dangerous he thinks he looks. This is the guy who fears my little sister, so no way in hell am I going to feel any emotion, other than amusement, whenever he glares at me.

I raise an eyebrow as he puts his head between his legs and focuses back on the stupid attempts to catch his breath. Serves him well. Maybe now he will understand how hard my life has become after the shit he is pulling on me. A little loss of breath will never compare to the hours and nights I have lost because of him.

With a groan, I flop back down on my sleeping bag, trying to fall back to sleep. I don’t think this smartass understands how amazing my dream had been before he stole it. Just minutes ago, I was in my dreamland, watching the beauty of Mara bobbing her beautiful, perfect, sinfully sexy little head. What makes the dream even better is that she was sucking on my cock, licking it and dragging her tongue across my length like it tastes better than her favorite lollipop.

A deep, almost painful sigh leaves my lips. It was perfect, so goddamn euphoric, but of course, this bonehead ruined it.

I barely shut my eyes and prepare to fall into death deep sleep when my alarm blares.

All I can do is snarl and growl like a grumpy old fuck.

“Ah fuck! This is ridiculous, Jonah! It’s already been two bloody weeks and we have still not found her!” Eziah snarls next to me.

Wait, does this bitch think he has the right to snarl and act like he’s tired? He is tired?!

I let another growl slip from my lips, but this time, Jax joins me, just as annoyed with Eziah. “What is ridiculous is the fact you keep waking me up. I was having an awesome dream, and you… You fucking ruined it all!” I snap at Eziah as I sit up.

He rolls his eyes at me. God, this little shit! “What was so awesome about it?” He glances at me, and ‌I wonder if he’s asking only to distract me from the anger I feel.

My eyes follow his movements as Eziah runs his hand through his wet hair, clearly a little nervous. Ah, maybe he did realize I would have killed him if it weren’t for Jax and his sudden need to wake up.

Since I can’t fight his annoying presence in any other way, I decide it's best if I tell him the truth. A sly grin spreads across my lips as I turn my head and look Eziah in the eyes. “It was about your sister, my dick, her mouth-”

I’m more than ready to share some more details with him, but Eziah stops me by smacking me in the head with his goddamn pillow. What the fuck does he have inside it - an entire brick building? Sure as hell feels like that. I swear, his pillow has secrets deeper than a woman’s purse.

A shiver runs down my spine at the thought, while Eziah stares at me with a disgusted look crossing his face. “What did I say about talking shit about my sister?” he growls at me.

I grin even wider and shrug. “Well, you asked. What was that saying… hmm… Oh, right - ask and you shall receive. All I did was answer your question. No need to act like a needy bitch in heat.” I wink at him.

I get the lack of sleep and he gets some delightful moments to discuss the dreams I’m having about his wonderful sister. Not my problem if he can’t stomach the truth.

Eziah replies to my sarcasm with a growl. I almost expect something more, but when a miserable groan leaves his lips, I know I won the battle. Don’t worry, buddy, I will win the war too.

He shakes his head. “I give up, Jonah. It’s been too long already. I say we call it. Time of death, whatever your phone says.” Eziah waves his hand.

“She is not dead!” I snap back at him.

Eziah just shrugs, and I kind of understand his frustration. I mean, he can’t understand mine, because the motherfucker has gotten a decent amount of sleep after all. But honestly, it seems like we are wasting our time here. It’s been damn weeks since we entered the forest for the search and yet, there is still no sign of her. Not even a footprint or a piece of clothing - nothing.

I bring my hand to my chin and tap it with one finger, just to look like I’m deep in thought. While I do, Eziah looks at me like I hold the answers to any question that might pop into his mind.

An idea pops into mine, and I grin. “Well, if you would get these supposed gifts working, instead of fingering your asshole, we would have found her by now.” I shoot him another wink.

“Dude,” Eziah growls and sucks in a deep breath. He holds it for a moment, as if he needs to gather some goddamn patience. Why don’t you go outside and gather some mushrooms instead, smarty pants? I’m about to reply with something extra saucy when he takes my moment to shine and speaks. “I already told you I got nothing. And the lack of sleep is taking its toll,” he growls.

This. Little. Shit. The audacity!

