Page 24 of The Wolf Moon

I looked at my wrist, still contained by the cuff. From what I could discern, I healed fairly quickly, but I wasn’t truly allowing myself the time to heal. Instead, my wrist was raw and wet from blood every day as evidence of my attempts to escape. Roman was never pleased, but otherwise did nothing to prevent my efforts. And now he would pay for it.

Free from my containment, I immediately approached the bedroom window. I lifted it with ease, glancing at the ground quite far below before planning my escape. I turned and clasped the window frame before crawling through the opening with reckless abandon. I clung to every protrusion and dug my feet into any crevice until I finally was left with the option to complete the drop in a fall. I landed on my feet roughly, glancing around wildly.

I wasted no time in escaping into the surrounding forest. The sun was bright in the sky, but it did nothing to ease the cold of the winter around me. The floor of the forest was bare and hardened from the cold, waiting for the snow that would no doubt be arriving soon, and the chill sent shivers over my skin despite the adrenaline pulsing through me. However, I was free and because of that I found delight in everything.

I arrived on the outskirts of the village, following my memory to where the well hidden door waited for me. When I found it, I paused a moment, glancing in the direction Cynthia had pointed that would lead to my village. I hesitated only for a few seconds before my hand found its way to the mark on my neck. My home was no longer an option at this time.

I reached for the hidden door and climbed down into the pathway that would lead me into the abandoned temple. The further I got into the building, the angrier I became. I had been cheated. I was sent on a suicide mission under pretenses of Goddesses and paths, promises of doom, and only found my own in the process. I had many questions for this mysterious Cynthia.

I found the main alter room of the temple, where I had first met her, but she wasn’t present. I began wandering through the temple, pulling on doors that held paths to places unknown. I considered calling for her, but didn’t want to somehow be heard outside of the temple by any passing shifters.

Just when I thought about giving up on this particular quest, I found a passage into a particularly dark and mysterious room. The only light that illuminated the area was seemingly from a mesmerizing body of water in the center. At the edge of the water, Cynthia was seated on her knees, her hands clasped in her lap and her eyes closed.

I hesitated, something about the feel of the room whispering to that power within me. It was as though I could suddenly feel that water running over my skin alluringly and behind it was a call, like the song of a siren.

“Won’t you join me, Mila?” Cynthia asked quietly, echoing her initial greeting to me not too long ago. I knew I had been searching for her in anger, but now that I had found her, it was as though the anger had dissipated into nothing. It was peculiar.

I stepped towards her cautiously and lowered onto my knees as she was. Then I turned my eyes from her to the water curiously. As I looked into it, I thought I could see the sky on the surface, but instead of the bright blue I had just seen before entering the temple, it was dark and glittering with stars. I gasped and looked up sharply only to see the dark of the ceiling, proving it impossible that the water would be reflecting the sky after all. However, when I looked back to the water, that same reflection mirrored back to me.

“What is this?” I asked suspiciously, reaching a hand forward to touch the water. Cynthia opened her eyes and reached out to grasp my wrist lightly before leading my hand away from the surface.

“Patience, Mila. You’ve come to ask me questions, haven’t you?”

I turned my eyes reluctantly from the water to her, taking in her presence. She looked just as well as before. Her hair looked more silver than blonde in the light of the water and her sable eyes reflected those stars as she watched me pleasantly. I couldn’t help but feel warm under her gaze, all irritation and anger having been lost in her presence.

“You asked me to stop Roman, but you failed to mention he’s immortal,” I decided to start with. I expected a flash of concern to cross her face, but she remained pensive and untouched.

“I believed if I told you this, you would have abandoned any thought of helping the wolves-”

“Of course I would! I can’t kill an immortal,” I interrupted, a taste of irritation returning to me. “And he bit me for trying, by the way.” I took this moment to show off the mark that remained on my neck. The wound wouldn’t heal. It was just as raw as the day his fangs tore into me and the pain of it was a constant reminder to my fate.

Cynthia looked at the mark and for once a deep expression of something, perhaps anger or general offense, filled her eyes before she closed them stubbornly.

“I never specified that you were to kill him,” Cynthia finally stated before looking at me once more, “There are other ways to stop the seemingly unstoppable. I am, however, deeply sorry for hiding the truth from you. I will do whatever I can to help you survive the insult the King Alpha intends to deliver to the Mother.”

I stared at her quietly for a moment, expecting her to put up more of a fight. I wasn’t used to be apologized to so quickly. I also was trying to recall if she had ever mentioned killing Roman. When I thought about it, she did only say ‘stop’.

“Wait. In what way was I supposed to stop him if not kill him?” I asked in confusion.

Cynthia turned to the water slowly, frowning.

“The Goddesses weren’t clear on that path exactly,” She finally admitted, much to my disdain. She looked at me briefly. “I would think, because you are marked, that they believe love may be enough to persuade him to return to the true path.”

I gaped openly at her.

“Love,” I hissed in disgust. “Love?! I can’t love that… thing. He’s horrible!”

For once, Cynthia appeared quite amused. Her smile held back secrets, a great amount of wisdom hidden behind her eyes as she appraised me briefly. I couldn’t see exactly what was so funny about my situation, but I was glad one of us found it entertaining.

“Yes, I can see how this is problematic, but I intend to aid you of course,” She continued with ease. She tilted her head towards the water while she watched me, throwing my gaze from her to the surface of that curious lake easily. “This is called the Crone’s Eye. In every temple, there typically is a room preserved for the oracles where they can focus on channeling the Crone and seek answers for questions they may need answers to.”

Cynthia reached out to lightly brush her hand over the water. As she did so, the color of the water seemed to change before us just as quickly as the ripples folded over it. And then it faded back to its original state easily.

“The Moon and the Earth’s oceans have always danced together, a movement of harmony that can close the bridge between us and the Goddesses who watch over us. Remember this, Mila. Many Meda and Medan can even call for answers with the smallest body of water.”

“What are Meda… Medan?” I asked hesitantly. This pulled Cynthia’s gaze from the water to me pleasantly.

“I forget you aren’t of us sometimes,” She teased lightly before continuing, “The wolves have a pack system, where they are given titles. The highest is King Alpha, of course. His mate is the Queen Luna. Other packs have their Alpha and Luna. The right hand wolf is Beta and so on. Those who don’t hold status titles are sometimes separated by their patron Goddesses, depending on if they appear to be blessed as such. They are given tutelary titles.

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