Luna in Chains

The early evening moon hung low in the sky over Midnight Crescent Pack, casting sparkling light on the ancient stones that surrounded the Great Lake. Summer wind stirred the mighty pines and took the scent of moss and mist with it. Secrets and dreams became more vibrant as the last of the sun’s light dissipated from the sky. Crouched at the water’s edge, ten-year-old Lyra Callahan traced circles in the soft mud of the shore of the Great Lake. Her long, silvery blonde hair fell in a silky sheet over her shoulder. The messy strands were a far cry from the elegant braids and twists she once wore. The lake lapped close to her mud doodles, continually erasing her work as the ripples retreated. Behind her, Lyra heard the soft pad of footsteps on the forest floor. She already knew who it was without having to look over her shoulder and through the surrounding wood. She felt him as she always did. Like an extension of her own body, she knew when he was near, even when his silence exhibited the grace of a seasoned predator. “Kade,” she acknowledged without moving from her crouched position. “How do you do that?” the boy’s voice replied with both accusation and awe. Kade came to stand beside the girl who was the center of his world. He curiously watched her tracing patterns into the shallow muddy water. Lyra tilted her head and smiled up at him. Despite being the same age, he was nearly a head taller and carried a much more serious demeanor. “Maybe you’re just loud,” she teased. Kade’s dark curly hair bobbed against his forehead as he dipped his chin. “I’m not loud,” he grumbled, dropping into a crouch beside her. His knee brushed against hers, and to his delight, she didn’t move away from him. Beside each other, they watched the water silently. The soft lap of the waves pulling in and out of the lake and the distant rustle of wolves running patrol sounded around them. The shore of the Silver Lake felt like a refuge to the two young wolves. The stones ringing the shore were ancient, older than Midnight Crest Pack itself. It was said that under a Blood Moon, the first Alpha of the pack had drunk from the very waters that brought them comfort now, ultimately cementing the pack’s power and formation. Lyra smiled to herself. She liked that story, even if no one told her such stories anymore. Her father, Alpha Rowan Callahan, thought old legends were best left for winter nights and pups too small to shift. Lyra loved the stories all the same, determined that would not change as she grew up. Kade watched Lyra. He found himself doing it all too often, but she didn’t seem to notice. If she did, she never said as much. “You should braid it again,” he suggested, nodding to her long, silvery hair that was streaked with mud and dirt. Lyra made a face. She barely bothered to try anymore. “And who would do it for me?” “I could,” he offered. Even though his voice was steady, Kade’s ears went noticeably pink in the bright moonlight. Lyra laughed softly, her face growing warmer. “I’d end up looking like a bush!” she giggled as she imagined his clumsy fingers trying to weave her hair into something beautiful. “Better a bush than a mud pie,” he shot back, trying to defend himself. Her face fell. Lyra shrugged and looked away from Kade. “It’ll wash out.” Kade didn’t press. Needing a distraction, he plucked a small stone from the muddy water and wiped it clean. With a flick of his wrist, he skipped it across the water. One, two, three hops before it sank into the water. Lyra tried to copy him, finding her own small stone and throwing it at the water. It hit the water with a splash. “Show me again,” she demanded with a familiar petulance. Kade’s lips flicked up into a smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “Your wrist is too stiff,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. He moved behind her, guiding her arm. His hands were warm against her skin, making her pulse race. Lyra never understood why Kade made her heart pick up its pace; she never felt scared or timid around Kade like she did others. “Like this,” he murmured close to her ear as he guided her arm. They threw the flat stone together, making it fly farther than either could manage on their own. Lyra laughed, the sound bright and musical in the night air. Kade could feel his skin burning with a feeling he only got from Lyra. She turned to face him, a pretty blush on her smiling cheeks. Kade’s amber eyes caught in the moonlight for a moment, daring Lyra in, and neither spoke for a heartbeat. “Kade?” Lyra whispered, breaking their trance. “Yeah?” “You’ll always be here, won’t you?” Kade blinked, surprised by her question. “Of course. This is our home. Where else would I go?” Lyra hesitated. Kade watched as she drew up the confidence to explain her worries. “Father says…” She paused, chewing on her lip as she looked out over the water again. Kade kept his body over hers, not wanting to put distance between them. “Sometimes the pack changes. Alliances, marriages. What if… well, what if I have to leave so that pack can change?” Kade’s brow furrowed. “He said that?” “Not exactly,” she hedged. “I overheard him talking to Beta Garrett. About other packs and alliances. And about… me.” He stared at her, his jaw tightening. Even at ten, there was a stubborn line to his mouth that said he wouldn’t accept something he didn’t like. He’d never heard either of their fathers mention anything about their futures that would take Lyra away from him so completely. “They can’t send you away,” he said firmly. “You’re the Alpha’s daughter. Midnight Crest is your home.” “What if they do?” Her