The Luna Shield

The evening breeze drifted lightly through Aetherwood's leaves, bearing the smell of wet earth, old moss, and secrets never spoken aloud. Deep breath Aria took let the breath of the woods flow her lungs. Tonight felt different, despite this place never being absolutely still. No rustling underbrush, no cracking limbs. Even the wind declined to whisper.

Her feet were feather-light along the hunter's track, the earth familiar under her shoes. Aria was not, though, a hunter. She had a little leather pouch at her waist loaded with water and a few herbs she had discovered to recognize from her late father's collapsing ancient volumes, nothing more than that.

She was not sure why she returned here constantly. Something in her had changed since her eighteenth birthday. Like unseen strings tying her body to the forest itself, a wordless, old, and primal call had begun to draw at her.

She had attempted to oppose it. The pull was just too intense this evening.

Moonlight passed across the canopy, silver rays grazing her skin. She looked at her palm and there it was again. The weak glow from her pores. Not hot. not agony. Only odd.

"Am I even human?" she mumbled to herself.

Always shying from inquiries regarding the past, her father Gerrard Moonvale had She only knew he discovered her on his doorway, bundled in a soaked blanket with only a crescent moon necklace. No mention. No name. No responses.

She stopped by a little river with a sigh. Between mossy stones, the water was crystal clear. Tonight it seemed different though she had been here many times. The air vibrated subtly, as though the forest was holding its breath. Then she saw him.

Too still, too silent to be simply a tourist, a tall man waited the river. His silver eyes mirrored the moon above, and his hair was black like a starless sky. Like a predator spotting its target, his eyes fixed on hers.

Aria gasped. Her body stopped not from fear. Not quite. Something inside her knew him.

He stood still. Just watched as though reading her spirit. Then he spoke with a voice like thunder going over the mountains.

"Why are you in our territory?"

Aria opened her lips but her voice broke. "I... I didn't understand this was anyone's. I was only walking."

He disappeared inches from her face before she could finish. She could smell the wild forest clinging to his skin and feel the warmth of his body so nearby.

His eyes grew brighter. His jaws stiffened. His breathing became more intense. Aria backed away, but then stopped. Running made no sense. Not from him.

His hand ascended. His nails developed into claws. Aria's heart beat like a war drum. She was confident for a brief time that he would strike.

He stopped, though. Frozen, nostrils flared as he sniffed her. His entire body contracted.

"This scent... the moon," he mumbled.

The claws pulled back in a flash. Though his eyes were still sharp, something had changed; he was now shocked rather than furious. Or maybe recognition.

"You're not merely human," he murmured.

Aria could not respond. Though her heart still thunderous in her chest, something else was replacing the panic she felt. An odd warmth flowering deep within her core. a desire she still did not comprehend.

"Who are you?" she gasped.

He stared for a moment before answering, "Kael Thorne. Alpha of the Aetherfang pack."

Alpha. The word reverberated in her memory. She would pore over the tales of werewolves, of covert communities among mankind. She had never, though, anticipated seeing one face face to face.

She responded, "Aria Moonvale."

Kael said nothing. His gaze lingered on her, as though looking for something still buried. He next retreated silently into the gloom.

She stood alone close to the river. Her body quaked. Her breathing was fast and shallow. Still her heart burned.

Aria went home once more alone after the meeting. Her adoptive father was never around at night; always gone on some indistinct business he refused to explain. Every time she inquired, he always answered the same.

"I'm hunting in the woods."

She had never witnessed the rewards of a hunting trip, though. None meat. No skins. Just the lingering scent of blood and earth on his garments.

He prepared his regular tea the following morning, perused the ancient newspaper, and inquired her how her day went as though nothing had changed. Thick clouds approaching rain hung low and heavily above the town.

Aria was left no option but to get firewood again from the forest. Although the supply was almost depleted and the evenings were chilly, she disliked being outside when the weather changed.

Eyes searching for dry twigs, she followed her usual path deeper into the forest. This time, though, something felt wrong. She was not alone.

There were other footfalls. Heavy. Many. Then came a bizarre fragrance. She saw them from behind a dense bush men wearing hunting garb, rough faces, and hungry eyes locked onto her the instant they recognized her presence.

"Well, you see that." One of them murmured, loud enough for her to hear: "Pretty little thing."

Dark chuckles came from the others. "Alone."

Aria tightened her muscles and swallowed hard. She backed away slowly, but a branch broke under her shoe.

"She heard us! Get her!"

She turned and sprinted, heart racing, lungs burning. Trees became blurry past. Rain started to drop, making the ground slick. She slid more than once but kept going. She couldn't turn off. Someone then emerged from the shadows and haze.

A young man, lean and wild eyed, with tousled dark brown hair and eyes that burned like embers. Without a word, he lunged straight toward the pursuers.

