Rekindled love

Atasha’s Point of view

"Atasha, are you feeling alright?" Leo spoke in hushed tones in my ear. In a split second, I forgot that Leo was in front of me, and for that brief moment, I forgot that I was dancing with him. Even though my arms were still wrapped around his neck, my head was spinning and becoming growingly dizzy.

I tried to keep an eye on Elijah and Clarence but I couldn't do so, because of the crowd who started dancing on the dance floor around us.

"Hey, Atasha, how are things going?" Leo asked me again.

I regained my composure and assured him that everything was fine. I completely forgot that I needed to speak with Leo as well, as this may be the last time we would then speak to each other for a while.

"I'm fine. I was really not expecting this masquerade party to be quite as extravagant as it turned out to be," I explained after a brief pause. Right now, I was extremely good at lying, but I wouldn't have much of a choice. I might not want to offend Leo's delicate feelings. I’d admit that he was a fine young man and that was the reason why he was Astrid's first love.

He was a hard worker who put in long hours. He was also one of the most naturally gifted werewolves in the Silver Moon pack, according to his peers, the fact that a few she-wolves talked about wanting to dance with Leo which came to my attention while I was dancing with him at the moment. Having said that, Leo was both a brother and a friend to me, and I considered him to be such. Even though I've tried to fall in love with him, my heart told me that I couldn’t.

"You looked very dapper in your suit," I said in a complimentary tone. He beamed at me with a broad grin. Then he chuckled. "If that's the case, I'll dress up in a suit every single day just for you!"

He then let out a huge sigh. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Atasha.”

His words made my eyes widen in surprise. So it was true that Elijah and Leo really talked about me leaving the East land? I came to a complete stop and removed my arms from his neck.

"I would like you to know that I'm doing this for our pack mates, Leo," I explained, uttering those assuring words while my gaze was fixed on the floor because I couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Tasha, you have nothing to worry about. Of course, I had faith in you. I understand that what’s between you and Elijah is nothing but a mere contract at this point and believe me that I am aware of the circumstances. But keep this in mind: there will be a day when I will be around to rescue you from him and bring you back to me. When that happens, we will be the sole rulers of this entire land." In a serious tone, he stated his point.

When he said those words to me, both of my feet rattled.

"Do you have any plans to decapitate the Alpha?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued. He then looked around to see if anyone else was paying attention.

“It's dangerous to have this kind of conversation here, Tasha," he replied. "The majority of the people who have been invited here are advocates of the Crimson Moon pack, and the majority of them have already switched their allegiance to the Montreals," he continued.

I apologized to him right away, but I thought about asking him about his plans at the same time.

There was a commotion on the dance floor which shook me out of my thoughts, and when I craned my neck to see over the crowd flocking in front of us, I saw Elijah carrying Clarence, who then asked everyone as to whether there was a clinic in the vicinity or none. I noticed how Elijah’s eyes appeared to be particularly worried about Clarence who he carried. He went outside with a group of people who assisted him in getting to the nearby clinic.

After witnessing what happened, my heavy chest made it difficult for someone like me to breathe. Not only did I not want to fake my emotions, but I also did not want to stand here and pretend that everything was fine, when in fact it wasn’t at all.

I was about to leave the ballroom. I heard Leo’s attempt to stop me from fleeing, but I saw Veronica intervene and prevent him from continuing his effort to try.

"Can you tell me, Atasha, what are you up to?" I murmured under my breath. The things that I had been thinking about all this time, those frightening what ifs… had happened in front of my own eyes.

It was understandable for Elijah to be concerned about Clarence's well-being. And, of course, she was his old girlfriend, to say the very least. Who was I to have such intense emotions toward this event?

As I was sprinting out of the ballroom, I collided with one of the guests, causing me to trip and fall to the ground. When I fell to the ground, my face touched the floor with such force that it hurt me in an instance.

"What the hell is going on?" I muttered. I jumped to my feet and hurried outside to the coliseum, whereupon I removed my stilettos. I walked over to the nearest bench and sat down because my foot was starting to ache.

