Moon Bound
Five

Marisol

“There have been a few search parties, but the alphas don’t want to send too many people out there,” Aria explained.

For the past ten minutes, Aria has been explaining everything that she can remember about the attack on Alpha Wren’s pack. Even though there isn’t much to tell, all of the details are quite frightening and muddy. Aria and I have bounced between answering and asking each other’s questions. Trying to fill in the gaps and come up with a logical explanation as to why this has happened.

All of the alphas don’t want to give too many details to the members of their pack. It is probably for the best, mass hysteria could run rampant and there would be little that the alpha’s could do to stop it. I’m sure that they want to take care of this problem as quickly and quietly as possible.

Still, the details that I do know about are enough to haunt me.

A new magic that can put you in a coma if you come into contact with it.

The wolves that have come in contact with the magic aren’t healing the way that they should.

Wolves have gone missing.

Maybe I should attempt to reach out to the moon goddess. The consequences of all of this will be catastrophic. I can’t imagine the pain that those a part of Alpha’s Wren pack must be feeling.

“Hey there’s a favor that I want to ask, but it involves us leaving here is that okay?” She asked.

“Of course!” I exclaim.

After I do whatever she needs I need to start making my journey back to Benjamin and Izumi. I’d have to sneak out of here fast, I’m not riding on the back of another wolf again.

Aria quickly locks up her flower shop and leads me through the pack grounds.

It was hard not to notice all of the stares that I was getting as Aria and I walked.

I know that I am different from everyone else, but this is the sixth time that I have come to this pack in the past year. I would think that they would be used to having me around by now.

“There is a plant that’s growing near the training grounds and it’s super rare!” Aria gushed. “This plant helps she-wolves when they are giving birth and it’s really hard to come by. At first, I was going to leave it alone so it could thrive, but the other day it started to die. I was hoping that you could use your gift to save it.” She grabs my arm and starts to walk a little faster.

I am not very good at remembering the names of plants, so I don’t even bother asking what it is called.

“How does it help?” I asked.

She continued to walk as she turned back to me and smiled brightly at me. “It helps them deliver faster and they basically feel no pain while giving birth. Levi wants to try for pups soon so I was thinking we better save this plant quickly and bring it back to my shop so it’ll flourish.” She explains.

“You two will make such beautiful pups.”

The back of her neck flushes red. “I really hope so.” She points ahead of us. “There it is right there!” I follow her finger and see a decent-sized plant that sits at the edge of the forest. It was mostly green and blue, but the ends were black and somewhat shriveled up.

A few of the warriors are out here on the training grounds, but they aren’t paying much attention to us, because they are in the middle of training.

“Do you think you’ll be able to grow more of this in your shop?” I asked as I crouched down to observe the plant.

She sat down beside me. “I’m not entirely sure, but I am confident I will be able to. When I dig it up I will have to be gentle with the roots. Maybe I can ask one of the witches to seal them into the soil I have back at the shop. Do you think you’ll be able to save it?”

“Yes,” I said as I reached my hands out to touch the plant as gently as possible. My hands started to glow white and soon my vision went away as I could feel myself restoring the plant back to life.

I take a deep breath before opening my eyes.

I hear footsteps coming our way, but I don’t pay them any mind. Usually, after I use my healing powers people like to flock towards me and ask me questions.

“I believe that this plant is one hundred percent healthy. As long as you can replace a witch to seal the roots you’ll be able to ensure that every she-wolf has a safe birthing experience.” I say confidently.

I needed this. Seeing how excited Aria is after healing this plant is a nice boost of confidence.

Aria threw her arms around me. “I know that I’ve seen you do this multiple times, but I will never stop being amazed at your abilities.”

I blush at her compliment.

“What the hell did the two of you just do?”

I turned around and saw a female wolf standing over us.

“Marisol just healed this plant, no big deal. she’s done way more than that before.” Aria answered before I could say anything. She bumped her fist into my shoulder, in what I am sure was supposed to be a friendly gesture, but it almost sent me to the ground.

She smiled apologetically at me, as I rubbed my hand over the area she might as well have punched. I know she didn’t mean to hurt me, she always says that she forgets sometimes that I don’t have a very weak threshold for pain.

Perks of being a runt.

She continued to stand over us as she observed us silently. She doesn’t seem amused.

