Page 150 of Moonlit Fate

I continued, “‘The air was alive with energy, our powers mingling in a dazzling display of light and spirit.’” A chill ran down my spine from the power that seemed to leap off the page. “‘It is a reminder that we are but a part of the greater cycle, guardians of the balance that sustains us all.’”

I hesitated before reading the next part, sensing a shift in Thea’s tone. “‘Yet, as I stand among my kin, my heart heavy withthe burden of leadership, I cannot shake the sense of a looming doom.’”

Atticus rubbed my arm and I looked up at him.

“Something was wrong even then,” I said, a knot forming in my stomach. “Here she says she felt ‘a discordant note in the symphony of our existence that threatens to unravel the fabric of our unity.’”

He glanced out the window, where the landscape of Lycanterra lay unaware of the past turmoil.

I cleared my throat and read the last sentence on the page. “‘We stand at a precipice, and the choices we make now will echo through the generations.’”

He turned to face me, his ice-blue eyes searching mine. “What do you think she meant by that?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like she knew something was coming. Something big.”

“Like what we’re facing now,” he said.

I turned the page. Thea had written a vow there. “‘I vow to lead with both strength and compassion, to forge a path that honors the legacy of those who came before and paves the way for those yet to come. May the spirits of our ancestors guide us, and may we never lose sight of the light that binds us.’”

Atticus blew out a breath, the warmth tickling my ear. “Sounds like she knew her role in their world.”

“Yeah. She understood her responsibility.”

We lapsed into silence as I closed the journal gently and looked out the window. Moonlight spilled over the land below us. Lycanterra lay peacefully under the night sky as if it didn’t have turbulent history, as if it was unaware that its future lay in the balance.

I pushed off the window seat, securing my towel around me. “It’s a long road ahead.”

“Maybe,” Atticus said, coming to stand in front of me. “But you’re not walking it alone.”

His hand found mine, warm and solid. In that touch, I found an anchor, something real and present amidst the uncertainty. His throat moved, a quick bob that spoke of nerves or maybe something more. My stomach flipped and fluttered.

“Atticus,” I whispered. “I?—”

“Shh, Aria.” He cut me off, his gaze intense. He brought his hand up to my face, hesitating a moment before his fingers brushed against my cheek. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through me.

“Your skin,” he murmured, “I’ve missed this.”

I leaned into his hand, closing my eyes. There was a raw honesty in his touch that I’d been denying myself for too long. My heart raced, each beat echoing my own longing.

“Me too.” The admission came out breathless, and before I knew it, his other arm was around me, pulling me into an embrace that felt like coming home.

“Gods, Aria,” he groaned as I buried my face into his neck. His scent enveloped me, earthy and wild, stirring up feelings I’d tried to bury.

“Why did we stop this?” I asked, my hands finding their way to his chest, feeling the solid muscle under his shirt.

“I don’t know Aria. Why did we?” His voice, which had been low and thick with need a few seconds ago, had changed. When I looked up, I saw the hurt I had caused reflected on his handsome face. It made it difficult to speak past the lump in my throat.

“We haven’t really spoken about what happened after the ritual, have we?” My mouth was so dry, I couldn’t even swallow. “I’m so sorry for ending things with you the way I did.”

He didn’t say anything at first, just searched my face as if looking for something he’d thought lost.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it.” His words were blunt, but not unkind. It was the truth I needed to hear.

I nodded, accepting the sting. “I know. I was scared.” I rested my head against his chest. The powerful, steady beat of his heart drummed against my ear. “I panicked. The ritual hadn’t gone as planned. My father’s death hit me hard, and I needed to find my way as alpha. It’s no excuse, but I listened to the negativity some of the pack spewed about rogues. Everything, everyone, overwhelmed me.”

Atticus stiffened beneath me.

I stole another glance at him, taking comfort in the weight of his arms around me. He hadn’t let me go. “I believed that in order to be the best alpha, I couldn’t do it with you by my side. But I was wrong, Atticus, so fucking wrong,” I confessed, brushing away the hot tears streaming down my cheeks. “I don’t care what anyone says anymore, as long as you’re with me. I shouldn’t have listened to anyone. I need you.” I stumbled over my words, desperately trying to find the right way to express the emotions he stirred in me.

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