Bound by the Moon

Elena~4

Werewolves were tight knit species and more often than not, their supporters were the exact same way. Information wasn’t easily extracted from us, as it was only passed down to the most trusted sources.

Old Gum Road was located at the most rural part of my town where the residents were dedicated to a simple way of life. To avoid suspicion, I walked through the town with my head held low so as not to attract any attention.

While the residents of Old gum Road were strictly conservative and evidently “anti-Lycan”, it remained ironic that the largest hangout of werewolves in any human state was located in these parts.

The warehouse was a staple landmark as the factory it was connected to had served as an artillery production until during the Cold War. Now, its store served to protect the very same creatures it had once tried to exterminate.

I approached the warehouse with my face carefully hidden under my hood. I knocked on the metal door twice in rapid succession. The air was still as a rectangular eyehole emerged from the far corner of the door. An angry pair of eyes regarded me through the opening.

“Come closer.” The gruff voice beckoned me, and I shifted nervously. “What gives you life?”

I took a deep breath. “I believe in the moon and its power. Every breath given came from Luna and to her we shall return.”

The man hummed. “Step back as I open the door.”

After following his brute instructions, a small space emerged from the side for me to squeeze myself into. I grunted as I came out on the other side, my eyes adjusting to the darkness in the warehouse.

I felt the presence of the gatekeeper by my side. “A human. What is your mission?”

“I have no mission. I am an ally of your kind. I simply seek an audience with one Lycan.”

The man eyed me suspiciously, but led me down the empty warehouse anyway. Our footsteps echoed heavily in the hollow space, but I knew that we were not the only ones present.

We reached the farthest end of the wall, and inched towards a metal circle that served as the cover to the underground tunnels. The man stepped forward, cracking his neck from side to side before he rolled the metal away like it weighed nothing.

Inside the tunnel came the brightest light and I could already hear the friendly chatter that was happening inside.

I crawled into the hole, jumping when the opening was sealed shut behind me. The end of the tunnel led to a bottomless pit and anyone without prior knowledge would assume they had reached a deadend.

Instead, as I reached above me, my hand grazed the cold metal of the drop down ladder. I pulled it down, drawing the ladder until it reached the very end. I started down the ladder, following the steps as they took me deeper into the ground.

The ladder was a new contraption added by the Lycans to be more inclusive of their fellow human supporters. The Lycans on the other hand, armed with their superhuman strength, simply jumped from the end of the tunnel seeing as they landed on their feet without any injuries.

I knew the hidden Lycan settlement was nearly five levels underground, so there was no room for slipping lest I fell to my untimely end.

I gripped the ladder with all my strength until, taking each step carefully until my feet touched the ground.

I turned around, squinting as the light rays pierced my sensitive eyes. I held my hand out in front of my face until my eyes adjusted to the intense lighting.

The warehouse settlement looked exactly the way it did the first time I visited and it was absolutely magnificent.

The walls of the large space were littered with fairy lights and vines that seemed to span on forever. It was one big hall with several segments that had their own individual themes. A werewolf had once told me that the divisions simply represented the original wolves of old, who had formed the Lycan community despite being from different tribes.

Still, they lived together under one roof— a symbol of their joint existence and oneness.

I pulled my hood tighter over my face as I wandered down one side of the hall, ensuring I was as inconspicuous as possible.

While the Lycan community in general were grateful for their human allies, not all of them accepted us. This was their territory and having someone on the side of the enemy encroaching on their apace often incited feelings of anger and resentment.

My attention was stolen by the clinking sound of a bottle as it banged against the wall. It came from the large figure hidden in the darkness, bright amber eyes meeting mine even as the liquid sloshed down his chin.

I stepped closer, gasping loudly when I realized who it was.

The Lycan from last night—Erik, didn’t look as delighted to see me.

“You again.” He huffed, wiping at his drenched chin with the back of his hand. “What are you even doing here?”

“You left me! I don’t owe you anything.”

He chuckled. “You seemed perfectly fine on your own princess. Don’t blame me for trying to escape your kind.”

“Don’t call me that.” I eyed him wearily. “It's ten o'clock in the morning. Is there a reason why you are chugging vodka for breakfast?”

“None of your business, princess. Get lost before someone tosses you out.”

Ignoring all the alarms ringing in my head, I inched closer.