Luna Rising

FIFTY FOUR

I showed everyone around the Giant Tree Cave. I issued a name because of the giant tree in the middle of the cave.

Dominic and everyone were introduced to the fairies loving her. The fairies were all curious and interacted with my friends.

Seeing my friends here after days of being away from them is fun.

While Dad, with the twins, and Jippies see Galvan. The rest all waited for little Michael's results and the seed's removal on his chest.

My worries about him keep increasing. What if they can't remove it, and it endangers the child?

I will not handle it if something terrible happens to him.

Laughter caught my attention as I saw Camila and Takkar chasing the flying fairies in a game of tag. Kaze is lying on the ground while the fairies play with his fur. With Scylla by his side, Malik seems annoyed and finds him cute. Clayton, on the other hand, kept staring at Camila.

Something is going on, and I can't quite put my finger on it. I had that other theory that he feels something for Camila, but I wasn't sure.

He had that mating call towards Camila, and I'm worried if she knew, it would scare her off.

I need to do something and confirm with Clayton.

Arms wrap around my waist as I felt his breath against my neck. "Everything okay?" Dominic asked as he planted a kiss on my cheek. "I can feel your worries through our bond."

"It's about Clayton."

"What about him?"

"I think Camila is his mate," I confront him with the conclusion.

"Are you sure?" Dominic asked.

"I'm pretty sure I know the signs, Nick," I say, my eyes glued on Clayton, then switch to Camila. "But I don't think he should pursue her."

"Why? Is it because she's young?"

"There's that, but Camila is turning eighteen in a couple of months." I bite my lower lips and turn 180 to face Dominic. "Nick, there is something I should tell you. It's about Camila."

Dominic lifts his brow. "She doesn't like Clayton as a mate? I mean, the way they bicker at each other doesn't seem like they dislike each other."

"No, it's not that." Shaking my head. "Camila is a werejaguar."

"Yes, I'm aware she's a Jaguar. What about it?"

"She comes to a pride full of females with no men," I told Dominic about Camila's background after we got together.

He was skeptical that there were no males in Camila's village because he wondered how they reproduced. Then I explained the coming of age; young girls would venture out and seek pleasure from human males.

Dominic was focused on this conversation as I explained Camila's situation.

I looked over my shoulder to see everyone preoccupied as I ushered Dominic away from the group and pulled up a soundproof wall.

"Camila is no ordinary werejaguar. She's a rare black jaguar," I lower my head. "In her village, she's considered a curse."

"A curse?" Dominic lifted his brow again, shocked at this news.

"Yes, her people believed she would destroy the whole village."

"How?"

"I read in an old book about the first black Jaguar, Sonia. She was a forest protector and gifted with the power of the earth. Sonia was worshipped as a god for humans and jaguars. But she fell in love with a human and later betrayed by him while she was with his child."

"What happened then?"

"After the betrayal, the child inside died. It states in the book she went berserk and killed her human lover and his village. It made her mind full of hate that she could summon the dead." I explained I remembered every detail from that book.

"Summon the dead? Would necromancies have those abilities?" Dominic asked.

"Yes, it's like witchcraft. After all, black cats are associated with the dark arts, which is towards witchcraft." I clarified. "And because Sonia has the power of an earth god, she used that for evil. After the massacre, some say she died or disappeared. None of the locals or the werejaguar pride know."

In Brazil, everyone is superstitious about witchcraft, even the locals I visited during my expedition searching for the cause of the miasma. An older woman, Maria, claims when she was a little girl. Her great-grandmother told her the story about her old village. Her grandmother's village was invaded by black smoke, and the death of her people who had passed was alive but had no life in their eyes.

I thought the miasma caused those assumptions, but it wasn't the case.

"Because they see this as a curse and worried if any of their offspring becomes the Black Jaguar. The chief then had to segregate males and females from interacting. Hence, the current chief from Camila's pride is female, and everyone is female."

"If that's a concern, you think if Clayton and Camila get together and are true mates. You're worried about the cursed?" Dominic pointed out.

"Yes, and also..." I look up at Dominic. "When Camila turns eighteen, she will find her mate, and it will trigger the curse."

"Baby," he wraps around my waist and pulls me against him. "Clayton may be a lady man, but once he finds his mate, he will treat her like a Queen."

I lift a brow. "And how do you know?"

"He told me...yesterday. When I asked him."

I believe Dominic had this conversation with Clayton about finding their other half. But it still worries me about Camila.

I lay my head on his chest. "Camila is the first in a hundred years born to be the Black Jaguar after Sonia. There are no records of how Sonia's life after she killed everyone. After Camila's turn of age and shift for the first time, I'm worried about what will happen."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. "As her friend and guardian, I must prevent that from happening."

"I know you will, baby," Dominic kissed the top of my head. "And I'll, and everyone here will be beside you and help."

I pull on a smile and bury my face in his chest, inhaling his forest scent.

I hear a noise as if someone is clearing their throat. I turn my head to find Saye grinning from ear to ear.

"Master, your father asked for you."

"Okay, thanks."

She kept smiling, glancing at Dominic and then at me as if we got caught sneaking out. Saye lowered her head, then pivoted her feet and skipped away.

I shake my head and then grab Dominic's hand. "Let's go."

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