The sound of the rain is loud and clear in her ears, but even so, her whole body feels warm and comfortable; a stark contrast to the cold and harshness of the previous night. She tried to open her eyes, but a sharp pain in her head and chest made itself present the moment the light touched the slight opening of her eyes, so she closed them again.
— Rest a little more, — a deep voice says gently — the doctor said you were close to death.
That voice wasn't her father's or anyone she knew. "The doctor said?" So, she had managed to escape that wolf, they had found her, and now she was in a hospital, right?
— You have no idea how scared I was, my moon.
"Moon"? That was the word that had echoed in her head during the night while the wolf stalked her, and that voice was the same voice that had uttered it. Her body was begging for more sleep, but her instinct, well, it was torn in half. One part told her she should get out of there as soon as possible, while the other made her feel safe, that there was no reason to fear or run, but she chose to silence the latter. She opened her eyes abruptly, ignoring, or at least trying to ignore that constant ache; her head was pounding horribly, while her heart seemed to be breaking little by little.
— I see you're stubborn. — The sound of footsteps accompanied the new words. — But also foolish enough not to listen to your body, even when it asks you to rest.
When her gaze could finally focus on her surroundings, she became aware of the room she was in. The cabin was small, but still cozy; the bed on which she rested was located in a corner of the room next to the window. The fireplace was centered on the right side of the room, and the heat from it kept the place warm. A three-seater sofa, another single one, and a table for six completed the space. But something was missing, someone had spoken, she had heard footsteps, then...
— Where... — she murmurs softly, her words completing her thoughts, thoughts that are cut off by the response she receives.
— I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. — that deep voice resonates in the room once more, but this time it is accompanied by the sound of a door opening. — I prepared some meat for you. - that stranger emphasizes his words by lifting the food tray he's holding.
As she looked at the owner of that voice, she felt the air catch in her lungs once again. That man must be around thirty years old, or maybe just a couple of years older, close to two meters tall with well-defined muscles, a few strands of red hair framing his face, which is adorned with two deep gray eyes; a color so pale that for a moment she could swear it was like looking at the moon in them.
— Is everything okay? — he asks as he approaches her a little more. — You look like you're going to faint again.
— Don't come any closer! — her body trembles with fear, she doesn't know where she is, who that man is, and she doesn't understand what's happening, she just knows she wants to get out of there and go home.
— It's okay, — he says, stopping his steps. — I won't get closer if that's what you want, but you need to calm down and eat a little.
— Where am I? — she asks as she recoils on the bed.
— You're safe, in the Southern pack, - he responds calmly as he places the food tray on the dining table. - I brought you with me a few days ago. I was planning to respect your decision not to show yourself to me yet, but when the rain started and you still hadn't moved from that place. I was worried that your heart rate was so low, so I crossed the river; that's when I noticed you had passed out, so I couldn't just leave you there.
"Pack"? "A few days"? No, this is just absurd. First, because packs are things of animals and... No! She scolds herself for thinking of those old stories her mother used to tell her. Second, it was just the night before that she had hidden among the rocks on the riverbank to escape the wolf that was following her.
— You gave me a big scare; you were so pale and cold, — he says, cutting off her train of thought. — The doctor said you were close to death, but thanks to the Mother Moon, your vital signs calmed down when I approached, so I stayed by your bedside for the last five days. You don't know the peace I felt seeing your color return; your cheeks are even more beautiful when bathed in their natural blush.
But what on earth is that guy talking about? She doesn't know, but she doesn't plan to stay to find out.
— I want to leave here, please — she says with a trembling voice.
— Well, it's still raining a bit, and it's not good for you to go out in this weather, — he responds calmly — As I told you, the doctor...
— I want to go home! - she shouts, giving in to fear. — I want to leave now!
— Calm down, if you let me, I'll explain it to you.
— I don't want an explanation! — she says, raising her voice even more. — I want to get out of here; I don't know who you are or where I am, I just want to go home.
— This is your home now, — he replies calmly.
— You're crazy! — she can't exactly explain where her courage comes from, but she makes a move to get out of bed. — You...
