The Moon's Chosen

Chapter Four :The Reluctant Journey

The night after the Summoning, sleep refused to claim Aeloria.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the Blood Moon’s reflection on endless water, the faceless figure’s voice echoing in her head: Lunar Bondmate.

By dawn, she’d convinced herself it was some fever-dream born of fear and exhaustion. Yet when she touched her wrist, the crescent birthmark pulsed faintly with warmth, as if in silent defiance of her denial.

Kaelen stood in the square when she emerged from her cottage, already saddled and cloaked. The villagers kept their distance, whispering behind closed shutters.

“You’re leaving,” she said flatly.

“We’re leaving,” he corrected without missing a beat. “The longer you stay here, the more danger you bring to this place.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her in the morning light. “Do you want those… things back? Because they will come back. And next time, I might not be here to stop them.”

She hated that he was right. The memory of those shadow beasts—their teeth, their sound—wasn’t something she could scrub away with stubbornness.

“This isn’t my fight,” she said, softer now.

“It became your fight the moment you touched me with that magic.” His voice was firm, but not unkind. “And whether you believe the prophecy or not, it believes in you.”

She hesitated only a moment longer before exhaling sharply. “Fine. But I’m not promising to stay beyond your capital. Once I’m safe, I’m gone.”

Kaelen’s mouth curved in something that wasn’t quite a smile. “We’ll see.”

They left Brinvale as the sun climbed higher, its light melting the last frost from the grass. The road wound through rolling hills and sparse woods, the air carrying the scent of pine and distant rain.

For the first hour, they rode in silence. Aeloria stole glances at Kaelen from beneath her hood. He rode with the ease of someone born in the saddle, posture straight but relaxed, silver-threaded cloak billowing behind him.

“You don’t talk much,” she said at last.

“You don’t stop thinking,” he countered without looking at her.

Her mouth tightened. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“That I can hear the questions you’re not asking,” he said, finally glancing her way. “About me. About what you are. About what it means to be a Lunar Bondmate.”

“I’m not asking because I don’t want to know.”

“Liar,” he said simply, the corner of his mouth twitching.

She glared, but there was no heat in it. Against her will, she found herself studying the faint scar along his jaw, the way the sunlight caught in the silver of his eyes. He was infuriating. And far too handsome for her own peace of mind.

By midday, clouds had gathered, and the wind picked up. They took a narrow woodland path to shorten the journey, the trees forming a canopy overhead.

That’s when she heard it—rustling, too heavy for the wind.

“Kaelen,” she murmured, “we’re not alone.”

He was already slowing his horse. His hand drifted toward the hilt of the curved blade at his side.

Figures emerged from the trees—six of them, clad in mismatched armor and bearing short swords. Their leader, a tall man with a patch over one eye, grinned broadly.

“Well, well,” the man said. “If it isn’t the prince who won’t die.”

Kaelen’s voice was cold steel. “Leave now, and you might live to regret crossing my path.”

The leader laughed. “Can’t do that, Your Highness. There’s a hefty bounty on your head… and hers.”

Aeloria stiffened. “Me?”

“Oh, aye,” the man drawled, looking her over with greedy eyes. “The Moon’s Bride. The price for you is even higher.”

She felt Kaelen’s horse shift closer to hers, his presence a shield. “If you touch her, I will cut you down where you stand,” he said, low and dangerous.

The mercenaries didn’t wait for further threats. Two lunged toward Kaelen, blades flashing, while another circled toward Aeloria.

She barely had time to reach for the small dagger she kept in her satchel before Kaelen was in motion. His blade sang through the air, deflecting steel and striking with precise, brutal efficiency.

The man who came at her was fast, but she ducked low, slicing at his leg. He cursed, stumbling, and she used the moment to scramble back toward Kaelen.

A sudden flash of silver light burst from Kaelen’s free hand, forcing the remaining mercenaries to shield their eyes. “Ride!” he barked.

They bolted down the path, hooves pounding, branches whipping past. It wasn’t until the forest thinned that Kaelen slowed enough to speak.

“Are you hurt?”

“No,” she panted, clutching the reins. “But what in the name of the Moon was that about? ‘The Moon’s Bride’?”

His jaw tightened. “It’s another name for the Lunar Bondmate. Word of the prophecy’s spread further than I thought. Too far.”

She stared at him. “So anyone who’s heard it will want me dead—or captured?”

“Yes,” he said. “Which is why you stay close to me. Always.”

She swallowed hard, the enormity of what she’d agreed to settling over her.

The road ahead stretched long and uncertain, but one thing was clear: there was no going back.