I REFUSE TO BE YOUR LUNA

CHAPTER 4: FOREST

Aurora opened her eyes to find herself still in her room, she sat quietly on her bed; staring into nothing. She had spent hours trying to understand what being here at this time meant but none of it made sense. How could she be alive? How could Xander be alive?

But one thing, was certain, she wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. She wasn’t going to sacrifice herself for humanity anymore.

Aurora slowly climbed out of bed and walked toward her closet, her hand paused on the handle before she opened it.

Her heart sank, there were pictures; dozen of them. Each and every picture of Lucien, pictures she treasured.

Now, one felt like her wound was being ripped open over again.

Aurora grabbed the first picture and tore it in half, then she grabbed another and another till there were piece of photographs littered on the floor.

Tears running down her face as she squeezed the last photograph in her hand, her knees weakened.

She slowly sank to the ground, pressing a hand against her chest, wishing she could pull out whatever was hurting her inside.

“I was so stupid” she sobbed

“I wanted us to be together forever...” her voice cracked

“…and all the while he hated me” the word rolled out of her mouth as memories flood her mind, hiss cold words, his hand wrapped around her throat.

“Maybe you’re better off dead” his word rang in her head.

Aurora closed her eyes shut.

She crawled into a fetal position, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to calm herself and then a thought hit her, she was his mate.

Destined by the moon goddess so surely if she was to not be found, if Lucien couldn’t find his mate the pack would have no choice but to select another Luna?

Maybe someone else could take her place, the fate of her people would change maybe for good or even everything could get worse but she won’t have to be responsible, for any of it.

She slowly stood to her feet, wiped her tears. She needed to leave but where could she go?

She rushed toward her table and began searching through the pile of books and there was a map, a small smile appeared on her face as she spread it across the table, she pick a note and pen.

The mate selection was in three weeks and she needed to disappear far away to a place where wolves or the bond couldn’t find her.

Aurora studied the map carefully, the major roads were monitored, but before she get anywhere close she would be caught by the pack, they have guard stationed everywhere near every human settlement, she placed her fingernail in her mouth biting them and recalculating her options once more she need to get it right.

Then her eyes stopped at a spot on the map, a red mark appeared near the edge of the map.

Aurora’s breath slowed, Forbidden forest.

“No” she whispered, immediately looking away from the locating and checking other places on the map. There had to be another option.

She searched again but there was no way out, her eyes slowly returned to the marked spot.

There was a reason it was forbidden, she won’t be found because it was a place dreaded by both wolves and human, when she was a child, the elders had filled their heads with stories about the monster lived there.

A creature that hunted anyone foolish enough to enter, it was known to devour the souls of those who become trapped inside, but there was a little settlement of humans on the end of the forest.

Aurora stared at the map, getting her soul sucked sounded better than going through this s**t show she had gone through again. At least the monster wouldn’t pretend to love her first, a little smile escaped through the tears.

Then the smile gradually faded, she had one worry, her family. Would her father be able to live knowing she was running away?

Tears gathered in her eyes once more, she couldn’t risk losing her family to the forest.

“Aurora” Xander’s voice came from outside her door.

Aurora quickly wiped her face, immediately folding the map, “Come in”

The door opened, Xander walked in with a tray in his hand, “You need to eat” he placed the tray down before his eyes caught of the torn photographs scattered across the floor.

His expression changed, he walked towards her and gently took her hand. “Little bean….”

He pulled her toward the bed “I’m worried about you.”

Aurora forced a smile while holding her tears, “there’s nothing to be worried about, and I’m fine”

“I know you are.” He took a sit next to her “But I don’t want you to handle anything alone” he pulled her into his arms.

“Thank you” Aurora’s voice cracked.

“Hey,” he rubbed her back. “Don’t cry, little bean. I’m here” Aurora closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.

For a few moments, she allowed herself to simply enjoy his warmth, he was alive and that was all that mattered and she planned on keeping it that way, he deserved to live more than she did.

Eventually, they pulled apart. Xander smiled. “Oh, I got you something that would cheer you up” he reached into his pocket and pulled a photograph, he handed it over to her.

Her smile disappeared. It was Lucien, a close-up picture of him taken during the Koral ceremony.

“I knew you’d like it” Xander grinned.

Aurora stared at photograph, she slowly lifted her eyes towards her brother “Thank you” she voiced,

Xander nodded

“Make sure you finish your meal and maybe tomorrow we can go see your boyfriend”

Aurora forced out a small laugh “I love you, Xen”

“I love you, Little Bean” he walked out.

Aurora immediately pulled out the map. ‘Forbidden forest’ she wrote down on the paper.

She already knew her father and brother’s routine, her father left for work in the fields at the break of dawn and before leaving he always came to see her, if she leaves now; there was a good chance of her getting caught.

The quickly packed items she would need, food, clothes, flashlight and on thing she could left behind a photograph of her mother, when everything was ready she slipped beneath the cover.

All night she laid in her bed, sleep refusing to come as she imagined what waited inside the forbidden forest, the monster and the possibility that she might never return.

Eventually her eyes closed in the mist of her worries.

Just as she predicted, her father opened her room door; he leaned over and pressed a kiss against her forehead, “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

Aurora slowly opened her eyes and only to see his back as he closed the door. Her heart was pounding, this was it.

She quickly got dressed and grabbed her bag she had prepared the night before, she slipped the map and her notebook inside.

Xander on the other hand was preparing for a match with his friends, he was already gone, he normal trains in the morning hence he leaves before her father.

Aurora quietly slipped out of the house, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she kept to the narrow spaces between houses, ducking behind walls and using shadows whenever she heard someone nearby. She didn't stop to look back.

The farther she got from home, the harder her heart beat.

Soon the houses disappeared behind her, she crossed the field of flowers, it marked boundary between the human settlement and territories controlled by packs.

She knew what it meant, crossing the boundary meant she was leaving the safety of people, she took a left running straight, at this point the sun was up and the houses disappeared, she was standing in an open field with flower, she kept running, wanting to be far before she’s noticed to been missing.

The morning sun had already risen high into the sky, it’s heat burning against her skin, sweat rolled down her forehead, and her breathing became heavier but Aurora refused to stop. She didn’t care as she continued in her path getting as far away as possible before anyone realized she was missing, her feet eventually began to ache.

Sill she pushed forward, her pace slowed down as she could saw tall trees stretching across the horizon, their branches twisting together like they were guarding whatever lay beyond, the closer she got; the darker the path got. The trees blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving patches of shadows scattered across the ground.

Aurora pulled out the map from her bag, she unfolded it with trembling fingers.

Her eyes moved across the marking until she found her location. She was here.

Aurora slowly raised her head, the forest stood before her, it was silent. She took one step forward but her legs felt heavy, she took another before her eyes caught something written across the trunk of one of the trees. HE LIVES HERE.

She froze, her throat felt dry causing her to swallow hard and she looked behind her, the flower field was now miles away, she could barely see any building.

There was no one around to stop or anyone to save her either, she had spent her entire childhood hearing the tails of this place and the creature that lived here, and now she was ready to walk into its home.

She took a deep breath. “Well” she whispered, staring into the darkness between the trees.

A nervous laugh escaped her lips “I guess it’s me and you Mr. Soul ripper”

The wind made her feel more terrified, she carefully placed the map back into her bag, gripping unto it tightly as she took steps into the den of evil.