Moon Rose

Moon Rose
ARIA

Ryder’s grip around me is as tight as a vice, so much that for several seconds, I can’t breathe. 

I don’t mind it, though. I hold onto him because I don’t know when I’ll see him again. Moon Rose is far away and I doubt he’ll be able to leave Ironclaw with the war going on. 

“It’ll be alright,” I assure him. “I promise, okay?”

He says nothing and simply holds me. Zach is already in the SUV with smoked windows that Alpha Dorson provided for the trip. It’s bulletproof just in case something happens on the road. The car is right next to us. The driver is a Nocturn from Moon Rose. A trusted man, apparently. 

It’s time to go. 

I pull back slightly and see that his eyes are wet. The sight crushes me because I rarely see him in this state. 

“Ryder,” I say softly, placing my hand on his cheek. “We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

“I can’t help it. There’s something you aren’t telling me, Aria, and it’s directly tied to what Mell said. Why won’t you tell me?”

It’s a complicated situation and the last thing I want is to distract Ryder even more with this. Mell should’ve never mentioned it to him. Then again, I didn’t ask her to keep our conversation a secret, so that’s on me. 

The truth is that I’ve been feeling uneasy about Moon Rose and this started suddenly. These feelings have all been hitting me out of nowhere and they’re hard for me to digest. 

But even though I feel this way, I have this certainty deep inside of me that I have to go. I don’t know why, but I’ve gotta be there. 

I know it’s hard for Ryder to understand that, but it’s what has to happen and there’s no way around it. 

“I’ll send word all the time, okay? There are always messengers traveling from Moon Rose to Ironclaw. You’ll know I’m okay. If not, then you’ll come for me. Deal?”

He looks a little better, but not quite. I step away from him because if I don’t, he’ll never let go. “I love you. Always, okay?”

I get in the backseat and settle beside Zach. My eyes are on Ryder the whole time. He presses his palm against the window but when the car starts, he’s forced to step away. 

I fight back my tears. I have to be strong for him or we’re not going to make it through this intact. 

Ironclaw needs this to happen. I’m sure of this. 

Why? I have no idea.

I manage to control myself even when we pull out of the garage of the packhouse and drive away. I don’t look back. The knot in my throat makes it harder for me to breathe, so I control myself for a bit. I don’t want to lose control here. 

From here on out, I have to be strong. 

A long time passes in silence. Nobody says a word in the car. I stare out the window and think about everything I’m leaving behind, and everything hits me so hard. I feel his absence already and the bond is throbbing. 

This is for the best. I keep reminding myself of this. 

It’ll take some time to accept this, though. 

Zach clears his throat and says, “For whatever it’s worth, I promise to do my job and take care of you, Luna.”

I look over at him and he lowers his eyes. 

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry for letting you down.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I promised you that I’d be able to spy on Alpha Dorson and his Beta, but I failed you.” 

I forgot all about that. Zach and I haven’t had much of an exchange after he was attacked by Ray and his crew in the woods. “There was nothing you could do. You had been injured.”

In a much lower voice, perhaps so the driver won’t hear him, he tells me, “I won’t let you down in Moon Rose.”

I nod. “I appreciate that.”

For the next few days, we don’t say much to each other. I didn’t think that the distance between Ryder and me would affect my wolf this much. Sometimes, it feels like I’m in pain and can’t focus. Other times, I feel alright. 

I don’t forget about our baby once. In fact, I keep strong for him. It’s easier for me to fully accept my pregnancy now that I have a visible bump. I run my hand over my belly every time I’m distracted or thinking about Ryder. 

The baby helps us feel connected. 

I can hardly believe it when we arrive at Ironclaw. The entire pack is surrounded by a freshly built wall that makes me wonder why we didn’t do this in Ironclaw. It’s a grand idea to keep our enemies out. They didn’t even bother painting it. Huge iron gates are opened by many uniformed men, and then we pass through. 

My eyes are glued to the window. I didn’t think Moon Rose would be this modern. Ironclaw is a small town, but Moon Rose is an enormous city and I’m impressed. We drive through the city center and I’m in awe. Everything’s so much bigger than back home. 

No wonder Dorson and Wilson think that they’re the owners of the world. 

Zach and I exchange a look. He appears to be as surprised as I am. I’ve only ever left the pack once, and it was of an equally small one, where Uncle Barty got me the papers to prove I shifted. Cassandra’s pack. 

This is a whole other world. 

A war here would cause massive destruction, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe that’s why they chose to move to Ironclaw. It would be easier to rebuild, after all. 

But here, our chances of winning would be greater. Unless, of course, our enemies are the Alphas of packs as big as this one. 

I don’t mean to feel hopeless, but it hits me a little. 

“Where are we going?” I ask the driver after we’ve been on the road for about half an hour. 

“To the Moon Rose Farm,” he explains. “That’s where everyone from your pack is, Luna. It’s close to the packhouse, too. You’ll be safe there.”

“Who’s in charge of the pack?”

“That would be Beta Wilson’s mate, Luna.”

This startles me right away. 

His…what?

“You’re in good hands,” he says before turning his head to glance at me. There’s a small smile on his face, but I’m not convinced by it. “Yarina is the kindest woman on earth. She’ll take good care of you.”

I nod. 

It’s all that I can do.