I roll my eyes. “Don't whine to me about lack of sleep unless you want to tell me why you wake up at all hours of the night, screaming like a damn banshee. Eziah, you do it at all bloody hours, throughout the goddamn night, for fuck’s sake. If you won’t tell me, I don't want to hear about your lack of sleep!” I snap at him.

I stand up, more than ready to get out of the tent and leave little miss ‘scream my head’ off behind.

“Never mind,” Eziah finally mutters. I look at him over my shoulder and he’s already tugging on a shirt. I frown as I try to read his facial expression. For once, I almost break out in laughter as Eziah clutches his shirt and brings it to his nose to take a good whiff of it. As soon as the stench hits his nostrils, he pulls a face.

His eyes narrow as he glares at me. “I thought you did the washing the other day.”

I chuckle. Fuck, this is significantly better than any revenge I could think of. Unintentional game with lady karma over here. I nod my head.”Yeah, my washing. Do I look like your laundry lady?”

Eziah’s frown deepens. Clearly, he isn’t happy with me. Honestly, the frustration he has brought over my existence is even fucking worse. The somewhat amused mood fades, and once again, is replaced by pure annoyance. “Do it yourself,” I snap at him and move to undo the tent zip.

Once it’s open, I step out. Barely, but I hear Eziah. “Prick,” he mutters.

“Asshole!” I call back.

I force my hands into the pockets of my pants and stride off towards Casen. He’s already awake, making some coffee over the fire. Good, at least there is one decent person in this hell.

“Bro, have you ever slept? Do you have any idea how sleep works, aside from the concept that is described in the books?” I ask him, a little worried about his sanity.

He doesn't answer, just stares back at the fire. “I know she is close; I can feel her,” Casen whispers. I feel like he’s talking to fire, like he is trying to find answers in that flame, and not holding a conversation with me.

I shake my head, unsure of what to say anymore. All I can do is repeat the same thing I’ve been saying for the entire time of our search. “We will find her,” I tell him as I sit on the log around the camp. I fucking hope we find her soon. Mom is struggling with her absence. We all are. As much as my brat sister pisses me off, she is another constant playing on my damn mind and I would do anything for her.

Eziah stumbles out of the tent. He is trying to pull on his came shorts and falls flat on his face in the dirt. Casen nudges me and nods toward him, and I chuckle.

“You right, princess?” I ask him. I blow a kissy-face at him. Eziah flips me off before he gets back to his feet and yanks his pants up.

Another point for Jonah. Eziah, yeah, still zero. Ha, take this.

Casen nudges my side again, pulling my attention from the little Miss Perfect. As I return my gaze to him, he has already set out the map. The search teams are all over the forest, in every direction possible, yet somehow I am stuck with Casen and Eziah.

I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts that slowly consume me. I look over the map at all the highlighted sections. We have been radioing in all coordinates from each camp in our pursuit of her.

At first, I thought this search would be a piece of cake, given how openly we communicate and ensure every area is covered, but I was in for a surprise. This forest is the size of an entire state, and in two weeks, we hadn't even made a dent.

“I want to search this area.” Casen announces, pointing to the map. I frown at him. He is trying to move us back somewhere where we already were. We searched that exact area yesterday and found nothing.

“We did yesterday.” I remind him, just to ensure he isn’t losing his goddamn mind.

Casen shakes his head and sighs. “I fucking know, but my wolf wants me to go back there, so that is where we are going first,” he snaps at me.

Eziah appears by my side and joins me in watching Casen’s outburst. It’s so out of character for him. His shoulders slump and he sucks in a deep, shaky breath.

I exchange a glance with Eziah. I slap Casen’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, dude. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Casen glances at me. The poor guy looks broken, absolutely fucking devastated, and I fear to even think of how he feels in this situation. I know he’s apologetic about the outburst, but the last thing I need is for him to actually say the words out loud. I squeeze his shoulder a little. “All good, bro. We have been stuck together for weeks; it's fine.”

Eziah nods his head in agreement. For once, he understands he has to stand behind me and support the shit I say. It doesn’t matter what Eziah or I might say, Casen is the one we need to worry about now. Just like we worry about Rose.

