Bound To The Moon Priestess Chapter 04

Bound To The Moon Priestess Chapter 04

The sun was supposed to protect the moon, wasn’t he?

I’d gotten used to it.

So when those rogues pulled out their silver daggers, I charged without a second thought, fought them like a wild animal. I wasn’t gonna let them lay a finger on Isara.

The racket got loud enough to draw the patrol wolves, and the rogues retreated pissed off.

I wiped the blood off my forehead, wrapped my own wounds as best I could, then reached down to pull my sister to her feet. The patrol escorted us to the werewolf infirmary.

Roran got the word fast. He hurried over, and the first thing he spotted was the scrape on my sister’s knee.

“Caelum, why can’t you just be more careful?

“She’s hurt. Is this how you protect your sister when you’re supposed to?”

He was so keyed up he let his Alpha pressure roll out, and the air turned ice-cold.

Isara was still sniffling from the shock, and she shook her head to defend me, but couldn’t get any words out.

“Hey, Roran, ease up.” Leoric stepped in and clapped him on the shoulder. “Caelum’s hurt too—his cuts are still bleeding. You can’t chew him out over this.”

Only then did Roran notice the blood seeping through my bandages. His voice stalled.

He didn’t say another word, just turned and left to go pay the bill.

Leoric knew he was in a mood, so he followed to talk him down.

From far away, I heard Roran’s cold voice drift back. “He’s the Sun Priest, protecting his sister’s part of his job. And besides, he’s arrogant, sullen, never says a word—just stares at Isara. I don’t trust him anywhere near her…”

I stared at my boots and scuffed a loose rock with the toe of my shoe.

I didn’t say a single word back.

My gold priest’s robe felt heavier than ever against my shoulders.

…

When Roran dropped us off at our building, he called me over before I could head inside.

“You left this notebook behind.”

I thanked him and snatched it quick. I was already turning for the stairs when he said, quiet as anything, “Your handwriting looks really familiar.”

I froze. I spun around to stare at him, shocked.

“Knew it.” Roran said, my reaction was all the confirmation he needed.

No surprise, no guilt over misjudging me.

He just said calmly, “Caelum, let’s just pretend none of this ever happened, okay? I don’t want anyone else finding out.

“Honestly, the way you look at me? It’s gross.”

Rain pounded my face, cold as tears rolling down my skin.

I swiped the water off my cheeks and roared.

“Get the hell out of my face, you asshole!

“I don’t want anything to do with you!”

I stormed inside, furious and heartbroken, and I couldn’t stop crying. I wanted to scream, I wanted to demand answers.

Why was everyone so unfair to me?

Dad saw me and pressed a finger to his lips.

“Your sister just fell asleep…”

But the silence was suffocating, it made me want to lose it.

I screamed through my sobs. “Dad, Mom, I don’t wanna wear this stupid Sun Priest robe anymore!

“I wanna be me again, I wanna be a girl, I wanna grow my hair out, I wanna dance in the moonlight…

“Why is this happening to me! It wasn’t my fault Isara got sick! Why do I have to be the priest? Why do I have to carry all this?”

It was the first time I’d ever let all my anger out.

Mom lost it, she stepped forward and slapped me right across the face.

“What’s wrong with you? Who upset you, that you have to take it out on us?”

My face burned like fire.

I couldn’t stay there another second. I shoved the door open and ran out.

Behind me, I heard Isara wake up. She rubbed her eyes and stepped out. “Why is Caelum crying? He’s still got the mind of a kid, why can’t he grow up and be a mature man like Roran?”

Dad asked, “Who set him off?”

Mom said coldly, “Who knows.”

The rain poured harder outside.

I hid under the overhang of an old cave, but I had nowhere else to go. I hugged myself and sobbed until my chest hurt. Slowly, I felt my body go ice-cold, but my head was on fire.

Someone stopped right in front of the cave, holding an umbrella.

“Caelum?”

Leoric called my name a couple times, and when I didn’t answer he squatted down next to me and pressed his palm to my forehead.

“Jesus, you’re burning up. You got a fever, huh?”

He went to pull me to my feet, but I stumbled and fell right into his chest.

Leoric gently lowered me to the ground.

“This robe of yours is getting in the way… I’ll take it off you first. If I ruin it you can make me pay, I just hope it’s not too expensive.”

He mumbled to himself as he undid the clasps of my robe.

And then, the air in the cave shifted.

Leoric froze. He stared at me, wide-eyed—every sharp werewolf sense in his body was screaming the truth at him.

“Caelum…

“You… you’re a girl?”