In Reach?

Mira’s POV

I’m in the library again, trying to pass time. After the talk with Ashton this morning, I just needed to be alone. The only thing I can use right now to distract myself, is reading through this bloody book. It’s riddles are a good distraction.

I don’t even know why I’m still so interested in them. I got so intrigued in trying to figure it out, all because I wanted to find a way to maybe get home. But now, I’m stuck in a position, where I don’t know if I want to go home.

I’m here, in an unknown place, with my mate, the person I’m meant to be with forever. But I’m surrounded with people who constantly suspect me as being their source of bad luck, my mate included. It feels like I found Liam, but at the wrong time and place. Do I want to leave? Do I want to stay?

The more I read these rituals over and over again, the more I can’t seem to understand them. I don’t understand Selene. What is the purpose of these rituals anyway? What is the purpose of these drawings and their requirement in these rituals?

But something sticks out to me. I trace my fingers along the drawing of the moon, the moon the girl is reaching out to. I rush to find the other book, the one with the funeral ritual in it. I open the book to find that page. I know I can’t really make out the Latin, but the picture, it’s similar. The moon. There is a moon in this picture too.

I always figured that it meant that the rituals needed to be done at night when the moon is out. But what if,….?

I scroll through the other books to find rituals similar to these, -rituals which seek the presence of the moon, -of Selene.

Selene! That’s it. She is the moon goddess. These spells don’t just need to be done at night as a requirement. It is because the moon is Selene. For the spells to work, they need the moon, they need Selene.

But looking at all the moons in these pictures in these books, they all look different, but they all look the same. I can tell that the books were written by different people, the pictures were drawn differently. But, all the moons are round, are full. Could this mean that one needs a full moon for these rituals to be successful?

This is all starting to make sense now. This is why, when I performed the ritual back home, nothing happened. It wasn’t a full moon. But the night of the accident, when my car flipped into the lake, it was a full moon. The night that this happened,-I trace the picture again, the picture where the girl is reaching out to the moon. This is why the ritual for Katy’s funeral felt so magical. I waited till night, to do it. Where Selene could witness it and take the soul of one of her children.

I was able to reach out to Selene because I spilled my own blood, as a 'sacrifice', as a conduit to reach Selene, to reach her power. That’s why there is always a picture of a drop of blood. That’s why it was needed for Katy’s funeral. That’s why the night of the accident, the blood flowing from my cut hand looked so ethereal as I was trying to swim up, towards the moon.

Could it be, that if I do this spell again, but on a full moon, I can maybe get back home? I don’t know how this whole thing works exactly, but shouldn’t I at least give it a try?

I look out the window and look at the moon. It’s already so big. That means the next full moon is,….tomorrow.

Maybe this is my chance. I don’t want to be locked up here like some prisoner, especially not by him. I would rather go back, before something else happens where I’m hurt by him again. I want to leave here before he does something, something to make me hate him.

I try to read through the book again, the very one I’m interested in. Maybe I just need the right material including the right place and time. I already have an idea of what I need to get it started,- just material to represent the four elements. Then the right time would be during a full moon. The right place, would be somewhere outside, somewhere where the pull of Selene will be strong. From my understanding, they teach the pups that Selene’s power, her pull, is like that of water, and that she is strongest at water. Which is why the moon’s pull is so strong on the waves and currents of the ocean.

Water. I need a place of water. Maybe I can go to the lake near the grand hall. That should work. Maybe this is also what made the circumstance of my accident more than just a coincidence.

I got so lost reading all of these books, I didn’t even realize when I started to fall asleep on the carpet, surrounded by books, in front of the fireplace. All I know is that I had a very weird dream that night. A dream about me running in the woods, running for my life, away from Liam.

Liam’s POV

I haven’t see Mira all day. But I knew where she was, I just didn’t want to bother her yet. She asked to be alone, and I just wanted to give her some space to calm down before I try talking to her again.

But it’s getting very late. I don’t know why she is still in the library.

I make my way there, to just make sure she’s fine. But poking my head in, I see something quite adorable. I see her small frame huddled onto the carpet as she’s sleeping so comfortably in front of the fireplace. The glow of the fire really makes her brown hair shine like silk.

Walking closer I notice she’s surrounded with books. I smile at the thought of this feisty girl being such a big book worm. But as I squat down to her, I notice which books these are. These are the very books I told her to ignore. The books she told me brought her here, and which she thinks can take her back.

Why? Why is she reading these books? Does she want to leave, to leave me? Why would she even consider that, especially after everything we’ve been through to get here? This is really making my wolf and I angry. Our mate might want to leave us. I can’t let that happen.

