The Prophesied Luna (completed)

Family Run

            After we were done with pitching our tent, I built a small fire for us to make dinner later on. We sat together as a family on the forest ground to take a rest, listening to the calming sound of the river and the gentle crackling of the small fire we had built while taking in the breathtaking sunset in front of us. Even Mirakel was silent and marveling at the sunset with us in my lap. The clouds looked like the work of an expert artist, who had used the sky as his canvas and painted swirling strokes of white, orange and yellow in different shades. My heart was full and instinctively, I reached out across the picnic mat, searching for my mate’s hand. 

            Brrrrrr 

            “Oopsy,” Mirakel exclaimed, “Tummy hungry!” We laughed at Mirakel’s announcement while my wolf rolled his eyes at our pup’s once again perfect timing. “Mama can make you some roasted potato and mashed avocados, Baby. How does that sound?” Kayla asked gently. Mirakel pouted and shook his head violently before whining, “Noooo! Hotdog! I want hotdog!” I shifted our pup so that I could look him in the eyes and said firmly, “Buddy, what did we say about whining?” Unhappy that he wasn’t getting his way, Mirakel burst into tears and started screaming for Kayla. My heart skipped a beat, hoping that my mate wouldn’t lash out at me for making our pup cry and to my relief, she took our pup into her arms but said in a firm and gentle voice, “Baby, I need you to stop crying and apologize. Remember what Papa said? Big boys talk, they don’t whine.” 

            “Ok.. ok, Mama,” Mirakel sniffled while trying hard to hold back his tears. “I sorry,” Mirakel said, glancing at Kayla and then at me. I was taken aback at how quickly our pup’s behavior took an about-turn and I gave him a gentle pat on the head before promising him a reward after dinner. That got his full attention and soon, all tears were dry and he sat patiently on the picnic mat while I roasted some potatoes and corn cobs for dinner. Kayla prepared mashed avocado for Mirakel and avocado toast for us. It was a simple dinner but I don’t think I have ever had such a wonderful dinner in my life under the darkening sky in the middle of a forest with my family. After dinner, Mirakel looked at me expectantly and I chuckled before taking out a small lunch box filled with marshmallows. “This box of marshmallows is for our entire trip and we have four more nights. Do you want to eat one marshmallow tonight or share one with Papa? If you share with Papa, then there’d be enough for the rest of the trip,” I explained to our little pup. I could tell it was a difficult decision for him but I thought it was important to teach him how to share and to enjoy delayed gratification from a young age. “Share!” He decided in the end and both Kayla and I beamed at each other, our hearts swelling with pride at the progress that our pup was making. 

            The sky was completely dark by now and I put out the fire to give our eyes some time to get used to the dark. Once we had adjusted, I helped Mirakel out of his clothes and Kayla helped him with his shift. “Think about your wolf, Baby, and think about Papa and Mama when you want to talk to us, ok?” Listening to Kayla’s instructions, our pup’s eyes began to glow dully and then brightly. Soon we could hear the sound of bones cracking and before us, stood a white fluffy little wolf pup. 

            Let’s shift, Kay.

            I removed my clothes in front of my pup and my mate, making no attempts to hide and I could feel the shyness from Kayla through our bond. It was satisfying to know that I still had that effect on her and I quickly shifted into my wolf, not wanting to keep our pup waiting. 

            Buddy, can you hear Papa?

            Yes, Papa. You so big! 

            My pup’s words made me chuckle and I looked up to see that Kayla had also shifted. 

            Alright, we’re going to go for a run together and I want you to stick close to Papa and Mama. Can you do that, Buddy?

            Yes, Papa! Let’s go! Let’s go!

            The excitement of our pup was making this run all the more special and even Kayla and her wolf were in a playful mood as they took off first, letting us chase after them. The cold wind against my fur felt good and I was amazed by how our little wolf pup was keeping up with us. 

            Are you tired, Buddy? Do you want Papa and Mama to slow down?

            No, no! 

            Mirakel’s wolf lunged at my wolf’s hind legs playfully while Kayla’s wolf pushed my wolf onto the ground gently. We tumbled around on the forest floor, play wrestling and chasing one another until Mirakel’s wolf was completely worn out and laid on the ground, refusing to get off his back. The sight of our little pup all sprawled out on the ground with his paws in the air and his head c****d to the side melted my heart and I nuzzled him while Kayla licked his fur. 

            I think it’s bedtime, Baby. What do you think, Papa?

