I was actually surprised that Nikoli let me leave his room let alone his house. As I took off on foot I knew that I could not go home. The temple was the last place that I wanted to go.
I was pretty sure that someone had informed the High Priestess and my mother of the events that had occurred during the council meeting. At this point in time I did not want to face them. I did not have the strength.
I tried my hardest not to think about the new responsibility that would befall onto me. I was in my happy place in the forest that hardly anyone knew about. I sat in the biggest patch of grass that was running along the willow tree that I was leaning against.
It was the serenest part of the forest that I could find. I discovered this path when I was seven years old after wondering off the path to the temple. At the time, the willow tree was not as large as the other trees in the area, but it was bigger than the little tyke that I was.
Part of its trunk was resting and now growing on a rock slab of minerals that were only disturbed by the plant. There was a stoned path that was once used by villagers of the tribe but had been forgotten by not only them, but by the passage of time. Nature had recalled the majority of the stones, but I could still walk along the path and make my way to the tree every year.
Each year I had reason to go. At the age of ten I went to celebrate the fireworks that the village had but I could not go without my parents—one mother that was aiding in lighting the festival and the absent minded father I grew up without. At fifteen, I came to cry on the steps because I lost my best friends, one to a tragic accident and the other to the pecking order of the Alpha. And here I am now, at the age of eighteen trying to find peace of mind in the chaos all around me.
Open my eyes and the chaos seeps in. Shut my eyes and I am blind to the world.
Peace. Chaos. Peace. Chaos.
Open. Close. Open. Close.
"What are you doing here," a familiar voice called out to me.
For fuck's sake. I muttered.
"I heard that." I opened my eyes to chaos, and I saw my former best friend, Lex staring at me. He wore a plain shirt and blue jeans without any shoes. He had his hands in his pockets, as if it scared him to touch me.
I suppose that would be true, considering we all just found out that I was Nikoli's future mate.
"What… are… you.. doing… out…. here." Lex said slowly and pronouncing every syllable. I rolled my eyes and stayed sitting down.
"I have my eyes closed Alexi, I am not deaf." I said to him.
He always hated that childish nickname, but Lex was not any better.
"I know, it's just when you took off everyone got worried." He looked around my hiding place in amazement. Funny he says that but Alpha Nikoli did let me just walk out of the door.
"Wow, this place is incredible! I did not know it existed." He said, pushing his toes against the mossy grass.
I looked on in envy. I hardly ever walked barefooted; due to the fact that it was imprinted in my mind with the temple. I always thought it was silly. We praised nature and the mana around it. Why not walk around barefoot? Just do not walk down the mountains without any shoes.
"Yeah, I am sure everyone was worried when the Alpha's potential bride ran away." I scoffed. I just wanted to be left alone.
"NO, we all went looking for you and he did not give an order. Finding out that you are destined to be with someone by the Goddess is a scary thing." Lex said as he started to survey the area.
"This place is completely untouched. There are hardly any traces of the tribe, besides your scent. How did you find this place?" He was changing the subject.
Whether it was because he wanted to get my mind off of the problem or matter at hand or because he really was interested in the scenery, I was unsure.
"I found this place as a kid a long time ago. It looked like some of the village's ancestors may have found it, but it was forgotten for some reason." I said, looking at the jasmine plants that were being to blossom. They would be ready to pick before the harvest moon came.
"And no one but you know it's here." Lex said, looking at the willow tree.
"I guess not, considering you noticed only my scent." I snarked at him.
I really did not want to hold a conversation with my former best friend nor did I want to reminisce about past or present actions at the moment. I truly just wanted to be alone.
"Alright then," Lex said as he stood up from the squatting position.
"Alright," I pondered. 'What do you mean, alright?" This had to be a trap.
"What I mean is alright, I found you, so now I can tell everyone to stop the search and that you are okay." He tossed something for me to catch with success. "Just make sure you go to the village or the temple before dark, agreed." He turned to start walking. I had just then realized that he was carrying a jacket.
"Hey," I shouted. That got his attention.
"Yo."
"You aren't gonna tell them where you found me?"
"No." Lex said. He shrugged his shoulders.
"No, why not?" I was stunned.
"Well, the way I see it this is your sanctuary away from the temple, hell maybe away from the village. And I would be an asshole to tell anyone where you are. Especially if you don't want to be found." Lex said. He turned around and started back up the trail.
"But," I said, looking around at my surroundings.
"Don't worry if the Alpha asks I'll just tell him you are doing something that does not concern him. He'll respect your privacy."
"How do you know that?" I shouted at the back of his head.
"It's one of the perks to being his second in command," Lex shouted back over his shoulders at me. "Get home safely, Zoe."
As the sounds of Lex's footprints disappeared with the sound of the wind, I knew he had changed to his wolf form to get back to the village sooner. He let out a long and sound full howl that echoed throughout the forest.
He was most likely signally to the search party and his Alpha that he had found me. There was a brief pause and howls that shortly followed that echoed his. All different pitches, all sounding relieved by his news.
He was right, I thought.
They all had been worried about me. Whether it was because of me as a person or because I was running for the Luna title was unknown. The wind's speed began to pick up and sent a chill throughout my being.
I lifted the jacket over my head, not giving it a second thought. It was twice my size, but warm to the touch. But what bothered me as I curled up to the trunk of the willow tree was it did not smell like Lex.
He had been caring it for whomever knows how long and it did not have his scent wolf or human attached to it. I snuggled closer to it and the tree getting comfortable but also taking in the scent of the jacket.
It overpowered all of my senses and lulled me into a sense of protection and safety. I do not know when I went to sleep, but I know that the moment that I did it was the most peaceful sleep that I had had in years.