Fists and kicks landed with brutal speed. The men dropped one after another. Those still standing fled, dragging their battered companions with them.

Lean, wild-eyed young man with tousled dark brown hair and embers that burned like flames. He dove directly at the pursuers without a word.

Fists and kicks hit with ferocious speed. One by one the males fell. Those still standing fled, pulling their damaged friends with them.

Turning toward her, the young man had blood and mud still adhering to his coat. He grinned crookedly, boylike.

"Hey, is all good? Rowan here, by the way."

Aria gazed at him breathless, then gave a little nod. She mumbled, "Thank you," then walked off without another word.

Brow wrinkling in thought, Rowan watched her departing figure. Another person appeared from the trees calm, cold, authoritative not long after. Silver eyes shining under his hat.

"What are you doing here, Beta Rowan?" Kael said sharply.

Rowan flinched. "A-Alpha Kael... I was just... enjoying the scenery."

Kael moved closer, his gaze focused. "Don't waste your time. Finish your patrol and come home."

Turning and vanishing into the darkness without a second look, he Rowan exhaled a long sigh and dropped his head before going on.

Aria arrived home saturated and weary. Her boots were coated in mud. Her arms had no firewood. Her body throb, and images of Kael and Rowan continued to swirl in her head.

She lived in a quiet home. Once more her father had vanished. none message. no indication Only silence. She headed for the bath, seeking to wash away the turmoil of the day. But before she could even get dressed.

BANG!

The front door fell open; Aria sprang, instincts taking over. She grabbed the only weapon her father had ever given her, the silver dagger stashed behind the kitchen shelf.

He had cautioned, "Use it only when your life is literally in peril."

With eyes glassy and wild, numerous burly men stormed inside in dark apparel. Aria ducked behind the wall, holding her breath. She waited for the ideal time.

She leaped when one of them entered the main room and forced the knife into his shoulder.

He yelled, but another snatched her from behind. Though she kicked, bit, thrashed, they were too strong. She was overpowered and carried out into the storm-ravaged night.

The woods completely devoured them. Aria realized her entire life was over as thunder boomed in the heavens above. Her true tale had barely started.

As Aria's consciousness slowly returned, the cold air and the smell of wet soil welcomed her. Her head thumped. Though it hurt, she strained her eyelids open.

A rough wooden ceiling greeted her first sight. Though there was only pressure in the room, thin smoke from a nearby fire pit drifted indolently. The air felt weightier, thicker, like something unseen was pressing down on her.

She tried to sit upright but her limbs were fastened. Coarse rope left red welts where it dug into her ankles and wrists. Aria looked over the space. It was basic yet tough dark stone walls, shuttered windows, and a single heavy door.

Approaching footsteps. Deliberately heavy. Before the form came, a smell of frigid metal, earth, and woodland arrived. The gate opened with a moan.

Kael entered, towering and silent, silver eyes cold. Only tension and hatred permeated the space where she had met the man in the forest. There was no evidence of him.

He crept toward her slowly, each step compressing the air around them.

"You are finally awake," he said, his voice steel on stone.

Aria raised her chin. "Who are you really? What do you seek of me?"

Kael tightened his eyes. "You don't know who I am, but your father does."

She blinked. "My father? Gerrard is my adoptive father. "I am uncertain of my true parents."

Kael emitted a bitter, sharp cold chuckle.

Of course he didn't share you. Why would he tell the girl he used as penance for his sins the truth?

Aria stopped. "What are you talking about?"

Kael's eyes burned with a prehistoric fury. "Gerrard killed my father. Our Alpha. The captain of our crew. For us he was everything. Gerrard butchered him, too.

His knuckles clenched. Muscles stiffened. Aria's breathing stuck in her chest.

"I know nothing about that," she whispered, "but I had nothing to do with it."

Stepping near until his face was only inches from hers, Kael spat, "You have his blood," which is enough. I vowed to exact the price for whoever Gerrard defended a child, heir, or pawn.

Aria bit her lips, declining to look away. Years of grief were radiating from his silver eyes rather than reflecting moonlight.

"So what now?" she asked, her tone frigid. "You're going to kill me? Here? Like a coward?"

Kael jolted. He didn't respond, but the word struck deeper than a sword.

"I might," he said. But I am not going to provide you an easy death. You will first discover what loss feels like. The true definition of suffering.

Aria attempted to control her shuddering. She understood resisting now would be meaningless. She had to suffer. To expect. To look for the facts.

"I will not say sorry for something I did not do," she stated steadily.

Kael stayed quiet. One moment, something flickered in his gaze-perhaps even skepticism-uncertainty. But it was gone as fast as it appeared. He swiveled and approached the doorway.

"You're staying here. I'll decide your destiny later."