“I know she was upset, but she didn't have to run,” Casen whispers as he hides his face behind his palms. I bite my lip, thinking if I have the right to offer any words and stop myself when I see him rub his hands down his face. Clearly, he thinks there have been enough words already.

Both Jax and I wonder if Casen would ever elaborate on this argument they had. Only he knows why she ran, and yet he has told us nothing, just that they had a fight. “I'm a fucking idiot,” Casen says, shaking his head.

Now, this looks like he might give us some inside information, so I take my hand off his shoulder and raise an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?” I ask him. Casen’s eyes flick to Eziah for a second, and I glance between them, but Eziah quickly looks away.

“I can't, I just can't lose her,” he mutters as he places his head in his hand. Yeah, that’s not much of the answer I sought, but I guess I need to cut the guy some slack.

“You won't. We will find her,” I tell him.

Casen has already lost so much. First, he lost his family. All he had left was Vince.

However, since Vince went missing about a year ago, Casen was left completely alone. Vince just up and left without saying a word or leaving a warning, and nobody has seen him ever since. Every time I asked Dad if he could send out scouts to look for Vince, Dad shut me down and said the same thing - he would come back once he was ready.

“I shouldn't have told her. Your father told me not to. But I was an idiot. I couldn’t resist, so I did. And now, because of that, because of me, she ran from me.” Eziah and I stare at him for a second, both acting like our lips are glued shut.

As I turn my head and glance at Eziah, I wonder if he already had one of his grandiose visions again. He shrugs, so I turn back to Casen, but he gets up, chugging the rest of his coffee and dropping the mug next to the fire.

I raise an eyebrow as he walks off, wondering what he wants me to do next. “Let's go,” Casen says as stomps off among the trees. I chug down the rest of my coffee and jump to my feet to follow him.

***

I feel like I am breathing in water. If it isn’t water, it has to be some liquid of unknown origin, because whatever it is, it’s fucking hard to breathe through.

That’s exactly how steamy and hot the forest feels right now. I have no other option but to shrug off my shirt and tie it around my head to stop the goddamn sweat from getting in my eyes and burning away the remaining bits of my vision.

It is already lunchtime as we still try to navigate our way through the trees. Casen is running ahead of us while we follow him like shadows. I still don’t want to shift yet, and neither does Eziah. First of all, if anything were to happen, I need Jax at his best to ensure we can get out alive, and besides, we are running low on clothes.

The thing is that usually, when we shift, we stuff our clothes in logs, but when we return, all of them are missing from where we know we left them. Not only that, I am worried about Jax eating something. My stomach has been turning all day, and the last thing I want is to throw my guts up to bring up whatever he chews on. I swear, sometimes Jax is lacking in survival instincts. The moron would gladly munch on Legos. Eat a brick, build a ship in your gut.

I barely avoid the tree in my way as I glance at Eziah. He appears to be deep in thought, completely out of reality. “Oi, are you searching or just walking around half asleep?” I snap at him.

“I was thinking,” Eziah retorts and shrugs his shoulders.

Yeah, as if being deep in thought is a good enough excuse for not looking for my little sister. I roll my eyes at him. “Well, don't think too hard. I wouldn't want you to give yourself a headache.”

Eziah growls.

“Actually, I take that back. A head like that should ache,” I chuckle. I really need to think about the surroundings in which I talk shit because the smartass starts pelting rocks at me.

“Chill, I was only playing. Man, you have been a real dick this entire time,” I snarl at him as I rub the side of my arm which caught the fucking rock. The little shit has a good aim.

“Between you and mom, always breathing down my damn neck, I wonder why,” Eziah growls at me. Wow, isn’t this great? Now, I will have to deal with a temper tantrum too.

“Is that why your mother put you with us?” I ask him.

“No, I asked to be placed with you and Casen,” Eziah mutters.

“You're telling me she wanted you to stay with her, but you hand-selected us to be sleep deprived?” I ask.

Before Eziah can part his lips or even think of an answer, pain ripples through me. I clutch my side and freeze in my step, waiting for it to pass.

“You okay?” Eziah calls out.

I wave him off. “Just a stitch from walking,” I tell him. The crunch of twigs and leaves tells me he is making his way through the thick bush to me.

"I'm fine,” I force the words through gritted teeth as I try to catch my breath and see his outstretched hand reaching toward me.

