The Castle Under The Moon

Chapter Nineteen

Luna and Shadow's beast ended up falling asleep together on the floor.

The beast had made sure that Luna's wounds were clean and healing before his eyes finally shut, allowing him a break from the pain he was still feeling.

Luna soon follows as tiredness set in, the thought of leaving never entering her mind.

By the time the sun was setting Shadow had awoken and was taking the control over his body back.

Shadow was worried about the damage his beast had caused, who he had hurt, but he was mostly worried about Luna. He really doubted that she stayed though, because the last thing that he remembered was seeing her leave through the back door.

Finally taking full control over his body, Shadow put the beast back into his rightful spot and started to shift.

The first thing that he notices after his shift is how sore and tired he is, making him groan and close his eyes as he rolls his shoulders, hoping that it will help ease some of the tension in his body.

The second thing took him a bit longer than the first, and that was the fact that Luna's vanilla scent was strong, and all over him.

His eyes pop open, almost comically, and they instantly lock onto Luna's sleeping form that was curled up on the floor next to him.

The beast pushed softly against the barrier, wanting to show Shadow what had happened while he was gone.

Allowing it, Shadow became shocked as he saw Luna walk through the back door, huffing and puffing all the while carrying a bucket full of water. She then came and sat beside him, a small smile on her face. He watches as Luna rubs the beasts head and how the beast licked her wounds, trying to show her how sorry he was about what he had done.

The first word that had entered Shadows mind was a complete surprise.

Shadow had only heard the word a handful of times from his mother and a few times from Jaiyana.

His mother had told him stories based around this word and how he would get the chance to experience it himself one day.

Though after everything and all this time Shadow had thought that he was unable to be loved by someone, to love someone, and yet here she was, his mate.

Knowing that The Moon Goddess was the one that pairs mates together he figured that Luna didn't choose this, she didn't even know who he was, and that left only one other person, Jaiyana.

"That woman." Shadow shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he bends down and picks Luna up, bridal style.

Shadow slowly makes his way into the bedroom, not wanting to wake the girl up.

Happy that he succeeded, Shadow tucks Luna in and stops himself from giving her a kiss on the forehead before he grabs a change of clothes from his bag.

Making sure that he shut the bedroom door, Shadow begins to get dressed, enjoying the new feeling that was taking over his body.

Shadow felt light, like he was made out of air instead of matter and that he now knew why he was here.

Thoughts scurry through his mind, making that feeling dissipate and shoving a new one in its place.

Shadow wasn't stupid, he knew that there wasn't a possibility of the two of them ever being able to be together.

When Gheorgie found them, Shadow was most likely going to be slaughtered or shoved in a cell and tortured for information on Mehdi.

The beast whines, knowing that Shadow was right.

Shadow clenches his jaw as he pushes the couch completely against the front of the cabin, effectively  blocking anyone from coming in and out of the front door.

She probably didn't want them anyway.

The beast growls, showing that he disagrees with Shadow's thought, shoving the memories of her caring for him forwards.

"Giant?" Luna asks, the bedroom door creaked as she cracked it, searching the dark room for the man.

Shadow took his time answering her, enjoying the fact that he could see her clearly and she couldn't see him.

Her eyes were squinted  as she looks around the room, searching for him, and her hair was wild, sticking in different directions.

"Yes?" Shadow asks, bending down to grab the lantern before lighting it with the pack of matches that lay discarded beside it, allowing her to see him.

"You're not scary." She states, looking him directly in the eyes, arms crossed over her chest.

"He likes you." Shadow tells her, standing still, unable to move.

"Seemed like it." Luna smiles, walking into the living room, not knowing the reason was so that she could get closer to him.

"You stayed." Shadow whispers, still amazed that she didn't take her chance to run.

"You asked me to." She mumbles, feeling too awkward to hold the eye contact any longer so she bends down and begins to pick up Shadow's scraps of clothing.

"They are coming to get you." Shadow sighs as he helps her.

"I know."

"I wasn't going to take you to him. The moment I decided to bring you here I knew that I had changed my mind."

Shadow shakes his head, realizing that the mate bond had been present the entire time, making him feel stupid for not realizing it sooner.

"You should run. I can get you out of the world without them knowing." Luna says softly, trying to meet his eyes.

Luna didn't understand why she was upset when she thought about the giant man getting hurt and she definitely didn't understand why she wanted to help him but she did.

"No." Shadow ends the conversation as he finally meets her eyes.

The look in her eyes was sad and scared, but Shadow knew that he didn't want to be anywhere else but with her and if he had to live in a cell and be tortured then so be it, he would be happier with that then to not be around her for the rest of his life.