Lunar Bonds

False Hope

A couple weeks have passed. The rift in the pack remains. Apollo doesn't usually talk to Willow anymore, at least, not as much. Arya spends a lot more time with Willow, usually inviting her on patrol at least 4 times a week. 

Willow has got much better at controlling her transformations, thanks to Cedar. She goes into the woods at sunrise and sunset and sits with Akira, thinking, sometimes transforming. 

A couple times, Cedar has invited her on patrol. He would transform, and then, so would she, of course, sometimes even getting praise from the others.

That's when she discovered the Pack Link. Once she transformed, suddenly she could hear Rains voice in her head. And Cedars. And Hunters too.

Crazy.

After the patrol, she sat by the fire with Cedar.

Willow turned to him, curious. "What is it? That...voice thing."

Cedar took a deep breath before continuing. "It's called the Pack Link. It's a psychic connection that binds all members of our pack together."

Willow's eyes widened with interest. "The Pack Link? What does it do?"

"It allows us to communicate telepathically," Cedar explained. "We can share thoughts, emotions, and even sensory experiences with each other, no matter where we are."

"That's incredible," Willow exclaimed, feeling a sense of awe wash over her.

Cedar nodded. "But it's important to remember that the Pack Link isn't always active. We can choose when to open or close the link in our minds, giving us control over when and how we communicate with our packmates."

Willow nodded, taking in the information. "So, it's like a mental connection that keeps us all connected."

"Exactly," Cedar confirmed. "And it's one of the things that makes our pack strong. It's a reminder that we're never truly alone, even when we're apart."

"How poetic." She said sarcastically, grinning. "Y'know, Arya never transforms when we go on patrols. We always do it in human form. She says it's to keep a low profile or something."

"Huh. Sometimes we go in human form, but not often. It's probably for your sake, or something. She doesn't want to put you in pain." He flashed her a grin too, before it faded. 

"Oh, also." He began quietly. "Apollo isn't really in a good place right now. After that huge fight, remember? Especially with you, I'm not sure why. But don't mind it, alright? It'll fade, so don't pay any attention if he snaps at you or whatever."

He smiled nervously before leaving.

Willow sat there for a moment, before leaving too, heading to the bedroom to have a well needed nap.

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Willow stirred from her nap, feeling disoriented for a moment before remembering where she was. As she sat up, she noticed Rain standing by the doorway, a gentle smile on her face.

"Dinner's ready. Are you coming?"

Willow rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Thanks, Rain."

Rain nodded understandingly before turning to leave. "Take your time. We'll save you a seat."

With a grateful smile, Willow stretched her limbs and rose from the bed, feeling refreshed after her nap. She quickly freshened up before making her way to the dining area, eager to join her packmates for dinner.