“You have been getting them for hours,” Eziah says as he shakes his head. Truth be told, he doesn’t look any better than me either. His body is overheating the same as mine.

“It's fine,” I repeat.

I don’t think Eziah will get a chance to feel the same as me, honestly. The aches and pains started early this morning. Kaif is still under control, but Kyan is anxious. I can also feel that Kaif is very fucking angry, but what worries me the most and makes me feel sick is Kyan’s distress. I’m pretty sure the pain is somewhat connected to that.

“This is pointless,” Eziah whines as he stretches his back. I ignore his whining, but clearly, he doesn’t think that I should. “I can't believe he still hasn't told us what is going on and why she ran. Don't you think it is a little odd?” he asks.

I just look at him and shrug. “That's Casen and Rose's business.”

“Yeah, but I don't get why it is a secret,” Eziah keeps pressing the issue.

“Probably the same reason you won't tell me about your nightmares. They are a secret,” I deadpan.

“They aren't nightmares,” Eziah blurts out, and I raise an eyebrow at him. He brushes his fingers through his hair, but I’m unsure if it’s because he’s uneasy or uncomfortable. “They are like some out-of-body experience,” he adds.

Alrighty then. So, I knew the guy didn’t have quite a full deck before, but now I can see how fucking bat shit crazy he is. He must have gotten that bit from his mother's side.

“Okay then,” I tell him.

“No, I am being serious. This is why I have told no one. No one would believe me.” he shakes his head and mutters some words under his breath as he kicks a rock. Damn, dude, no need to hurt the poor rock. It’s innocent.

I raise an eyebrow at him. I hate to admit this, but he managed to plant the seed of curiousness within me. “Fine, I will give you the benefit of the doubt here and say you aren't nuts, so explain.” I keep my eyes set on Eziah for a moment until he starts walking again and I walk by his side.

I probably look like a right idiot as I swat at flies and insects every step I take. This goddamn place is full of them, like there is a whole birthing factory for the tiny buzzing fuckers somewhere near. And don't get me started on the blood-sucking mozzies.

“I become her,” Eziah suddenly says. Wait, wait, waiiit… Did he just say he becomes her?

Jonah.

“You become a woman?” I gasp out.

All jokes aside, holy shit… Holy truck fuck shit, the dude’s actually crazy. And I mean crazy, loony bin type of crazy, not the regular type. Whatever that type might be.

As shocked as I am, I still struggle to keep my face neutral. Well, aside from the shock, of course. I really don’t want to hurt his feelings. Or am I supposed to say her feelings now?

Wait, does this mean Eziah can shift between both genders? Is this a gift he just stumbled upon recently?

“I am being serious, Jonah,” Eziah says, and he stops in his tracks.

I glance at him and frown. The thing is that Eziah looks genuinely bothered by whatever he claims is happening to him. He shakes his head while I watch him.

“Forget it,” he says as he stomps past me. I stop him by grabbing his upper arm.

There’s no way I’ll let him drop this now that I know he’s a gender-shifter. Is that a thing? Shapeshifter is, so maybe I just discovered a new species. Damn it, my name might go down in history for finding the Gemini gender shifter.

I take a deep breath and focus on Eziah. “No, I can see it is bothering you, so tell me.”

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest. I know he’s trying to close up, so I keep glaring at him until Eziah drops his arms to his sides and looks down at his feet. “You will just laugh,” he mutters.

“I won't, promise,” Eziah looks up at me with a raised eyebrow. But the doubtful look disappears from his features as soon as he notices I am being serious. He sighs and glances away. “I can feel her. Everything she feels, I feel like I am trapped in her body. I can even see what she sees. Well, sort of,” he whispers the last part.

Alright, for clarification, I thought I could get some information, put two and two together, connect some missing dots or whatever bullshit. However, I’m not a freaking detective, and although I am not stupid, I’m not the melamine either. He needs to give me a little more information here to work with.

“Who?” I furrow my brows.

Eziah’s shoulders slump even lower. His eyes focus on something in the distance as desperation and pain radiate off him. Well, call me fucking worried now.

“My mate and I can't help her.” Eziah’s voice breaks mid-sentence. The poor guy looks like he is about a second away from breaking down and bursting into tears.

