now here we are

One year later

H A Z E L

"She refuses to eat anything, I don't know what to do." Caroline was telling me about one of the children at the daycare. I turn to her, eyeing her, already knowing what she wanted me to do.

"I will try to get her to finish her meal." I tell her with a smile to which she immediately lights up to.

"You're an angel!" she exaggerates and handed me the tray of food.

Taking it from her, I went over to Sabrina who was sitting at a table all alone. Seeing the tray that I brought with me, she pouted and faced the other way.

I sat at the small chair, hoping it doesn't give away under my adult weight and it thankfully it didn't or else I would've been so embarrassed.

"Hey Sabrina, are you not feeling well?" I started mellowly and smiled. Instead of answering me, she turned to me just to throw me a scowling look and then turned away again. I sighed and pushed the tray closer to her.

"You know, if you're not gonna eat, when mommy comes and picks you up and asks if you have been a good girl, I will have to tell her that you weren't." I bargain, sounding extra sad and dramatic. Panic settled in her face.

"No! I am a good girl, I just don't like those carrots." she appeals.

"Well, these carrots will help you to have really good eyes. Do you want to have good eyes?" I question her and to that she nods. "Then, eat the carrots alright?"

Sabrina, although ver reluctant, nodded and picked up the fork.

I watched and stayed with her as she finished her food and until lunch time was over. I wasn't the assigned teacher for the afternoon classes so I merely stayed behind and helped the others clean up with the dishes and then help play with the children.

As the day ended, their parents who worked mostly within the pack also came in to pick up their children.

After my day at the daycare, I usually visited the pack house and hang out with whoever was there. Sometimes, Caroline, Quincy and I would go to a nearby human town and shop or watch a movie.

Sometimes, I went home and just accompanied my parents or read a book in my room.

For a year, that's how my life has pretty much been.

It's been a year since I left Luna Flumine. I haven't seen Archer since I rejected him. That night, I packed what belonging I had and left first thing in the morning. I didn't want to see Archer, I couldn't.

I knew he was hurting and I was too. I feared that if I stayed, we would only hurt each other more.

Occasionally, I would hear news about him here and there, but I tried not to listen. Whenever his name comes up, I make it a point to leave and forget it because... well, in some ways, remembering him hurt.

When I returned to my home pack, I refused to see or talk to anyone. I locked myself in my room and pretty much just cried and poured my heart out to my poor pillows and bed.

At first, everyone was confused, especially my parents. My mom was beyond baffled, she didn't understand why I would be here, why I left my new pack, my responsibilities, my duty, my mate. But I explained it to her, very briefly and she didn't press on.

It was only after those two months that I had gathered the strength to truly explain to her what happened. And since then, they didn't ask me anything about the matter already and it was hardly touched upon.

News that a Luna had rejected an Alpha spread like wildfire, much less the Alpha of Luna Flumine. The gossipers and conspiracy theorists all placed in their unwanted opinions and theories of what happened to our relationship.

But I tried not to mind the rumours and gossips about us, about me or Archer.

Throughout the year, I had visited Hannah to see how they were doing. Baby Austin was absolutely adorable and I was so glad that he turned out healthy and strong.

It made me wonder if my child would've been the same.

"Thank you, Hazel," Hannah started when I was holding the sleeping Austin in my arms, "... and I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going through all of that when you helped me. I can only imagine how hard it must've been for you." she said.

I shook my head and placed a kiss on top of Austin's forehead. "It was the right thing to do."

I was also thankful that Hannah didn't pressure me to talk about Archer, she was kind like that. Although she would slip in a few information about him here and there, I didn't mind. It also satiated my curiosity of how he was doing also I would never admit that I am always wondering of how he's doing.

But he seems to be doing fine. And I'm happy for him.

We had talked a lot about the Strays too as they proliferated, even humans are starting to feel that there was something wrong. And so I had visited Chase and Maddie down south.

I visited them twice and both times I had to hold myself from hitting them both. I wondered many times if ants would start crawling on my skin with how sweet they were to each other, Chase being much more showy than Maddie of course.

I managed to obtain more information about Finn, Maddie's childhood friend, the person we suspect to be the one behind the creation of the Strays although the deeper I dug, the more obstacles I encountered.

What's more, it was dangerous. Chase warned me to leave the work to him and Archer, but I still did what I could. There's no way I would simply sit still while thousands are dying and losing their homes.

It's a Friday night and my parents had left for a fancy dinner somewhere for their date night. I was baking my favourite chocolate chip banana bread to pass time when my brother Nash came in our house.

I was just getting ready to have a marathon about this series called Gilmore Girls too, but seeing the look on the face of my brother, I knew that plan was getting ruined already.

"What's with that face?" I ask, pointing a spatula at him, being defensive and squinting my eyes at him. He usually came in insulting me or being loud, but this wasn't the case.

Did something happen to our parents? Oh my gosh, please no.

"I have to tell you something." he said while looking around, trying to see if I was doing anything important or urgent.

I washed my hands at the sink and wiped them on my aprons. He was lucky I had just put the banana bread in the oven.

"Okay, what's up?" I ask. He motioned to follow him and started walking to the living room.

Okay, this is getting weirder. Why is he being like this?

He sat at the sofa and I sat on another sofa.

As we sat down, I waited for him to start with whatever announcement he had to do. He looked perplexed, he looked like he was trying to find his words.

"Nash, what is it? Is it about mom and dad?"

He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye.

"It's... about Alpha Archer and Luna Flumine." he started and immediately, my heart dropped. Alright, I wasn't expecting this at all. I swallowed hard and nodded for him to continue. "Look, I know it's a hard topic for you and you don't want to talk about it, but they're asking for a favour."

"Favour? What kind of favour?" I asked quickly.

