"We've got company." Tessa sang as she poked me in the ribs with her bony elbow. "And isn't he just delicious?"
Tessa wasn't subtle in the least bit. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire whole pack heard her impure comment.
Turning my attention to the area Tessa was gawking at, I observed a man standing in the middle of the field. Watching him from a distance, he slowly stretched his arms out and directed the palm of his hands up to the sky. Almost instantaneously, orbs started dancing on his fingertips, showcasing a rainbow of colors.
"Who is that and what the hell is he doing?" I asked, confused by his mere presence at the pack house. Whoever he was, he surely had a death wish.
Without warning he was surrounded by the protectors, each of them growling and scratching their claws into the dirt ready to strike.
Instead of fearing them, he simply dismissed their forewarning to leave the grounds and continued rolling the orbs along his hands.
"Oh, pipe down you mangy mutts. No need to get your tails in a knot. I'm not here to fight you disgusting beasts, I'm here to claim what is mine and bring her home with me." He snorted.
I could see the uneasiness of the wolves as their ears started twitching back and forth. They were talking to one another, planning their next move.
"Oh princess, time to go home." He said in a pitchy tone.
I leaned into Tessa and carefully whispered into her ear. "Who is he talking to?"
Tessa looked at me confused and shrugged her shoulders. For once she actually appeared to be as clueless as I was.
Stepping out into the clearing, I decided to take charge. "State your business." I demanded confidently, even though my insides were shaking like crazy.
"Babycakes, there you are. I've missed you. Come to me and I will take you home." He insisted.
I turned around and searched the area behind me to see who he was speaking to. The only one standing beside me was Tessa.
"Who are you looking for?" I questioned.
Trying to get a good look at his face, I took a step closer to him. Unfortunately, that was of no use since a large black shadow was cast over his face, blocking every feature that would help identify who he was.
"I'm looking for you. I have to admit, I'm a little hurt that you have forgotten me already."
I took a few steps backwards before answering him. "I think you have the wrong pack, sir. I do not know you. We do not know you."
"Come." He said, holding his hand out to me.
I shook my head no, contemplating making a run for the pack house, but it would be of no use. He would catch me before I even made it half way across the field.
"Don't be afraid. The darkness will welcome you, soothe your pain and turn it into pure bliss. You-"
"You need to leave." I interrupted, "You do not belong here. And I am sure as hell not your baby cakes."
With a snap of his fingers, he was hovering in my face, his feet barely touching the ground. The evil that radiated off of him was sickening. I could feel the bile in my stomach rising to my throat the closer he got to my face.
Lifting his hand out to me, he opened his fist to reveal a black, powdery substance. A loud chuckle released from his chest as he quickly blew the power into my face.
I started frantically trying to brush the powder off of my face while coughing to expel it from my lungs. But my attempts were all in vain as the grass started moving and the wolves began swirling into one, my vision turning to black.
"Welcome to the dark side, baby." He hissed, throwing his head backwards and maniacally laughing into the wilderness.
"No!" I screamed as I shot up in bed, soaked in a pool of sweat.
"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, quickly grabbing my shaking body. Worry was strewn all over his face as his chest heaved up and down, his breaths uneven and heavy.
With his arms wrapped around me I started to relax. I found solace in his arms, but the nightmare still continued to play over and over again in my head. The shadow man, his words, and the sound of his voice forever etched into my brain.
"I'm sorry, I just had a horrible nightmare." I admitted. I felt bad for waking Sebastian up, the last thing he needed to worry about was his weak Luna's dreams.
"Woah, back up!" I said to myself, "He slept in the same bed as me?" I was finding it difficult to hold in my excitement.
"Did- did you sleep in here?" I asked, stuttering my words a little bit.
A smile crept onto his face as he pushed my ratty hair behind my shoulder. "I did. You were so comfortable that your eyes just closed. I didn't have the heart to move you. I hope that's okay?"
If I was alone in the room I would be doing a happy dance. I have been waiting for this moment since he woke up. Is he finally accepting me for who I am?
"Thank you for staying with me." I smiled.
He nodded politely before creating a space between us. "Tell me about your nightmare."
I started explaining, giving him as much detail as possible. His eyebrows were knitted together as he allowed his brain to absorb all the information I was unveiling.
"What did he look like?" He interrupted, taking my hands in his.
I took in a deep breath, "I never saw his face. It was like a black cloak was draped over him, preventing me from seeing."
Dreams usually never bothered me. I had grown to accept that not all dreams were rainbows and butterflies. I've had my fair share of nightmares to know that evil exists, even in your dreams.
I laid back down on the comfortable bed and pulled the covers up close to my face. I wanted to forget all about the boogeyman and enjoy my alone time with Sebastian.
Looking over at him he was still propped up on the edge of the bed trying to piece together the broken bits of my dream.
"Sebastian, you don't have to think too hard about the dream. It was simply a nightmare. Will you come lay back down with me?" I asked, hoping he would just forget about my dream and cuddle me.
