*Zara*
My heart was still thudding madly in my chest as I processed Eva’s words. The offer was right there in front of . After all these years of wondering who I was and where I ca from, I could finally get answers.
“Zara?” Noah’s voice broke through the panic that was beginning to cloud my mind. He squeezed my hand and tugged on it slightly so that I jerked my head around to look up at him. His thick eyebrows were furrowed. “Are you alright?”
I blinked up at him, trying to clear my head. I opened my mouth to reassure him but then shut it again, my eyes widening. Was I alright? I pressed my lips together when I realized that I wasn’t sure.
Eva was watching my conflicted expression carefully. She put a hand out toward Noah. “It is understandably a lot to take in. Let’s give her a mont.”
My initial instinct was to say yes. Of course. I wanted to jump at this once-in-a-lifeti opportunity. I wasn’t a fool. Eva had likely traveled a long way to find , and I was almost positive that she was a busy individual. She probably solved problems like our Luna lilies dream disaster all the ti.
I wanted to know my origin story, but I had to slow down as well and wonder if I was just being selfish. What if pursuing the answer could put in danger? Or worse, what if it put Briella or Noah in danger? I couldn’t risk that. The sigils were doing their job and had kept from having nightmares all my life. Maybe I just needed to leave them alone.
“I really do appreciate you coming all this way to find ,” I said finally, thinking the words carefully as I spoke them. “But I’m building myself a happy life here in Drogomor, and I believe I should be content with that. My mate and I are so busy anyway, and I wouldn’t want to leave our baby to travel all that way just to find myself.”
I was rambling, and I knew it, but I didn’t know what else to do. Despite my words, Eva’s expression wasn’t changing. Her wide, knowing eyes were a little unsettling as they seed to search every inch of my face. The look was calculating.
“Zara,” Noah said. He tugged on my hand again, a little more firmly this ti so that I was facing him. He put his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry about or the baby. This is about you.”
I shook my head slowly. “This isn’t about just anymore, Noah,” I argued. “You know that. I’m going to be the Luna of this pack one day. There is no more just . That was true the mont we t. It will never just be again.”
That simple fact didn’t leave depressed, although I’m sure it might have sounded like that to so people. I found my happiness. I didn’t need to know where I ca from as long as I knew where I belonged.
Noah seed to misunderstand because his lips tightened, and his blue eyes suddenly grew fierce. He raised his hand to cup my cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle considering that he almost looked angry. “That’s not true, Zara. I would never hold you back from sothing like this.”
“What are you even saying right now?” I demanded in shock. “You aren’t holding back from anything. I’m making this decision.”
Noah’s eyes bore into mine. “You just have a record of putting others before yourself,” he said finally. “And this is way too important for you to do that this ti, Zara.”
I looked up at him in amazent. “I’m not doing this for you,” I told him slowly. I bit my lip and stared down at my shoes. “I just want things to go back to normal, Noah.”
“Normal?” he repeated in a tone that suggested he had never heard the word before.
My temper flared for a mont. I raised my head. I knew from Noah’s shocked expression that my eyes were filled with tears. “Yes, Noah, normal. After everything with the lilies and Draven, I just want things to go back to the way they were. No more magic, especially nothing dark. Just , you, Briella, and my future Luna duties. That’s all.”
“Zara,” Noah sighed. I hated the tone he used. It sounded like he sohow knew exactly how I was feeling even though I didn’t even know. He tugged into his arms and pressed to his chest. “You don’t have to be afraid of this.”
“Afraid?” I laughed without humor. “You couldn’t be farther from what this is about.”
As Noah hugged close, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Eva, who was watching the whole exchange quietly. She didn’t look disappointed or anything by my announcent that I didn’t want to go with her. Sothing in her expressive eyes made think she even understood my side.
“You don’t have to hide it,” Noah murmured. “I’m a little afraid too.”
I pulled away from him enough so I could look up at him incredulously. “What are you afraid of?”
His hand rose to find my cheek again. He swept the pad of his thumb across my cheekbone. “I’m afraid of you finding out sothing that you won’t like,” he admitted. “I’m afraid of you getting hurt by finding out the truth. I’m afraid of how it might affect you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as the emotions behind his words slamd into . I was afraid. I wasn’t just worried about Noah and Briella like I originally thought.
I was downright terrified, just like Noah said. He saw right through .
