Luna's Moon

Chapter Sixteen

Adanna brought out a mat. I sat and folded my legs, having kicked off my constricting heels. They now dangled from Aurelian’s fingers as he towered over us like a silent sentinel. Racheal sat beside Adanna, peering closely as the older woman mixed, grabbed, and did her mysterious things.

"I didn't know witches existed?" I mumbled, more to myself than anyone. What other things were out there?

"Humans," Adanna scoffed as she lit a large white candle. "Ignorant little things. You think you’re in control—bigger creatures, better creatures, and still you believe you can dominate them all?"

As she reached for my hand, Racheal grabbed hers in warning.

"No funny business, witch," she warned, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Relax, wolf. He would destroy me if I harmed her." Adanna’s gaze flicked to Aurelian, whose posture appeared calm and indifferent—but I saw it. The slight glow in his eyes. The tightness in his jaw. He was anything but calm.

His eyes glowed a little brighter, betraying the calm stance he held. Like a volcano quiet on the outside, but ready to erupt.

Adanna smirked. “See? He’s already sharpening his claws in his mind.”

I swallowed and offered my hand. The moment her fingers curled around mine, a strange warmth bloomed from my palm up to my shoulder. She began to chant, her voice low and rhythmic. The candle’s flame flared high—unnaturally high—then settled into a soft, steady glow.

Racheal stayed tense, not taking her eyes off Adanna.

Then, Adanna let go of my hand.

She looked up, eyes shining.

“Well?” Racheal asked immediately.

Adanna tilted her head slightly at Aurelian, then back at me. “Oh, there’s a bond, alright. But this...” she pointed between Aurelian and me, “this is ancient. Rare. You weren’t just chosen, child. You were called.”

I blinked. “Called?”

Aurelian didn’t speak, but something flickered in his expression. Something old and unreadable.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” Adanna’s voice softened, her eyes boring into mine. “The pull. Even before you knew what it was.”

I had.

I opened my mouth to speak, to deny it maybe, but nothing came out. Because she was right.

I had felt it—from the moment I saw him. Even when I tried to push it aside, even when logic screamed at me that this wasn’t real, wasn’t possible, the feeling had been there. Persistent. Quiet. Unshakable.

“I don’t understand,” I said finally, my voice small.

“You will,” Adanna replied, that eerie calm still on her face. “It’s not meant to be understood right away. Bonds like this were forged long before you breathed your first breath. It’s ancient magic. It doesn’t need your permission.”

“But the Moon Goddess…” I started, voice barely above a whisper.

Adanna's eyes flickered toward the candle flame. “She has started something,” she said, almost in awe. “After all these years… decades… why now?” She turned her gaze to Aurelian, then back to me. “We need to find out.”

Racheal crossed her arms. “And whatever it is, it’s not just about the bond. There’s something bigger in motion.”

Aurelian’s jaw clenched slightly. “It always starts with a spark. And ends in fire.”

I swallowed. I wasn’t sure if that fire would burn the world—or just me.

I turned fully to look at Aurelian. He wasn’t watching Adanna. He was watching me, reading me. Eyes steady, unreadable, but not cold.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, the truth rising like a tide. “I never asked for any of this.”

“No one ever does,” Adanna said. “But fate doesn’t wait for consent.”

“I’m not ready.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. “I don’t even know who I am in all of this. I’m just... me.”

Aurelian finally spoke. “You’re more than you think.”

“Easy for you to say,” I said bitterly, rising to my feet. “You’ve known all your life what you are. What your place is.”

He stepped forward, slowly, until we were only inches apart. “I may know who I am, but I’ve never known who you were. Until now.”

The wind rustled the grass around us, the candle behind Adanna flickering despite the absence of real breeze.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Aurelian said, his voice softer. “But this bond is real. And whether you accept it or not, it’s part of you.”

I looked down at my hands, the same hands that had once felt powerless, useless. But now… they trembled—not from fear, but from the weight of something much bigger than I’d ever imagined.

“Come, you need to rest". He added, resting a hand on my back, and Sparks exploding there as usual.

Racheal stood, brushing dust from her pants. “And next time, don’t follow humming strangers into huts. Seriously.”

I cracked a small smile despite the chaos in my chest. “Yeah. Noted.”

As we moved away from the hut, I looked back. Adanna stood at the entrance, her silver hair catching the wind, a knowing smile on her face as she stared after us.

“What about Adanna?” I asked, my voice hushed.

“I’ll be close, child,” her voice carried over the breeze like a whisper only meant for me.

A shiver ran down my spine. I turned back and instinctively nestled closer to Aurelian, drawn to the calm heat radiating from his body. Suddenly, the air felt colder… or maybe it was everything I’d just learned settling deep in my bones.

I thought I would drop onto the bed, exhausted and burned out from everything that had happened today. But instead, I just felt an anxious energy swirling inside me, preventing me from truly resting. I paced back and forth in the room, my thoughts gnawing at me like a relentless storm.

Earlier, I had tried to leave the room, hoping a change of scenery might calm me down, but as soon as I reached the door, I heard hushed whispers coming from the living room. The voices were too soft to make out clearly, but the tension in them was unmistakable. So, I had turned around and returned to the room, my curiosity now intertwined with that familiar sense of unease.

Sensing no more movement outside, I padded out of my room in my pink slip pajamas. The silence felt heavy, expectant. I wasn’t surprised to see Aurelian leaning by the kitchen counter, arms folded, waiting for me. In fact, it felt like I’d hoped for it. Like my feet had carried me here on instinct, drawn to him.

Without a word, I quietly sat on the stool, and he slid a plate of steaming pasta toward me. The aroma was rich and comforting. I picked up the fork and took a bite, chewing slowly as he watched. The silence wasn’t awkward—it was… grounding. Like we were both taking a breath after the storm.

After finishing my meal and sipping the last of the water, I stood up, intending to head back to my room. But before I could take a step, Aurelian gently grabbed my arm.

Without still saying a word, he led me to the couch, sat down, and leaned back, guiding me to lay on his chest. His warmth, his steady heartbeat, the way his arm wrapped securely around me—it all felt so grounding, so safe.

I didn’t want to move away. In fact, I snuggled even closer, resting my cheek against him. The tension in my shoulders slowly melted away, my breath syncing with his. For the first time all day, I let myself relax.

"My dad was killed by werewolves."

I broke the silence, my voice barely above a whisper.

His hand rubbing slow circles on my back froze for a brief moment—just a heartbeat—and then continued, just as gentle as before.