Moonshadow Pact

Chapter 3: Pack Life

Chapter 3: Pack Life

Lucian led Elara from the fire. They walked between tents. Lycans watched them. Hard looks, some just looked. No one spoke.

Elara felt eyes on her back. Walked close to Lucian. His hand held hers. Only real thing in this strange place.

“Where go?” Elara asked. Looked at Lucian. Face hard to read. Eyes not cold now. Maybe warmer. Not angry.

“My tent,” Lucian said. “Stay with me.”

Stay with him? Tent? Heart beat fast. What mean? Guest? Something else? Close?

Did not ask. Walked with him. Between tents. Tents dark. Animal skins. Smoke, animal smell. Wild.

Tent a little away. Bigger than others. Darker. Alone, edge of open space, woods close.

Lucian stopped at tent. Let go Elara’s hand. Turned to her. Silver eyes on her face. “This it,” he said. “My tent. Our tent, now.”

Our tent? Said “our.” What mean? Elara looked tent. Dark shape night. Nervous inside. Did not show it. Looked back at Lucian. Tried strong look.

Lucian saw face. Small smile. Not wolf smile. Warmer. “Not much,” he said. “But safe. Warm. Come.”

Moved to tent opening. Pulled skin flap back. Rough sound. Looked at Elara. Waited.

Elara breathed. Walked to tent. Went inside.

Dark inside first. Darker than out. Could not see. Eyes used to dark. Small fire in middle tent. Not big fire. Little light. Little heat.

Tent small inside. Round. Animal skins ground. Soft, thick. Like bed. Furs, blankets corner. Simple things. Not bad. Different. Wild.

Lucian came in. Closed tent flap. Darker inside. Fire enough light. See Lucian. See tent. See each other.

He looked Elara. Waited for her look around. See. Feel. Watched her face. Know what she thought.

Elara looked around tent. Then Lucian. “It’s…” looked for word. “Different,” she said. “From house.”

Lucian smiled little. “Yes,” he said. “Not Silverwood house. Lycans’ tent. Different world.”

Different world. Yes. Right. Different world now. Lycans. Woods, howls, silver eyes. World with Lucian.

“Sit,” Lucian said. Moved to furs, blankets. Sat down. Looked Elara. Showed her sit too.

Elara moved to furs. Sat down. Soft under her. Warmer than night. Felt little better. Less cold. Still nervous.

Lucian watched her. No speak moment. Just looked. Silver eyes… looked. Always looked. See too much?

“Scared?” Lucian asked. Voice quiet. Softer. Almost gentle.

Scared? Yes. Scared. Did not say it. No weak look. Not him. Not wild place.

“Little,” Elara said. Quiet voice too. Not shaky. Tried strong sound. “But… also… not.”

Lucian smile back. Little bigger. “Not scared me?” he asked. “Lycans?”

Elara looked him. Lycans. Wolf men. He one. Leader. Alpha. Yes. Scared. But… not. Not really. Not him. Not now.

“No,” Elara said. “Not you.” True. Scared woods. Unknown. New world. Not Lucian self. Not silver eyes look.

Lucian nodded slow. Looked pleased. “Good,” he said. “No need scared me. No hurt you, Elara. Not you.”

Not her. Why not her? Different? Special? Like said old Lycan? What special her? Just Elara.

“Why I here, Lucian?” Elara asked. Had to know. Had to ask. “Why bring me here? What want from me?”

Lucian looked her long time. Eyes deep. Silver water look. Could not read face. Eyes… told something. Important. Serious.

“I told you,” Lucian said. Low voice. Serious. “Brought you here future, Elara. Real future. Not Silverwood life.”

“But… what future?” Elara asked. “Future Lycans? I human. Don’t know Lycans.”

“You learn,” Lucian said. “You smart. You strong. Learn fast. And… not just human, Elara.”

Not just human? What mean? Born human. Lived human. What else be?

“What else I am?” Elara asked. Looked right at him. Waiting answer. Important. Feel it. Why brought her here. Secret.

Lucian leaned closer. Silver eyes shone firelight. Voice lower. Whisper. “You… ours, Elara,” he said. “Meant be with us. Lycans.”

Ours? Meant be? Confused. Little scared again. Ours… like thing? Belong them? Lycans? What he mean?

“Meant be?” Elara asked. No like sound that. “What mean, meant be? No know Lycans before tonight.”

