Page 21 of Moonlit Choosing Ritual

Eventually sleep overtook my mind and I gave into its alluring pull. I jerked awake sometime during the night, sensing a warm presence near me, but there was no one. My room was shrouded in the usual darkness. Just my silly nightmares getting the better of me.

The next day when I went to clean Talon’s room, he wasn’t there, as usual, but Aria was in his bed. She stirred, looked at me, opened one eye and mumbled, “You again… Alpha Talon wants you to clean his bathroom.”

I avoided her for most of the time, but I didn’t rush my work because I wanted to talk to her. The bathroom was a mess, lotions and creams were scattered all around. He hadn’t taken a bath, yet all the fresh towels and other paraphernalia were in disarray. Gritting my teeth, I started tidying it all. When I finally emerged, I saw that Aria had woken up.

“Goddess!” she said in an irritated voice. “You took forever!”

“I’m sorry, but the place was a mess.”

She clenched her teeth, giving me a look of disgust, and walked past me to the bathroom.

“Aria,” I called her, disregarding her demeanor.

“Yes?” she asked tersely.

I took a ragged breath in. “I’m okay with you helping me run away.”

She paused and spun to look at me. A smile appeared on her lips. “Are you sure?”

I gulped. “I am. But how will you manage it? I’m not even allowed to leave this compound. Also, where will you send me? I’d like some details please.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “You want to escape this town? I’ll help. I can promise you safe passage to a different town. Like I said, just remain hidden in that town for a month, and then you’re free to go anywhere.”

“Okay!” I breathed. It seemed like a good idea.

“Cool!” she chirped. “Get ready by 10 PM tonight. I’ll send someone, but please stay quiet about it, okay?”

I nodded vehemently, excitement surging through me.

Aria took a bath and got ready while humming ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ by Coldplay. She left, winking at me. “I’m going to arrange your escape!”

Quickly, I tidied the bedsheets and other stuff in the room. My hands were shaking with excitement as I opened the door to leave, but I slammed into a hard chest. “Ah!” I stumbled back. Steady hands prevented me from falling. I craned my neck to see Talon in front of me in nothing but long shorts.

Covered in sweat, his muscles were bulging. It was as if he had come back after an intense training session. Every muscle in his body was defined so well that my fingers itched to explore the contours and shadows they were forming. He stared down at me with feral intensity with his onyx eyes, like a predator. Time froze. Something inside me stirred, shaking my core. My throat became paper dry and I parted my lips with a soft sigh.

The tension between us was like a dance between fire and ice. I felt insanely drawn to him by an irresistible force, yet teetering on the brink of destruction. Perfect harmony between us was a delusion. How could intensity and restraint cohabit?

Rapidly becoming aware of my situation, I stepped back. “I—I’m sorry!” I muttered, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. Why had the temperature of the room suddenly increased? “I didn’t know you were coming, otherwise I would have gone earlier.”

No reply. He continued to stand in the doorway, blocking it with his muscular frame. Well, this would be the last I saw of him, so I tried to calm my frayed nerves. Memories of him stabbing Harry’s hand flooded my mind.

“I’d like to leave. My work here is done.”

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

His question caught me off guard. “Yes!”

He narrowed his eyes and then stepped aside just enough for me to squeeze out. And that’s what I did—squeezed my way out. In the process, my hands touched him. His muscles rippled where I touched him, leaping in response.

I walked slowly to the stairs in order to show I wasn’t affected, but as soon as I was out of his sight, I dashed to my room, ignoring the hunger pangs in my belly.

Throughout the remaining day, I stayed in my room and packed my little bag lightly. I didn’t have much and thought it was better to stay unburdened. Jackie called and asked how I was. She’d asked Alpha Talon if she could take me out once a week, but she didn’t say whether he’d responded.

10 PM couldn’t have come any slower. I was waiting on the sofa when I heard a soft knock. My jaw dropped to the floor when I opened the door. “Harry?” He looked like he could barely contain his anger.

“Shh!” he growled. “Aria sent me for you.”

“Oh! Aria sent you to help me get out?” I was surprised and guarded after what had happened in the kitchen.

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