While I was seated on the bench, I noticed some little scrapes and wounds on my feet, which I quickly recognized. I sighed as I gazed across the Coliseum, which was quite a distance away from where I was seated.

I thought I was losing my mind, struggling to figure out why I was so upset when I saw Clarence with Elijah earlier. After all, my role was only to become his Luna on a contract basis. I should’ve not, in any manner, felt this way.

Suddenly, I noticed a familiar she-wolf rushing toward me from afar.

“Atasha!” Veronica bursted out laughing. When she arrived, she took up the position next to me. When I looked down at her feet, I noticed that she was still wearing her stiletto heels.

"Can you tell me how you managed to run while wearing that thing?" I gestured to her feet with my hand.

"Oh, that's what I was trained," she explained. After that, I was questioned about why I had fled the ballroom.

There was no way I’d tell her that the reason was because I saw Elijah kissing Clarence and how he aided her worriedly. I didn’t want to tell her the truth because if I did, she would’ve concluded that I was feeling sorry for myself.

"Are you jealous of Clarence's being with Elijah at the ballroom?" she asked curiously.

I panicked and started spewing out some random phrases in an attempt to make her laugh and shift the conversation to a different issue.

She shook her head, grabbed my hands and placed them on her lap. "Atasha, if you want to be the Luna of the Crimson Moon Pack, you will have to work extremely hard. You should be courageous in order to have control over your emotions. And in the event that you come successful in doing that, you will be unbeatable, and undefeated,” she stated those words while softly massaging my hands.

“It’s easy for you to say that, Veronica, because you’re a Montreal but I am not,” I replied.

She then gripped my hands too tight that made me scream. “My, Veronica! What are you doing?” I tried to pull my hands but I couldn’t because she held them tightly.

She chuckled a bit.

"Veronica, what are you up to?" I asked as I shrieked in pain. I attempted to pry my hands away from hers, but it was impossible.

“You see, you find it soothing when I gently touch your hands, don’t you? Then when I try to grip it too firmly, you feel harmed and that’s where the problem starts,” Veronica said. "What I'm aiming to convey is that the person in whom we place our trust might potentially hurt us . . .” she paused for a moment and gave me a sideways glance. "All right, Atasha. I can't promise you that I won't be able to hurt you in the future. Even though I'm treating you as if you were my younger sister, there would be a point at which I would be pressured to hurt you. I don't know when but I'm hoping that it will not come sooner."

I listened to her statement and realized she was right.

"However, this does not imply that I will betray you or put you in danger. Ultimately, I want you not only to be a contracted Luna of Elijah but rather the real Luna of the Crimson Moon Pack," Veronica remarked and she said it in a reassuring tone of voice.

I felt the wind blowing across my face, which caused an additional shiver to spread throughout my body.

"Listen closely, Atasha. When you really want something, you have to strive for it. Stand up for what you believe in, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone. And don't forget that the fate of the upcoming Alpha is the one at stake. Everything goes down if his Luna isn't strong." She closed her eyes and embraced me.

I was struck by how powerful Veronica's remarks were. It was like hearing words that I desperately needed to hear at a time when I was feeling weak and exhausted. She was well aware that I needed it from her.

"Veronica, you can count on me. I will become stronger for Elijah as his contracted Luna. I promise! This is not just for him, for the Crimson Moon pack but also for me, the future of the Silver Moon pack, and my sister Astrid,” I said firmly as I hugged her back.

She came to a halt and asked whether I was ready to go back inside. I gave her a kind nod and a smile.

"Thank you so much, Veronica," I responded, and the two of us returned to the Coliseum together, having optimistic energy within me.

***

Elijah’s Point of view

I got myself in a dilemma that I didn't want to be in, but since Atasha gave me that glance earlier, telling me that it was fine to be with Clarence even though I didn’t really like it, I was forced not to refuse Clarence's request to join her tonight.

For a brief moment, I had been staring at Leo and Atasha who danced from a distance. I was all aware that their dance didn’t mean anything but I was still tempted to strike Leo for touching her. Despite my unseen irritation, I regained my cool as I had to maintain my emotions under control since I couldn't afford to cause a commotion in this situation right now.

