The Fragmented Luna

Into the Forest: Part 3

"Rowen, I'm so sorry", Nixon said as he nearly collapsed at my feet. "I could have hurt you really bad. I just was so lost. I thought you might not come back", Nixon said in a sad voice. I could sense the pain that lingered within Nixon as if it were a living force. I engulfed the tall framed Nixon into my arms by cradling his head against my chest. Nixon relaxed after a few moments of breathing in my scent.

"Nixon, I'm the one who needs to apologize for trying to reject you", I said as I ran my fingers through his black hair. I looked into his blood shot eyes as he reached a hand out to brush it tenderly across my face. I shivered by the intensity of emotions that showed in the simple touch. "I'm sorry about your cousin Skylar. I didn't know you and Ember were related to each other", I said solemnly. I had always assumed that Ember was super protective over Nixon because she had a crush on him. It turned out that all this time that Ember was trying to keep her cousin from being rejected.

"It was the worst thing that ever happened to my family", Nixon said as he mused over the past. "I can't have you disappear like Skylar did. For a moment you vanished and I thought you might be gone forever", he said as he pulled away from me to look at my body. I tried to turn away from his lingering gaze but I was powerless to this emotion coursing through me.

"I know NIxon, but I'm fine see", I told him earnestly. I stepped away from him to twirl my body around showing off that I was all in one piece. "In fact I came here because we have to talk about something serious", I said to him as I stepped away from him. I needed to be levelheaded when I told him about everything.

"Rowen don't tell me you can't feel this. I've felt it for so long I thought I was all alone", Nixon said regretfully. "But why didn't you come to me the moment you felt the pull", Nixon questioned with anger in his tone. I held up my hands to silence the wild animal within him that was begging to tear through.

"I didn't feel the pull until recently", I told him sincerely. He looked at me with shocked eyes at that tidbit of information. "I was confused because I never felt this way before. It was only a few weeks ago that I felt anything towards you other than contempt", I told him sadly. Nixon stood up tall to pace around the room trying to absorb the information I had told him.

"That's not possible Rowen. Unless something was keeping you from feeling that connection with me", he said questioning the situation to himself out loud. "I will kill whoever kept us from each other for so long. Wait, do you even know what the pull means", Nixon asked tersely.

"No, I'm afraid not", I said as I answered truthfully. "Valerie told me that you would understand the situation better if I told you the truth", I said to him timidly. Nixon stopped pacing to look into my eyes with fierce desire it captivated me. Yes, I was aware of my feeling towards Nixon, but that didn't stop the fear I felt within my heart.

"So what exactly did you tell Val", Nixon asked as he looked into my eyes with a curious expression. I tried to hide my expression from his invasive gaze as discomfort swept through my body. "Tell me what you said to her so I can understand", he drawled out in an alluring voice.

"I told her that I can't face my feelings for you until I face myself. I didn't have any memories before about you", I told him. He nodded his head as if asking me to continue speaking further. "I don't want to make things more complicated between us in case I don't make it out alive", I said as I jumbled my words out.

"No", Nixon roared in a pained voice that made me back away from its power. I looked at Nixon's pain filled gaze with an ache deep in my chest. "No, you won't die. Everything is going to be fine. I will protect you", Nixon said in a softer tone now. I felt comforted by his kind words even if it wasn't close to the truth of the situation.

"You're wrong Nixon. You can't always save everyone. I have to go into the woods", I said to him in a determined tone. I needed to make him understand that I had a destiny to fulfill in just two more nights. "I have the important parts memorized from my mothers note; 'In the forest in a place only you know there is the next secret. You must remember when the time comes but watch your back. Dark forces are all around you", I told him as I recited a part of the letter my mom left behind as a clue.

"I can't let you", Nixon said in a voice filled with anguish towards the moon. "I won't let you", Nixon said as he stood close to me to barricade me from moving.

"It is my destiny. I will go tomorrow so that I get there on the night that the moon will be stained with blood once again", I told him with a heavy heart. I never envisioned feeling this intoxicated towards another human being but being unable to do anything about it. I wanted to have his arms wrapping around my waist just to revel in his touch. "Do you get why I kept pushing you away. This is my fate so either you can accept it or reject it", I told him.

"I just got you and now you are leaving", Nixon said in a voice thick with emotion. I could see the pain in his eyes because I felt it too right in my tight chest. I knew that I would have to let go of something so beautiful for any chance I had at finding the truth. "I can't accept this, No I have to go", Nixon said as he pulled away from me. He was like a wounded animal as he bounded out of the room.

I sat in a puddle of tears on the floor as Nixon ran out into the dark star filled night. Valerie came into the room some time afterwards looking at me sadly. "It is done, you told him", she stated to herself out loud. I let more tears fall from my face in response to her question. "Tomorrow we leave but for now you must rest", she said as she lifted me up. We walked into her bedroom but the comfort of this beach paradise was gone. As I lay my head down on the pillow to rest I swore I heard the sound of a lone wolf bellowing at the moon.