Two Sides of The Moon (Book 2)

9. Trust me!

“Would you answer me for once? What the h**l is going on here, Ellaire? Why is everyone like this? Why are they all acting like they’re living in a huge rainbow?” I asked, feeling somehow betrayed.

“What do you mean, my love? They are just happily living their beautiful lives, lives that I worked so hard to give them. Do you think that this was all built overnight?! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to do all of this alone?!” She yelled for the first time since we met.

“I-I…” I said when a trace of guilt slapped me like a blister.

“You what, Levi? You weren’t here! I felt abandoned in that d**n forest! Let me rot there like no one! I was all alone till Timothy found me. I owe so much to these people, to this Pack. They saved me and gave me a home. And instead of coming to find you, I chose to return the favour! That’s why it took us so long to meet again! Do you think that that was easy for me?! Uh?!” She said again with tears running down her face.

I stepped towards her, trying to reach for her hand, but she lifted her hand, asking me to stop.

“No, Levi! You will not touch me again before you fully trust me! I don’t know what happened to you all these years, but you are different! You are not my Levi anymore. It's like there is someone else that you care for. You look so distant all the time. What is happening? Is there something that you want to tell me about? Something that I should know?”

“What?! What are you talking about?” I asked, somehow hurt by her question, but my mind ran straight to the cloak-covered face and black eyes. I brushed the thought away, hoping that Ellaire didn’t notice the minor distraction and continued even if I wasn’t sure if it was me or her responsible for our actual situation anymore.

“I get that it was hard for you, ok? But how do you think it was for me? Do you think it was easy? Do you think that I lived my life to its fullest?!” I yelled, driven by the pain that was eating at my heart.

“I’ll tell you how it was! I lost you before I had the chance to know you, before I got the chance to enjoy your laugh, your smell and your kindness. I lost you and everything that day, Ellaire. I didn’t want to live anymore, not like that, not without you. So I left my brother, my home, left my family and got away, starting to hunt rogues, blaming them all for my loss and hoping that one day I would find my peace. But that day never came. The more I haunted, the worse it got. The guilt was eating me alive, the guilt of losing you. It was no use to blame the others, not even Samuel. It was all my fault. So, I have lived with this for the last four years, accepting my guilt. I accepted who I was; a loser, a lost soul that would not be able to ever live like the others. I lost everything, Ellaire!” I screamed at her and fell to my knees. My head bent in front of her, and my right hand automatically moved to hold on to my heart which was hurting like it was being ripped to pieces. I haven't felt that bad since the day I lost her.

“Levi, listen,” Ellaire said, getting closer but not touching me.

“We are both broken to pieces right now. It must have been as hard for you as it was for me. We can do this. We can be like we used to be and live the life we deserve. But we must do this together. We must trust each other, Levi. Otherwise, the bad influences and intentions will pull us apart. Don’t you think I don’t know how much you doubt me sometimes? I know, and it’s hurting me. We were made for each other; we are Mates, Levi. So, it is just you and me who can do this better than it is. It’s only us who can heal this ugly wound.” She said, holding a hand on her heart and one over my right hand, still closed in a fist next to my chest.

I looked her in the eyes and nodded my head before getting up.

“You are right, Ellaire. It’s only us. But I must know the whole story if you want me to trust you fully.” I said in a harsh and slightly cold voice. I could see it in her eyes, the avoidance. She wasn’t ready, or she didn’t want to tell me what had happened. I only hoped that it wasn’t as bad as I was afraid that’d be because I would go mad and probably make everyone pay for only touching a single hair of hers. Maybe that’s the reason she doesn’t want to tell me.

“You will. I will tell you everything over dinner. I swear. But who was that on the other side from earlier?” She asked, pointing at the shield.

My heart started beating like crazy and not because I was afraid, but because I remembered Aleera. It was strange how Ellaire made me forget about her in such a short time, but I think it is because of the bond. I was meant to be like this.

“What? Was someone there?!” I asked, choosing to play dumb. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I wanted to clarify with all the sparkling and stuff before Ellaire found out about the mysterious woman.

“There was, indeed. And I could swear I saw her talking with you.” She said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Talking? With me?” I added, laughing.

“Either I am deaf, or you are starting to have some serious vision problems, as all I could see was the dense fog that covered everything on the other side of the shield. Besides, if there was someone close, I am sure that I could have felt it, not that I got Shade back.”

“Is Shade back?! Like fully back?!” She asked, looking so excited.

“Mmm… well, not fully. But he comes more often than before. I think that it is you who made his return to me. I mean your presence. He could feel our bond again.” I said with a small smile, thinking how happy we could be.

“He can?!” Ellaire asked in a rushed and surprising way.

“Of course, he can. Why are you so surprised?!” I asked in a low voice.

“Oh, no. I’m not surprised. But sometimes, it gets longer for this to happen. I must have forgotten that my Mate is an Alpha King. So this must explain why the bond between you two is healing quickly.” She added, watching me with a too big smile plastering her face while her hands played together like dancing.

“Yeah… that must be the reason. Either way, I’m happy to have him back.”

“Me too, Levi. Me too.” Ellaire said, looking like she was in a trance and walking past me.

“Now, come on, we should get ready for dinner. It seems like we have more to celebrate tonight!” She added without stopping.

“It looks like that,” I said and followed her.