Luna Awakening

Chapter Five

Sometime after falling asleep, Aubrey opened her eyes, but she quickly realized she was not experiencing her surroundings like she normally would be. It was as if she were sitting back within her mind watching herself; as if she were not in control of her body. The strange thing was, she could still feel her body as if it were her own, and in addition to her own emotions, she realized she could feel another layer of someone else’s emotions as well. Right now, she could feel a sense of longing; a strong urge to go to someone, as if to quench a thirst after not having any water in days. Her eyes blinked a couple of times, and she rose from the bed, the hunger becoming frantic and desperate. She watched as she opened the door to the cabin and stepped out into the night, reaching out with her senses, searching. Suddenly, the one she had been searching for was before her. The black wolf with his golden eyes ran towards the cabin. She broke out in a dead run, running towards him. They crashed into each other, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his soft fur.

“Oh Adiran, I didn’t think I would ever see you again!” she said in a voice that wasn’t her own.

Sobbing now, she pulled back and searched the wolf’s eyes.

“I can’t believe it’s really you.”

The wolf licked her face, lapping up her tears with his tongue.

“It is as I have always told you,” he said. “Nothing will ever keep me from you.”

“Adiran, I don’t have much time. I can feel my control slipping away,” she said, her voice becoming frantic.

“I am trapped. I don’t know how or by whom, but my connection with her is being blocked. I… I don’t even know her name.”

“I can feel you slipping away, so I will be brief. Her name is Aubrey and her mate is Broderick. He had blocked me out for years in fear of becoming his father, but being near Aubrey awakened me and gave me the strength to push through. I can feel dark magic around you. Someone is responsible for this, and I won’t stop until I find out by whom. When I find out who they are, I will make them pay. Just, please, hold on for me. Don’t give up trying to make a connection with her. I love you so much, Gealai. Don’t lose hope. Pieces are starting to move, and change is on the horizon,” he said, nuzzling her.

“I love you too, Adiran. I have to get her back to bed before its too late. I won’t… I won’t stop fighting for us.”

She gave the wolf one last hug before turning and running back to the cabin. She didn’t look back in fear she wouldn’t be able to leave him. She locked up the cabin and crawled back under the blankets. Taking a deep breath, she let the darkness consume her, swallowing her up until everything was black again.

The next morning, Aubrey awoke. She blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight pouring into the cabin. She welcomed the light in lieu of the night of strange dreams she had. At least, she thought they were dreams. It all felt so vivid. She could remember the feel of the wolf’s fur and the piercing gaze of his honey-golden eyes. His eyes reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t place it.

“Hey, you okay Aubs?” Alex asked from her cot across the way.

“Yea, I think so. I was just thinking about the crazy dreams I had last night,” Aubrey said as she rubbed her eyes.

“Probably from all of the stress you’ve been under. You up for a hike after breakfast. Might help to clear your head and get those endorphins up,” Alex suggested.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Aubrey smiled.

After some fire-cooked breakfast and packing their backpacks, Aubrey and Alex set off on their hike.

“This is so relaxing. I am so glad I decided to come along with you guys on this trip. I almost didn’t,” Aubrey admitted.

“I’m really glad you came too. I’m sure it's tough to be away from your girls. How are all of you doing? It’s got to be so hard with everything you’re going through,” Alex said with a small sympathetic smile.

Aubrey sighed.

“It has been really hard, and I can’t imagine what my girls are going through. I mean, I’m an adult, and I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole situation. I can’t imagine what they must be thinking or how they are feeling. I wish I could take away all of this uncertainty. I have looked into getting them counseling so they have an unbiased, neutral party they can talk to about things.”

“That sounds like a great idea. How has counseling been going for you?” Alex asked as they walked along the path, their feet crunching the colorful dried leaves.

