CHAPTER 5

In the presence of his little Luna, the human part of Lían became aware of his nudity. Without hesitating for a moment, he moved to one of the corners of the room, where the lower part of his body was covered by a three-seater piece of furniture. Anne, on the other hand, was so terrified by the words she had heard earlier that she cared little or nothing about the nudity displayed. Instead, she simply couldn't see him as a man; in her eyes, she saw a monster – one willing to destroy everything in his path to obtain the trophy he desires, and unfortunately for her, that monster desires her.

— I... I'll go with you, — she says hesitantly. The fear she feels is evident in the trembling of her body as she takes short, uncertain steps towards the men. When both wolves thought the girl would collapse due to the weakness in her steps, she stops and fixes her gaze on Lían. — But you must promise not to harm a single person in my village.

— Little one, — the Alpha calls her. If not for his nudity, he would have gone to her.

— Swear it! —  she demands forcefully, even though she doesn't know where that courage is coming from. — If you don't, then I swear I'll escape from you every chance I get.

After those words, the room falls into a deep silence, and none of the wolves dares to speak. The older wolf shifts his gaze away from the scene and focuses on the bay horses in the paddock. After all, this negotiation isn't his concern. But in silence, he feels proud to see that even in fear, the little human is capable of challenging his stubborn son. In the end, Mother Moon fulfilled her promise and gave his cub a worthy mate.

Blocking out any sound, Lían gets lost in those blue eyes. The Alpha has always been drawn to the beauty that the sky can display, and from the first moment he saw the celestial blue in his Luna's eyes, he adored that beautiful firmament she holds in her gaze. Maybe that's why his heart tightens when he sees those eyes clouded by tears and fear, two emotions he himself placed there. When he said he would ravage and kill the inhabitants of all the villages until he found his Luna, he didn't mean it seriously. He knows that doing so could not only hurt his mate but also endanger his pack and unleash a war between wolves and humans. But it seems his imprudence in speaking so lightly ended up affecting his little partner. This is not the way he had envisioned to keep her by his side, but he'll have to seize this opportunity; later, he'll think of a way to fix this disaster and earn her trust and love.

— I swear,— he affirms calmly. — But in return, you must promise not to run away from me again.

Anne couldn't be more devastated; those words were simply the signature on her sentence. Any chance of returning to her family, of hugging her father or sister, has just died. With a deep sigh, she tries to calm the trembling in her body and walks over to the kitchen table, placing the small jar of vanilla on it. Holding back her tears a little longer, she gives one last look to the man who tried to help her, if only a little. With a slight nod, she walks to the exit, leaving the two men inside the room.

— I hope you can cherish your Luna, — she comments in a conciliatory tone.

— Are you the one telling me that? — Lían responds to his father in the same tone he used since he arrived. But deep down, he knows his father is right. His gaze momentarily fixes on the jar left on the table by the other. Vanilla, that explains why he couldn't smell its scent inside the house.

— Are you planning to go to her in that state?

His father's new words snap him out of his thoughts. Once again aware of his nudity, he sighs at the situation. If Anne were a she-wolf, he wouldn't have any problem with the lack of clothing; for wolves, that's normal. But for his Luna, it's different; she's a human, and humans are more modest about such matters.

— I'll give you some clothes, — his father says as he heads to his room.

---

— Are you serious? — Aisling can't believe that her boyfriend's words are true. Of all the people who could turn their back on her, she never expected Wen to be one of them. Releasing a low sigh, the guard gazes at her girlfriend, seeing the sadness in her eyes causes him great pain.

— Aisling, if she was truly taken by wolves, it's too late, she...

He couldn't finish his sentence because a slap stopped him. Left with words on the tip of his tongue, Aisling turned and walked away, refusing to listen to any words that suggested she had lost her sister forever.

Aisling shook her head forcefully, as if that gesture could erase the memory of the conversation she had with her boyfriend the previous night. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat, but she refused to slow her steps. In recent days, her father had done nothing but mourn the loss of Annette, but no one in the village was willing to venture into the forest to search for her sister. The previous night, she had asked Wen for help, pleading with him to intervene with the hunters to get them to search for her sister. Perhaps Anne was injured and in need of help, but even he had refused to assist. "No hunter would risk entering the wolf territory just to recover a corpse," his words made her feel nauseous. Her sister wasn't dead; she could feel it in her heart, and she was going to prove it to everyone.

— Wait for me, Anne, — she whispered into the air as she continued up the cobblestone hill.

______

In front of the small paddock, Anne stares intently at the horses as she wipes away the rebellious tears that have finally escaped her eyes. Now that the nails of her coffin are firmly in place, she hopes to find the resignation she needs to get used to captivity, just like those specimens. 

— They're beautiful, aren't they? — Lían lets that question slip in a gentle tone.

The presence of the man behind her makes her feel uncomfortable. Without responding to his words, she simply walks away from the gate, but she doesn't get more than about three steps before a gentle grip on her wrist stops her.

— I know we're not off to a good start, — she says hesitantly. For the first time, Anne notices a faint trace of regret in the man's voice, and for some reason, her heart feels slightly confined by it. — My name is Lían, and I'm the Alpha of the Southern pack, and you...

— I'll only stand by your side as long as you keep your word, — Anne says with urgency, totally unwilling to give her name to this man. — I don't care who you are or what position you hold. I only care about keeping my village safe from you.

Those words leave a bitter taste in Lían's mouth, and he knows that the words he spoke in his moment of recklessness will weigh heavily on his relationship with his little Luna.

"..."

For a moment, Lían had thought of saying something, but his common sense tells him that now is not the time. Fixing his gaze on Anne, he finally takes in her appearance. She barely reaches the height of his chin, her beautiful face adorned with soft, imperceptible freckles that are hidden beneath the natural rosy tone of her cheeks, which contrasts with her black hair. She has a small button nose and two beautiful blue eyes that remind him of a clear sky. Her slender figure is beautifully accentuated by the black lace dress.

— Are you listening to me?

His companion's voice brings him back to reality.

— What?" he asks in return.  — I'm sorry, I wasn't listening.

— I asked if we're leaving now, — she repeats her question. — It's going to rain.

Lían is a bit puzzled by the last words; the sun is shining brightly in the sky. Sharpening his senses, he allows his sense of smell and hearing to roam, but there's nothing nearby to suggest a change in the weather.

Without wanting to contradict her words, Lían starts walking towards the exit of his father's property, with Anne following closely behind.

Inside the cabin, Cillian watches the couple leave, hoping that their differences can be resolved in the future. He also hopes that the little girl kicks his cub's arrogant butt.

— You'd like our daughter-in-law, Hanna, — he says before looking up at the sky. — Although she's human, as you warned, and at times, she seems like a frightened little rabbit, she's exactly what Mother Moon promised and what we always wanted for Lían.

_____

— You should learn to guard your thoughts better, — are the words that the elder Paul directs at the she —wolf in front of him.

— Why do you refuse to consider my words as a possible idea?

The elder simply remains silent as he reviews the scroll in front of him once again. His gaze passes over each of the words written there. Letting out a deep sigh, he leans back in his chair. Why doesn't he want to see this idea as a possible reality? The truth is, it's because of fear, fear of the deep darkness that lurks behind that reality.

— If this is true, if your assumptions are correct, and the signs are unequivocal, then we are truly at the beginning of the twilight for the wolves.

— Why do you have to see it that way? — the woman asks with a clear tone of agitation. She doesn't understand why Paul can't see the same sea of possibilities that she's contemplating.

— Because we both know that my words are true, — he responds. After those words, the room falls momentarily into silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. — Send a message to the High Priestess, request an audience.