Page 13 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

I’m not as enthusiastic as he is. They are all eager to see me get my revenge, but that’s not my state of mind now. Sure, I have past grievances over Vincent, but I don’t have that thing for revenge. I just want to settle things once and for all and sever my ties to the Jade Moon.

My main objective will be to get ahold of Alec. I really hope we catch him tomorrow as planned. The brothers didn’t really tell me what kind of preparations they’ve made, but it mostly must be asking a lot of people to chase after my brother once he shows up. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced he will. I just hope I’m not wrong.

“Nora, are you still okay with beginning next Monday?”

I look at Nathaniel. Oh, that’s right, I told him I was accepting the job. Ready or not, I do need a job, and I have to give it a try.

“Ah, yes. Do I need to bring anything specific?”

“No, not really. Dress casually, and Liam will come and pick you up to bring you there. For the first day, it’s okay if you just stay close to Narcissa, the manager, and watch how everyone works.”

“All right, then.”

After discussing some more, Liam and Nathaniel stayed over for dinner.

Since my future boss was here, I did my best cooking, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Liam insisted on giving me pieces of advice about the fight, making me curious about how experimented he could be.

For a high schooler, he does seem prone to fights.

Apparently, he’s also taking boxing classes weekly, and was happy to discuss it with me.

Obviously, Liam is the most hot-blooded of the three, while Nathaniel always seems very calm and rational.

He stayed quiet for most of the dinner, but I did notice he spent a lot of time texting on his phone.

The second brother’s face never shows what his real thoughts are.

He smiles easily and usually comes as quite charming and polite.

However, I won’t forget how he was definitely the scariest one back when facing Vincent.

How can I be worried when I know those two will have my back tomorrow?

As I go to bed, I look blankly at my phone’s screen, wondering if I should call Damian or not. Nathaniel did mention he was busy, and... Well, he knows what is waiting for me.

I wake up early.

The only one who is up before me is Liam, who’s having breakfast alone in the kitchen. I salute him when entering.

“Did you have a good sleep?”

“How could I? Bobo snores like a pig.”

He growls. “I have no idea how you can get any sleep with him in the same room!”

I can’t help but chuckle as I grab the tea.

“I’m used to sleeping with a lot of noise. The basement I was living in was directly under the recreation room, and there was always someone to watch TV or make noise until late. I had to get used to it. And Bobo’s snoring isn’t that bad.”

He looks at me like I’m some alien, but I ignore him and sip on my cup of tea. We both stay silent for a while. He is on his phone playing a game, and I’m just watching the sunrise behind the glass wall.

“Nate’s on his way.”

Says Liam out of the blue

“He didn’t sleep here?”

They explained to me last night that the apartment downstairs was actually one of Nathaniel’s places. He didn’t sleep there often unless he had to work until late in one of the close restaurants, so Liam would use it every now and then.

He shakes his head.

“No, he slept with one of his women.”

So, Nathaniel is a player... You really can’t judge a book by its cover.

“I thought he had a mate already...”

“Not really. Well, he almost had one. An older woman. But she was already married, and Nate was a nobody then. It was before Damian took over the Clan. Nathaniel didn’t really have anything, and that woman was with a rich guy, with the dream house and everything. She said he wasn’t worth the trouble and rejected him.”

What? How heartless! I bite my lip, feeling bad for Nathaniel. How did he endure such a rejection? I can’t imagine how I would have felt if Damian had rejected me... I suddenly feel something fluffy on my legs and realize Bobo is up. He casually walks past me to put his head in the fridge.

“Don’t tell him I told you, okay?”

says Liam. “Nate doesn’t like people talking about it. And he’s over it now; it’s been years.”

I nod and take a new sip. Being a player now doesn’t necessarily mean he forgot what happened... I feel bad for Nathaniel all of a sudden. Now I understand better why he’s the type to hide his emotions. What a heartless woman! I feel angry, just thinking about it.

After everyone woke up and had breakfast without rush, I head back to my room to dress up, picking a comfy and sporty outfit. I will shapeshift and get dirty, no need to pretty up today. I put my hair up in a ponytail and choose a dark sweater with some sneakers.

