Chapter 18

The silver light of the full moon lit up the Moonlit Meadow in front of them. Its otherworldly beauty stood in stark contrast to Ethan's inner turmoil. He stood there with his eyes locked on Amelia's. The bond between them was stronger than words could say. Tension crackled through the night air, and everyone seemed to hold their breath.

"You need to know the truth, Ethan," Amelia said in a soft whisper that sounded like a song in the moonlight.

Ethan's heart was racing as he nodded. He was both interested and worried. He had a feeling that Amelia was hiding something, and he was about to find out what it was.

Amelia took a step toward him, never taking her eyes off of him. "I'm not what you might think I am."

Ethan's forehead creased. "What exactly do you mean?"

Amelia reached out and lightly touched his face with her cool fingers. "Ethan, I'm not just a woman. I'm more than that, something old."

Ethan's heart beat faster. "What is your name?"

She smiled in a strange way with her lips. "I'm in charge of keeping the Moonlit Meadow safe. A guardian of the holy forces that flow through this place. I'm here because the Moon Goddess herself sent me."

Ethan's mind was blown by what she said. He had heard stories about guardians, who were creatures with a special link to the magical parts of their world. But until now, he had never met one.

He asked in a frustrated tone, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Amelia's eyes got sad and softer. "I wanted to, Ethan, but I didn't know if I could trust you. The secrets of the Moon Goddess should not be given out easily."

Ethan nodded, knowing that what she said was important. "So, what does this all mean for us?"

Amelia took his hand and led him through the field, where the moonlight cast long shadows behind them. "It means that our relationship is even stronger than you think. We are fated to be together, just like you and Gabriel."

Ethan couldn't help but think about Gabriel and how their feelings for each other kept them tied together. "What's up with him? How does Gabriel feel about this?"

Amelia sighed, and her face looked sad. "Gabriel is your destiny, Ethan, and you can't break up with him. But the Moon Goddess has her own strange ways of doing things. She brought us together for a reason, and I think it's to bring balance and healing to your pack."

Ethan's heart hurt from the stress of everything. "Amelia, I don't know if I can do this. It's so hard to understand."

She stopped, turned around to face him, and looked into his eyes. "Ethan, you're stronger than you think. Together, we can handle any problems that come our way. Trust in the plan of the Moon Goddess."

As they stood there in the soft light of the moon, Ethan got a little bit of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to be happy and accept this complicated fate. But they didn't know what was in store for them, and their problems were far from over.

With that thought, the Moonlit Meadow told the night what it knew, giving Ethan and Amelia a sense of purpose and a bond that was stronger than time and fate.

Amelia's words hung in the air, and a frightening howl went through the night as if on cue. The sound made Ethan shiver because it reminded him of the pack he had left behind.

Amelia said in a hurry, "We have to go." She looked around the field as if she could feel something was wrong.

Ethan nodded, but his heart was still full of the weight of what they had said. They turned to leave the Moonlit Meadow. As they walked back through the moonlit grass, their steps got faster.

As they got closer to the edge of the field, they heard growls and snarls in the distance. Ethan's reflexes took over, and he sped up, putting all of his senses on high alert.

"They've found us," Amelia said in a tight whisper.

When Ethan looked back, he saw a group of werewolves coming out of the darkness, their eyes shining with a wild light. This made his heart beat faster. Gabriel was one of them. His face was a mix of anger and hopelessness.

"We have to talk to them," Ethan said. He slowed down and put his hands up in a sign of peace.

When Amelia nodded, they stopped and turned to face the pack that was coming. Gabriel was the first to get there, and his chest was heaving from all the work he had done.

"Ethan," he said in a gasp, his eyes meeting Ethan's. "I have something to say."

Ethan's jaw was tight, but he nodded to show that he was willing to let Gabriel talk.

Gabriel turned to the group and spoke to them in a strong voice. "This is Amelia, the person who watches over the Moonlit Meadow. She's here to help us get back on track and fix what's gone wrong."

The members of the pack gave each other wary looks, but they dropped their protective positions and their growls died down.

Amelia stepped forward, making it clear that she was in charge. "The Moon Goddess sent me here to help us get through these hard times. We must trust her knowledge and work together to heal our pack."

Ethan watched as the members of the pack listened to what Amelia said, their faces changing from anger to interest. Even though the peace was weak, it was a start.

As the night went on, they gathered in the moonlight and made a circle. Ethan, Gabriel, and Amelia stood in the middle. They were all tied together by fate, and their lives were all going in the same direction.

The Moonlit Meadow was there to see them make their deal, and as the moon hung high in the sky, it seemed to shine brighter, as if to bless their trip.

But as the night got darker, they could see a new challenge coming that would put their sudden unity to the test and push them to their limits. Even though they didn't know what wo

uld happen next, they knew that their adventure was far from over.