Page 2 of Saved By the Moonlight (Spicy Teatime Shorts)
Chapter 2
Jackson
T here’s nothing quite like the feeling of running through the woods, the wind rustling through my fur as I go. It’s almost as if the mountains, majestic and immense, have embraced me in their splendor. As I run, the crisp morning air, carrying the scent of pine and earth, fills my senses.
With everyone paired off, I’ve chosen to separate myself from my pack, their chatter now a distant echo. The quiet solitude of the woods is my refuge; the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds provide a calming melody as I continue to forge a path through the dense undergrowth. I feel like a third wheel, the only unmated shifter my age, surrounded by couples. When they go out, I stay inside, alone. I know my behavior is not in line with what is expected from the Alpha of a large pack. It risks increased tension and conflict, weakening the connection within the pack, but I can’t bring myself to care.
Despite the supposed order of these things, I remain unmated. The possibility that my mate is no longer alive weighs heavily on me, and the thought of them forming a bond with someone else brings a sharp and persistent pang of sorrow. It’s been agonizing to watch the other shifters in my pack find their perfect mate, while I’m left with a painful emptiness, knowing I may never experience that soul-deep connection with a female. Every shared laugh, every tender touch, every stolen kiss is a painful reminder of what I can never have.
As I race up the hill, I glimpse a rabbit darting through the underbrush. Dinner.
Channeling my inner predator, my senses heighten, every muscle coiled and ready to strike as I pursue him with focused determination. The woods are my domain, especially when I’m in my wolf form. It’s where I stalk my prey and curl up under the stars to sleep. The timid rabbit makes a valiant effort to escape but is no match for my agile form as I snatch him up in my jaws, snapping his neck with a single bite.
My stomach full, I opt to head into town for the night, avoiding the thought of returning to pack lands. That means I’ll need to shift back into my human form, shedding the fur and claws of my animalistic state. The longer I stay out here as a wolf, the more I risk turning feral, losing my grip on humanity and succumbing to the savagery of my beast. Once a wolf goes feral, they become unpredictable and dangerous, often leaving no choice but to be put down. The lack of a mate makes it much more probable for a wolf to turn feral, especially if we lose a mate we were already bound to.
I’ve heard the lore; I know the moment I find my mate, I will feel an instant connection. Every day, when I’m alone, my mind drifts, haunted by the question of her whereabouts. Is she alive? Did she find someone else and want to sever the mate connection so that I would never find her? It’s rare but not impossible. Some shifters find love and happiness before finding their fated mates. Others choose to create a bond with someone who won’t break their heart as deeply as a fated mate could one day.
As the Alpha of the Chimney Rock Pack, my mate will have a special position. She will be the Luna. Our Queen. She will have more power over the pack than anyone aside from me. It’s a position of privilege. Her position will even outweigh that of my Beta, who is my second-in-command. A Luna usually follows their Alpha’s lead and deals with the females in the pack.
As I run out along the main road, I catch the scent of something metallic and tangy in the air. The scent intensifies as I approach a small lump lying by the roadside. I feel a cool breeze brush against my fur, carrying a faint smell of peaches. There’s an energy pulsing around the lump that tells me it’s human. As I get closer, the peach scent intensifies, but so does the scent of blood.
Shifting to my human form, I approach the body and gently flip the person over. One glance at the pale face with petite features and I’m hit by an electrical charge.
MATE.
She’s my fucking mate, and she has lost so much blood she’s close to death. In a panic, I lift the small woman into my arms and run to the edge of the woods where my naked body is hidden from anyone driving down the road.
Unable to shift back into my wolf form, I race through the woods as fast as I can, until I reach pack grounds. The second I hit the boundary line, I fall to my knees, still cradling my mate in my arms, and start shouting, “Help. My mate, she’s hurt. Help her. Please save her.”
Quickly, my fellow shifters gather around us, only parting when the pack witch approaches. The witch is our healer. When Ester gets closer and examines my mate, I swallow the warning growl bubbling in my throat. The reasoned part of me knows she’s only trying to help.
“Hurry, bring her to my cottage.” She turns on her heel, her cloak flapping in the breeze as she rushes back to her property on the edge of the pack lands. I follow, holding my pale mate close to my bare chest.
Once inside the cottage, Ester instructs me to lay my mate down on a table she has set up for emergencies. The walls are covered in shelves with small bottles of potions and medications. She pulls out several bottles and sets about inserting an IV into my mate.
“Jackson, she’s in terrible shape.”
“Please, do whatever it takes to save her.”
Looking at me and holding my gaze, she asks, “Anything?”
“Anything. I can’t lose her. I’ve only just found her.”
With that, Ester gives me a sharp nod and starts working frantically on my mate. I step away from the table to give her space to work, my body immediately mourning the lack of closeness to my mate.
“She’ll need blood. We will hook you up and do a body-to-body transfusion, since we don’t have time for anything else.” She glances over her shoulder and pins me with a stare. “Are you sure, Jackson? Anything?”
“Just do it,” I scream.
Pressing a palm to my chest, I try to calm my racing heart. I can’t lose her.
Ester ushers me to the nearby bed, and as I lay down, she hooks up tubing for the blood transfusion. My stomach is in knots, and my skin is covered in sweat. Ester brings a sheet over and covers my naked body. Witches don’t walk around nude like we do. It’s natural for me, and I don’t even notice I have no clothes on.
“Ester, move her bed closer to me. I want to hold her hand. If my mate dies, she’s not dying alone.”
“Jackson, her body seems to be rejecting your blood. We’re fast running out of options.” She pauses and seems to consider her next words carefully. “I only know one thing that might save her now. However, I need you to understand that if I use dark magic, then there might be consequences.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Do whatever you need to do to save her. NOW!”