Chapter 29.1

I was momentarily numbed with shock, and so were the rest of the homeless drunks, but mine lasted longer than theirs did. And as soon as they recovered, they fled instantly in different directions. Smart.

My gaze narrowed in on my mate. My brows scrunched and the skin on my forehead folded. Even from afar, I felt the strangeness in her aura. It was different. Weird, dangerous, and almost powerful.

She took a turn at the end of the alley, bursting out into the main street that led straight to her house.

I moved with speed, and she was almost on the porch of her house when I grabbed her and sped away into the dark alley.

Her skin was scorching hot. I swear it's hot enough to set herself ablaze. No sarcasm here.

"Cirilla,"

She pushed herself off me. She gained some strength. Maybe too much. What the hell was happening?

"Princess, what's wrong—" I moved a step closer, and her eyes met mine. It wasn't blue. It was glowing red, having unusual streaks of blue swirling in the red.

I gulped.

"Stay clear," Two words, but the intensity behind those words sent a shiver down my spine in a fucked up way, causing something in-between my legs to go hard.

Fuck me, Asher Cohen. Now wasn't the time.

'It isn't,' Ryker took a peek through my eyes. 'Something is not—'

'Right with her,' I completed. 'I know,' I could now see why Miles was terrified. But not me.

"Talk to me, princess. What happened? You are burning with rage, so much of it, it could literally kill," I wasn't exaggerating. I had never felt so much rage in someone. That part was more confusing. I could feel her emotions. I shouldn't. But I could, even though I haven't marked her yet.

"Fortunately for you, it's not aimed at you tonight," Her voice was calm but it had a tough blend to it. She sounded just fine, but I swear it felt like I was talking to someone else.

"Cirilla," I took a step closer but instantly a single crack line tore through the earth and my gaze shot up at her in surprise. What the bloody fuck! "Did you just—"

She groaned, grabbing the side of her head in pain. "Don't hurt him!" She growled, muttering to herself. It was a warning. "Don't worry, I won't," She muttered again.

Was she talking to herself?

I used the opportunity and grabbed her, pulling her against the hard wall. A hand firm on her waist, and another at the back of her head.

"Look at me," I ordered, and her gaze met mine in an instant. My breathing hitched, and my heart almost stopped not from the defiant look in her eyes but from something else. I stared at the rooted outline of the crescent-shaped moon in the center of her ice-blue eyes. It was colored red, blazing as hot as her rage.

Ryker started. 'Human, this cannot be,'

"Blood rage," I muttered loosely, my hold on her loosened. And she pushed me off her. Still numbed with shock, I pulled my eyes up to the bright crescent moon hanging in the blue sky, and then my gaze shifted back to her. I had so many questions bombarding my thoughts.

She was under the effect of the moon but it cannot be, the blood rage only affected us wolves and those with magic.

My eyes widened in disbelief as a thought dawned on me. It couldn't be. Cirilla couldn't possibly be— I shook my head, shutting it all out. I need to deal with this first. She needed me.

I stood in the middle of the alley. "What is fuelling that rage of yours?" I paused, cocking my head to the side. "Or who?"

"Get out of my way," She ignored my question. "I don't want to hurt you," Her voice was harder.

At another time I would have loved the confident look in her eyes at her last words, and fuck, I do, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"I know, but too bad, we are heading back to the pack now,"

The corners of her lips lifted in a beautiful smirk. Oh the fucking goddess, I loved it.

"Try and stop me," She paused, "Mate,"

And instantly, she charged at me with force, fighting me but I evaded her attacks, trapping her against the wall with my hand confining her wrists, and my legs imprisoning hers.

"Ahh," She groaned in pain, and I noticed the glow from the mark on her back. Her breathing roughened and the rage in her gaze burned harder. And I swear I was completely shocked when she managed to push me off her. I almost hit the brick wall. What the fuck could be fuelling her rage?

Instead of fighting me, she began to head out of the alley, going home. Then something kicked in, and from behind her, I said.

"Who are you angry at? Your mum?" I asked and she stopped walking, turning around to face me, and I saw the murdersome streak that flashed through her gaze, and I was right. It was her mum. But the gaze in her eyes scared me for the first time, and just then I knew that rage was very capable of murdering.

My eyes lifted to the moon, as long as it was still hanging up, that rage of hers will only burn harder. That was how the blood rage worked. Her rage was linked to the crescent moon, but why? Another question I had to know when this is all over.

"Let's go for a run, shall we?" My green eyes turned to Ryker's golden as it glowed. I sped to her, grabbed her, and took off into the woods at my nonhuman speed. She needed to fucking cool off.

I didn't stop running. Everything was in a blur as we ran. Cirilla's hands were tightly clutched around my neck and her legs were closed tightly around my waist. I ignored the crazy tingles that rocked through me with my hands on her smooth soft thighs.