“It’s been very helpful. Some sessions I sit and cry the whole time and some are super productive. My counselor is actually the reason why I decided to move out of the house. She helped me realize Cassius was baiting me and trying to get me to react to things. The most recent time was when I came to pick up the kids, and he greeted me at the door with the woman he was cheating on me with. As if I would want to meet her and shake hands with her like we’re friends. It’s been literally a couple of months since we ended things. I am definitely not ready for that yet, and my counselor helped me realize I had every right to feel uncomfortable and that’s just one example of him pulling that cr*p on me. Now, I wait by the car for the kids to come outside to me. It breaks my heart having to leave them there. Whenever I come to pick them up, Lizzie is waiting in the front window with her hat and coat already on. This has all been such a huge adjustment. I am so glad I decided not to bail and come down here with you ladies. Knowing my girls are safe with my parents and being in my favorite place is exactly what I needed. The forest is my safe place, and I can feel myself absorbing all of the good energy from it. How are things with you and Devin?”

“Things are really good with us, and I feel terrible saying that to you knowing what you are going through,” Alex admitted.

“Oh gosh, please Alex. I love you and Devin so much, and I am so happy for you. I know I am going through a lot right now, but please don’t hold back telling me things about you guys or anything about you for that matter. You’re my best friend, and I want you to be happy, and I want to hear about how happy you are,” Aubrey said, wrapping her arm around Alex and pulling her in for an embrace.

“I am always here if you need anything, Aubs. I know we were all friends, but you were my friend first and, honestly, I just can’t get past what Cassius is doing to you and the girls. You guys deserve so much better. Frankly, I want to punch Cassius so hard in his face. Devin and I have talked and we decided that we don’t want to continue having a relationship with Cassius at this point. There’s just way too many negative feelings and bad blood between us now. No one hurts my best friend.”

“I totally understand where you’re coming from.” Aubrey laughed. “I would stop having a relationship with him too if I could.”

They continued walking along the path, climbing higher and higher. Once they reached the outlook, they snapped some photos of the view, sat down, and then had some snacks and water.

“I just love how beautiful it is here in the Fall. It’s kind of fitting for me to be here in the Fall,” Aubrey said.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“Well, have you ever heard of the phrase about fall? I think it goes something like ‘The trees are about to show us how beautiful it is to let go.’ It makes me think about all that I have to let go of, and even though it hurts like h*ll, maybe it will all lead to something beautiful,” Aubrey said with tears forming in her eyes.

Alex reached out and put her hand on Aubrey’s shoulder.

“Oh Aubs, you and your girls are definitely meant for beautiful things. Change may not always look pretty, but I will be here for you during both the beautiful times and the not-so beautiful times,” Alex said.

“You’re a good friend Alex. I am so lucky to have…” Aubrey started to say but trailed off sniffing the air.

“Do you smell that?” she asked.

“Smell what? I hope you’re not smelling a bear,” Alex asked, nervously looking around.

“No, definitely not a bear. But… Uh, I’m not exactly sure. It smells… good? It’s almost like aftershave or cologne or something.”

“Hmmm, maybe I smell it a little,” Alex said, smelling the air.

“Maybe some dude sprayed too much Axe on himself and it’s drafting over here.” Alex laughed, making Aubrey laugh too.

“You’re probably right. You ready to head back?”

“Yea, let’s head back. I am already thinking about dinner and a stiff drink.” Alex said, laughing again.

“Girl, I am with you on that!” Aubrey exclaimed.

They stood up and packed their belongings and started to set off down the hiking trail back to their campsite.

When they got back to the campsite, Gwen had dinner well underway and Izzy had some sangria waiting for them. They all sat around the campfire talking and laughing when something seemed to catch Alex’s eye.

“No freaking way… Are you serious?” she said with wide eyes.

“What is it?” Aubrey said, turning around to see what Alex was staring at.

“Well… well… well… If it isn’t Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome…” Alex said with a sly smile.

Aubrey couldn’t believe her eyes. Just across the way, walking from another cabin was Broderick. Aubrey could feel her heartbeat start to beat faster and faster the closer he came. What was he doing here and why did she feel like her whole body was about to explode? She didn’t think she would ever see him again, but here he was.

Broderick couldn’t believe it. What was he doing here? But he just couldn’t leave Aubrey unprotected in these woods. The cabin across from Aubrey’s had been occupied by a newlywed couple away on their honeymoon. He briefly tapped into his abilities to suggest that they check into a hotel for the remainder of the weekend. It didn’t take long for the happy couple to collect their belongings and head out, leaving the key behind for Broderick. He had followed Aubrey on her hike with her friend, making sure she was safe from danger. He still hadn’t figured out why a Wendigo would so actively pursue her in this populated area. Perhaps other creatures sensed something about her too. No matter, he was glad Adiran was so pushy, and that he made it in time to save her. He debated coming over to return her keys for the last 20 minutes. He could hear her beautiful laugh ringing out above the talking and laughter of her friends, and before he realized what was happening, he was making his way over to the campfire.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said, looking around at all of the flabbergasted faces surrounding the campfire.

