Hour of the Moon

Chapter 31: Growing Pains

The moon was dying. Something shifted in the supernatural.

I saw Kieran in my vision in the arms of Akita, pulling her back into the mortal realm.

I had to see her, but I couldn't move. Pain had rendered my body useless, and Wohali's appearance disturbed me in ways I hadn't anticipated.

As the vision faded beneath my eyelids, I found myself caught between a dream state and a comatose state.

"Hey there," Nani's familiar scent preceded her appearance, her warm palm cupping the side of my face. Tear-streaked eyes met mine as I turned to face her, my head throbbing with each movement. My body felt aflame, the source of pain emanating from the healing gash where Wohali had bitten into my shoulder.

The memory of that moment chilled my blood; the old Wohali was a distant memory, replaced by a demon cloaked in human form.

"How's your sister?" I croaked, my voice hoarse and short of breath.

"She's doing fine, the baby will be okay. As soon as I heard your telepathic message, I didn't hesitate to leave my sister. How are you feeling?"

"I feel like shit," I groaned in pain, attempting to sit up, only for Nani to gently press her palm against my chest, urging me to rest.

"I suggest you take it easy for now; your wounds aren't healing fast enough. Where is Kachine? And my parents? And Keiran, is she okay?"

"Kachine and your parents are safe. Keiran is staying with Akita, the Fae Doctor... Ahiga told me he found her in the woods, and she's been there since. Ahiga, Kachine, and I plan to see the witch doctor to check up on her."

"I should have checked on her when I dropped her off. I knew something was off that night... and I'd been having dreams, visions."

"Are these the same nightmares you've been suffering from since Wohali's death?"

"They were different. I had been dreaming of Keiran ever since she arrived." The moment of truth I had been avoiding finally surfaced.

Blinking back tears, Nani's eyes narrowed with confusion as she fixed her gaze on me. Her expression turned blank, a look I knew all too well.

"Explain, I don't quite understand. Why would you be having dreams of Keiran? She's just human."

"She's not," I confessed, the words tumbling out. "The first time I met her, I couldn't get her out of my head. I tried, Nani, Elders knows I did. I struggled with self-loathing, but I became obsessed with her. Her scent... it made me feel longing and desire." Clenching my fists, I continued, the truth pouring forth.

"I thought about how Wohali died, how I leaned on you, and we helped each other through the grief. There was no doubt in my mind I would marry you, blessed by the Elders and marked by the moon."

Surprised, Nani slipped her hand through mine, pressing a kiss to my hand as tears welled in her eyes. She smiled, but it was strained, the pain in her eyes speaking volumes.

"I love you, Waya, and I'm not going to pretend like my ego isn't bruised, or that I don't feel angry or hurt. I knew that by dating you, marrying you, maybe I could forget the hole in my heart when Wohali left. And then you came along, like a soothing balm to my broken heart.

We fell in love, and those memories are precious. But I refuse to be with someone who, by the hand of fate, is meant to be with someone else. I had a feeling something was off, but I couldn't pinpoint it exactly."

Hanging her head in shame, she sighed.

"I want to bow out gracefully, but I fear I love you too much, Waya. We can call off the wedding if..." She couldn't finish her sentence before her tears turned into sobs, racking her body.