Page 18 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

As predicted by Tonia, I had quite a fever that day. Too many emotions at once... I slept until the next morning, only waking up a few times to take medicine and eat. More than being sick, I was concerned about Damian not contacting me.

I did act as if I was rejecting him, but that wasn’t my intention! I was just scared, that’s all. I thought about it all night when I couldn’t fall asleep. When morning came, I was well-rested and totally awake. Bobo had slept in my room, back to usual, but I was waiting for Tonia. When I heard her knock and enter, I was almost on the edge of the bed.

“Hi, baby girl! How are you feeling?”

“Much better! I think I’m healed. Tonia, what about Damian?”

“Easy, girl, I don’t think you’ve healed already. Let me check your temperature first. Did you forget about your slow-healing thing?”

Is she eluding my questions right now? She sits next to me on the bed and puts a hand on my forehead, but I avoid her.

“Tonia!”

“Looks like you’re okay... And yes, the Boss called me last night, to know how you were. I said you were resting, and that’s it. I have to give him an update this morning.”

“Is he angry?”

“Angry? At you? Of course not, Nora, he’s just worried. Now, will you explain to me what happened yesterday? Without the unnecessary details, please.”

She has her big sister tone, but that’s not necessary. I need to talk to someone about this, and Tonia is the only one I can confide into here. Plus, she is a woman, and older than me, too. I don’t know how much she will understand me, but I don’t want to keep this bottled up. I sigh and start talking while nervously playing with my hair.

“Yesterday, Damian comforted me. We started kissing and... we got a bit passionate. I liked it, but when Damian started touching me, I... I couldn’t... I got petrified. I felt like I couldn’t stand him touching me like that.”

She listens to me with a frown, looking genuinely intrigued. After a while, she hesitates, then asks me a question on her own. “Nora, have you ever been... intimate with someone?”

I bite my lip. The only one who knows is Liam, and he doesn’t seem like he told his brothers... How do I explain this? I barely avoided Alec being killed yesterday, and now this.

“Not willingly. But I... This guy, Marcus Sickels, he... touched me several times back when I was still with the Jade Moon Clan. Just before Alec tried to... to kill me, Marcus almost...”

“...Raped you.” She whispers to finish my sentence.

“Damian knows,” I immediately add. “He felt through our bond that someone had tried to force me, and I told him about that guy. But now, sometimes, when Damian touches me, I... I can’t help but remember. I don’t want to feel like this when I’m with Damian!”

“It’s okay, Nora. I think you’re experiencing some form of PTSD. It’s not your fault, baby girl.”

PTSD? A traumatism? It might be... But how do I get out of it? I don’t want to feel like running away every time Damian touches me! I get up and head to my wardrobe, looking for something to put on.

“What are you doing, Nora? Come back to your bed!”

“No, I’m done resting. Let’s go to the gym.”

“Punching sandbags won’t solve this! What you need is some time, Nora, and talking to the Boss.”

I turn to face her, annoyed. “What do I tell Damian, Tonia? Sorry, some douchebag touched me before you did, so now you can’t touch me because I’m traumatized? I hate this!”

She rolls her eyes. I know I’m stubborn, but I don’t see anything better to do! I need to blow off some steam. But Tonia gets up and takes the workout clothes from me with a resolute look. She throws them on the floor and crosses her arms.

“Enough, Nora. I wasn’t talking about speaking to him about this issue. More like getting to know the Boss and letting him know you better. The two of you might be close because of your bond as fated mates, but the truth is you two barely know each other! I say you need to talk to the Boss, get to know him for real. Maybe this way, you will learn to trust him, and that will help you overcome your fear.”

She has a point... The attraction I feel to Damian from the start is probably mainly our bond’s work, but what else is there? All I know of him is what I heard from others. I don’t know his hobbies, his tastes, his habits, nothing. How can I even describe our relationship, then? And Damian, too, seems to know things I don’t, but... when do we ever really interact? He is often busy and only calls me from time to time to inquire how I am.

It’s not enough. I want him, but I want all of him. Tonia’s probably right. If I get to know Damian better, I will probably be able to overcome my fear, and trust him, won’t I?

“Bobo says you should have him take you on a date. Isn’t your birthday tomorrow? Ask him then.”

I almost forgot about my birthday! Do I want to celebrate it? After what I learned from Alec yesterday, I didn’t think about such things, but now it seems a bit unreal. Is it even my real birth date? Dad probably knew... I hesitate a bit, biting my lip. It might be an idea. I look at Bobo, sitting next to my bed. Sometimes I really wish the big wolf would take human form and talk to me.

“You really think so?”

The brown wolf nods. I sigh and turn to Tonia. “Okay... Can I borrow your phone?”

After a few minutes, Damian finally answers the call. “Nora. How are you?”

Thank Moon Goddess, he doesn’t sound angry or anything. Is he really over what happened yesterday? Gosh, I feel so awkward now...

“I’m fine. I feel much better. Damian, I... I’m sorry about yesterday.”

I hear him sighing softly. “It’s okay. I figured out what happened afterward. It’s not the first time. I’m the one who should apologize, I got carried away.”

“No! No, Damian, it’s... it’s just me.”

It’s my fault because I’m damaged. I’m scared, way too scared. And I still don’t know how to overcome it, even for you. I nervously run my fingers through my hair, fidgeting.

“I just need a bit of time. I’m still... shy.”

Shy, really? It’s the understatement of the year! I’m literally terrified by the idea of a man touching me, yet that’s all I can tell him? How pathetic, Nora. I need to get stronger. Didn’t I promise myself to leave my past behind me? How will I if I let myself be restrained by such things? I need to work on it.

I need to tell him the truth, to Damian, at least.

“...Nora?”

