Chapter 4: Bond with the Second Mate
1413 Words
Before the sun even reached the mountains, I got up early. In the gentle light of dawn, the woodland beyond the Obsidian Pack was still, holding its breath. I had been secretly training with Kian every morning for the past week. Only Mira, who had maintained that I needed direction to control whatever was stirring inside me, and the pack healer knew.
Little things were the first. The way the moonlight glistened on my skin. How my body recovered without the use of herbs. More like recollections than dreams. My name is being called by voices in the wind.
Kian had stood across from me in the clearing and softly remarked, "You're changing." But not negatively. You're evolving into the person you were always intended to be.
He was standing in front of me once again, now, shirtless, his silver eyes kind but piercing, and his skin shimmering with perspiration.
"Are you ready?" he inquired.
Despite my trembling palms, I nodded. "I'm as prepared as I will ever be."
We started slowly. He taught me how to center my thoughts, concentrate on my breathing, and sense the moon's pull. I initially thought it was absurd, but then I sensed it—the calm, silver thread that encircled my heart each time I let the night sky into my mind.
Kian watched me intently and said quietly, "Lunar energy." "I've never seen anyone react to you as quickly as it does."
I raised my hand. A gentle radiance ensued, enveloping my fingertips like a light-based fog. I let out a gasp.
"I didn't intend to—"
He stepped closer and interrupted, saying, "Don't be scared." "Nothing is harmed by you."
"How is this possible, though?" I said. "All I was a rejected partner. A nobody.
He scowled. "Amara, you were never a nobody. Furthermore, what the Moon gave you is not taken away by rejection.
I turned to face my hands. A weird feeling lingered as the light dimmed. "I feel like I'm evolving daily."
Kian responded, "You are," in a calmer tone. "That's not a bad thing, either."
He took a step back and threw a short blade at me. "Once more."
We were engaged in battle. It was plenty to challenge my reflexes, but not like actual fighting. Kian was fast, but my speed was increasing. Every motion was crisper and lighter. I had no idea I had ever learned what my body was recalling.
We sat on the lawn in between rounds. Panting, I leaned back and peered up through the trees into the sky.
"Are you familiar with dream-walking?" I inquired.
Kian's head c****d. "Only in folklore."
"I believe I've succeeded. I saw Mira's dream last night. When she was younger, she chased fireflies.
Kian blinked. "You got into her dream?"
"I believe so. It was authentic. As if I were present and observing.
He looked at me with amazement. "Lunar energy, dream-walking, spiritual healing..."
"What does it signify?" I inquired.
He gently got to his feet and extended a hand to assist me in standing. "Amara, it indicates that the Moon chose you for a significant endeavor. Something old.
My pulse raced when he spoke, but not out of terror, but for a more profound reason. A stirring that I was still unable to comprehend.
I said, "I'm not sure if I'm ready."
Kian smiled. "You're doing it already."
I briefly believed him when the dawn light touched his face through the trees.
But at that moment, something changed in the atmosphere. The wind became chilly. Even though there was no storm brewing, the trees shook. A warning pricked my skin.
Kian also took notice. "Do you sense that?"
"Yes," I replied, my heart racing. "Someone is observing."
Protectively, he moved in front of me. "We ought to go back."
I looked over my shoulder as we turned, and for a brief moment, I saw a silhouette disappear into the trees.
There had been something. Something unnatural.
I had trouble sleeping that night.
Despite my body's fatigue from exercising, my mind refused to stop. I could always see lights in the forest when I closed my eyes. In a language I couldn't understand, I heard murmurs. Something inside of me seemed to be struggling to awaken, as I experienced an odd warmth beneath my skin.
I looked at the moon while sitting outside the healer's hut. It cast everything in silver as it hung full and low above the trees. Under its glow, I felt secure but also uneasy.
"Have trouble falling asleep?" Behind me, Kian's voice was gentle.
I pivoted. He wore only loose-fitting slacks and a flimsy top, and he was barefoot. As if he had just washed his face, his dark hair was moist. Even though he appeared worn out, his eyes maintained the constant calmness I was beginning to depend on too much.
I hugged my knees to my chest and said quietly, "No." "I'm thinking about too much."
Without asking, he sat next to me. "Want to discuss it?"
After a moment of hesitation, I shook my head. "Not at all. I simply feel overburdened.
He gave a hesitant nod, allowing the stillness to grow. "You've changed so much in just a few days," he said. Anyone would be afraid of that.
I gave him a look. "I am not afraid. Not precisely. I have the impression that I am standing on the brink of something... enormous. I feel like I'll enter a completely different world with just one more step.
Kian didn't grin. His appearance remained fixed on mine. Amara, you're not going to fall. You'll get back up.
Those remarks got to me. Not because they were charming. But because I thought he was real.
I hurriedly averted my look to quiet the odd flutter in my chest. "You frequently say things like that."
He replied, "Because it's true."
Once more, a heavy yet gentle silence descended between us.
Then it occurred.
Like a wave, a strong, deep pulse swept through me. My heart leaped. My skin pricked. The moon shone more brilliantly. And something sparked deep within me.
With a gasp, I covered my chest with my palm. "Did you experience that?"
Kian tensed up next to me. His eyes became wide with surprise. "Yes, I did."
There was another pulse. Stronger this time. Simultaneously hot and chilly. Between us, it seemed as though a thread had suddenly come into position, linking and drawing us together.
"No," I said in a whisper while shaking my head. "That isn't feasible."
Kian's voice was rough as he looked at me. "Amara... You are my friend.
My entire world shifted.
"No," I repeated as I got to my feet. I have a partner already. I was rejected by Rowan. No such thing as a second mate exists—
"There is," he remarked as he stood up. Difficult. But authentic. One link may break and another may emerge when the Moon wants balance. Doomed. Selected.
Breath catching in my throat, I retreated. "Why now? Why you?
He took a cautious step forward. With caution. Perhaps it's because you needed someone to notice you. Someone who wouldn't discard you.
I swallowed hard, feeling confused and in pain as my emotions collided. And something spooky and warm. I hope.
Kian cautiously extended his hand. He touched me with his hand. Even though his touch felt familiar, it was like fire and ice.
He declared, "I don't expect anything from you." However, I can't act as though I'm not feeling it. The connection. It's true.
His eyes were so genuine and full of implicit promises that I glanced up into them. He had a close face. Too near.
I allowed myself to lean in for a second.
I felt his breath on my lips. My eyelids flitted closed.
Then I withdrew.
I backed up and said quietly, "I... I can't." "I'm not prepared. My heart remains shattered.
Kian nodded, comprehending yet stiff in his jaw. "I'll hold out. I will not be leaving.
Through the trees, the wind blew. Overnight, a weird quiet descended, but I sensed the change deep within. There was a permanent alteration between us.
I looked at the moon again as I turned to return inside. It appeared to be watching—waiting—because
it was glowing brighter than before.
And I sensed a familiar spark in the distance, beyond the edge of the Obsidian Pack.
Rowan.
He was on his way.
- Writer
