Page 99 of Moonlit Fate

“Atticus,” she said, her tone imbued with the control of an alpha yet full of vulnerability. “The time draws near.”

The transformation in her was undeniable. Each gesture, each word spoken, vibrated with the authority she was born towield. Yet, as I observed her commanding presence, a sliver of dread pierced me, the unshakeable awareness that now that she had stepped into the role of alpha, I would be left behind. That perhaps, in her rise, she might outgrow the need for a rogue like me.

“Indeed, it does,” I said. The eclipse loomed over us all, heralding change. A metamorphosis for Aria, for the pack, and for us. “Are you afraid?” I dared to ask.

She turned vulnerable eyes on me. “Afraid?” she said. “Not exactly. The mystery is what scares me, but I am not afraid about what we’re about to undertake.”

I nodded. It was the ultimate test, of her leadership, of my loyalty, and of the love that had defied every obstacle thrown in our way.

We walked down the hall to my room, our hands clasped together. “How are you holding up?” I asked once we sat on my bed.

She nestled closer to me, her silver eyes reflecting the turmoil we both felt. “I was terrified,” she said. “But now clarity has replaced the fear. I know what must be done for the pack, yet I can’t shake this nervousness.”

Swallowing the lump that had reappeared in my throat, I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my admiration for her unwavering spirit growing with every passing second. A silent acceptance took root in me. I understood where her loyalties lay, and if that meant I came second to her responsibilities to her pack, so be it. The idea of not being a priority for her haunted the edges of my thoughts, but I pushed it away.

The truth clawed at my conscience, an insistent whisper that refused to be silenced. “There’s something I need to tell you,” I said urgently. “About your father.”

She jerked her head up to look at me again. “What about my father?”

The confession burned on my tongue, but I could no longer contain it. “I entered his mind,” I said, the heavy guilt of my actions weighing down each syllable. “I needed to understand his opposition to us. There are many excuses I could offer, but none would be satisfactory.”

Shock rippled across her features, and her body tensed in my hold. “You didwhat? Atticus, how could you?”

A sigh escaped me, full of regret. “In a moment of weakness, I sought answers, desperate to find a way to change his mind.”

“And what did you see?” The hurt mingled with curiosity in her tone, cutting me sharper than any blade.

Hesitation gripped me, but the truth demanded release. “He feared for you, for the pack. He believed my presence in your life would complicate your role as alpha,” I said. “He thought you deserved someone who could offer stability, not the uncertainty a rogue brings.”

Her features hardened with pain. “He wanted to protect me,” she said to herself, grappling with the revelation.

“There was more,” I said quietly, my heart heavy. “His regrets, his doubts about his choices... he didn’t want to fail you.”

Her expression softened a fraction, a glimmer of understanding piercing the hurt. “Those were his private thoughts. You had no right to them,” she said.

“You’re right. I regret it deeply,” I said, the sorrow in my words echoing the ache in my chest. “It was wrong of me to invade his privacy, to expose secrets not meant for me to know.”

The silence stretched on, a living thing wrought from our shared pain and secrets. Aria’s disappointment seeped into my marrow, a cold tide that threatened to sweep away the fragile bridge we’d built.

“How am I supposed to trust you after this?” she whispered, but she might as well have been screaming for how much the words hurt.

“My actions... they were driven by fear. Fear of losing what we’ve fought so hard to forge…” But the truth was a beast, stabbing at my insides. “There’s more, if you want to hear it.”

She stared at me. “Go on.”

“Your father, before he became alpha, loved another. A woman from a neighboring pack. He chose his duty over his love, marrying your mother for the alliance and might it brought the pack. He learned to love her and respect her as his mate and confidant. And he wants that for you. He wished for you to find someone who would stand beside you, strong and unwavering.”

Aria turned from me. The distance wasn’t just physical; it was an abyss threatening to swallow us whole. I ached with the dread of having irrevocably altered the love between us.

“Let’s go.” She had regained her strength, but it was the strength of steel tempered in fire, hardened and cool. “We have a ritual to perform.”

With those words, she walked out, leaving me to follow in her wake, grappling with the bitter taste of fear and longing. As we moved toward our fate, the night held its breath, the eclipse painting our world in shades of uncertainty and hope.

Under the haunting glow of the eclipsed moon, I led our solemn procession through the dense forest. The darkness was alive, charged with an energy that whispered of primeval mysteries and impending destiny. Aria walked beside me, her silence deafening.

“Here,” Aria said when we reached the clearing near the border of the rogue lands and the Silver Claw territory. The old battlegrounds stood behind us. It was a sacred space where nature’s power could be felt pulsating through the air.

We began to unload the materials from our packs: vials of potent elixirs, bundles of rare herbs, and incredibly old books bound in weathered leather. Each item was a piece of the puzzle, a key to unlocking the ritual that would shape our future. Mychosen family, steadfast and unwavering, worked alongside us, their movements deliberate and respectful.

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