Blood Floweret

« Chapter Fourteen »

She sat at the window. 

She was still, watching the sleeping forest beyond with the uttermost fascination. The moon was out tonight, a little crescent sliver that glowed like the stars, and its pale moonlight was like white silk over the land. Filtering through treetops, it cast shadows across the ground in a beautiful masterpiece that no man can create. Almost every being slept at this late hour, except her. 

Her thoughts held her captive. Her mind drifting to a faraway land as she pondered the idea of forgiveness. She carefully mulled what she had been told of it. There was no denying that something happened, it was powerful enough to change people, and she had seen it in West. His situation was something she could relate to and by sharing his story, he had proven that nothing was impossible. Even Reeve, who she had yet to meet in-person, they shared similar backgrounds and emotional turmoil. 

With a soft sigh, she turned and watched her mate for a long moment. He was asleep, his features soft and handsome. There was a sliver of moonlight that managed to peek through the window, sifting through the sheer curtain, and its pale beauty illuminated his chocolate curls and strong jawline. She was mesmerized, watching him sleep, and her wolf was undeniably happy to be watching over him. As he had done so many nights to keep the nightmares away for her. 

Before she knew it, the night sky was slowly falling victim to the blue sky that would grace the land. She watched as the twinkling stars said goodbye to the night and they faded with one last wink to their admirers. As the moon sunk with a soft lullaby in the west, the sun began its triumphant rise in the east, and they shared the sky in a peaceful harmony that was delicately balanced. 

Her breath caught in her chest when the early morning clouds caught the color of the sun, before it rose over the mountain, and they lit up with a deep splash of red and orange that dotted through the faintly blue sky. A mist from the nighttime dew became visible as the day slowly made its approach. She marveled at the way the trees seemed to be crystal statues as colorful light caught tiny droplets of water. 

An entire spectrum of color played out before her very eyes. As if nature itself was putting on its best show just for her. She was breathless from all the beauty, she had never seen anything like it. Those reds and oranges faded into a pretty pink that held faint splashes of purple and lavender. It was like a painting and with each brushstroke, the colors continued to blend and create a whole new canvas of wonder. 

In that moment, right before the sun rose, she knew this was right.

She could practically feel it, deep in her soul, this was the right moment. It was almost the perfect moment because as the sun and moon rose and fell, they still managed to create a masterpiece through their highs and lows. Like the trees that lost their leaves in the fall, change was beautiful in its own way, and the leaves always grew back in the spring. She had gone through some major lows and dark places but she was ready to look up and start focusing on the positive. She took a deep breath and let the start of something beautiful blossom.

She closed her eyes. Focusing on her heartbeat, she felt its pulse through her body, and she felt the emotions that were present in her mind. She imagined the river, her place of refuge, and she thought of the cool water slipping through her fingertips. She imagined those were her emotions and she imagined them leaving her body. She didn't close her fingers and attempt to grab anything because she continued with a steady mind. 

Let it all go. 

An odd tension settled in the middle of her chest as she thought about herself. Every emotion that coursed like hot lava in her veins, every storm that clouded her mind. All those moments she endured the abuse, the burden she carried, and the loss she suffered. She had been too hard on herself. She wasn't perfect. All of her scars, all of her memories, all of her flaws, the mark of the moon---they were all a part of her. She decided that the stories they held were of bravery, a story of her own, and she wouldn't hide them. She would wear them as warpaint because she survived and she would become an inspiration to herself.