Page 29 of Fool Moon First Aid

My phone shifts awkwardly in my pocket, jabbing my flesh. I pull it out, the screen turning on with that brilliant, blinding glow. The article that Eloise left up for me seems to leap from the screen.

The title is set against a backdrop of dark, mysterious woods. The article speaks of mystical and historic rituals, painting a picture of moonlit rites and primal energies. It’s honestly very woo-woo.

Welcome to Ancient Spiritkin Incantations, a comprehensive resource dedicated to the mystical and historic rituals of spiritkin lore. Our focus is on the revered practice of lunar bonds, a sacred rite deeply rooted in spiritkin culture. These incantations, often performed under the light of the full moon, have been passed down through generations, holding the power to forge unbreakable bonds and awaken the primal energies within. Explore the mystical verses that have shaped spiritkin heritage and discover the ancient words that resonate with the soul of the wolf.

Setting my phone down, I hastily finish up, the words from the article swirling in my mind like a haunting melody. By the time I wash my hands, my curiosity has transformed into a blazing inferno.

I’m totally going to ask them about this.

There is a list of different incantations, but one in particular captures my attention—ritual of the silvered path. The name alone sends shivers down my spine.

The door creaks open when I pull it, revealing Tyler. He tilts his head, his eyes alight with a playful spark that’s hard to resist. “My turn,” he announces in a lighthearted tease. He sweeps me off my feet so suddenly that I feel a rush of air, a near miss with the doorframe making my heart skip a beat. He carries me down the hall and to a modest kitchen with ease. Moonlight filters through the window, casting a serene glow over the breakfast nook.

“Question,” I say as he gently sets me down, the soft cushion of the booth welcoming.

“What’s on your mind?” he asks, his voice warm and inviting. He catches an apron tossed by Ethan, his movements a fluid dance of familiarity and comfort in this shared space.

Brody enters, his arms laden with an assortment of beers and sodas. He sets them down with a clink, the sound domestic, before donning his own apron. Behind me, the moonlight plays across my phone, casting an eerie glow on the ancient words.

“What does this mean?” I ask, my voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The men are a symphony of domesticity, yet there’s an undercurrent of something more, something ancient and wild. “By the silvered path the moonlight weaves, with stars as witnesses and earth as a guide, we invoke the bond that time has tied?—”

“Ava, no!” Brody’s shout is a jolt of alarm, cutting through the cozy atmosphere like a knife, but I can’t stop.

It’s like the words are pulling me along. “In the sacred silence, under starry skies, from the first shifters to our soul’s mate…”

“She can’t stop it now,” Ethan says, his tone a mix of awe and fear. The spatula he’s holding clatters to the floor, forgotten in the moment’s gravity.

Tyler stands frozen in front of the booth, his eyes wide with panic, a stark contrast to his usual playful demeanor.

“With these timeless words, our spirits rise. In this sacred light, we bond our fate.” The final words escape my lips, a chant echoing in the moonlit kitchen, and my phone slips from my trembling hands. A web of electricity tingles over my skin, a sensation that feels like touching the edge of a mystery.

The air in the kitchen feels charged with an unspoken energy, and the moonlight grows bolder, casting long shadows across the room. I can feel their eyes on me, wide with awe and apprehension, as if I opened a door to something ancient and powerful, something that’s part of their world yet beyond it.

“What did I just do?” I whisper, my voice small in the charged silence, the words hanging in the air like a spell—irrevocable and transformative.

Tyler

No one likes car accidents. They are like the worst parts of a movie, all crunched metal and chaos. Think of it—metal screeching as it contorts, glass shattering like ice on a frozen lake, and people in a frenzy, crying, screaming. It’s a real horror show, but you look, don’t you? It’s human nature, as twisted as it is.

Here I am, breaking the fourth wall. Why? Because in my head, I’m the king, the narrator of this crazy tale, and in this quirky drama of ours, Ethan, with his brooding, alpha vibe, thinks he’s the lead. Nah, he’s more like a baby cub howling at the moon for the very first time.

As Ava spills mystical words, it’s like watching a slow-motion scene—you know, where everything’s heightened. Her lips move like they are weaving a spell all their own. Man, her pillowy lips make me think of sin and sugar—a deadly combo.

She’s clueless, adorably so, about the Pandora’s box she just opened. The words hang in the air, heavy with magic. It crackles all around us. Ava can’t see it, since she’s only human, but the way her eyes widen and her lips form a surprised O at our reaction? Priceless.

“I-I think,” she stammers, her voice quivering as if the air itself vibrates with the power of her words, “I may have made a mistake.”

Rage sloughs off of Ethan, rolling around us as he grinds his teeth and his nostrils flare in a snarl. His focus is centered on Ava. “Do you have any idea what you just did?”

Ava’s caught in the crossfire of his rage, her body trembling as she shakes her head. Part of me wants to swoop in and be the hero, but another part is just too darn curious about how she’ll react to Ethan’s temper.

She’s ours as much as we are hers. I need to know if she can handle him.

Imprinting for a wolf is like looking though a lens into the most perfect future. When we first laid eyes on Ava, under less than ideal circumstances—I mean, a bookshelf shouldn’t be used as a fashion accessory—it was like getting hit by a bolt of lightning. I remember the way she blinked up at me, those doe eyes wide and confused, framed by a mess of lashes. It was like getting punched in the gut by Cupid himself.

But the whole imprinting deal?

It’s a one-sided show at first. For us wolves, it’s a lightning strike, but for Ava, it’s probably more like wandering into a strange new world, full of questions and curiosity.

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