Two halves make a whole moon

The door was a deep mahogany, it seemed stained, but may as well have been a single piece of wood worth a fortune and it was the same door that gave me an immense feel of dread.
I was meeting Jason’s family, and not because he loved me or we were taking a further step in our relationship. I was meeting them because I had mistakenly mated with him.
As the door opened I gripped the hem of my dress tighter and tighter.
The car ride had been bad enough. After all those crazy pheromones or whatever left me the hell alone, I was panicking, silently.
I had stared at Jason throughout the ride with fear that overwhelmed me. I wanted to hurl, I wanted to run and I wanted to cry, but then I wouldn’t be able to think, and right now, the most important thing would be to figure out how I would handle meeting his parents.
Yet I am still at a loss.
“Your finally here.” I heard an echo in the back of my head and blinked, focusing back on the dreary door that now was replaced with a tall man looking almost exactly like Jason.
a)His Brother, b) His Dad.
He stood to a side to let us pass, his eyes intent on stabbing Jason to death, while Jason’s hand roughly took mine and tugged so as to follow inside.
When I passed by the man, his gaze moved quickly to me and then quickly away.
I was led to a room lit by candles in blown glass bowls and seating covered in tapestries and odd patterned blankets.
A small crowd awaited us by what seemed to be the dining table, mostly grim women.
“What is wrong with you?” broke out from an elderly woman sitting on a questionable chair. Her face stretched with wrinkles and eyes beady with distaste. “How dare you dishonor your wolf like this!”
From behind us came the man of the doorway, folding his arms. “Hold on Ma, let him explain….see if we can save them.”
Jason dropped my hand suddenly like it burned.
I lowered my gaze and went back to gripping my skirt.
“I…” Jason began, hesitating on how to word it all. “I was out with the guys doing the night run and I was on day 4 so I had them keep some ways of me so I wouldn’t attack. But she had stayed in the cemetery till night. I don’t know why, but I told her to leave! I told her several times and…well, I kinda snapped. I couldn’t help it she was just standing there and I changed. It wasn’t supposed to happen.” He reaffirmed.
My eyes remained glued to the tile floor and my body felt heavy.
“You’ve bitten her, Jason?” A younger woman I assumed could be his mother asked in the silence.
“Yes.”
“And fully mated?”
I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly.
“Yes.” His voice had lowered a few decibels.
“Fuck.” The man behind us muttered.
“Dishonor!” wailed the old woman, shaking her fist at us.
I broke a sob right then and there, I tried to catch it before it escaped, but my hand covered my mouth too late.
“Oh no, the poor thing! Can you berate him after she’s had time to adjust? She doesn’t under-”
“Wynonna, family. Please give me a moment to speak to the…couple alone.” The man behind us spoke in authority. Within seconds the party shuffled out.
“Both of you, sit.”
Jason and I sat on a leather couch. I rubbed at my eyes, refusing to look above anyone’s shin.
“Do you two have any idea what you’ve done?” The man was calmer but slightly more exasperated as he sat on an armchair across from us.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” Jason softly replied.
“Sorry won’t fix the mess Jason. By the gods your luck has reached some limit. Mating? At your age?”
“It wasn’t planned!”
“It wouldn’t be a fucking mess if it had been!” Jason’s dad made the couch shake with his yell. “This girl is in this mess as well, have you explained to her what’s going on? Did she get stitches on her bite?”
“She got some sewn and some of it stapled. I removed them while she slept, it was hurting her and I’ve explained as much as I could without freaking her out.” Jason sighed. “More than she already is.”
“What has my son told you?”
I knew that was my cue. I licked my lips and fumbled for words. “That we are mated.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“That…..that I’ll belong to him forever, and that whenever we’re separated its hurts and we could even die…and that I might be pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” he asked confused, sniffed the air. “No, child, you are not pregnant. I see that you understand the basics.” He eyed me and added in a gentle ton, “You need not fear me child.”
I travelled my eyes slowly to him. The crows feet by the eyes made him seem more…softer in nature.
“My name’s Tokala, but you can call me Fox, I’m Jason’s father. You are named Cynthia, I believe?”
“Yes.”
“Are you afraid, Cynthia?”
I nodded. “Very.” I felt Jason’s body shift on the couch, he had scooted away.
“I’d like to help you, tell me why you are scared.”
“Jason…turns into a monster…and I’m chained to it…I…am I going to change as well?”
“I am sorry you see him as… no, you will not turn into one, Werewolves are born not made, but, our entire family is built on relatives that change into wolves. We do not see them as monsters. Unfortunately, it will take you some time before you’ll come to agree with us.”
That was unhelpful.
“The bond…will it always be this strong?”
“No. The bond can be stretched slowly so that you can do things by yourself without needing your mate to be in the room with you. We have prayed bracelets that can help with the side effects. What else is bothering you?”
I glanced at Jason, whose face was straight without emotion.
I don’t know this person I reminded myself and turned back to his dad.
“I can’t stop remembering the….attack.”
Fox sighed slowly. “A traumatic experience I’m sure due to all of the aggressiveness in him. Again, I’m sorry. Eventually it won’t seem so severe or painful but you will never forget it. I can promise though, if Jason begins his training again,” He gave his son a hardened look and continued. “If it ever happens again, he will be more in control.”
“It will never happen again.” Interjected Jason.
Fox smiled. “Oh really? How naive of you to say that Jason when I’m sure the both of you have had to touch each other several times today to keep control. It’s part of the cycle, and until it ends, you need your mate.”
