The Human Luna

Chapter Twelve -Between Two Worlds

Shannon’s POV



The night dragged on like an eternity. Every time I closed my eyes, questions clawed at the back of my mind, refusing to let me rest. My thoughts spun in endless circles, too sharp to ignore, too heavy to silence. By the time sunlight bled through the curtains, it felt like the world was mocking me for daring to hope I’d get even a moment’s peace. My chest ached, my eyes stung, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to cry just because the morning had arrived.

My whole life… a lie.

Not only is my dad not my dad, but he’s the Head Warrior of a pack of werewolves—werewolves that, until yesterday, I was certain were nothing more than a bedtime story.

What’s next? Vampires? Witches? Heck, may as well go the whole hog and tell me the tooth fairy’s been real all along.

I let out a bitter laugh, but it died quickly in my throat. Because… it does make sense. The wolves in town. Meeting Thomas’ wolf in the meadow. The strange, overwhelming feeling when he touched me. He didn’t hurt Clara. He didn’t hurt me. He just left us there in the woods.

But why?

Why leave me, if I was his… mate? That’s what he called it. His mate.

The word made my stomach twist. If I was his mate, why didn’t he take me straight home? Why leave me in the dark, in danger? Is that why he’s so warm to me now—why his touch makes my skin burn, why my whole body reacts when he’s near? Why all I want to do is… kiss him?

Ugh. I don’t know anymore. My dad and Thomas both said I had to decide: accept Thomas, be his Luna, or… leave.

Leave. The word stung. Sure, I love my aunt in England, but moving in with her? Away from Dad, from my sisters, from everything I’ve ever known? She’s human—at least, I think she is. She was Mom’s only relative we ever met, the one Mom claimed still cared after the rest of the family turned their backs. I always thought it was because of Dad. Now I’m not so sure.

With a groan, I shoved the covers back and dragged myself out of bed. My body felt heavy, like the air itself was pressing down on me. The bathroom was a small relief—towels neatly folded, a little bag with my things inside. Dad must have brought it. I clung to the normalcy of brushing my teeth, washing my face, changing into fresh clothes. It felt good to shed the flimsy hospital gown. For a few precious minutes, I could almost pretend everything was fine.

When I stepped out, Nurse Hilary was changing my sheets. She looked up, beaming at me, her cheerfulness almost blinding.

“Good morning, my lovely! How did you sleep?”

Her happiness was contagious. I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips.

“Oh, erm… okay, actually.”

“Good to hear it! The breakfast cart will be around soon, alright?” She turned toward the door, arms full of crumpled sheets. My mouth moved before I even thought about it.

“So… you’re a werewolf too, I take it?”

The words hung in the air like something I shouldn’t have said. She turned back to me with a small, easy smile.

“I am, hunny. We all are.”

That was all. She hesitated, then slipped out the door. Her final words floated back to me like a warning.

“Doctor Bane will be in soon. She’s excited to meet you.”

The morning passed slowly, emptily. No visitors. Not even Thomas. I told myself I didn’t care, but the unanswered questions gnawed at me.

A knock at the door jolted me. An older woman stepped inside. Curly, grey hair framed her face, thin black glasses perched on her nose. But it was her eyes that stole my breath—violet. Bright, unnatural, otherworldly.

“Are you… a wolf too?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She arched a brow, amused. “If you ask everyone who enters the room that question, we’ll be here all day.” She smiled softly. “It’s nice to see you, Miss Rye. I am Doctor Bane.”

She moved briskly around the machines, checking notes, scribbling on her clipboard. Finally, she sat across from me in the chair my father had used last night.

“How are you feeling?”

I let out a sharp laugh. “How am I feeling? Well, let’s see—I’ve just found out werewolves exist, my dad isn’t my dad, and apparently I’m mated to an alpha wolf which makes me an immediate target, considering I nearly died two weeks ago. How do you think I’m feeling?”

Instead of scolding me, she chuckled softly, her hand reaching to rest gently over mine.

“That’s a lot for anyone to process. At any age.”

Her calm steadied me enough to ask the question burning my tongue. “Doctor Bane… can I ask you something?”

“Of course. It’s whether I’ll have an answer you’ll need to worry about.”

I almost smiled. Almost. “I have to choose between living my life as a human, maybe moving to my aunt’s… or accepting Thomas, being his Luna, and staying here forever. What would you do?”

She didn’t answer immediately. She studied me, choosing her words with care.

“Shannon, tell me—what do you feel when you look at Thomas?”

I blinked. “Seriously? What is this, a cheesy romance quiz?” But her violet eyes stayed on me, patient. I sighed. “I… I feel like I want to make him happy.”

“And when he touches you?”

My cheeks warmed. Memories flashed—the kiss yesterday, how his hand in mine sent fire racing through my veins, how the pain in my body vanished when his warmth spread through me. I swallowed hard. “It’s… warm. So warm. Yesterday it made everything disappear. Just his touch, that’s all I could feel.”

Doctor Bane’s smile deepened, like she already knew my answer. “You see, Shannon, humans don’t feel the mate bond as strongly as we do, but they feel something. A pull. And what you’ve described is exactly that. For Thomas, it’s even more intense. The electricity, the fire—it consumes him. They say a mate is one half of your soul. Without them, you are never whole. Some wolves find chosen mates, yes… but it’s never the same. The bond is both a blessing and a curse.”

She stood, her violet gaze softening. “I cannot tell you what choice to make. Not for Thomas. Not for your father. For you.”

I sat there in stunned silence as she moved to the door. She paused, glancing back.

“Shannon… you shouldn’t have survived your injuries. Human or not, you are stronger than you know. Thomas may have shared his strength with you, yes, but I believe you could have survived on your own. There’s a fire in you, child. I expect you will do great things—regardless of the life you choose. You can go home tomorrow.”

Her words echoed as the door clicked shut.

I buried my face in my hands. A mate. Half a soul. The other half of me.

Do I go home, finish school, build a normal life? Or move to my aunt’s, where Thomas could maybe find someone else to be his Luna?

Or… do I choose him?

Do I give in to the pull, to the bond that feels like it’s already written into my bones?

I pressed my palms harder against my eyes, wishing the choice were as simple as flipping a coin. Human or wolf. Heart or head. Freedom or fate.

The problem was… no matter which way the coin landed, someone would end up broken.

Maybe even me.