I want to go upstairs and train some more, but Tonia keeps me from it, saying I should save my energy for tonight. But I don’t want to do anything either. It’s Liam who ends up spending most of his day keeping me company, as he brought his school backpack, and for some reason, we end up studying together on his homework for most of the afternoon. Solving exercises and copying his lessons had the benefit of keeping me too busy to think about the fight. Around four, we paused our math exercises and get ready to go.

Nathaniel meets us downstairs in the garage, wearing his usual smile. He went for a more casual look than what he usually wears, so I suspect he will be ready to shape-shift at any moment, too. Liam, however, didn’t even bother changing and is already in his wolf form, like Bobo. Like last time, we take two cars to go.

I start to feel nervous on the way. Tonia casually talks to me, and I suspect she’s just trying to distract me. We discuss the songs played on the radio, what weather to expect for the coming days and clothing brands. None of those really manage to distract me, though, so I do think about the upcoming fight.

I wonder why Nathaniel picked East Point Ground. It’s a large plaza in the middle of the industrial area, covered in graffiti and on open grounds. It’s a place where skaters or delinquents could gather at night to drink. However, it is not usually crowded, unlike tonight. When I exit the car, I’m shocked. There are dozens of people!

I suddenly get why Nathaniel specifically selected this spot: It isn’t part of any turf. Hence, a lot of people from the Jade Moon or the Blood Moon Clan freely came to watch. Duels for the Alpha position are usually private matters inside a pack; however, the Black brothers want to make this one public. Once again, I feel that Nathaniel has a lot more in mindthan he let on.

A lot of people are eyeing me as I exit the car, most of them whom I don’t know or recognize. With both Bobo and Liam in their wolf forms next to me, I don’t feel as intimidated as I could have been. On the contrary, I can’t help but look at the crowd.

People from other Clans came to watch the fight. I recognize people wearing markings from the Pearl Moon Clan, the Gold Moon Clan, or the Rising Moon Clan. To my surprise, even a few members of the White Moon Clan are there, too. Don’t they have a terrible history with the Blood Moon Clan? But they are clearly harboring the White Moon marking... How odd.

Of course, almost all the Jade Moon Clan is there, too.

Almost all of them are glaring at me. I suppose that’s what I should expect, considering the situation. Most of the Clan is here to support Vincent, of course. He is a carefree leader, letting his people do whatever they want most of the time, as long as they don’t cause any trouble. He only focuses on his hunters and warriors most of the time.

I finally see him among the crowd. He is discussing with his wife and one of the warriors, probably Peter’s replacement as the Beta. He looks tired, has dark circles under his eyes, and his beard is messy. When his eyes find mine, he frowns and ignores me. I wonder if he is having regrets now...

Nathaniel’s arrival causes a lot of people to react. They stare at us and move to not be on our way to the center of the plaza. The only ones that didn’t move are the Blood Moon Clan’s.

I see him smiling. Is he excited about the fight? Or because of the large crowd? I don’t understand why they made sure a lot of people could see it... I realize that Bobo is moving his head non-stop, he must be scanning the area, searching for Alec. I had almost forgotten about my brother. I’m still clueless about how many people are actually going to help us catch him. I start looking around, too, but Nathaniel walks up to the center of the plaza.

“Good evening, Jade Moon Clan. I see you didn’t dare to run away from this.”

“I’m not going to run away and leave my turf in the hands of a brat,”

growls Vincent.

“We will see that with the outcome of this fight. So, do you acknowledge that if Nora wins, you will let her entirely decide your pack’s fate?”

Vincent looks at me, seeming hesitant. He must be wondering if I really do have a chance to defeat him. Honestly, I don’t feel too confident right now. I don’t trust my Alpha blood as much as Nathaniel and Tonia do. I barely have any experience shape-shifting, and I just learned how to fight. For most people, this would seem a lot like suicide.

However, inside, my wolf is already growling. The battle has already begun, though nobody else can see it. Vincent and I are staring at each other, judging our strength, testing our wolves. I know what his wolf looks like. I know he must be growling just as much as mine right now. It is way too late to back down.

“I will, only on the condition that you guys let us have a fair fight. No interference from your people to help her. She must fight me alone.”

Nathaniel puts on a shocked expression, looking a bit too dramatic to be true.

“Oh, you think we would actually cheat?”

He steps closer to Vincent, and I can tell the Alpha is fighting hard against his instincts not to step back. They may both be Alphas, but the difference is clearly showing. Anyone watching can tell who has the upper hand.

