The Reincarnated Luna

Past Lives

It felt like an eternity before I heard the large steel door slowly open. The muscles of Eli's broad back relaxed as he sighed but he still blocked my view.

"Rowan, I forgot that you were supposed to be here."

"Elijah Black forgot something? That is almost unheard of." A deep voice rang out from the direction of the door. I peaked around Eli out of curiosity to be met with yet another stunning god of a man. From his dark hair to his smooth caramel skin and beautifully bright hazel eyes. Another chill ran through me, causing my heart to pick up its pace. Almost as if it was going to explode from my chest. It wasn't the same as I felt with Eli, but there was something different about this man. There was something different about the way my body reacted to him.

"And this must be the culprit of your amnesia." He tilted his head to the side, smiling brightly at me. His beautifully white teeth made Nia flash into my mind. The more I looked at him the more I noticed the similarities between the two of them.

"I was going to kill you." Eli chuckled as he smoothed his hair back, seeming more relaxed.

"If you wanted me dead I'd be dead, big man. He's stronger and quicker than anyone I've ever met. Don't ever let his puppy dog act fool you; this man can be a cold-blooded killer." Rowan made his way toward us and clasped a hand on my shoulder. I thought I had seen Eli kind of stiffen out of the corner of my eye before he let out a small breath.

"I'm Rowan. I'm sorry Eli had beat me to the introduction, but what kind of name does such a beautiful woman like you have?" I was a bit shocked at how forward he was, and I had braced myself for some electricity to course through me at his touch but there was nothing. It was weird. 

Does this man mean anything to you, Selene?  I didn't receive a response. It was as if she was asleep and I couldn't reach her again. My stomach dropped at the thought of not having her with me through all of this. The weight of Rowan's had was slowly lifted as I realized Eli had grabbed it.

"Her name is Alora. She has been through a lot in the last couple of days and may need some space." He seemed calm and collected but a small vein was popping out of his jaw.

Why is he angry?  Rowan seemed a bit taken back by how Eli reacted and put a hand up in a stopping motion with his hand.

"I'm sorry I hadn't heard much about her other than her and the little one is in your protective custody." I snapped out of my thoughts and finally spoke up.

"Eli found me by accident in the New York Colony. I'm what you all call his mate." Rowan's eyes immediately grew wider as the obvious confusion with a hint of hurt showed on his face. I felt proud and weirdly satisfied telling someone I was Eli's mate. It felt right, but why did the glint of hurt in Rowan's eye make my heart squeeze? Within seconds Rowan's face was back to a smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That makes sense on why Eli is so wrapped around your finger now! Here are the groceries you requested. I really have to get back, Nia and Denver need me to help finish talking to the news reporters."

"Thank you, mindlink me if you need anything." Eli walked over to the bags that Rowan had sat on the coffee table and started rummaging through them as Rowan left and closed the giant door behind him without another word. Eli and I slowly unbagged all the fresh fruit, juices, veggies, and meats and started to load everything into the fridge and cabinets. It wasn't until they were all put up that I broke the silence.

"So where am I sleeping?" Eli made eye contact with me before leading me to the other bedroom and pointing at the bed in an obvious manner.

"And where are you sleeping?" I asked as I plopped down onto the bed bouncing a little bit.

"I can take the couch." Eli turned to leave but I grabbed his hand stopping him.

"Stay and talk with me a while?" I pleaded. I need to talk to him about Selene, and even about Rowan too. I don't know what's happening to me and being alone is terrifying. He slowly sat down next to me and tightened the grip on my hand.

"What happened? Why are you so on edge?" He averted his gaze toward the living room.

"You know I have better hearing than most? While all Amaruq have better senses than humans Alphas tend to have even more heightened senses."

"Okay?"

"And I heard your heartbeat quicken at the sight of Rowan. I heard your reaction to another man." He sounded strained while his face was still completely void of emotion.

"I know that you weren't raised with the same traditions as I was but I'm sure you can imagine the hurt in watching your whole world be excited by another person."

"Actually that is what I wanted to talk to you about." His eyes snapped to mine making our gazes collide. I could feel the hurt radiating from him.

