The Luna

Fourteen

My stomach grumbles as I stare at the darkness of the woods surrounding Caspian's house, but it's easy to ignore. I have no idea what time it is or how long I've just been staring at the trees. But the moon has been high in the sky for what seems like a long time. It's almost full, I note, looking at the nearly invisible outline of the rest of the moon. The shadow does well to cover it, but if you look hard enough, you can still see it there.

I'm so absorbed in looking at the trees that I don't notice someone coming up behind me until a warm hand pressed over my mouth.

"Don't scream, I'm not going to hurt you," the voice whispers softly against the shell of my ear.

Another hand grabs my shoulder, turning me softly so that I am face to face (well, face to chest actually) with Malachi. The same dark robe he was wearing earlier covers most his body, even the hood is hanging low, so that I can barely make out his face.

"I'm going to let you go, but you have to whisper," He brings a hand up to his mouth quickly, reminding me to be quiet as he releases me from his grip.

I really don't know how I should feel as I stare up at him. His eyes are cautious, roaming over my face with worry. Does he think I'm going to scream? Should I scream? I don't think I want to scream. I think I want him to tell me exactly what is going on. So far, I can't help but feel like he's been the only one who has been honest with me, and that fact alone scares me.

The last (and only) wolf so far that I had trusted so easily, led me down this rabbit hole of doubt. He, like Malachi, had a nice smile too and I let him led me away without much of a fight. So why would I think Malachai is different?

Trust him or don't. You know where the last Luna ended up. My mind is a bitch but is not wrong. I do know where the last Luna is, where the ones before her ended up, but not how they got there. Maybe they too thought they could trust a strange wolf dressed in robes and that's how their lives were ended?

Is that what you really think?  My mind is taunting me, too many conflicting ideas in my head like a tug of war. I hate that my answer is a resounding, I don't know.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" my voice is barely audible to my ears, but I can tell he heard me.

"The bathroom window. Once I knew where to look, it was easy to find an entrance," he shrugs like it's no big deal, gesturing towards the bathroom door he left ajar, "I told you to watch for me. I can't leave you here."

"Why?"

"Do you know what a Luna is?" His eyebrows nearly touch as he scrunches his face in what is either confusion or sadness. Maybe both.

The question brings me to a pause and my hesitation gives him all that he needs to know.

"He said I was important to the pack," I'm not even sure if I said it or if I just mouthed it as my gaze drops to my feet.

I feel so foolish and worse, even with the information from the book, I'm still not completely sure who I should essentially trust with my life.

Caspian who found me first. Who whisked me away from the rut I had fallen into with promises of something better - Of importance and of peace from my lonliness. But has done nothing but lock me away and argue with me when I ask for clarity.

Malachai, who doesn't know me. Who saw a human among wolves and let his curiousity take over. He hasn't asked about my family or where I'm from and has made no promises. He just heard the title I had thought was prestigious and seems to be trying to save me from it, no other information needed.

I hate that I am being made to feel so at war with myself. That my impulsivness led me here only to completely abondon me and leave me nothing more than confused. I'm staring at a fork in the road and either way could lead to my death. So how do I chose where to go? The book didn't say how they died and I, at this very second, could be staring into the face of the Devil himself thinking he's an angel.