Blue Moon

The moment Imogen came to, her mind went back to the last words she heard.
"My promised mate.”
Holy mum of god! She thought. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. He wants me? She couldn’t ever remember being happier in her life. She has a promised mate and he wants her. With a mate. She could have all the normal things a female werewolf should have in her life. Babies, a family, love and a happy home. Someone who wants to be near her and touch her; someone to say goodnight to and someone to wake up with in the morning. All the things that Imogen dreamed of, but she never thought that she would really have.
She looked into his face and saw joy, happiness and acceptance. She felt her burn and tingle where his lips had touched hers. She wanted to reach out and touch his face. She lifted her hand to do just that when her Oni side started to nag at me. Instead, she touched her own lips while her werewolf whimpered inside of her. You are setting yourself up for more pain. He must not really understand. He doesn’t know that we are different. He will reject us just like all the others.
Her werewolf started to shudder in fear and pain. Whining the word ‘NO’ over and over again. I want our promised mate and he want us. Please don’t let him change his mind. Imogen could feel panic start to rise again.
He will reject me once he understands. He will not accept all of me. He will have to reject me or his pack will reject him. He is a werewolf. I can tell. I smell his wolf in him, just as he smells mine. Werewolves are pack animals he can’t survive without a pack. Imogen was fighting with both sides of herself. Logan noticed her panic and pulled her tighter to his chest.
“Calm yourself. What is getting you all worked up?” he questioned, clearly at a loss.
Imogen looked up at him and as a small sob escaped her. How was she supposed to explain her position to him? She was so confused. She had no idea how she got here, who he was, or why he was carrying her in his arms but she knew what she was. Her adoptive mum Maude made sure it was something she could never forget. She was a pariah. A sick twisted genetically altered monster. She was something no one could ever love. Imogen knew her place in the world and it was at the bottom. Lower than an Omega if that is even possible. Maude told her every day of her sixteen years of life that she was fucking anomaly and that no one, including Maude ever wants to be near her. Imogen knew in her heart, that he wouldn’t want her either once he understood.
“Oh God, I am so sorry. You don’t understand who... I mean what I am. You will have to reject me once you understand.”
Imogen felt her throat closing up she and her werewolf were so afraid and so sad. She pushed hard at his chest and tried to free herself from his arms. He didn’t budge on bit. That meant despite being a werewolf, he was as strong as her. Her head moved side to side, as she tried figure out her circumstances. She was in some kind of building that looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps a school or training facility of some sort. No matter… She needed to get out of here now. Imogen needed to get away from him before she fell even harder for him. She couldn’t believe that in just a few seconds, she already falling for him. It was amazing. Love at first site.
She was going to have to admit the story books were right. They didn’t exaggerate. Imogen always thought they were just stories created to give people hope. They sure gave her hope but still… She never imagined they were true! Imogen felt totally loved and totally wanted in an instant. How wonderful it would be if she could have that for the rest of her life. But Imogen was a genetically altered freak and her promised mate would reject her as soon as he understood. She pushed again, even harder at his chest. This time he flinched but still held her tight.
“Please, let me go. I’m not a normal wolf. I’m not like you at all. I’m different. You need to release me and walk away. I can never make you happy. Please, you have to reject me”.
A small sob escaped her chest. Imogen didn’t mean to start crying, but it felt like she was losing a part of herself. She really didn’t understand how he could mean so much to her so fast.
“Stop! I will never reject you. My name is Logan and I’m different too. We are promised mates and we were made for each other. I don’t care who and what you are.”
He took a deep breath and stopped walking. Logan swallowed hard and ran his next words carefully through his mind. No matter what he did, he knew he was going to sound crazy. He shook his head in frustration and said to himself. Screw it! Here goes nothing before he gently placed her on his feet and said.
“Calm down, okay. Let's me take you somewhere private so we can talk. Honestly, my mind is a little cloudy and I’m somewhat confused. For some damn reason, I have no idea how or where I found you. I just remember seeing you on the ground injured and lifting you into my arms. I drove here thinking I would take you to my pack doctor, but I can see that’s a bad idea now. Besides your injuries are healing supper fast.”
Logan looked into Imogen’s eyes and could see his words struck a nerve. Her body quivered and several more tears slipped down her cheek. He reached out for her again and pulled her closer to him.
“Please, I know it sounds crazy but we’re meant to be together. Just give me some time to figure out what’s going on. Please. I know a place that safe. We can just go there and just talk. Okay?”
Then, without waiting for her to respond. He pulled her body next to his and moved them both towards the door. He pulled it open and brushed past an older werewolf standing just outside of it. Imogen recognised the smell of the older werewolf. He was a pack doctor. The doctor looked up and noticed Logan and Imogen coming out of the office and quickly moved aside. He spotted Logan holding Imogen close to him and immediately snarled in disapproval. He opened his mouth to say something, but Logan spoke first.