I swore I heard Clarence telling me everything she had in mind, but I wasn't paying attention in the first place. I didn’t even move at this moment, and all I wanted was for her to place her hands on my shoulders, rather than across my neck, because I didn't want her face to be so near to mine.

"Hey, Elijah!" Clarence almost shouted that I had turned my face toward her in annoyance.

My lips were pressed together as they formed a thin line. My brows furrowed as I looked at her in her desperate eyes.

"What?" I asked. As my lips parted wide, I suddenly felt her lips went closer to mine, and I was taken aback since I had not expected this to happen here at all.

Even though I was able to draw her face away from mine, I could feel her hands already curled around my chest. If I go any further away from her, I would stumble to my feet, and we might both drop to the ground at the same time. I slid my eyes shut, praying that Atasha wouldn't get a glimpse of me being kissed by Clarence. If she saw this, she would then assume that I was plotting to reunite with my ex-girlfriend. Then I’d hard time explaining things to her again.

Clarence tilted her head to deepen the kiss. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t want to make any move that would make her think that I liked what she was doing.

“I missed your lips brushing with mine, Elijah . . .” she murmured and kissed me once more before she stopped, eyes still pinned on me with a hopeful look. "Do you have any recollection of how it felt? Did you miss me as much as I missed you? Besides the simple reason that I sincerely miss you, I wanted to tell you the reason why—"

“We’re long done, Clarence. There shouldn’t be any further reason for us to get back together,” I said, cutting her words off.

She broke down in tears as soon as she heard my statement. I was tempted to say more, but I couldn't add anything quite so cruel. She may create a fuss out of nowhere if I said anything beyond that.I looked around to see whether Atasha was still around. My pupils dilated as I noticed her happily conversing with Leo.

What exactly were they talking about? I was beyond irritated that she was grinning at him, and I was wondering why she could give him that kind of smile easily to anyone but me.

“Can you tell me what's so amusing, Atasha? What's the reason behind your cheeky grin? Is it because he has a goofy expression on his face?” My thoughts were whispered upon myself.

I didn’t realize I voice it out until Clarence cried louder, her eyes were welling up with tears.

“Elijah, does that slave hold more importance to you than me? I was your first girlfriend!” she questioned.

This circumstance was giving me such excruciating fatigue.I let out a sigh.

"Clarence, it's time for us to call it a night. You're no longer bound to me and I want you to understand that,” I replied.

Right now, I found myself committed to Atasha and would want her to be my contracted luna. But as soon as I saw Clarence falling to the ground, which stopped me telling her more.

I caught up with her and looked her in the eyes. Her temperature became extremely high. I asked her if she could stand up so that I could take her to the clinic.

"Clarence, open your eyes a little bit. Are you able to stand up?”

She didn't say a single word the entire time. As I was concerned over what might happen, and didn't want to create a ruckus in this room, I waited. Eventually, I'd like to seek Leo's aid in bringing her to the clinic, if there was any nearby. However, I was taken aback when she tried to stand up and shoved me away, but only caused her to fall to the ground again.

"Keep your distance from me! You betrayed me. So it was really true that wanted that slave to replace me in your heart! How dare you, Elijah!” she screamed angrily.

When she began to get everyone’s attention, I knelt beside her and urged her to quiet down. I swiftly had her in my arms, and I saw Atasha's eyes narrowing as she stared at me. I sighed and turned around, requesting assistance in carrying her to the clinic.

Atasha, please wait for me; I'll be back, I said to myself inwardly.

I went with the helper who was familiar with the neighboring clinic. It was a good thing that it was only outside and a few blocks away from the coliseum. I could go back right away and explain to Atasha what happened.

Once we finally arrived at the clinic, Clarence's face indicated that she was suffering in pain. She had already come into the room and lay down on the bed when I approached her with the nurse.

"Do you happen to be his boyfriend?" the nurse inquired.