He smiled and yanked the covers off of me and dove underneath them. A small giggle escaped my lips as he got himself comfortable. I couldn't help but remember the times we use to lay in bed like this, happy and worry-free. I prayed every day that he would wake up and realize everything we once had. How happy and in love we were. The plans we made.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, as he grabbed my waist, pulling me closer to him.
My heart fluttered at the feeling of his body so close to mine. Our lips were so close together that I could feel them moving when he spoke.
"I'm just remembering all the good times we had and how badly I wish that you could remember them." I admitted.
His eyes shot downward and he bit his lower lip. "I'm really sorry, Veronica. I know that it hurts you that I don't remember everything that you do. It hurts me too, to be honest. But I would like to start making new memories with you if you will allow me. I would like to make up for all of this pain I have caused you." He said quietly, while gently rubbing his thumb over my cheek, brushing away the salty tear that had escaped my eyes.
"I want to start over. Take you out on dates, buy you flowers. I want to do everything for you. Erik told me that we didn't even have a Luna ceremony. He said we were so occupied with other things that we never took the time to fully recognize you as one of our own."
I could see the corners of his mouth turn down as he finished saying his peace. He was upset.
"I don't need all of that, Sebastian. The only thing I want is to be loved by you. For you to see that I am worthy of your love, worthy of your packs respect. I want to be treated as your equal. All of the things you use to do, I so badly want back."
Leaning down he placed a small kiss on my forehead. The fireworks ignited as soon as his lips touched my skin. I know he felt it, but he never budged.
"If I could fly to the moon, I would capture it and bring it home to you. If I could collect every star in the sky, I would use them to light your way, never allowing the darkness to surround you."
I swooned at his words. They were raw, heartfelt. But I've heard those words before, just not in the same exact way.
"That is beyond romantic, but why would you promise me the moon and the stars?" I asked, prodding for the sake of my curiosity.
"I'm glad you asked. It's a very interesting story that goes along with a promise of this magnitude." He smiled and placed my hand on his heart. "Going back several hundred years, it was thought that only a female Alpha and a male Alpha could be mates. As you know, mates are chosen by the Moon Goddess, not the wolf itself. This belief resulted in many, many mateless wolves, especially those in power. Unfortunately because of this, they were looked down upon. Deemed not worthy to be in a position of power."
Shifting onto his back, he wrapped his soft hands around my wrists and pulled me on top of him. "Now I can see you better." He teased, while running his hands along the sides of my body.
I playfully smacked his hands away and leaned down to rest my forearms on his chest. "Well?" I asked, wanting him to continue his story.
Wiggling his eyebrows at me a smirk crept onto his face. I could hear the dirty thoughts that were racing through his mind.
"Will you stop already?" I asked, trying to control my body that was now reacting to his thoughts.
"Okay, okay." He joked. "Anyway, with the wolves completely mateless, that meant no pups. If there weren't any pups, there would be no one to take over the packs when the Alphas died."
He closed his eyes for a moment, seeming as if he was watching the story unfold as he was telling me. 459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKJhS0AiIS
"During a joining ceremony, the Moon pack and River pack joined together in an attempt to make a pack that was much stronger than the typical pack. Their intent was to create a "super pack", one that consisted of only the best wolves. A few months later the Alpha of the Moon pack made an announcement that he was in love with one of the Protectors from the River pack. Are you following along?" He asked.
I quickly nodded my head yes, wanting him to continue with his story. I was intrigued. I actually enjoyed hearing the history of the werewolves.
Letting out a chuckle he continued on. "This love was unheard of. Everyone knew they didn't belong with each other and they even tried to break them apart. So the Alpha did what he thought was the right thing to do. He dropped to his knees and begged the Moon Goddess for her blessing. He promised the Moon Goddess that he would love, respect, and take care of the woman until his dying day. He swore he would forever love her creation, promising her the Moon and stars."
"But why would he promise something he can't physically give?" I asked, a little confused on the reasoning.
"That's a great question. His reasoning is very interesting. He promised his lover the Moon and the stars to prove that nothing was ever out of his reach. That he would go to the depths of the earth and back for her."
I was in awe. The love that he had for that woman was incredible. In all honesty, that is the kind of love I strived to have.
"He was so romantic." I squeaked.
"Yes he was." Sebastian admitted. "The best part of the whole story is that the Moon Goddess accepted his plea and granted his wish. Not only did she make the lovers mates, but she started mating other wolves together. Even mating wolves and humans together." He smiled. "That is why promising someone the Moon and stars is of significance."
I so badly wanted to rip his clothes off and crash my lips onto his. Hearing the story and listening to the emotion Sebastian put into telling it made my knees weak. He was always good at making something so simple romantic.
Gently grabbidng my hands and enveloping them with his he smiled. "Veronica West, will you allow me to promise you the Moon and the stars and make amends for the way I have treated you?"
My heart started racing as if I was running a 5k marathon. Looking into his eyes I could see flickers of hope, but Sebastian was still not fully there. The dark force was still winning against his sweet nature.
Rubbing my thumbs along the side of his fingers I took in a deep breath.
"No."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgOPPorGjO
