The Ruined Luna

Seven

It felt strange to be inside a regular home again. It was even stranger that if felt strange. The cabin looked like a triangle, with the first floor being the living space, kitchen, and bathroom while the bedroom was a loft that butted up to the front of the cabin which was made of large planes of glass. Beautiful.

The interior was warm and homey, like someone could actually live here and it wasn't just for decoration or for appearances sake. The sofa, a cream-colored leather, was covered in comfortable squishy looking pillows and rested against one wall while a TV sat on a small entertainment system sat against the opposite wall a few feet from the wood burning stove. Done in a stunning contrast of dark and reddish woods, it felt so open and bright.

The female, Britta, left me in the living room as she padded past the small kitchen and into a room beyond it. After a moment I heard the water turn on. I hadn't had a bath in months.

Britta reappeared, her hands going to her hips as she looked around with a satisfied smile. "Yep, gorgeous right? If you have a thing for cabins, anyway, which I totally do. Kitchen is stocked, so help yourself, and the bath is running. You'll find clothes in the dresser upstairs. Anything that doesn't fit just set to the side and I'll come collect it and find you something that does. There's a cell phone over on the coffee table. It's yours. It has my number already programmed in it, along with Avery's and the Alpha's."

She bit her lip, worrying it between her small white teeth before continuing. "I know you probably already know, but because I don't want to assume you'd been told, please...please don't call anyone from...from before."

I appreciated the delicate way she'd put that. It had been one of the harder things to accept about my new life. Everyone I'd ever known and loved thought I was dead. My parents, my family, my friends. My mind touched on that sensitive subject, and I shied away from it, refusing to even let my thoughts go down that road. Instead, I focused on Britta's slightly pinched face and nodded my understanding.

Her expression faltered for a moment, before brightening. "Call me if you need anything. I...would you prefer to be alone, or should I stay with you? I don't mind either way of course, but—" she trailed off and shrugged.

Did I want to be alone? I hadn't been, even for a second, with the rogue pack, but the four months I'd spent with Alpha Collin's pack had been nothing but. I bit the inside of my cheek. When did such a simple question become so hard to answer?

"Oh, right, this was made for you." Britta lifted something off the small dining table and extended it.

I reached out and she dropped it into my open palm, careful to avoid touching me. I inspected the leather object for a long moment before I realized what it was. Made by hand, and with stunning craftmanship, Britta had handed me a new eye patch. It was slimmer than the felt one I'd been wearing, curved to fit the actual planes of my face rather than being big and malformed. My breath caught as I ran a thumb over the delicate scrawl work, admiring the even polished lines of beautiful filagree.

"You like it." Britta beamed, clasping her hands together. "I thought you would. Forester does fabulous work."

I nodded in agreement, still admiring it.

"How about I come back tomorrow morning. I'll bring breakfast and a few more things you'll need. Sound good?"

I nodded again, beyond grateful. Even if all this niceness didn't last, I'd enjoy it while it did.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

Britta quietly walked to the door and let herself out, leaving me alone. I wanted to put the eye patch on immediately but didn't want to before I was clean, so I set it back on the table for later. It wasn't a huge bathroom like I'd half been expecting, but clean and neat. There was even a wide bench between the tub and the slanted wall with a set of six windows that looked out into the woods. I tested the water's temperature, pleased at the heat, before carefully lowering myself down into it.

The warmth enveloped me, soothing my aching muscles. I leaned back, so that I was fully submerged. My wolf hummed in delight and appreciation. It was a comfort we hadn't really expected to be able to enjoy again.

There were a few bottles along the edge of the tub, and I eyed them for awhile before beginning the process of scrubbing down. First came shampoo, which smelled like white tea and jasmine, that I had to use twice in order to clean the greasy mess my hair had become. After some conditioner, I used the white washrag to start washing my body. It was the part I hated the most, since it meant I got to observe each and every scar in detail and fight not to remember how I got them. One in particular, a thick, ugly ropy one along the back of my thigh left, still burned when I touched it. It shouldn't anymore, but something kept the skin tight and tender. That familiar unhinged laugh echoed softly inside my head. 'It's you! I knew it! Enough pain and the body—'

I shoved it away, my stomach cramping painfully. I pulled the plug and crawled out, wrapping a small towel around my hair, the larger one around my body, before yanking on the green fluffy robe that was hung on a hook.

It felt like I was a little bit on autopilot as I headed into the kitchen. I removed a bottle of water from the fridge, downed it as quickly as possible, before throwing it away and retrieving another. There were a few premade sandwiches, and I snagged and ham and cheese before taking my food up the stairs and to the bedroom loft. There was a single frameless bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf. I paused to scan the titles briefly, before crawling onto the mattress and obliterating the sandwich. I debated about going to get another but decided to pace myself. Instead, I drank my water and leaned against the wall so I could comfortably stare out the windows.

As I watched the grounds outside the pack house grow busy, it dawned on me that it had been very early in the morning when I'd arrived here. It was sort of funny. I hadn't really thought much about time since the change. It hadn't meant anything. Sleeping, eating, existing. One windowless room after the next. What did it matter if it was 3 am or 3 pm? Now that I'd noticed, I wondered what time it actually was. I looked up at the sun, then down at the shadows. Maybe noon? In reality that logic only held up on the equator and only twice a year, but it was as good a guess as anything else.

A gaggle of kids ran around the side of the packhouse, laughing as they were chased by a very exasperated looking woman, whose blondish hair was coming loose from her bun. I closed my eyes to absorb the sound, my wolf humming low. She liked the sound of them too.

A particularly loud squeal drew my attention again. One of the kids had been swept up into the arms of another adult, swinging them up and over head to toss them lightly up into the air before setting them down on their feet. It was bittersweet, and for the second time that day I pressed my hand to my chest.

My own parents were probably heartbroken. In their world, I was dead thanks to a bear attack. I wondered what they thought; if they worried my last moments had been painful and scary. It hurt I couldn't ever see them again. I didn't have any other siblings, so they were alone now. I hoped they'd take that cruise they'd always talked about. Sat on some island beach somewhere and fell even more in love with one another. I hugged my knees to my chest and leaned my cheek against my arm. It would make me happy if they did. I wanted that for them. At least they wouldn't keep looking for a daughter who would never come home.

Exhaustion pulled at me until finally I drew the curtains over the window, slid down into the softest bed I could ever remember laying on, and finally managed to fall asleep. I'd escape tomorrow. If anything happened, my wolf would know before I did. For the moment, I was as safe as I could be. My last thought before drifting off was if the stars up here were as bright and limitless as I hoped. It'd be nice to see them again too.