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30th June, 2017
Alpha Gabriel's territory

I feel tightness in my throat again, except this time it's not from dehydration. I never knew I could miss someone so much, so deeply, until now. The dull ache in my chest almost causes me to cry but I push it down. I miss the feeling of his arms around me, I miss his ability to make me laugh, I miss the adventures we would go on, I miss talking about our future, what our children's names would be or how many we would have, I just miss...him.

Terrible images plague my mind of him walking aimlessly around the forest I went missing in. Adam calling my name over and over until his throat swells up. I imagine him going to sleep alone, looking longingly at the spot next to him. I imagine him feeling the same tightness in his throat but instead of pushing the tears down, he lets them fall. I had only seen him cry a few times. The first time was when he took me to his parent's graves. They had a private section of the cemetery, it was on a hill overlooking the city with beautiful flowers growing around them, some were pink and white, others were deep red and a soft lilac colour. What I remember the most was the look on his face, his eyes brimmed with tears as he looked down at the headstones, a small smile pulled at his lips, making them wobble slightly. He walked over to their grave and sat, gesturing me to follow. He pulled me into his arms and told me stories about them. He had this far off look as he remembered the few memories he had with them, all the while tears ran down him cheeks. I wonder if that's the look he has in his eyes right now, the far off one. Is he thinking about me as much as I am him?

I let out a sad sign before sitting up in the hospital bed. My head lowers as I look at the scar on my wrist. It stands out, that's for sure. I would almost consider it beautiful if it wasn't put on my body without my consent. I was never one to believe in Gods and mythologies, but after travelling to a different world overrun with those very myths, I may just say that there is a God, or Goddess, out there. Fern called her the Moon Goddess, does she communicate with her people? Do her people know without any doubt that she exists, that she is their Goddess? Unlike my world, do people have no reason to fight over which God is the true God because theirs shows herself? I continue to stare at it until a tingling sensation covers the scar, a white glow starts to fill its outline. I watch with wide eyes, not allowing myself to blink because I'm afraid it will vanish if I do. It glows brighter until it looks like my whole arm is white light.

"She communicating to you" Fern voice appears.

I quickly shove my arm under the sheets, instinctively hiding it, even though we both know she saw it. She smiles knowingly before walking over to my bed with clothes resting in her arms. She places them down before gesturing me to leave the bed.

"I brought you clothes. I suspect you don't want to be in nightwear when I show you around," Fern tells me.

I look at her incredulously, she wants to show me around. As in outside? She isn't taking me back to that room. My disbelieving expression soon turns into a large smile, the idea of no longer being in the desolate confinements as before lifting my mood slightly.

"Thank you, Fern," I genuinely say before lifting the blankets and leaving the bed.

My legs wobble when I try putting weight on them. My hands quickly find the bed for support as a shaky breath escapes my lips. Even with Fern's healing abilities, my body still must familiarise itself with the task of walking. I gently release my hold on the bed, my arms ready to catch my fall but luckily my legs hold my weight. I look over to Fern and see her already watching me, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"I'm alright, I just haven't walked in a while," I explain with a light laugh.

Fern gives me a weak smile before telling me that she will be waiting outside. I grab the clothes that she left for me, setting the brown leather boots to the side and lifting the dress she left me. It looks like something out of the medieval times, it has a cream white fabric with different flower embroideries sown in vertical lines. A white corset lays under where the dress laid, with other undergarments that seem to be enough for a completely new outfit. I place the clothes on the bed when I realise that I have no idea how to put them on.

"Uh, Fern?" I call out.

Her head pops through the curtain at the sound of her name.

"Can I have your help?" I ask, a little embarrassed, even with no reason to be.

She walks through the curtains, shutting them behind her.

"Yes?" she answers.

"I-uh-don't know how to wear this..." I say.

"Oh", Fern softly laughs, "here let me show you." 

She lifts a thin white dress and black stockings.

