Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

"All I ever wanted was to make you feel like a princess,” Karl says as the twirl ends and I come close again, so close that our bodies are pressing up against one another. “Nothing short of that.”

As the music swells around us, our movements become more fluid, more intimate. The world seems to fade away, leaving only Karl and me in our own little world. I'm reminded once again of how things were; of the undeniable chemistry between us, the chemistry which I've tried so hard to deny over the past three years.

And at the end of the dance, our faces draw closer, and it's as if the universe is pulling us together. Our lips are mere inches apart, and I can feel the heat of his breath against my skin.

I want to kiss him in front of everyone, and I know he wants to kiss me. Right now, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

But just as our lips are about to meet, I pull away at the last moment. Confusion and disappointment flicker in Karl's eyes, but I can't bring myself to explain. Instead, I offer him a weak smile and slip away into the crowd, disappearing like a phantom.

As I navigate through the sea of masks and gowns, I can't help but feel a sense of turmoil inside of me. My wolf stirs restlessly, questioning my decision.

"Why did you pull away?" she asks, her voice tinged with frustration. “That could have been perfect.” I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I'm not sure if I can stay here, in the countryside,” I reply. “Getting together with Karl would make things... difficult. Too difficult.”

My wolf is silent for a moment, and then she says, “Is that really it? Or are you just frightened of opening yourself up to him again, like you did before?”

Her words make a lump form in my chest. I need to breathe, need to think. The gardens out back call to me, and so I slip through the crowd and push open the double French doors leading to the backyard.

As I step outside, I'm greeted by a gust of cool wind and the serenity of the countryside.

The pristine blanket of snow covers everything in sight, and the distant twinkle of stars in the night sky fills me with a sense of peace. But there's also a hollowness, a longing for the vibrancy of the city life that I've come to enjoy.

I take a seat on a wrought-iron bench, the cold metal biting through the fabric of my gown. I can't help but remember how much I missed the tranquility of the countryside, but at the same time, I miss the bustle of the city now.

It feels as if I'm currently torn between two worlds, and I'm unable to fully embrace either of them. And to hell with it: maybe I am afraid to open myself up to him. Maybe I'm fucking terrified because I can feel myself falling again, falling back into the way things were before, and maybe it'll just lead to another heartbreak.

I'm not sure how long I sit there; long enough to make my fingers like ice, that's for sure. But I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice at all; in fact, I'm so lost in my thoughts that I hardly notice the tap on my shoulder.

Startled, I look up to see Karl standing there, his mask in hand, his expression unreadable.

“Abby,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper, “can I sit with you?”