"I couldn't contact Selene. When Rowan walked in I felt a sense of familiarity with him, but when I asked Selene if she knew anything she was gone." I lied. Not entirely, but I can't bring myself to tell him it was actually because of Rowan. At least not until I know what is happening. Eli's eyes slowly closed as he brought his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. When he didn't respond I continued.

"I wasn't able to feel the connection with her. It is like before when she was buried so deep I couldn't really tell she was there." He slowly took his hand from his nose to place it on top of our two that were still clasped together.

"So you were scared about Selene and that was why your heart rate quickened?" I nodded without hesitation. He gave me a small smile.

"That makes sense why you were so stunned that you hesitated to answer him too." He sighed. "I'm sorry for acting so irrationally. Is Selene still blocked?" I closed my eyes and tried to focus on her but I couldn't feel anything. I was alone, and now I feel bad for him trusting me so blindly. 

I am alone. I continued to search my mind, digging and digging until I hit what felt like a wall. It wasn't solid and it was as if I was literally bounced off of it.

"I know I've said that it felt like there was a wall between me and her, but I think I just actually found it?" He tilted his head to the side.

"I think I know what you mean. Can you envision the wall? When I was finally able to shift I went through something similar." I focused on the wall again, but this time I turned my attention to it completely and stopped trying to contact Selene. 

"It's not exactly solid." My brows pulled together as I tried to get more details from it, but weirdly the more it came into focus the more my ears started to ring. It was incredibly hard to focus.

"It-it's more like a dense cloud? No, more like a wall of water." Eli began to rub circles over my knuckles. "But it looks like there's something moving along with it?" I gulped as the ringing in my ears started to become an ear-piercing screech that resonated throughout my body. I tried to drown it out but the closer I got to the wall the louder it became.

"What do you mean there's something moving along with it? Alora? There shouldn't be anything but the wall." Worry etched his tone, but his voice sounded far away. Even his touch felt like it was from across the room.

"I'm getting close I can feel it."  My body started to tremble as every fiber of my being screamed for me to turn away.

"Alora stop. Something isn't right. Alora? Alora look at me." But I couldn't. His voice was fading away now, and as I pried my eyes open I was standing in front of the wall. The ringing was still there, but now it was muffled and drowned out by the rushing water in front of me. 

I spun around, trying to see where I was but everything was pitch black, almost as if I was in a void. The only thing I could even begin the make out in the darkness was the slowly moving wall in front of me. I started to walk toward it, and to my surprise, it felt as if there was solid ground beneath my feet but when I looked down it was so dark I couldn't make anything out. Finally, after what felt like forever I had closed the gap between me and the wall. Now I could tell That the wall was indeed made of a thick water-like goo that was swelling a receding as if it was breathing. Looking closer I could see faint purple and blue lights speckling every rise and fall of the wall. Almost as if I was compelled to I raised my hand slowly in front of my chest and placed it onto the moving surface. It immediately stopped moving at my touch. It wasn't wet, nor cold, but warm and solid. Within seconds a bright blue and purplish hue started to shine through the speckles. Instantly the ringing sound once again filled my ears full force, threatening to explode my eardrums. I tried to rip my hand away but was no longer in control over my body. Soon the purple and blue light engulfed me, and the ground beneath my feet fell away.

Or did I float up from it? I don't know anymore. I couldn't tell which was way up or down, or where my skin ended and the light began. Everything felt warm and suddenly the sound stopped. I tried to move and realized I was floating in the dense water, but it was no longer dark. I tried to inhale and it was as if the need for oxygen had simply disappeared. 

"Young one."  Selene's melodic tone resonated throughout me as a beautiful white light started the illuminate in front of me. Slowly her form began to fade into view until I was looking at a nude glowing version of myself.

"You are the first to make it this far, and for that I thank you." She sounded exactly like Selene, but I couldn't get over the creepy resemblance. She didn't seem like a separate person. She really was me. Her hair was longer than mine but her tamed curls trailed down her pear shape and ended just before her knees. She was just as small as I was and even had the same amount of 'chub' that I did. For the first time in my life I found myself beautiful; elegant even. She looked delicate. Her oval face and elf-like features truly showed as a sad smile spread over her small bow-shaped lips.

