Moon Bound [Undergoing Rewrite]

Chapter 5

LUDOVICA STARED AT the necklace in her hands, a smile on her lips. She remembered the day he had given it to her as a gift in celebration of them being friends for six months. He had told her it would protect her from black magic. She held it against her chest for a moment before putting it on.

"That boy loved you."

"As I loved him."

Her mother shook her head. "No. He loved you." She took a seat beside her on the bed. "I know you might not understand our reasons for doing what we did, but we had no other choice. Yes, we knew he was going to be a rogue—We agreed to permit his father to erase your memories of him because...we were afraid he could hurt you."

"He would have never done such thing."

"Dmitri is a powerful silver wolf...and a warlock. It is difficult for any being to control such immense power. We thought we were protecting you."

"Mother, I understand." She truly did. That day, he had conjured up a tornado of nothing but flames. His power was beyond imagination. "Wait—how could a warlock control the forest?"

Her mother turned her face away. "It is said that his father was not a pure breed, either. Fae blood courses through his blood."

Ludoivca's eyes widened. "I didn't know there were hybrids amongst us."

"There are many...but most of them are rogues."

As she picked at the nail polish on her nails, she met her mother's gaze. "How could you be so certain that he loves me?"

Her mother leaned closer and touched the pendant hanging from her neck. "He created this to protect you...even from him. Such powerful artifact could have killed him in the process of making it. What else could explain his reason for doing such thing?"

"Friendship, mother."

Her mother smiled. "You might have felt no more than what a sister feels for her brother, but that day I saw nothing but love in his eyes—"

"Mother, I believe we are mates, true mates."

Her mother didn't seem surprised at all. "I always knew there was something more than curiosity that made him cross over. I just didn't want to accept it." There was a short silence. "This is not good at all."

"Why?"

"Because he is powerful and of royal blood—"

Ludovica shook her head. "What are you speaking of? He is not a royal wolf. If he was, his eyes would be violet."

"Not on his wolf side of the family, but the fae. One of the princesses of the forest fell for his grandfather."

"This all confusing." Ludovica began to bite her nails, something she hadn't done for a long time. "At the end of the day, nothing matters. Dmitri is my enemy and—"

"You didn't let me finish. If he is your mate, it is a problem because he has royal blood coursing through his veins. Royals have a higher craving of claiming their mate."

Ludovica was at a loss for words.

"You love Caleb?"

"Yes," she said as she rose to her feet. "Like I said, this is a pointless conversation. Dmitri is my enemy, Mother. If we ever cross paths..." Her voice drifted off at the thought of them fighting to the death to protect those they each cared for. She never imagined they would be on opposites sides one day. Then, she remembered the silver wolf that had crossed into her land. If the rumors were true and he had taken over as Rogue Master, he would have killed her without a second thought, but he had avoided battle.