"Underdress from your nightwear and place these on your body. I will turn around and tell you what to do next," She tells me, and I take the clothes from her while nodding.

After I finish, she grabs a hoop skirt with metal rings hold its shape and the white corset.

"Do you know how to wear a corset?" she asks.

I shake my head while a light red blush covers my face. I don't know why I am embarrassed, I haven't worn, let alone physically seen, this style of clothing before. Maybe it's because it seems so obvious to her.

She places the corset around my waist and begins to tighten the strings. The feeling of it tightening doesn't exactly feel nice but it doesn't hurt the way it was described back on Earth. She tugs and tightens until my torso feels like a solid, unmoving block. I try to breath in deeply, but it proves hard with the extra resistance.

"Now lift your arms so I can put the skirt on you," Fern instructs, and I follow.

She lifts it over my head and guides it until it rests on my hips. She then grabs the cream white dress, then instructs me to put it on. Once I am done, she proceeds to tie the strings at the back of the dress before handing me the brown leather boots. I slide my feet through and notice how perfect of a fit they are.

"How do you know my measurements?" I ask while tying the laces.

"When I use my gift on someone's body, I can feel every inch of their being. This allows me to pinpoint where I need to heal and how the progress is going. This is how I knew your size. It also helped me understand your body mechanics more as some parts are different than that in lycanthropes." Fern tells me.

This perks my interest.

"What is different?" I ask as I rise from the floor.

"Well, your healing process is extremely slow which is why it took so long for you to wake after... and you are missing an organ just above your heart that Lycan's possess," she explains as she takes the sheets off of my bed.

"An organ? What does this organ do?" I ask, pushing for more information.

"It is the place in our bodies that give us the vital strength to shift back and forth from our wolves with no injuries, which is very important as most of the bones in our body break while shifting. It is also the centre of our souls. It connects us to our Goddess when the full moon is not shinning above. This is probably why it is shaped as a sphere, representing the moon."

I take a moment to understand what she said. So, to shift, their bones literally break to form into the structure of a wolfs. Wouldn't that hurt? How quick is their healing? Is that why Gabriel was able to jump from the wall of the palace without looking injured? I have so many unanswered questions but the sight of fern dumping the sheets into a woven basket in the corner of the room tells me she is ready to leave. She turns and looks me over.

"Now that's much better. You are very beautiful Serephina," Fern compliments me and for the fourth time today I blush.

"Would you like me to show you around now?" Fern asks gently.

"Yes, I would like that," I reply.

With a small nod Fern turns around and walks through the hospital curtains. I follow behind her, taking every detail that meets my eyes. There is a long hallway that runs parallel to other closed off rooms, the only sounds that are made are the soft clicking sounds that our boots make and the gently swish of our dresses. This tells me that we are the only people in the area, which makes me assume that these creatures don't get injured or sick very often.

We walk down the stone covered hallway for a while, the slight flickering of fire lit torches being our only source of light. As we turn a corner the distinct sound of loud voice can be heard. My steps falter as we approach a large wooden door, the sounds getting louder which each hesitant step. With each step there feels like an invisible tug to turn back around, the fear of the unknown scorching my heart making the proximity from my body to the door almost unbearable. Fern notices my reluctance and stops walking, which gives me momentary relief up until she gives me a concerned look.

"Is everything alright?" she asks.

My eyes nervously jump between the door and herself. A lump in my throat forms as I try to push down the question that will determine which direction I will go, out into the unknown or back into the safety of my bed.

"It's just that...are they...will he be there?" I choke out.

Fern sighs deeply before walking to my side.

"I won't lie to you. Yes, he might be, but you don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with," she confirms my fears.