“Marisol was chosen by the moon goddess, and she helps mates replace one another. She helped me replace Levi. She can also heal just about any living thing even if it is on the brink of death. She can do more than just that, but that’s all I can remember right now.”

“You’re the moon angel!” She accused.

My face scrunched up a bit. “I thought people called me the moon healer?” I prefer that over moon angel.

Aria lets out a small giggle. “I think that I am the person who started calling you the moon angel, and it just caught on. I just think that it sounds so good.” She admitted with a small shrug.

I definitely prefer healer. Though, I am sure that Benjamin would laugh at the thought of anyone calling him an angel and embrace it as he tries to be the exact opposite.

“You need to come with me to the South-East pack now.” She demanded.

Immediately my head starts to spin.

Aria told me that the Alpha King went to visit the South-East pack to bring them more warriors and check on Alpha Wren.

I can’t be anywhere near the King. Not right now. Not ever.

“I can’t. I have things to do, specifically assigned to me by the moon goddess.” I responded.

Was I telling a lie? Absolutely, but I can’t come face-to-face with the Alpha King. I wouldn’t be surprised if Benjamin told him that I am here. That means that he could potentially be on his way right now. I need to get out of here fast.

“I don’t care about that. An alpha is on his deathbed, and the Alpha King will deal out a punishment to you if you can save him and refuse.” She snapped.

The glare that she is currently giving me is enough to make me wish that I was an angel. Then I would be able to fly away from this situation.

Aria stands up. “That’s not fair! If she has other things to do, because the moon goddess assigned them then that is what she should prioritize!” She exclaimed.

I cringe as I hear her repeat my lie.

The commotion that we were causing got a few of the warrior’s attention, and Beta Levi started to walk toward us.

I could tell that he was angry.

I’m sure he can feel Aria’s anger through their bond, so this is about to get bigger than it needs to be.

I stand up as well, getting ready to diffuse the situation. “It’s really not that big of–”

“Levi! This random woman came up to us and wants to force Marisol to use her ability!” Aria screams over me.

Levi immediately stood in between Aria and the woman.

“She needs to come with me to South-Eastern. It would make your pack look awful to stop another pack’s alpha from being healed.” The woman said as she glared into Beta Levi’s eyes.

I let out a small gasp.

The way that she stood her ground to him, I would think that she would have to be an alpha.

“I am only trying to do what’s best for the South-East pack. You do know if she can heal Alpha Wren then that is what she should be doing.” She continued.

It’s really hard to argue with that. Normally I wouldn’t, but all I can think about is being in such close proximity with the King. I need to avoid it.

Levi reached behind him and pulled Aria closer to him. “She works directly with the moon goddess, threatening her with the wrath of the King can have dangerous consequences.”

“Alpha Wren’s life is on the line, and you think I care about repercussions?”

I sighed.

I am going to just have to take the risk.

“All right but as soon as I heal whoever needs to be healed I am leaving immediately. Can you guarantee that I won’t have to speak or see anyone?” I asked.

She nodded. “We all will be very thankful, the last thing we need is another alpha-less pack and trial to see who would be fit to be alpha.”

I take a deep breath before nodding. “All right, take me to the South-East pack.”

-

Sofia, the wolf that insisted that I go to Alpha Wren’s pack, and I have been walking for about thirty minutes.

I hoped that this would be a quiet walk, so I could devise some sort of plan to get on and off South-East pack territory without alerting the King. It is imperative that I come up with a plan so I don’t have to see him even for a second.

Instead of walking silently beside me, Sofia has decided to question everything she has ever heard about me.

It kind of felt like an interrogation.

“You said that you go to packs regularly to help mates replace one another, do you usually take these trips in your human form?” She asked.

I quickly learned that she was a warrior in the Alpha King’s pack. Which explains why she stood up to Beta Levi the way that she did.

I envy her.

Stronger and faster than most of the males in her pack, brunette hair that she keeps in a very short bob that shows off her bone structure, and pretty almond-shaped eyes that are kind of an olive green.

She is perfection.

She would be fit to be the Alpha King’s mate.

“Yes, I prefer to walk. Shifting is too painful.”

“But you do have the ability?”

“Yes, I would attempt to shift every day for around five years until my brother begged me to stop. I’m pretty sure the first hundred times I attempted I passed out midway because of how painful it was.”

“Yet you kept going.” She looks over at me and smirks. “You’re a fighter. I admire that about you. Your brother shouldn’t have stopped you.” She said with a small shrug.