“That’s what the training will be for.” Jason insisted.
“I’m going to say this clearly. NO. The training won’t help, and you’ll end up going insane, looking for her and hurting her again. The training is for control, not prevention.”
“Dad, I’m a monster….I can’t let it happen again. I can’t touch her anymore and I need your help.”
I paled as Jason repeated my words and I turned to look at Fox.
“Did you know each other before this?”
“No.” Jason quickly responded.
I lowered my head again.
“Then… we may be able to work with it, but….you guys need to be prepared. It won’t be easy. You do understand that this doesn’t mean the bond will be broken, you’ll still be mates.” Fox added slowly, worried and rubbing his forehead.
“Yes.” We both answered in low voices.
“Alright. I’m going to talk to them. You guys stay here till Wynonna comes to talk to you.” Fox stood up and stretched. “Ma, is going to chew me out for not beating you.”
Jason nodded and Fox walked into the kitchen.
The talking was louder than expected but the words from so far were thankfully undefined.
“I didn’t mean to call you a monster.” I apologized weakly. I didn’t think it’d hurt him.
“I know.” He stated simply and stared at the kitchen doorway.
It had taken a while but the woman, Wynonna emerged. Her face placid, not what I expected.
“I’m Jason’s mother.” She sat down where Fox had and crossed her legs. Her jaw flexed and her bob hair cut tilted over her cheeks. She was a pretty woman, very regal. “I’ve just spoken to your father and he says training would be the thing to do at this point, and that you’ve agreed. After that, what will the two of you do?”
Jason grimaced. “I don’t know.”
“Mmmm…” She nodded. “And what do you think Cynthia?”
“I…I have no idea…are we supposed to marry?” Jason looked over at me with a surprised look.
“What?” he gasped and switched to his mom. “That wouldn’t be necessary, right?”
“Depending how the training goes. I don’t think it’s possible, but if you could manage to some how sever it……you wouldn’t have to stay together.”
“We can do that with training?” I asked.
“I’ve never heard of it happening, but I believe it can happen. How far can either of you stay right now?”
“10ft.” Jason supplied and I slumped slightly. Those 10ft were painful.
“I’m wondering how the two of you will even make it through school without one of you collapsing. Starting your training today won’t prepare you for tomorrow.” Wynonna’s jaw shifted again in thought.
“Well, my mother will have me out of school for about a week due to….the bite.” I helped, she smiled at me then and I felt myself levitate. This woman’s best feature was her smile. Oh my god it was beautiful.
“Well, that would give us time to train so the two of you could stand some distance for an hour. Tokala’s asked his mum to make the bracelets, so you should be leaving with them today. I’m sure your mom is expecting you home tonight.”
“I’m not supposed to have left my bed.” I chuckled, even to my surprise.
“How are you feeling?” Her hand cupped my knee and I stared at the perfect manicured red nails.
“Less sore.”
“Was it your first time?”
I blinked and glanced at Jason who was also looking at her hand. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry.” She leaned forward then and embraced me. Her scent matched her smile. I liked this woman. I liked her a lot.
“Its alright, it could have been worse.” I waved it off, trying to make light of the fact that my shoulder was beginning to cramp.
“Oh, really? How?” Jason shot out with a clipped voice.
I forced myself to look at him in the eyes. It was difficult. “You could have done it on purpose.”
“Oh.” Wynonna let go of me and gripped her son’s hand. “Thank you Cynthia. Thank you for not thinking my son a monster, the both of you don’t deserve this situation. He really is a good kid.”
“Mom…” he tried to pull his arm away but it tightened.
“No, really! My boy didn’t make the mistake, it was just the wrong time and place for the both of you to be and you have no idea how grateful I am that you were able to see that!” Her eyes had begun to well up and a few tears ran along her cheek.
“I know he’s a good person, I trust him.” She hugged me again, tightly and as I peered through her hair, Jason was staring at the floor, face a tone darker of red.
“You’re a good girl, Cynthia, and though you’re not the one for my boy I am glad this happened with you. You two could help each other get through this. I sense it!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Wynonna.” I blushed, rubbing my shoulder as the group of people followed the old lady into the room.
“Here the bracelets. Come here so I wrap it.”
Jason went to her, holding out his left wrist. She wrapped a piece of leather that was attached to several little strings. She hummed something as she knotted them.
When she was done with the last string she motioned for me to come close, I did and she scrunched her nose at me. “Lick leather.”
“What?” I blinked.
“Lick leather, needs your saliva to seal.” She pushed Jason’s wrist to my face.
I breathed in and leaned in, running my tongue quickly over the musty leather and pulling away, almost gagging. Meanwhile she had taken hold of my wrist and began the same process, though she didn’t have to tell Jason to lick the leather, he grabbed my arm and did it on his own. I know I shouldn’t have, but watching him lick it made me shudder and rip my hand away once he finished. It was way too creepy.
“There, both begin training now. Careful, bracelets break you push often.” His grandma walked away and Fox came up to us.
“What do you two say, we try these out?”
“Can I…” I breathed in. “I’m having…is it….why?” why was it being so difficult to breathe?
“Oh, Jason, hug her, the bracelet is suffocating her.” His dad waved just as my knees began to give way.
But Jason caught me, in those arms I would stare at everyday in class. My head fell back and I looked him in the eyes. They were beautiful even if he was frowning.
Was he saying something?
I…think I’m fainting.
It’s all black, I guess I did faint.
My shoulder though, it burns.
It burns!
IT BURNS!!!!!!