Page 1 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

“Nora!”

I tremble in fear. The voice calling my name from next door freezes my hands immediately. He walks in with his bloodshot eyes, and I can guess what is coming. I bite my lip. The small kitchen seems way too narrow at this instant, and I instinctively step back as he approaches.

He raises his hand, and before I can say a word, slaps me.

“Don’t run away when I’m calling you!”

I can feel the burn on my cheek and do my best to keep my eyes down. If I look him in the eyes, he will get even madder. He unleashes at me, his voice echoing with anger in the room.

“Why is the food not ready, huh? Everyone is waiting because of you! Do you feel you can make everyone wait? Are you happy to make us wait? You useless trash! The Alpha is mad at me because of you!”

The slaps keep coming before I even get a chance to talk back. He doesn’t care for my explanation. Why is it so unfair? It isn’t my fault! Rory and Bill came late with the groceries they were supposed to bring hours ago! I had to start later than planned, and despite that, I tried to get it done as fast as possible, I really did! But it was just an impossible task. Why do I get a beating?

My brother doesn’t care; he won’t listen to me. He is just a mad, angry beast. I can only try to cover my face with my arms as the blows keep coming.

“Brother, please, stop!” I beg as my tears run down.

“Who are you calling your brother? I have no useless trash sister like you!”

But I am his blood sister! How can he say that? His words are as painful as his hits. Alec used to care for me. He used to love me and play with me. But that was a long time ago, in our childhood. Everything changed for the worst when our parents died. He was twelve, and I was seven.

He found us late, on a stormy night, in a bloodbath. I remember it all. The horror on his face, the shock in his eyes, and how he ran away from the scene. His attitude changed completely after that.

He finally stops hitting me, out of breath, but still red from anger. It hurts so much. I keep my arms up around myself, just in case, but he steps back. “Hurry up! I’ll kill you if you don’t hurry! You useless thing!”

He leaves the room, and I slowly lower my arms, still shaking. I try not to cry, but I can feel tears filling my eyes. I get up, ignoring the pain. I need to resume cooking...

I try not to touch the painful areas. It hurts so badly. New bruises will add to the ones I already have. Sometimes it hurts for days, and the pain won’t let me sleep. Can I ever escape this? Sometimes I fear he will really end up killing me.

I finish cooking and bring the plates to the dining hall. Many pairs of eyes follow my every move. Some pack members smirk after me, and some pretend I don’t exist. I prefer the latter. I keep my eyes down and put one plate on the table after another, hoping no one is in the mood to mess with me today.

I’m almost done serving when I can feel something on my thigh. A big hand is gripping me! I get away from the disgusting touch with a shiver and realize it’s Marcus. He is more than twice my age and a real pervert. I can’t hold a squeak of disgust and step back hurriedly.

At the end of the table, our Alpha, Vince, hits the table with his fist as soon as he hears me, making me jump. “Nora! Shut up and get out of there! Who wants to see your face when we are about to eat! Get out!”

I run away from this room filled with looks of hate and disgust. Some members of the pack even smirk or whistle when I walk by them. I quickly cover my scar with my hair as I exit the room.

I can only breathe again when I finally reach the empty kitchen. Grabbing some leftovers from the fridge, I hurry downstairs. I don’t want to be there when everyone comes out of the dining room.

The basement of the main house is a large, dusty room, filled with overused furniture, broken things, and old stuff no one wants. And me.

I retreat to the yellowish rundown old couch and sit to eat my cold lasagna. This place is where I feel the safest. No one comes here, and no one knows I live here. Yes, this is my room. It has been for the past nine years... I tried to sort it to make it comfier, but I can never get used to it. It’s dusty, no matter how many times I try to clean it, and there is just one small window. It doesn’t have any heater. The winter nights are almost unbearable, even when I gather all the old clothing and blankets I can to cover myself.

Facing me, a large, broken mirror shows my shattered reflection.

The scolding from the Alpha comes back to me. I had forgotten about my scar. I must have put my hair behind my ear without thinking while cooking. I don’t like it either. She runs from my eyebrow to my jaw in an irregular, vivid red line. I brush my hair with my fingers, trying to hide this hideous scar with my dark curls.

