The Luna

Thirty-Four

Austin laced our fingers together, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand while never breaking eye contact. He shot a look over to Jax, who nodded as if Austin has said something, before leading me out of the office.

I can't deny that I'm nervous. After watching Caspian shifting, I was sure that I would never want to see another wolf shift again. It was horrifying, to say the least, and the mere thought has me shaking.

But Austin is so adamant about it. He is positive that the change shouldn't be horrifying and that something must have been off about Caspian and his wolf. Still, I can't help but wonder if he's biased.

Shifting is second nature to him and something he has watched since he was a child. It's entirely possible to me that all of them are just desensitized to the sights. It's a part of who they are, why would they see horror in it?

I'm a human who cannot shift into another creature. It's only natural that watching the skin literally rip away would be nightmarish.

Hesitation aside, I let Austin lead me -Let his thumb move in slow strokes along my skin to try and reassure me. He had to know I was nervous but he didn't say anything as he leads me down the stairs and through the house.

Even with the butterflies in my stomach, I trust Austin. He would never put me in harm's way or hurt me.

"Where are we going?" I had thought we would go to his room or mine, somewhere that offered us some privacy but I couldn't help but ask when we stepped through the back doors.

"Into the Woods," he must have felt my hesitation because he stopped and turned swiftly to face me, "It will be okay. You just need to see that we aren't all like them,"

There is something about his eyes when he says this that tugs at my heart. They're guarded and yet somehow vulnerable like he is begging me to see more than what is shown. My free hand lifts on its own pressing against his cheek.

"I know who the real monsters are, you don't have to prove it," I whisper as he stares at me.

I can see him searching my eyes, looking for a lie or hesitation in my words. He grabs my wrist, holding my hand in place against his skin.

"There will always be a small part of you that will be scared of us if I don't show you," is all he says before pressing a small kiss to my hand and leading me further into the woods.

I've never been this far into the trees. Light filters through leaves illuminating the air with an ethereal glow. Birds sing to the wind as rabbits scurry on the ground completely unfazed by the people walking through it.

And it's made all the more real by the mythological creature holding my hand. This is his world, I realize. The animals are used to the wolves coming and going. Something humans aren't often privy to. Sure we can go hiking and even stray from the trails, but the animals can sense the intruders.

Austin and the other wolves aren't intruders. They are just as big a part of these woods as the trees themselves.

Austin stops and drops my hand before taking a few steps in front of me. His shirt was off and dropping to the ground beside him in one swift movement, his eyes meeting mine.

"Don't be afraid," he pulls at his shorts, moving them down his toned legs effortlessly.

I've seen him naked and then some. Still, the feeling of this moment, of him sharing something so intimate, has a blush rising to my cheeks and I can't help but look at the ground while he tosses his shorts to the side.

"Amelia," his voice is gentle as if whispered in the dark under the magic of the moon. I look up, shocked to hear my full name, just in time to see him shake slightly.