BOND OF THE FULL MOON

Chapter 3 Lily

I stared and blinked hard, as my mind scrambled to make sense of what I was seeing. My breath hitched, and my knees threatened to buckle. If not for the tales my grandmother had told me about werewolves, I might have been paralyzed with fear. But even in my wildest imagination, I’d never thought I would come face-to-face with one.

Elis… a werewolf?

My gaze flickered over his trembling, contorted body as he lay on the ground, writhing in visible agony. His muscles rippled beneath his skin, the remnants of his failed transformation leaving him stuck somewhere between man and beast. Yet, despite everything, there was something undeniably human in the way he struggled, something that pulled at me.

I took a cautious step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. Kneeling beside him, I hesitated only a moment before speaking. “Elis, I don’t know what’s happening to you,” I said softly, “but you can’t stay here like this. The woods aren’t safe, especially tonight.”

He didn’t respond at first, his labored breathing filling the silence as his body began to revert to its human form. Slowly, the claws retracted, his elongated limbs returned to normal, and his face lost the sharp, feral angles that had terrified me moments ago. Watching the transformation was mesmerizing - a strange, dark kind of beauty that left me awestruck.

“Amazing,” I whispered to myself, unable to look away.

Elis turned his head towards me, his emerald eyes clouded with exhaustion and pain. “After seeing me like this, you’re still not afraid?” His voice was hoarse, heavy with disbelief. “You still don’t think I’m dangerous?”

I held his gaze, considering his words carefully. Logically, I should have been terrified, but instead, I felt something entirely different: curiosity, maybe even compassion. There was something about him, something raw and vulnerable beneath the surface that made fear impossible.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I said, my voice steady. “I don’t think you can harm me.”

He stared at me like I’d spoken in a language he didn’t understand. I pressed on. “Come with me, Elis. I live with my grandmother at the edge of the forest. She knows all about herbal remedies, she can help you. I can help you.”

Elis shook his head, his expression a mixture of anguish and determination. “No,” he rasped. “Stay away from me, Lily. I can’t control myself under the full moon. Please… for your own safety.”

I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “You’re in no shape to be a threat to anyone,” I said, my tone firm but not unkind. “You don’t look dangerous to me.”

He rolled his eyes, the faintest hint of exasperation flickering across his face, and I couldn’t help but find it endearing. “If you don’t follow me home,” I added with a shrug, “then I guess I’ll just stay here with you all night.”

That made him pause. He glared at me, his expression unreadable, as if trying to decide whether I was brave or simply foolish. “You can’t be serious,” he muttered.

I didn’t waver, meeting his gaze with quiet resolve.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a resigned sigh. “Alright,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll go with you. But if anything happens…”

“Nothing will happen,” I interrupted with a small smile. “You’ll see.”

He gave me a look that said he wasn’t convinced, but he struggled to his feet anyway, swaying slightly as he tried to steady himself. I moved to his side instinctively, offering support, though he hesitated before accepting.

As we made our way through the forest, the moonlight casting long shadows around us, I couldn’t help but feel that this moment marked the start of something extraordinary, something I couldn’t yet begin to understand.

The walk home with Elis felt like an eternity. Each step was heavy, his weight pressing on my shoulder as I supported him. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, the shadows shifting under the pale glow of the full moon. But finally, after what felt like hours, we reached the small, cozy cottage I had called home for all the years of my life.

As we approached the threshold, Elis froze abruptly. His body tensed, his gaze flickering over the house as though he could sense something unseen.

“It’s safe,” I said softly, trying to reassure him. “Come on in.”

He hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded and stepped inside. I led him to the living room, guiding him to the longest sofa and helped him stretch out. His movements were slow, deliberate, as though every shift of his body caused him pain.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmured, watching him settle. He looked at me briefly, exhaustion visible all over his face, and then he closed his eyes.

I hurried to my grandmother’s room, my pulse quickening as I gently pushed the door open. “Grandma,” I called softly.

Grandma Miriam stirred, dragging her aged body into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Her silvery hair was disheveled, her lined face a mixture of weariness and concern.

“Lily,” she said, her voice hoarse. “What took you so long?”

I hesitated, unsure how to explain everything I had seen. “I… I found someone in the woods,” I began cautiously.

