Fire Moon - Miss CrazyPlantLady (sci fi books to read txt) 📗

in his pockets, wearing a thick sweater and he came to a stop behind Quinn, resting a hand on her shoulder and he leaned down to kiss her head.

"Get a room" the Oracle muttered from his position.

"Grow up" responded Urith, smiling but then he motioned for everyone to get up, "Come on, it's time."

Time. Time for the Moon-Solstice. Time for us to celebrate Mara's death. Pray to the moon for her safety. I hadn't known Mara enough to know what to offer the moon. I knew her eyes were the colour of violets. The only thing I remembered about her and I hadn't even seen them myself.

We wore black for Mara. Formal for the moon. My dress was skin tight, long-sleeved and velvet. Sara helped me style my hair down. Falling behind me in curled dark waves.

I didn't wear a jacket as I held the bouquet of violets in my hands. Sara painted two smooth rocks the shade of the flowers. Mixed blues and purples. I held them in my other hand.

Quinn was wearing a strapless bodysuit, no jacket either but she held a large amethyst in her palm, almost the size of her whole hand and Urith next to her wore a suit. He held roses in his arms, their colour of the snow beneath our silent feet.

The Oracle was walking beside me, wore only suit pants and an untucked dark grey shirt. A large jacket hugged him, touching the icy ground. No present in his arms.

August stood behind us. He hadn't spoke to me all day. Not a single glance. Our string still tugging me towards him but it felt as if I was dragging dead weight.

A warm hand on my shoulder. Cedar and jasmine danced around me as my eyes connected to the live artwork of August's, "Thank you for coming." He still looked tired, his eyes were almost sunken into his face and he smiled at the flowers in my hands, "Mara would appreciate it."

I smiled, my dark eyes drinking in his tired face, "Nightmare again?"

A shrug, "Every night it seems."

"What could you possibly have nightmares of?" butted in the Oracle.

"Perhaps I was dreaming of the day you didn't need to know everything..."

I stopped listening as we entered the trees, most of them have were just the skeletons of the trees they used to be and my shoulders brushed the leaves of the remaining. The path was smoothed over, almost as if someone had polished the dirt beneath our feet. I felt my laughter rise in my throat at the thought of it. It soon died as the headstones came into view. The gravestones. Mara's gravestone.

Everyone disappeared around me as I took in her clean white stone. It glowed against the others. Unblemished and pure. The dirt still freshly packed, the mount stopped me in my tracks, my heart heavy and I wished that I was there to see her enter the earth. To wish her farewell. My heart hurt at the thought of no one seeing her leave this side of the earth.

Shaw was nowhere to be seen. Not a whisper of his presence as we crept closer to the burial ground. Not a word from anyone. The trees dared not move. Standing silently along with us as we stood around the minuscule grave.

Quinn was the first to lay her precious gemstone at the foot of the stone, it glistened as it rested and Urith followed shortly after, lying his roses down next to Quinn's gift. Neither saying a word. The Psi ahead of us put an array for flowers down on the small dirt mount.

It was the Oracle's turn but before he could step forward, Shaw emerged from the trees and my eyes caught the stranger tailing behind him. Shaw towered over him, a head of dark hair and thick brows. He wore a clean grey suit with no tie and his eyes watched Shaw. The air around us went cold, as if the man was winter himself. I returned my eyes to Shaw before the stranger had the chance to catch me gawking.

Shaw looked better than that day. Not much but he had slight colour to his face and my throat closed at the sight of his glassy eyes. Staring at the pristine stone lodged into the earth, almost waiting for it to transform into his lost love.

I stepped forward, suddenly and without a thought and only stopping when I was in front of him, "Shaw—"

He interrupted me by taking the painted pebbles in my hand, drinking in the sight of them and I reached my hand up to his arm, "Sara's gift" my eyes were drawn to the stranger standing next to Shaw. The stranger's eyes were the colour of jaded glass, no darker. Emeralds. They threatened to swallow me whole. Watched me like I was mere prey.

"You remembered" Shaw's voice was what brought me back from the green depths.

I hastily returned my attention back to Shaw, I watched him finger the delicate rocks in his fingers and I nodded, "It is the only thing I wish to remember from that day."

We shared a knowing look and he smiled at the violets in my arms, "The moon should be happy today."

I gripped his arm harder, "The moon wouldn't dare not protect her now."

We walked to her headstone together. He placed the painted pebbles upon the very top of the stone, while I placed the flowers down with the others and they contrasted heavily against the neutrals of the others. Practically glowing amongst them.

"Thank you all for coming" Shaw's voice creaked and wavered. No one dared moved. No one breathed.

August was only staring at the new stranger, arms crossed and a hard glare developed on his face, "Shaw, why did you bring him?" his voice was different. I've never heard this tone from him before.

The stranger smirked, deep lines and dimples indented his cheeks, "Scared, Rotaeche?"

