Eclipse On Luna

Chapter-2

[Irene Miles’ POV]



“Irene, are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” This might be the thousandth time he was asking this same question. I was barely able to block my memories from him. If he knew I was trying to infiltrate the game by being on the maiden’s side, he would never let me go. 

“Zane. I am sure. Please stop asking me the same question. It’s only a matter of a few weeks.” Even though his face remained as impassive as it used to be most of the time. When he showed emotions, it weakened me to the core. He was peering at me. It seemed he had something to say, but was holding back. Did he notice that I was lying to him? Or did he come to know about the real purpose of the medicine? Which one was it? “Is there something you want to tell me?” I asked him cautiously.

He travelled the distance between the bed and the couch, where he was sitting, within seconds and hugged me without saying a word. I hugged him back, peeping over his shoulder. I could feel his erratic heartbeats against my chest. “I miss you.” He said after a very long hug.

I chuckled, “but I am standing right in front of you. In your arms…”

“I miss you anyway.” He kissed my neck and warm currents ran through my body. I raised my body on my toes and kissed his Adam’s apple, the bottom of his neck and his collarbone. “What are you doing?” He asked, looking at me, as he pulled himself from the hug.

“Trying to distract you so you don’t miss me.” I scrunch my nose with a smile. His smile brightens and reboots me without fail every single time. I held his shoulders and gave him a peck. He slightly rubbed his nose with mine and kissed my forehead. We hugged again and I snuggled on his chest. We swayed slightly as I blanketed my hand on his back and he stroked me gently. It was warm, comfortable and so relaxing. He kissed my hair and played with it. He ruffled them and then combed them with his fingers. 

“Have a safe journey to Roginash.” His low and caressing voice warmed me up even more. “You are going there alone and I know I shouldn’t worry, but I do. For me, just stay safe, Irene.”

My eyes were closed against his chest and my soul was asleep in his heartbeats, “hmm. I am your strong moon.”

He chuckled once and hmmed from the back of his throat. I could feel his every movement in my complete body, even those undetectable vibrations of his vocal cords. “You are my strongest Luna, my mate, my wife, my entire life. But are you sure you will go there alone?”

He said, and I pulled myself out of his embrace. “Zane!” I said, annoyingly. 

“Don’t be mad. I am not asking you to take me with you. But you are the ruler of this grand Cariezer pack…”

“I’ll be fine. I have made thousands of trips from Azalea to Roginash alone. Moreover, I will be disguised as a commoner, so… you needn’t worry.”

“Ok. Send my greetings to Ajax and the others.” I nodded, faking a smile. He kissed my cheeks and smiled. His smile was, is and will always be, my weakness. No matter how mad I am at him, he smiles and my anger melts away.

I was about to leave the next morning. I was nervous about all that, too. My plan was to reach the ladies who were abducted and become a part of them so that I could protect them internally until Zane and his army attack. In the chaos, I would find the right opportunity and escape to Roginash. Since I would wear the mask, that would not only give me a different identity but also hide my scent. 

Zane wouldn’t find out. A perfect plan. I asked one of my spies to look deeper into the conditions when those ladies were abducted, and he informed me that the abductions mostly occurred in isolated places and mostly during twilight. And most of the abductions took place near the Nyxia fountain in Nodia, the territory occupied by the Umbra pack.

Nyxia fountain was near the Sealed sea. That is what we call the sea hitting the western coasts of Lycanaria. The sea, Theo sealed with his life to save us. The rumours about the Sealed sea spread, the beaches and coastal areas were abandoned and people moved into central parts. Nyxia fountain, which once used to be a tourist spot especially for maidens and unmarried women, was abandoned too. I had heard about an annual festival that used to take place every year in the Umbra pack. At that festival, unmarried ladies from all over the world visited the fountain, offered it a gold coin and myth says they could see the vague reflection of their mate in the fountain's water. 

Given how magical the fountain was, obviously it attracted maidens, irrespective of the rumours of the Sealed sea, maidens secretly visited it. That was where I needed to go. 

