Moon Bounded

Chapter 4 Azerin POV

The day I left Elara wasn't just the day I walked away from the girl I loved. It was the day I walked away from myself. From the boy I used to be, from everything I had once known. It was the hardest decision I had ever made, and it still haunts me, even now.

But before that day, before the curse and the wolf had fully taken hold, there was a time when we were unstoppable. We were children, full of dreams, full of hope, and endless summers. I remember the way the world felt smaller when she was beside me. It was as if the very air we breathed was woven together, and everything made sense when she smiled.

We grew up together. Our childhood was stitched from the same threads, tied to the same patch of forest, the same lake that shimmered beneath the sun. Every afternoon, we'd race each other through the woods, pretending to be knights and warriors, defending Black Hollow from invaders—be it witches, bandits, or even the occasional dragon.

I can still see us, running barefoot across the earth, laughing with the kind of freedom that only children know, unaware that the shadows of the future were creeping in around us. The world was as simple as it could be, as long as she was there. And I thought it always would be.

But it wasn't long before I knew it wasn't just friendship. The way her eyes would light up when she saw me, how my heart would race in my chest every time she laughed—it was more than companionship. I didn't want to admit it, but I felt it. We were growing up, and with it, something else was growing between us. Something I couldn't control.

And then we hit our teenage years. Everything changed.

Somewhere between the long summer nights and the quiet mornings by the lake, I started to see Elara differently. It wasn't just that she had become beautiful—though that was undeniable. It was that something inside me had shifted. Every glance, every touch, every word we spoke seemed to hold more weight. The way her hand brushed mine, the way her lips would curl into that smile, the way her eyes lingered on me just a little too long—it was impossible to ignore.I was falling in love with her.

I tried to fight it. Tried to convince myself it was just a phase, that it would pass. But the deeper we got into our teenage years, the stronger it became. The nights spent talking by the fire, the shared secrets, the closeness we had—it felt like we were the only two people in the world. And every time she looked at me, with those wide, trusting eyes, I couldn't help but want to be closer. To have more.

The first time we made love, it was at the edge of the forest. The moon hung low in the sky, casting its silver glow over everything. She looked at me with those big, dark eyes—filled with trust, with wonder—as if she knew nothing could ever come between us.

But even then, even in that moment of bliss, I knew something was wrong. Something in me was already slipping away. It wasn't just the power of the full moon that twisted inside me, it wasn't just the urges I couldn't control. It was the curse. The Wolfson curse.

My family knew it. My father knew it. But I never wanted her to know. I never wanted her to understand the monster I was becoming.

But the more I loved her, the more dangerous I became. Because love—my love for her—wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough to control the wolf inside me. The more time passed, the stronger it became. The darker my changes were, the more primal I felt. The more I enjoyed the hunt. The more I feared it.

It was one of those nights, just before her eighteenth birthday, when everything came crashing down. We had been sitting by the lake, as we often did, the moonlight reflecting off the water. It was a perfect night—peaceful, serene. Elara had her feet in the water, and I was lying back on the grass, watching the stars.

She turned to me, her eyes shining with something I couldn't name. And for the first time, I saw the future in her gaze. A future where we were together. Where we stayed together.

But I knew better.

"I don't want this to end," she said, her voice soft, barely above a whisper, but the weight of it crushed me.

I sat up, my heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes met mine, searching, looking for something in me, something I couldn't give. "This. Us. You and me. I don't want to lose you."

The words caught in my throat. I wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be okay. But I couldn't.

"We can't keep doing this, Elara," I said, my voice breaking.

She looked at me, eyes wide, as if I had slapped her. "What are you talking about?"I had to say it. The one thing that would break us. The one thing that would sever the bond between us, even if it destroyed me too.

"I'm not the same anymore. I'm... changing," I said, my heart shattering with every word.

Her face clouded with confusion. "What do you mean? You're still you, Azerin. You're still the boy I—" She paused, as if weighing her words carefully. "The boy I've always known."

I couldn't look at her then. The truth was too heavy to bear. "I'm not that boy anymore."

Her brow furrowed, a flicker of hurt creeping into her expression. "Why? Why are you saying this?"

I stood up, my feet moving of their own accord. I had to get away from her. I had to make her see that we could never be what I wanted us to be.

"Because, Elara," I said, my voice hoarse, "I know we loved each other. But this... this isn't real. It's just a convenience. We've been around each other our entire lives. It's time we face the truth. Our love isn't enough."

The words cut like a blade, and I saw it—her heart breaking in her eyes. I saw the trust she had in me shatter, just like everything else.

She stood too, taking a step toward me, her voice rising in desperation. "Azerin, no. You're scaring me. Please—tell me what's really going on. I know you. You wouldn't say this to me."I couldn't. I couldn't let her in. I couldn't destroy her by showing her the monster I was becoming.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, the words barely audible. "I can't be with you. Not anymore."

And then I turned and walked away from her. From everything we had. From everything we could have been.

I left her standing there, the moonlight casting shadows over her face, her heart breaking as I disappeared into the darkness.

It was the only choice I had. The only choice I could live with.

And that was the last time I saw Elara.

I don't know if I was right. I don't know if I'll ever truly understand what I was trying to protect her from. All I know is that the memory of her, of what we shared, is the thing that haunts me every single day.

It was the only time I ever truly let go.

And now she's back. And everything I thought I had buried has come rushing back, pulling me under.

I never thought I'd have to face her again. But here she is.