voice was almost too soft to hear. The question was too heavy. “What if I have to go far away, and I can’t come back?” His hands clenched at his sides. “Then I’ll come find you and bring you home,” he said. “No matter where you are.” Lyra’s breath caught in her chest. “Promise?” He met her eyes, something fierce and unchildlike sparking in his gaze. “I promise, Lyra. Always.” He meant it more than he’d ever meant anything. The words settled around them like a vow, as sure as the moon rising each night. The lake rippled, a breeze stirring the trees into a low whisper. Somewhere far off, a wolf howled, the sound lonely and wild. For a moment, Lyra wanted to tell Kade about the dreams she’d been having of chains and cold stone floors. Of leaving the pack, her home, and him forever. But she couldn’t make the words come out of her mouth. Saying them out loud would make them real, and she wasn’t ready. Instead, she asked him, “Do you think the moon ever gets lonely?” Kade glanced up, frowning thoughtfully. “Maybe. But the stars are always around her. Even if she can’t touch them.” Lyra nodded, following his gaze to the pale, watchful moon. “Sometimes I feel like the moon,” she admitted. Her life was filled with people, stars, according to Kade, but it was only around him that she didn’t feel lost in the world. “You’re not alone,” he said quickly. “I’m here. And I always will be.” Lyra believed him not just because she wanted to, but because she had to. Believing Kade’s promise was easier than accepting the fear that coiled tightly in her chest. His promise to always be in Midnight Crest Pack was going to be her anchor against the tide of her fears. When the moon sat far above them in the sky, they both knew it was time to retreat to their beds. They walked back along the warm stones of the old path together, Kade keeping her close to his side. The forest always felt a little different late at night. It was as if the moon’s light brought to life things that only lived in the shadows. Ahead, the Midnight Crest packhouse rose to the sky. The great stone building was half home, half fortress. Beyond it lay several other structures, including the Beta’s wing, where Kade lived with his parents. The pair paused in the courtyard where their paths would separate. “Can we go back tomorrow?” Lyra asked hopefully, wanting something to help her push back the dark worries each new day brought. “Of course,” Kade smiled down at her. “We can practice more skipping stones. Or–” He stopped himself, clearing his throat before he continued. “Maybe you could show me how to braid. Properly.” She giggled, the sound a soft silver bell. “Maybe.” He hesitated, then stepped closer. For a moment, it seemed like he might hug her. Kade hadn’t dared in years. They were both very aware of the stern eyes always watching them. He stopped himself, clenching his fists as he let them fall to his sides. “Goodnight, Lyra,” Kade said instead. “Goodnight, Kade.” She watched him retreat, shadows swallowing him until he completely vanished through the doors to the Beta’s wing. Lyra lingered in the courtyard, the wind tugging at her messy hair. The unease she felt was so deeply rooted, she wondered if it was her wolf. She was too young to emerge just yet, but she felt something. She willed Kade to return and bring his steadfast presence back to her, even for a few more fleeting moments. She knew she couldn’t linger forever. Lyra headed through the ornate doors to the Alpha’s quarters and was welcomed by the familiar scent of polished wood and herbs. She stumbled when she heard her father’s voice low and stern from his study. Lyra slipped silently toward the door, curiousity overcoming her better judgment. Nothing good had ever come from her listening to her father’s conversations. Through the narrow crack, she glimpsed him seated behind his great oak desk. Across from him sat Beta Garrett Thorn, Kade’s father. She couldn’t see anything other than his rigid posture. “She’s still just a child,” Rowan told his second. “But the alliance may require it sooner than we hoped.” “We can’t afford to wait, Rowan,” Garrett replied, voice clipped. The wolf had never been gentle in anything, a contrast to her father when it mattered. “The Iron Claw Alpha grows stronger each season. If we want peace, this is the way.” Lyra’s blood turned to ice. Alliance. Marriage. Iron Claw. She backed away from the door, heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest. Her head shook in refusal, not wanting to accept it. She fled to her room as quickly as her feet could carry her. She shut the heavy door behind her, letting it be a barrier between her and her terrifying future. Moonlight spilled across the stone floor, turning her bed and the carved chest of toys into pale ghosts. Lyra crawled onto the window seat, settling herself on the plush cushion and pulling her knees to her chest. The lake shimmered in the distance, calm and endless. Somewhere on the other side of their cold stone fortress, Kade was sleeping, unaware of what she’d heard. She pressed her forehead to the cold glass, wishing she could rewind the night and return to the shore of the lake. Outside, the moon kept its silent watch. Lyra felt the first true whisper of loneliness bloom in her chest, as if something precious had already started to slip away. She meant what she told Kade – she felt like the moon, lonely in the quiet night sky despite the stars all around. With tears locked behind her closed eyes, Lyra promised herself one thing: if she had to leave, she would never forget the boy with amber eyes who swore to find her. Not ever.