Lunar Temptations

Ch 20

"Raya, dear, what really happened?" I was brought out of the trance when I felt Mom's hand lightly brush my hand. I inhaled deeply and told them everything. They listened carefully, and when I told them the colour of the wolves, Paul's face lit with recognition.

"They are one of those we haven't found yet."

All this time, Mom remained quiet and listened to me carefully. When I finished, I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "I don't know if they are dead or not," I admitted and waited for the disappointment to come, but nothing happened.

Instead, Paul turned to me. "I fear they might still be out there, and they might come after you."

I gulped slowly. Zayden was right to demand that I move in with him. I might not be safe at my pack after all, and as cowardly as it would be for me to run away from my pack for the time being, I didn't possess the power to stop them. I couldn't stand to fight two rogues off. What would I do if they returned to attack me with the ones still at large? I would probably end up dead by then, and staying in the Night Walkers Pack was my only choice. Besides, I would be expected to move in since Zayden and I were engaged, and someday maybe I would also have to become the Luna of this pack. Might as well get accustomed to it in the meantime.

"That won't be a problem." I paused as they both watched me, waiting for me to explain. "I've decided to move in with Zayden. It will be safer for me here too," I announced to them while not believing my own words.

Mom nodded vigorously, her face lighting up with relief and happiness. "That would be perfect. You'll be safer with him, and nothing gives me more comfort than knowing you're protected with him by your side." She sighed with relief.

Mom and Dad knew Zayden and I were great friends since our childhood, and they weren't aware of the actual dispute between us. They were aware that something had happened but thought of it as a trivial matter. I never got to tell her either, and they wouldn't have sided with me either. Instead, they would have been disappointed in me for dating a rogue wolf. To them, Zayden had always been the perfect child, the perfect wolf, the perfect leader, and the best protector for me.

He had hurt me, broken me, but I couldn't deny how he had saved my life. Once again, I was slowly finding myself torn between two realities and the need to accept them. One shouted at me to run away from it all and not trust the man who broke my heart, the other told me he might never harm me. What was worse was the fact that each had their reasons to be believed. Sometimes, all I wished was for none of this to be this way, but that was all I could do—wish.

Paul left after a while when we finished discussing our stance on the matter. Dad was worried sick about me, yet he couldn't come because of his health. The doctor had advised him strictly not to travel, and Zayden's pack was a little far from ours. Therefore, he stayed back with a heavy heart. I called him and let him know that I was fine and that I would come to see him soon. I couldn't go back to my pack yet, not until the threats were eliminated and the rogues were taken care of, so I updated him on the situation. For some reason, I didn't want to go back either. The woods would remind me of the danger I was in, every day and night, and I didn't want to be traumatized right now.

"Still too busy to meet me?" A small voice came from behind me when I had only popped my medicines in. I turned around to find Winnie standing sheepishly by the room's door. I rushed to her and enveloped her in a deep hug. A chuckle came from her when I squeezed her even tighter. Growing up, Esme was the only one closer to me while Winnie was still too young. We both treated her like a baby most of the time, but looking at her now, I couldn't help but be emotional.

"I am never too busy for you," I said, releasing her. She pulled back and gently touched my wound. "Does it still hurt?"

My heart ached, imagining what my family would have gone through when they realized I was missing and was probably in danger. My parents might be strong enough to know how to handle the situation, but my sisters were not so trained. What they must have felt thinking that only a week after returning after being gone for 5 years, they had a possibility of losing me.

"Don't worry, it will heal soon," I reassured her, but for some reason, her expression fell. She looked around before biting her lip nervously and then contemplating something. "What is it?" I asked.

"I know why it isn't healing fast enough," she murmured before face-palming herself.

I eyed her confused. "What do you mean? Is it supposed to heal faster?"

Her words were definitely new to me. What did she mean by it? We, werewolves, were supposed to heal faster than humans, but I had never been that injured to witness how fast it could happen. Although what she was saying was something else, and I could sense that.

"Yes, that bandage should be off by now," she replied, still nervously biting her lips. "But the doc said it would take a week—" I began to argue, but then I remembered. The doctor earlier had estimated that based on the speed of my healing, which meant...

"I don't get it, why would I heal slower?" I shrugged and watched as Winnie leaned into me and gulped. I leaned into her as well, to hear whatever she had to say.

"Because you haven't mated yet," she whispered to me, and my eyes widened momentarily before I pulled away. "Well, that's the only conclusion I have reached," she continued, lost in a trance as if calculating something.