THE MOON'S DESIRE

CHAPTER THREE

After hours of walking, we got closer. I could hear giggles and quiet conversations.

Then we stepped into an open space. Tents were set up at different spots, and in the center, a training ground unfolded. Teenagers were sparring in a ring, perfectly arranged.

“We are teaching the young wolves and cubs to hunt,” Lukas said, probably reading my questioning look.

“Lukas, we were about to call a search party for you,” a woman approached, her long cream-colored flowing dress brushing the ground. She had an ink mark on her neck that matched Lukas’s. Everyone’s ink symbolized their pack, placed by the Goddess herself.

Mine had faded as I became a rogue. Rogues are werewolves without a pack, and being packless, I had been stripped of my ink.

The woman’s gaze fell on me. She set Lukas aside and walked toward me, her eyes examining me like I was a mystery waiting to be unfolded, which I was.

She assessed me for a long while before smiling.

“Is she the one?” she asked, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Yes, Mother,” Lukas replied.

“You’re too rare to be defined by the simple word ‘pretty.’” Her words made me shift uncomfortably.

“I’m Mrs. Alexander,” she added, her tone both gentle and commanding.

Everyone here looked welcoming, as radiant as the sun, smiles on their lips.

Lukas said, “She needs rest, Mother. You can speak with her at dinner.”

I could sense the warm welcome was overwhelming for her.

I walked gently toward her. She looked frail, almost delicate, as if the wind could break her, but don’t be fooled. Beneath that fragile frame lay something unshakable, something that could bend the world without effort.

“Let’s go inside,” I said softly. She nodded slightly. I wanted to guide her by holding her, but that would be too forward, right?

I had found her. She survived. Thank the Goddesses.

But I wanted to feel her again, just a brush of skin, a moment of connection.

Standing at the entrance to the tent, I gave her space.

“I’ll come by your tent before dinner so we can talk, if you don’t mind, Miss Thelric. I’ve assigned ladies to assist you. They’ll be outside your tent if needed.”

The five ladies all bowed respectfully. Huh? Was he like a god?

These people were far too kind and familiar with me. I guessed everything would make sense after the talk.

Aww, mehn, my roasted rabbit, wasted. I sighed, taking deep breaths as I assessed the small room. His scent was strong, making my body react in ways it never had before. I felt a heat rise inside me, just his scent.

This was his space. I walked toward the wooden table and picked up a simple gown. Removing the coat from my body, I pulled it over my head. White, dull white, but really pretty, contrasting with my dirt-stained skin.

“Miss! We were told to help dress your hair,” one of the ladies said, stepping in with the others.

“No, no,” I began, but one spoke gently.

“No, Miss. We will bathe you first,” she said firmly yet politely, the rest gathering around.

I tensed, ready to push back. I hated people touching me.

“Relax, Miss,” she said softly. “It’s our duty to care for you.”

“I’ll bathe myself. Just show me where,” I snapped.

Not wanting to argue, they carefully took the gown and led me toward a nearby stream.

Later that day, the twilight sky painted shades of purple and gold. I sat outside my tent, thinking about why I was here.

“We must hear him out first,” my inner wolf whispered.

“Miss Thelric,” I looked up to see Lukas.

“It’s Devina,” I corrected, not wanting to hear my last name. It reminded me of my family.

“Devina,” he said, as if savoring the sound of my name on his tongue. He sat across from me.

“My apologies if you’re here against your wishes.”

But then he continued, his words heavy with meaning.

“I’ve been searching for you for three years. I was nineteen when I found out about you. My father came home from the head meetings and told us that your family, the Thelrics, were overruled and exiled from their pack. News spread across all territories.

“My family and I had moved our pack into the forest to connect with other packs. I was curious, so I investigated what happened to your family. There is only one rogue family, yours. The rest were eliminated. A message was sent to kill all rogues because they could pose a future threat.

“Thousands of armies were sent to eliminate them. I was on that mission too. My men saw you in the deep woods and were about to hunt you down. But I found out you were mine. I couldn’t let them kill you, so I ordered them to stay silent.

“I chose to let you be. I thought it would be safer for you without me. They could have killed you if I’d brought you home. Afterwards, my family and I returned to our old mansion, leaving my father’s Beta to manage things. We handled the humans who had turned, nurtured them, and introduced them to the pack after breeding.

“When my father died, we reunited briefly as a pack to grieve. I wanted to hold you back then, to let you know you weren’t alone. I watched over you before departing. Finding you again made me glad you survived.

“I was foolish to think leaving you was better. I know you must be confused, thinking you had no one. I hope you can forgive me with time.”

His explanation sounded human. I mean, he was half-human. Humans always had ‘sorry’ on the tip of their tongues.

It was a lot to see a being of such power humbled, apologetic, for someone like me.

“You’re not filth,” he said.

He continued, his voice softening further.

“It is said that once mates accept one another, they begin to hear each other’s thoughts.”

I felt a blush creep across my cheeks, unavoidable and embarrassing.

“Devina,” he said gently, taking my fingers in his palm, “I promise you under the full moon that I will never leave your side again. I’ll stay true to you, love you, and I hope you can heal with time from things you cannot say.”

I slipped my fingers from his hand and stood, stretching my legs. He was genuinely sorry, but he hadn’t done me wrong.

“It’s a two-way thing,” I muttered. “I never even searched for you. I just assumed I was cursed. No way the Moon Goddess would bless me after all that mess.”

I looked at him. “My apologies, Lukas. I need time. I can’t just take this all in yet.”

He nodded, calm as ever. Didn’t push. Didn’t look upset. Just steady, like he’d been waiting forever and could wait longer.

I turned my gaze to the sky, twilight fading into night. The air smelled like him, like home I didn’t know I had. My heart still thumped, but the fear had settled a little.

For now, I let myself breathe. Let myself exist in this strange, new place where I might maybe belong.

Even as I tried to calm my racing thoughts, my wolf stirred. Something was out there. A scent. Faint, unfamiliar, just beyond the trees. It wasn’t human, not fully.

I froze, senses alert. Lukas didn’t notice or maybe he did and chose not to say anything.

I swallowed, forcing myself to focus. Tomorrow, I’d think more. Tomorrow, maybe I’d start figuring out what being his mate even meant.

Tonight, though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that trouble, quiet and patient, was already watching.

And I was ready for it.