I squint at him. I understand that some of his words have to be true. There’s no way someone could fake the look on his face or the aura shifts, but he still sounds a bit balls-deep mental. “But you haven’t met your mate yet?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.

He shakes his head. “Not in person. I don't know how to explain it, but I know she is my mate because my wolf goes berserk whenever we’re… You know… He wants to help her. He is desperate to get her out of that place.” Eziah pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and huffs, as if even he finds this conversation unreal.

“What do you mean, and how long have you had these out-of-body things for?” I ask.

If anything, what he tells me is even half true, once we find Rose, I need to think of how to help him. Regardless of how many times he steals my sleep or how often we argue, he still technically is my brother-in-law.

“They appeared about two years ago. The thing is that they weren’t frequent, just some fragments here and there. Trust me, I thought I was going crazy myself. At least at the beginning. But lately, they happen more often. And now, they are constant every night,” he explains.

“Have you told your mother? Maybe she can help?” Kat might be able to help him. No, she definitely would. Eziah has to seek help there, because she is his mother first and foremost, and after that, she is the Moon Goddess.

Eziah’s eyes snap back to mine. “No, I can’t.” He shakes his head. “You know how the future changes. I probably shouldn’t even tell you. I know mom will interfere and put me on medication to help me, but I can't lose the connection to her. Besides, if I tried to ask my mother, she would tell me nothing, except that apparently she mated me to a German Shepard!” Eziah tells me, and I try not to snicker.

Eziah sighs. “I can’t tell her; it is my only connection to her. I need to know she is at least alive,” he says.

“So, what happens in these dreams?”

He just stares at me, as if he is trying to find something in my eyes. He’s possibly looking for a glint that will give out how I think he’s crazy. I mean, I do, but he already knows that.

Those bits and pieces aside, I believe it will be better if he tells me. Whatever happens in his dreams has to be something bad, especially if it affects him like this.

“It’s so dark where she is, but it’s… I don’t know. Sometimes they drag her out and hurt her, but mostly she is in the dark, scared.” Eziah looks away again. I think he’s ashamed to show more weakness than he already did.

For the record: no fucking shame of being weak when it comes to your mate. The Goddess didn’t pair me with Mara, but I would cry and leek for that woman. No shame whatsoever.

I chew on my lip and furrow my brows, more than a little confused about his words. “So, she is being held by her pack?” I try to guess.

The bits he told me remind me of something very fucking close to the home, and I freaking hope it’s not the same. No one deserves that. She never did, and neither does Eziah’s mate.

Eziah groans in frustration and throws his head back to stare at the sky. “I'm not sure. I can just see glimmers, like last night. It was the same place. They were torturing her, waterboarding her. That's why I woke up gasping,” he says, rubbing his face.

“You have to tell your mother, Eziah,” I insist.

He looks at me, wide-eyed, as if I’ve lost my mind, and shakes his head. “I can't. She will make them stop. I need to know she is alright.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I think his frustration is rubbing off on me, and I really don’t like the feeling. “Your mother will help. Surely, there can be a way to find her. Your mother is the Moon Goddess.” I can’t believe that I have to actually say that out loud, to remind him of his mother's status.

“And she can't interfere, you know that. If she does, it could end worse than it already is. They could kill her,” he insists.

I understand that she can’t interfere, but what she can do is try to locate her. Then Eziah can grab some of his friends, go there, play the hero, and get his mate home to safety.

“Tell your mother,” I repeat the same thing, this time in a snarl, as I grip his arm tighter. He parts his lips, I know to argue with my insistence, but I shake him. “If they are torturing her and what you are seeing and feeling is what she is now enduring, death would be a blessing. Tell her, at least let her try to help. Because by doing nothing, you are torturing yourself and her. Let the future change. Any fate would be better than the one she is stuck in,” I tell him.

This situation really hits too close to home. Dad has told me some bits and pieces about mom’s past and if Eziah can see, and feel, all the same things happening to his mate, he is a fucking coward if he refuses to act.

Fuck fate, fuck changes - we are talking about his mate. If it were Mara in her place, I would turn heaven and hell upside down, fuck the fates sideways and get her out. No matter what it cost me.

