Chapter 4 TIDES OF FATE

Chapter 4 – Tides of Fate

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over Greyhollow. The town was quiet, its streets bathed in the soft luminescence of streetlights. But beneath the surface, tensions simmered, unseen by the oblivious townsfolk.

Elara sat at her desk, the ancient journal spread open before her. The cryptic entries spoke of celestial alignments, of rituals performed under twin moons, and of beings that traversed worlds. Her fingers traced the faded ink, absorbing the weight of the words.

A knock at the door startled her from her reverie. She rose, heart pounding, and opened it to find Riven standing there, his silver eyes reflecting the moonlight.

"I hope I'm not intruding," he said, his voice a soothing balm to her frayed nerves.

"Not at all," she replied, stepping aside to let him in.

They sat together, the journal between them, as Elara shared her discoveries. Riven listened intently, his gaze never leaving her face.

"These rituals... they speak of a connection between our worlds," she mused.

"Yes," Riven confirmed. "The Moon Rift is a rare event, one that binds our fates together."

Their conversation flowed, the hours slipping away unnoticed. As dawn approached, a comfortable silence settled between them.

"I should go," Riven said, rising to his feet.

"Stay," Elara whispered, her voice barely audible.

He hesitated, then nodded, taking her hand in his. They moved together, drawn by an invisible force, their connection deepening with each passing moment.

---

...They moved together, drawn by an invisible force, their connection deepening with each passing moment.

As Elara leaned back into the couch beside him, a moment of silence stretched between them, not awkward-just charged with the feeling that something was shifting. Something ancient. Something real.

"Sometimes I feel like I've met you before," Elara murmured. "Not in a dream. But... in a memory I can't place."

Riven's gaze lowered. He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked out the window at the silver-washed forest. "Maybe you have," he said quietly. "Or maybe fate simply doesn't work the way humans think it does."

"You're not like anyone I've ever met," she said.

That made him smile, bittersweet and fleeting. "I've lived more lifetimes than I care to count. On Lunaris, time moves differently. But every life-every time I come here-it always feels like I'm... waiting."

"For what?" she asked, voice barely a whisper.

"You."

*

Far away in the deeper parts of Greyhollow's forest, Lucien stood on a jagged cliff, his cloak whipping in the wind. His golden eyes were fixed on the full moon-no longer content to simply wait.

Behind him, Koran approached silently, flanked by two more of Lucien's pack. One was Abinaki, the cold, muscular warrior who had never questioned Lucien's vengeance. The other, a younger she-wolf named Veila, new to the hunt but quick, agile, and dangerous.

"He's close," Koran said, sniffing the wind. "Closer than he's ever dared before."

Lucien didn't flinch. His voice came low and steady. "He's growing bold. Or desperate."

"He'll lead us to the girl," Abinaki added.

Lucien's jaw clenched. "Then let her lead him."

*

Back in town, Elara's best friend, Nia, texted her for the third time that night.

Where did you vanish to?? I was gonna ask you to join us at Max's bar. It's trivia night!!

Elara ignored the buzz. She couldn't bring herself to leave this moment. The warmth beside her. The man with eyes like stormlight and secrets heavier than the sky.

But Riven had grown quiet.

"You should know," he said after a long pause, "that I didn't come here by choice. I was... pulled here. During a shift in the moons. The Rift. It tore through the veil between our worlds and I-"

He stopped.

"You lost someone?" she asked gently.

He nodded. "A brother. My whole pack, almost. I was young. The shift tore me from everything. I landed here and before I could find my way back..." He looked down. "I caused something terrible."

"The alpha's death?" she guessed.

He nodded again. "Lucien's father. I didn't mean to. I tried to stop it. But it was the night of their blood moon ritual. My presence disrupted their magic-broke the chain. The power they were controlling snapped back and... killed him."

"And Lucien's been hunting you ever since."

"Yes."

A long silence stretched between them.

"Why haven't you run farther?" she finally asked.

"Because of the Rift," he said. "It's coming again. And this time... I think it brought me back for a reason."

She looked into his eyes and saw the pain of lifetimes. The weight of exile. The quiet loneliness of someone who has had to become a ghost to survive.

She reached across the journal and took his hand. "You don't have to hide anymore."

Something shifted between them again. He leaned in, his breath soft against her cheek. She didn't move-not away, not an inch. Their lips met, softly at first, then deeper. A kiss that was neither rushed nor restrained. It was hungry, aching, and filled with questions neither of them had words for.

Outside, the wind stirred the leaves.

In the forest, wolves watched from the dark.

And in the cliffs, Lucien turned toward the town with eyes burning gold.

The hunt had begun.

--

But for a moment, in Elara's dimly lit living room, the world paused.

Riven gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I don't know what this is between us," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion, "but it's the only thing that's felt real in centuries."

Elara's breath caught, her heart pounding. "Then stay here. Be real with me."

He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I shouldn't... but I want to."

His lips found hers again-this time slower, more deliberate, as if memorizing every second. Her hands slid into his hair, pulling him closer, not out of urgency, but out of need. His fingers traced the curve of her waist, her warmth anchoring him to this world.

"I feel like I've been waiting for you," she breathed.

"You have," he said simply.

Their kiss deepened, heat blooming between them as the pull of fate tangled with desire. She wasn't afraid-she had never felt safer.

Somewhere in the dark, a howl pierced the night.

But in this room, there was only them-two souls drawn together across galaxies, time, and blood. And neither of them knew just how much they were about to risk for it.

.....