When the Sun meets the Moon

17.

I wince at the appalling sound. Why do people yell so loudly. Don't their throat hurt after making so much noise ?

"Dear lord. She's dead." A young girl cries out in a murmur, panic thick in her voice while another girl I really hope is Cory shrieks "Get your hands away from him !", her tone full of jealousy.

The wolf in front of me is frowning. My hand has yet to leave the fur of his head. It's so soft I could pat it all day long. Nate stopped growling almost immediately surely due to the surprise of my action. But now we are stuck in this awkward position, in the middle of the garden with more than a hundred onlookers. His eyes keep changing from green to yellow and back to green, his wolf resurfacing every other minute. The both of them don't know what to do. And I don't know either. But I definitely don't want to let go of his head. Especially when I notice the subtle shudder when I stroke the fur behind its ear.

"Hum, Hope ?" Jared tries awkwardly behind me. "I think we should go inside."

I contemplate the beast in front of me and still don't want to move. There is definitely something wrong with me.

"Hope you have to stop that and step back." Jared adds hurriedly in a whisper.

I scowl at the prospect of my hand leaving its place and then I start to scowl even harder when I can't get it away from the wolf's head, even when I try with all my might.

Now, that is troublesome.

'I don't know. I think it's fine that way.'

Can't you feel the murderous glares I'm getting here ?

'Who. Cares. I'll kill them if they try anything. Now. Why don't you try patting its strong wide back ?'

I'm in enough trouble as it is, thank you very much.

'No fun. You are no fun at all.'

From the corner of my eyes I see Leila walk up to us and carefully bow as she comes to stand next to me. Her stare travels along my arm and to my eyes, questioningly.

"Everything okay, darling ?"

"I can't move." I say low so that she's the only one hearing me, but Nate frowns again and I know he heard me too.

She turns fully towards me, forgetting all pretense and form of respect for the alpha in front of us.

"What do you mean you can't move ? Don't you remember how to walk ?" She murmurs sarcastically.

I glare at her finally looking away from the wolf even though I know his green eyes are lingering on me.

"Of course I know how to walk." I snap.

"Then what are you waiting for ?" She demands raising one brow, her arms folding on her chest.

"My body won't listen to me." I grit my teeth.

She rolls her eyes and looks at my hand again.

"Stop stroking his fur." She hisses.

"What ?"

I look back at Nate and true to her words my fingers are indeed scurrying gently over his head.

Stop taking control of my hand. I scold my wolf.

'I'm not doing anything ! It's all you.' My wolf bites back.

Is there someone else in my head then ? Because I can't stop moving my fingers either.

'I knew you were crazy from the day we met.'

Leila closes her hand around my wrist hardly. She tries to pull me away with all her strength and when it doesn't work she dives her claws in my skin. I don't flinch even when I smell blood. However when I see the red liquid running down my wrist and dangerously coming closer to the white-pure fur of the wolf I instinctively retract my arm. And just like that the spell is broken and I can move again. I don't look back to the both of them still observing me and step away from the arena and all the people watching us, going back inside the house my head held high.