I laid on the bed and covered myself with the blanket. Strangely, Zane had slept without being clingy or kissing me good night. There must have been many things on his mind. I thought. I watched him sleep like an infant.

He looks so ethereal. No matter how long I gazed at him, I could never get tired. I kissed his forehead and placed my head next to him on his pillow. I shut my eyes. I felt him move, probably changing sleeping position. 

It was then I felt his soft lips touch mine. He snuggled his way into my arms, finally burying his face in my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, playing with his hair. 

She is so warm, soft and secure. I heard his thoughts and smiled, kissed his hair, “good night, Zane.”

He kissed my cleavage. “Good night, Irene.” His words against my skin always felt so good. My chin rested on his head and I lost the track of time we fell asleep, cuddling together.

***

Early in the morning, I disguised myself in normal clothes. An above knee cotton, cream, full sleeves and high neck gown. Underneath it was a brown legging. For safety, I strapped two daggers around my thighs with thigh belts. Of course, it hid under my gown. I was wearing brown leather boots with thick metallic soles. 

“Irene, take the sword.”

“No.”

“Take it.”

“I won’t need it.”

“You never know.”

“Zane! I have daggers.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“That’s more than enough.”

“Don’t argue with me. You are taking the sword with you or I am coming with you.”

I knit my brows and sighed heavily. “Fine!” I snatched the sword from his hand and tucked it into my waist belt as I paced across the room, gathering the last things I would need for the journey. “You are always like this whenever I go anywhere.” I was agitated by Zane. I knew he was stubborn, but at times, it was too much to handle.

“It’s because I am worried about you.”

“I know you are! But I can take care of myself on my own. I don’t need protection. People seek it from me.”

“I know you can, but that can’t worry me any less.” His voice had a hint of annoyance and anger, but wasn’t overpowered by those emotions. Just like Zane, no matter how angry he was, he always maintained his cool.

We left our room together. He walked by my side to the horse he had arranged last night. We crossed the last hallway, finally leading to the backyard. “All you want me to do is stay in the palace and stay out of everything else.” I murmured.

He stopped and held my hand and made me look at him, “no, I don’t. I am your husband, Irene. It is my responsibility to worry about you and care for you. But you have complete freedom…”

“Oh really? Last time I went out on my own, why were the royal guards following me? You arranged them, right? I noticed them even before I started the journey. That is the amount of trust and freedom I have. Tell me you didn’t send them…”

Zane sighed, and then he held my shoulders. “Irene,” he took my name calmly, looking into my eyes. “You are the Luna of the biggest pack. You are no longer a commoner. I hope you know that. There are many enemies you see and then there are cowards you don’t. Being under protection all the time is not a choice but compulsion. There are thousands of eyes on us. Our one wrong move and we could lose it all. You could lose me and I could lose you. It’s not binding you or taking away your freedom. I am doing what should be done. You asked me not to come along. I didn’t. But I sent those trusted guards to keep an eye around you. That day, they reported five attacks which they nullified before they could reach you. It is their job, Irene. Please don’t be mad.”

“I understand, Zane.” I cupped his cheeks. “But sometimes I just need some space. I knew about those attacks and also that your guards did an excellent job. I understand your concerns. But honestly, I feel suffocated with these Luna duties and being surrounded by so many people all the time.”

“You will become habitual of royal life, Irene.”

I averted my eyes and looked at the exit of the palace, “you have arranged those guards again, haven’t you?” I asked, without looking at him.

“It’s for your safety.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was leaving, and I didn’t want to leave with a heated argument. In the two years of our marriage, Zane and I have fought many times, and it always took me days to finally make things up with him. And most of the time it was over him, being unnecessarily worried about me. 

I opened my eyes. “Take back your orders from them. They aren’t following me this time, not even from some distance.”

“I won’t. I am sorry.”

I clenched my jaws and tried hard not to glare at him. “What do you want? You want me to be caged in this palace forever? Is that what you want?”

“You are overreacting, Irene. Once you are in Roginash, they will return.”

