Bound by the Moon

Erik~7

Moments later, Elena and I settled in one of the shell nets in the warehouse. There were roughly eight other occupants and all eyes turned to us as we walked in.

Maybe we made the wrong choice. Or not.

My group of friends walked in shortly after, snickering and sending teasing glances my way.

I understood their mannerisms.

They hadn’t seen a woman that close to me since Irene.

The thought of her name brought a bitter taste to my mouth. I slapped my tongue against the roof of my mouth repeatedly to get rid of it.

“Are you alright?”

She had caught the irritation on my face, and I tried to readjust immediately.

“Yeah. Sure.”

We found our space in the big circle that had formed and joined in on the ongoing games.

After minutes of hysterical laughter, tears running down their cheeks, and heads thrown back, Fred, the organizer, coughed.

It was a call to action. I knew.

Everyone’s laughter suddenly wound down, and all the attention turned to Fred.

“There’s a new face in our midst. Why don’t we get to meet her.”

The spotlight was suddenly on Elena.

I watched her turn beetroot red as her eyes flew open. I could have sworn, I saw her soul make its escape.

Her lips parted but no words came out.

I smiled.

They didn't have to put her on the spot like that.

When she glanced at me again, I propped my head to the side reassuringly and inched closer.

That was the best reassurance I could offer.

Just as my senses began to get lost in her scent, a growl itching behind my throat, she found her voice causing me to sit straight.

“I-I’m Elena.”

“Hello, Elena,” a response erupted.

I hadn’t expected that level of acceptance. It sounded like an AA meeting and I was stunned.

She was too.

My idle left her crawled behind her and found its rest at the bottom of her back, patting and circling.

I was losing myself. Hard.

Elena continued to speak and I listened to every word as she narrated her journey this far. She evaded the question on what led her to advocacy but dealt squarely on her mission at the warehouse and about how much concern she had for the lycans.

“I’m a victim of being subjected to a fate I do not deserve. I understand what it is for the people you exist with to suddenly turn on you and threaten your existence. I have lived it. For years, I have faced the struggle and rebuilt a life different from the one I was used to. The reason isn’t far-fetched but I cannot focus on my past now. The Lycans have done nothing to be treated with as much disdain from the race closest to them. I came here today to say I wasn’t giving up on the freedom you all deserve and ask for any one of you willing enough to stand beside me. Your plight can only be expressed from a person experiencing the consequences of the fate they have been subjected to but…”

“They’re out! The meeting’s over! We have a lunar baby!”

The cry that erupted from the general space caused an instant uproar in the warehouse, instantly bringing the meeting to an end, and everyone ran out from the corner they had pitched in.

Word spread around quicker than wildfire, and the mood of the warehouse plunged into celebration.

If there was anything lycans knew how to do exceptionally well, it was party.

And here was another one.

With Elena present to witness it.

The speakers blasted music that filled the air, and bodies jumped and swayed into view. My left had wrapped around my stomach as I chucked at the excitement that replaced the earlier tension in the air.

“Join me?”

I didn’t know when those two words flew out of my mouth. My palms were stretched out to her before I had any chance to think about it.

Internally, I gave myself a mental ass whooping. Unable to meet her gaze and search for her reaction to my question, my eyes lingered on my palm hoping it’ll be filled with her soft, tiny fingers.

Warmth finally.

She occupied the vacuum my wide palm provided. I encircled it and pulled her with me to where the party was bubbling.

Straight of any musical movie that comes to mind, we danced with the rest of the lycans, almost in sync as though we had practiced the choreography for days.

Everyone was on par, our muscles stretching, feet rising and falling, and hips swaying to the upbeat tempo of the celebratory song. Till a commotion broke out and sweaty bodies tumbled over each other.

Instantly, the warehouse erupted in the wildest laughter, and some moved to assist all the bodies that decided to relax on the ground.

It was certainly a fulfilling sight.

“I think I should go,” the warmest fingers slid up my shoulder as she leaned closer to my back and whispered in my ears.

“Oh.”

That was my body reaction dominating my thoughts. I cleared my throat to rekindle my thought process rather than savor the warmth that had begun to engulf my entire body.

She pulled her hand back as I turned around. I immediately missed the touch.

“Sure. I’ll help you out of here.”

I was sure no one else, the Lycan who brought her in especially, was going to leave the moment to usher her out so I had no choice.

Before now, the fear of Elena trying to rope me into her freedom-fighter cause would have held me back from seeing her off but after the moments on the dance floor, I had seriously been reconsidering my response.

The hurt evident in her eyes as she tried to sell why she had taken this path and the tiny glimpse of hope that shone while she presented the lycans with her dream for them.

I had many questions to ask just for clarity purpose or so you can beat up the people who caused her hurt in the first place.

I rolled my eyes at my intrusive thoughts again. Whatever it was, I could see her genuineness.

So help her?

No.

Why?

Shut up! It doesn’t work that way.

What if…

“Are you okay?” I heard concern in her tone and I looked to see I had been standing at the bottom of the tunnel for a minute while she had gotten ahead.

Rather than a response, my claws clinged to the wall and I crawled out in seconds.

“Thanks for helping me out. Good night.”

“I’ll help you,” I shook my head because that had come out more stupidly than I rehearsed.

“I’m willing to join forces to help the lycans,” I corrected myself as she sprung around to face me.

Elena’s face looked like she had seen a ghost. The shock was replaced as her face lit up instantly. My inner wolf performed its special celebratory dance within me.

I tried the hardest to suppress my smile. I didn’t know what that meant.

“So, you’ll run me through your plan?”

Her head flew up and down repeatedly within seconds.

I smiled.

I walked her into town and she downloaded how we would get to work on this project.

The evident fear that had clouded me initially had been replaced by inner satisfaction as I watched Elena run through so passionately.