“But what if I lose her?” he suddenly whispers.

A grin that forces its way on my face, along with the murderous spark that dances before my vision. “Then you hunt down the bastards that touched her.” Eziah stares at me.

“No one should be forced to live like that. If what you are seeing is real, you need to stop it even if it ends there,” I tell him.

He glances around as if the answer to his prayers is somewhere near, but as soon as he realizes it isn’t, Eziah sighs and nods. “Fine, I will tell her,” he whispers and returns this gaze to mine.

If not more, at least now I know he has taken my words seriously, and he isn’t saying this just to put my mind at ease. I offer him a weak smile and slap my hand on his shoulder. “Good, come on then, let's find this sister of mine. Then we can focus on finding your mate.”

His eyes widen again as he gasps out, “You want to help?”

I shrug. “We may not see eye to eye, but we are still family. Family help each other,” I tell him and gently squeeze his shoulder.

“You seemed pretty pissed off about me getting involved with Mara and Kyan. Even though she is my family,” he says.

I roll my eyes and huff. “Yes, because you all treat her differently.”

“I don’t,” Eziah argues, raising a challenging eyebrow at me. There it is, the little shit is back, goodbye insane-sane Eziah, who was actually nice to talk to.

“You do, Eziah.” I let go of him, take a step back, and stare at him. “None of you realized she was hurting, but then Kyan fucks up once, and suddenly, you all want to be there for her? Did you forget that none of you were there for her before that happened? Then, you dare to upset her more when she voiced how she felt, and don't think I forgot what you said to her at the house.” I lay it out for him to take in.

“That wasn't my intention. I love my sister. Kyan isn’t good for her, and I didn’t mean what I said. I was just angry she chose his side. Kyan is bad news, I mean it. I have seen it.” He forces the last part through gritted teeth.

I wonder if we’re talking about the same person. The same person as in my best friend, Kyan. Because if we are, he sure as shit hasn’t seen it yet. If anyone, I am the one who has been there for the better and worse, and I can tell you now everyone is wrong about this entire Marabella-Kyan situation; including Kyan.

I cross my arms in front of my chest. “Oh, really? Isn’t it funny how you are the brother of the year and suddenly, you can see her entire relationship with Kyan, while you couldn’t see how your own friends treated her? Isn’t it convenient to be blind when it fits you best?”

Eziah frowns. “What are you talking about?”

I scoff. Is he seriously in this much denial? “Were you all that blind?”

“Mara never told us,” Eziah defends himself.

“We didn't know. You do not know how hard she is to read! Not even mom can get a grasp on her or me. We have both tried, but when we tried to look, all we got was a blank slate,” he states as if it was an excuse good enough to write off his own mistreatment of his sister.

Sure, leave it to Eziah, the golden son of the Moon Goddess, to twist and turn everything until all odds are in his favor. And he still fucking wonders why he couldn’t read Mara? Fucking pathetic.

I shake my head, still holding the same stance as previously. “She shouldn't have had to. It was obvious. Did you know she was cutting herself for years?”

Now, we’re getting somewhere. The question seems to have moved something in him as Eziah looks away and refuses to meet my eyes. “I heard. We all just thought she was depressed because of the darkness. She kept it from all of us, just like Kyan has been hiding everything from you. You think he is good for her, but he is the death of her?”

“Hiding what, Kaif?” I chuckle. Yeah, that beast isn’t exactly that tiny to be easily hidden away from everyone. Just because my best friend chose to keep his secret with the majority of people doesn’t mean he didn’t share it at all.

Eziah’s eyes snap back to mine as he gasps, “You know he is, Lycan?”

I chuckle at the look on his face. “Of course, I know. How do you know?”

“I saw it, the day of the Alpha challenge. That’s why I escaped mom. He will kill her, Jonah,” Eziah takes a step closer to me, as if less distance between us will convince me he’s right.

It might be one of his tricks he can use on his friends, or someone who actually fears him, but it won’t work on me. Right now, he is trying to convince me about something he imagines and I know isn’t right. Kyan and I have been best friends for years. We grew up together, and even Kaif, that furry fucker, has grown on me.

“He won't. Kyan is aware of what Kaif is capable of,” I state.