Was that jealousy Aubrey was feeling about her friends ogling this man she hardly knew? His gaze finally landed on Aubrey and her mind instantly went blank. Time stood still and everyone disappeared as their eyes locked. Aubrey could feel something trying to push through to the surface, but her pounding heart was all she could focus on.

“Helllloooo! Earth to Broderick!” Alex shouted, kicking Aubrey and Broderick out of their intense heated moment.

Aubrey could feel her cheeks turn red and hot. Broderick cleared his throat.

“Uh what? Oh I… sorry. What were you saying?” Broderick asked, pulling his gaze from Aubrey to Alex.

“I said funny meeting you here. What brings you into this neck of the woods?” Alex said, glancing at Aubrey with a mischievous smile as if she knew full well what brought him here: Aubrey.

“Oh, I uh…. Well, you see… Aubrey must have forgotten her keys at my place. So, I brought them here for her, and I figured why not spend the night here? Well… I mean not here as in here at her cabin… I mean here as in over there… uh in the cabin there across the way.” Broderick said as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to Aubrey with a shaking hand. Was Broderick just as nervous as she was?

“I figured these were important and that you would need them,” he said.

“Thank you,” Aubrey said, grabbing the keys and quickly turning her attention back to the campfire.

After an awkward silence, Broderick finally said, “Well, I will let you ladies get back to your evening,” he said as he turned and started walking away.

“Wait!” Alex suddenly shouted. “Why don’t you join us for dinner? Gwen always makes enough to feed an army,” she said, turning to Aubrey and winking.

Aubrey was in the middle of drinking her sangria when Alex posed the question. The surprise caused her to inhale some of the sangria, leading to a coughing fit. Gwen, Alex, and Izzy began giggling.

“Yes, please join us! We insist!” Izzy said excitedly.

“Uh, yea sure. Why not? Would it be alright if I brought my friend?” he asked.

“Of course!” Izzy said. “The more the merrier!”

Broderick turned and walked back to the cabin.

“I can’t believe you guys! Can you be anymore obvious?” Aubrey whined and then drank down the rest of her sangria.

“Uh, who are you calling 'obvious'? You’re the one looking like a deer in headlights practically drooling over there,” Izzy said.

“Drooling? Please, another man is the last thing I need in my life right now,” Aubrey said.

“Aww come one Aubs. Try to be open-minded. No one is saying you have to marry him, but there’s nothing wrong with some rebound…”

“Izzy!” Aubrey yelled, cutting Izzy off.

“What?” She asked innocently.

“Alright… alright. Come on girls. Let’s back off of Aubs okay?” Gwen finally spoke up.

“Thank you, Gwen,” Aubrey sighed.

Just then, the sound of a dog barking filled the air. Aubrey recognized that bark. She looked over towards the cabin Broderick was staying in, and smiled as she watched Atticus running up ahead of Broderick towards the campfire. He ran straight to Aubrey, jumping and panting excitedly.

“Your friend is a dog?’ Izzy asked, laughing.

“Yes, of course it is. Atticus is the best kind of friend.”

“And why is that?” Izzy asked.

“Well, for starters, he asks no questions and he passes no criticism, and he is the epidemy of unconditional love,” Broderick said while fondly watching Atticus make his rounds greeting each of the women around the fire.

“Well, he’s certainly not shy, is he?” Izzy asked, giving Atticus some scratches behind the ears.

“Not even a little,” Broderick replied.

Later that evening, after dinner and the sangria was finished, everyone but Broderick and Aubrey had made their way to bed. Aubrey was snuggled up with Atticus enjoying the warm buzzy feeling of the sangria that kept magically refilling her glass. She silently admitted to herself that she probably had too much, and was hoping the inhibition she was experiencing would subside before she did anything she would regret. Broderick was looking delicious in the firelight, and that irresistible scent of his cologne mixed with the campfire smoke made Aubrey want Broderick to take her here and now. What was she thinking? She had only ever been intimate with Cassius. As high school sweethearts, they never really had the opportunity to be with anyone else… Correction Aubrey had never been with anyone else in that way. What would it be like to be with someone else? She wondered.