I grip my shaking fists tighter as I stare at the door. The idea of seeing him again confuses me to my very core, my heart skips a beat every time I think of him, yet my brain -the more logical side- screams at me saying that he isn't my friend but my enemy. He took me against my will and locked me in a room with no answers or communication for eight days. It was terrifying being isolated like that. I thought that they forgot about me, that I was going to be imprisoned for the rest of my life or worse that they were planning some way to murder me. I was losing hope that I would never see my family again. Gabriel claimed me his soulmate then treated me as a prisoner, I can't bear to imagine what he would do to me if he thought that there was love between us.

"You don't have to go outside yet, you can wait as long as you want," Fern tries to comfort me.

No, there is no way in hell that I am staying here. I have to make it back to Adam. I don't know when or how but I have too. If not for myself then for him. My thoughts aggressively take over yet instead of voicing them I reply with,

"It's fine, I'm ready."

Fern nods before walking down the rest of the hallway with me close to her tail. She grips the metal handle and twists; my eyes following the movement. She pulls the door open revealing an overly busy, wide corridor. Women and men in old fashioned clothing scurry back and forth with their own sense of urgency. Some carry baskets of cloths while others with tools for repair. The active people pay no attention to us as we slip into the neatly organised chaos.  I follow Fern by the hip making sure not to lose her in the swarm. She occasionally glance at me, most likely to make sure I'm still by her side. I keep my head down trying to blend in with the crowd and I pay no mind as the sound of footsteps slowly stop. I only look up when the loud chatter quietens to an eerie silence. The sight before me almost causes my knees to buckle, everyone has stopped moving, all staring at one thing in the room- me.

My head begins to spin as their eyes pierce into me from every direction. I can almost taste the shock hanging in the air, no one makes a sound. A white light slowly starts to fill the room as my breathing increases. A hand on my shoulder grabs my attention. I look at the woman next to me and try to understand why her eyes hold bewilderment.

"Serephina, you need to calm down. Come, follow me," Fern takes my hand and only then do I see that the light source was coming from my own wrist. 

She quickly walks down the corridor, the sea of people parting for us rapidly. I try to ignore the whispers that begin to accumulate behind us and make it my mission to not focus on any one word. Fern makes a sudden left down a stairway and soon the only sound is our hurried feet echoing against the floor. Fern slows us down to a steady walk and let's go of my hand. She grabs a wooden torch that was on the wall before looking behind us with her head slightly tilted. She assesses the entryway for a moment before nodding. We start to walk down the dark hallway and soon the only light is the artificial one of the torch.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't think the pack would act so obvious. Usually they are very gracious towards our guests, but I guess they all wanted to see if the rumours were true," Fern apologies.

"What rumours?" I ask.

"The rumours of you being a child of the moon and the Alpha's mate. I hope that now they see both are true they will ease off on being so intense" she states.

"I am not his anything," I quickly rebut.

"Yes well, I wish it were that simply. These circumstances don't have a simple answer of yes or no. Neither parties have any say in who we are mated too but I have found that it is easier if you accept the Goddesses match rather than deny it," she says.

"Do you have a mate?"

"I do. I was like you at the start, I believed that I should be the one to choose who I love but after resisting the bond for nearly an entire year I realised that Alex would have been my partner regardless of us being soulmates," Fern's voice turns softer as she finishes.

I study the side of her face and make out a soft loving smile on her lip through the flickering light. I compare her face with the one I make when I think of Adam. I think of Adam as my best friend, the one person I can always rely on no matter what the circumstances are but Fern, I can tell that she thinks of Alex as an actual soulmate, one that is connected to her very life essence.

My ears perk as I hear another type of active noise, except this one is different. Instead of the busyness of the one before I can hear clattering metal and loud yelling voices.

As if sensing my confusion Fern answers my unspoken question.

"I thought you might be hungry. You missed lunch so I brought you to the kitchens instead, I'm sure Aunty is eager to meet you as well," she tells me.

I focus my attention onto my stomach and feel that I am in fact quite hungry.

"Thank you," I say back.