“So he told you he killed her? I saw it, Jonah. I saw it all. She was in his arms. It looked like he strangled her to death-” I raise my hand to stop him from talking.

What he is saying right now sounds suspiciously similar to what Kyan once described to me. I believe it was one of his visions, the very reason why he kept pushing himself away from Mara and feared Kaif might get out.

“You had the same vision as Kyan?” I blurt out the question and immediately mentally facepalm myself. The worst thing I could have done is to tell someone who already hates Kyan that he saw a vision the same as Kyan.

“What?” Eziah gasps.

“As Kyan, he had the same vision,” I tell him.

“You knew and left her with him?” Eziah raises his voice at me, visibly outraged.

“He is her mate, Eziah. Her mate - she already marked him. Kaif won't hurt her. I know it's hard to believe, but I think you have the visions wrong. I have told Kyan the same thing. They don't add up.” I shrug.

“What do you mean?” The anger fades from his features, now replaced by confusion.

“Kyan has had two visions of how Kaif supposedly killed her. You can't kill someone twice, so you are both missing something.” I scowl at him.

Since personally I see no point in this conversation anymore, I turn around and trudge further through the thick brush. Eziah is talking behind me. After a while, we finally reach the tiny clearing.

Finally, I can see Casen ahead of us, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. Be blessed, my savior. Since he doesn’t seem to notice us, I call out to him. “Oi, wait up-”

I freeze mid-sentence and stop in my tracks as I notice we aren’t alone in the clearing. A group of men encircles us. As I try to take them all in, Eziah comes up behind me, talking some crap, and my hand smacks into his chest to stop him in his tracks.

Finally, he looks up and notices my stare as I turn around to notice that we were too distracted and managed to walk into some sort of ambush. Men are holding spears, aimed at Casen and now, us too.

“Woah. What the fuck?” Eziah mutters as he glances around and scans the not-so-friendly faces that surround us. “Hey, those are my fucking pants!” Eziah snaps as he points his finger at one man. The man immediately points his spear toward Eziah, and the smartass puts his hands up in surrender. “Geez, fine. You like them that much. Keep them then,” he says.

“WE…COME…IN…PEACE…WE…” I motion to Casen, Eziah, and I. “MEAN YOU NO HARM,” I call out a little louder.

“They speak English, you knob,” Casen snaps at me. Well, could’ve mind-linked me and told me this shit sooner, couldn’t you, Sherlock?

“Oh, okay then. Seriously, I was about to bust out the charades or an interpretive dance. Saves me making a fool of myself then.” I shrug and then clap my hands and rub them together.

I peer around at all of them. All are nearly naked, but they don’t smell like wolves. Definitely not rogues or the lone travelers. However, there is something off about them. So much so that it feels nearly disturbing to stand here, surrounded by them.

“Well, in that case… Have you seen a girl, nose piercings, heavy eye makeup? Rolls her eyes constantly. Ah, she is about yay high.” I hold my hand up to my shoulder to show how short she is.

My eyes scan the men again, none of them react, so I carry on. “Has a bad attitude and rainbow-colored hair. Parents named her after a flower, but she is more like algae. You know, the sort you want to get rid of it, but keep it around to feed the fish. Or maybe she is more like an obnoxious weed. Major pain in the ass, but a pain I kind of want back, so perhaps you have seen her around?” I joke. None of them laugh, just stare at me.

Eziah leans toward me, and they raise their spears and step closer. “Looks like we are doing this the hard way, then,” Eziah mutters to me.

“Oh, so you have a plan?” I perk up, more than happy to see if his big brain can come up with any way we can get out of this. I still kind of don’t want to shift in front of humans, even if the humans in question are clothing stealing, spear pointing, not-so-talkative assholes.

I glance at Eziah as he raises an eyebrow at me and whispers. “Why, do you?”

I grin and lean a little closer, keeping an eye contact with Casen. “Yeah, I say bail and leave Casen to fend for himself,” I offer Eziah.

“I heard that asshole!” Casen calls out.

I grin. “So you're fine with it then? Good to know, buddy. Have fun with your new friends.” I wave my hand as if I’m saying goodbye.

However, when another spear is thrust toward me, right at my family jewels, I freeze in my step. I look down at it. Nearly my entire life flashes before my eyes, and then I tilt my head at the man.