I close the books, knowing I’m either going to throw them away or lock them up. Probably the latter, to avoid Char being on my ass.

I pick up her small and light body in my arms, ready to take her to our room. I know her things haven’t been moved to my room yet, but I will fix that by tomorrow. I don’t need to be too worrisome about her being my mate anymore. My head-members know now that I didn’t steal her, that she was never Ashton’s to begin with. Soon, everyone else will know too, that she is my mate, that she is their Luna.

Once I sort all this crap and misunderstandings out about her, then we can arrange for an official ceremony to have her inaugurated into the pack and named as the Luna.

Liam’s POV

Waking up this morning, I again notice her scent is weak and how cold I am. She’s not here, again. She must have gone down early for breakfast.

But after freshening up and going downstairs, I notice that most of the people are already done and have left. When I ask Meg where Mira is, she tells me she went to the library. Why is she there again?

Walking into the library I see her rushing around scratching around for something.

“What are you doing?”

She looks startled seeing me. “Where,….where are they?” She looks back at the shelves.

“Where is what?”

“The books Liam. Where are the books?” She looks frantic now. But this is pissing me off.

“I put them away.”

“What? Where? Where did you put them?” She’s walking to me now, looking desperate.

“Why do you want them?”

“Please Liam,” She grips my wrist, “I,…..I need them.”

“Why? What do you want to do with them? I told you to rather avoid them.”

“But,…but, I just need to check something. I just want to make sure.”

“Make sure about what?”

But she’s not saying anything, and just biting her lip.

“Why Mira? Are you trying to figure out a way to leave me?”

“Huh?”

“What? You thought I wouldn’t figure it out? You thought I’d let you sit here hours on end, desperately reading books you think will take you back, will take you away from me.?”

But now she looks angry. “What did you do with them? Where are they?”

“Really Mira? Is that all you care about now? Well I’m not letting you have them.”

“Liam. Why do you even care?”

“What?” I grip her wrist pulling her to me. “Why shouldn’t I? Why should I leave you to indulge in fantasies to leave me? You’re not leaving.”

“So what, I’m just your prisoner now?”

Gggrrrhh! “You’re my mate.” I pull her by her waist and against my chest.

“No!” I can see the anger in her eyes, and in her wolf. “You forced your mark on me. Ever since I got here, you treated me like some kind of criminal, trying to keep me locked up here. You weren’t there for me Liam, when I had no-one, when I needed you. You,….you,…..you rejected me.” I can hear the anger in her voice, but I can see the tears in her eyes.

“What?” I say in a whisper against her face, trying to wipe the tear that is daring to fall.

Hearing her say that I rejected her is hurting me and my wolf. I can hear him whimpering in the back of my mind. I would never reject her, I,….

That’s when realization hits me. She feels rejected, her wolf feels rejected, by me. Because I wasn’t there for her? Why would she feel rejected by me for that? Unless her wolf already saw me as her mate too. She’s hurt because I didn’t acknowledge her as my mate.

Could she really be my second chance mate, my fated mate?

I cup her face trying to calm the anger in her. “Mira? Do you,……does your wolf see me as your mate?” I’m trying to speak clearly, but it still comes out a bit soft.

But she pulls back out of my arms. “My wolf sees you as the man that hurt us. She doesn’t want to be here. She doesn’t want to be near you. She wants to leave, and frankly, I do too.”

I walk closer to her. “Mira, don’t say that. We can fix this. We can-“

“I don’t want to.” She sighs. “You have your own responsibilities here. I have my own life to get back to. We’re just not right for each other.”

Gggrrrhhh! “How can you say that? How, when you can feel the pull.” I grab both her arms. “I know you can because you told me yourself. We both want each other. So why are you trying to fight it?”

“Because it’s better that way.” She says straight forward. “I won’t be a nuisance to you and your pack anymore, and I don’t need to feel like a prisoner anymore.”

I pull her against me and softly say, “I’m not going to let you leave me.”

“Why do you even care?” She pulls back again.

“What?” Do I really need to repeat myself.

“Why do you even car about the books. Last I checked you didn’t even believe in the whole wolf-magic-old ways stuff. So why bother keeping it from me? It’s not like anything can really come from it, right?”

Of course I don’t believe in such stuff. Magic that can make people travel thousands of miles in seconds. But why is she making me doubt it now?

“No.” But I continue before she can say something again. “And that’s final.”

I walk out not wanting to continue this conversation anymore.

Why does it feel like we’re always arguing these days? But yet I still want to go to her. This push and pull is infuriating, but I don’t want to let it go, if it means letting go of her. I will make her and her wolf understand, that I love her, and that I know she loves me too.