Moon of Misfortunes

30

Rubio finishes packing his second suitcase, kneeling on it to force the zipper closed. I giggle at his struggle, and he grins over at me as the zipper finally slides shut. He steps back, standing tall and triumphant.

"What's so funny?" he teases, walking over to me. He scoops me into his arms, caging me against his chest.

"Nothing," I stifle a laugh, pressing my hands to his firm chest.

He arches over, catching me off guard with a kiss. I rise onto my toes, pressing into the kiss. He breaks it gently, resting his forehead against mine.

"I'm so glad to be getting out of here," I whisper. "It's been a long week."

"Me too," he smiles back at me.

A knock sounds at the open door to our room. Rosia stands there, smiling at us. Rubio's arms drop from me as he steps back, creating space between us. I frown at the loss of his warmth.

"Hi, lovebirds," she greets. "I was hoping to steal Rubio for a second. We have some logistical questions about restarting the Academy. We'd love for you to talk more about it to the new Council members."

He glances at me. "Are you okay if I go for a second?"

I nod affirmingly, "I'll be alright. Go."

"I'll be back soon," he says, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Then we can get the hell out of here."

He pecks my cheek, his hand grazing my waist for a moment. He looks at me longingly as he follows her out of the room. She starts catching him up on their issues, her voice fading as they continue down the hallway.

I sigh contentedly, excitement bubbling at the thought of leaving this palace and moving on to what's next—whether that's a remote cabin just for us or leading a reclaimed pack. Smiling, I monotonously fold my clothes into my suitcase. Admittedly, I don't have much except for the few things Rosia sent after visiting her at the castle.

My mind drifts off into memories of Rubio, of us. I already miss his presence. Soon, I run out of clothes to fold. A few minutes pass as I absentmindedly play with the skin of my thumb, bored. Eventually, I slap my hands down into my lap. Where is he?

I wander out of my room, casually walking around the Council Palace. Soon, I arrive at the wooden door of the office. I blush at the thought of him sitting at the desk. I raise my hand to the door and muster enough courage to place three solid knocks on the wood. A few silent moments pass.

"Rubio? Rosia? It's me. Can I come in?" I ask through the door.

Again, I am met with silence. Worried, I push the door open and hurry inside, scanning the room. Nothing seems amiss—at least, no more than normal. Books and various papers are scattered all over the desk and floor, just as we had left it. The room is utterly vacant. I could have sworn he would be in here. 

I exited the office and began to search the palace for any signs of Rubio. I ventured to the courtroom, slightly shaking off my bad memories of this place before entering the room. It, too, was empty. I sighed. Where the Hell is everyone?

I figured I would go back to our room and wait for him to return. Within a few seconds of backtracking, two guards were walking towards me, presumably heading to the courtroom to do their rounds. They bowed in respect as they approached.

"Have you seen Rubio? I've been looking for him and can't seem to find him," I asked.

"We saw him outside about 30 minutes ago," one of the guards replied.

"Okay, thank you," I said promptly, rushing past them.

Once I arrived outside, I scanned the grounds for any sign of him. My eyes landed on a group of new trainees engaged in physical exercises with a warrior, just one of Rosia's numerous strategies to ensure the Lycans would never be overthrown again. I charged up to the warrior, who eyed me skeptically.