Bound by Moon & Blood (Book 1)

Liv dropped down on the couch in front of the fire that was ignited and allowed the warmth to seep into her chilled bones. After getting an ear full from Doc about going into the lake with still healing wounds and getting her bandages redone, after taking a shower of course, she walked back here and was now freezing and starving. She was really starting to lose track of when she ate and when she didn’t and it’s really becoming a problem. The fact that she was still too skinny and wasn’t getting any meat on her bones was also starting to add to that realization.

The fire cracked and pulled her from her thoughts. She ran her hand over her neck as she took in a long breath and reveled in the feeling of the warmth. Caden hadn’t shown his face after their conversation and she knew it was because he hated her guts right now. Not only for the fact that she wasn’t just going to help him for nothing, but also because she had shown the Alpha in her when she made her terms for her help known once more. She knew she had the moment the unusual, but intoxicating, feeling had seeped into her body. It hadn’t been her intent to show the Alpha. Hell, she hadn’t even known she could until the feeling ran through her body.

She still refused to believe that she was an actual Alpha, but she had heard of stories where Moonbloods show Alpha traits thanks to the fact of being a daughter of one. She never had believed them, until now. How could she not when she had the most reliable source ever? Herself.

Liv released a long sigh as she closed her eyes and dropped her head as she still held her neck. Giving it too much thought wasn’t going to help her. She was just going to have to accept the fact that the feeling will be there whenever she challenges someone or when she shows that she isn’t some pushover.

“Are you crying again?”

Liv opened her eyes and looked at the little redhead girl in front of her. A small smile spread out on her lips and shook her head. “Not this time.”

“Good.” Frida said as a bright smile spread out over her face. “Mommy asked me to get you.” Before Liv could even ask why, Frida grabbed her hand in her tiny one and started to urge her from the couch. Liv indulged the girl and got up, before Frida let her through the room to the front door and outside. Okay, where were they going?

Liv decided not to voice her question though and just followed the girl who was still pulling her onward.

Soon she saw a larger house, close to the edge of the forest. It was larger than the one of Rev and that one was the largest she had seen in this pack village. She immediately wondered who would live in a larger house than a beta. The only one she could think about would be Caden, but why would Nessa have Frida bring her to Caden’s place?

If it was, they were going to have a fun evening. Since she doubted that Caden would want to see her after what happened before.

Frida led her around the house to a gate in a high fence that shielding the garden from prying eyes. The girl pushed open the gate and as soon as they walked into the garden, Liv’s mouth dropped open at what she was seeing.

This garden was huge and absolutely gorgeous. The inside of the fence had been carved with some Nordic like symbols and were adorned with torches. Three large hard wooden tables were set out next to each other and were filled with all kinds of food, from fruit to meat and even pies. It seemed like the entire pack was gathered and they were all laughing and wearing wardrobe that was not of this time. The women were wearing white dresses adorned with different kinds of laces that showed a little skin here and there. The males were wearing breeches and a style shirt that belonged in a documentary about Scandinavia. As she looked around, she realized that everything she was seeing right now belonged in a documentary about Scandinavia.

Haze memories of music, fire and laughter flooded her mind, but she couldn’t make anything out of it. Maybe the feast woke up a distant memory of a feast she had been to a long time ago?

She shook the haze out of her mind as Devon walked towards them with a kind smile on his face.

“Welcome to Haustblót.” He said as he reached them. She gaped at him, which caused him to chuckle. “You look like you could use a drink.” He said as he held out a horn... a freaking horn... with mead...

Did she fall through time or something?

“H-how?” She breathed. “You- we- Lycanthropes are made by the Greek gods, this- this is far from Greek.” Devon moved towards her with an amused smile and placed a hand on the small of her back before he started to lead her further into the garden as Frida ran off.

“Our pack is from Scandinavia, and while you may be created by Artemis, the humans- like me, fifteen women, three kids, and five teens- were raised with another belief. While the teens and kids are brought up with the fact that the Greek gods are real as well, they are also taught about the Norse ones. By celebrating the feast, some of us honor the gods and the Landvættir, while others celebrate their homeland. The feast is purely because of tradition and nothing more, so don’t worry, Zeus isn’t going to smite you down for being at a Pegan celebration.” Everyone they passed gave them warm smiles as Devon led her onward.

“The Landvættir?” As she said it a weird feeling came over her. It was like she was supposed to know what the word meant even though she had absolutely no idea.

“They are spirits of the land.” Devon explained. Liv nodded in understanding as she looked around her and still couldn’t really believe her eyes. She had never in her life seen something like this in reality and not on TV.

“This is amazing.” She breathed as she soaked it all in. The familiarity she had felt before had intensified tenfold. Which was weird since Greenland isn’t part of Scandinavia and she had never had a feast like this at her pack. At least she was pretty sure about the latter.

“Everyone, please remember that a Moonblood- made by the Greek goddess Artemis- just lit up like a candle and thinks this is amazing.” A voice said from behind her, before a few chuckles sounded. Liv chuckled and saw Ben standing behind her in the same garb as everyone here. “Your pack is from Scandinavia too?” She asked in wonder. Ben smiled and gave her a small nod.

“So, King is crossing country borders on a regular basis now, good to know.” She said a little grim.

