Chapter 21
Just like I expected–the walk is nothing short of uncomfortable.
I maintain a careful distance from him. Not enough to draw attention, but just far enough that I can bolt if things go south. I’m not about to be marked again if he loses control. That kind of pain still
haunts me.
“Do you fear me?” he asks. If my eyes could roll any harder, they’d leave
I stay quiet. No clue how to respond to that.
my skull.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s way too late for apologies, but I truly am. I never meant for things to spiral like this. It’s just that you’re… you’re not…”
He looks at me, searching for the right words, but I know he already has them in mind.
“You’re not meant to be a Luna.”
Those words–though I’ve heard them countless times in different voices–still land like a punch.
I lower my head, hiding the tears welling in my eyes.
“It’s fine, Theron.”
“I miss what we had,” he goes on, as if he hadn’t just cut me with his words.
“I miss the way you call me Theo. I miss the way your fingers comb through my hair when I’m sleeping. I miss you.”
I blink furiously, forcing the tears back where they came from.
“Why did you bring me out here, Theron?” I snap, once I’m sure my voice won’t betray me.
“I’m supposed to mate with Selene before next week… and I’m terrified.”
His eyes are full of fear.
“What if I’m making a mistake?”
I stare at him like he’s grown another head.
“You really must’ve lost a few brain cells when you passed out,” I mutter.
We arrive at the pond.
“This place used to hold some of our best memories,” he says with a sigh.
I glance at him briefly, then return my gaze to the water.
Guilt creeps in, mostly because all I can picture right now is Thalric and me.
“You know…” he begins, stepping too close.
“T–Theron?” I move back, instincts kicking in.
“Don’t tell me you don’t miss this. Don’t act like you don’t miss what we had.”
At this point, he’s practically clinging to me, like he’s a part of me I’m trying to shake off.
you think
“I need some distance, Theron,” I say, stepping away from him.
“But I need you! Can’t you just try–for even a second–to see what I’m dealing with? Everything I do, I do for the pack! To make things better! Why are you the one being selfish?”
I don’t know where this sudden surge of courage is coming from, but for once, I’m not afraid. Not right now. “Selfish? Me? All I’ve ever wanted is to not be kept hidden!”
His eyes flicker, revealing his wolf just beneath the surface, but I don’t let that stop me.
“You can’t even listen to me without losing control!” My voice rises, louder and louder, until I’m sure the entire countryside can hear me shouting.
“Don’t raise your voice at me!” he barks, stepping towards me as I instinctively step back.
“Oh yeah? Or what?!” I fire back, no longer holding myself in. “What are you going to do–mark me against my will again? Go ahead! Try it, and I swear I’ll end my life! There’s nothing left for me anyway!”
I’m panting now, my chest heaving, but I don’t care. “You want to talk about selfishness? You won’t let me go, yet you can’t give me what I need. Here’s a revelation for you, Theron–you’re the selfish one!
Not me!”
He growls, and then suddenly swings his arm toward me. A blinding light erupts. For a moment, everything is white. Then I realize–the glow is coming from me.
I stare, stunned.
Theron looks as if he’s seen something otherworldly–until he cries out in pain. Just as quickly as it appeared, the light vanishes. He doubles over, clutching his injured arm.
“You really do have magic,” he says, but this time there’s no anger in his voice–only fear. Raw,
unmistakable fear.
And I can’t lie–seeing that fear in his eyes gives me an odd sense of satisfaction. For once, I hold the power. For once, he’s not the one tossing me around like I’m nothing.
“I swear, I didn’t mean-” I begin, moving toward him to check if he’s all right.
“Don’t come near me,” he growls. I can tell he’s trying to use the alpha command, but like always, it has no effect on me.
“Theron, I only wanted to see if-”
“I said no.” He rises to his feet, his wound already starting to mend. “Maybe… maybe I need some space too,” he says, sighing heavily. “And take this as your birthday gift–I’m not reporting you or throwing you in the cellar for what you just did. Happy birthday, Aurelia.”
He walks away alone, back toward the pack.
I remain behind, letting the moonlight wrap around me like a blanket as I breathe in the night air. I sit down at the river’s edge, staring at my reflection in the water. The cool air calms me as I begin mentally preparing for the storm that’s surely on its way.
Sleep is the only thing on my mind, but I can’t ignore how it’s finally catching up to me. I stop fighting it and step back inside. That was more than enough time for him to go in and avoid running into him. I drag myself up the stairs, not hesitating before flopping face–first onto the sheets. For the first time in
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my life, I wonder what it’s like to have parents.
Would my life be different if they were here with me? I wipe away the bitter tears that have formed. I’m completely alone in this world–even with Ma’am Nola around, the truth is, there’s only so much I can burden her with.
“Happy birthday, Aurelia,” I whisper to myself just before sleep swallows me whole.
Joy’s POV (moments after Aurelia leaves)
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” I tell him, my eyes fixed on his face. He doesn’t respond, only wraps his arms around me.
“Callum, are you paying attention to what I’m saying?” I ask, as he settles his head against my neck, nuzzling into it.
“I hear you. It’s just… I thought something might go wrong. I’m sorry, alright? But my wolf doesn’t feel ri ght when she’s near.”
“Well, Liora doesn’t have a problem with her,” I say, noticing how his entire body tenses the moment I mention her name. I always refer to my wolf like she’s a separate person, because to me, she is.
“What did you say?”
“Liora? That’s my wolf’s name,” I reply with a smile, sensing the pride radiating from her as I introduce her. Wolves‘ names are deeply personal, sacred almost.
He pulls away from me and steps back.
I stare at him, puzzled. His mood changes so fast, it’s like watching a switch flip.
“You think this is a joke?” he asks, his voice tight with stress. My confusion only deepens.
“I don’t get it. What’s supposed to be a joke?” I ask, watching as he steps away again. Then his eyes shift to the window across the room, opposite where I’m standing. I can tell what he’s about to do,
even before he moves.
“Callum?” I call out, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, he leaps out the window, morphing in midair, and lands on all fours. Without a word, he takes off into the distance, leaving me behind with no explanation.
I sit motionless on the bed, completely overwhelmed by what just happened.
“What’s wrong with him?” I mutter, stunned and alone, with no one around to help me make sense of it.
Some time later, I’m released from the infirmary. My mother switches between smothering me with attention and scolding me for being reckless. I’m pretty sure she has no clue why I ended up in the hospital in the first place. For all she knows, I tripped down the stairs or twisted my arm–just another careless mistake on my part.
I enter my room and slam the door shut, trying to block out the sound of her voice. From the hallway, I catch the sound of her sighing and muttering angrily, blaming me for making her more stressed and
foul–mouthed than usual.
‘Right back at you,‘ I mutter inwardly, burying my face into the pillow. My thoughts drift back to Callum. ‘He can go to hell for all I care.‘
- 10529.
I stay holed up in my room until the evening, when I hear a knock at the door.
“Leave me alone!” I shout, assuming it’s my brother here to annoy me with something trivial.
“Joy? Would you like to have talk?” His voice filters through from the other side, and suddenly I’m sitting upright, like someone flipped a switch inside me.
I don’t respond right away, trying to steady my breathing so I don’t sound as anxious as I feel.
