In the Cover of the Blood Red Moon

Chapter 5

I woke up with a scream dying on my lips. My throat was raw from screaming out in fear as the nightmare played in my mind over and over again.

Blearily, I stumbled to the bathroom and tried to flick on the light. My whole body was shaking as my stomach started to do flips and somersaults.

I gave up on the light and stumbled in the direction that I hoped was the toilet but didn't make it because I tripped over my feet and smacked my face first into the floor with a loud smack.

Blood gushed from my nose while I threw up on the floor and on myself.

The smell of blood and stomach acid filled my senses while I crawled to the shower. I didn't care that I was still dressed when I got into the shower and turned it towards full heat.

Water pounded down my back while I sat in the tub, shivering. The water washed away the blood from my nose and the sweat from the car ride. It cleaned off the throw up that had splattered on me, but I still felt unclean.

I lifted my head towards the water while tears fell from my face. The taste of blood and tears touched my lips, and I licked them clean, at least as clean as I could get them.

I was alive. That was the only thing that I cared about.

I knew that right now, at this moment in the tub, was only a setback, and it didn't define my life. It didn't make me any weaker than I was, even though I felt weak and worthless.

I didn't know what the future held for me, but I was sure that if I kept fighting, then maybe, just maybe, I would be free from this pain, this torture, that my pack had set on me. I would be free from feeling helpless and worthless, and I would be able to show the world my true self and not the shell of a girl I was portrayed to be.

I would have my mate by my side, and I would feel loved and wanted, something that I craved and yearned for every day.

I closed my eyes and lifted my face towards the water, letting it wash away the tears and blood that fell down my face. My breathing started to become normal again, and it wasn't as ragged as it had been, leaving me feeling relieved.

Wait for me, I thought and prayed silently, my mind turning to my mate. Please, I am going to need you more than you'll ever need me. Please.

***

I was finishing getting ready the next morning when there was a knock on my door, and I paused in getting ready and looked at it with wide eyes.

After my meltdown last night, I had cleaned myself and the bathroom up with little to no difficulty at all. I had made sure that no one would know about my freak out because I didn't need any pity from others; I was used to this and would get out of it in time.

Again, there was a knock on my bedroom door, and I stirred myself out of my thoughts and hesitantly walked over to it, praying that it wasn't Stone. I pulled on what I was going to pull on and took a deep breath before I opened the door to see who it was.

Adam stood on the other side of the door when I opened it, and I had to stop myself from breathing a sigh of relief. His eyes had this guarded look in them, but I could see a trace of worry, and I knew that it was for me.

"Yes?" I asked, my voice shaking a bit from nerves. "What is it?" I clutched the door handle tight while I stared at him with wide eyes, feeling like a little kid underneath his scrutinizing gaze. I was nervous, anxious even because I had no idea what he wanted from me.

He reached out to touch me, and I flinched back and away from his touch because I only knew the harsh touch of an Alpha Male thanks to Stone. He narrowed his eyes and scowled but dropped his hand and didn't try to reach for me again, and my breathing became even again. "Why did I feel pain in my nose early this morning?" he asked, his voice rumbling, and my heart skipped a beat.

I ducked my head and blushed, looking at him through the veil of my hair. I kept my heartbeat even because I did not need him to know that I was lying to him and that there was a different reason why I had hurt my nose. "I am such a klutz," I said. "I... accidentally ran into the wall on my way to the bathroom. It caused my nose to bleed."

Adam frowned and stayed silent while he studied me, and I kept my innocent act up. He knew that I was lying; I could tell. However, he didn't bring it up and let it slide, and I was grateful that he didn't because I did not want to tell him the real reason, at least for right now.

Instead, he grunted out, "Breakfast is ready."

"I am not hungry," I said. "Thank you for telling me, though." I forced a smile on my face and prayed that Stone wasn't nearby watching us because I did not want to get beaten by him, and I knew that he would if he saw Adam near me.

Adam scowled and narrowed his eyes at me, and I could tell that he didn't believe me. He made a step towards me, and I instantly took a step back and ducked my head in submission because I did not want to get hurt by him either.

My mate stopped moving and watched me with such an intense stare that I felt naked before his eyes.

I stayed silent and tried to calm down because I did not want him to worry about me nor wonder what was wrong with me. I had no idea what he was going to do, but I prayed that he would leave me alone and not ask any other questions.

"Fine," he grunted and backed up a step, and I felt like I could breathe again. "Do not think that I am not nice."

And with that, he turned around and walked away, leaving me alone as I had wanted.

I closed my door and slid down it, putting a hand over my beating heart. I took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out with a soft whoosh, trying to calm myself down before I faced society. "I am sure that you are," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am just sorry that you have to be placed with someone like me."