“Oh no, none of that right now!” Nessa’s voice came from next to her. The female beta looked absolutely stunning. Her long straight black hair hung freely and she was wearing a white flower crown. The floor length white dress hugged her feminine curves like it was made for her. The sides of the dress were held together by laces, but still showed a line of skin until the laces stopped at her knees and the dress split. By the exposed skin, Liv could tell that she was actually wearing nothing underneath it. They were really going all out with this feast. “This is a feast and I will not have you sulking or brooding because of that monster.” She said with a pointed finger. “You have been miserable for too long and you deserve some fun.” The sheer determination in the woman’s eyes told Liv that she wasn’t going to have a choice. Which was fine by her right now. She could use a little distraction from the real world.

“Come with me.” Nessa said as she grabbed Liv’s hand and pulled her away from the guys.

Nessa led her inside the house and up the stairs. Liv took in everything she could of the house, especially the faint scent that seemed to linger everywhere. A scent she knew a little too well.

“Caden doesn’t come here often, does he?” She asked as Nessa took her into a room.

“No, he doesn’t. The house is a reminder that he will torture himself with from time to time. That is also why he doesn’t live in it when he is staying in the pack, but with Rev and me.” Nessa said a little grimly. Liv didn’t know if she had meant to share so much about Caden but she tucked away the information and made sure to remember it. The house was a reminder he tortured himself with, huh?

Then she was going to find out why.

“No, this isn’t going to work.” Liv was pulled back to the present and looked at Nessa who was rummaging through a closet. “What are you doing?”

“You can’t walk around on Haustblót looking like that.” Liv looked down at her clothes. Oh gods...

“Nessa, I don’t need...” A bunch of white fabric was thrown in her face, cutting off her sentence. Liv pulled the dress off her head and looked at Nessa who was giving her a stare that dared her to object. Rev had said that the kids were relentless, but his wife was just as bad, if not worse. With a defeated sigh, she walked to the neatly made bed and laid the dress on it before she started to undress herself. Completely naked, with only her panties still on, she grabbed the dress and pulled it on over her head. She pushed her arms through the long sleeves, before she looked at the laces at her front which was still open and needed to be tied. Liv had no idea how she was going to do this. “Uhm...” Nessa chuckled as she saw it and walked towards her. “Here.” She stood still in front of Liv and started to work on the laces, pulling them together until her breast were pushed together and tied the laces into a bow. “There you go.” She said, before she turned Liv and pushed her to a long mirror.

Liv gaped a little as she looked at herself.

With the laces tied it still had a neckline that plunged until it was underneath her navel and only stopped just before it would show the band of her panties. It also showed her pushed together breasts. The skirt had a little train at the back and her long sleeves had two bands, one around her lower arm and one around her upper arm which was also held together by the laces and showed her skin. Even though the neckline and the bands on her arms exposed her skin, the fabric made her feel like she was wearing warm and cozy pajamas. As she turned in the light, she could see that the fabric was covered with subtle glitters. It was also not really white, but broken white and the fabric had some kind of design which she couldn’t really make out. It wasn’t the most daring thing she had ever worn, but it was definitely one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever put on.

“Yes, you do need a dress to wear.” Nessa said as she moved forward and grabbed Liv’s shoulders as she stood behind her with a large smile. Liv chuckled and she couldn’t stop the radiating smile that had appeared on her face. “Haustblót is special to me and I want you to experience it like you are supposed to, Liv. You deserve a break and this is the best night to do it.” Liv’s smile fell a little, before it turned into a warm one. “Thank you.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet. Cay hasn’t seen you in this dress yet and he will flip, so be ready for that.”

“Why would he flip? Whose dress is this?” Liv asked as she looked down at herself, before meeting Nessa’s gaze in the mirror again. “Was, not is.” She said with a sad look in her eyes. “He needs to be the one to talk to you about that, not me.” She said before she moved and grabbed Liv’s hand again. “Come on, we have waisted too much time up here already and this is far from fun.” Before she could ask more about what Nessa isn’t telling her, Liv was pulled out of the room and down the stairs again. Barefooted, she walked back into the garden with Nessa who led her through the crowd.

“Where have you b...” Rev stopped talking as he, Ben and Devon took in Liv with utter shock. Nessa finally released Liv’s hand and kissed Rev’s cheek.

“What did you do, Nes?” Devon asked worried as he looked around in search for someone.

“What? Liv needed a dress and, besides, she had never worn it before.” Liv didn’t need to pay attention to know that Nessa didn’t mean her with ‘she’.

“No, because she never could.” Devon said with a hard voice.

“I can go take it off, if that would be better.” Liv interjected as she took a step backwards.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Nessa and Devon answered at the same time. “Vanessa, he will kill you both for giving her that dress.” Devon tried to reason. Rev growled at that statement and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her close.

“I’ll just go and take it off.” Liv said as she lifted the skirt a little and walked back. Nessa tried to take a step forward, but was stopped by Rev.

“Don’t.”

“Nessa, seriously I don’t want you to get in trouble. I’ll just wear my own clothes.” Nessa gave her a defeated sigh and nodded. Liv turned and walked back to the house through the crowd. She released a long breath as she entered the empty and quiet kitchen. Who was the female that had apparently caused Caden so much distress that a dress would set him off?

Liv didn’t linger on it right now as she walked through the kitchen and entered the living area, just as the front door opened and Caden walked in as well.