“They are not important for my safety, are they? They are to spy on me because my husband doesn’t trust me. Isn’t it?”

“Irene, you are making a hill out of a mole. I have given you all my reasons. As for trusting you… I trust you more than myself.” He said in a serious, impassive tone. He looked upset. In a rage, I didn’t know or care about what I said. That was my biggest flaw and no matter how much I tried to stay sane, I couldn’t.

“Prove it, your trust in me, prove it. Just this time, let me go on my own without those guards and, after this time, I promise I will always go with those guards.” There was no way I could allow them to tag along with me this time. They would immediately inform Zane that I was not heading to Roginash but Nodia. He would quickly guess what I was up to and stop me immediately. Because of this, many innocent maidens will lose their lives. 

He stood stoically, peering at me. I could see him clench and unclench his jaws. “Now I need to prove my trust to you?” He asked abstractly. He bobbed his head, “ok. If that is what you want. But then you will have to caress my worries for one last time. I will ask you all the questions that are in my mind and I will trust you to tell me only the truth.”

“Ok.”

“Where are you heading to?”

I hesitated initially, “Roginash.” I said, looking into his eyes.

“When will you return?”

“Two weeks, at most.”

“Fine. I trust you, Irene. My guards won’t follow you this time. Have a safe journey.” He said with a faint smile. 

I lied to him, and I had this strange clench in my chest about it. I felt like I was doing something really wrong, but then again, it was for the right cause, so… moreover, I would never let him find out about it. After this, he would be busy with planning the attack on Umbra pack too. 

But I can’t lie to him, I don’t want to. “Zane!” I paused for some time, thinking about what I should do, and then I decided to make this lie come true. I would go to Roginash. “I love you,” I said. 

He pulled me into a hug. “Come back soon, ok? I am waiting for you.”

“I will.” I gave a quick kiss on his lips and set off on my journey. My plans had changed in the initial stage. I would go to Roginash and then take the shortest way to Nodia through the Lux pack. Like this, I wouldn’t be lying to Zane and save the maidens at the same time.

I reached Roginash by evening. It was good to see the people of Azalea and Roginash mix so well. Since I didn’t hear any footsteps or galloping other than my horse’s on the way, I was sure that Zane’s guards weren’t coming after me. My face was covered with the red scarf Zane had given me when I ran away from Azalea to visit Roginash for the first time after my rebirth. That scarf has been my partner for my every journey since then.

After smiling at the entrance of Roginash, seeing two cultures and packs unite as one, I immediately headed to the Liberta corridor, which was a stretch of dense forests that weren’t controlled by any pack. It would lead me straight to Nodia and it would also be the fastest way. The Liberta corridor was the untouched forests where the common people rarely visited. But it was more often used by spies, rogues who didn’t want to go to Roginash. There were paths cut through the long stretches of the Liberta corridor almost all over Lycanaria that were used to travel between the different packs.

Since I always had business between Azalea and Roginash, I had never really used that corridor before. It was my first time there. Initially, it was dark, in shades of viridian and black like normal forests with typical humidity, the scent of soil, damp tree stumps with green moss, the crunching of leaves as my horse galloped. Croaking of crows and then shooting out of branches abruptly, constant chirping of birds, insects sprinting by, rustling of winds through the trees. Everything was normal until I heard a harmonising vocal song. Hearing it, I felt sadness, yearning, pain, agony that stifled and ached my heart. It was a beautiful melody to the ears, but a curse to the heart. My heart raced against my chest. It was suffocating, but at the same time I was curious who was singing it.

“Don’t go after it. Sometimes it is better to unhear the heard.” I heard Mercy, my wolf’s voice in my head. 

“You have already made a blunder by choosing this path. Why do you think it has been abandoned by society? Hearing such songs at the start of the journey is ominous,” Fenrir’s voice echoed in my head.

“You know, if I take the right path, I will have to cross through the packs and then Zane will come to know…”

“You fool. Do you think he will never come to know about this? Be it for a good cause or whatever. He will not take this lightly when he comes to know about it.” Fenrir said in an annoyed tone.

