The Luna

11

It's cooler outside than I thought it would be. The natural canopy of the trees keeps the air about ten degrees cooler than the temperature would be back in Crest falls, and that's even considering that it's winter.

I suck air into my lungs, as if it could push past the lump of emotions rising in my throat. I'm overwhelmed. It's too much - all of it - too much. I just need to think.

I move to walk along the tall bushes that surround Caspian's house, Dex and Travis nearly on my heels. How can I have a proper moment to break down with them close enough to smell my perfume? Bodyguards are not all they're cracked up to be. I can now understand why every fictional character that has ever had a bodyguard, tried to run away from them.

I turn quickly on my heels, pinning both of them with my stare. Truthfully, I'm intimidated. Both these men are still as tall and stony as they always are, but I need space. Just a little bit, for a little while, and that is making me brave enough to stare them down. At least for a few more seconds.

"Can you guys please give me some space?" I tossed my arms in front of me, hitting both of them in the chest to emphasize my point that they were too close. I might have come off as harsh and annoyed, but I can't bring myself to care right now.

"We're your guards Luna," Dex says with a shrug, while Travis crosses his arms over his chest, "If anything were to happen to you - it would be on us."

"We're staying on the Alpha property. Am I in danger in the Alpha's own backyard?" both my guards shake their heads quickly with a definitive no before I can even finish the sentence, so I keep going, "Okay then. You'll still be able to see me and have plenty of response time should anything happen," Neither of them look like they really care what I want, and my tears are getting harder to push back.

"Please?" I add in a broken whisper, really trying to control my emotions but feeling like a dam is about to burst when one tear drops from my eye.

Travis and Dex share a look, one that I can't (or don't care to) decipher before Dex nods.

"Fine," I didn't wait for more. I don't thank them or even acknowledge that I heard them at all. I turn on my heel and walk away, finally allowing the tears to fall in quick succession.

I don't bother looking back to see how much space they're actually going to give me. I can't feel them behind me and I don't feel like they are breathing down my neck, so however much it is, it is enough. It will have to be enough.

I have to admit, the little bit of space, of freedom, is freeing. it's like when you pull the blanket over your head as a kid and after a few minutes poke your head out for fresh air. It's so cool and crisp, like new. Like you've never had air before.

I didn't realize that Caspian, or I guess his parents, had so much yard space. From my window in the house, I can see trees and the bushes from what I thought was the back, but apparently is just a side view. Behind the house, fenced in with bushes, is easily the size of a baseball field. I was surprised when I went round the back of the house to find a large marble fountain, three tiers of stone curves with water cascading down in rivers, with a woman in a flowing gown, sculpted so delicately in marble, poised on top.

I've never seen a statue look so smooth, as if I could reach out and touch the soft fabric or skin. Her face is tilted back towards the sky and I imagine her face is relaxed, eyes closed as if to soak up the sun. A part of me wants to climb up the fountain to see if I'm right, but with my clumsiness, it's probably better that I don't.

Either I'd fall and get hurt or the statue would fall. Either way, the last thing I need is to give my guards a reason to not leave me alone again.

My tears slow as my hands skim the surface of the water as I look at the bottom of the fountain. Pictures, similar to hieroglyphics, all showing different variations of a glowing woman, wolves and the moon decorate the bottom. My mind wonders what story these pictures hold.

I would ask Caspian, but he would probably give me some easy explanation and then bail to take care of some details for the ceremony. The thought upsets me a little. Caspian should be here to show me the grounds. To show me his home still and the city that these wolves have created. I will be glad when this whole ceremony is behind us, and we can finally move on from it.

My eyes pull away from the statue, skimming along the wall of bushes lining the yard, low enough that I can see over perfectly, and a small gate to get in and out easily. I wandered over there, wanting to see what the woods look like from down here. A rabbit scurries by a few yards away, and I'm reminded of home; of Erin's diner and the small run-down room above it. It hasn't been that long, but it seems like a lifetime ago that I was there and even longer since I'd seen my mother.

I can't help but wonder what she would think of Caspian, with his hidden city in the woods and the wolves. Would she think me foolish for following him after literally just meeting him, or would she be as fascinated by the mythological creatures as I am? I wrap my arms around myself, looking up at the sky, peeking through the trees, wondering if she can see me from Heaven with all these trees hiding us.