I find the girl in the mirror so pitiable... She’s scrawny, petite, and pale. I look like a sickly kid when I’m already seventeen. I envy the other girls from the pack. Girls like Jessica or Amber, with their feminine looks, curvy bodies, and confident attitude. They are the same age as me, but we are nothing alike. All I can do is try to live as quietly as possible, avoid my brother’s wrath, and the pack members’ mean looks. They all hate me.

Suddenly, I wake up, still on the couch. Oh, Moon Goddess, did I fall asleep here? My brother is going to kill me! I get up as quickly as I can and run up the stairs, but as I exit the basement, I can already hear him.

“Nora! Useless freak! Where are you hiding! Wait ‘till I get you!”

I freeze next to the basement stairs. What time is it? I try to think of something to explain my absence, but nothing comes to mind. Alec is yelling again, from outside. He must be looking for me, thinking I went to the forest. Our pack is on the outskirts of the city, making it easy for us to take a run whenever we want to. For those who can shapeshift...

I take a few steps in the kitchen, hesitating. Should I try to go to the dining room and start cleaning up like nothing happened? Or I could try going upstairs to hide in one of the rooms...

A wave of pain violently hits me from my scalp. My hair is violently grabbed from behind, and I lose balance as I’m forcefully pulled.

“Found her!” Says a feminine voice. “Alec, I got your bitch sister!”

It’s Amber, not letting me go no matter how I try to escape her. My brother storms in and hits me hard–so hard that I hit the floor.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I beg, sobbing already, “Alec, I’m sorry, I just...”

“Won’t you shut the hell up! Where were you hiding, you bitch! You thought the chores would get done by itself? Or were you hoping someone would do it for you, huh?”

“Why the hell is the Alpha keeping this girl, again? She’s so useless and dumb!” Says Amber.

“I’m sorry, I’ll do it right away! Sorry!” I sob.

I get up to reach the sink and run the water to start washing dishes, trying to keep my tears in. My brother and Amber keep growling, but at least he has stopped hitting me. He won’t get too violent whenever someone else is in the room, especially a girl.

“If you run away or hide from your chores again, I will kill you!” He swears as he exits the room, followed by Amber, who can’t resist smirking at me.

...I’m so sick of it.

When will this stop? This is my hell, day after day. I’ve tried running away. I did. But Alec is faster than me, and I got the worst beating ever when he caught me. How could I outrun any wolf when I can’t shapeshift myself?

I wish they just let me go, but where would I go next? I don’t have any other relatives and no friends. I’m penniless too. Where would I go...? Don’t cry, Nora. Stop. It’s useless.

“Give it to me, I said!”

I shake my head, confused. “I don’t have anything, I swear! He didn’t give me anything, Alec, he really didn’t! You know he gives it all to you!”

He growls in anger, but it’s true. What is wrong with him? I just got back from work, and he started searching, even emptied the content of my bag on the floor. Now he keeps asking me for the money. But what money? He knows Robert gives him all my salaries! I never see a single cent I work so hard for!

Even the customer’s tips, Robert just takes it from me as soon as my shift is over! I could never hide any of it! And Moon Goddess knows I wish I could!

“Why do you ask? Do ... Do you have money issues again?” I ask.

He glares back at me, furious. “Again? Isn’t that your fault I’m ruined! You are just a damn waste of money! Can’t you work harder? How am I supposed to make it through with this measly paycheck you get?”

I’m astounded by his words. How dare he? I work like a slave all day and night! The Alpha makes me do all the chores for the pack, from cooking to laundry to cleaning the whole house, everything on my own. And Alec got me this job at the local pub when I was fifteen, making me work those crazy shifts for half of the night! I can only get a few hours of rest at night, and it is never enough.

He, on the other hand, has never had a proper job. He is twenty-three, but Alec says he doesn’t need a job because he must focus on the pack, for when he will be chosen as the next Beta. As if that would ever happen. Even I know there is no way my brother will ever get that position. No decent Alpha would ever appoint someone so lazy and self-centered as a Beta.

