MOON BOUND

Chapter One:

The full moon's pale rays shone through the stained windows of a local inn, being the main source of light in the lounge that was also used as a bar. It was crowded in the building tonight, a gathering of some sort. Unbeknownst to humans, it was a pack of werewolves that spent a lot of time there. Most nights the inn was alive with chattering drunks and reunions with members of the pack that have strayed a little too far away from home.

Through the bustling sounds in the inn's lounge, a woman sat alone at the bar away from the rest of her pack. After so many years, she has returned here. Being around familiar faces should've been a joyful experience but what lead up to her arrival back to her hometown was nothing of the sort.

She stared down at her reflection in the bronze liquid, swirling it with rotations of her glass. Her bereft, blue eyes looked the same as when she was gazing at her reflection last night in the bathroom mirror.

Her platinum blonde hair, free from its usual braid, hung loosely down the back of her small nightgown with a few stray strands in front of her face. More pressing thoughts lingered on her mind instead of worrying about her appearance. She had half the mind of confronting her mate over her suspicions of him being unfaithful or pretending that nothing was wrong. If she pretended, then everything would stay the same, right? She bit her lip in bitter frustration. She may not be from any dominant bloodline, but even her timid wolf couldn't allow such a thing to stand. She thought she had found her mate, the one she was meant to spend forever with. And yet, her instincts were wrong. She wasn't surprised her instincts failed her, they were unreliable for such a weak wolf.

A wealthy man in humans' eyes. Respected and admired by the pack. But she knew very well that if her suspicions were correct, respect and admiration will be snatched from his hands in a blink of an eye. But did she want that? No... not really. Her feelings were complex but she wished no ill will upon him. Ever since she suspected an affair, she began to ask herself, do I still love him? Unfortunately, she knew the painful answer and that there may be no happy ending for her.

So, she mustered up all the courage she could with a deep inhale, squaring her shoulders and brushing her bangs behind an ear before making her way out of the bathroom. Within their bedroom, her mate sat on his side of the bed. Phone in hand, fingers tapping away at a glowing screen. Who is he texting...? Once again she felt that familiar anxiety leaving a heaviness in her chest. She did her best to keep a straight face, not to let her emotions show. It did not help that she could sense his wolf was unhappy. Lacking satisfaction with a hint of annoyance.

The moment she sat down at his side, he locked his phone but didn't look at her. He was hiding something. The stretch of silence between the two only made her heart pound harder. Waiting for him to speak first wasn’t going to happen, so she swallows the nauseous lump in her throat before speaking.

"Dillon..." Her words get caught in her throat even after making up her mind to confront him. There was a hint of a whimper in her voice. How pathetic. Is it too late to turn back? Her tail wasn't even visible and yet it could easily be imagined between her legs. When no more words came to her mind, she instead reached out a hand towards his lap. But to her dismay, he snatched her by the wrist tightly, even startling her. There was another stretch of silence until finally, a sigh escaped his parted lips along with a heavy voice.

"Amelia," the words that followed after he said her name was a blurred memory, but it no doubt left a scar inside.

"Amelia... Amelia!"

The sound of Dillon's voice saying her name blended into a familiar voice that she hasn't heard in a long time. It was the bartender who has been her friend since childhood. He smiled with curiosity and amusement. The playful wolf was always teasing her as older brothers do.

"You've been spaced out for a while. Daydreaming again?" He asks while wiping clean a champagne glass.

Her freckled cheeks burn as her eyes darted back down to her drink that she has yet to take a sip of. Out of all of his teases, this wasn't one she could quip to.

"Don't pester her, Trent! That's the last thing she needs after what that asshole did to her." A sharp growl came from behind Amelia, making her jump as another friend from her childhood takes a seat next to her. She then smiled comfortingly while placing a hand on Amelia's shoulder. The dominant, feisty wolf had been babying the shyer wolf for as long as Amelia can remember. Always running to her rescue when she was in need.

"I wasn't trying to mess with her, Nikki." Trent's playful grin melted into a sour frown faster than expected. He had heard of what happened between his friend and a fellow member of their pack. There was a hint of resentment in his eyes for the wolf that had emotionally wounded his friend.

"No, please, don't... I mean, I'm fine. I'm fine." Amelia clumsily stumbled with her words but she wasn't fooling anybody, not even herself. Repeating "I'm fine" was just a reflex she's had since she was a child where she tries to remain strong so that she doesn't worry others. Being an inconvenience was one of the biggest fears she has.