Chapter 11: The Moon Child And An Impatient Alpha


    Arthur marched past his game on the ground and moved cautiously amongst the trees in the bush as


    the sound of the baby’s cry got closer.


    It caused him to increase his pace and from moving hastily, he had broken into a run, his heart racing


    with uncertainty.


    He jumped over a log of wood and a fallen tree crossing his path before sighting a hill twice his height.


    He could tell that the baby’s cry wasing from the hill. Could the child be alone? He wondered. Who


    would leave a child by itself?


    Standing behind a tree, Arthur scanned the area with his eyes and he was grateful for the full moon


    which allowed him to see quite well. He could find no one and neither could he make out any


    movements from the surrounding area.


    Quickly, he breezed forward, covering the space between him and the hill. Then he circled over to the


    other side of the hill and gasped as he found a newborn baby girl on thep of its dying mother.


    The woman looked to be about his age. She was seated on the ground, her back leaning against the


    hill. Her eyes were barely open, and her face was sweaty. There was blood around her and she could


    barely move. Her hands were bloody and she was clutching a small knife in one hand.


    He could see that she had been trying to cut the umbilical cord connecting her and the baby. She had


    already tied makeshift mps - a thin cloth around the cord in two ces just apart from each other.


    Arthur quickly retrieved the knife from her limp hand and cut the cord at the middle of the makeshift


    mps. The woman barely winced and twitched but he heard a faint “thank you.” from her lips. He


    gave her an understanding nod and with a great effort, she slowly began moving her head leftwards.


    At first, he was confused but quickly discerned that she was trying tomunicate something to him.


    He looked around in the direction she was moving her head to, thinking with fear that someone was


    there but he found no one.


    “Down.” she managed to whisper and he looked down on the ground at her left side where he saw for


    the first time, a paper that appeared to have been torn from an old book.


    When she nodded, he picked it up and quickly read the words out.


    “In turmoil, a child will be born under the full moon. The moon will leave its mark on her. The moon child


    is destined to mate the Alpha…” Arthur stopped because the paper did not contain the rest of the


    words. It had been torn off from that point.


    “The words are notplete.” he said, looking from the paper to the woman who nodded as if to say, I


    know and so he stuck the paper inside the pocket of his cks. He knew that there was more of the


    prophecy but there was nothing he could do for now.


    Staring up at the full moon, the only thought on his mind was hope for the survival of the woman


    because he just could not see himself as the right person to raise a newborn baby, especially one


    marked by prophecy.


    Everything ying out was just too overwhelming.


    He could not help but keep staring up at the full moon, then at the naked child on her mother’sp. A


    gasp of shock escaped his lips as a mark appeared on the side of the baby’s stomach.


    It was a tattoo of the full moon, round but lifelike. The woman saw it too and gave abored sigh that


    spoke of satisfaction.


    Arthur reached out his hand and touched the fascinating mark. The lifelike appearance of the mark


    dimmed and it became a regr tattoo. When he looked to the baby’s mother, her mouth was open as


    she tried to speak.


    “Call her Arda.” She managed to whisper. Then her head tilted sideways, her eyes going still as she


    went limp, giving up the ghost.


    The baby’s crying intensified as though she was aware of her mother’s passing. Arthur took pity on the


    child. He drew a deep breath and sighed before closing the woman’s eyes. Then he carried the baby in


    his arms and tried to soothe her.


    “Shh…don’t be afraid little one.” He cooed but the child continued to cry and refused to beforted.


    Still, he kept trying to calm her. “Little one,” He said, “I don’t have much to go on concerning your story


    and I don’t think that I’m the right person for this job but I will do my best to take care of you. And I’ll


    start by ensuring that your beloved mother is not buried in this forest. I will get help and have her buried


    among my ancestors, because you are now family…until the time of your destinyes when you will


    mate the Alpha ording to the prophecy, dear moon child…Arda.”


    ***


    Arthur returned to the present and looked at Arda who was now staring at the mark on her hand.


    “So, in the end she’s like a special freak of nature or something.” Mabel remarked.


    “Shut up.” Arthur told her. “And leave this ce. I’ve had it with your stupidity.”


    “Whatever dad, I’m just d the truth is out. Now we all know who inherits everything.” She stood up


    and stormed towards the rooms.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    “It’s not like your parents are billionaires you stupid child.” Mrs. Arthur threw after her before they all


    heard a door mming shut.


    “How long has she known about it?” Arda asked.


    “She knew about it since she was eight but not the details.” Arthur responded. “She just knew that you


    were adopted.”


    “Okay. Well, how did she know?”


    “Somehow, she identally overheard us in the bedroom.” Arthur answered.


    “We told her not to say anything.” Added Mrs. Arthur.


    Finally, Arda understood why she and Mabel could never get along. Mabel knew she was not family


    and probably hated that she had to share her parent’s love.


    “It’s okay.” Arda said to them. Then she smiled at her father. “Dad pleasee and sit over here with


    us.”


    He gave her a little smile and came to sit by her so that she was sandwiched between them. Then she


    wrapped her arms around them both. “You were really brave that night, dad. And mum, I’m d you


    didn’t tell him to give me up or something.”


    Mrs. Gray gave her a warm smile.


    “Seriously, I can just imagine some other woman saying hey, honey there is no way I’m nursing a child I


    don’t know.”


    She had mimicked the voice of a hysterical woman and her parents managed tough.


    “I love you both.” She told them. “I always will. Nothing has changed.”


    “We love you too.” They both said and her mother ced a kiss on her forehead.


    Arda still felt loved. At the same time she felt empty. She wanted to talk about the Alpha but she


    changed her mind. There was no need topound issues. From her research the previous night,


    everything seemed to be falling in ce.


    Now, she knew she was not ordinary and that she was fated to marry the Alpha who obviously was a


    bloody werewolf. That exined Luke’s headaches. But that won’t stop her from trying to find love and


    live a normal life. She didn’t care about the prophecy, the moon or the Alpha.


    She just wanted to live a normal life, graduate, get a job, find a nice boy and raise a normal family. The


    Alpha would have to find someone else. Besides, he was so authoritative.


    She couldn’t even imagine being with such a person if he could be called that. She was tempted there


    and then to ask God to tell her who she offended for her life to be like this but she didn’t want to cause


    her parents more worry. They had already been through so much.


    For now, she would look forward to participating in the birthmark show, try to forgive her friends, face


    her project and ignore the Alpha-whoever he was. The next time he contacted her, she would tell him to


    go to hell and burn to ashes.


    ***


    Gillow stared at the image of his fated mate on the rustic page of the bulky ancient book on his brawny


    desk. Moonchild was the ancient scribble written down below her image.


    The drawing of the image was perfect. She was beautiful, pure and looked so innocent. She would look


    perfect by his side in this castle. She would look perfect with him.


    It was a miracle that she was still untouched by a man but he did not see that going on for much longer.


    Following her and seeing her with that boy at the restaurant the other day had angered him but he had


    managed to control himself. He really appreciated the work of the guardian who was keeping him


    abreast of her affairs.


    “Elder, how much longer before I im her?” he asked the long bearded elderly man standing before


    him. “She is grown and is already testing love. It is a problem to me.”