However, Alec is convinced otherwise. That only makes him act even more unreasonably. He just spends money whenever he wants and shows off in front of his friends while I must watch. That money is what I earn with my sweat, and yet Alec is the one who spends it. How can he pretend I’m the one he uses it on? I don’t own anything but a few clothes! I don’t even have a bed, and I can only eat leftovers if there’s any.

So why is he now interrogating me like I’m some thief?

“Anyway, you will be working tomorrow night,” he says.

“What? But I haven’t had a day off in weeks! And the Alpha wants me to make dinner– another pack will be visiting! I won’t make it in time if...”

“I don’t care!” Alec yells. “It’s your problem, not mine! You will go to work, and I’ll kill you if you don’t! And the Alpha better not be mad at me because of you!”

I stand there, shocked, as he exits the room. What’s wrong with him? He has never told me to do anything that might upset the Alpha, and now he wants me to go to work? At least he or the Alpha will be mad at me!

I take my head in my hands. What do I do now? The Alpha was so adamant about me preparing all this dinner! Some people from the Blood Moon pack are coming, and that is big for our pack; he will never forgive me if I don’t help him welcome them.

Our Jade Moon pack is one of the oldest werewolves Clans of Silver City and the best located, but we are also one of the smallest and humblest.

We are nothing next to the Blood Moon pack.

I only know what I heard from other people, but it’s enough. The Blood Moon pack, despite being only a few decades old, is the strongest in the area, and unrivaled. Even the Sapphire Moon or Gold Moon packs are no match.

But it’s not about their numbers. The Blood Moon pack is fearsome because it is wealthy, hungry, and ruthless. Some say the Alpha leads with an iron hand, and no mistakes are permitted. They’re scary, but they are like royalty to this City’s werewolves. Our Jade Moon Pack is on neutral terms with them, so far. I don’t believe any Alpha leader would willingly become their enemy.

So, what will happen if I ruin this dinner? I could ruin relationships between the two packs and lead ours to a disaster! The Alpha will banish me, or worse. I try to sleep, but I’m too worried.

What is wrong with my brother? I have seen him in need of money, but now he acts like he has gone crazy! And his bloodshot eyes... He was down here in the basement when I came home, looking for money. I even heard him ask Amber for cash. What kind of trouble did he get into this time? I don’t like this.

What will I do tomorrow? I can’t do both! My shift starts at four, and the dinner must be ready at nine. Should I do as Vince said and skip work, or obey Alec? Neither of them will let me off.

Vince hates me as well, and I fear his beating more than I fear my brother’s; he is way too strong.

Either way, this won’t end well for me.

The next day is a nightmare. My brother is already after me when I’m making breakfast for everyone, threatening me non-stop. “You’d better not let me down, Nora. I want this money, you hear me? You are going to work as long and as hard as Robert wishes you, and you better come home with that paycheck in your hand! Or else you’re going to regret it, I swear!”

He doesn’t stop until the Alpha comes downstairs to eat. Vince glares at me, and I lower my head, as submissive as I can be. A few other pack members enter after him to join the breakfast. Among them, Marcus sends me a lewd glance, making me shiver with disgust.

“What are you waiting for, you stupid girl?” Says Amber. “Won’t you hurry up and serve us the food? Do you want the Alpha to starve or what?”

To add to her words, Vince growls. I can feel my wolf whimper inside, afraid. I can barely feel her nowadays. I serve breakfast as fast as I can, feeling the glares on me. My wolf whines continuously inside. She doesn’t want to be there, and I don’t either.

I’m about to leave the dining hall when the Alpha calls me again.

“Nora. Tonight’s dinner is essential for our pack. If you make any mistake, you will be banished from this pack for good, you hear me?”

I glance at my brother, sitting away from the Alpha, but he acts like normal. Alec will blame me in any case.

“Nora!”

I jump. The Alpha got impatient from my silence. I nod slowly, and he growls once more before starting his breakfast.

I leave the room and exit the house for fresh air. What do I do now?

My eyes set on the forest. This green, vast, and beautiful forest. My wolf wants to go; she wants to run among the trees, feel the fresh cold air. The autumn’s fallen leaves, the gentle breeze of the wind, the smell of the grass. I know. How I wish I could let her out, too...

