Luna Rising: The Prophecy

Sneak Peek (Chapter Excerpt)

I felt the heat of him before he actually touched me. Why was it that I was still cold with layers of clothes on, yet he radiated warmth? Awkwardly, he patted my back, but I could tell he was standing close. "People can tell you what to do all you want, but only you know what's best for you," he said softly.

Those words should have been the opposite of reassuring. But, for some reason, they made me feel better than anything else had this morning. "You're right," I murmured.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, changing from patting to rubbing my back.

I laughed humorlessly. "The fact that you of all people is saying that to me right now is proof of how messed up everything really is."

"Oh. Right." He paused, but left his hand on my back, warmth seeping through the layers of fabric. He smelled woodsy and faintly smoky. It reminded me of sitting around the fire with my family at home, telling stories and roasting a meal in the hot coals. It was homey, in a completely unexpected way.

"Well, I'll leave you, then," he said, dropping his hand to his side.

"Alright," I said in agreement. There was nothing more to say. My thoughts were everywhere. I changed my mind a hundred times and back again. Should I become a chosen mate in service to the prophecy, or wait to see if the Moon Goddess had other plans for me? It didn't help that, other than a select few people, nobody knew about the prophecy, so I couldn't even share my true feelings. Even if I could put it into words, even if I could share the truth, he was not the person I would choose to share my inner turmoil with.

Maybe he used to be a person I could open up to about this. But not anymore. Based on his recent behavior, I should want nothing more to do with him. A person could only take getting hurt so much, after all.

So why did my heart flutter when he walked away?