Free Moon Sworn (The Bound Series Book 1) by JF Holland Page B

given up and left in a hurry.  She'd sat there barely breathing as the wardrobe door had opened and she could swear she'd felt the breath of the large cat on her face.  The sweat had begun to drip between her breasts and she'd bitten her lip to stop herself making a sound, she'd had no weapon and felt like her 4-year-old self all over again.  Her mother was out there with the monster that was her father and she was seeing the scene again play through her head.
    He stalked her mummy across the floor until she was backed up against the far wall.  Grabbing her by the throat he pinned her against the wall, the one opposite the cupboard she'd hidden her in.  He was laughing as he lifted her off her feet by her neck.  A horrible maniacal sound as she'd tried to claw at his hands to make him let her go.  His hand so tight around her throat, her eyes had begun to bulge and her feet slammed against the wall and his shins as she struggled.  Then just before she'd lost consciousness, her eyes beginning to close he'd relented and released his hold.  She'd dropped to the floor gasping, holding onto her abused throat, her eyes watering.  Maya had thought it was over, his temper dying down and any minute now he'd go and leave them alone again.  He'd not been around for months this time and she really thought it was over but the next minute he'd crouched down in front of her mother again.
    "So where's the little witch, what have you done with her?"  Her mother shook her head, and Maya wanted to get out of the cupboard and run to her mummy.  She wanted to fling her arms around her and tell him to leave her alone, but mummy had made her promise not to come out.  She'd made her pinkie promise too so she wouldn’t break it.  It was bad to break a promise, and she covered her mouth and pleaded in her head for her to release her from it. Maya wanted her mummy, she wanted the bad man who mummy said was her father to go away, she didn't like him as he hurt her mummy, a lot.
    "I'll ask you one more time Helena, where is the brat?" again she shook her head and Maya heard him sigh thinking he was going to leave but he didn't.  Suddenly one of his arms was covered in fur, his hand now a large paw with huge claw like daggers where his fingers had been.  He swung it towards her mother and Maya watched her close her eyes as he caught her face, screaming as her cheek opened under his slap.  The tears ran down Maya's face as she shook her head as he just laughed at her agony.  Then he swung that horrible arm again and did the same to her side just before the rest of him grew fur turning into a huge lack cat with a wide mouth.  He opened that mouth, which had horrible sharp teeth and put it around her mummies head.  It made a terrible sound as he bit down on her skull, the crunch loud in the now silent as mummy went quiet as he opened his jaws again and released her from its grip.  Her limp body dropped to the floor and stayed there. 
    Maya prayed for her to get up but she just lay there lifeless on the floor, like her raggedy rabbit teddy.  She was no longer recognisable as mummy, as bright red coated and dripped from what was left of her face, her blonde hair dark and wet with her own… blood.  One eye was staring sightlessly through the gore towards Maya as she sat huddled in the cupboard.  Her own eyes staring back at her in shock but she didn't make a sound, not a one as she had made her promise, she always did as her mummy asked her.  She swallowed a sob and held in the sniffle as she watched her father walk out of the front door.  Then he came back in and began to throw something around the room, something that smelt bad and made Maya's watering eyes sting.  He spat on her mummy as she lay there and then threw a match at the wet stuff as he slammed the door shut behind him.  As the whoosh set off in the room, lighting it and her mummy up she could hear him laughing as he walked away. 
    Still she lay huddled in the