Same side as the moon
~
Accalia
~

Cadence was stiff in her shoulders as she walked and peered around, eyes scanning. She tightened her bag around her as she neared the manor.

Accalia tilted her head at this, perplexed by her cousin as she stared out the window.

When a door opened and closed, Accalia turned to her cousin who just walked into the kitchen.

"Hey,"

"Shit!" Cadence brought her fists up and then immediately fell to her sides, glaring at Accalia with fright. "What the hell, Accalia!"

Accalia sipped her herbal tea. "I didn't mean to startle you. How'd you get back?"

Cadence clasped the bag's straps. "Wasn't gonna ask your mate to borrow his car, so I caught the bus and then walked the rest of the way. They don't have bus stops in packs, you know?"

Still that snarky humour, Accalia thought to herself and hid a pleased smile.

"How's Frankie and Erisa?" Accalia followed up with.

Cadence ran a hand through her loose strands of hair and shrugged. "Fine. Same old. How are you and Lycus? Getting cosy these days ..."

Accalia rolled her eyes and finished her tea. "Not really. We're not arguing much now, just ... talking."

"Just talking." Cadence snickered.

Accalia nodded in confirmation, trying to convince herself that was the case. "Yes, talking, Cadence."

Cadence had her hands up in mock defence. "I noticed. Are there any updates with Zenith and Cole?"

Accalia laboriously sighed and leaned against the bench, thinking of the right words. "The Beta and I have been getting along — don't give me that look. She's not that bad, a good Beta for a werewolf and has been keeping me updated on most things with Cole and Zenith. Lycus doesn't like talking about it with me. Nothing has happened, but we can't take any chances. I think Lycus wants to kill them soon though, but something is stopping him."

"Yeah, you're stopping him," Cadence confirmed plainly.

Accalia's nose crinkled. "How? I haven't done anything."

These past few days have been nothing but quiet, as though something was waiting to explode. Accalia had spent a lot of time with Tala, her company growing on her enough that she didn't mind being around her. Although, it didn't escape Accalia that the Beta had a duty to protect her.

"Except be his mate." Cadence countered coldly. "He has something to lose now."

"Everyone has something to lose, that's the cards we've been dealt." Accalia countered stubbornly.

"I know I'm an idiot half the time, Accalia, but you're blind as hell."

Accalia drew in a breath and frowned at her cousin who looked like she would rather be anywhere than here. "I'm not blind, I'm just—"

Cadence picked up her feet, done with this conversation and everything in between. "And I'm deaf enough to not hear you. I'll see you later."

~

Accalia didn't see Cadence for the rest of the day and the afternoon stretched into the night when she and Tala stalked through the forest.

The skies had hit a purplish hue and the moon peaked through the greyness of clouds, emitting brightly in the sky.

Accalia could feel the chills creep through the wood and a hint of winter was nipping at her skin. Something else was nipping at her skin too, a blistering and nagging sensation that wouldn't leave.

"I can take care of myself, Tala," Accalia said and scanned the woods. Tala was both patrolling the borders and guarding Accalia. "You don't need to be around me all the time. Lycus is just a little ..."

"Obsessive? Paranoid? Oh, how about pessimistic? He kind of takes on all those traits, doesn't he?"

Accalia inclined her head in agreement. "Good point,"

Tala nodded knowingly. "Exactly, Luna,"

Accalia's face scrunched up in distaste and didn't like what that title imposed on her at all. "I'm not your Luna—"

"Then you're not Alpha Lycus's mate."

Accalia's face fell. "Well, I am ..."

"Then you're my Luna, Accalia," Tala stated simply.

Accalia huffed and kicked up her feet, twigs and leaves flying in the air. "I don't think a Luna needs this much surveillance. You've been watching me every single day. If hunters saw this, they'd be disgusted."

Downright repulsed by this.

Tala laughed. "I bet they would, but I don't make the rules, Lycus is a control freak."

Controlling and obsessive. Nothing had happened since that wolf got his heart torn out and Accalia expected just that. The allied Alphas would be waiting and planning. It would fuel them to strike again until the real battle between Alphas began. For now, it was just a game to play.

From Lycus's whereabouts these past few days, not seeing him for long periods and bidding his time to other matters, Accalia gathered he wouldn't take any chances. She was surprised he hadn't started an outright war. The Lycus Fenris she knew from books and the mouth of hunters, would have corpses splaying along his path by now.

Accalia closed her eyes for a second and decided to distract herself, needing the images of something other than blood tainting her mind.

"So you and Lycus are close, huh?"

Tala halted. A suspicious look filled her angular eyes and her black hair matched the harrowing night.

