"The Replacement Luna..."

Empty...

Atlas:

I practically froze when I saw that the car had been abandoned. There was no trace of Glare or his wolf in sight. I hurriedly went to see if his overnight suitcase was still in the trunk, and felt a bit relieved when I saw it there, only to remind myself that it wasn't a verified proof that Glare hadn't left me for good.

Oh goddess, what have I done? I basically chased him out of my life by being inconsiderate. I've been a total jerk!

I frantically started looking around to see if he was anywhere close by, when that didn't work I called on my wolf to sniff his scent out so I can apologize and try to win him back... but alas, neither sight nor scent could lead me to his whereabouts.

I hurriedly got in the car and started the engine, only to park it again infront of the convenience store and run towards the street to try and track Glare down.

Seeing a farmer's market not too far away, I decided to check there. I was relieved when his scent wafted towards me a few minutes later, and my wolf rejoiced when I caught sight of his back as he was inspecting a red candle.

I watched him from afar, marveling at how effortless he moved with poise and grace. The simple act of signalling the vendor to sell him two candles had me mesmerized and hooked as I observed his simple movements.

He bagged the candles, ended the call on his cell, and went to the next stall that sold rings, bracelets, trinkets. I saw him pick a few items before he started talking to a guy who seemed to be standing too close to him. I felt anger bubble inside me, as my wolf started growling. I hastily made my way to join Glare in the stall, ready to snap the guy's neck if he didn't move away from Glare.

"Nothing in silver please. Something made of wood, or semi-precious stone would be perfect." I heard Glare tell the guy beside him.

"This is made of Onyx and is engraved with a magic wand. Something to remind someone of how magical your feelings are for that one special person."

"It's perfect. I'll take it." Glare momentarily turned to look behind him when he felt me standing close by. He handed a few paper bills to the guy before turning his attention to me completely.

"Ready to go?" I asked him.

"One sec. Here, let me put this on you." He held the onyx bracelet to his lips, kissing it gently as he murmured an incantation. The bracelet started to emit a soft glow, as he clasped it on my right wrist.

"What's this for?" I asked, turning the bracelet around my wrist, marveling at how it glowed in the brightness of the mid day sun.

"Something to mark you with." He smiled, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"You... marked me?" I couldn't help the smile that broke through my pouting lips.

"It glows whenever you're around me. It's engraved with a magic wand to remind you that you're under my spell... and you will remain that way until I decide to set you free."

"Then I hope you don't decide to do that any time soon. Thank you, I accept your gift. Here, let me carry those for you." I reached for the shopping bag he held in his right hand.

"Careful, there's a jar of jam in there. For your toast tomorrow. I also purchased a couple of camomile scented candles to help calm you, and relieve your stress."

"You bought all these? For me?"

"Of course. Why do you look so surprised?" The guy came back with Glare's change, and saying a quick thank you he went back inside his stall.

"I thought you hated me."

"Hate is a strong word Atlas. I was merely annoyed. Stay here, I'll be back in a jiffy, I just need to buy some bread and crackers for breakfast tomorrow. We'll need to stop over tonight, I need to finish reading the tome first before we return it to the Oracle tomorrow. Hold Remus, I won't be long." He made his way over to a stall that had cheese, bread, and coffee for sale.

"Excuse me. Do you have something blue in stock?" I called out to the guy who was talking to Glare awhile ago.

"Blue? Metal, wood, stone?" He took a few steps closer to hear me better.

"A semi precious stone, please. Something with either a moon, a wolf, or a house."

"Bracelet? Neclace? A ring?" He started looking around his displays.

"An amulet."

"A wolf, inside a blue topaz." The guy handed me a beautiful blue crystal with a figure of a white wolf inside it. It was suspended from a gold chain.

"Remarkable! Just the thing I'd want him to have." I took my wallet out from my back pocket, and hurriedly gave my debit card to the guy who took it with a smile.

He disappeared inside his stall for less than two minutes, came back with a card reader for me to punch in my code, then handed me my card back.

"Incase you're in need of any more baubles or trinkets, please don't hesitate to call." The guy smiled and handed me his calling card. It read: Distinct Gems.

"I'm back. Shall we?" Glare had a French roll tucked in his left arm, and a loaf of bread along with some crackers in clear plastic bags.

"I have something for you too." I smiled at him, presenting him with the amulet.

"Atlas, it's beautiful. But you didn't have to..."

"I want to. Please. It's my way of saying sorry for the way I've acted. Also... it's my way to mark you too." I felt my cheeks heat up, knowing that I was blushing. I handed him the leash, while I placed the shopping bag I was holding on a bench nearby.

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Over you." I whispered as I clasped the gold chain around his exquisite neck.

"I forgive you." He said, smiling at me. I took back Remus' leash and picked up the shopping bag I temporarily left on the bench.

We slowly made our way back to where I parked the SUV. We walked in silence. Both smiling, and stealing glances at each other. It felt good. It felt wonderful. It felt a lot like... love.