Beneath The Blood Moon {TMT #2}

Chapter 2

I would've gulped if there'd been enough space in my throat and if it didn't hurt so much to even try.

Don't panic, I tried to reassure myself. He can't hurt you. You're almost as strong as he is.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that. My inner voice snorted disdainfully. You'll only be as strong as he is if only you'd free your wolf.

Ignoring the blatant truth in that voice echoing in the back of my mind, I looked him dead in the eyes and forced myself not to cower from his piercing gaze. "Hello Dad," I choked out. Though it took a lot of oxygen and effort to let those two small words out, I decided that it was worth my pride.

The cold smile stretched into a humourless grin. "You look just like her."

Confused and not knowing how to respond to that statement, I chose to keep my mouth shut.

If he meant Mum, then he was mad. We had nothing in common except for our hair colour. Either that or he was referring to someone else in our family line, whom I knew absolutely nothing about.

Dad studied me for what seemed like a millennium before he asked the question I dreaded he'd inquire, "What are you doing in this room?"

I would've answered, but he literally blocking my windpipe made it difficult to utter another word out. Noticing this, he loosened his grip only a fraction to allow air to pass through, then tightened it against my throat again. But not as death-gripping as before.

After greedily swallowing in enough air to speak - and breathe - then having had my windpipe blocked none so gently again, I silently cursed myself for not picking up his scent fast enough to escape before he'd caught up with us.

I shook my head. No time for dwelling on what I should've or could've done. He had asked a question and was not-too-patiently awaiting an answer, which I planned to give him. I scrambled in my brain for the safest answer I could find, which was really simple yet the worst I could give.

"Nothing," I croaked.

Both his eyebrows arched. "Nothing?" Dry sarcasm dripped from his tone, though his eyes flashed dangerously as if warning me not to test him.

Despite my apparent bravado, I certainly was not planning to. I might be what a few members of the pack called 'brave' and 'daring', but I wasn't a fool.

"Yes." Dammit. "I mean, no."

"Make up your mind, Kara," he murmured dangerously, cutting me off and making me squirm against his tone.

"I meant no. Not nothing," I stuttered. Gulping, I foolishly continued with a plain lie. "I was just taking Mum out for a stroll-"

"After midnight?" He cocked his head in mock confusion. "That doesn't sound like you, Kara."

That statement made me really rethink my approach. "Well, I..." I shut my eyes and tried not to focus on my rapidly pounding heart. I was never good at lying. "I just thought that-"

"It'll help Mum smile? Make her happy?"

"Y-Yes. I mean-"

"Or you just wanted to take her away from me."

My heart flopped as I caught the murderous glint in his bright red eyes. His jaws clenched tightly while his claws dug deeper into my flesh. I winced at the sharp pain the deliberate movement caused, certainly sure that he was drawing blood. "You were going to take my wife - my mate," he said through gritted teeth while his voice deepened roughly, "Away from me?"

"No, Dad I-"

"Were you," he continued slowly and menacingly, "or were you not?"

I stared into his eyes and saw the possessive nature in him already surfacing, ready to kill whoever dared to touch or take away his wolf's mate.

Deciding that it was better not to lie, partly because I wasn't very good at it and also because he knew that I was lying to him, I stuck to the truth.

"She's better off without-"

I was flung to the opposite side of the room before I could get the next words out. My back collided harshly with the wall and I grunted as I fell face-first to the floor. My wolf growled, scraping the walls of the cage she was trapped in with her claws and snapping her jaws at it, furiously.

Mum screamed my name at the same time my wolf begged to be released. But I ignored them, and though it wasn't easy, there was no way I was going to look into my mother's fear-lit eyes and there was no way I was going to turn. Ever.

Groaning softly at the pain bursting through my forehead and my knees, I began to summon more of my human strength to get me off the ground but instead, I sucked in a deep, sharp breath the second I felt pain explode in my scalp.

Dad had my hair fisted in his palm before he dragged me up from the floor and slammed my back against the wall again. The action prompted another painful yelp from my throat. "What did I tell you about provoking me, Kara?"

His other hand clenched around my throat, this time, squeezing all the air out of my lungs.

I choked. My blunt nails scraping frantically at his claws that had a death grip on my neck, subsequently cutting off my air supply.

"John," I heard mother's soft voice say. "Please, let her go."

A deafening silence pierced the atmosphere at my mother's soft plea. The knowledge swirling around in that room that my father's wolf would do anything for his mate, especially since Dad was on the brink of turning and handing over the reins to it, was not lost on any of us. I opened my eyes slowly and weakly before I caught sight of my mother's hand being laid hesitantly on Dad's shoulder. His nostrils flared.

"Please," she pleaded again, panic clearly reflecting in her eyes. "Let her go. I'm not going anywhere." My head throbbed at the sincerity in her voice. She couldn't possibly mean that.

My father growled, a low rumbling noise, before he hesitantly drew both his hands back, in the process, letting go of my hair and his grip on my throat.

The second I felt the pressure of his claws loosen, I fell to my knees and gasped, grateful for the oxygen that rushed into my burning lungs, but I didn't wait a minute longer before I yelled out hoarsely, "Mum, now!"

Dad, who hadn't turned to face Mum, rotated in her direction to block or stop her from whatever she was about to do.

That was all the distraction I needed.

I snatched a thin metal pole lying idly between the bed and the wall where I'd hid it earlier that day and thrust it right through the middle of his back, where I was sure his heart was.

He had already sensed that I'd used Mum as a distraction when he saw that my mother had nothing on her and was about to turn on me. But this time, he wasn't fast enough.

Dad, astonished at the sudden attack, let out a shocked cry and stumbled towards the bed.

Ignoring the pain sizzling all over, I forced my aching body to my feet, snatched my mother's hand and barrelled us through the doorway as fast as I could.

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