Broken Moon: Part 5

BROKEN MOON, PART 5

Claudia King

Published by Claudia King at Smashwords

Copyright © 2014 Claudia King

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Broken Moon, Part 5

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What now? Cyan said softly into her ear.

I thought we were going further down the mountain.

He touched her shoulder. You know what I mean.

April closed her eyes. She would have been happy to let the previous night last forever, trapped in a magical bubble sealed off from the rest of the world, where nobody would ever intrude and morning would never come.

But morning had come, and the world was waiting. The time for mindless, selfish bliss was over. Her pack needed her, and for their sake she had to stand by her convictions, no matter how hard she found it. Would she have traded away last night to be free from the pain she faced now of putting it behind her?

Nothing's changed, she said. She sealed her emotions away in her heart, burying them somewhere deep where they would not reach her. She knew it was only a matter of time before they returned, more raw than ever, but for a short while at least she could keep them quiet. One of the many things she had learned over the past few days was that she was capable of enduring far more than she gave herself credit for. She prayed it wasn't a misplaced hope.

I can wait for you to change your mind, Cyan said, kissing her shoulder.

If you really care, you won't try to make me change it.

I never said I would.

April sat up, freeing herself from the half-open sleeping bag. Cyan remained lying down beside her, watching patiently. He had been short with her the day before, but now he seemed calmer than she'd ever seen him.

You don't have to stay, April said. You know what Hazel will do to you.

Yesterday you said you needed my help.

I do. She paused. "But if the only reason you're staying is... if it's just because of us, I don't know if I can give you what you want."

The only reason I ever stayed was because of you.

And Lisa?

And her, he admitted.

I don't want to be your damsel in distress. I know that's what your wolf thinks of me now that she's gone.

Cyan laced his fingers together behind his head, gazing up at the roof of the tent. "Maybe he does, but that's not what I think. I've tried being a leader, and every time it's ended badly. You're the one in charge now. You be the queen, I'll be your knight. That's all I want."

She was about to argue, but when she looked at him she saw a look of calm acceptance on his face. She had asked for his help, and he had resolved to give it. Because he cared that much for her? Or because it was the only thing he had left?

Once she had gotten up April washed in the shallow pool near the fire. The heat had kept the water from freezing, but it was still bitingly cold, and by the time she had cleaned away the last traces of her and Cyan's lovemaking she was shivering.

It was only once she had dressed that she realised they were no longer alone in the cave.

Where the morning light streamed in around the corner, a long shadow lay silently against the far wall. It barely moved, but after a moment of staring April was sure it belonged to a person. Someone was sitting near the cave's entrance.

She held her breath and crept forward, afraid to call to Cyan in case she alerted the stranger. If it was Hazel, there would be others with him. There was no way to escape this time.

As she edged around the corner the figure slid into view. He sat on a rock with his long coat wrapped around him, staring down the empty mountain slope with his back to her. His hair was dishevelled, and he looked to be alone.

April let out the breath she had been holding and took a step forward. Blackthorn?

He tilted his head slightly, unsurprised by her appearance. Warm and cosy in there? he said, the bitterness in his voice plain to hear.

April glanced back, gesturing at Cyan to wait as he rose from the tent. Her first instinct was to give in to the shame she felt welling up insider her, to explain to Blackthorn how it wasn't what he thought, to beg him not to judge her. Instead she tucked her hands into her pockets and waited.

How could you, April? Blackthorn said, and he finally turned to look at her with red-rimmed eyes. You three, you and Ingrid and Harper, I always knew I could rely on you. You and him were so perfect together.

Perfect for the rest of the pack, April said. Not perfect for me. She tried to sound stern without being cold. They were past the tipping point now, all of them. If she wanted to make things right, she couldn't carry on pretending to be the person her pack wanted her to be.

Then why didn't you say anything? You just— you just lie, let us think everything's right when it's not, and then this happens! He snorted. You're just like Harriet.

April put a hand on his shoulder and sat down beside him. She was glad he hadn't said, you're just like Ingrid.

I was scared, she said. My grandmother spent half her life mated to someone she didn't want to be with, and when she finally spoke up they punished her for it. Do you really wish I'd had a life like that too?

Blackthorn's brow creased, his eyes darting to her back. I used to think she got what she deserved, he said softly. I didn't think I'd have a problem using that whip on someone if they broke our rules. But I never thought it would be you. He looked at her with glistening eyes. I couldn't. Not to you.

April reached for his hand, and he didn't pull away when she squeezed it.

None of our rules are perfect, are they? she said.

Blackthorn set his jaw stubbornly and looked away. He had never been as blinkered by their pack's traditions as the others, but he'd still spent all of his adult life upholding them. April suspected the last few days had been just as hard on him as they had on her.

Did Hazel send you to look for me? she said tentatively.

He's no leader of mine. I haven't been back to camp since he whipped you. Blackthorn's tone was still prickly, but the bitter edge to his voice had softened. He could never truly hate her, just as she could never hate him. They'd been friends for too many years for her relationship with Cyan to drive a wedge between them permanently.

She continued to hold his hand as she repeated what she'd told Cyan the day before, telling Blackthorn everything she knew about the current state of the Highland Pack, along with how she'd escaped through the caves and struggled on the brink of life and death for hours afterwards.

He saved you again, Blackthorn murmured, looking back into the cave behind them. April could hear the sounds of Cyan washing in the pool.

He's a good person, even if he's not one of us, April said. She laid her free hand on Blackthorn's arm. You agreed with him about the human girl, didn't you? And whatever you might think, he never tried to... take advantage. I trust him, and you should too.

Blackthorn glowered. I was starting to, before all this came out.

We need his help if we're ever going to put things right.

He knew about what Ingrid did, and he never told us.

Can you blame him? Things are worse than ever now that she's gone. He said—

I wouldn't have told you at all if I'd been thinking straight, Cyan cut in as he appeared behind them, buttoning up his jacket. He sat down a respectable distance away from Blackthorn, the tension between them bringing an uncomfortable silence to the conversation until April spoke again.

We need to make Hazel step down as elder and put Harriet back in charge. I don't care if you two want to argue when it's over, but can't you put it behind you for now? We've got more important things to focus on.

I'm not the one with the problem, Cyan said.

No, you're just the one who makes the problems, Blackthorn retorted, then looked back to April. I can't help but feel like none of this would have happened if it weren't for him showing up.

You know none of it was his fault, she said, her voice hardening. Blackthorn might be upset, but he needed to put his feelings aside for the time being. She'd had to do the same, and as difficult as it was to be around Cyan without letting her emotions spill out, she had no other choice if she wanted to carry on doing what needed to be done.

Her heart and her mind were