Mercy of the Moon

***This is an original work of fiction, any and all forms of copyright are strictly prohibited***

The tranquilizing and rhythmic sound of the pouring rain calmed my nerves as it pelted on the tarmac outside as I waited to board my umpteenth flight.

The rain had always managed to soothe my soul, as if cleansing my past of its demons and reinvigorating my spirits, reminding me that a new day will always emerge, no matter how dark or perilous the previous storm had been.

I guess it’s fitting that my last name is Rayne.

I focused my sight on the pouring rain outside and managed to get a glimpse of my reflection through the glass window panes.

My long and wavy strawberry blonde hair was in dire need of a haircut, and my icy blue eyes looked tired and haggard.

It was midnight and I was tired, but I much preferred to take red-eye flights as there were far less people, less noise, and I could usually find a row of chairs to myself and avoid having to sit next to a stranger.

“Attention all passengers, due to the weather conditions flight 8703 has temporarily been delayed. We apologize for any inconvenience this brings. Please consult your nearest concierge should you have any questions or concerns.”

A collective sigh followed the overhead announcement.

Grabbing my suitcase and belongings, I got up from my seat and moved to sit down on the floor by the window panes.

I had been on so many flights that I knew the drill… Chances are we wouldn’t be boarding this flight until morning.

Unlike others, I was not above sleeping on the floor. In fact, I had learned to bring a small pillow and blanket in my carry-on luggage for just this occasion.

Although I was tired, I couldn’t manage to sleep just yet. I had a lot on my mind, and my company’s success hinged upon how the next couple of days went.

Not only that, but I was also on edge as the next full moon was drawing near. I never looked forward to the occasion, and it made me incredibly anxious to be near humans around such a time.

Trying to get my mind off things I looked around the room and people-watched.

There were two young women nearby who immediately caught my attention. Although they were both young and beautiful, it was neither of those things that I took notice of. It was their scent… They did not smell human. They were like me.

Focusing on them, I inadvertently eavesdropped on their conversation.

I immediately wish that I hadn’t.

They were talking about our mysterious and illustrious alpha King, Killian, and one of the females was making sure to highlight the fact that she had been intimately acquainted with him not too long ago, and that all the rumors floating around about him were indeed true- that he was a beast in all aspects of his life, including in bed.

Exasperated, I rolled my eyes and let out a grunt of disapproval.

Idiots- the lot of them!

Anyone choosing to consort with that type of man (or beast- depending on how you look at it), is just asking for trouble.

Choosing to focus on ANY topic of conversation than the one I had just had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing, I continued assessing the airport, looking for ways to distract myself until we boarded the plane or I fell asleep waiting.

It was at that moment that I noticed a man a good fifty feet away, staring intently at me.

He was wearing a hoodie and a mask covering his face (due to the airport’s mask mandate), so I could not make out his entire appearance, but what threw me off was the intensity of his gaze, and the obvious look of amusement coloring his face.

It almost seemed as if he had heard what the two she-wolves had been saying, and was amused by my reaction to their conversation.

Not being a big fan of unwanted attention, I diverted my gaze away from him. However each time I looked back towards him, I found him still staring at me.

This was not good.

I always kept to myself for a reason- and a good reason at that.

The fact that this man refused to look away from me was not settling well with me.

Fortunately, about a half hour or so after his constant ogling, he suddenly got up from his seat and walked off, and was out of sight for the remainder of waiting for the flight.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I finally took my seat aboard the plane.

Whoever that stranger was, his gaze was very unnerving…. Why was he staring at me like that?

His demeanor had spoken of power and dominance, but because he was sitting so far away I could not tell if he was a werewolf, or perhaps a hunter…. Either way, his unyielding stare was certainly not a good thing.

More than likely he was an alpha of some pack….however most alphas were loud, boastful, obnoxious, and had egos the size of Mount Everest.

This man, on the other hand, was eerily calm and silent.

It was his silence that had confounded me.

I have learned from my years of living on the streets that it is always the quiet ones you should be wary of.

Quiet individuals are cold and calculated. They pay great attention to detail and they do not bother with pointless conversations or idle threats.

Just as I was getting comfortable and resting my head against the headrest to finally get a much-needed nap, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

My eyes snapped open just in time to find Mr. Quiet Stalker putting his luggage into the overhead compartment and taking a seat directly behind mine.

Christ Almighty….I just can’t escape this guy!