I bite my lip. I wish I could be a free wolf. Free of my brother, free of my pack, and free of those painful memories.

It’s so tempting, and I can almost feel my wolf who wants to run there too. But I can't, I can’t...

“I won’t go,” I say.

I’m shaking, but it’s been two days, and I won’t change my mind. Alec stares at me with a furious look. I ignore him. I may be afraid of him, but the Alpha’s wrath is even scarier.

“What, did you say you won’t go? You just shut up and go already; I am not asking for your opinion! You bitch!”

I bite my lip and clench my fist, holding the spoon. I try to focus on those appetizers, ignoring the angry eyes of my brother. Alec starts yelling at me, as I expected. I can take his insults. I am no bitch, no whore, no slut. I have never once done anything that could make me deserve these names, but he keeps going on and on. Why would he call me such things? I’ve never even been kissed before or been with a man!

Hang on, Nora. This is not something he’s never done before.

He slaps me, but I don’t care. I ignore the pain and keep making those toasts. A new slap, and one of the appetizers falls on the floor. Don’t look at him, don’t. Keep going.

“You are going to go to work right now!” He yells in the kitchen.

No, I won’t. I know it’s no use talking back, so I don’t. Even my wolf is proud of me. She is being fierce, showing her teeth, sharing her strength with me. We won’t submit to him. If I don’t make this dinner successful for the Alpha, the whole pack will be mad at me. We all know how merciless the Blood Moon pack can be. Everyone still vividly remembers how they destroyed the Snow Moon Clan two years ago. They didn’t just fight them; they killed all of those who didn’t pledge allegiance to the Blood Moon emblem.

Compared to that kind of threat, those of my brother are not as fearsome.

He keeps the yelling going, but I ignore him. He slaps me a couple of times, pissed, but that won’t work. When he suddenly stops, I raise my head, surprised. The Alpha, Vince, just entered the kitchen.

“What’s going on here?” Vince asks. “I can hear you all the way from my office, Alec, keep it down.”

“Nothing, Alpha. Just telling this eyesore to work faster...”

“You mind your own business! I need your sister working, stop hindering her work. You want to be useful? Go help upstairs. And shut up!”

Alec glares at me but has no choice but to obey and leave. Vince looks at me with disdain, peeking a glance at my work so far. It’s not much, but it’s not even 4 pm yet, and I know I’m going to be ready on time. Without saying anything, he exits the room. Apparently, he recognizes I’ve been working diligently and won’t get mad. I let out a sigh of relief and go back to my task. At least now I know Alec won’t dare to come back here.

The hours go by, and I can feel the tension rising within our pack’s building. Everyone is anxious about this meeting. Vince came down to check on my work five times within the last two hours. But I am proud of everything I have done and even feel somewhat confident about the dinner.

“Nora! Stop daydreaming!”

“So... Sorry, Alpha. But I’m almost done!” I defend myself, showing the completed dishes.

Vince nods, but won’t compliment me. Then, he looks at me and clicks his tongue. I glance down. I spent all afternoon cooking, and thus, my clothes were dirtied. They weren’t pretty, to begin with, but now... I look like a beggar. Even my hair is messy.

“I will change into new clothes as soon as I’m done.”

“Whatever. Just go to your room, and don’t you dare come out tonight. I don’t need the Blood Moon leaders to see your... face.”

His eyes are set on where my scar is, behind my hair. I was careful to braid my hair the right way so my curls would hide it, but it’s no use, he knows it’s there. I avoid his gaze and lower my head.

At the same time, a group of pack members walks by to go to the recreation room, laughing and jokingly pushing one another. Alec is among them, and he stops as soon as he sees me. He goes from a smile to a pissed-off look in no time and keeps glaring at me. I know my brother still thinks about this shift, but it’s way too late now. I wonder why he wanted tonight’s money so badly. Is he having money issues again?

But he can’t say anything right now; Vince is still facing me and watching my every move like a hawk, making sure I finish in time. I feel, however, that this will only delay Alec’s punishment for opposing him...

An hour later, I’m in the kitchen with my completed dishes, giving instructions.