I responded with a shake of my head. I mentioned that we were just good friends with really no formal relationship.

She then exited the room, saying, "You look good together.” Then she smiled and closed the door behind us.

I was seated next to Clarence at the time. I took another look at her face. She was undoubtedly attractive, even right now that she was now suffering in pain.I wished I could return her feelings, but I knew to myself that it was way impossible now. All I could think about was Atasha alone and our objectives together.

I sat down there waiting for less than an hour. When I saw that Clarence was more relaxed now, I stood up, wanting to go back to the coliseum but then, she grabbed my hand and made me draw closer to her.

"Please don't dump me here, Elijah . . ." Her tone of voice was begging.

Even as I'm pulling my arm away, she shifted her body a little, and gripped my waist in the direction she had been aiming. The pressure between our bodies has caused us to be forced into an awkward position in her bed.

She breathed heavily and slowly showed her seductive smile. "Come on, Elijah. You can do anything . . . join me here for a while. I don’t want to be so lonely here on this bed,” she whispered in my ear.

She began kissing me on the side of my neck in a passionate way. My nape was caressed by her warm breath as he began stroking it. When her hand traveled down and attempted to grab for my pants, I pushed her away.

"Clarence!" I groaned furiously.

I tried to walk to the door, but she sprung from her bed and wrapped her arms around me from behind. I attempted to pry his hands away from me, but she clung to me tightly.

]

"Yes, by all means, let me go," I screamed at her, ordering her to do so.

I began to feel her lips on my upper back.

"Atasha will be completely unaware of what will happen between us, Elijah, This is only for one night, alright? Then maybe, if you feel that I’m way better in bed than her, you'll change your mind and end up making me your Luna instead . . .”

She gently kissed the back of my shoulders, and her hands moved slowly through my crouch, rubbing my sex.

"Come on, Elijah. Just for one night . . . just for this bedtime. I love you so much. I promise that after this night, if you still want her, then I will no longer bother you and Atasha," she stated.

I was battling my inner demons. I didn't want to spend my time with her, therefore I was fighting them from within. Nevertheless, the other ideas in my head sought to give her statement a rationale for why I should stay the night in this room with her. She then turned my body around and kissed me on the lips as she tiptoed on the floor.

"Elijah, I'll go out of my way to help you. If you want me to be your slave, that's OK with me. If you already have Atasha as your Luna, I may serve as your second wife if that is what you want. Perhaps, I can sway your decision, and you will choose me eventually," said Clarence.

She murmured those words while kissing my lips. I was all too aware that I was being seduced by Clarence's statements. I confessed that she was gorgeous, and the sensation of her body pressing against mine was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. As she held my crotch, it was already hard, and she greeted me with a broad smile.

"I'm sure you would like to stay with me this evening, Elijah. What the matter? Are you scared?"

My jaw clenched as she took action. Heat radiated through my body. Before I even realized it, my pants were already on the floor, and I had already pushed her into the bed.

***

Atasha’s Point of view

Veronica and I returned to the ballroom where everyone was still dancing under the magnificent atmosphere, it was as if no such ruckus had ever happened a while ago. Zach appeared in front of me, throwing me such a suspicious but playful look.

“Has Elijah returned yet?” I asked him.

He shook his face. “No, he hasn’t.”

Only a shrug could be seen on his face. Zach didn’t really care much about what had been happening around him.

Leo walked to us, and seemed to overheard our conversation. "I heard that Clarence got sick and he assisted her in the clinic. "

My shoulders were patted by Veronica as I sighed. "Don't worry, he'll be back as soon as possible."

I smiled and nodded my head. I heard Zach clearing his throat, then felt his hand trying to hold mine which made me give him a sideway glance.

"Let’s go, Atasha. While we’re waiting for Elijah, might as well try to have fun with me. Let’s dance! It’s now my turn, after all,” he said.

I had no option but to give in since with his alluring smile. I guess he was right, I also wanted to share a moment with Zach in this ballroom before we leave the East land.

