CHAPTER 2

The Moon Celebration

Moonshade was left muted and wet as the storm passed. The town glowed silvery when the early light broke through the residual clouds. A reminder of the turbulent events of the night, the crisp air smelled of pine and moist ground.

Birds tweeting outside Lucian's safe home roused Seraphina as she woke. She sat up with the scratchy linen sheets of the bed twisted around her legs. Her body hurt from the strain of the previous evening, but within she blazed a will. The Moon Festival today decided the destiny of the town.

Lucian was in the kitchen, his black hair moist from a recent shower. Moving with a calm focus, his every movement deliberate. The air smelled of freshly made coffee, mixed with a trace of rain.

"Morning," he murmured, his voice tough yet kind. "How did you sleep??"

She said, attempting a grin, "Better than I expected." "you?"

Lucian shrugged, his eyes reflecting his fatigue. "I've had poorer evenings."

Their somber meal revealed the tension between them. Lucian's mind was elsewhere, perhaps on the approaching menace of Morgan Blackwood and his rogues. Though she wasn't sure how Seraphina wanted to reach out to provide some consolation. She worried pushing too hard would just drive him away; their link was still fresh, delicate.

They left breakfast and drove into town. Moonshade was humming with bustle, the Moon Festival's preparations well underway. Bright banners strung between buildings, while food, souvenir, and handcrafted craft vendors dotted the streets. Laughing, music, and the sizzling of food cooking over open fires permeated the air.

Seraphina absorbed it all, the festival's vivid vitality a sharp contrast to the anxiety and doubt that had dogged her for so long. She let herself get caught in the sights and sounds, the warmth of the sun on her skin, the scent of roasted chestnuts and sweet pastries for a time.

Lucian said, "Stay close," his hand finding hers. "Morgan won't attack here, not with so many people around. But we have to be ready.

She nodded and pressed his hand. "I am aware of I'll proceed cautiously.

Seraphina saw the way people responded to Lucian as they moved through the throng. Some welcomed him respectfully; others seemed a little afraid. She wondered how much of that weight he carried daily because he was a strong man in Moonshade, both loved and feared.

Quietly, "Lucian," she said, "what happened to your last mate?"

His hold on her hand tightened, and for a second she believed he wouldn't respond. Then he sighed a depressed, weighty sound. " Her name was Elara. She was exactly everything to me. One night Rogues One ambushed us, and I failed to rescue her."

Seraphina began to feel pity. "I am so sorry."

Lucian looked at his head. "It's not your responsibility. That's why I have to guard you, however. I can't go through it once again.

She paused and turned to meet him. "Lucian, I could look for myself. I am not Elara, hence this is not the past. Either we will never have a chance or we have to confront this together."

He fixed her, his blue eyes seeking hers. I understand. Just difficult to let go of the dread."

She stretched up and held his face with her hand. "We'll sort things out. Together."

The sound of drums broke their pause to indicate the beginning of the inaugural celebration. They headed into the town plaza, where a big stage had been erected. The throng assembled, their faces alive with expectation.

Taking the platform was Mayor Carter, a little guy with a powerful voice. "Welcome everyone to the annual Moon Festival! This is a celebration, a time to deepen relationships, and a chance to locate our actual partners”.

The throng applauded, and Seraphina had a flutter of anxious enthusiasm. She looked at Lucian, towering and austere next to her. She could feel the turbulence within him despite his apparent serenity.

Local artists and dancers performed during the event. Though her thoughts kept returning to the menace hovering above them, Seraphina attempted to savor the celebrations. Beside her, she could feel Lucian's strain; his body curled like a spring.

The atmosphere changed as the sun started to drop and the town was bathed in gold. The festival attendees were murmuring enthusiastically about the forthcoming mate bond ceremony, rich with expectation. Under the full moon, destined partners would discover each other in this center of the Moon Festival.

Heart pounding, Seraphina followed Lucian to the appointed ceremony site. A big bonfire had been started, its twilight dancing flames. Couples surrounded it, their eyes full of desire and hope.

