Page 51 of Moonlit Fate

“I just need some time,” I said to my father.

Anger and betrayal flitted across my father’s face. The sight cleaved through me, splintering the vestiges of our bond. My father should have been the one to comfort me, not this enigmatic rogue. Yet, here I was, choosing the unknown over the stifling certainty of my past. Ragnar’s disbelief in me, a once-unimaginable chasm, now yawned wide and insurmountable.

“Come,” Atticus urged me, his grip reassuring around my hand. The shadows recoiled at his silent command, granting us passage. As we strode through the rooms, I stopped to pick up the book I had taken from the shack in the clearing, then I left the house that had long been my sanctuary.

As we walked over the grounds, I allowed myself a fleeting glance back. My father stood framed in the door, a towering figure dimmed by the loss of trust.

13

ATTICUS

We made our way back to my den, the night air crisp and revitalizing. I was keenly attuned to every nuance of Aria’s presence—the rhythmic cadence of her breath whispering through the quiet, the delicate rustle of leaves under her steps, the sporadic brush of her fingers against mine that charged my blood.

“Beautiful night,” I said.

She looked up, and the stars illuminated her beautiful face. “Peaceful.”

As we walked through the forest, hand in hand, I couldn’t help but savor the warmth of her hand and the peacefulness of our leisurely pace. No rushing about to get ahead of the prophecy, just taking time to enjoy each other.

There was a tranquility here, a big change from the chaos we’d left in Silver Claw Manor. The adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins was ebbing now, bringing with it the chill of the night air. She had been so frightened for herself, forced into her wolf’s form just before I burst through the doors. Merely thinking about it raised my blood pressure.

Aria didn’t need me to save her. She didn’t need a protector. She would have gotten herself out of the situation with Larkin, though I was sure he would be without important parts of his anatomy if her wolf had gotten a hold of him. But without a doubt, I’d put myself on the line again if it meant saving her. Standing up to Ragnar had felt good. He never should have allowed her to be put in that position, and I’d meant what I’d said to him—if he couldn’t keep her safe, I would.

We reached a clearing just before the turn in the trail that would take us to my den. Aria stopped suddenly and raised her face to the sky. I followed suit, and my jaw dropped. Stars shot across the sky in a dazzling display, leaving trails of brilliant light across the dark tapestry of the night sky. Each fleeting streak of light across the black sky felt like a precious gift, a cosmic, celestial wonder orchestrated solely for us. The universe seemed to have conspired this, to make up for the earlier disruptions we had experienced.

Aria found my hand and squeezed gently. “Look at that.”

I squeezed back, lost in the spectacle that unfolded above us. Here we were, two souls momentarily forgetting the world, standing beneath the endless universe that stretched into infinity. It was a reminder that there was beauty in the world. That even in darkness, there could be light.

“Nature’s own fireworks,” I said. It was as if the spirits of our ancestors had choreographed this wonder for us. I was connected, not just to Aria, but to the very universe. The knowledge of that resonated deep in my soul.

“Thank you for coming to me tonight,” Aria said. “I don’t know what I would have done…”

I looked at her profile, her face soft and ethereal in the dim light.

“How did you know?” she asked without looking back at me.

“I felt you,” I said. It was the truth. Something deep inside me had screamed her name so fiercely that I couldn’t ignore it. Her emotions, her terror had demanded I seek her out, reassure her, protect her.

And so here we were, under the stars, brought together by something ineffable yet undeniable, a force that transcended mere attraction or convenience. There was a depth to this connection that defied explanation, and neither of us could resist it.

As the last meteor trailed off, I turned to her. The heavens had gifted us with their brilliance, but it was her face, bathed in the light of the celestial display, that captivated me. The sight uncovered emotions long buried under layers of defiance.

“I couldn’t ignore it, that feeling that you needed me,” I said. It was our unseen tether, an invisible bond.

As she turned to look at me, the gratitude shining on her face, the affection, reflected all that I felt.

I reached out with a gentleness I reserved only for her. I framed the softness of her cheeks with my palms, her skin warm against mine. In this moment, she was not just the woman who had captured my heart. She was the sanctuary I hadn’t known I’d been seeking, a peace I hadn’t realized I needed.

“Atticus,” she said.

“Shh.” I brushed my thumb over her lips. The silence that fell between us was sacred, filled with the words we needn’t speak out loud.

Time ceased its march, and the world narrowed to the space between Aria and me. Her tentative breath tickled against my lips as I closed the distance between us. It was a kiss of questions, asked in whispers too faint for the ears but clear to the heart. My soul had known the answers long before our lips touched. It was always her.

A few more meteors streaked through the sky, each burning brighter than the last. With her, everything was magnified—the connection, the longing, the sheer force of what lay between us. It was as though every glance we’d shared, every moment of silent understanding, had been leading us to this very moment.

The universe vanished around us, leaving Aria and me suspended in a timeless expanse beneath the shooting stars. The spirits’ approval enveloped us. Her hands found their way to my hair, fingers weaving through the dark strands, tugging gently, urging me closer.

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