The door shut behind him and Aria was left alone in the quiet. Beyond the worry and uncertainty, however, it dawned on her that she was now part of their reality. A world of hidden secrets, blood, and grudges. Kael, with his blazing silver stare, was the most hazardous component of all.

Beyond the closed door, Rowan stayed immobile, fighting the turmoil within. He walked ahead, pausing next to the person he used to refer to as best friend and now referred to as Alpha.

"Kael," he whispered, "let her go." She is blameless.

"And you," he murmured, his voice quiet and heavy, "are my Beta and my friend." Still, you don't get to defend our adversary."

"She's not the enemy; she's just a human," Rowan insisted. You have awareness of that.

Kael remained mute before waved toward the guards guarding the entryway.

"Nobody gets access to that room without my approval. Not even the beta.

The guards nodded without hesitation. Eyes fixed on the door separating Aria from freedom, Rowan clenched his jaw.

Once more, he made an effort. Sinking his voice, talking not as Beta but as a friend.

"Kael... please. You know this is incorrect."

But only silence replied him. Silence and a look without room for compassion. Aria stayed locked within. And that night Rowan understood something persuasive: confronting the whole pack alone was more difficult than confronting a wolf whose heart had frozen over.

Gerrard watched far off in front of his destroyed house. Groaning in the nighttime wind, the once robust wooden door hung by a single hinge. He fell, his heart sinking.

He cried out, his voice gritty with terror, "Aria?" No replies.

He went empty from room to room throughout the house. Panic settled deep in his bones. Then he noticed it-a rusted dagger pinned to the doorframe of the back room.

He yanked it off and saw jagged handwriting. "Come to my cabin and give yourself if you want your daughter alive. -Kael, the fresh Alpha."

Gerrard's eyes dilated; his hand shook as he squeezed the paper in his palm. "Damn it..."

He had expected this day. Just not so soon. For Aria's sake, he had remained hidden from the gangs and remained in peace. For a calm existence she had never even known she had been given. She had been grabbed, nevertheless. Sacrificed for a battle she did not begin. She was baffled by blood.

Gerrard gasped, then inhaled deeply. Choice there was not. He would return for Aria. To the world he left behind. To Kael's cabin. To the den of a new Alpha even if it meant his own death.

Aria curled up in a frigid corner inside the stone tower. The walls provided no consolation. Her body ached, but it was the doubt that genuinely harmed her. How would they treat her? What was she involved for? Outside, the sky was completely black. Midnight hung like a curse.

Creek!

The door opened; Aria flinched; Kael entered, his face a vortex of shadows.

He walked ahead and tore the shackles from her wrists without comment. She raced toward the door when she was free, but Kael grabbed her arm. And then it occurred.

For both of them, a deep, heated jolt passed through them. Kael became motionless. His respiration caught. His gaze opened.

He murmured, "No." "Impossible." He backed off, aghast rather than angrily at Aria.

The silence thickened. Aria felt it too. Her chest burned and her heart pounded. Body locked in place, eyes directed at the man she hardly knew.

"What...what have you done to me?" she murmured.

Kael was silent. He just gazed at her, as though viewing a spirit from another lifetime. Or even anything destined. One word reverberated within Kael. Mate.

Far away from the stone tower where Aria was held prisoner, an elderly pack member gradually opened his eyes. His breath caught; he felt something. An old link. Invisible but clearly strong.

The Alpha had discovered his soulmate. The elders' eyes turned stony. He got up from his stone seat high in the subterranean refuge. His eyes were apprehensive and concerned. This was not simply a personal affair. It jeopardized their pack's power balance.

"Find out who she is," he instructed one of his reliable followers, "immediately. And don't let the Alpha know."

Silently toward Kael's stone tower, the follower disappeared into the shadows. Rapid. Invisible.

Inside the dim chamber, Kael froze after letting his hand move from Aria. His eyes were lost, unfocused. He turned without a word, opened the door, and left.

Click here!

The door locked once again. Aria watched after him, bewildered, her body still tingling from that odd warmth. But her mind found nothing at all. She remained in the room's corner, consumed by doubts and fear.

Kael charged into his own room, closed the door. Breathing heavily, he stood there. His fists clenched, trying to contain the storm within.

"No... It cannot be..."

His soulmate was a human. Not a pack participant. Not of wolf blood. A disgrace. He was aware of what would result from the discovery of this fact. The old ones would scoff at him. The pack would inquire his leadership. The newly crowned Alpha would be perceived as vulnerable bound to a human. But he also knew one thing: the bond couldn't be broken. Not without expense. And that cost was his life.

Kael growled quietly, unsure of where to turn his wrath. At himself? At Aria? Or at the cruel fate that had played this twisted joke?

At last he made a single decision. He would keep her safe. But not with love. With loathing. A mask to hide the suffering of losing his father, which he felt was brought on by people still.

A shadow dashed between the trees as the evening progressed. Unseen, the elderly man's devoted supporter had entered Kael's domain.