Noah’s eyebrows furrowed. He wiped a little droplet off of my cheek with his thumb. “I know that you’re going to be alright,” he continued.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to keep eye contact. “Yeah?” I asked with a light laugh.
He chuckled lightly. “Yeah,” he confird, giving a fond look. “You’re strong, Zara. We’ve been through so much together, and you’ve helped through so of the toughest tis I’ve ever had to endure. That’s how I know you’ll get through this, no matter what the outco.”
My heart ward at Noah’s words, but it didn’t make the fear go away. It made it more real that Noah thought that I should go through with this, that I should dive right into the unknown headfirst instead of playing around in the shallow end.
I said the only thing I could think of, the only thing that I knew was true for certain. “I don’t know.”
I hated how weak and frightened I felt. The thought of going to a mysterious cave with the powerful stranger we just t was daunting enough. I didn’t need the fear of having to finally face my past on top of it.
Noah lifted his other hand so that he could grasp my face with both of his strong palms. He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs in a soothing but firm gesture. “I strongly believe we should take Eva up on her offer, Zara,” he said.
About a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t do it started to flow through my mind. “But Briella–”
“Don’t worry about Briella,” he said. “Don’t worry about , or Drogomor, or anything else. We’ve been given the opportunity to reveal secrets about your origins.”
I bit my lip and tried to avert my eyes again, but Noah was holding onto my face firmly, forcing not to break eye contact.
“It’s important for you, and us, to understand where you co from,” Noah continued. “We can’t pass up this chance now that the one who put the sigils on your back has resurfaced.”
I knew he was right. I knew in my heart that this was important, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that there were risks. We couldn’t pretend that there weren’t risks. If I was being completely honest with myself, I was afraid too. I wasn’t just afraid. I was quaking in my boots.
I was shaking, but as I looked into Noah’s bright blue eyes, I realized that he was right about sothing else as well. We were stronger together. We had been through all sorts of turmoil and challenges since the day we t and got through them together.
Maybe we could get through this the sa way.
As I was finally getting accustod to the idea, an urgent call broke through our private mont.
“Caleb?” Noah questioned as the man rushed toward us, completely out of breath. “What is it?”
My eyes rounded as Noah’s hands finally dropped from my face so that he could face the beta.
“Sir,” Caleb said. He was sweaty and pale, his eyes wide. He looked and sounded like he had sprinted for miles to get to us. “It’s Alpha Draven.”
I felt Noah stiffen. His arm imdiately wound around my waist so he could pull protectively into his side. “What about him?” he snapped. Caleb was still catching his breath, and my mate grew impatient. “Out with it, man!”
Caleb reeled slightly at Noah’s harsh tone but straightened and was finally able to respond. “We received a threatening envoy from Alpha Daven. He is demanding that you release his son, Gray. Failure to do so will result in war.”
This wasn’t good. Sohow, Alpha Daven and his pack learned of Gray’s betrayal.
I looked at Noah with panic in my eyes. “We can’t just send him back to his father,” I said quickly. “They sohow figured out that he is no longer our prisoner. If he goes back there, he’s as good as dead.”
It was clear from Noah’s expression that he was one step ahead of already, but he gave a curt nod before turning to Caleb. “Thank you for informing us, Caleb. We’ll take it from here.”
Once Caleb was gone, Noah and I shared a long, knowing look. I turned to Eva. “I can’t thank you enough for seeking out,” I told her with sincerity. “It seems we will have to postpone the rest of this conversation for the ti being. Is there any way I can get ahold of you in the future?”
Eva smiled at warmly. It seed to make her gray eyes shimr. Her lips turned down a second later though. “I would prefer strongly to not leave any of my personal information here.”
My shoulders sagged, but I nodded. I knew that by choosing not to jump at the opportunity, I might not get another chance. I needed to accept that to protect my family. “I understand,” I told her.
Noah looked pained.
“But,” Eva started, “if you are able to have Sasha contact again, I will send her directions on where you can et with .”
Hope fluttered in my chest. I reached out so I could grip one of Eva’s slim hands. “Thank you,” I said with conviction.
Eva nodded, squeezed my hand back, and then stepped away. “Take care of yourselves,” she said in a way that didn’t make it sound like a request. “May the Moon Goddess watch over you always.”
And then she was gone.
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