What would they need from me?

"You see, they haven't been doing well... The pack hasn't been doing well ever since you left. The women of the pack are having a hard time conceiving, the land is deteriorating and they're getting attacked more and more, no matter how strong their barriers are, it is easily broken into."

My eyes widened in shock and surprise. Luna Flumine? Women not being able to conceive? Land deteriorating? And worse-- getting attacked?

That's practically unheard of! No one has ever been able to lay a foot in their land for decades and now... what is happening?

And how come I'm only hearing of this now? I know I refused to hear any news of Archer and the pack, but news of attacks should have at least got to me!

"There's no exact proof, but it's most likely because of your rejection of Archer. It's rare that a marked Luna rejects an Alpha so of course it would affect the whole pack so it's the first time we see the consequences of a rejection to be so dire. The positions of a Luna and Alpha always affects the pack, but even they didn't expect this."

"I-- I can't believe this." I say and brought my hand to mouth, lightly biting on my finger, trying to think.

It made sense, a rejection always had a consequence. I was a Luna and Archer is an Alpha and like Nash said, a Luna rejecting an Alpha while we're already marked and mated is practically unheard of. I knew there would be consequences, I felt it physically for the first few months, but I never knew it would also have big consequences like this...

"This month alone, they've already been attacked three times. There were no casualties, of course, but their barrier is getting weaker as the days go by. They requested for you to visit the pack grounds, thinking that it might help..." Nash said and grew silent. "But it's okay if you don't want to go, we can just reject--"

"No. I will go."

If my rejection really was the cause of all of that, of course I had to go and help. I have to face the consequences of my actions, I know that, but at the very least, I hoped that my choices didn't hurt others.

But now I see that I failed in that also. I have to go and see what I can do for them, the pack doesn't deserve to suffer for my what happened to Archer and I.

"Are you sure? You don't have to this, you understand right?"

"No, Nash. I have to do this, for the pack. When will I go?" I ask, already imagining what it would be like to be back.

What it would be like to see Archer again...

"I'll relay them the message now. Since it's urgent, they will come pick you up right away so at most, they'll be here in two days."

That soon?

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright."

Well, there goes my Gilmore Girls night.

❀

I was waiting at the front porch of the pack house, trying to calm my beating heart down. In just a few moments, people from Luna Flumine will be coming to pick me up.

Funny, it reminded me of the first time Archer came with his people and I was also nerve wracked. But this time, I felt worse.

My heart was racing ever since last night, I hardly got any sleep, my stomach was churning and my hands were sweaty.

To make it worse, I wasn't even sure of who was coming to pick me up. Just like Nash had predicted, they would be here in two days.

I packed a few clothes, hoping it would be enough and hoping that I would be back in no time.

I also took those two short days to gather more information about what had been happening at Luna Flumine and just like they said, my rejection seemed to have been the cause.

Only a month after I rejected Archer and left the pack, the pack got attacked for the first time and have been regularly getting attacked. I also learned that in a span of a year, only four women got pregnant and gave birth.

Some of their rivers got contaminated by an unknown substance and it is killing animals that are living within the territory. They are still trying to figure out the cause, but so far, nothing.

My heart went out to them, I knew how hard working and nice the people of Luna Flumine were and I hate to see that they are suffering like this. Although I wasn't exactly comfortable with it, I will still go to their aid, if my presence really will help although I doubt it will.

Finally I see a car rounding up. My family and some of the pack leaders that waited with me stood up.

I tried to feel if Archer was inside the car, I tried to focus really hard, but I couldn't feel him. I couldn't catch his scent. I'm not sure if it's because our bond is severed, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't there.

When the car stopped, I saw Allan and Derek descend and no one else.

And slightly, ever so slightly, I felt disappointed.

Hazel, what were you thinking? Of course he wouldn't be here. And why are you even looking for him? You're the one that rejected him.

Shaking the thoughts aside, I stood up and greeted them. I hugged them both.

"I missed you two!" I say with a big smile on my face. They returned my smile and hugged me back, but I could see the bags under their eyes.

Maybe it was just me, but they didn't have the same joyful and carefree aura that they always had before. Right now, they seemed a bit more... tired?

"We missed you more." Allan responded.

"We hope you've been well." Derek seconded.

"Welcome to Aeternum, gentlemen." Nash, the current Alpha of our pack, greeted. After him, everyone else greeted the two.

We led them inside the pack house first for them to rest and get a meal before we would hit the road and they would be driving again.

I was insisting that they take a night break first because they looked really tired and I felt bad for them, but they said there's a lot of things that were needed to be done at the pack so I didn't press on.

It broke me when they looked so worried whenever they talked about the pack, it absolutely shattered me.

How can everything have gone so wrong, so fast?

After the meal, we were already scheduled to return to Luna Flumine. And again, I found myself bidding my family and friends goodbye for the second time. More now, because I had no idea when I would return.

"Take care, my love." my dad said as he kissed me on the forehead. I smiled and nodded while I moved on to my mom.

I know I must have broke my mom's dream of me becoming the perfect Luna, but she didn't show it. She's been so supportive through my healing journey and I had nothing but love and gratefulness for her for it.

"You always have a home here, Hazel. You remember that. Don't be too hard on yourself too." she said.

I didn't really understand what she wanted to say on that last part so I just nodded.

After bidding everyone else goodbye, I had finally let Allan lead me inside the car.

"He thought you wouldn't want to see him." Allan said as we were walking to the car.

"What?" I asked, turning to him.

"Archer. He didn't come because he thought you wouldn't want to see him."

Oh.

"Oh... uhm... okay."

I nodded and hopped inside the car, trying not to pay attention what Allan just revealed. Why would Archer think that?

"Let's go." Derek announced and off we went.