"No matter how much it hurts, it is time to remember. We can't turn back now." She raised her right hand and brought her middle and pointer fingers to touch the space between my eyebrows.

Immediately I was standing atop a large tower made of what I could only describe as porcelain white marble. I was looking down on thousands as they all cheered in unison, shaking the entire colosseum like building. Somehow I knew this wasn't on earth. 

The colors and images started to whiz past and blur, and the excited shouts turned to battle cries. I was charging alongside the thousands of people as my shouts drowned into the screams and metal hitting against metal. We were being slaughtered, but still we charged on. We knew that if humans were to survive we could not surrender, we could not fall here. I looked up just in time to see an arrow that was headed straight for my face.

 I blinked and I was standing on an overhang on a chilly night. The moon was dim with defeat, and sobs were just whispers on the wind. I was engrossed in the sounds of the crashing waves on the jagged rocks below until a large hand enveloped mine.

"Are you ready?" A man looking like an older more rugged Eli was lovingly looking down to me on my right. He spoke in a language I had never heard before but somehow I understood everything that he was saying. I tightened my grip on his hand. This was my Fin. A glint shone from his right hand as I also started to bring my left hand toward him. We brought both our jewel encrested opal blades to the other's chest. His was a fiery red with an onyx handle and hilt and a diamond embezzled in each side.  Mine was a deep blue opal blade also with a deep black onyx handle and an amethyst on either side of the blade. They served as vessels that we had poured our souls into just moments earlier during the ceremony. Now we were just shells, cursed to wander the Earth. That is until we remember.

"We will meet again, and we will put an end to all of this." I whispered not knowing if I was trying to reassure myself or him.

"Until we meet again. They haven't won." He replied as a small smile played across his lips. We hadn't lost, not yet. As long as our souls survive the fight will continue. We will come back when the stars align and we will be stronger. When the fates allow it we shall save humanity. We nodded at each other, and without hesitation, we drove the knives into the other's chest intertwining our souls together for all of eternity. As the edges of life faded from our eyes we fell to the ground, and a man resembling Rowan leaned down into my view picking up the blades.

"Until we meet again." He sorrowfully choked out the words and my vision faded to black.

"You see" Selene whispered "this was all foretold long ago. This war is older than time itself, and we have to end it."

"But how?" I pleaded. 

"All in due time, we will lead together. We will remember together. Now go. You are needed elsewhere." Without another second passing, I was sucked out of the darkness and my eyes sprung open as I gasped in air. I was met with a very sweaty frantic Eli who was doing compressions on my chest. 

"Alora? Oh, gods Alora you're back." He gathered me in his arms and crushed me against his hard chest.

"What happened? I'm sorry I won't ever make you try to break the wall again." I started to chuckle and he pushed back to look at me in the face.

"What is it? What the hell about this situation is funny? Your eyes rolled into the back of your head and you started convulsing! I brought you to the floor and when your fit ended you weren't breathing. I thought I had lost you." He was trembling. I brought my hand to his face and pulled him down to my lips. It felt so natural and long-awaited. As if it was the first time we had kissed. My body relaxed in his arms and he held me even closer. Our kiss deepened as neither of us wanted it to end. His lips devoured mine hungrily. Worn out I tried to keep up with his pace as I desperately needed him closer. He pulled back, ending the kiss slowly and tenderly. Without a word he picked me up and place me under the covers on the bed. He hesitated for a second before he went to get up, but I pulled him down beside me.

"Please stay." He looked at me for a second before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Only if you tell me what happened." I nodded before slowly going into detail about what Selene had shown me.

"That is nothing like what happened with me and Fin. There was a wall, yes, but I had gradually learned everything through flashbacks. Hell I still don't know all the details". 

"I guess neither Selene nor I wanted to wait. I needed to know about you, about us. I also needed to know what the hell is going on. I'm sick and tired of everything around me happening without me knowing what the hell is going on." Eli nodded as if he understood and pulled me to lay on his chest.

"Get some sleep, I'll be here when you wake up." I smiled, already feeling more at ease. I always wondered why I felt an overwhelming sense of calm around Eli and now I know it's because he really is my missing piece.