I was dragged onto the dance floor, where I discovered that the music had changed from slow to lively and loud. It took my breath away upon watching how Zach danced without minding anything. As he leaped and swung his hands to the beat of the drums, his energy was brimming with excitement.

The crowd soon noticed our presence, and everyone began to create an "O" shape in the center of the room for us to go around. I was staring around and feeling quite self-conscious since all eyes were now on me and Zach, who was still dancing like a freak of nature with his infectious enthusiasm. My steady feet couldn’t keep up with his explosive movements.

He proceeded to bang his head, up and down, shimmy his waist side to side, glide his feet, spin around, and snap his fingers while swaying to the music, matching every beat, and the audience went crazy with excitement.

Everyone was applauding and clapping in support of him.

"Can you tell me who that person is?" I overheard some she-wolves enquiring about Zach's presence.

"He's so impressive. I wish I could meet him!" said a woman surrounded by other she-wolves as they yelled with delight.

"Go, Atasha! Show off your moves!" Veronica cheered, who was standing on the left side of the crowd.

After seeing Zach come up to me and take both of my hands, I bursted out laughing because he was like a puppeteer, guiding my hands and teaching me how to dance at the same time.

He then rotated my body and bent down for a few seconds, his hand extending out behind me and his face coming closer to mine, as if we were in a romance novel. I had to admit that this thing that happened right now as I danced with Zach, was one of those things I dreamt to happen to me.

As I looked at Zach's face, I realized I needed to take a deep breath and forget all the negative emotions I had felt earlier.

"Let's make this night unforgettable for us, Atasha!" he beamed, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him.

He stopped dancing and dashed onto the stage, which was a few steps away from me. As the swarms of people made way for Zach, he approached the musician who was playing music on the stage, and whispered something to him. After that, they stopped playing the loud music. The next thing that happened was Zach took the violin and announced something in front of the crowd.

"This following song was dedicated to Atasha!"

The crowd applauded and I could see that many faces turned to me. My cheeks flushed and immediately made my way to the corner. Veronica then saw me walking her way. She reached out and placed her arms over my shoulders.

"Damn it, Atasha. I'm envious of you!" she stated this with a grin.

Everybody stopped making any noise when Zach started playing the violin. Everyone seemed to be interested in seeing Zach performed.

The way he played the violin, it was peaceful, vibrant, very warm, and a wonderful music that made me feel more at ease. Then he came to a halt and proceeded to the piano, where he began to sing a melody.

As soon as he started singing, my heart fell, and I could already hear the audience crying and raising their hands until Zach finished his song and bowed his head. It was as if we had been taken back to the beginning of our lives. Zach possessed the ability to transport us to another dimension and he was the only one who had ever made us experience such a one of a kind performance.

"Did you have such a notion of it?" Veronica asked.

"Yes, that was just stunning," I said.

Veronica flashed a smile and clasped her hands together. The crowd immediately gravitated toward Zach, and all of the she-wolves made their way toward the stage, eager to learn more about him. While I was delighted that Zach was evidently having a good time, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Elijah right now.

I made the decision to go to the coliseum on the spur of the moment, so without further ado, I went to the clinic to see whether Clarence and Elijah were there.

My heart raced fast as I made my way to the clinic. I inquired to the nurses as to whether they had seen Clarence with a guy, and I was directed to a room where I had been confined earlier this afternoon.

As I headed to the room, it felt like I was in a nightmare. My heart was thumping so loud that it was the only thing I could hear. At the same time, I tried to recall the words Veronica had spoken to me earlier in the day.

I’d have to maintain my composure, and the control of my emotions. This was something I told myself with every stride I took.

When I reached the room, I carefully extended my hand to the doorknob to push it open. My eyes widened as the door opened. The first thing I saw was Elijah’s face, who eyed me with a visible shock on his face. My eyes immediately looked for Clarence to see how she was doing. My mouth ran dry when my eyes landed on the bed, and saw Clarence totally undressed and naked. I stepped back, both my hands reached my mouth to cover it, bewildered with what I’ve witnessed.

"Atasha, please allow me to explain," Elijah pleaded.