This close up there was no doubt about his identity….he was 100% werewolf. And he reeked of raw, intimidating masculine power, and much to my dismay, he smelled of fresh rain.

Fresh rain was my favorite smell in the world.

Although I was irritated that this jerk would be sitting behind me for the next several hours, I was not going to let him get in the way of my nap.

I was exhausted and I needed to perform at my best at my next catering event, so I forced myself to close my eyes and try to sleep.

Unfortunately, my nerves simply refused to allow me to fall fully asleep, and so I sat there in my seat, resting with my eyes closed.

I was acutely aware of the stranger’s presence behind me, and I could have sworn a couple of times he sat forward to smell my hair.

What the actual fuck?

My irritation growing by the second, I eventually turned around in my seat to send him a death glare obvious enough to inform him that he needed to leave me the fuck alone.

What I did not expect was for him to be mere inches from me, staring me down with a pair of staggering green eyes. I could also make out a hint of a smirk past the mask on his face.

He was leaning forward in his seat, seeming impervious to my death glare, and daring me to voice my grievances.

What a cocky, arrogant, and dismissive bastard!!!!

“EXCUSE me Sir, would you mind sitting back in your assigned seat, and giving me some personal space?”

“Why do you smell funny?”

I slightly jumped in my seat from the low, gruff, and gravelly tone of his voice that left no room for discussion.

I certainly was not expecting that….

His voice had left me in goosebumps.

When his question finally dawned on me, I sniffed my sweater curiously, wondering what he was going on about. I had showered this morning, so I know I was not malodorous.

“What do you mean, funny?” I quipped.

Rather than answering me, he just looked at me like I was part of a puzzle he couldn’t quite work out and finally sat back in his seat.

He did not speak another word to me for the entire flight.

I could not say why, but our interaction left me feeling really on edge.

My body was hyperaware for the rest of our flight, and even though Mr. Quiet Stalker did not invade my private space any longer, I was still acutely aware of his stare from behind me.

Several hours into our flight I finally shut my eyes and forced myself to rest. I could not completely fall asleep but I was in that half-state of rest… neither fully awake nor fully asleep.

All too quickly the notice to fasten our seatbelts for the plane’s descent rang on the overhead speakers. I dared a sneak peak behind me to observe what Mr. Stalker was doing, but to my surprise he too was resting, eventually opening his eyes to put on his seatbelt and look out the plane’s window.

As we descended to our destination, I couldn’t help but notice how majestically green and vibrant the area was.

Tranquil Peaks was notoriously one of the most beautiful, yet isolated forests in the entire world. Surrounded by small villages and one mighty, ancient castle, it almost felt as if we were flying back in time to a more medieval age… Medieval in the aesthetic sense, but with all the conveniences and luxuries of the modern era.

After the plane had landed and I had retrieved my luggage, I sat outside under the airport’s canopy waiting for my taxi to take me to my hotel.

The rain was still pouring down, and although this entire town smelled absolutely amazing, being here really put me on edge.

Why?

Well if you believed in human gossip, it was because this was the one town fabled for housing the most werewolves in the entire world.

But is it really gossip if it is actually true?

You would think that being a werewolf I would have already visited this place many times over, but in reality this would be the very first time I have ever stepped foot on this soil.

I avoided places like this as if they were plagued.

Patience wearing thin, I looked at my wristwatch to check the time. The taxi was at least fifteen minutes late.

I sighed.

Of course the taxi has to be late too.

I could not wait to reach the comforts of my hotel room and to finally lay my head down on a soft bed and get some sleep.

After waiting another half hour in the rain, the taxi driver finally pulled up to me. The driver exited the vehicle, and apologizing profusely, he grabbed my luggage and put it into the trunk of his car.

Right before I went to take my seat in the taxi, my gaze zeroed on the same man who had made my flight incredibly unnerving, who was apparently also waiting for his ride outside, right across the way.

In that instant our gazes met, I was momentarily stunned. While we were not speaking any words, the intensity of his gaze spoke volumes.

This is not the end.

This is just the beginning.

We will meet again.

That was the message his fierce green eyes were communicating in the seconds right before I sat down in the taxi.

When I finally arrived at my hotel room, I left all my luggage near the entrance of my room, too tired to even bother unpacking right now.

Still fully-dressed, I eagerly jumped into my bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, I reflected on the events that had unfolded over the last twenty-four hours, and the events to come in the next few days… yet it was those mysterious and haunting green eyes that were the last thing I replayed in my mind before finally drifting off into a deep, dark slumber.