“You can go back to your office Doc. My promised mate is healed enough and I have no further need for you.”
Then, Logan turned them both away from the Doctor and quickly walked out of the building. Imogen was shocked that a pack doctor let Logan dismiss him in that way. Pack doctors always acted like they are at the top of the food chain right under the Alpha. Most of the ones Imogen had come in contact with were real prick bastards. Imogen wondered what position Logan had in the pack.
The moment they stepped outside Imogen could feel a warm September breeze blow through her hair; it was a warm sunny day for September. Imogen starting thinking about how it was called an Indian summer. By now the temperature should have started dropping below seventy degrees but it had stayed warm. Most days we were still seeing highs in the nineties.
Logan walked them over to a really nice, brand new Jaguar convertible. He opened the passenger side and nudged her inside. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and Imogen saw him staring at her lips before he closed the door and walked to the driver side. He jumped in the driver seat and pushed a button and the top started to go down. Oh, shit Imogen thought. She would be fried in ten minutes or less if we started driving with the top down. The sun was too bright today and as part Oni, Imogen suffered from photo-sensitivity. Which basically meant she got hives really easy in the sun. She was going to have to tell him.
“Mm,” Imogen said in a quiet voice
“Logan, I can’t stay in the car with the top down. I suffer from photo-sensitivity. and I blister and get real sick. Just ten minutes and its sayonara smooth creamy skin and hola blotchy bleeding hives.”
Imogen watched his body jerk in reaction. His cheeks turned bright red and he immediately tried to stop the top from opening all the way.
“Shit! Oh, damn sorry. I get it. I have my quirks too. No big deal. I’ll just keep the top up. Mm… So anyway… How about you tell me your name? Anything else weird that I should be aware of? You know will you melt or anything if I turn on the air. Mm.. Oh wow. I’m just kidding. Don’t look so freaked out. No sense of humour huh… shit…”
The more he spoke the more embarrassed and afraid Imogen became.
“It’s okay… really I’m fine. My name is Imogen.”
She said quickly as the top slid closed making a clicking sound alerting Logan that it was sealed. It looked like he wanted to reach out to her but instead nodded at her and started the car. Imogen sank back in the seat and took a deep breath. He started driving and they both remained silent. Imogen guessed he was already thinking about what a freak she was.
Maybe the whole sunlight thing started to make him understand. He was probably trying to figure out what to the hell she is. It seemed like we were in the car for a long time, but honestly Imogen wasn’t real sure. She didn’t mind the silence. She was used to it. In fact, she was more uncomfortable with talking. Aside from Maude’s occasional taunts she rarely ever spoke to anyone.
Logan pulled into what looked like a deserted house. The grass looked like it hadn’t been cut all summer and many of the windows were missing glass and instead had wood nailed over them. He put the car in park and turned to look at her.
“Imogen, I need you to understand something before we go inside. This is an old house that is still in my family. It’s safe here. No one will come bothering us. No one but me has been out here for years.” He paused looking around
“I wanted to go someone private just you and me so we could talk without being disturbed. We are more than two hours away from my pack territory.”
He paused again and reached out to take her hands into his. Imogen involuntarily tried to pull them back. He sighed, let go of her hands and started to speak again.
“Imogen, give me a chance will you? Every time I open my mouth, I feel like I say the wrong thing and you try to push me away. I get that you’re a little different. Trust me. So am I. Just try to relax so we can both get more comfortable. Maybe after you hear what I am, you’ll be the one freaked out.”
Without another word, he opened the door and came around to her side. He pulled her door open and held out his hand. Imogen wanted so badly to reach out and take it, but she just couldn’t bring herself to grab it. She knew once he understood more about her and his pack talked to him about it, he would regret every time he had ever touched her. Imogen wanted to minimise his future pain. Plus, every time he touched her, it just made her want to touch him more. Imogen pushed out of the car without grabbing hold of his hand. He looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking towards the front door.
“Come on Imogen, it’s not as bad on the inside. I’ve been here a lot recently doing some work in there. I actually thought someday my promised mate and me might even stay here when pack business was slow.”
With that, he turned and pulled open the front door. Imogen started looking around. He was right; the inside was in better shape than the outside. It looked like all new hardwood floors had recently been installed and all of the walls were freshly painted. He put his hand in the small of her back and started to guide her over to the only piece of furniture Imogen could see. It was an old brown leather sofa. It looked worn but very comfortable. It was strategically placed in front of what appeared to be a recently restored fireplace.
They sat down facing each other; Logan reached out and tugged a piece of her unruly hair out of her face. It felt so strange but at the same time perfectly normal. Part of her wanted to stay right here next to him just like this forever. Another part of her wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. Nothing good could come from spending time with Logan. He would reject her. It was impossible for them to make a life together. Eventually, his pack or lack of his pack would get to him and he would need to reject her.