Page 155 of A Broody Mate for the Human

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“Alright, I promise,” he exclaims, in a louder voice this time.

I nod contentedly, squeezing his shoulder. Fortunately, one of the SUVs approaches us now to gather the mess and further clean the blood off the parking space. A second one arrives shortly after it to transport the prisoners, and a third, probably for Annie and the rest of us.

When I turn around to go back to Annie and Ella, I notice the remaining group of guards staring at me in surprise. Annie and Ella exchange a gaze before Ella grins and gives me a thumbs up.

Chapter fifty

The Silver Luna

*DAVE*

Thishastobethe weirdest day I ever had… though… no… Sugar eating our attackers was definitely weirder. I should feel terrified of what happened and scared at how Ella so effortlessly killed another person.

But I am not. Not even a bit.

I just feel pissed that someone tried to kidnap Esme, and I’m beyond angry they would attack my luna and… I pause at my own thoughts, realizing it’s the first time I think of Annie as my actual luna. Maybe Jun was right when he once told me how I was made to live in their world. I just feel protectiveness over the woman who is the heart of my pack, and I feel anger that someone tried to attack my fellow pack members.

During the car ride home, Annie tells me more about how they handle such issues in public. Humans shouldn’t unnecessarily find out about werewolves. It’s what she called a code red before. It’s also the reason they normally come with several cars and backup plans just in case something happens.

“And what about the blockade?” I ask curiously. “Ella said she’d put one up.”

“It’s my gift,” Ella explains. “I can put up mental blockades.” She pauses, seemingly searching for the right words. “I can put up something like an invisible barrier, and whoever wanted to leave for the rooftop or heard you scream will suddenly change their minds the moment they approach the barrier.”

“Wow,” I say breathlessly. “Like mind control.”

“No.” Ella shakes her head. “It has nothing to do with getting into someone’s head. It’s really just a barrier I put up… like a protection spell on us,” she explains.

“Gifts that influence the mind are normally gifts only the royal lycans or special wolves receive,” Annie explains. “Liam can detect lies, for example, he can connect to someone else’s mind, he can even influence someone’s decisions and read the feelings of a person.”

“What?” My eyes widen. “That’s crazy.”

“One of his brothers can even read thoughts and hypnotize weaker-minded people,” Annie says. “However, gifts that influence a mind are tricky. It’s not as simple as it sounds. It needs a lot of training. It’s bulletproof, and it’s very hard to learn and master.”

“Like Liam’s father,” Ella says. “Alpha Elden… he has the ability to look into the future, but it’s not like he can press a button, and everything gets revealed to him. It’s like several strings leading from a situation to several others… sometimes a thousand possibilities.”

I nod thoughtfully. “I think I understand. From a psychological viewpoint, that’s very interesting though. Do you think once I settled in the pack properly, I could start researching this a bit?”

Annie smiles. “Remember when we said that the plan is to make you an advisor one day?”

I nod.

“Once you have become one, you will have a lot more opportunities.”

“A new life goal then.” I grin.

“We’re approaching the border to the pack,” Ella interrupts us, and suddenly the atmosphere turns serious again.

“Liam’s approaching. I can feel him,” Annie says earnestly. She leans forward towards the two guards who are sitting in the front. “I will talk to the alpha.”

“Yes, Luna.”

The moment we pass the border, the SUV in front of us comes to an instant halt, making us and the one behind us stop too. Annie unbuckles her seatbelt while Ella opens the car. They both climb out of it swiftly. For a moment I considered whether I should wait here or follow them, but none of them said anything, so I carefully exit the car, too, but stay further behind the others.

I can see a wolf approaching us… though it doesn’t really look like a normal wolf. More like a wolfen beast… it’s enormous, easily towering over the cars, with eyes so blue, gleaming through the lingering dusk, and fur thick and black like the night. Right behind it, there is a silver-grey beast following, not as tall or strong as the black one but still strong enough to put most other creatures to shame.

I feel my anxiety rising, and for a split second I wonder if we should make a run for it, but then I notice how everyone else seems to wait for them to approach. The tension of the others is high enough, but they aren’t running or moving.