I kept running. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes into hours, but her body was still on fire. I wasn't a bit tired, I had run much longer both in my human and beast form, and frankly, this was one of the best I've had.

It was almost dawn. Only a faint outline of the moon was still up. It had to be completely gone for her to be okay. I stopped running, coming to a halt at the lake, just a few meters outside the territories of the Black Blood Pack.

Reluctantly, I placed her down, my large arms around her, supporting her. She looked exhausted, probably from the running.

"Princess," I slowly touched her chin, and her head snapped up and her eyes met mine. I could still see an outline of the moon in her eyes and a little rage. Her body was also still so fucking hot.

"I don't feel good," She muttered, her voice the usual smooth and her breath scorching hot. Of course, she wouldn't feel good, she was literally on fire.

She tried stepping back but almost fell. I caught her.

"Something is wrong with me Asher," She groaned in pain, tears shimmering from her eyes. She sounded like herself.

"I'll fix that—" I grabbed the bottom of her shirt, about to undo the button but her hand stopped me in a firm grip, forcing me to snap my eyes to hers. "What the hell!" Her rage was back and it was blazing hard in her eyes, coursing through her bones and blinding her mind. My eyes lifted back to the faint outline of the moon. My grip on her tightened. "You are not going anywhere,"

She groaned, clutching her head as if to stop it from exploding and falling to the ground, but I didn't let go of her.

"Ash—"

"I'm right here," I whispered into her ear.

"Fuck, it's fucking hurts—"

"It'll be over soon," I glanced at the bloody moon that was almost covered by the clouds. "Hang in there," I whispered again, fighting the pain in my chest as her cries covered my ears. I hated seeing her in such pain. If only I could take it all away.

Her hands held onto me tightly, her nails digging into my flesh, but I fucking didn't mind.

"You need to get into the water, it'll help," I pulled a little away from her, trying to get her clothes off her when she released a scream. It was full of pain, and held so much force, attempting to throw me away but something happened.

Instantly, my gaze shifted from her to the ground. The earth beneath us began vibrating, and the cold morning wind turned violent, swirling around us. My green eyes pulled up to hers again as she stopped screaming, collapsing back into my arms.

'Did she fucking do that?'

There was no response from Ryker.

I took notice of the sky, and the moon was gone, but her skin was still on fire. Quickly, I ripped her clothes off her and slid out of mine, carrying her to the lake.

The second she was covered by the coolness of the water, she released a breath against my neck as her hands were hooked together around my neck.

I lowered her deeper into the water, my hands still on her curvy bare waist. I couldn't trust myself to even move it, not with the feel of her naked skin against mine. It was tempting. I fought the sinful thoughts of just ripping off the thin lacey piece of clothing around her full perky breasts and ass, and fucking her right here and now. Oh, just the thought was both sinful and enthralling.

I felt myself go hard against her. I groaned, swallowing a growl of frustration. I decided to keep my thoughts busy with something else. Unfortunately, it still led back to her and everything that happened within a few hours.

I shook my head. "How do you feel?" I asked, running a hand through her wet sticky blonde hair. Her body temperature was back to normal though.

"What just happened?" She pulled away, her feet touching the bottom of the lake. Her blue eyes fell on her hands. "Something…I felt… something….," I could feel the hot tears that burned her throat.

I placed a thumb on her pink lips, cupping her cheek with a large hand. "Let's get back to the pack first. You need some rest,"

She silently nodded, and I carried her out of the water, tossing her my gray tee and jacket since I ruined her clothes. The tee fell nicely on her, stopping at her thigh.

"I'll have to carry you back," I said, not taking any chances with her walking. She barely had any strength in her. Surprisingly she didn't protest. I took her in my arms, not in bridal style, but with her slender legs entangled around my waist and her hands around me. She buried her nose in my neck, inhaling me.

Instead of running, I decided to walk, enjoying the sweet sparks that rolled through our skin.

By the time we reached the pack, light had begun to cover the land. I took her to my room and placed her on the bed. I had to bite my lips to hide my reluctance to leave her.

"Get some rest," I kissed her forehead, and a small, almost inaudible breath shook from her lungs.

I was about to leave when her voice stopped me, asking me to stay with her.

Gladly, I got into bed, and she folded nicely against my body. Her face was buried in the crook of my neck, and her heart beating against mine.

A few minutes later, I felt her asleep beside me. My arms drew her closer, covering her small beautiful frame.

I shut my eyes, unable to fall asleep. My mind replayed the last few hours in my head. I pulled my eyes open, and they fell on Cirilla's sleeping figure. I brushed her cheek with my thumb, moving to brush the exhaustion from her eyes and she breathed out loudly.

Confusion and curiosity sparked alive in my eyes the more I stared at her. She looked like herself, but she seemed like someone else back there, it was making me nervous.

I sighed. Regardless, one thing was pretty clear tonight. My sassy, badass mate was far from being just human.