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A/N: this chapter may be a little slow, had to get Arabella's back story going before the fun really begins ;) p.s. there is mild cussing in this chapter.
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Running barefoot through the forest with the moon high above me, I smile as I feel the familiar cool soft grass beneath my feet. I hear a howl off to my right...calling to me. I slow down to see a break in the trees where a beautiful white wolf stops atop a small hill. She raises her head and howls again, I stop and begin walking towards her as two wolves with midnight black fur come to flank her right and left sides. Although I am not afraid of her or her companions, I approach slowly - taking in the beauty that lay before me.
She raises her head and focuses on me - she quickly lowers and lifts her head, as to say hello, and begins to slowly walk to me. Halfway to the hill, I fall to my knees waiting for her to come the rest of the way. Within seconds she is standing before me, her honey colored eyes begin to glow and she moves her head to nuzzle my face. Laughing, I throw my arms around her neck inhaling the scent of the moon on her fur. I hold her close, "I have missed you my Beautiful Moon," I hear her say in my mind. Her voice so familiar yet foreign at the same time.
"And I you," I say as I release her neck and sit back on my heels. Looking into her still glowing eyes I tilt my head slightly to my left, "What's wrong?"
"I am afraid it is time you come home....I have kept you away long enough," Sorrow begins to show in her eyes.
"Home? I don't understand...I," Before I can finish my sentence I hear more howling off to the right in the distance. The wind picks up, the air gets a chill, and I begin to shiver as a sense of foreboding creeps across my body.
"Darkness approaches," a low masculine voice booms into my head, "hurry, we must flee before they arrive."
"Quickly my Beautiful Moon, you must wake up!" I hear her panicked voice in my head.
I snap my head to face hers, "Quickly...Arabella wake up, you must wake up before they arrive!"
My heart begins to beat faster and harder, panic seizes me as I begin to shake in fear. "Arabella...Arabella....Arabella," I hear another voice calling to me as I fall into darkness.
"Arabella, damn it, Arabella wake up!" Hector says as he begins to shake me.
"What...what is going on? Hector?" I stutter out.
"Geeze Arabella, you were having a nightmare again," Hector grunts in disgust as he lays back down and rolls away from me.
"I'm sorry Hector, it's not like I can control my dreams," I say quietly as I sit up in the dated hotel bed trying to remember my dream but it eludes me, like they always do. I look towards the alarm clock and notice I have been sleeping for about three hours, maybe if I can get back to sleep I can get a few more hours in before we need to get up and meet our group for another day of hiking the beautiful French countryside.
Sighing I roll over and try to fall back asleep but I just can't. Every time I close my eyes I see a pair of glowing honey colored eyes and I get a sense of danger so strong it literally takes my breath away. I try my best to not toss and turn so that I do not wake Hector again, but it is no use.
"Seriously Arabella, if you can't sleep can you just move to the other room," Hector snaps as he turns to face me.
"I was trying not to bother..." I barely get out before he shoves me out of the bed.
"Just go Arabella...for fucks sake just go!" He barks at me. I make my way to the side room and after what seems like forever I am finally able to fall asleep on the very old, but surprisingly comfortable, two seat couch.
After a fitful night sleep, I wake to the sun shining brightly on my face and groggily make my way to the bedroom to see if Hector is awake since I have not heard the alarm go off. "What the..." I say out loud to no one as he is nowhere to be found. I glance to the alarm on the nightstand and realize I have about 15 minutes to make it to the rendezvous site before they leave and go on the second part of the hike without me.
"Seriously, he couldn't even bother to wake me up before he left," I mumble half annoyed and half grateful I don't have to hear his bickering first thing this morning. Rushing I jump in the shower with my toothbrush, "Well, might as well kill two birds with one stone," I mutter while jumping into the cold shower.
With less than 5 minutes to spare I make it to the rendezvous site. I look around and notice not many people are here, hmmmm I wonder where the rest of the group is, I say to myself as I walk to Jacque - our trail leader.
"Hi, Jacque!" I wave to him as I approach, "Where is the rest of the group?"
"Bonjour ma belle, part of the group started ahead," He began, "We were just about to leave and join them - Hector said you were sleeping and would not make it."
"What? Well, I guess I was rather exhausted this morning," I stated, trying to play off my annoyance.
"They should not have gotten too far ahead if you want to catch up to him. Just continue down the same path we ended at yesterday - they are going to be stopping at the river and wait for us." Jacque said with a smile on his face.
"Perfect, I will be able to catch up to them in no time," I say as I head down to the path, "I'll see you all in a few!" I shout back while waving to Jacque.
It only takes me about 15 minutes to catch up to the group at the river and of course, Hector is not there. I begin to wonder about, close to the riverbed searching for Hector as something shiny to the right of the trail catches my eye. As I get closer I hear Hector's voice and just as I am about to say hello I hear another voice.
"We really should hurry back before we are caught," a high pitched voice giggles.
"No one is looking for us - we could stay here all day and they wouldn't know the difference," Hector laughs.
I'm sorry, but what the fuck? I scream in my head but don't say a single word - wanting to hear where this is going. I sneak closer to them and have a good view of him holding her face like he is about to kiss her.
"Won't your girlfriend come looking for you?" Giggly floozy asks looking up to him. Seriously, you think he has a girlfriend and you are still hiding out in the woods about to make out with him! My head shouts as my heart begins to pound harder and harder - I feel like I am about to collapse.
"What girlfriend? We have been over for a while now and are more like friends with no benefits - the only reason I am here with her is because I didn't want to miss out on a free trip to France," He smirks as he brings his lips down to hers. I think I am going to be sick, I inwardly say as I try to calm my ever beating heart.
Been over for a while now? My mind races. Tears begin to pool - no, I won't cry over this pathetic loser. HOW COULD HE I yell in my head, tears flowing uncontrollably.
"Five years Hector," I say louder than I wanted causing him to break free from bimbo's lips and look my direction. "Five years and you couldn't even be a man about it and break it off? Had to get a free trip in - you cheap bastard!" my trembling voice begins to rise.
"Arabella, it's not what you think..." He doesn't get a chance to finish his lies before I go off.
"I was right here the whole time. I HEARD you...I SAW you..." My chest tightens and I feel like I am going to lose my ever-loving mind - right here - right now.
"Damnit Arabella - stop being so dramatic," He replies loudly.
"Dramatic?? I'm not being dramatic you asshat! I've spent the past five years with you - worked myself ragged the past year so we could take this two week vacation together to celebrate our five year anniversary only to find you slobbering all over a two bit whore!" I scream at him.
I can't stop the tears from falling, I know he isn't worth them but my heart aches at the thought of the past five years. "How could you," I whisper as I start to back away from my living nightmare.
"Arabella..." He whines.
But I don't hear anything besides my breaking heart as I spin and run the opposite direction. I don't know how far I have run, but when I finally stop to take a breath I realize I am completely lost. There is no sign of the trail anywhere and I don't have a compass or phone or anything.
Panic begins to take root, I take a deep breath and try to calm myself the best I can, but it's no use. I quickly turn to try and head back in the direction that I came from only to trip over the roots of a large tree and go stumbling down a hidden slope, hitting my head on something hard below. Reaching up to my aching head I feel the warmth of blood on my fingertips. I bring my fingers to my face only to have the darkness consume me.
I wake to a whimpering sound and a wet coldness on my cheek. I cautiously rub my head as it feels like someone took a sledgehammer to it. Slowly, I open my eyes to find a pair of glowing honey colored ones staring right at me.