Lucian had a strong, almost frantic hold on her hand. "Are you set for this?"

She nodded, although her gut turned over with anxiety. “Sure. Whatever comes about, we will confront it together”.

Their flesh warmed by the heat of the campfire, and they gathered around it in a circle. The older lady from the village, Maura, moved nearer and her voice carried over the flickering fire.

"Tonight we honor the ties binding us beneath the full moon. Those meant to be together will discover one another; the power of the moon will link their hearts and souls”.

The moon rose higher in the sky as Maura talked, its silver glow lighting the clearing. A weird feeling, a tingling warmth coursed through Seraphina's body. She cast a sidelong glance at Lucian, who was similarly moved.

Maura directed, "Close your eyes." "Feel the moon's energy, let it lead you to your actual mate."

Close her eyes, then inhaled deeply. Her heart's rapid pounding took over from the noises of the celebration. She felt Lucian there next to her, solid and unflinching.

She saw bursts of light, pictures of wolves sprinting over the forest, their fur shining beneath the moonlight, in the darkness behind her lashes. She pulled, a magnetic force guiding her toward Lucian.

She opened her eyes as the world came back into clarity. Lucian was looking at her, his eyes so strong they almost stole her breath away. In that instant, she realized their link was true and they were destined to be together.

But a sharp cry tore the darkness as she stretched out to him. The audience gasped; Seraphina's heart tightened with terror. She turned, her eyes searching for the sound's source among the blackness.

"Morgan," Lucian said, his gaze narrowing. He's here.

As additional howls rang out in the distance, panic tore over the assembly. With hairs on the back of her neck standing on the edge, Seraphina had a cold run down her spine.

"Stay near me," Lucian whispered, his voice low and urgent. "We must leave this place."

Lucian's fingers securely clutching hers, they started to negotiate the terrified throng. The festival attendees dispersed, their happy celebration transforming into anarchy as Morgan's rogues drew ever closer.

Seraphina had a sudden side aching as they approached the edge of the clearing. She gasped, staggered about by the tilt of the planet. Lucian grasped her, gaping with panic.

"Seraphina!" What's happening?

She held her side, her sight fuzzy. "I... I'm unsure. Something is occurring.

Lucian's face becomes stiff. "We have to get you under cover. Right now.

Their path across the black streets was guided by the louder, closer howling. Seraphina's body felt weight; with every step, she struggled. She could sense their connection, a lifeline keeping her rooted even as her power faded.

"Hold on," Lucian advised, his voice a calm anchor amid the mental tempest. "We're almost at there."

When they arrived at Lucian's safe home, he shut the door fast behind them. He led her to a chair with a soft but hard touch.

With a firm voice, he said, "Seraphina, look at me." " What is happening? Can you detect anything odd?

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the odd feeling within her. Her core seemed to be a g-of-war between the relationship with Lucian and something dark, ominous, tugged in opposing ways.

Her voice just above a whisper, she murmured, "I feel... a connection". But it goes beyond you as well. Like something else seeking to seize grasp.

Lucian bit his jaw tightly. "Morgan". He must have behaved throughout the celebration. Some kind of black wizardry.

Her panic shot through her. "What does this imply? What is going to happen to me?

He grabbed her hands in his, his eyes fixed fiercely. "We will work things out. I won't let him leave me behind. We'll figure out how to release whatever bind he has.

Though terror still tormented her within, Seraphina nodded. "I depend on you, Lucian. But suppose it is too late?"

"It's not," he responded with great conviction. "We will work out a solution. Together.

The howling outside got louder and more forceful as they sat in the low-lighting chamber. There was a shadow of approaching peril hovering over them. Lucian's muscles tightened as his gaze strayed to the window. "We need to be ready for the worst. Stay here and do not move."

Standing, he started grabbing weapons from under the floorboards from a secret compartment. Carefully chosen items include a crossbow, daggers, and silver-tipped arrows. Seraphina stared, her heart thumping with a mixture of terror and will. Not when they had just discovered one other, she could let Morgan split them apart.

She called, "Lucian," her voice shaking. "I may be of assistance. I can't simply sit here and do nothing."

