Moon Child |✔|

|20|

"Not good," his voice broke in the silence of the slow creek as the chairs rocked back and forth, "she is different Grace. I can just tell. I know she is my mate. But she is not meant to be mine."

Grace looked at Jay with confused eyes, "Mates are supposed to be there for their other."

Jay shook his head, "I don't think all Mates work that way. It's just my thoughts."

"You haven't marked her yet," Grace whispered. She had noted the clean shoulder on Daisy's body- her scent still a mixture of moon rays and flowers. Not of Jay.

"I won't mark her without her consent."

Grace's eyes widened at the news, "so she doesn't want you to mark her?"

Jay smiled up at Grace, his face seeming to have aged 20 years in both features and wisdom. It was a sad smile. A smile of grim acceptance and of something that made Grace's heart break without even knowing why.

"I cannot mark her. She is a wild moon child. I cannot tame her."

"Moon child?"

Jay closed his eyes and Grace listened in wonder as he spoke, "she dances to the tides of the moon. Wild Moon woman- she is not meant to be tamed. She is an earthquake, shaking lose everything that is not soul. She has Moon dust within her lungs, and stars in her eyes, she is a child of the cosmos, a ruler of the skies."

"That was beautiful," Grace said. She had not known poetry such as that could leave Jay's mouth.

Jay opened his eyes and focused on Grace, "She is beautiful."

They watched the setting sun dip into the tree line. John was still not back. "You can go ahead Jay, I'll ring when he's here," Grace said, worried that Jay was wasting his time sitting when he could be spending it with his 'wild moon woman.'

Jay shook his head and leaned it back.

"It's fine."

The silence engulfed them again until they saw the figure of John emerge from the woods. He had not bothered to put clothes back on.

He paused when he saw Jay and Grace on the porch, but then continued walking, his shoulders slightly hunched over and his expression wary.

Even with his lack of affection and love towards her, Grace still felt a thrill at the sight of his body. Maybe it was the hormones from the pregnancy, but she found her eyes devouring her mate.

"Alpha," John greeted, going into the house and returning a few seconds later, dressed.

He leaned over and quickly kissed Grace on the cheek. A formality to show the Alpha that she was his.

Grace almost felt her eyes roll but stopped them before they could. It had been the only contact they had in almost two days.

"What brings you here Alpha," John said as he pulled up a chair and took Grace's hand. She clung onto it, desperate for the sparks and comfort that his touch brought.

She glanced at Jay and looked away. His keen eyes did not miss anything.

"I was just dropping Grace off from her appointment."

John stiffened beside her.

"You were there?"

Before Grace could correct him, Jay spoke, "Yes, I was there. She needed someone to stand by her and comfort her." He eyed their held hands.

Grace's heartbeat started to pick up at Jay's lie. She caste a weary glance at John, and winced at his red face.

"I could have-,"