Moon Bound

22

Point proven, Accalia reasoned glumly with a fallen face. Before the aching could tear at her heart, her brother and father coming to mind, she shoved it away and thought it best to spare herself.

"Anywho," Cadence cooed, saddling her back over her shoulder and giving her Accalia a wave of the hand, "I'll catch you later."

Accalia's eyes widened. "You're just heading off? Leaving me here with a bunch of lycans? I get you're an impulsive idiot half the time, but I don't think it's the best time to go anywhere, Cadence. You were just kidnapped, pack members are dead and you'd be stupid enough—"

Cadence turned on her heel and tilted her head at Accalia, regarding her. "Stupid enough to do what? Yeah, I was kidnapped but the person did nothing to me, they weren't after me and the wolves ... that's not my problem. I promise you, Accalia, I'll be fine and I know you will be too. Lycus is too enamoured by you to do anything bad to you."

Enamoured? Accalia cringed inwardly.

A front door slammed loudly and Accalia jerked slightly, heart skipping a beat at the person coming inside the house.

Gabriel and Lycus were side by side as they conversed in hush whispers to each other before they stopped in their tracks and stared at the two standoffish hunters.

Lycus sighed, rounding past Gabriel and taking a seat at the same table Accalia sat at, avoiding her presence as though she wasn't there.

Lycus drummed his fingers along a flat surface, concealing a face that must be writhed with fury and vengeance. He came off collected, that he had a handle on things, but it didn't go unnoticed to Accalia that his hair was messier than usual like he was pulling at the strands, paired with heavy-lidded eyes and swallow face.

"And where are you off to, Cadence?" Lycus asked the huntress with watchful eyes.

Cadence's eyes narrowed with crossed arms, levelling him the same glare. "I'm catching up with a friend. A hunter."

"I'm surprised that you have friends," Lycus commented, lounging his arm over the chair and mastering a smug grin.

Before Cadence countered back, Lycus spoke once again, his tone more commanding, "I don't think it's best you go, with everything that has occurred over the past few days."

Accalia never thought she'd be thankful for Lycus in her lifetime, but she was now. Regrettably grateful.

Cadence frowned, looking to Accalia and then Lycus. "You two might make a cute couple ... from how annoying the both of you are."

"It's called being cautious, kid," Lycus murmured curtly. "Or I can assign a guard to follow you everywhere you go."

Cadence's lip curled, not taking kindly to that word he just named her. Kid? His tongue should be cut out for that comment alone.

"A guard? Seriously? If you even think about doing that, I'll make sure the death count you currently have will go up."

Lycus gave a shrug, the conversation done and dusted in his eyes. "Trust me, I'm not doing this for you, but Accalia. By all means, go on your way." Lycus taunted and dismissed her.

Cadence faced Accalia who looked wildly unimpressed with the both of them.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Accalia," Cadence wandered over and patted Accalia on the cheek and that, in very few ways, was Cadence's way of being affectionate. "Catch you later."

Why is she so adamant about leaving? Accalia asked herself as she watched Cadence slip out the door and make her way through the fringe of woodland before disappearing.

Surely Erisa can wait a day or two to see Cadence or was there something Accalia wasn't being told? If it's in regards to Erisa, she wouldn't like to be in the know when it comes to that girl. The two got up to trouble.

Changing her frame of mind onto Lycus, Accalia thought it best to try and pry for information of the slaying of the Fenris pack members and figure out what's going on. Who knows, maybe Accalia could help in any way she could; since being here she has felt rather useless.

"Um, Lycus?" Accalia murmured, tracing her voice with a coat of niceness.

Lycus ignored her, getting to his feet and having his back turned as he strolled over to his brother. They delved into a conversation, saying who knows what to each other and adamantly leaving Accalia out of it.

"Lycus...Lycus!"

Fuming, Accalia grabbed the spoon she was previously using for her tea and flung it at the back of Lycus's head.

Lycus cupped the back of it before turning around, a glower plastering his face as he glared at her.

"What?" He spat like her presence was venom to his lips.

Taken aback, but not discouraged, Accalia straightened against her seat and gave him an equally dark look.

"What-is-going-on?" Accalia muttered slowly, making sure Lycus could comprehend every word she said.

"Nothing at the moment, Accalia," Gabriel answered for him, his eyes catching a hint of the sunlight and becoming electric. "We're talking theories, are you alright?"

Are you alright?

That's the first time someone has asked her that in a while and too bad it didn't come from Lycus's mouth.

Accalia almost fumbled with her words. "I'm— I'm fine ... is there anything I can do to help?"

Before any waiting on the question could happen, Lycus finally addressed his mate and gave her a distinct and definite response. "No."

"Why not?" Accalia challenged.

Lycus exhaled, patience threatening to snap as he jammed his hands into his jeans, trying to hinder his erratic breathing.

"Because," Lycus dragged out, "my people have started to question my loyalties, my capabilities and it's best with what has happened doesn't involve any hunters. They'll think you're involved somehow."

"Do you think I am?"

Accalia held her breath, not knowing how she would react if he answered with a response she wouldn't like.

"No, I don't. When it comes to Larren hunters, I know your father wouldn't dare cross me and it's clear something with supernatural strength did this. The wolves will look at someone to blame and I don't want it to be you." Lycus confessed to her.

Loss for words, Accalia only gave a subtle nod in understanding and didn't ask anything else. Lycus's patience has met its peak and it was best Accalia left it where it was without a full-on argument to come of this.

"Accalia," Gabriel said softly, "if you want to, you can hang out with Nina for the day, I think she would like to be around you."

A hunter and lycan play date?

Accalia nibbled at her lip awkwardly and rose from her seat, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread leak into her insides. But she supposed she would take the chance and let her guard slip down just for the day. The person she'd rather hang out with wasn't here and perhaps it would be beneficial for her to spend time with another woman.

Luna to Luna.

"Alright," Accalia affirmed stiffly and left the dining room without so much as a glance to Lycus. She wasn't going to bare a fragment of her soul to a being that wouldn't savour it.

Lycus sighed a breath of relief, feeling his mate's encompassing aura gone for the time being. Turning his taunt frame to his brother, he almost felt the fur beneath his skin bristle as he bit the inside of his cheek until he nipped for a drop of blood.

"Thank you for speaking to her. Sometimes, I just can't—"

"Lycus, it's fine, everything is in chaos right now." Gabriel said empathetically, but continued, "however, you need to start connecting with her, communicating with her because if you don't, your mate bond will become nothing but two being strangers being around each other."