Lucian shook head little. “You no know,” he said. “But… blood knows. Heart knows. Deep inside… you Lycan, Elara.”

Lycan blood? Lycan heart? Inside her? Crazy. She human. Felt human. Not wolf. Not like him.

“No,” Elara said. Shook head too. “I not. I human. Just human.”

Lucian reached out. Took her hand again. Warm hand now. Or her hand colder before. Held her hand tight. Looked eyes. Deep, silver eyes.

“Look me, Elara,” Lucian said. “Look my eyes. And tell me… you feel nothing. Tell me… you just human.”

Elara looked him. Eyes. Silver light dark tent. His eyes… strong. Wild. Something else. Pulled her in. Forget breathe.

Looked his eyes. And felt… something. Strange. New. Wild. Like woods howl. Like woods smell. Like Lucian self.

Feeling… deep inside. Part of her asleep… wake up. Stretch. Want… run. Bite. Howl. Wild thing. Not human.

She felt it. Yes. Felt it. But… no real. Could it? Lycan blood? Inside her? Just stories. Myths. Not real life.

But… Lucian real. Tent real. Lycans out real. Feeling inside… real too.

Looked Lucian’s eyes. No lie. Not him. Not self. Not now.

“I… I feel something,” Elara said. Whisper voice. No want say loud. But had to. “Something… strange.”

Lucian’s eyes brighter. Smiled. Real smile now. Not wolf smile. Warm smile. Changed face. Looked… almost… gentle. Still wild too. Always wild.

“Yes,” Lucian said. “You feel it. Lycan blood. In you, Elara. In family. Generations. Hidden. But now… now time wake up.”

Lycan blood family? Generations? Hidden? Head spin. Too new things. Too fast. No think straight.

“My family?” Elara asked. “My mother? Father? They… Lycans?” Hard say word. Lycans. Still story sound.

Lucian nodded. “Your mother,” he said. “She Lycan. Hidden Lycan. Left pack years ago. Live human world. Hide. Protect you.”

Her mother? Lycan? Quiet, gentle mother? Books, flowers? Wolf woman? Impossible. Maybe… not. Elara thought mother. Dark eyes. Woods love. Her… different. Like Elara felt self.

“My mother…” Elara said again. No say more. Mind full. Too new ideas.

“She loved human man,” Lucian said. “Your father. She left pack for him. But… Lycan blood no just go away. Stays. In you. You her daughter. You Lycan too, Elara.”

Mother left pack? Father? Human man? Elara Lycan because mother? Like story. Crazy, wild story. But Lucian’s eyes… real. Tent real. Feeling inside… real too.

“But… I human,” Elara said again. “Lived human life. I don’t… change. Wolf. Like you.” Looked him. Strong body. Silver eyes. Wild in him. She not like that. No be.

Lucian smiled little. Sad smile now. “Not yet,” he said. “Human life… keeps blood sleep. But here… woods… pack… wake up. Your Lycan side… come out, Elara.”

Wake up? Lycan side come out? Two people one body? Scary sound. And exciting. Both again. Like all with Lucian.

“How?” Elara asked. “How it… wake up?”

Lucian moved closer again. Very close now. Felt his heat. Wild smell. Silver eyes right in hers. Tell secret. Very important secret.

“Moon,” Lucian whispered. Voice rough, soft, wild. “Moon our mother, Elara. Moon calls blood. Moon… change you.”

Moon. Looked up. Tent opening. No see moon. Clouds still hid it. But knew there. Up above. Watching. Listening. Calling.

Moon… Lycan blood… Lucian’s silver eyes… wild feeling inside… Everything change. Everything new. Everything… start.

Elara looked back Lucian. Face close hers. Eyes… waiting. What want her say? What want her do? Go with it? Fight it? No know. Only knew… felt something. Wake up. Wild thing. Lycan.

“Moon…” Elara said. Just words. Meant more words. Meant… yes. Maybe. No know. But ready find out. Ready change. Ready what coming. With Lucian. Woods. Moon.

Lucian smiled. Real smile again. This time… warm too. Little. Warm and wild. “Yes, Elara,” he said. “Moon. And… me.”

Moved closer. Face next hers now. Felt his breath skin. Warm breath. Wild breath. Lycan breath.

“Let me show you,” Lucian whispered again. “Let me show you… moon magic. And… your own.”

Then, he did.

(Chapter 3 End - Shortened Version)