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CHAPTER 2

A New Residence

When I left the healer's lodge for the first time since my odd waking, the aroma of damp earth and pine flooded my nostrils. The outer world seemed more alive, with crisper colors and more realistic sounds. For the first time since whatever had happened to me, I felt alive. The problem was that I still couldn't recall.

I felt disoriented and unanchored. The tranquil rhythm of this area, however, also had an anchoring quality that seemed to hint that I was right where I was supposed to be.

"Luna!" Waving me to a small group in a sunlit clearing, Mara shouted out to me. "Come on over, let me introduce you."

Although I was reassured by her warmth, I hesitated as I saw the pack members crowding around. Whispers drifted through the group as their eyes followed me with open curiosity. They were evaluating and sizing me up.

I was a little anxious, but I made myself keep going. Even though I was a stranger, there was something about this environment that made me feel like I belonged.

Mara smiled reassuringly as I walked up. She presented me to the others, saying, "This is Luna." "She has a gift that will be very beneficial to us."

"A present?" A tall woman with sharp green eyes looked at me doubtfully. "You mean she's a healer?"

Uncertain of how to react, I swallowed. I had no idea if I was a healer or not. Beyond my name, I had no idea who I was, yet there was no denying the way the plants and soil spoke to me, their secrets coming to life as I touched them.

Mara gave a strong nod. Indeed. She possesses a talent that I haven't seen in many years. She might be the solution we've been looking for, in my opinion.

The words weighed heavily on my bones as they dangled in midair. "The solution?" More to myself than to anyone else, I muttered.

Although Mara's eyes were unreadable, there was a gleam of optimism there. "Luna, are you willing to assist us?"

I turned to face the pack and the faces that stared back at me, some with calm doubt and others with interest. In spite of the doubt, I felt a peculiar feeling of purpose that compelled me to respond, "Yes." I'll help if I can.

A murmur of acceptance and possibly even relief swept across the group.

"Well, how about we test that gift?" A steady, deep voice shouted out from the rear.

I turned and saw a man who carried himself with a serene authority staring into my eyes. His eyes were keen, his features crisp. As our eyes met, I felt a chill go down my spine because he looked familiar in some way.

Mara bowed her head politely and said, "Kai." "This is Alpha Kai."

The Alpha who had been waiting, the man whose name had been bothering me in my dreams, was here. I felt a surge of recognition, but I couldn't make out what it was. Why did my heart race when he was around, as if it remembered something my brain was unable to?

For an excruciating minute, I thought I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes as he observed me. Solace? Sadness? Hope?

He continued in a pleasant voice, but with a weight I couldn't ignore, "I hear you have a gift." "One that could aid our injured."

I stumbled, feeling unsteady under his stare. "Y-yes." "I want to assist."

His eyes slightly softened, as if my response were more important than I had thought. "Let's see what you can do after that."

He motioned for me to follow, and I could feel the eyes of the entire pack on me as I followed him, Mara and the others following closely behind. Here, I was the unknown, the alien. More than anything, though, I was propelled onward by that odd feeling that flared within me.

Kai took us to a more intimate and peaceful area of the village, where a man was lying on a cot, his body feverish and his face pallid. Each inhalation was difficult, his breathing was shallow, and the air was heavy with the smell of infection.

"This is Rian," Mara said in a whisper. He suffered injuries while on a border patrol. Despite our best efforts, the illness continues to spread.

I had a peculiar, instinctive awareness merely by glancing at the crimson, angry wound on his leg. As I knelt next to him, my hands started to tingle from the pull of the plants in Mara's pouch. They sounded as though they were pleading with me to utilize them, demanding that I do something.

"Permit me to..." Mara nodded and gave me a handful of the herbs as I pointed to them.

I inhaled deeply and concentrated on the plants I was holding. I trusted the weird energy inside of me even though I had no idea what I was doing. As I crushed the plants and released their therapeutic oils, it was almost like an instinct telling me what to do. As I touched the wound, a gentle warmth emanated from my fingertips, causing my hands to tingle.

Through my palms and into Rian's skin, the electricity pulsed. His hard breathing eased with each heartbeat, and he trembled but did not draw away. He and I had a strong connection, and I could feel my energy leading his body back to equilibrium.

The others observed in silence, and as the redness started to go away and the angry swelling subsided under my touch, I could sense their incredulity gradually turning to awe.

I was exhausted when I eventually withdrew, but Rian's breathing was even and his color had returned to normal. He appeared calm, as though the agony that had seized him had finally subsided.

"Thank you," he said in a gruff but appreciative whisper.

I forced a tiny smile, my voice hardly more than a whisper. "You're welcome."

Even if the whispers behind me became more intense, Kai's face captured my attention. There was a mix of pride and something deeper in his eyes that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

He said, "You really are a healer," with a tone of subdued respect.

His remarks gave me a brief, weird feeling of warmth in my chest. A piercing pain shot through my brain, and I was struck by glimpses of an unfamiliar memory: a dark forest, howling, and blood smearing the ground.

The pictures hit me, fragmented and brief, and I gasped, gripping my head. The urgent voice of someone reverberated in my head.

"Luna run!"

"Are you okay?" Kai steadied me by placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know," As I gasped for air, the eerie image subsided but I was still overcome with a profound sense of loss. "I think that I keep seeing recollections. They are pieces, though. It all doesn't make any sense.

Kai's voice grew quiet as his eyes darkened. Sometimes there are shadows from our past that we are still unable to comprehend. Perhaps they will be discovered in due time.

His remarks resonated with me on a profound level that I was yet unable to fully understand. A howl from a distance broke the silence before I could reply, sending shivers down my spine. The group surrounding us stiffened, turning to look at Kai.

Someone whispered, "Rogues."

Kai's body coiled with barely contained strength, and his eyes sharpened. "Remain here," he said in a tone that made no room for debate. "Remain with Mara, Luna."

I started to object, but he was already walking away, his strong steps leading him into the woods. Behind him, the pack gathered in formation, their solidarity and devotion demonstrated in every step

Hold on! I yelled, but the growing tension drowned out my voice.

As I watched him leave, Mara's warning touch on my arm fought the urge to follow him.

Luna, he'll take care of it. It is his responsibility.

However, I was pulled to him and felt obligated to follow and defend him. I couldn't resist the instinct, but I wasn't sure why. I was about to turn back to Mara when I had another memory flash: Kai standing in front of a gathering of warriors, his voice resonating with finality, his expression serious.

"Not all of us might come back."

The vision lingered like a warning, and my heart raced.

What was meant by it? And why, in ways I was only just starting to realize, did I feel that Kai's existence was intertwined with mine?

I stayed motionless, caught between Mara's grip and the constant tug pulling me in Kai's direction as the sounds of the pack's battle cries vanished into the woods. At that moment, a voice, familiar yet far away, called my name in a desperate hurry as it floated on the wind.

"Luna, come to me."

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