All jokes aside, if I don’t get to use this thing on Mara because some fucked-up wannabe caveman breaks it with his spear, someone is going to fucking pay.

“Were you really going to leave?” Eziah whispers as his eyes zero in on the spear that is still pressing against my precious nuts.

“No, of course not!” I hiss back, and the man, who is holding the spear, grunts at me. I glance over my shoulder at Casen and growl, “I thought they spoke English?”

“They do. Honestly, I think we should have gone with the charades. They aren’t big talkers, it seems,” Casen calls back.

With a heavy sigh, I turn back to the man holding my nuts hostage. My eyes lock on him while I sniff the air again. I need to make sure if they really are human, but once I get a whiff of something else, I frown. It isn’t human… or wolf… Why do they smell like bears?

“So, which one is the mate killer?” calls out a strong, low voice. My head snaps in its direction and I see a man stomping through the long grass. Once he gets out of the grass, I finally realize he is barely clothed. Maybe they need the clothes more than us.

The silence becomes a little uncomfortable. I wave my hands and grin. “Ah, not mate killers, but he is her mate. I am the brother, and the short one is the cousin,” I tell the giant of a man that has approached me. He looks between us all, grunts, and points his finger at Casen. “That one, take him,” the giant orders as I peer up at him.

“Nope, no can do, Bigfoot. He is staying, and nobody is going anywhere,” I tell him while the other moron is still poking my crotch with his goddamn spear. I growl at him and he instantly jumps back. I snatch the spear from him, tossing it away.

I swear, if he has the gall to pick it up and poke me with the damn thing once more; I’m going to shove that thing so far up his ass, it’ll tickle his tonsils!

“You dare come into my forest and challenge my men and destroy my land?” the man all but snarls at me as his eyes flicker.

“You saw that, right? I’m not imagining this, right?” Eziah whispers.

I nod my head and lean a little closer to whisper, “Yep, not human.”

He stiffens next to me, uncertainty in his voice. “You're not really going to try to fight that big bastard, are you?”

I chuckle as I recall every goddamn time I had to go one on one with that royal furry asshole Kaif. Yeah, this one doesn’t look half as bad. “I have seen bigger,” I chuckle. Eziah gives me a funny look.

“No need to fight. We come for our little Rose’s mate killer,” the man says as he slowly removes his pants. “But if you insist,” he adds with zero emotion.

“Are you sure you have seen bigger?” Eziah asks. Nervous energy radiates off him, while all I do is roll my eyes. Getting beat up by Kaif or some random Bigfoot fucker. What’s the difference?

“Mate, he is not a mate killer,” I correct him as I grab the bottom of my shirt and pull it over my head. If a fucking fight is to happen, I need to save my clothes, especially if these asserts insist on constantly stealing them. Eziah will have to hold on to them, so none of these thieves can run around the forest, looking like me from a distance.

“No?” The man frowns and looks around. “So where is her other mate, then? Vince, I think she said his name was?” he asks as his eyes zero in on Casen.

He hangs his head, and his shoulders instantly slump. What the fuck? My eyes go from Bigfoot fucker to Casen and then back to the same man in front of me. Well, this shit is a little too juicy for my sanity. “Casen, care to explain what the fuck he is talking about?” I call out as I keep my eyes set on the giant.

“Oh, you didn't know?” the man asks with a knowing grin spreading across his lips.

I look at Eziah, who seems just as oblivious.

“Vince isn't missing. I killed him,” Casen calls out loud enough for everyone to hear his confession. Eziah and I stare at him wide-eyed. What the fuck?

“So what shall it be? We take the mate killer, or…” the man doesn’t finish up whatever he was about to tell us when he suddenly shifts.

And no, this massive motherfucker isn’t a wolf. He is a fucking bear. Oh God, just what I fucking needed. Note to myself - if I get out of here alive, I need to find my to-do-list and get rid of a fight with a goddamn bear. Lycan and bear off. Now I’ll have to find a goddamn mermaid next.

“You best still have power in your bank?” I mutter to Eziah. “Because we are gonna need it.” I tell him and shift just as the bear comes rushing at me. Fuck. My. Life.