Fern places the torch in an empty holder on the wall as the end of the hallway nears, a natural light beaming through the darkness. We enter through a high stone archway. A large room comes into view and my idea of a kitchen is changed just by the sheer size alone. Large fireplaces line one of the walls, cauldron like pots hang over the open flames while trays of metal are stacked upon each other holding various breads and pastries. People expertly perform tasks, some chopping different assortments of vegetables while others are mixing various ingredients together in bowls. Fern and I stand under the archway, Fern seems to be looking for someone and by the way her eyes light up and her hand rises into a wave gesture I can tell she found who she is looking for.  I follow her gaze and see a plump woman with greying tied up hair and a dark blue medieval dress on overlooking a man mixing a pot, her authoritative expression and the slight line of sweat on his brow telling me that she is in charge.

"Aunty! Come here, I would like you to meet someone," Fern calls over the noise.

Her voice seems to get the attention of everyone in the room and a sense of déjà vu washes over me. The surrounding area once again quietens down into nothing but the sound of bubbling liquid and cracking fire. The feeling of eyes on me doesn't make me nervous like last time but rather uncomfortable. I hear a gasp and see the plump woman staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"It's true then, my baby Gabriel finally found his mate," the woman gushes before rushing over to me.

She embraces me into a tight, motherly hug. She pulls back and inspects me. Her eyes still when she sees my wrist and I try to cover the scar.

"Oh my," she whispers.

"Now isn't this a twist. My Gabriel mated to royalty, oh this is just absolutely delightful," she gushes.

"Aunty, this is Luna Serephina. We came to see if you could find her something to eat," Fern explains.

"Oh yes, come come my dear. Follow me and I'll make you something very nice."

I follow her as she walks to the other side of the room, once again ignoring the stares of others. She walks me to a wooden table and pulls out a chair for me to sit on.

"You can call me Aunty love, everyone in the pack does," Aunty tells me.

"It's nice to meet you... Aunty," I reply.

"Oh joy, you have good manners as well," she all but sings.

"Here darling, I'll get you the food. Sit tight while you wait, I'm sure Fern will keep you company, isn't that right?" she asks Fern but doesn't wait for an answer as she rushes away to prepare my food.

I sit on the wooden chair and finally look up from my hands. Everyone is still looking at me. I make eye contact with a few of them and this seems to break them from their trance, almost like they finally realised that they were staring.

They rush around the kitchen doing their jobs, but I can still feel the occasional person glance my way. Fern asks me the odd question about Earth, to which I answer politely but don't try to make further conversation. I feel overwhelmed by all the attention directed my way. I never was the type of person to actively search for attention. I would rather go for walks in a park or run in my forest, but I guess that's what got me here in the first place. After a while Fern stops asking questions and we sit in silence, about ten minutes later Aunty rushes over with a bowl of orange liquid. Strawberries are aesthetically placed on top with different types of seeds. I lean over and sniff it trying to make out what the soups made of."Oh, how rude of me dear. I made you a nice hearty tomato and pumpkin soup with baked strawberries, I hope you like it," Aunty tells me before taking a seat in front of me, watching me with misplaced interest.

I lift the silver spoon and scoop up some soup, my eyes darting to Auntie's encouraging face. The look she is giving me alone tells me that even if the soup is bad, I will say whatever I need to, so I don't hurt her feelings. I place the spoon in my mouth and let the flavour develop. It takes only moments before the delicious taste dominates my senses. I life the spoon for another, then another and another until the bowl is scrapped clean. Aunty has a proud look in her eyes as she watches me devour her meal.

"Here love, I'll get you another bowl," Aunty says as she takes the bowl from me.

She comes back and places the second bowl in front of me and it takes simple minutes for me to finish it. I ask for another which makes her laugh before happily getting me more. I realise that this is my first proper meal in three weeks and the only nutrients that I got was from Ferns magic healing. I finish four bowl before my stomach protests and stretches painfully. I let out a satisfied sigh and place my hand over my stomach. My insides feel warm and healthy. I feel life come back to my body and I smile at Fern.

