Mated To An Enemy

“Ashleigh!” Fiona shouted, trying to get her attention as she used all her strength to try and control Ashleigh’s movements.

But Ashleigh wasn’t responding. Instead, she let out snarls and growls as she twisted and turned, trying to escape Fiona’s grasp.

Her eyes were so bright that Fiona could hardly see the hazel in them.

“Ashleigh!” she shouted again. “Wake up!”

Ashleigh growled and thrust her hips forward, knocking Fiona off of her. She got to her feet and sniffed the air before moving toward the door. As she reached for the handle, she was grabbed roughly by the shoulders and thrown three feet back to the ground.

Ashleigh looked up. Fiona stood guarding the door, looking down at her with determination in her eyes. She reached up and pressed the pin to her chest. The armor covered her body, and she materialized the bo staff, preparing for Ashleigh to attack.

She did not wait long.

Ashleigh got to her feet again and jumped at Fiona, who prepared to defend with her staff. But unlike all the times they had fought before, Ashleigh wasn’t trying to avoid the fight this time.

As Fiona swung the staff in Ashleigh’s direction, Ashleigh saw the movement and reached for the staff. She grabbed hold of it and used it to redirect the force of her body down on top of it. Shattering the staff into the raw black material.

Fiona’s eyes widened as she was stunned by the action.

Ashleigh quickly turned and punched her mother-in-law, catching her under the jaw and sending her flying back against the door to the lab.

Fiona growled and pushed off the wall.

Ashleigh and Fiona exchanged several blows, each hitting hard and fast. When Ashleigh took advantage of Fiona’s waning stamina, she moved as though she would punch her in the face. Instead, she shifted her weight to bring her knee into Fiona’s stomach.

Fiona fell to her knees, coughing. She spat and saw the blood that was expelled from her mouth.

Ashleigh prepared to come for her once more when suddenly the air around her became thin and heavy. She grabbed her throat as though she expected to find something wrapped around it, but there was nothing.

Her lungs began to burn, her chest felt heavy, and the rest of her body soon did too. Finally, she fell forward onto one knee.

“Submit!” Fiona growled.

Ashleigh lifted her head to see Fiona standing, her eyes brighter than Ashleigh had ever seen.

“Submit, damn it!” Fiona shouted.

The pain in Ashleigh’s chest was getting worse, and her body was shaking from the immense weight she felt in the air.

But her rage was burning white hot.

Fiona gasped as the light in Ashleigh’s eyes grew brighter, appearing as though the moon shone through them.

Ashleigh got back up to her feet.

Now it was Fiona that felt the air from her lungs sucked away. The heaviness on her body was immediate and brought her crashing to her knees.

She tried to cry out, but there was no sound, no voice.

“Stop!”

Ashleigh heard his voice before she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders.

His touch calmed her, and his presence fell over her like a warm blanket. She leaned back against him and inhaled his scent.

“What’s happening?” she asked as though she were waking from a dream.

“Shh, it’s ok,” Caleb whispered against her throat. “I’m right here. Just focus on me.”

Fiona gasped desperately for air as Ashleigh’s power let her go.

“Galen!” she called out between gasps. “Stop!”

Galen stood behind Ashleigh, with a look of fear and anger mixed as one. He held his dagger above her, readied to come down against the back of her throat.

A few feet away, Caleb stood. His eyes burned bright.

Galen pulled back, taking a deep breath. The dagger fell apart into the black material that absorbed into his armor.

He ran past Ashleigh.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Grabbing Fiona’s face and making her look at him. “Are you okay?”

Fiona took several deep breaths.

“I’m fine,” she said between breaths. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” he demanded. _{ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​}

“Galen, I am fine,” she said, turning to look at him herself. “But what the hell were you thinking?”

Galen looked away.

“I wasn’t,” he said. “I just reacted when I saw what she was doing to you.”

“Honey, no…” Fiona said, grabbing his chin. “You have got to be more in control of yourself than that.”

“She was killing you!” Galen growled.

Fiona sighed. She touched Galen’s cheek gently.

“I’m sorry,” she said sadly.

Galen looked away.

“What happened?” he asked. “Why did she attack you?”

“Oh, Goddess…” Ashleigh whispered as she woke from Caleb’s hold.

She took two steps forward and stopped as she looked at Fiona. As she saw the blood along her mouth and the bruises already forming. Ashleigh dropped to her knees as the memory of what she had done washed over her.

“Fiona…” she whispered through tears. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to….”

Caleb joined them, he looked at his mother, but she motioned for him to go to Ashleigh.

“What are you apologizing for?” Fiona smiled. “I have been telling you to stop holding back against me for a long time.”

Caleb wrapped his arm around Ashleigh.

She looked up at him and then quickly looked away.

He turned her chin to face him.

“It’s ok,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Ashleigh wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight as she let out the flow of tears.

“What happened?” Caleb asked as he held her in his arms. “Clara called and said that Nessa had upset Ashleigh, but that was all.”

“Yea,” Fiona nodded. “Ashleigh and Nessa had some words. Nessa poked at a particularly sensitive topic. I heard the tail end and knew Ashleigh wasn’t in a mood to simply listen and move on. So I stopped her from getting to Nessa, but she was too far gone. She had no idea what she was doing.”

Fiona shrugged.

“She almost killed you,” Galen said. “How are you so relaxed about this?”

“She wasn’t trying to kill me,” Fiona said. “She was putting me in my place.”

“What?”

“That fight was aggressive and controlled. It was about dominance, not survival or even anger. It was the Luna in her. I challenged her, and she took that challenge.”

“But I wasn’t trying to do that!” Ashleigh cried out, turning back toward Fiona. “I swear, I remember everything that happened, but I don’t remember doing it… like I am watching a memory that belongs to someone else.”

“I know, sweetheart. I meant it when I said it was the Luna,” Fiona smiled, stood and Galen quickly helped her. She came to Ashleigh and knelt down in front of her.

Ashleigh could hardly hold her gaze. Fiona cupped her face and smiled lovingly.

“Luna is not just a title for those of us in the packs blessed by the Goddess. It is a power that feeds off our emotions and basic needs, and sometimes it overwhelms us,” Fiona said. “Your mother and I discussed this. She plans to be here the night of the full moon. That’s usually when the power makes itself known. The first full moon after being marked by your Alpha.”

Ashleigh looked up at Caleb. He reassured her with a look that everything would be ok. She turned to Galen. He averted his gaze.

“Your mother and I will help you understand how it works, what to expect and how to curb some of the more… primal instincts that come with being Luna,” she said.

Ashleigh nodded.

“For now,” Fiona looked at Caleb. “I think the party might be a little much for Ashleigh tonight. Let’s reschedule for the full moon, it’s only two days away. We can say we wanted to wait until Corrine could join us.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Caleb smiled, kissing the top of Ashleigh’s head.

“I will get the word out,” Galen said, turning to leave.

“I’ll go with you,” Fiona called after him. Turning back to Ashleigh and Caleb, she smiled. “You two, go spend a little time together. Your presence calms her. It helps Ashleigh keep control of herself.”

“I’ll take any excuse to spend an evening together,” Caleb smiled.