He was speechless. His form melded with the fog in the trees. His gaze swept the area as he got close to the tower. No guards.

"The alpha grows careless," he mumbled.

He slid across a side window and into the home with a hunting wolf's speed. He was welcomed by an unknown smell, not blood nor wolf. human being. He crept towards one of the rooms. Though the door was sealed tight, there was just enough of a gap to peer through. He saw her there.

A girl. Young. Dazed. helpless. For a brief second, her eyes crossed his before he disappeared into the shadows. Aria recoiled, her heart thumping. She only knew that peril was real and close; she didn't know what she had just seen.

Deep in the elder's underground lair the following day, the man dropped on his knees before his teacher.

"The Alpha's soulmate is human," he announced abruptly.

For a few minutes the older man was silent. Then his eyes turned cold killer.

She must be gotten rid of. Before her presence weakens our Alpha.

This time, though, he passed over an assassin. He left on his own.

Aria woke up to her creaking door at dusk. It wasn't Kael or Rowan, though. Any one of the guards would do. An elderly man in a somber cloak was it. His eyes were focused; his face bore the signs of age and frigid hatred.

"So it's you," he mumbled.

Aria pulled back feeling an inexplicable danger from this stranger.

"There's nothing special about you... except one thing." He leaned in lightly. "Kael is bound to you. And because of that, you represent a danger to the pack as a whole.

Aria started to open her mouth, but no words erupted. The old man drew closer, whispering something that paralyzed her blood.

"You believe Kael could guard you? Once this bond is revealed, he won't even be able to defend himself."

She could only look frozen between destiny and terror. Her body shook. Her gaze was fixed on the door slamming cruelly ultimately. Whatever that guy was, her senses shrieked: he would kill her without hesitation.

Elsewhere in the tower, Kael had just completed organizing the nighttime patrol. Turning, he saw a person standing at his entrance.

"Elder Maeron," Kael remarked frostily, "what are you doing in my home without authorization?"

Maeron entered slowly, like a priest who knew every stone of the edifice.

Alpha, I am just passing by. Possibly yearning for some frankness.

Kael squinted his eyes. His body stiffened, "Honesty?"

Maeron stared at him as though unpeeling his own thoughts. "About your soulmate."

Kael's face changed not fear but rather a flicker of awareness. He covered it swiftly with a little grin.

"Elder, you're mistaken; I haven't discovered her."

Maeron laughed dryly, yet his eyes were blank. humorless.

He moved closer and asked, "Then why did you reject Lyra?" She will come at the full moon. Pureblood. The best partner for an Alpha. You are aware that every older person backs her.

Kael clenched his jaw but said nothing.

You believe you could conceal the link from me? From the pack?

"Elders cannot conceal a soul link. We feel it. We know the time it starts to take shape.

There was silence between them. Kael stayed stiff, hands closed. Maeron sighed and walked away.

"Sooner or later, Alpha... you will have to decide: your soulmate or your throne," he said and left.

The door closed behind him. At long last, Kael sat down, head drooped. The Alpha had no idea what to do for the first time in his life.

Aria leaned against the wall in the sealed room. Still ringing were echoes of the outside discussion. Though she had only captured pieces, that was enough. Kael had lied to save her. One word stayed in her mind. Soulmate.

She was unsure what that implied. But she knew one thing for sure: Kael was a hazard to her. Either because of who she was or the destiny that had brought them together.

The door creaked open. Aria spun swiftly, her body still tensed. It wasn't Kael, however. Rowan, with a wooden tray of hot food, was carrying it. He smirked softly.

"You have to eat or Kael will force me sit here and observe you until you finish every mouthful."

His voice was mellow, mocking. Some of the pressure in her chest was released. Aria quietly ate the food. Rowan sat back against the wall across the space. Minutes ticked by quiet but not cold. Aria eventually said in a low voice,

"What is... a soulmate?"

Rowan turned sharply, startled. His gaze became softer, though. "You heard us, eh?"

Aria just nodded once. Rowan grinned softly as though someone had challenged him to describe the stars to someone who had never seen the night.

"A soulmate is someone you're meant to be bound to. Even before your first encounter, your souls will be calling to one other. Your bodies will react when you do. Like electricity or a sensation you cannot define."

Aria dropped her eyes. The words set something in her. Kael's touch that evening. That odd spark that caused her to shake. She had believed it to be terror. But... was it?

Rowan followed her closely. "Did you feel it?" he softly enquired.

She raised her head to connect with his eyes. She then shook her head and lightly smiled.

"No. I was just inquisitive."

Rowan stopped; he knew she was lying; however, he did not confront her. He just stood, sighing quietly.

"Should you ever want to talk, I will be present."

Then he left, leaving Aria alone once more in a room now felt even smaller, burdened by a secret too great to reveal.