Selene

I grow anxious while waiting for Kyran, he read my text but didn’t respond and I assumed he must be caught up in managing the Convocation. My thoughts tumble over themselves as my nerves get the better of me and I watch the stars as I resolve myself. After everything that has happened, after learning Kyran’s truth, I know what I must do now. I feel apprehensive and contemplate how I want to go about this with him, the words never quite fully forming clearly in my mind.

Kyran appears suddenly around the corner of his house, coming to a racing stop a couple feet beside me and I pull my gaze away from the sky to look into his eyes. Wringing my hands in front of me, I give him a small smile as I worriedly chew on my lip. His handsome face is cast toward the ground as he looks at me with his bright amber gaze. There’s tension in his eyes and I take a small step toward him before I reach up and nervously tuck my hair behind my ear.

“Hey,” I say quietly, unsure of the steadiness in my voice.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he whispers in response and my stomach flops a little.

Composing myself, I stand a little straighter and pull my shoulders back before asking, “Would you mind going for a walk?”

He nods his head then immediately shakes it and winces a little, scrunching the left side of his face and his scar jumps with the movement. I want to reach out and brush it with my fingers in comfort for him when he runs a hand through his messy hair then slides it down his scruffy face with a sigh.

“I don’t mind, come this way,” he says quietly, gesturing back the way he came.

We walk silently around his house toward the garden at the back and follow a dirt path that leads into the woods. We quietly wander along, passing by a few random strangers who are giddy as they run, disappearing like wisps into the night and I smile at their path as they go. Out in the distance beyond the trees, I can see large bonfires illuminating the fields packed with people as they talk, laugh, and dance the night away. Glancing sidelong at Kyran, I notice his tightly clamped jaw and stiff body as he walks, wondering what could have happened for him to be so tense.

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I lightly clear my throat and grab his attention, “I got my memories back,” I say lightly with a small smile and his head whips around to look at me with surprise.

We’ve come to a stop in a small clearing, the noise of the celebrations a faint hum in the distance and I wait for him to say something. When he doesn’t, I add “I’ve reunited with Luna as well.”

He lets out a held breath and smiles at me. “I am truly happy for you, Selene. This is good to hear. I hope you weren’t hurt in the process; how did it go?” his voice grows sharper as he speaks and the tension in my chest eases a bit in his presence.

“Well, it started out alright, Asteria was with me, of course. It got a bit…stressful, I’ll admit, but we managed to make it work,” I say with a scrunched nose and a little smile.

His brows pull up at that and a faint smile appears on his lips before disappearing just as quickly. He glances down toward the ground for a moment and shuffles his foot over the dirt and asks, “How did it feel finally letting Luna run free for the first time again?” and glances up at me under his long lashes.

“I, ah, haven’t shifted yet. I wanted to wait until after, to come and speak with you first,” I clear my suddenly thick throat before continuing and let out a breath. “I…don’t know where to start,” I mumble.

Kyran backs up a step while still staring at the ground and I take a deep breath in an attempt to slow my racing heart. It doesn’t work at all, so I take another one. My arms begin to tingle with my apprehension and my throat dries up uncomfortably when I try to speak. Swallowing thickly, I try once more to breathe before getting his attention.

“Kyran?” I say quietly, waiting for his eyes to meet mine again. Biting my lip, I stammer, “K-Kyran, I—” shit, I didn’t think I would be this nervous, I let out a heavy breath before trying again. “I…reject…” My heart beats so hard I’m afraid it will burst. Breathe, deep and slow. You can do this, it will be alright, I reassure myself as my stomach pitches sickeningly.