She doesn't know exactly when that imposing figure crossed the room; what she does know is that in the blink of an eye, she was cornered on the bed. In other times, she would have worried about the hand that firmly held her waist or the one that encircled her wrists, but that's the least of her concerns now; in that moment, all she wants to understand is how it was possible for that stranger's gaze to change in such an inhuman way. His eyes, now bathed in a deep red color, are like those of a beast, a beast that, for some reason, is wounded. Amidst her denial and horror, her memory allows her to recognize where she has seen that look before.
— The wolf...
— Sleep, my stubborn moon, now.
After those words spoken in a deep tone, Lían watched as the other's eyes slowly closed; he never took his eyes off those two pieces of sky adorning his Moon's face. Adjusting her body on the bed, he covers her to keep her warm; the weather is still inclement and cold, and he's had enough of her being upset; he doesn't need her health to deteriorate again.
As he takes the meat he had left on the table, he hears a mournful howl in the distance; a howl he recognizes instantly. Approaching the window, his wolfish gaze manages to pierce through the mist, discerning a gray wolf in the distance, his exiled and aging father. Letting out a warning growl, the wolf's backward steps indicate that he was noticed by the elder; stepping away from the window, he turns to go to the kitchen and put away the food, then he would talk and explain things to his Moon.
...
— Something is moving from the human border, - that man explains as they walk through the cobbled corridors of the place.
— Yes, I've also felt the strange presence of a deep darkness running in the wind. It's as if something threatening our packs is already in motion.
Both wolves fall silent for a moment, each lost in thought, each searching for an explanation for what is happening.
— During the solstice, there was a bright light covering the forest with its harmony. I couldn't identify what it was, but I know it wasn't like anything I've felt before.
— Times have changed since we were young. Our packs have faced many changes over the years, but this seems different, more subtle, but no less dangerous.
With slow steps, both wolves stopped in front of one of the main windows of the place. After a moment, the elder leader spoke: We must prepare to protect the weaker ones.
— If you suspect something so serious, wouldn't it be best to warn the packs and prepare them for whatever is about to happen.
— She's very beautiful, isn't she, mommy? — says a small, sweet voice. — She's as beautiful as a full moon. The gentle touch of that little hand on her cheek rouses her from her drowsiness, and as she slowly opens her eyes, the bright light in the room is the first thing she perceives. After a moment, she manages to focus her vision, and the first thing she sees is a small, cheerful girl. — Hello! - she greets excitedly. — Mommy, come quickly, she's awake! — she calls out with the same excitement. — I'm Ellen, and mommy says you're my new aunt. — Ellen! — she hears a second voice calling. — Come here, let her rest peacefully. Sitting up in bed, Anne looks around the room, and the faint hope that all her recent memories were just a bad dream while she's under the care of a doctor vanishes the moment she recognizes the space as the cabin where she woke up last time. In a quick survey of the area with her gaze, she notices that this time the only people present in the room are the lit
When Lían came across the image of little Ellen crying on the porch of the house, the first thing he thought was that his sister had scolded her for her exuberance, and that had caused the little girl to cry. But when he saw Alice emerging from the thicket near the house in her wolf form, the commotion and concern emanating from her made him understand that the situation was different. — How long? — he asks as he approaches her. — Two hours. —is the answer she gives him as she changes into her human form. But that's all she manages to say. In a swift motion, Lían enters the forest at the same time he lets his wolf out. If he hurries, he can pick up the trail of his mate. His human side can't help but curse under his breath. This is not the best time to play hunter and prey with his Luna. In reality, Lían had hoped to get home and talk to her calmly, explaining what's happening and the changes her life will undergo from now on. But now he must hurry to find her before something bad
In the presence of his little Luna, the human part of Lían became aware of his nudity. Without hesitating for a moment, he moved to one of the corners of the room, where the lower part of his body was covered by a three-seater piece of furniture. Anne, on the other hand, was so terrified by the words she had heard earlier that she cared little or nothing about the nudity displayed. Instead, she simply couldn't see him as a man; in her eyes, she saw a monster – one willing to destroy everything in his path to obtain the trophy he desires, and unfortunately for her, that monster desires her. — I... I'll go with you, — she says hesitantly. The fear she feels is evident in the trembling of her body as she takes short, uncertain steps towards the men. When both wolves thought the girl would collapse due to the weakness in her steps, she stops and fixes her gaze on Lían. — But you must promise not to harm a single person in my village. — Little one, — the Alpha calls her. If not for his nu
