The Crystal Moon Curse: Book 5: TAKEN

Chapter 14. Leaving

QUILLA

"Ugh!"

I stomp out of my room and down to the kitchen.

The delicious aroma of Aunt Mishka's cooking fills the kitchen with warmth and my turbulent emotions start to settle as I go to stand beside her.

"I was going to cook your favorite borscht but it felt too much like goodbye so you get beef stew instead."

"I haven't decided what I'm doing Aunt Mishka, it's not goodbye yet," I reply picking up some dirty utensils and taking them to the sink.

"Are you sure? You know no one in this family will judge you for wanting to be with your birth parents. Plus you have a very determined mate out there, who I hear from your mother is the Alpha King. Now that is something, sweetie. Or is it Alpha Queen?" Aunt Mishka jokes in her usual teasing manner.

I almost drop the glass I'm about to put away, surpised Uncle Borra let her anywhere near the wolves. 

"You spoke to Neo?"

"Of course I did, and to Sebastian."

I shake my head and marvel at my aunt. She has always carried herself like a dutiful housewife, but it is her strength that has kept this famiy together.

"Your mother is remarkable." Aunt Mishka continues as she slowly stirs the stew. "I've never met an Alpha female before, and she's so much like you, and not just in appearance. If you want my advice, Kyra, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not taking the chance to go with them and spend time just being a wolf. That is after all who you are."

I slide into a seat at the dining table leaning onto my palm as she sets out the hot pot of stew.

"If I'm honest, I do want to get to know Neo and Sebastian," I say quietly.

"But?" Aunt Mishka prods hearing my unspoken hesitation.

"But Viggo," I reply kicking the tiles under the table. "He's so damn arrogant and conceited and hot and confusing and I just don't want him thinking I'm doing this for him."

Aunt Mishka chuckles, lifting my chin with her finger.

"Then don't do it for him. Do it for you," she says with a smile.

"Now get off your pretty tush and set the table.  Being a wolf Queen doesn't mean diddly in this den."

By the time everyone joins us my decision sits firmly in my heart. The fluctuating emotions in the center of my chest settle with Kyra's contentment and I know I have made the right decision.

When I tell my family the only response I get is acceptance and quiet love, even when I know my decision is hurting them all.

In true Karruk fashion, dinner proceeds with laughter, not-so-gentle teasing, and spectacularly foul language as if this dinner was like any other and there weren't lycans and wolves waiting to take me away. I love my family all the more for it.

Only Udyr does not attempt to hide the pain in his eyes every time he looks at me. More than once I see him staring at my neck with a scowl. We all ignore him, not attempting to draw him out. Udyr is Udyr.

He retires to his study as he always does after dinner and I potter through the house collecting a few of my scattered possessions lying about.

As I make my way up to my room I detour to Udyr's bedroom and into his wardrobe. He'll be pissed but I'll be far away by the time he finds out.

I yank his favorite thick woolen cardigan off the rack then make haste back to my bedroom, with a smile warming my cracking heart as I nuzzle into the cardigan drawing his heavy bear scent. It may irritate my wolf but Udyr will always be home, the center of my safety and I shove Kyra aside and tuck the cardigan into the bottom of my rucksack.