He stopped, his eyes warming toward her. "I know, Seraphina; yet, my first concern is your safety. Should anything happen to you "...

She stood, teetering just a little but regaining her equilibrium. "I'm capable of fighting. I won't be a burden, even though I might not be as strong as you are.

He moved over to cup her face in his hands. "You are never a burden." For me, your strength and bravery mean everything. But kindly be careful. I cannot also lose you too."

She nodded and tears gathered in her eyes. "I promise, I will be careful."

The sound of shattering glass broke the moment. Their eyes shone with hate, and they turned to see a black man scaling the window. One of Morgan's rogues followed like a tide of darkness into the safe house.

Lucian attacked the invaders fast, his body a blur. The chamber echoed with thuds of people striking the floor, steel clashing, and snarls. With shaky but resolute hands, Seraphina reached for a dagger from the table.

A renegade leaped at her, driven by predatory need. She sidestepped and drove the dagger into its side, the creature howling in pain as it fell. Another took its place, and she fought with everything she had, each movement fueled by the desire to survive, to protect the bond she shared with Lucian.

Lucian was a force of nature, his motions precise and lethal. But even he was starting to show signs of fatigue, a cut on his cheek, the raggedness of his breath. Seraphina knew they couldn't hold out forever.

"We need to retreat!" Lucian shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Their numbers are excessively high."

Knowing the seriousness of their circumstances, she nodded. They fought their way to the door, the rogues closing in from all sides. Just as they reached the threshold, a powerful blow knocked Seraphina to the ground. She gasped, the breath knocked out of her as agony surged through her body.

Lucian's roar of anger echoed in her ears as he fought to reach her, but the rogues swarmed him, dragging him down. Seraphina scrambled to get her feet, gripping her side as blood flowed through her shirt. The room whirled, and she felt the blackness closing in.

She sobbed, "Lucian!" her voice a frantic cry.

He stared at her, his eyes tinged with both desperation and wrath. "Run, Seraphina! Get out of here!"

But she couldn't leave him, not now. She battled her way to him, her vision narrowing to a tunnel just dedicated to Lucian, calling every last bit of power. She approached him, their hands clasping in a tight clutch.

"We're in this together," she murmured, her voice sharp even in agony.

Lucian's eyes gleamed with both pride and grief. "I love you, Seraphina."

A blinding light flooded the room before she could react, then an explosive deafening blast. Their worlds darkened as the force flung them apart.

Her room was shockingly quiet when she woke up. The corpses of the rogues scattered the floor. Lucian lay asleep but breathing close by. Her body screaming in opposition, she crept to him and softly shook him.

"Lucian, wake up. I beg of you”

He sighed, and his eyelids fluttered open. "Seraphina..." are you alright?

Tears running down her cheeks, she nodded. "We need to get out of here. They may return."

With much difficulty, they dragged each other to their feet and staggered out of the damaged safe house. The night air felt chilly on their skin, the aroma of smoke and blood hanging in the air. They hurried into the darkness, seeking sanctuary in the woodland.

As they fell behind a great oak tree, Seraphina stared at Lucian, her heart heavy with dread and doubt. "What do we do now?"

Lucian had fierce intent in his eyes. "We dispute. We manage to halt Morgan and defend our flock. Together."

She nodded, getting power from his will. " Together."

Distinctive cries served as a reminder to them that their fight was far from over. Though the conflict was only starting, they had survived this one. The link between them became stronger as they sat under the lunar sky, a lighthouse of hope among the shadows.

But a shadowy man stared from the edge of the woodland as they hugged each other. Morgan had a terrible light shining in his eyes, and a nasty grin on his lips. Moonshade was ready to unleash his wrath; the struggle for him was far from over.

"Enjoy your triumph, Lucian," he said to the darkness. The last one you will ever have.

Though his words were swept away by the wind, the menace persisted, a grim promise of the conflicts still to come. Not only were Seraphina and Lucian not alone, but neither was Morgan. Moonshade's destiny hung in the balance as forces were at work neither fully understood.