Blood Moon Mate

Chapter 9

"Laiya," I heard my mother's voice from behind me. Turning around to see her walking over to me with dreadfulness in her eyes, breaking my heart thinking about what Sophia said about if the Beast catch me. How it would break my mother's heart knowing her only child is dead or capture and how she would never be able to see me ever again. We haven't talked all that much since the dinner party when that strange power started to stir inside me. When she was finally in front of me she grips my hands and wrap them in hers. "I need to talk to you before you seek out to your Grandmother's house, but you must not tell your Pa we talked."

Looking over at her, feeling confused on why she wanted me to keep something from my father, but I felt that she might just be able to answer some question that I've been asking, "About what?"

"It's about the Sterling and the Hubbard family being tied together. There's a reason why your father dislikes them so much and it's a century-old rival." She explained, looking around to make sure no one was overhearing us talk. "There was a time when the two families were married another without anyone being aware of it. The man betrays his wife, though by marrying someone from the village of higher ranks starting the reveal."

When she talked about the marriage, I thought back to the story Victor told me when we first meet when he saw the ring. "Does the ring Penelope gave me on my fifth birthday have anything to do with it?"

"Yes, it was their wedding ring. The girl kept it as a reminder of what man really was, a Beast." Ma answered with soreness in her voice now. "From the story I read before I married your father the girl remarried and seek ravage on the man who broke her heart, but it never said how she did so."

"What story?" I question, thinking if this was what Grandma was going to tell me tonight when I went to her house. "Do you have a book or something talking about the Beast and why it only seeks a mate during the Blood Moon?"

"There was a book among us, but it went missing during the last Blood Moon, but you most know it wasn't always called that," my Ma went on to say looking about the people walking around. Some stop and eyed us closely as we keep talking in hush tones. "From what I read the red moon was known has the Lovers Moon, for that when people felt the strongest connection to one another. The name change, though during the Sacrifice due the amount of bloodshed during that night."

"Why did the Sacrifice start in the first place if there hasn't always been a beast around?" I question, sensing my mother did know more than she was leading on. "Is there a way to stop all the bloodshed?"

"Yes, there is a way to stop all this, but the dedicated soul has yet to come to break the curse of the Beast." She went on to explain had I could sense the pain in her voice, "I fear though you might be that soul that the beast has been looking for."

I wrap my arms around her being in the close hug, "Ma, nothing going to happen to me. Everything going to be fine and just watch I'll be walking out of that forest in one piece the morning after the Sacrifice." I never like when my mother seems so fragile when it came to me and the things going on around me.

"You've always been a strong-willed girl, but there are something that are going to be hard to fight off when it comes to being a soul mate to someone or something you have no control over." She said pulling away from me. "But I hope all this does turn out for the best and you do return to your Pa and me." Then she pulled away from me and ran her hand across her face to wipe the tears away. "You better get ready to go to your grandma's it's getting close to sunset. Please remember to stay on the trail and not wander off. There's no telling if the Beast is in the forest tonight or not." Before I could say anything back, she walked away from me with her head hanging down disappearing among the people still walking about before nightfall.