Page 127 of Moonlit Fate

When I finally broke free of the nightmare, it was to a room darkened by night, my sheets twisted around me like shackles. My heart hammered a drumbeat of war against the helplessness the dream had left in its wake.

It was just a dream, I told myself as I lay back down and slowed my breathing. Just a dream that carried the weight of a prophecy yet unfulfilled.

31

ARIA

After a long day in the library, I needed to clear my head. While I knew it was necessary for me and Atticus to work together to restore the balance, it sounded like a terrible idea. Yes, being near him lessened the painful buzzing of the magic under my skin, but it did nothing for the attraction I felt towards him, which I definitely didn’t want to dwell on. Atticus and I were connected in a way I had never asked for. It gnawed at me, this bond. Why us? What sick joke was this? I needed to run, to let my wolf out, so I didn’t have to think for a while.

I padded along the forest’s edge, my paws silent on the leaf-strewn ground. The world was just a jumble of shapes to me, the scenery secondary to the unrest in my head. I caught sight of the rough stones that marked my parents’ final resting place. The last rays of sunlight were breaking through the trees, setting the sky on fire with colors that felt too warm, too alive for what I was feeling inside. Shifting into my human skin, I moved closer to their graves.

“Father,” I said as I settled down between their graves. “Mama visited me.” I fell silent, hoping his spirit would appear. The wind whispered through the trees, the leaves rustling gently.“Am I doing the right thing by leading the pack in this new direction? I know change is difficult, but if we don’t adapt, we’ll be in trouble. The old guard’s objections and disapproval are eating away at my confidence and conviction.” My emotions burst forth like a dam breaking. I wrapped my arms around my knees as sobs racked my body. Tears streamed down my cheeks in thick rivulets. “I hate feeling powerless and unsure. I know you wouldn’t approve, that you’d think me weak. How did you separate your emotions from leading the pack?”

The fiery sunset faded, transforming the sky into a dark canvas adorned with countless sparkling stars. I sat in quiet contemplation, attempting to tuck away my misery as I followed the moon’s ascent. Tracing my father’s name etched into his headstone, I spoke again.

“Ilaric has been amazing. I value his guidance, but I miss you. I wish you were here to guide me through this uncertainty. Everyone is so damn vague about everything. They speak of balance without offering details or ways to achieve it. Now, there’s this fucking connection or whatever it is, that I have with Atticus. It’s like a vine, wrapping around my heart, pulling me toward him.” I sighed, my shoulder slumping. “I know I should be using everything at my disposal to fix this imbalance, but is it cowardly that I want it gone? It hurts my heart too much to have this connection.”

The stones stood silent, offering no answers. Regret and sorrow knotted in my chest. “I feel like I’ve already made so many mistakes.”

Sudden panic gripped me, a vise around my chest making it hard to breathe. I scanned my surroundings frantically, searching for the source. There was nothing obvious in the cemetery, but when another cold rush of fear washed over me, I realized it wasn’t mine.Atticus. Something was wrong. His terror lashed at my senses, sharp and urgent. My instincts tookover, and I shifted into my wolf form. I adjusted my stance, muscles tensing, and leapt into the forest. I had to get to him. Whatever was happening with Atticus was bad. He needed me.

I’d followed my father’s rules and way of life for so long. Now, as every step took me closer to Atticus, I felt those old ideals slipping away. Hadn’t I told my father’s council members that the old ways weren’t chains to hold us back? If I expected the pack to embrace this new way, I had to do the same. This was about survival, about connection, about establishing our place in this changing world. Father had always told me to trust my instincts and that’s what I intended to do.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I raced through the forest at lightning speed, my paws flying over the ground beneath me. Oblivious to its sights and sounds, the forest passed by in a whirl as I remained focused on my singular mission.

I had never experienced such powerful, bone-chilling fear that now pulsed through the link. Atticus’s terror was like a guide wire strung tight to my chest, leading me forward. Could it be? Was this bond not a curse but guidance instead?

The green curtain of ivy that concealed his den came into view. Anyone watching would have thought I’d lost my mind, as I kept on a straight path, running straight to the wall. I didn’t slow down, didn’t shift back to human form. I crashed through the entrance.

Joren, Lyza, Hale, and Mia jumped up from where they had been lounging, their eyes now alert and ready for combat. Recognizing me as friend, not foe, they relaxed their stance and pointed down the hallway to Atticus’s room. There was no other reason for me to be here.

Before I knew about our bond, all these feelings had been jumbled together. Not anymore. I could easily sense the source, parse his emotions from my own. There was a sharp and distinct line drawn between my fears and his.

Reverting to my human form, I slipped into his room, squinting as my eyes adapted to the dimly lit space. On the bed, Atticus thrashed under the covers, groaning and grunting in distress.

“Atticus?” I whispered.

No response, just the same uneasy noise.

Now that I was closer to him, the dread coming from him was almost palpable.

“Shit,” I muttered. What the fuck was going on? He was sound asleep. Terror, thick and choking, washed over me. He was drowning in its suffocating grip.

He let out a long, pained moan. Was he dreaming? Could a nightmare be causing this? My feet moved of their own accord, carrying me to his side. I hesitated, unsure of what action to take. The bond seemed to compel me to move even closer, so I did the only thing I could think of. I climbed into bed beside him.

It didn’t mean anything. This was just us coming together to understand these powers.

I laid my hand on him, drawing him toward me. At my touch, the overwhelming horror that had gripped our bond gradually receded, and something closer to calm took its place. Relief flooded through me, and I blinked back tears.

His eyes flashed open, ice-blue meeting mine.

“Aria?” His sleep-laden voice carried a heart-wrenching mixture of disbelief and hope.

“Shh, I’m here,” I murmured, my fingers smoothing back his damp hair. With my other hand, I squeezed his, trying to anchor him to the present and away from the trepidation of his mind.

“Talk to me. What’s haunting you?” I needed to know, needed to understand the forces capable of bringing the strong alpha to his knees.

The silence stretched on, and I wondered if he would answer. Then he exhaled heavily.

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