Anne doesn't need to be a hunter or explorer to deduce that the place where the man named Lían lives is quite deep in the forest and far from any safe opportunity to escape and quickly return to her village. She had never believed in the principle of "when you're scared, you don't notice anything when fleeing," but now she understands and agrees with it. As she ran away from that cabin, she didn't pay attention to the distance or how some parts of the terrain were rocky. — We're almost there, — Lían informs her as he turns to look at his companion. — Do you need help? — he asks, seeing her struggle with the length of her dress as she walks among the protruding roots. — I'm fine, — is her quick response. She would never accept any help he might offer. If anyone else gave her that response to his offer, Lían swears he would leave them behind and not feel guilty about it. But because it's his Luna who's giving him this response, he can't do that. In fact, his wolf can't even get angr
— Would you like a bit of apple? — Little Ellen asks this question with her cheeks full of fruit. — It's very sweet,— she emphasizes, taking a bite of the apple slices in her bowl. — I'm pretty sure it is, little one, — Anne replies sweetly. After all, the child isn't to blame for everything. —But I can't eat apples. — Don't you like them? — Ellen asks innocently, tilting her head gently. — I promise they taste good. — I'm sure they must taste very good, though I'm not actually sure what apples taste like, — Anne adds as she wipes Ellen's cheeks. Seeing the little girl reminds her of the rabbit she had when she was just a child. — I'm allergic, so I've never been allowed to eat them." — What does allergic mean? — It means that if I eat apples, I could get sick easily. The voice that responds comes from the cabin door, letting them know they are no longer alone. Lían enters the room with calm steps, taking a seat next to his young niece, and he caresses her hair as she gives him a
Lían isn't foolish; both he and his wolf sense that Anne is lying, but the previous night, he swore not to do anything that might upset or discomfort her. So, he simply nods at her words and takes a few steps closer to her without invading her personal space. — These are wolves from my inner circle and a couple of other pack members, — the tone in which the wolf responds is calm. —They found out that I finally found my Luna, so they came here to meet you. "Luna," that word keeps repeating in her head, and although she still doesn't understand what it means or why they call her that, both Lían and his family use it to refer to her. — Anne? — she hears Lían call her again. — Did you hear me? Snapping out of her thoughts, Annette focuses on the man in front of her. When their eyes meet, for some reason, she can't help but blush, which makes her look away. — No, — she admits in a low tone. — What were you saying? Lían can't help but let a faint smile trace his lips when he notices An
The sun was at its highest point in the sky by the time all the members of the Southern Pack learned that the Mother Moon had given their Alpha a human as his mate. The younger wolves and some of the older ones had no problem accepting a human among them, but others, mainly the older wolves, had mixed feelings. And although every wolf in the pack knew they shouldn't judge the Mother's decisions, they also knew that no Alpha had ever been joined with a human before, and the repercussions of that detail were something on everyone's minds.— What is a Luna? —Anne asked as she found herself alone with Lían. — Because it seems to be something of great importance. I mean, after all, it's the word I hear being used most often by you and everyone else.Lían looked at her for a moment, considering how to respond to that question. The previous night, he had tried to explain everything that was happening, but Anne had looked so frightened and exhausted, and the beating of her heart sounded so ir
— What's your father's story? — Anne asked as she walked back to the cabin. Ellen ran ahead of her, and Alice walked by her side. — What makes you think there's a story? — Alice replied. — Well, if there isn't one, then why does he live alone and so far away when you all live in the pack? Faced with this new question, Alice fell silent for a moment, her face showing how her mind sorted through her thoughts. — He's banished, — she finally answered. — Banished wolves can't live with the pack, which is why he lives here, on the edge of the territory. Banished? For what reason would a wolf be banished? — Is there no way for him to come back? — Anne wasn't entirely sure how the dynamics worked in a wolf pack, but if it resembled even a bit the dynamics in her village, the pack's leader would have to be the one to allow his return, leaving only one option. — Lían? — There's nothing that can be done, — Alice replied with a heavy heart. — Nobody banished Dad; he self-exiled from the pa