"A human?" I jumped at the quiet male voice, my eyes searching the space beyond the gate but not seeing anything. My heart beat increases, the sound is nearly audible to my own ears, but I try to keep calm.

I see the cloak first. A dark material hiding everything under its fabric. The hood shadowing the person's face as he steps forward from behind a tree, just enough that I can make out the fact that he is built like a werewolf. I swear I have never seen such a wide set of shoulders on any human.

"What are you doing here, human?" he doesn't sound angry or upset - but rather fascinated to have found me, like I'm the rare gem in a mine.

"Who are you?" I try to keep the wobble out of my voice, but I'm not sure if it works. I turn to look back at my guards still standing and talking about where I left them. Surely, if they sensed danger from this man, they would have been over here already - but they are deep in conversation neither even glancing over their shoulders at me.

The man lifts his head slightly. The light filters through the trees and I can see his jaw line, sharp as a razor and smooth from a shave, and a thin set of lips, slightly parted in awe.

"My name is Malachi," he pushes the hood back slightly, just enough that I can see the rest of his face. Wide, light green eyes watch me with curiosity and a small amount of red-brown hair peeks out the top of the hood. He looks barely older than I am, "What's a human doing with werewolves?"

"My name is Amelia. I'm the Luna of this pack," I straighten to my full height, trying to appear regal and important like the Alpha family, like Adelaide.

"Luna" he breathes out, his eyes widening impossibly further as he looks me over head to toe before glancing around us, "Well s**t," he runs a hand over his face, still looking pretty shocked. Maybe he wasn't expecting a Luna to be without her guards on her coat tails?

"What are you-"

Laughter from my guards rings loudly through the yard, and I look behind me, half expecting them to be standing right there behind me from how loud it was, but they're not even looking towards me.

"Well, this certainly complicates things," Malachi mutters, looking past me to Dex and Travis before reaching out to grasp my wrist in his hand.

.

"What the -"

"Shhhh," he says as he pulls me forward through the gate and into the woods. my strength is nothing compared to his (even though I could tell he was being gentle), but again I am reminded that I am nothing but breakable to these wolves.

"Stop, let go of me!" I screamed, trying to tug my wrist from his grip. Malachi stops immediately, his free hand flying to cover my mouth as he looks around us frantically.

"Shhh. You're going to get us caught, and I'm trying to help you!" He whisper shouts. I mumble against his hand, and he sighs, "please don't scream," he removes his hand and I give him the best glare I can.

"Trying to help me? You're trying to kidnap me!" Why I listen to him and whispering, I'm not sure, but he looks grateful.

"LUNA!" Dex's voice shouts from behind us, panic clear as it echos through the trees. I turn to call out to him, but Malachi is quicker and covers my mouth.

"s**t! Okay that probably wasn't the best idea," He moves us, quickly, pressing my back into a tree so that it can hide us, "I can't take you with me now, but you have to trust me -"

"mmmhmhmhm!" my words are mumbled against his hand as he continues to look around us for the guards whose shouts are becoming more frequent. More urgent.

"Look human, you're in dan-" The sound of footsteps grows closer, and he looks over his shoulder, "s**t! I'll come back, I'll explain everything. Be safe, lie low and look for me," he says quickly before jumping and grabbing onto a low branch and pulling himself higher and higher until he disappears from my sight within the trees.

I stood there stunned, unsure of what had just happened or what to think about it. The sound of twigs breaking catches my attention to my right and I look to see Dex emerge from the trees, looking relieved, cautious and a little angry at the same time.

"Luna?" he approaches cautiously, his hand reaching out like he's going to touch my shoulder before he thinks better of it. Travis appears right behind him, his eyes scanning around the area and his nose in the air like he's trying to smell something.

"Luna, we have to get back to the house, I told you not to leave the Alpha Property," Dex says, just as Travis relaxes his posture. Did he not smell Malachi? I looked up into the trees where he disappeared but see nothing but the trees and even some birds.

I should say something about this strange man. I shouldn't protect or help him, he tried to kidnap me! Yet, something in me is telling me to stay quiet about the encounter for now. It's a small voice whispering that I still don't know much about the world Caspian has brought me into or about Caspian in general.

"I wasn't sure where the property ended," I don't even look them in the eyes as I began to make my way back to Caspian's house determined to get my answers.