The Moon Goddess' Chosen

355 Deep Instincts

Cole followed the woman keeping wary of the moving vines. The deeper they went, the faster they moved and attempted to block their progress. Cole found that he had to dodge a branch that stuck out almost too suddenly. The first time this happened, he looked at the branch and wondered whether it had been trying to knock him unconscious.

After a few more times, however, once when he had to leap over the approaching root and another when he had to completely evade one aiming for his stomach, he was becoming more convinced that he wasn’t a special guest at all, “I thought you said they were going to try and keep the others out, but not the three of us,” the man asked her, dodging yet another one, pulling his unconscious mate closer to his body.

The king thought he felt Katie shift her weight, but diverted his attention when the groan of tree bark became audible with the moving plantlife. Without noticing it, the two of them dodged much more vines than before and started to pant in exhaustion.

“Yes, that is what I know, but my information is incomplete. I know the royals are the only ones that have access to places like this. Royals and a few special beings, but each one gets permission from divine power,” the woman said to him, “Have you ever read anything about the origin?”

“No, I have never read anything about the Origin. Up until a few days ago, that was all but a myth to me. Why would something like the Origin of Werewolves exist in the first place and no one’s been able to find it,” the man grunted? The vines were stepping up their game and now working much faster. At some point, the trees before them completely moved together and merged at the stem blocking their path completely. The two then moved to the side to find another way to keep going forward.

“The Origin exists and just like this forest is protecting the place where you and your mate met the moon goddess, the Origin protects itself. I have been...” the woman was stopped in her tracks when more trees moved together and completely blocked their path this time. The trees behind them were starting to do the same. Fear was starting to set, “Damn it. It’s trying to lock us in. I have been the guardian of the forest for a long time and not once has the place rejected me. What am I missing?”

Cole looked around and realised they were about to be sandwiched by the trees, “Come on,” Cole called the woman and started walking through the tunnel the trees were starting to form. Going back was going to be a better option, when the alpha found an opening to leave, the trees quickly barred his way as well, “Wait, why can’t we go back as well?”

“We are intruders now. The forest won’t let us leave,” the woman said to Cole.

“You speak like the forest has a mind of its own,” Cole yelled, trying to find another opening. This time though, the trees blocked the tunnel-like exit she was trying to use and started pushing in on them from both sides.

.....

“Well, with divine magic, a lot is possible. I wouldn’t put it against this forest to have a mind of its own,” the woman said, starting to breathe badly.

“Then talk to it, damn it. You talk to so many creatures. Can’t you talk to this forest as well?” the man asked.

“That is a desperate point, King of Werewolves. I can talk to animals. My name is Fauna. It has nothing to do with...”

“I don’t care about that at the moment. You’re standing with the Moon Goddess’s chosen and are about to be killed by a forest. The world is doomed if nothing happens. I need ideas,” Cole argued with her.

The woman stopped arguing and looked around for some way out. The vines only kept slithering and merging to form much sturdier branches that sealed their escape routes. The girl within Cole’s arms started squirming involuntarily, “Come on, Katie, you’re not making this any easier by struggling,” Cole complained, trying to keep her still. Her weakness made it easy for him to still her, but he could tell she was not comfortable.

The girl could be detecting a missing requirement to our entry. I certainly have no idea what we’re missing,” Fauna tried suggesting.

“Have you looked at the girl you’re trying to use at the moment?” Cole growled at her.

“Yes, I have, but at this rate, we’re going to be trapped. Try getting something from her actions. It could be a sign. I heard from one of the creatures that she had a very sharp intuition. It could be that same intuition trying to get her mate out of trouble,” the woman tried. Pushing on the vines in an effort to slow their approach. At first, it looked like they were merely trapping them, but as time went on, it became clear that they were closing in closer and closer. They were going to be crushed.

Finally seeing no way out, Cole placed Katie down and stared at her, searching her movements for a clue. Her fists kept clenching, but something out of it was odd. Her nails kept extending into claws and retracting all the same. She didn’t have enough energy to sustain a shift, but Cole could tell it was her aim, “Katie, closing your fist and shifting is quite dangerous,” the man reached out to stop her from hurting herself.

When he held her hands, she strained to fight him until she gave up. The man sighed in relief, “This is no time for you to be relieved. We are in a bit of a pickle here,” the old woman yelled at him, skidding backwards from the force of the trees closing in.

“I know, but Katie was going to harm herself if she kept it up. I couldn’t help myself,” Cole shrugged, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his mate’s ear. When he looked back at her beautiful face, he noticed her lower lip pulled into her mouth, caught in between her teeth. Her jaw trembled with strain from what she wanted to do. Cole brought his hand to the girl’s lip and gently pulled her lip out, “Now you’re trying to bite your lip? What’s this all about?”