46

Nel caught up with Liam as he made a steady pace through the forest. She tried to avoid the fact that he was suddenly with one less layer of clothing than before.

“So, what is it that you wanted to show me?” she asked, her eyes lingering on the bulk of his arms.

Liam stopped over by a large boulder that jutted over a small spring. Inside was a small hole. It was there that he started to strip down completely.

“Oh!” Nel quickly turned away from him.

“Where we’re going is pretty far away from here,” he said. “We’re going to go for a run…if you’re up for it.”

Nel was hesitant to respond. She started to speak when suddenly, she noticed a hand over her arm. Liam pulled Nel’s hand from her eyes. She opened her eyes, and they went wide as she saw his bare naked body inches away from her.

“I am not ashamed,” he said. “This is natural process of transitioning for our kind.”

“I…” he took another step toward her. “No, I-“ Quickly, Nel turned away from him. “Okay, I’ll…I’ll go for the run, but I…do have shame, so, I’d like you to turn around. Please.” She timidly glanced at Liam.

He chuckled. “Understood.”

Nel quickly moved behind the rock and undressed. When she was finished, she reluctantly turned around and saw Liam staring at her in the distance.

“You ready?” he asked from afar.

Apprehensively, Nel nodded. Seconds after, Liam’s grin distorted as his skin began to break apart, giving way to a rich dark brown fur. His eyes turned dark, and his body crippled into another and larger form altogether.

Nel watched in amazement as Liam transformed into his beast. She stood there wondering if that was how her transformation was.

Liam’s beast made a grunting noise, breaking Nel out of her reverie of thoughts and questions. She took a deep breath and began to release Nyx.

Her Lycan was vibrating with excitement. She freely transformed into her beast just as Liam did. When her bones and skin deformed and reformed into her beast, the large boulder that she was standing behind could no longer hide her form.

She emerged, her form almost as large as Liam’s Lycan. Liam’s Lycan groaned with delight and then immediately, he connected to Nel’s.

“Come, love. Let us run free.”

Without another word, Liam ran through the woods. Nel, however, hesitated. He noticed this too, but he wasn’t going to force her.

“Do you think she will follow?” Vin said doubtfully. It seemed that he didn’t.

“Just give it time, Vin,” said Liam to his counterpart. “Give her time. She will come.”

Nel watched as he left. “Are you sure we should do this, Onyx?” she asked her Lycan.

“I, too share doubts, Nel.” Onyx expressed. “But we need answers, and it looks like Liam is the path to take to getting them. In the end, I will leave the decision up to you.”

They stood there a moment, Nel warring with herself about whether she should take that next step that would undoubtedly change her life from there on. Nel had to keep asking herself was the risk worth it? And every time she asked, the same answer came to mind. Yes.

“Let’s go.”

Onyx needed no more coaxing. She leaped forward and broke into a fast sprint through the forest to catch up with Liam. It didn’t take long for her to catch up to him.

“I knew you’d come!” Liam spoke excitedly as he and his beast raced through the forest with uncharted speed. “Now let’s see if you can catch up!”

After Liam said this, his beast kicked it into high gear, and he picked up more speed than before. Nel was surprised by his speed.

“Wow!” she said under her breath as she watched on in amazement.

Nyx chuckled in return. “Don’t look too impressed. I’m sure we could beat that.”

In Lycan form Nel and Nyx dashed forward with a speed they never even knew they had.

They were never able to experience what it felt like to be completely free. Even when Nel could not help but release Nyx, they were still on their toes about who’d see them. There was always that thought in the back of their minds…that fear that they’d be caught.

Seeing Liam and his Lycan’s carefree attitude, however, in that moment, seemed to change everything. His confidence exuded and stretched to Nel and Onyx, giving them both the security that they needed to roam free and without restraint.

In seconds, Nyx had not only caught up to Liam and his lycan, but surpassed them completely.

“Do you know where you’re going?” asked Nel to her Lycan. “If not, we should probably slow down a bit,” she chuckled.

“No need,” said Nyx. “I think…I think I know exactly where we should be going.”

“Nel don’t get lost!” said Liam from behind. “Take it easy on me.”

“No need!” she said to Liam. “Nyx seems to know the way.”

“Really?” Liam was intrigued by this. “Well then show the way.”

He watched as Nels lycan easily pulled away from him. At this point, Vin had slowed his pace a little, pleasantly shocked by this news.

“She knows the way,” said Vin to his more human counterpart.

“She does,” replied Liam. Delight and triumph could be felt emanating through his beast as his speed picked up.

“One step closer to bringing her home.”

Nyx finally stopped running when she saw a large stone wall. Neither were sure how great its expanse was but knew that it was not small. It was…intimidating and yet Nel could feel Nyx’s sense of familiarity.

