MOONBOUND

Chapter 8

Vivian

I found myself alone in the living room, accompanied only by Clara's paternal grandmother. Uncertain about what to say, I knew she should be celebrating her granddaughter's birthday instead of looking after me.

I hesitated to suggest that she return to the party, fearing it might come across as rude and ignorant. The guilt over ruining the birthday celebration weighed heavily on me, but I mustered the courage to address the situation. "I'm sorry you had to leave the celebration. You don't have to babysit me. Clara needs you more than I do," I said, feeling my heart race with anxiety.

She gazed at me silently, leaving me with the sinking feeling that I had indeed messed up. The desire to curl up in a ball and disappear intensified.

However, to my surprise, she replied, "You are kind. You are thinking about others rather than thinking about yourself. Clara is the one who told us to go be with you. She is worried about what Theo will do to you. She will come in the next few hours." Her words offered some comfort, and I introduced myself politely as Vivian. Clara's thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze me.

We began chatting about our lives in the pack, comparing the Moonstone Pack and the Nightfall Pack, which were like the north and south poles. Time ticked by, and after an hour, Clara returned with her maternal grandparents, who headed straight to the office. I couldn't bring myself to look at Clara, knowing I had spoiled her most important day.

"I am sorry for ruining your birthday. It's okay if you don't want to forgive me. If I stayed back home, it wouldn't have happened," I told her with tears in my eyes.

Clara's response was a surprising mix of understanding and compassion. "Oh, silly. You don't have to say sorry. How are you feeling? Do you want to talk alone?" Her words soothed my troubled heart.

"You girls can go to the game room and have a talk. A talk can help you, Vivian," grandmother told us.

We went to the game room. I started blabbering about my feelings to her. "I have to leave now, Clara. I am expected to be back home tomorrow morning. I am still here. Alpha Theodore is not my mate. I don't feel the mate's pull. There is some misunderstanding going on."

Clara listened attentively, nodding empathetically, ready to respond when her maternal grandparents called us back to the living room.

"We're going to our home for tonight," her grandmother informed us. We bid goodbye to Clara's paternal grandparents and made our way home.

Ten minutes later, we reached the house, and I settled into the guest bedroom for the night. However, sleep eluded me as I grappled with my thoughts and fears about staying in the pack. I realized that I needed to find a way to seek help from another pack. At the end of the day, they are family; they will stay together; they won't help me. So I decided to leave the pack.

Thank God the guest bedroom is on the ground floor. There was a window in which I could fit. I climbed out of the window and took a few steps towards the main gate when I was suddenly stopped by a voice.

"Don't you guys have a door in the Moonstone Pack?" A stranger's voice startled me.

There is no way someone is guarding the house. I had to answer carefully so as not to create any suspicion. I replied politely as I could, "Ummm. I needed fresh air and couldn't sleep."

"You could have come out of the door. I am James, the beta of the pack. I advise you to go back before you land yourself in trouble," James replied.

"Okay. Have a good night, sir." I went inside.

I failed to escape. I curse myself for coming to the birthday celebration. I should have listened to my family. What will they do when I don't reach home tomorrow morning?

The night was long, filled with uncertainty and contemplation. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, knowing I had to face my challenges head-on.

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