"Can you show me the rest of the Palace now?" I ask eagerly, my mood lifting from the food. 

"Of course," Fern says happily.

We rise from the table and I thank Aunty for the food, to which she brushes off as nothing but to me was everything. I start to walk to the archway that we entered through, but Fern tells me that we will walk in the main area of the Palace. Fern and I walk through an empty hallway, brightly lit by the large glass windows that overlook the never-ending forest around us. Beautifully designed painting hang on the walls. Each painting is different, some are portraits of regal looking couples while others are detailed pictures of wolves running in packs.

I admire them silently before a question comes to mind.

"Fern?" I ask to get her attention.

She looks over at me and hums.

"Why are you being so kind to me...trusting me like this?" I ask.

Fern takes a moment to ponder the questions before answering.

"I believe that you should treat someone the way you would like to be treated, and I'm hoping, with time, that you will learn to trust me as well."

I accept the answer but don't reply. It's true that I don't trust her, but maybe with time -like she said- I could learn. If I'm here that long...

We round a corner and I see two large doors opened revealing a huge area with people rushing around. I completely ignore the people as they turn quiet, their reaction the same as the others. Instead this time, I keep my focus in front of me. The ceiling high ceiling domes in the centre revealing bright painting on the surface. Two massive marble staircases are placed in the middle of the back wall, leading up into the depths of the Palace. I admire the beauty before my eyes catch sight of the exit. The towering doors open wide capturing a green field with trees in the horizon. I look at Fern for approval to which she nods. I all but run towards the exist, the idea of being outside making my skin tingle.

I run through the doorway with my dress in my hands. I continue to ignore the stares as I hear Fern laugh behind me. The sun blinds me for a second before my eyes adjust. A smile forms on my face as the crisp air touches my face. Unlike the chaotic atmosphere of inside, out here people casually wander around. Couples lay in the sun, soaking up the warmth while children run around chasing each other. My heart stops when I see wolves walking around the field as well. No one bats an eye at them, and I remember that all of them are Werewolves, the sight of one would be as normal as seeing the sun in the sky. I try to push down my shock and walk deeper into the field. I turn my head to the sound of giggling children and smile when I see a group of them play fighting. I turn to Fern and see her already watching me with a soft smile. I smile back before looking back at the kids.

My eyes automatically land on the large man walking up to them. His back faces me as he kneels and spreads his arms wide. The children see him and run into his arms, all ten of them. Their giggling increases as a few hold onto his extend arms. He stands tall and holds their weight spinning them around, I hear laughs from the adults watching and I can't help but find the sight funny as well. A fully-grown Alpha male playing with small innocent children, a smile on his face as he watches their joyous expressions. He gently places them down, the moment he does a little boy tries to tackle him to the ground. He plays along and fakes hurt when he falls onto his back. The little boy looks at him wide eyed before looking at him arms. His shock face quickly changes as he runs to his friends and begins to brag about tackling the Alpha down.

Gabriel laughs at the boy before straightening up suddenly. He rises from the ground and begins to look around the field, almost like he's looking for someone. I stiffen when his eyes land on me. Our eyes connect and I stare into his dark green eyes. The tension between us disappears when he does something so out of character that I questions if I saw it correctly.  His face stretches and his eyes crease. I take a moment to believe the sight.

He smiled at me.

Authors note

Heyyyy,

Here's the chapter right on time.... I'm sure it's Monday somewhere right?

Guess who has an English essay tomorrow and is freaking out about it <- <- this girl right here. If anyone can write an A+ essay then hit me up... i'm joking- kinda. But seriously the schooling system is outdated and should be changed, just saying.

So this chapter is just kinda establishing the setting and pack life. Don't worry though, the drama will happen very...very... soon.

Stay safe and don't forget to follow my Instagram

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