‹ Prequel: Pup Among the Big Dogs
Chasing the Moon
The Sweetest Sound These Ears Have Heard
“Why don’t you just come home with me? We can get rid of those old kids and spend all night making some new ones,” Marshall purred in my ear, suddenly right behind me. He wrapped his arms securely around my waist and pulled me as close as he could. I grimaced. I mean, we were in the middle of a fight and he was turned on?
“No!” I tore myself from him and smacked him across the face. “These kids are mine. You’re not taking them away from me! And do you want to know something else? They’re Aiden’s kids. And he’s that mutt you hated so much.” I couldn’t help but smirk when the shock was scrawled out on his face.
“You fucking skank!”
I screamed when his fist just barely missed my face. He lashed out and grabbed my wrist, his nails digging into my skin. I shrieked, trying to claw him off as I felt blood dripping down my arm.
“We can forget all about this on our honeymoon, baby” he hissed in my ear, biting down on my neck. He didn’t make it hurt as bad as he could have, but he did let the venom slip in.
“Get off!” I screamed, squirming as much as I could as I realized what he was trying to do. “Please! I love them! Marshall, please! Don’t do this...”
I felt my head starting to get dizzy as I lost way too much blood. I knew what would happen if he took too much blood. My body’s defenses would do everything they could to save me...even if it meant absorbing my own children back into my body for the extra strength. I screamed as screamed, but I couldn’t hear my own voice. I felt blood dripping out of my ears, but I couldn’t hear anything. My body was obviously trying to save power. Well, that or Marshall wanted this to be as terrible for me as he wanted.
Jack wasn’t running to my rescue, but I didn’t blame him. I was a lost cause anyway for there was no hope. Marshall had no idea how much blood he was taking as he slipped into the ecstasy of drinking. Even the most powerful of us sometimes give in to temptation, as he was no doubt doing.
I mouthed a silent apology to my dying babies as all vision slipped.
I could have sworn I saw Jack running to me, his lips moving but no words coming out. But then I fell to the dirt, Marshall having dropped me carelessly, presumably finished with me. I blacked out before I could breathe my last breath.
Or maybe not.
I shot up with a groggy head, groaning.
“Please lay back down.” The sweetest sound I had ever heard.
“Baby... I’m so sorry,” I whispered, doing as I had been commanded. I buried my face in his chest.
“You’re sorry? You almost died! And it’s my fault...”
“Aiden, where’s Jack?”
“Oh, Gabby...” Aiden let out a soft breath. That sound in itself was enough to break my heart. “Marshall—”
“Oh my God...” I forced myself to stand up and leave Aiden’s arms. Aiden seemed as torn by my decision as I was. “What happened? Please just tell me.”
Aiden stood up and pulled me back into his arms, kissing my forehead.
“He died trying to save you.”
“No!” I tore myself from him and smacked him across the face. “These kids are mine. You’re not taking them away from me! And do you want to know something else? They’re Aiden’s kids. And he’s that mutt you hated so much.” I couldn’t help but smirk when the shock was scrawled out on his face.
“You fucking skank!”
I screamed when his fist just barely missed my face. He lashed out and grabbed my wrist, his nails digging into my skin. I shrieked, trying to claw him off as I felt blood dripping down my arm.
“We can forget all about this on our honeymoon, baby” he hissed in my ear, biting down on my neck. He didn’t make it hurt as bad as he could have, but he did let the venom slip in.
“Get off!” I screamed, squirming as much as I could as I realized what he was trying to do. “Please! I love them! Marshall, please! Don’t do this...”
I felt my head starting to get dizzy as I lost way too much blood. I knew what would happen if he took too much blood. My body’s defenses would do everything they could to save me...even if it meant absorbing my own children back into my body for the extra strength. I screamed as screamed, but I couldn’t hear my own voice. I felt blood dripping out of my ears, but I couldn’t hear anything. My body was obviously trying to save power. Well, that or Marshall wanted this to be as terrible for me as he wanted.
Jack wasn’t running to my rescue, but I didn’t blame him. I was a lost cause anyway for there was no hope. Marshall had no idea how much blood he was taking as he slipped into the ecstasy of drinking. Even the most powerful of us sometimes give in to temptation, as he was no doubt doing.
I mouthed a silent apology to my dying babies as all vision slipped.
I could have sworn I saw Jack running to me, his lips moving but no words coming out. But then I fell to the dirt, Marshall having dropped me carelessly, presumably finished with me. I blacked out before I could breathe my last breath.
Or maybe not.
I shot up with a groggy head, groaning.
“Please lay back down.” The sweetest sound I had ever heard.
“Baby... I’m so sorry,” I whispered, doing as I had been commanded. I buried my face in his chest.
“You’re sorry? You almost died! And it’s my fault...”
“Aiden, where’s Jack?”
“Oh, Gabby...” Aiden let out a soft breath. That sound in itself was enough to break my heart. “Marshall—”
“Oh my God...” I forced myself to stand up and leave Aiden’s arms. Aiden seemed as torn by my decision as I was. “What happened? Please just tell me.”
Aiden stood up and pulled me back into his arms, kissing my forehead.
“He died trying to save you.”