Nathaniel whispers to answer him, but somehow everyone can clearly hear him.

“If we wanted to cheat, we would not bother to organize a public fight here and now. If we wanted an easy win, I would have taken my warriors to kill your pathetic lot of dogs the day Nora led us to you. You wouldn’t have a chance to answer back, and you wouldn’t be standing on your two feet.”

Vincent is obviously shaking with fear. The ice-cold look in Nathaniel’s eyes is terrifying, even for him.

“So now, you’re going to be a good boy and let our precious princess beat you all she wants to settle for everything you have done to her. And I can predict you’re going to think this is heaven compared to what my brother and I have in store for you once she is done.”

Being in the middle of a crowd is nothing reassuring. It’s even worse when you know half the people present are wishing for you to get killed. All eyes are directed at me or Nathaniel. I feel grateful to Bobo for standing close to me. His enormous figure attracts attention, and a lot of people seem surprised by his appearance, too. He is almost twice the size of a regular wolf, and those who are there in their animal form are showing signs of nervousness. I would be worried, too, if he wasn’t my bodyguard.

Nathaniel’s threats to Vincent are quite efficient. Some of the Clan’s warriors have started growling, but I also see a lot of them slowly step back. Liam is walking, circling us while growling at anyone who dares to approach this invisible circle. Tonia is standing at the back, arms crossed, and I notice she now has a wireless earbud in, and she’s talking to someone. I wonder who she is talking to.

Now, it’s only me, Nathaniel, and Bobo facing Vincent and his new Beta. Everyone else is watching us, waiting.

“She is just a kid. She won’t win,”

says the Beta.

“Shut up,”

says Vince immediately, annoyed. “Go with the others.”

His Beta gives me a mean look, but he can’t help but obey. I turn to Nathaniel, too. It’s time. He just smiles at me and turns back to join Tonia. I put my hand on Bobo’s back, and his green eyes turn to me. I give him a smile. I know he’s reluctant to go.

“Don’t worry, Bobo. Go.”

He lets out a short sound and goes, too, but not without growling at Vincent. He’s so loud, the Jade Moon pack’s Alpha jumps from surprise. If Bobo had Alpha potential, he would be unstoppable... But I guess it’s evident that despite his size and strength, his temper is more Beta-like.

I’m left alone with Vincent. He considers me from head to toe with a sneer. I try to be as unreadable as Nathaniel, hiding my emotions.

“You will regret it, Nora. Did you think you suddenly got big because you have a strong back-up?”

I ignore his remarks. My wolf is growling like crazy, and she’s the only one I intend to rely on tonight. I might lack experience, but I know I’m tenacious and strong-willed.

I wonder if I should take off my sweater now, but it’s still chilly. We both step back to a ten-foot distance between each other and start walking slowly. Everyone tenses up around us, feeling the battle’s about to start. I wish Damian was here. I would be even more confident with him behind me. But he’s not.

It’s just going to be me and you, girl, I whisper to my inner wolf.

I mentally recite all of Tonia and Liam’s advice. Mind the distances. Watch his eyes, the way he moves. I’m weaker, but I’m faster and smaller. Liam told me every weak point I should aim at, for his wolf form and his human one. Duels between werewolves don’t really have rules, aside from being one-to-one, and no weapons are allowed. We can shape-shift whenever we want.

I have tried shape-shifting a few times, and Tonia immediately pointed out my strong point: I can shape-shift extremely fast. I have to make use of that. Liam said the best outcome for me would be a short fight. I need to take advantage quickly.

We take a few steps, walking in a circle while observing each other. I tried to guess when Vincent is going to attack. Liam predicted that he would take the initiative to launch the first attack. Vincent won’t want this to take long either, as he is worried for his pack.

And he does. I see him suddenly shift his balance and run towards me. Try not to take any hits, said Liam, you are too weak to endure several injuries. I dodge his fist at the very last moment and slide under his arm to stand behind him. I immediately kick behind his knee as Liam showed me.

It works! He can’t help but bend and get on his knee. Don’t miss an occasion. I go to launch my fist, aiming for his jaw, but before I can reach him, I see a leg expanding, and I’m suddenly kicked in my stomach. He pivoted at the last second, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him. I’m ejected a few meters back and fall miserably on the ground. Wow, that really hurts... I feel like throwing up. It’s been a while since I’ve taken such a hit, but Tonia’s advice comes back to mind immediately. Never stay down. I get up, ignoring the pain.