            I agreed with Kayla and given how Mirakel’s wolf still refused to get up on his paws, I thought he had answered the question with his action. My wolf grasped our wolf pup gently in his mouth and we headed back to our campsite. Kayla and I both shifted back and I could see her blushing in the dark as she quickly grabbed a shirt to put on to cover her body but I pretended not to notice and cradled my pup in my arms, secretly admiring my beautiful mate. “Finn, let me talk to Mirakel and help him to shift back,” Kayla whispered with her head turned to the side, avoiding my naked body. I contemplated quickly about teasing my mate but decided against it, seeing how tired our pup was and not wanting him to sleep in his wolf form. After all, the night is still young, I thought sneakily. 

            Kayla took our little pup and started to whisper into his ears while I prepared our sleeping bag for the night. I couldn’t hold back my excitement as I rolled out the couple's sleeping bed and my wolf howled in delight that we’d be sleeping so closely to our mate for the next few nights. Soon, Kayla carried a snoring Mirakel into the tent and I zipped up the entrance after her, only to turn around and see her looking at me accusingly with a completely red face.

            If yesterday was a coincidence, how do you explain this! Why is there only one sleeping bag, Finn?

            Hey, it’s not my fault that you insisted on a couple’s sleeping bag when we bought our camping equipment a few years ago. You said it’s cold outside and it made more sense to sleep in the same sleeping bag. I completely agree with you, Kay. 

            I tried to look as innocent as possible as I climbed into the sleeping bed and patted the spot beside me. Kayla seemed to be considering something for a few minutes but I knew she had no other choice and waited excitedly for her to join me. Just as I had expected, she placed Mirakel beside me and laid down beside our pup. I sat up slightly to zip up the sleeping bag so we were all warm and snug as if we were in a little cocoon. There wasn’t much space with Mirakel between us and I decided to take a chance. With Mirakel’s head pressed against my chest, I reached out to pull Kayla closer to us before lightly brushing my fingers against her lips. Sensing no objection, I leaned in and kissed her gently while my hand caressed her face. The taste of her soft, warm lips was driving me crazy and I wanted more but I didn’t want to scare her off just when she had started to open up to me again. Not to mention, I couldn’t exactly do much with our little pup in between us and despite how adorable he is, a snoring pup didn’t exactly provide very romantic ambient music. 

            Goodnight, my sweet mate. I love you. 

Kayla’s POV

            My mind went blank as our lips touched. I tried to search my mind but couldn’t find a reason to push him away. The touch of his lips felt heavenly and it made me want more of him. Lust clouded my mind and I was glad when Finn pulled back, because I wasn’t so sure that I could have stopped myself from wanting more if he hadn’t. And it wouldn’t have been fair to him. I still wasn’t sure what I really wanted and perhaps it’d take a long time before I felt ready to plunge into a relationship again. For now, I was content with the status quo. Finn is the father of my pup and we’re a family. Nothing can change that, I understand that now but I wasn’t ready for more. One thing that therapy had helped me to understand was that before I could truly love someone, I had to first learn to love myself. My childhood after my seventh birthday was a nightmare and I couldn’t understand why my brother would cut off communications with me when he went to training school. I couldn’t figure out why the Luna at that time, who was also my guardian, would be so cold towards me unless there were others around. I was puzzled why the other kids never wanted to play with me and when they began to bully me, I naturally thought that something must be wrong with me, if not why wouldn’t anyone love me? 

            Gradually, I started to internalize everything and I thought that one day, if I were good enough that someone would love me. I did my best at school and when the Luna attended award ceremonies for academic excellence with me, I saw her beaming in pride, so I continued to do my best at school. On a field trip once, one of the girls wanted my packed lunch so I gave it to her and she ate lunch with me, so every time when someone wanted something of mine, I gave it to them without hesitation, hoping that in return, they’d like me. This need for acceptance and love followed me to adulthood and when Jake appeared to sweep me off my feet, rewarding me subtly for submitting to him at every turn, I naturally fell for it like Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole. “You accept the love that you think you deserve,” my psychiatrist explained in one of our sessions and only then did I realize that I needed to reprogram myself. It was easier said than done but I was determined to learn to be enough for myself and to truly love myself. 

            As Finn’s voice echoed in my head, I smiled in contentment, truly glad that for whatever reason, my mate loved me and even though I didn’t feel exactly the same, I felt a burning need to tell him that I did love him in my own way. 

            Goodnight, Finn, thank you for our little miracle and for this trip. I love you and our pup.