"Not like that," Tala breathed out and peered around the forest. "Luna, I don't like him ..."

Accalia's brows met her hairline and she shoved her hands into her pockets. "I wasn't even suggesting that." But seeing as they were on an awkward topic, Accalia was inquisitive to know more. "Have you slept with him? He has quite the history—"

Tala's laughter boomed throughout the forest and lost all the cool that she was smoothly maintaining. "He does have a history and thank the moon I'm not a part of it. I prefer women, Accalia."

Accalia cringed and her lip twitched, embarrassed with herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried. I was just curious. Lycus and that Cora wolf have a history, and I don't know where I'm getting at with this."

Accalia walked ahead, wanting nothing more than to be back in the house and secluded in her bedroom with no one hovering around her. She wanted to kick herself for the intrusion. Her heart hammered against her chest as annoyance prickled at her.

The Beta caught up with her and seemed unfazed by it all. She even managed to send Accalia a kind smile.

Accalia felt bad. A consuming and irking bad when a person wished they could take the entire conversation back.

"Cora got under your skin, huh? Don't worry about her, she's the definition of a loathsome bitch." Tala informed Accalia, but that left nothing at ease.

The night Lycus and Cora had their altercation it didn't weigh on Accalia the way it had now. Heavy and overbearing. She didn't even know what the she-wolf looked like, but by the sheer smokiness of her voice and confidence, she gave Lycus a reason to be with her.

Was this jealousy? Accalia became squeamish at the thought.

"I guess she did. It didn't bother me initially, but the more I think about Lycus, the more his past unfolds. He's everything I never wanted in a man and yet, he's the only person I've ever felt connected to." Accalia exhaled and comforted her arms around her, not expecting this from herself.

Accalia can't express herself as freely as Cadence. That girl was locked away in a cage, unable to reach and Accalia was positive she wanted it that way.

And Lycus was another story entirely, she didn't exactly want to talk about him to him.

So that left Tala, the friend of Lycus, his closest companion and Beta.

"My parents kicked me out for my sexuality many years ago. Back then, I couldn't even accept myself, but that all changed when I met Lycus. I met the oldest lycan at a bar and I got us both kicked out. He wasn't happy about it. I didn't know what or who he was at the time. He scared the hell out of me. But Lycus accepted me for who I was, he didn't care — I don't think he wanted to hang around a human though, but that changed when I asked him to change me. He's helped me realise things that I needed to acknowledge. He's like a brother to me. And with all of this, I think Lycus might want his mate to accept him as he has accepted you."

Accalia walked on, stunned as though a shock shot through her.

"But Lycus can be a real prick at times too," Tala added and that coaxed a light laugh from Accalia.

When they exited the entrance of the woods, Lycus's home came into view and Tala continued, "I still can't put my finger on it, Accalia, but I don't sense ill intent with you. You're a hunter, but something more. I think Lycus sees that. That is why he wants you by his side, no one else. The women in his past remain in the past and his enemies will meet their deaths."

Tala twitched ever so slightly, picking up on something Accalia couldn't and turned to face the looming figure walking toward them.

Lycus had a daunting grace in his stride, one that made people step to the side to let him pass, but that wasn't the case for the person he latched eyes on.

Lycus came to Accalia's side, towering over her and faintly brushed a hand across her hip, to ensure something inside himself Accalia couldn't detect.

Tala laced her hands together and a resigned look played at her features. "In safe hands, Alpha,"

"Thank you, Tala. You are relieved of your duties for the night."

Tala nodded at Accalia briefly before trodding her boots through the dirt to leave.

"Thanks, Tala," Accalia called out to her. She hoped the message would be received with so few words. Accalia didn't want the Beta to feel she revealed so much of herself for nothing.

Tala looked back, her eyes as wild as a wolf. Earthbound and unshackled. Her angular eyes narrowed and a grin swept across her lips. "Anytime, Luna."

Accalia wanted to retort but the she-wolf fled into the forest, her wildness blending like the stars and the moon do in the dark skies.

Lycus clasped his fingers across Accalia's wrist and tugged her forward, colliding into his broad chest. He hummed, eyes drinking her in.

"You're beautiful." Lycus complimented and began to walk to the house with Accalia by his side.

He didn't let go of her wrist, instead weaving his warm fingers through hers and tying her hands with his.

Accalia's face flushed and she struggled to keep her breathing in check. Her heart, on the other hand, rang and slammed against her ribcage like it could burst out.

"Why do you think I'm beautiful?" Accalia had to ask.

Lycus looked down at her and then rolled his eyes. Accalia grimaced and wondered why on earth she bothered asking that in the first place.

