Chapter 21

As Ethan stood at the edge of the Moonlit Meadow, his heart was beating like a wild horse. The full moon gave off a magical light that lit up everything. He could feel its energy moving through him. It was a memory of the old power that bound his kind.

Amelia stood next to him, and the moonlight shone in her eyes. Their feelings for each other grew stronger every day, and Ethan was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. But he needed to know something, something that had been bothering him.

"Amelia," he said in a low, anxious voice, "you're not telling me something. Something you did in the past."

Amelia's eyes moved back and forth, and for a moment, she looked unsure. Then, she gave him a firm nod and said, "You're right, Ethan. I haven't told you everything."

Ethan's heart was pounding with a mix of fear and desire. He needed to know the truth, even if it would hurt. "Tell me," he kept saying.

She took a deep breath, and in the moonlight, her chest moved up and down. "I come from a family of witches," she said. "Not just any witches, though. We are Moon Witches, and our ancestors were priestesses who used to worship the Moon Goddess herself.

His eyes got bigger. Moon Witches were rare, and their magic was closely tied to the phases of the moon. People said that their powers were both lovely and scary.

"My family has always been in charge of keeping a very important object safe," Amelia said. "A piece of history that could change the future of our kind. Its name is "Lunar Heart."

Ethan's mind raced as he thought about how important what she said was. The Lunar Heart was a myth among werewolves. It was said to be a charm that could change people's lives. It was said that whoever had it could break the ties between people who were meant to be together.

"Gabriel," Ethan said in a whisper. The name made him feel sick. "He must already know about this."

Amelia gave a serious nod. "Yes, and because of that, I had to go hide. I had to make sure that the Lunar Heart didn't end up in the wrong hands."

Ethan's will got stronger. He had to give her help. "We can't give Gabriel access to it. We must first find it."

Amelia's eyes were full of thanks. "I knew you would get it. The Lunar Heart is hidden in the middle of the Moonlit Meadow, but strong spells keep people from getting to it. It can only be reached by a Moon Witch."

Ethan's heart beat faster. The Moonlit Meadow was a mysterious and dangerous place, and he was about to go on a quest that could change everything.

As they got closer to the center of the starry field, their hands touched, starting a spark of desire that neither of them could ignore. The moon saw that they had the same goal, that their fates were linked, and that they had an unsaid promise of a love that would beat all chances.

But as they got closer to their goal, a dark figure stood in the shadows at the edge of the field and watched them. The race for the Lunar Heart had just turned into a dangerous one in which more than one heart was at risk.

As Ethan and Amelia went deeper into the Moonlit Meadow, the moon was low in the sky and cast long, creepy shadows. Every step felt like a heartbeat, and you could feel the anxiety in the air.

Amelia's voice was a whisper that was hard to hear over the sound of the leaves moving. "The Lunar Heart is hidden beneath the ancient Oak of Destiny," she said, keeping her eyes on the twisted tree ahead. "But I'll have to do a ritual to get to it."

Ethan nodded, his senses tingling with excitement. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that someone was watching them. "What kind of a ritual?"

When Amelia's fingers touched his arm, it made him shiver. "A ritual of moonlight and blood," she said. "It's the only way to wake up the protective wards and show the Lunar Heart."

Amelia quickly took a small knife out of her pocket. The moonlight shone off the sharp edge of the knife. She made a small cut on her palm, and Ethan watched as her blood fell to the ground and made complex patterns that glowed silvery-white.

The ground shook beneath them, and the old Oak of Destiny seemed to come to life, with its limbs trembling as if in anticipation. The air crackled with energy, and Ethan felt a rush of strength unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Amelia's voice rose, and the night was filled with her spells. As the moon reached its highest point, the air seemed to tremble with magic.

Then, with one last word, the ground under the Oak of Destiny moved, showing a secret room with a soft, pulsing light. In the middle of it was the Lunar Heart, a diamond ball that seemed to be made of the moon itself.

When Ethan saw the item, he couldn't get his breath out of his mouth. It was both beautiful and strange. The light from it made multicolored patterns on the walls of the room.

But just as they were amazed, a frightening howl cut through the air. Gabriel's words rang through the field, an eerie warning of the danger that was nearby.

Ethan said, "We have to go now," and he kept his eyes on the Lunar Heart.

Amelia nodded, but before they could run away, a dark figure stepped out of the darkness and blocked their way. It was Amelia's sister Isabella, whose eyes were filled with a mix of anger and hopelessness.

"You can't take it," Isabella hissed, keeping her eyes on the Lunar Heart. "It's a family tradition. Our right by birth."

Amelia was begging with her words. "Isabelle, you just don't get it. This has nothing to do with heritage or destiny. It's about making sure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands."

Isabella's face changed for a moment. She was torn between wanting to be loyal to her sister and wanting to keep their family's past alive. But there wasn't much time left.

Ethan grabbed Amelia's hand, which had the Lunar Heart in it. "We have to go," he said over and over again.

As they left the room, the ground shook again, closing the place where the Lunar Heart was hidden. The field seemed angry that they were there, and the moon was there to see their dangerous getaway.

Gabriel's cries could be heard in the distance as Ethan and Amelia rushed against time, their hearts beating at the same rate, and their fate was in the balance. The Lunar Heart was the key to their

future together, but getting there was dangerous and unclear.