Her eyes widened in shock. It was the first time either of us had encountered anyone in the forest. Our lives were simple and isolated, with human contact limited to occasional trips to the nearest town miles away.

“You found someone?” she repeated, disbelief lacing her tone.

“He was hurt,” I explained quickly. “I couldn’t just leave him there, Grandma. He was in pain, and he could barely breathe. So, I brought him here to help.”

Her expression shifted from shock to horror. “Lily, how could you bring a stranger from the woods into our home? And during the full moon, of all nights?”

She shook her head, her hands trembling as they gripped the edge of the blanket. “What if he’s dangerous?”

“He’s not,” I said firmly. “I know it sounds crazy, but I can feel it, Grandma. He’s not a threat.”

Her gaze bore into mine, searching for a sign - certainty, perhaps, or reassurance. “Are you sure we’re safe?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, ma,” I replied, my voice steady.

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded reluctantly and leaned back against the pillows. “Be careful, Lily,” she said, her tone heavy with worry.

“I will.”

I rushed to the kitchen, my hands moving on autopilot as I prepared two cups of my grandmother’s special herbal tea. The familiar ritual calmed me, though my thoughts were anything but steady. One cup for her, one for Elis.

I delivered my grandmother’s tea first, watching as she sipped it slowly, her eyes still clouded with concern. Then, I returned to Elis, who was lying on the sofa, his breathing slightly more even.

He looked up when I approached, his emerald eyes locking onto mine. “Here,” I said softly, kneeling beside him. “This will help.”

I held the cup to his lips, helping him drink. His hand brushed mine as he took the cup from me, and a strange current ran through me - a sensation unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

His breathing steadied further as he finished the tea, and he relaxed slightly against the cushions. But his gaze never left mine, and I could see something flicker in his eyes - gratitude, yes, but also something deeper, something unspoken.

And, to my surprise, I realized I felt it too. Something inexplicable. Something that made my heart race and my skin tingle.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, unable to speak, and sat back, my thoughts spinning as the strange connection between us settled like an invisible thread binding us together.

After he had taken the herbal tea, Elis relaxed visibly. The tension in his shoulders eased, and the pained furrow in his brow smoothed out. His breathing grew steady, and his expression softened into something almost peaceful.

I sat across from him, still as a statue, watching him. He watched me too for a time, his emerald eyes holding mine as if searching for something unspoken. Gradually, his eyelids grew heavy, and he succumbed to the pull of sleep.

As he lay there, his features finally serene, I couldn’t look away. There was something about him, something beyond the mystery of the woods or the odd circumstances of our meeting. An aura surrounded him, a quiet, magnetic pull I couldn’t resist.

My gaze lingered on his face, tracing the sharp curve of his jaw, the way his dark lashes rested against his cheek, the slight parting of his lips. He was too beautiful for a man and there was a charm in his features that I couldn’t deny. My heart raced at the thought, a fluttering feeling I’d never known before.

And then there was that longing - a yearning I couldn’t quite understand, but it tugged at my core with an intensity that left me breathless. A strange thought crossed my mind, one that both shocked and embarrassed me. A part of me wanted to lean closer, to press my lips against his and feel the warmth of his skin.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the thought, but my eyes betrayed me. They stayed fixed on him, unable to look away. He was breathtaking.

Just then, his eyes snapped open.

I froze. His gaze locked with mine, and the air between us altered. It felt heavy, charged with an energy I couldn’t name. We stared at each other, neither of us speaking, neither of us moving. The connection between us was electric, an invisible thread pulling us closer despite the space that remained between us.

For what felt like an eternity, we were trapped in that moment, our eyes speaking the words our lips could not.

Then, without warning, Elis jerked upright. His movements were sharp, almost frantic, as he swung his legs over the side of the sofa and stood.

“Elis….” I began, but before I could say another word, he turned and strode to the door.

His steps were quick, purposeful, as if he had made some silent decision. He pulled the door open, the cold night air rushing in, and walked out without so much as a glance back.

I jumped to my feet, rushing to the doorway. “Elis, wait!” I called after him, but he was already disappearing into the darkness, his figure swallowed by the shadows of the forest.

The night was eerily quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. My heart pounded as I stood there, staring into the void.

Why did he leave? Where was he going?

But the most chilling question was the one I didn’t dare ask aloud: What had I just seen in his eyes before he left?