Page 27 of His Lost Lycan Luna

"If that is so, why were you by her door last night and the night before, or better yet, what were you doing watching her from the old guard towers? You know, the ones? The ones that look directly into her bedroom window?"

"Explain to me why you are following me?" I retort, turning the water on and stepping under the water spray.

Turning, I look at him as his eyes wander the length of me. I know he is bisexual. His sexuality has never bothered me, and I am used to his comments and wandering gaze. However, he also knows I don't swing that way.

"Was curious about why you stood me up last night, for one. And then this morning you vanished and ever since she got here." He shrugs.

"Why, are you jealous Liam?" I laugh.

"Always. You know I am not good at sharing," he jokes, and I chuckle.

"Don't worry. You won't have to share me. I am not interested in the girl," I tell him.

"We'll see, though it wouldn't hurt if you were, as long as it isn't for nefarious reasons, Gannon," Liam says, and I swallow.

"Yes, she reminds me of my mate, but that isn't why." I shake my head. I am not interested in her. It’s hard to imagine even having a conversation with her with how timid she is.

"I am leaving to run an errand for the King. Join me or don't," Liam states with a shrug, glancing out the bathroom window toward the forest surrounding the castle.

"She is a beauty, though," he mumbles, and I nod. Abbie is striking with her dark auburn hair and soft, sensual features. She is small and petite, and I like that about her. I like the way she stares curiously at everything around her. Like she is deciphering codes, genuinely curious about people yet soft-spoken. She is an observer. That much I have noticed. She exists without being seen and doesn't like the attention, but notices everyone else like she is waiting for something to jump out of the shadows at her.

"Hasn't she shifted yet? I could smell she has a wolf?" Liam asks curiously, still peering out the window. I lean around to see what he is looking at. Abbie is hanging out washing, yet stares vacantly toward the forest. My brows furrow, and I watch as she steps toward the trees, looking longingly at them, when I hear Clarice sing out to her. She pauses, glances over her shoulder, and rushes back to the clothesline as if she thinks she will get into trouble.

"To me, it seems she wants to go for a run," Liam says with a shrug, passing me a towel off the rack. His eyes are trained on the girl. I swallow because I had noticed she hasn't shifted once since being here. And I know she is of age. It makes me wonder what her wolf looks like.

"I'll cover for you if you wish," Liam offers, but I shake my head. No, I need to get away from here and slice some poor sucker who is dumb enough to capture the King's attention. It seems like the perfect excuse to leave.

"No need. I need to get out of here," I tell him.

"Out of here or away from her?" Liam asks. I growl, and he smirks.

"I'll meet you in the car, and I drive," he says, and I huff but let it slide. Liam is my best friend and the only one who truly knows me. We are alike in more ways than one.

ChapterEighteen

ABBIE

I stare at the forest surrounding the castle, wishing I could shift and feel the air in my fur and the dirt beneath my paws. Though, I was actually never able to shift. Mrs. Daley forbade it. The only time I did was in our room back at the orphanage, and Ivy would keep a lookout. Not that Mrs. Daley came up to our room much, so I used to laze by the window where I could see the moon and feel its rays on my fur. I guess that is where the legend came from for humans about the moon and werewolves, etc. I've always felt drawn to the moon and night in general. I used to imagine what it would be like to ‌roam freely and explore the woods, but instead, my paws only knew the floorboards of our tiny room, except for that one time.

Yet so close to the forest, the urge to run free is overwhelming. I take a step toward the forest, feeling my body tense with the urge to change and realign so I can take my werewolf form. There is nothing more freeing than the shift, yet it is also painful because I hardly did it.

"Abbie!" Clarice calls out to me, and I rush back to hang out the towels I was sent out to hang.

"Yes," I call back, looking toward the laundry door. Clarice emerges and peers over at me.

"Once done, come help me prepare for dinner."

I nod to her quickly and rush to finish hanging the washing out, wondering if maybe I could sneak out while everyone is asleep to shift. Clarice did say I could leave if I wanted. But I quickly dismiss the thought. The guards may stumble across me and think I am trespassing. It makes me shudder at the damage they could cause to my tiny wolf form.

After dinner and wandering back to my room, I find myself drawn to look out the window. So I give up avoiding it and sit on the windowsill looking at the castle grounds below. My skin itches with the need to shift. It is a clear night yet as I watch from the window I see the guards walking the forest edge and sigh.

Despite the promise of the forest, I realize that once again, my only place of solace with my wolf will be this room. So, I strip my clothes off, I get to my hands and knees, and a violent shudder ripples up my spine. I feel the first snap and clench my teeth as my bones start breaking and realigning into position.

My hands become paws and skin turns to fur and my nose and face elongate. I am careful not to let my claws scratch the floor as I stand on my hind legs and jump onto the sitting nook of the window ledge. I press my nose to the glass and lay down along the window, wishing I could run through the forest, wishing to know what it truly means to be a werewolf.

My mother used to tell me how freeing it was to run on four legs, zip through the trees, and feel the air and heat blow through her fur. I guess I will never know what that truly feels like. It is foolish to miss something I have never experienced, and probably won't ever experience again.

I end up falling asleep on the window ledge. It isn't until I hear a knock on the door that I wake up and crash to the ground with a thud. My entire body shakes when I hear the door handle twist, and I know I am going to be caught. Lowering my body to the ground, I try to fit under the bed, yet my furry body is much too big. Stupid Abbie, how could you fall asleep?

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