The Quiet Luna

Nyla “I don’t see why you are the one that has to go,” my brother, Neil, complained again. I was being sent to a neighboring colony with papers that would help solidify an alliance. I was incredibly excited, having never been outside our territory before, but my overprotective big brother wasn’t happy about me being out in the world on my own. “You should at least have a few guards assigned to you.” I sighed, we’d been over this multiple times and I was tired of having the same argument with him, but I knew his concerns were born out of his love for me, so I smiled patiently at him. “Neil, I’ll be fine!” I assured him. “I can take care of myself, and you know sending guards to Cole’s territory would only be seen as an act of aggression. We need to tread lightly with this. It’s too important.” “I know,” he pouted, tossing a rock into the lake we were sitting by, causing ripples to spread out across the water’s surface. It was a sunny day, the type of day that anyone wouldn’t be able to stay indoors. A gentle breeze blew through the branches of the trees, making them sing with pleasure, and the sun warmed my skin as I stretched on the soft grass. “I just can’t shake this feeling like something bad is going to happen,” Neil mumbled. “Bad?” I c****d an eyebrow at him. It wasn’t that Neil had the Sight or anything, but usually his gut instincts were fairly close. Except when it came to me. He was just a giant worrier when it came to me. “What do you mean bad?” “I don’t know,” he shrugged, not looking over at me. “Just… what if you were to find your kindred?” “In Cole’s territory?” I laughed, the mirth bubbling out of my belly. “I highly doubt that! Have you seen the way they dance?” I giggle at the memory of watching some of the dances that were performed for us during one of the earlier alliance talks. There was nothing more I liked than dancing, letting my body create graceful shapes as I moved with the music. The dances of our soon to be allies were harsh and static compared to ours. I couldn’t fathom being tied to one of them for life! “What if he isn’t in Cole’s territory?” Neil asked quietly, the haunted sound in his voice making my laughter die on my lips. “What if he’s not one of us at all?” I leaned over, resting my head on his shoulder. “Not going to happen,” I said confidently. “The Goddess wouldn’t do that twice to the same family.” Last year, Neil had found his kindred, but she was human. Following our laws, he killed her immediately. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, to kill your kindred, even when you knew it was the only option. I kept hoping he would come out of his depression, but rarely did I ever see a glimpse of his old carefree smile these days. “Just be careful, sis,” he said as he stood up, reaching down to help me to my feet and pulling me in for a tight hug. It was time for me to go, but I held onto him for a bit longer. I’d always driven faster than my father would have preferred, but on this trip the result was that I’d made excellent timing travelling to Cole’s territory. He reviewed the signed alliance papers, shook my hand, and I was on my way with plenty of time to spare before anyone would miss me. Cole invited me to stay for a while, maybe search for my kindred, but I politely declined his offer. The nearby city I had driven through on my way through was calling me to explore. It was so different from anything I’d experienced before! The buildings towered above the few trees that struggled to survive amongst the concrete. People rushed along the sidewalks, stopping and waiting impatiently for electronic lights to give them permission to continue their progression as they jostled together. A few times, I accidently bumped into someone, feeling overwhelmed by all the unnatural noise and activity surrounding me, and they would mumble something about watching where I was going before moving on. There were all manner of creatures living together in this place and I assumed their coexistence was more or less peaceful. Obviously, they had to gain something from living in such cramped quarters or why else would they choose to be here? Humans, vampires, fae, werewolves- they all seemed to be at home in this place forgotten by nature. I wandered along, taking in the sights with astonishment. I could never live in this place, but it was fascinating nonetheless. As I came around a corner, my heart skipped several beats and the air in my lungs stilled. I wish I could say it was the presence of a small square of greenery thriving in the center of this city. The trees were old and wise, a small natural spring bubbled up in the center, and flowers dotted the trails. But no. Unfortunately, it was the man sitting under a massive oak, head back, eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the high level of activity outside of his personal oasis. I should run, I thought. He hasn’t seen me, I could run away and pretend this never happened. But my feet were rooted to the spot. With mounting horror, I felt the wind at my back, as though encouraging me to move towards him. His eyes flew open and instantly fixed on me the moment he caught my scent. “Mate,” even at this distance, I could clearly hear his whisper. Tears sprung to my eyes, and I tried to deny it. The Goddess wouldn’t be this cruel! My brother had been fated to a human, and it seemed now that my kindred was a werewolf! He stood in an impossibly graceful movement and prowled towards me. Frozen in place, I simply stood there, tears freely falling down my cheeks. His hand reached out, gently brushing the moisture away from my skin and leaned in to press his lips to mine. He felt warm and solid, comforting even as I cursed the Goddess herself. And, ancestors forgive me, I returned his kiss. “Why are you crying, little one?” he asked as he gazed into my eyes. He was the most perfect creature I’d ever laid my eyes on. His dark hair curled slightly at his collar, soulful brown eyes gazed down at me with affection, full, sensual lips curved in a gentle smile. I was clutching his shirt in my fists, his solid, muscular form making me feel grounded. I shook my head, not sure how to answer his question. He brushed his hand over my cheek again, and I leaned into him. “Our laws say I have to kill you now,” I whispered. “I can’t do it, though,” I sobbed. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his chest as I sobbed, muttering words of comfort. How could the Goddess be so cruel? “Can I ask for one request before you do what you feel you must?” he whispered softly when my tears had finally run their course. I blinked up at him and nodded, hoping I would be able to give him whatever it was he would ask for. “Can we have this one night?” his eyes pleaded with me, and I could hear the emotions in his voice. “Just this one night to have you by my side?” My breath was shaky and I wasn’t sure I could trust my voice, but I nodded eagerly. I knew this wasn’t exactly in keeping with our laws. I should have already killed him, but I deserved to have happy memories of my kindred to last me the rest of my lonely life. “Yes,” I managed to whisper. “I would like that.” “Then come,” he smiled, reaching down for my hand and dragging me with him down the sidewalk. I assumed he was taking me to his home, but he surprised me by stopping in front of a restaurant, and holding the door open for me to go inside. We had the perfect evening together. A rich, delectable dinner by candle light, followed by dancing. I’d never felt so free as when he held in me his arms and guided me around the dance floor. At last, he brought me to a hotel, explaining that he had only been in the city for business and his real home was several hours drive away in a heavily forested part of the country. He spoke of his home with so much love and joy, it was obvious he was proud of his pack and their lands. It sounded wonderful, and my heart ached knowing I would never see it. We made love for hours, eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms sometime in the earliest hours. By the time I woke with the sun already high in the sky, I had made up my mind. I could already feel the tiny flicker of life we’d made growing in my belly. If I returned home with what would be considered an abomination, there was no telling what my people would do to my child or me. “Drake,” I whispered, as he stirred next to me. “I have a plan, but it won’t be easy. Will you help me?” “Anything for you, love,” he said in a sleepy voice. I sent up a prayer to the Goddess for understanding and strength. I just hoped I wouldn’t come to regret this. More importantly, I hoped Drake didn’t.