"I don't need to think, Accalia. You just are." Lycus said matter of factly. "But with a lycan finding his mate, it's always the soul that draws them in because that's what they lack. Warm, brave and ... humane. That's all you. You were so tempting the first few days of my knowing you. Something I wanted but didn't want to tarnish. I still need to control myself around you."

Accalia pulled up their knotted hands and gestured to it. "You seem to be in control."

Lycus chuckled and came to a halt. A finger tucked under Accalia's chin and pulled up to meet Lycus's face. She didn't reveal a hint of nervousness, even her pulse stilled into a steady rhythm and she was grateful for it.

Lycus's canines etched out of his teeth, protruded with the need to mark her and have her. They were sharp and bone white, ready to latch onto her skin.

"Barely," Lycus confessed and closed his mouth, releasing a heavy sigh.

Accalia didn't even realise they continued to walk again, in a daze that seemed to be still and silent.

Unthinking and not wanting to, Accalia brushed her hand across Lycus's arm and he stilled at her touch. "What'd you have to do today?"

"I spoke to Gabriel a lot today. He's more level-headed than I am, so I seek his advice on occasion or he forcefully gives it to me." Lycus explained, annoyance tickling his tone.

Accalia found that amusing. The big bad Alpha getting told what to do by his younger brother. She was sure Lycus was smoothing over his explanation and heated arguments played into their conversations.

Accalia viewed Gabriel as the semblance of water. Not the destructive kind, but the nightly seas that rippled with calamity and tides that broke with tranquillity. With the reflection of the moon dancing across the water, Accalia understood why his subjects called him the Alpha of the moon.

Gabriel was the soul of reason, whereas Lycus was the person to burn it to the ground and watch it go up in flames.

"Is he preventing you from going after Cole and Zenith?" Accalia asked.

Lycus's hand tightened in hers and it confirmed an answer Accalia was positive she wasn't ready to hear.

"Partly," Lycus answered curtly.

Accalia let out a harsh breath. "I'm not a reason, am I?" She hated reverting to the conversation she shared with Cadence earlier today. She would hate for her cousin to be right. Accalia didn't want to be an exception.

"I haven't cared about someone so much in over one hundred years, Accalia. I can't ignite a war when you'll be in the middle of it." Lycus drawled, his voice laced with a sweet agony that made Accalia's heart clench.

When they walked up the steps to Lycus's front door, Accalia slipped her hand out of his and tucked it behind her back, trying to vanquish any emotion that threatened to make her want to stay here with him.

Once she was safe in Lycus's eyes, she was gone. That was the deal offered to her.

Lycus opened the door for her and when she walked in, her body was pinned to the nearby wall and no movement could falter Lycus's strength.

"You only want to hold my hand when we're alone, hmm?" Lycus growled out, leering down at her.

Accalia gasped, his hands pinning her arms beside her head and his words hot against her skin, evoking a trail of heat to creep up on her.

"I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me," Accalia admitted to him, unblinking as his eyes bleed into darkness and his canines protruded out. "Stop using me as an—"

Lycus grinned and brushed his lips against hers, intensifying the arousing heat that wouldn't fade away even as Accalia tried to fight against it with her battling mind. Because her body wasn't responding, in a state that was only responsive to him. For a moment, Accalia wanted to give in to the forbidding caress of Lycus Fenris and lose herself in him.

Accalia's knees buckled but Lycus held her up, his tongue flicking out between his fangs and licking her bottom lip until his mouth collided with hers in a teasing caress. Accalia thought she would fade away right then and there.

Lycus gripped the back of her head and kissed her deeply, fiercely and collided her body against him. 

Lycus pulled away from her plumped lips and trailed wet and scorched kisses down her neck, sucking gently.

"I'll sacrifice—" Lycus groaned softly before kissing at the hollow of her throat, right where her pulse raged wildly. "—Everything for you, Accalia Larren."

In a swift and thirsted move, he swept her legs up and they snaked around his waist, pulling them together. Lycus's mouth found Accalia's lips once again and it was worse than the last.

Hungry, defying and famished, wanting more and more.

But neither made that move. Neither wanted to ruin what they were creating and be left with an emptiness that left them both longing for so much more.

Lycus's teeth grazed along Accalia's neck and for a fraction of a second, she was tempted. Wanting to know if committing the act wouldn't be so bad.

Would it? Having him claim her fully and unconditionally as his.

A wailing scream echoed throughout the house and Accalia pulled away from Lycus, latching her hands onto his forearms to steady herself as she met the ground.

The scream didn't settle or waver, only growing louder with a menacing and shattering invocation.

Lycus's head lifted, to the second floor of the Fenris manor. "What—"

"Cadence." Accalia breathed out and took off down the hall after her.