“I know, and that is why I will never let Zane come to know about it.” Talking to them distracted me from that voice and I continued on the path without deviating from it. 

“You are adding poisonous vines to your relationship, Irene. Trust me, I am a man and I know how he might react when he finds out.” Here he goes again with his man’s feelings. Fenrir had gotten into the habit of telling me how Zane might feel as a man in different scenarios in our lives.

“I will not let him know. It will be a secret concealed in me to my grave.” I flicked the reins and my horse galloped through the woods effortlessly. It was indeed a military-trained horse. Suitable for all terrains.

“I wasn’t talking about that. He might let this slide, but if he finds out what you have been hiding from him for the last two years, he will be super confused and then, my lady, you will remember what I keep on telling you.” Fenrir said sarcastically.

“Shut up, Fenrir. Please, just shut up.” Whenever he brought up that topic, my mood transitioned from the best to the worst in a second.

After that, I heard neither of them speak in my head nor that song. It was by twilight of the next day that I reached the borders of Nodia. Tracing the borders of Nodia through the Liberta corridor, I stopped at some distance from the place where the Nyxia fountain was located.

It was morning by then and I could feel the sea breeze coming through the end of the forest. Beyond it was the beach. I dismounted my horse and fetched the mask and mirror from the leather bag. I cleaned my face, applied the lotion and then put on the mask. It perfectly matched my skin colour and face shape. When I looked in the mirror, a beautiful stranger was standing as my reflection. Ironically, the mask was more beautiful than any naturally created woman, but it itself was created by mortal hands. 

I couldn’t believe it was me behind that mask. No scar, no freckles, nothing ugly. A perfect beauty. What a fake way to make oneself happy and sad at the same time. I smiled at myself as my heart descended into a sting. That mask had the power to be something and someone I could never be. A mask. A non-living thing had the power to ignite jealousy in me. If there was a woman like that mask and Zane saw her, I am sure he would forget the next second who Irene Miles Eliezer was.

Fake laughing at my stupidity, I set the horse free in the woods. The borders near the fountain had very light security. I expected it to be so, no one visited there anyway. I sneaked away from a few soldiers who guarded the borders and finally I was in Nodia.

I had the map. Following it, I walked on the lonely streets of the abandoned city. The buildings were all modern, designed in shades of blue, grey, black, and green. “Why would a developed city like this be abandoned? All people needed to do was stay away from the beach and shores.” I talked to myself, mesmerised by the grandness and extravagance of the city.

I had never seen such ornately designed buildings; doors, windows, shops, high end malls, motels, taverns, benches, parks. The city made me realise that Azalea and Roginash were lacking so much. Even the streets I walked on were designed as if I was walking on broken glass. I was awestruck by the place right away. That was an insanely beautiful city. The water system would have been splendidly planned because, even after being abandoned, all the trees by the roadsides, the bushes, plants, grass were fresh.

The birds flew by now and then. Squirrels peeped from behind the trees, and so did the other rodents and small animals, like bunnies, cats, parrots, and ravens. When people abandon a place, the true owners return. Strangely, there was neither the scent of wolves nor the sound. I was expecting at least one or two people, guards. 

The Nyxia fountain was near the famous mall of that city. It was also the biggest building. After walking till the sun was overhead, I reached the mall and right in front of its magnificent entrance was the Nyxia fountain. Glittering blue water bloomed like petals of flowers and dropped into the fountain. I couldn’t see where the water was coming from, but it was continuous. 

I sat at the rim of the fountain and looked at the water. It was crystal blue. No moss, no impurities. No one could say that the city was abandoned for years. I could see gold coins on the fountain floor. “Ok, so the rumours were true. Can we see our mate in the fountain? Should I try? I want to see Zane.”

I fetched a gold coin from my pocket and threw it in the pond, “let me see my mate.” I joined my hands and eagerly waited for the reflection of my mate to show up in the fountain water.