I have never had anyone say anything like that to me before. If I wasn’t so intimidated by her I would smile. “I guess you can kinda say that.”

I look up to see that the birds that were chirping earlier today are nowhere to be found. Probably because Sofia radiates power and danger. If I could fly away I would do it too.

“So you don’t shift at all now?” She asks.

“I don’t shift, I just usually give control to my wolf in human form when I start to feel restless. I live in this beautiful cabin surrounded by nothing but trees, and a lake a few miles away.”

She scoffed. “You don’t live in a pack?”

“No, the moon goddess prefers that we live there so when she comes to us in her human form she won’t be bombarded by wolves.”

Sofia frowned. “I feel like you should live in a pack. We wolves are meant to be social. Maybe you would do better with your shift if you were a part of a pack.”

“I don’t live alone. I live with my brother and his mate. Also, I leave my home pretty often to visit the packs.” Her words have stung and annoyed me, but I try my hardest not to let them show.

“And your mate?”

My eyes widened.

I will myself to choose my next words very carefully. We are having a somewhat nice conversation, but I know that her loyalty will always be to the King.

“Oh my brother had a vision of my mate and I. It was mostly just me in this obnoxiously big ball gown and hands–”

I inwardly started to curse myself and prayed to the moon goddess that she would just let the details that I just told her to go.

“Hands doing what?”

I bite my lip as she stops walking and turns to look at me. I feel like she can almost see through me and I don’t like it.

“Oh just you know, hands leading me to dance that’s all.”

“While wearing the ball gown?”

I kept walking. “Yes.”

“Were you two the only ones on the floor dancing?”

“I don’t remember.”

Her eyes narrow on me, and I can tell that she is somewhat suspicious of my answers. Probably because I rushed through the entire thing.

The air is thick with tension.

I have a strong feeling that she is about to call me out on being the King’s mate. Why else would I try so hard not to heal an alpha? There’s no other logical explanation.

She is going to figure it out, comically overpower me, and drag me to him.

I am in way over my head.

“Oh, that’s unfortunate. I have always been curious about the visions that are shown about mates.” She said with a shrug.

I feel my body relax at her words.

I might have gone a little off the rails with my fear.

I let out a small laugh. “I can tell you all about it! Well usually I first get little pieces of a vision, and they will slowly come together. Kind of like a puzzle! I can usually tell what pack a person is in by their features of what’s in the background. I can also call a few people that I know within the packs and see what they know. Sometimes I’ll get a whole vision immediately, and it will only take a day or two to replace all of the information that I need.”

I just ramble on, and fill her head with information so she can forget her suspicion when it comes to my mate and I.

“Have you or your brothers received any visions of any of the alphas? I think all are unmated.”

I feel my blood run cold, she knows.

She knows and she is going to take me to the Alpha King!

She turned to me. “I just think it would be beneficial for some of them to have mates. Alpha Artemis and Alpha Atticus for example. They need someone that will calm them down.”

I let out a small laugh. I have heard a few stories of those two alphas. Wild, spontaneous, and a little crazy, but they are still willing to do what is best for their packs. Maybe they’ll be mated to each other?

All I have to do is keep calm and not give myself away. I wouldn’t be lying this time, I just helped Alpha Kane with his mate. However, she did seem to have malicious intentions with him.

“I just had a vision of Alpha Kane. That’s why I was at North-West to help him with her, but it turns out she didn’t need convincing. Enough about me though, you must be a high-ranking warrior within the King’s pack. I saw the way that the warriors were bowing down to you.” I mentally pat myself on the back for steering the conversation back to her.

“Yes, I am one of the head warriors in the Alpha King’s pack. There are a total of two of us, Cole and Myself.”

I was successful in changing the subject, but it seems that she is not as much of a talker as I am.

“Do you think maybe you can shift and you can just run and I’ll ride on top of you? It’ll make this go a whole lot faster.” I suggested.

She nodded.

I can’t deal with the awkward silence, I’d rather deal with having wind slap me in the face while I’m on her back.

I watched in awe as she shifted into her wolf. The transition that would be painful and impossible for me, was smooth as butter for her.

Just another reminder that I will never be as good as her.

As much as I wanted to pout, and fall into my usual routine of self-destructive thoughts, I know that I need to think of a plan.

I need to get in and out as quickly as possible. Since she’s a top warrior I doubt that I have much time to come up with it.