Page 160 of Moonlit Fate

“Right away.” He gave a curt nod and disappeared.

Seren turned to me, her eyebrows raised in playful reprimand. “You’re indulging tonight.”

“I need it. Today was...” What word could possibly encompass it?

“Overwhelming,” she supplied, reading my thoughts.

“Exactly.”

It wasn’t long before Lorian returned, this time with a polite knock. Apparently, popping through walls with wine in hand was beyond even his capabilities, but he could carry it.

Handy.

“Thank you, Lorian,” I said as he handed us each a glass filled with the pale golden liquid.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Nothing for now,” I replied, and with another nod, he closed the door behind him. Had I gained a ghost butler? It seemed so.

Seren took a sip of her wine, her gaze returning to mine. “Now, where were we?”

“I’ve been thinking about my powers,” I confessed, swirling the wine in my glass. “The damage I caused today… it’s an extra burden added to the weight I’m already carrying. I’ve put so many people out of their homes.”

“Being an alpha is no easy task,” Seren said.

“It’s more than that. It’s the balance I need to find.” I paused, searching for the right words. “This power inside me is formidable. I have to learn how handle it without losing myself or harming those I’m meant to protect.”

“Finding that harmony is a delicate dance,” Seren agreed.

“Yes, it is. And it’s a challenge I have to meet not just for myself, but for the entire pack. Their future depends on it.”

I drained the last of my wine as Seren stifled a yawn. “We should get ready for bed,” I said.

Seren nodded.

We took turns in the bathroom, changing into comfortable pajamas, then climbed into bed.

The moon was high by the time I realized sleep wasn’t coming. My gaze roamed the room, flitting over Seren’s belongings now strewn about my space. Everything felt alien, yet familiar, which summed up my life lately.

“Can’t sleep either?” Seren mumbled from her side of the bed.

I shook my head, though she couldn’t see it. “No. It’s like there’s too much noise in my head.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” Words wouldn’t fix this restlessness inside me.

“Try closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing,” Seren suggested, but I barely heard her.

My mind was elsewhere, wandering down the unseen paths that connected me to Atticus. Ever since we’d forged our bond, I could sense his constant, comforting presence at the back of my consciousness. As I focused, I pinpointed his location without effort. He was outside, maybe even just under my window. Very close.

“Atticus?” I reached out tentatively with my thoughts.

Almost instantly, a ripple of amusement tinged with warmth echoed back through the bond. “Aria,” came his mental reply, clear as if he were whispering in my ear. “Can’t sleep?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Only because I feel the same.”

---