“Are you trying to get killed, Nora? What is the point? Do you think you can be an Alpha all of a sudden and win my Jade Moon pack over like this? Or is it that you want us all killed and at His feet?”

“Do you think you can call yourself an Alpha, Vincent?” I ask.

He looks at me, frowning, confused by my question. I take off my sweatshirt and tighten my ponytail.

“What now, are you going to complain about how we treated you again? Are you playing the pitiful girl now that you have found your wealthier pack to lounge at?”

“I’m not talking about myself. You are weak, unable to make decisions, and ready to bow to other Clans anytime just so you can take it easy. You don’t control your young ones and let them roam freely and unsupervised. You don’t train them. You don’t care about others. You mind your own business as if you were a Rogue.”

“Careful with your words! Don’t you insult me!”

He growls.

“Oh, do you really want to have the talk about insults? Mockery?”

I shout back.

He growls even louder but doesn’t talk back. Instead, I see him look towards where Nathaniel is. But he hasn’t moved. He appears very relaxed, standing next to Tonia and Liam, and Bobo is now the one walking in large circles around us. Liam was right. Having the Black brothers watching us will not let him concentrate on the fight. I know I can take my chance. This time, I jump at him while he is still staring at Nathaniel and throw a punch to his solar plexus.

He saw me coming at the last second, and to my surprise, he doesn’t dodge. He takes the hit, contracting his muscles. Does he want to show he is more robust than me? I don’t care, I still throw my fist as hard as I can, and a second later, he obviously regrets not protecting himself. I’ve learned how to throw a punch now. His breath is cut short, and for a second, he is choking, falling on his knees, and desperately gasping for air. I hear growls and angry voices rising around us, but I don’t listen. I knew this kind of thing would happen, and I trust the others to control the crowd one way or another.

While Vincent is still choking, I take a couple of steps back and get ready to hit again. My wolf warns me just in time. He’s shape-shifting.

It takes about two or three long seconds to Vincent to turn into a dark-brown wolf. That is way longer than me, but still. Facing a wolf is way different from facing a human man. I adjust my position and throw a kick at the right moment to send him away. He falls a bit further, but I know I was just lucky his shapeshifting took long enough for me to be able to prepare my kick. Now, I will be facing a wolf, and that’s a whole different thing. I need to shape-shift and let my wolf take over, too. But at the right moment.

I take a couple of steps back, and I feel my wolf getting impatient . Just a few seconds, girl. Wait for it, wait... And there he goes. As expected, he jumps as soon as he can get on his feet again, running towards me. I stand ready, carefully waiting for the right time. He runs closer, and when he’s almost at me, all fangs out, I shape-shift.

I erase my human self, letting my wolf completely take over. It’s even shorter than a split second for me. Like going through a wall of fresh snow. I jump on the other side; the sudden change brings my wolf-self right at the perfect spot to attack his exposed neck. She bites furiously, with a newfound rage, and he lets out a plaintive whimper. Her fangs on his throat are powerful, I can already smell the fresh blood. He struggles, trying to kick her off him, but she won’t let go. She’s clenching her fangs hard, not giving the slightest care for his pain.

Around us, people start yelling loudly, calling me names, or telling their Alpha to free himself. Not a chance. I’m not letting go. We won’t. He knows what he has to do, and he just doesn’t want to. He tries fighting back for a while, but I can taste his blood in my mouth. He is running out of time. My wolf wants him to submit, or she’ll kill him. His pack encourages him not to give up. Are they blind? I’m biting his throat! I could kill him with just a snap, though I don’t want to kill anyone. Is he counting on it? I won’t. I can control my wolf perfectly; she and I are one. I’m not like some of us who can’t resist their beast instincts and attack randomly.

Suddenly, I feel a vivid pain to my flank, and let go by instinct. I don’t know what happened, but he probably managed to scratch me deep enough. I feel the blood flowing from my injury, but not enough to worry me. We are not done yet.

I trust my wolf. I know she can keep up a fight now that she’s tasted blood. I let her take control. Most of the crowd are now cheering, but others are all stunned by my appearance. I hear comments on my blue eyes and white fur. Liam seems overexcited, leaning forward and growling loudly.

“…Stay with your wolf.”