“Well, I hate to take your buddy away from you, but I think it’s time Atticus and I head to bed,” Broderick said.

“Nooooooooo!” Aubrey said, wrapping her arms around Atticus and snuggling into him more.

“He’s so warm. You can’t take him from me,” she whined.

Broderick stood up and patted his leg, causing Atticus to slowly get up and leave the embrace of Aubrey. Defeated, Aubrey started to stand up but quickly became aware of how dizzy she was when she started to tumble backwards. Broderick quickly reached out to her and put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. Aubrey instantly felt the shock of energy from his touch and Broderick seemed to notice it as well as his eyes widened. He quickly hid it by removing his hands and placing them in his pockets and looking down at the ground.

“Thank you… for keeping me from falling on my face… again,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Let’s get you to your bed,” he said while giggling at her.

“Yes, please take me in my bed… I mean take me… I mean take me to my bed… I… oh god… I need to go to bed,” Aubrey stammered.

Her need for him and her fear of him were battling to take control. They walked back to the door of Aubrey’s cabin, and Aubrey was met with resistance as she tried to twist the handle.

“Oh noooo. You have got to be kidding me!” she whispered.

She turned towards Broderick.

“It’s locked, and Alex sleeps like a rock, especially after drinking alcohol.”

Aubrey stood in front of the door debating what she should do. It was so late and she didn’t want to make a commotion in the middle of the night to wake Alex up. Suddenly, Atticus broke the silent contemplating by whining and pawing at Broderick.

“Shh Atticus. Shhhhh!” Suddenly, Aubrey saw Broderick’s whole body stiffen beside her; almost as though he sensed something. Aubrey immediately felt her body respond as a sense of dread and panic started to take root in her stomach.

“You know what? You can just sleep in my cabin.”

Before she could object, Broderick lifted Aubrey up into his arms bridal style and walked quickly towards his cabin.

“Atticus, come on boy!” he whispered loudly.

Once he got to his cabin, he kicked open the door and walked Aubrey over to one of the beds. He sat her down, and let Atticus into the cabin and quickly shut the door and locked it. He stood by the door, allowing his senses to scan the perimeter. When he had verified that the threat had moved on, he turned to see that Aubrey had gotten up from the bed he had placed her on and was standing inches from him, her blue eyes looking up at him. The sangria she had been drinking mixed with her natural beautiful scent filled his nostrils. Her intoxicating scent combined with her close proximity caused him to harden instantly.

Aubrey had fully intended to crawl under the covers of the bed Broderick had placed her on, when she suddenly felt as though something or someone had taken control of her body. Maybe the sangria really had diminished the last of her inhibition? Suddenly, she was standing up and walking over to Broderick with stealth and purpose. She felt almost animalistic in her approach. She didn’t just want him. She needed him, and badly.  

“Is everything okay?” she whispered.

Broderick, lost in her eyes, couldn’t feel his legs as he felt himself falling headfirst into the endless beautiful blue glow of her eyes. He could feel the power radiating from her. Besides being his mate, who was Aubrey really? His senses told him she was human, but there was definitely something more to her. Abruptly, Broderick’s wolf, Adiran, started to push through the blockade Broderick had been desperately trying to keep in place.

“Mark… her…please.” Adiran pleaded with Broderick, fighting the barrier.

“Yes, everything is just fine,” Broderick said, looking from her eyes to her lips.

Her lips were parted slightly, and Broderick found himself thinking what it would be like to kiss her. Adiran took advantage of Broderick’s distraction and pushed through completely.