My body reacted to his voice in a weird way. I knew his voice. I didn't know how I knew it but it was so familiar.

"Mara was born into his pack; he is Mara's family" Shaw's eyed glowed, "He is here to pay his respects."

My eyes moving back and forth between August and Shaw as they spoke in their mental bond. I could feel the stranger's eyes on me. Burning into my face.

Everyone ignored them and started to place their gifts to the moon. I stepped back to avoid getting trampled and August grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him as Shaw and the stranger walked towards us. My eyes meeting the stranger's over August's shoulder.

"You know he isn't allowed here" August growled.

My own frown growing on my face and I broke the stranger's eye contact to glare at August, "We are here for Mara, it shouldn't matter..."

"It does" snapped August, eyes glowed back at me.

Regardless of the air around us, so freezing that it bit at my cheeks. The flame in my gut alighted instantly and I felt the rage build on my face, "No, you will not ruin this for Mara" my voice even and deadly calm, "She died for you, she died for a pack that wasn't her own" I gestured to the stranger, "Let him pay his respects, you cannot control who is affected by grief."

Our eyes were glowing at each other, challenging and daring. I felt the tingling of my flames at my finger tips and it was August who looked away first, "Fine, he can stay" I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding, "The second he pays his respects, he leaves."

"You have my word" The stranger mocked a bow and turned to the headstone.

August gave me one look and walked away. I watched Shaw and the stranger turn to the headstone. The stranger met my eyes once more before giving his full attention to the burial site. Quinn grabbed my arm, pulling my eyes away and led me back down the dirt path towards the house.

From the path, you could see the lights. Strings of lights hung in the air, draped over a tall frame that outlined tables and a sweet mixture of flowers and candles. Fire pits were perched at random spots around and the snow beneath them already melted away. A wave of sadness washed over me as I realized I was going to miss winter.

I smiled as Alice already claimed a seat at the table, she sat with her short hair tied back and her fingers typing away on her phone. She wore a similar dress to me, long-sleeved and it clung to her small shoulders but the hem stopped just before her knees. The Oracle was glaring at her and muttering words I couldn't make out, Bain waved us over once he spotted us.

My eyes searched the crowded tables for August and for the redhead that's been missing majority of the day, "Did anyone see Sam?"

Alice looked up with a shake of her head, "Last time I saw him, he was going back to Sawyer's."

I wondered where he was. He normally loves a great party but before I stopped searching for his fiery head, I saw his stubbly face. He was laughing with one of the Zetas. Asher. I didn't bother telling anyone where I was going as I made my way to him.

Weaving my way through the crowds of wolves, majority trying to find their mate and the other half were blindly dancing drunk. I found Quinn and Urith dancing together and from a stranger's eyes, they looked bored and uninterested. However, from my knowing eyes, I could see the small smiles they gave each other and the emotion that sparked between them.

Sam's warm dark eyes found mine as I got closer and his lips widened into a lengthy grin, "Eden."

I smiled at him and signed back, "Long time no see."

The Zeta bowed his head and excused himself into the crowds. Sam was wearing a suit too, no jacket and his dark grey shirt had a slight shine to it, his smile was still wide and he pulled me into a hug, before stepping back to sign, "I missed you."

His warm sunny scent swirled with us, I felt so relaxed as we headed to the dance floor, laughing I said, "You can't be seriously thinking about dancing right now."

I felt his chest shook with a chuckle and he nodded his red hair.

My steps slowing as I caught my attention on Shaw and his stranger friend, his friend bowing his head as we walked past and I felt myself smile at his presence, "Don't let August catch you."

His emerald eyes sparked with an unfamiliar emotion and he winked, "Thank you for the tip, lovely Blazer."

I blinked, coming to a complete stop but before I could ask how he knew what I was. Shaw cleared his throat, "I didn't get a chance to introduce you two before" his hand rested on my shoulder, "Al, this is Eden and as you guessed, she is a Blaze-hound."

My eyebrows drew together, "Al?" his name didn't seem to match his face, like it didn't belong to him.

"Alexei, actually" Shaw turned back to his friend, "Eden, this is Alexei Velasquez. Alpha of the Velasquez pack."

I somehow knew that name. It didn't sound strange to me; didn't sound like a name I haven't heard before. Instead, it was his last name I didn't know. I've never heard of his pack; they must live far away from my father not to mention it.

"This is Sam" I almost stuttered.

"Pleasure" was all Sam signed before dragging me away and into the crowds of dancing wolves.

"Do you know him?" I asked Sam as he pulled me close, we started a slow waltz-like dance.

He drew a 'no' on my shoulder-blade and he shrugged, pulling me close enough to whisper in my ear, "I heard things."

My eyes found Alexei, his green orbs already looking at me and he didn't show shame in gawking.

I swallowed, "What things?"

I could imagine this stranger being dangerous, he brought a darkness with