“What is this place, Nyx?” she asked her lycan.

“I…I can’t remember, but at the same time…I feel that I know it.”

Liam finally arrived moments after Nel and Nyx’s arrival. “Don’t be too intimidated by it,” he said from behind. “The gate is simply a shell.”

“What do you mean?” asked Nel as they communicated through the telepathic link shared between their beasts.

Instead of answering directly, Liam through Vin’s form nudged Nel gingerly and said, “Come.”

He walked forward and as he did, the gate had already begun to open. It was only then that Nel noticed two people-a man and a woman standing at the tip top peering over. As soon as her eyes met theirs, a look of shock appeared on their faces, and immediately, they bowed to her.

“That…was weird,” Nel communicated to her Lycan and then the moved forward through the opening of the gate.

As soon as they stepped through the thresh hold, the gate immediately began to close. It caught Nel off guard at first, as she and Nyx doubled back anxiously to see what the loud noise was from the rear.

“Too late to turn back now,” commented Nyx as they hesitantly looked forward again.

Nyx tried to move forward but something in Nel was preventing her. Liam noticed and turned around.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You’re safe here.”

“And if we are not,” said Nyx. “I will protect us.” She reassured her human counterpart.

“Okay…okay,” Nel finally agreed. Then with great apprehension, they moved forward and eventually settled into a stride next to Liam.

As they continued to walk, Nel couldn’t help but notice the dilapidated buildings, small shops, and homes they’d pass by. Streets were riddled with scorch marks, and red stains-old red stains, each surrounded with silver markings. Almost as if it were a memorial of sorts. She didn’t say anything, though. Not about that.

“I can tell…that this place was…”

“Beautiful,” he finished her sentence. “Great, and prominent.” There was sadness in his voice as Liam said this. “Now it’s…it’s almost as if the sun will not appear here.”

It was only then that Nel began to notice how…significantly darker it was in the town. Its whole aura was sadness and despair.

They continued to walk and as they did, Nel began to notice as people emerged from some of the less damaged buildings, and homes, all eyes on them. Or…was it her. There was a shock in their expression that unnerved Nel but she kept walking nevertheless.

“I…didn’t really know your parents very well, Nel,” said Liam, bringing Nel’s attention back to him. “I know that your mother was beautiful, and that your father was great.”

“How do you know all of this?” Nel asked him, her mind on what Liam was saying while Nyx stayed on guard, watching those who seemed to begin following them down the street.

“My father…was the Beta. He and your father were…great friends.”

As they continued walking, they eventually approached a large house. Nel knew by its size that it was a packhouse.

“What is this place?” asked Nel as they paused at the front door.

“This place was the home of the alpha King, and his Luna. It was the center of all of Moon Mist Cove.”

So, that’s what this place is called, said Nel in her mind. “Oh,” she said aloud. “It must have been…grand back in its day.”

“It was,” said Liam. “Still is…to me and everyone else around here. Come on.” He then went inside as the doors opened, his Lycan began to recede, and Liam started to take form again.

Nel felt obligated to return to human form but felt that there were too many peering eyes to do so.

“Then use your power to cover us.”

“Right,” Nel sighed and immediately, the wind began to pick up and whatever greenery was left, both yellowed, dead, and pale, began to swirl around Nyx’s form, forcing everyone to back away. And as this space was given, Nel began to transform back into her human form. When she was done, Nel used the old plant life to cover herself until something better came along to use.

“Well, that was beautiful,” said Liam, a look of impression worn on his handsome face.

“It wasn’t intended to be,” confessed Nel.

Liam chuckled a little. “I know.” As he said this an older man came from a door behind him, and immediately went to put a robe over him but Liam stopped the man. “Uncle,” he said to the man. “I think she needs it more than I.”

The man stopped what he was doing and when he saw Nel in her Lycan form, his eyes went wide as the others. “My Luna!” he immediately bowed.

“What?” Nel backed away. “I…I’m sorry, you have me mistaken with someone else. I just…” before she could finish her sentence, she sensed a crowd behind her.

Nel turned around and that’s when she saw the amazing thing. Those who followed behind them were suddenly on bended knee, bowing to her. She quickly turned around, hoping that Liam would grant her an explanation only to see that he too was bowed.

“Liam? Liam, what is this?”

He looked up at her. “There was one thing that I left out that I know about your parents, Neliyah,” he said. “There was a reason that my father and yours were so close.”

“What reason is that?”

“Your father was the Alpha King. My father was his second in command.”

“Al…alpha?” Nel couldn’t even garner the mental capacity to absorb what Liam was saying.

“That’s right Nel, you’re the lost heir to Moon Mist Cove. You are…our alpha.”