“I want to kiss you... Aubrey… I… want to…”

With Adiran’s push, Broderick closed the distance between them, and the moment his lips met Aubrey’s… It was as if his entire body was on fire. The kiss started off light like the dew of a cool spring morning resting upon vegetation, and he could feel the moment when Aubrey stopped holding back and started to let go. He deepened the kiss, and Aubrey moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. Broderick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body flush against his. The kissing became more desperate, and Aubrey could feel something within her starting to break. Everything she had been holding back started to give way, and she kissed him with immense passion and need. Broderick, with his arms still around her waist, lifted Aubrey from her feet and started walking back towards his bed, continuing to drown in the ecstasy of her lips and kiss. The back of Aubrey’s legs hit the bed, and she gently fell onto her back, pulling Broderick with her. Broderick moved away from her lips, leaving kisses around her jaw line traveling down her neck to the juncture between her neck and shoulder. He began kissing and sucking the spot where Adiran wanted him to mark her.

Aubrey was lost in her passion for Broderick. She had never felt this much passion and excitement with anyone before. It felt like Broderick was bringing a part of her to life that had been dormant. She noticed him breaking the kiss and starting to kiss his way down her neck to the spot between her neck and shoulder. Once there, Aubrey gasped at the intense sensation shooting through her entire body. It felt absolutely amazing, but soon the feeling began to overwhelm her. Anxiety and fear began to take root, pulling Aubrey from her euphoric state.

“Broderick… wait… please… I…” she said in between her panting breaths.

Broderick stopped immediately and pulled back to look at her. When their eyes met, Aubrey’s widened with fear. Broderick’s eyes were not their usual honey brown but instead were pitch black like his eyes had been replaced with black obsidian.

“Oh!” She exclaimed as she pushed Broderick off of her, scooted off of the bed, and scurried towards the door.

“No! Aubrey! Don’t go out there!” Broderick yelled.

She turned around to see that his eyes looked completely normal.

“What in the world?” she asked, looking confused.

“It’s really late, and you wouldn’t want to run into any bears or coyotes,” he said.

“I… uh… your eyes. They were… But now they’re… Oh my goodness.” Aubrey said, placing her hand on her forehead.

“I need sleep. Yes, sleep.”

Broderick cleared his throat. “I think that’s a good idea.”

They each climbed under the covers of their beds, but neither of them slept. Adiran had completely broken through the barrier and was relentlessly begging Broderick to be near Aubrey. Aubrey tossed and turned. Her mind was blank but her chest was tight and her stomach in knots. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get rid of the unsettled feeling. This wasn’t uncommon. She was still getting used to sleeping alone at night. She turned again, making the mattress springs creak with her movement.

“Can’t sleep?” Broderick asked into the darkness.

“Ugh, no, I can’t,” Aubrey replied.

“You?” she asked.

“No, I can’t sleep either,” he replied.

“Listen… about earlier…” Aubrey started to say.

“Would you like to sleep with me? Not like… sleep with me but like actually lie down next to me and try to sleep?” Broderick asked, shocking Aubrey into silence.

“It might help us. Uh, I promise I won’t try anything funny.”

Aubrey was silent, and Broderick instantly regretted asking her. It had been Adiran’s idea, of course.

“You’re mates, Broderick. The closer you are, the easier you’ll sleep,” he reasoned.

Shockingly, Aubrey sat up in her bed and swung her legs around. She tiptoed over and slid under the covers next to Broderick.

“I am not sure what is going on. I hardly know you, but there’s just something about you that just makes me feel safe,” she said.

“Tell her, Broderick.”

“Absolutely not! She will think I’m nuts, and will run out of here.”

“You’re going to have to tell her eventually. You can’t keep running from this; from her; from your destiny,” Adiran reasoned.

“This is temporary. This is just until I know she has safely returned home,” Broderick said.

“And you think she will be safe there? Broderick, she is important. You think that Wendigo from last night is the only one? Or how about what you and Atticus sensed earlier? It is only a matter of time before more Wendigos and other creatures are sent to collect her, no matter where she is.”

“I can’t think about this now,” Broderick said, shutting out Adiran as best as he could.

He must have been tired because he didn’t put up much of a fight or, perhaps, he was settled knowing their mate was lying right next to them.

“I am glad you feel safe with me,” Broderick finally said to Aubrey.

He readjusted and laid on his back looking up towards the ceiling.

“Let’s try to get some sleep,” he said.

“ OK,” she said, turning onto her side towards Broderick and snuggling into his shoulder.

They both let out a sigh of relief and quickly fell asleep.