Luna's Moon

Chapter Fifteen

We arrived at a large field in just thirty minutes, thanks to Matt’s insane driving. The tires screeched slightly as he parked, and the engine hadn’t even fully quieted before Collins bolted out of the car.

He didn’t hesitate.

Mid-air, his body twisted and shimmered, bones snapping and reforming with a sickening grace. Fur rippled out across his skin, and by the time he landed, a massive grey-furred wolf stood where he had been, panting heavily.

No warning, no pause—just pure, instinctual shift.

The four guards followed suit, shifting smoothly into majestic, powerful creatures—each one unique in their size and coloring, but all beautiful in a wild, terrifying way. They took off almost immediately, paws pounding into the earth as they disappeared across the open field.

I stayed rooted to the spot, part of me stunned, but another part… curious. Maybe even eager to see Aurelian shift. I turned slowly, eyes drifting toward him, wondering what his wolf form would look like.

But he didn’t move. Neither did Racheal. They just leaned against the car like they had all the time in the world. He caught me staring and threw me a smirk that was equal parts knowing and cocky.

Before I could say something—or even look away—my phone rang sharply in my pocket.

I fished it out. Stella. I answered with a sigh, already bracing myself.

“Well, if it isn’t The Luna herself,” she drawled dramatically.

I immediately moved away from the group for some privacy—not that it mattered much with all the super-hearing around.

“The Luna?” I rolled my eyes. “Are you drunk? It’s barely even noon.”

“Not drunk, just very entertained.” She snickered. “Ugh, I love how this is all going to plan.”

“Stella…” I kicked a rock out of the way, half-exasperated.

“Oh! Guess who broke up yesterday in the most dramatic way possible at the office?”

“I don’t know… Jason and his mirror?”. They are practically inseparable.

“No, even better—your ex and his little rebound. Total meltdown in the break room. She called him emotionally unavailable, and he said she was ‘a placeholder with attitude.’” She laughed like it was the best thing she’d heard in weeks. “Then—get this—she threw his iced coffee at him. Iced coffee, Luna. Not the laptop, not his dignity, just the drink.”

My eyebrows shot up. “No way.” I truly didn't see that coming.

“Oh, way. And he looked so stunned—like he just realized she wasn’t going to worship him forever and pamper him. You've spoilt him". This is true, I cleaned, I cooked and he would park all that super strength on the couch watching TV.

I tried not to smile. “You really enjoy chaos, don’t you?”

“Only when it involves people who deserve it. Anyway, how’s your werewolf boss s***h soulmate?”

“Stella.” I sighed. looking down at my mud smugged heels.

“What? I’m invested now.”

I paused, uncertain. I wasn’t entirely sure I could share the details of the meeting with Stella. It felt private—tense even—and the last thing anyone needed was more tension.

As I mulled it over, my eyes landed on a hunched-over, middle-aged woman struggling to lift a bucket of water.

“Stella, give me a minute. I’ll call you back,” I said quickly and ended the call.

I walked toward the woman, my steps cautious but firm.

“Um… let me help?” I offered, reaching my hands out.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly burden you, child,” she said, glancing up with a kind smile. Her silver hair was pulled back loosely, and she wore what looked like a traditional fur-wrapped garment, decorated with feathers that hung from her ears like earrings. She had a timeless, earthy aura about her—like someone pulled from a different age.

“Oh, you woul—”

She dropped the bucket before I could finish, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

“Well, since you insist then,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Oookay then,” I muttered as I hoisted the bucket onto my head.

She waved me over with a crooked finger.

“This way.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the eerie little melody she hummed under her breath. As we approached a small hut, a chill ran down my spine.

Yikes. This was officially getting creepy.

Her grin hadn’t left her face the whole time, and something was… off. Her back, which had been hunched before, was now perfectly straight. She moved with the grace and energy of someone decades younger.

Am I the sacrifice?

Before I could ask myself again, she reached up and singlehandedly lifted the bucket off my head and placed it down effortlessly.

“Thank you,” she said, still grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but she was already turning toward the fire, ladling a cup of steaming liquid from some concoction she had boiling.

“A drink? We don’t have much time—he’ll be here soon.”

He?

“I'm good,” I said quickly, already stepping back. “I’ll just… head out.”

I pointed a thumb awkwardly over my shoulder in no particular direction. Just anywhere that was not here, I've learned from Snow White.

“Silly girl,” she chuckled, the warmth in her voice doing little to ease the goosebumps rising on my skin. “Sit.”

It didn’t sound like a request anymore.

I sat gingerly on the small wooden stool she motioned to, every muscle in my body alert. Up close, she looked… different. Too poised. Too agile. The elegance in the way she moved, the strength in her grip when she lifted that bucket—oh Lord.

She’s a werewolf.

Before I could say a word, she tilted her head slightly, her silver eyes twinkling with something unreadable.

“Oh, relax, Luna,” she said, her voice laced with amusement. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Who are you? How do you know my name?” I asked, trying to pull my hand from hers, but her grip was surprisingly firm.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter, child,” she said, her lips curling into a knowing smile. “Who you are… now that’s very important.”

She licked her lips, her fingers tightening around mine just as I heard footsteps approaching.

“Adanna, leave the girl alone, you creepy witch,” Racheal’s voice cut through the moment like a blade. “Seriously, you really need to work on your approach.”

She strolled into view, casual as ever, and right beside her was Aurelian—hands tucked into his pockets, cool and calm like he hadn’t just walked in on a strange werewolf woman trying to boil me over a fire. Did she say witch?.

“You really do have terrible survival instincts,” Aurelian noted, his voice deceptively gentle as his eyes flicked over me.

“I was just trying to get to know her,” Adanna said with a shrug, completely unbothered. “She’s a beautiful gift. You can’t deny me this.”

Aurelian’s expression didn’t change, but there was a shift in the air. The kind that made the hairs on your neck rise. Racheal rolled her eyes.

“She’s not some rare fruit, Adanna. Back off before you make it weirder than it already is.”

“I could confirm it… the mate bond, there’s a tie.” Adanna smirked, eyes glinting with mischief.

“There’s no mate bond,” I snapped, standing up a bit too fast. My voice was louder than I intended, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to let this creepy forest-witch stir the pot more than it already was.

Aurelian’s eyes narrowed at me—dark, unreadable—but he didn’t speak. That silence weighed heavier than anything he could have said.

Adanna grinned wider, like she was watching her favorite play unfold. “Oh, but denial, child… it makes the bond even stronger. You’re deliciously stubborn. He’s going to enjoy that.”

She laughed then, low and knowing.

“Let’s do it.” Aurelian’s voice cut through the air like a blade. His gaze locked with mine, steady, unwavering. “Confirm it.”

My breath caught. The weight of his stare pressed into me, not cruel… but intense—like he wasn’t trying to prove something to Adanna, but to me.

His gold-flecked eyes burned into mine, daring me to say no, daring me to deny whatever it was simmering between us.

Adanna clapped her hands once, delighted. “Now that’s the spirit.”

My heartbeat picked up speed. “And what happens if she does confirm it?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady.

He smirked.