“I’m still scared, Damian. I still think about what happened whenever someone touches me. I swear I don’t want to, but it just... I don’t know how to handle it for now.”

A long silence follows. What is he thinking? Does he regret having such a complicated mate? Or will he search for Marcus once again? Alec only implied he had died, but that’s still an unsolved issue for now. When are we going to find the truth? I did stab him, but what happened afterward? If he died, what about his body? I’m still feeling uneasy about this. And it’s hindering my relationship with Damian.

“I told you, it’s okay.”

“But what if... It takes a long time for me to get better? I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

Scared that you might not want me anymore at some point. It’s already a miracle for Damian to be interested in me! I’m not pretty, or remarkable in any way. Compared to Damian, to his brothers, I’m utterly insignificant. And yet here I am, making him wait for me. I hate it, I wish things were different.

“Nora, don’t cry.”

I wonder how he knows. I’m tearing up a little bit. If only all these nightmares with my parents, Alec, the Jade Moon Clan, Marcus, all this, never happened... It would be so much easier. I could have lived a completely different life, where I might actually be deserving of Damian’s affection. I wipe my tears away. Enough crying, already.

“I’m okay. Damian, can we see each other?”

“I can come tonight. After work.”

“No, I meant like a... an actual date.”

I’m red, definitely red. I wish I could hide somewhere. I stepped away from Tonia and Bobo, but I feel their eyes on me still.

“...You want me to take you on a date?”

“If you’re busy, it’s okay, I just... It was just an idea, I...”

“Okay. Where do you want to go?”

Oh, Moon Goddess, he agreed! I feel like jumping around the room right now, but I have to control myself a bit. I’m still blushing, though. Where do I want to go? I have no idea; I’ve never been on a date!

“I... I don’t know.”

“You want us to celebrate your birthday together? I can take a day off. What do you usually do then?”

For my birthday? Nothing. Back at the Jade Moon Clan, nobody would have bothered to celebrate or even remember which day it was. I would do my chores, like always, and the 3rd of December would pass like any other day. It was a bit different when I was young, though. My parents celebrated my birthday with a cake and a nice dinner. But I can’t just ask for a cake from Damian... Can I?

“Nora, tell me.”

“An Opera Cake.”

“What?”

“I... I want to eat an Opera Cake...” I confess, blushing.

I hear him chuckling at the end of the line. It’s embarrassing enough!

“Okay, my Love, an Opera Cake. What else?”

Oh, my Goddess, what did he just call me? Can I get any redder than I am now? So embarrassing! I’m blushing so much my cheeks are on fire. What was that? And Tonia and Bobo are both watching, I must be looking crazy right now! I need to answer, Damian is waiting at the other end of the line.

“I... I don’t know. Anything’s fine...” I mumble.

“Okay. Let me know if you think of anything else. I need to hang up, I have a meeting.”

“I’m sorry, are you going to be late?”

“Neal’s glaring at me, and about twenty executives are staring, too, so I suppose I already am.”

Oh, Moon Goddess... I stutter a “bye” and hang up as quickly as I can. This is so embarrassing, I could die... His staff heard me requesting a date! And this stupid Opera Cake, too! How could I be so shameless! I’m never, never, never asking for anything over the phone again, this is way too dangerous! I turn around and see Tonia laughing.

“This is not funny!” I protest.

“Oh, hell yeah, it is. Moon Goddess, you are so cute, Nora!”

“I’m not cute, I’m embarrassed to death!”

“It’s okay, Nora. You got yourself a date for tomorrow, girl! And for the whole day, too!”

“So you did hear everything!”

“Of course, I did. Now we need to decide on what you’re going to wear tomorrow, so let’s go shopping!”

What shopping? The wardrobes are already full! I argue with Tonia for a long time before she finally gives up. Instead, she insists on helping me choose my outfit for tomorrow. But the thing is, I have no idea what we are going to do...

I finally find a minute where Tonia is too focused on the wardrobe to watch me and step out of my bedroom, Bobo behind me. I go to the main room to lie on the sofa, and he comes to sit next to me.

I’m happy about going on a date for my birthday, but I can’t stop thinking about Alec. Did Nathaniel take him to the hospital, as he said? I hope he didn’t lie about that... Thinking about Nathaniel makes me remember something. I was about to get up, but Tonia enters the room carrying three different pairs of earrings in her hands.

“Which one do you like most?”

“I don’t know, the white one? Anyway, Tonia, I have a question for you. Who is Nathaniel’s Beta?”

“Nathaniel’s... It’s Isaac Graves. He was their father’s Beta’s son. Why do you ask?”

I thought the creamy white wolf might have been his Beta, but it seems like I’m wrong.

“I was just curious... You remember when you guys came to get me at the Jade Moon Clan?”

“Excuse me, you mean when we kept you from being killed after you and Liam sneaked out? Yes, I do remember.”

When is she ever going to forgive me about that? I ignore her remark and keep going. “There was a white wolf with Nathaniel that day, who went with him afterward. I just wondered if she was his Beta.”

Tonia looks a bit surprised, and exchanges a look with Bobo, frowning.

“I’m not really supposed to talk about that, Nora...”

“Why? Is it something you can’t tell me?” I ask, intrigued.

“It’s not about you. She’s... part of Nathaniel’s private life. I think they just happened to be together that day, and that’s why she came along.”

Oh. I think I get it. It explains her smell in Nathaniel’s car... but I thought Nathaniel doesn’t have a mate? From Tonia’s embarrassed look and her words, I suspect she might not be an “official” relationship... Why would she be interested in me, then?

“So, she’s not part of the Blood Moon Clan?”

“No. That woman is from a different pack, I don’t know which. I don’t even know her name, and I’ve only seen her a couple of times.”

Great, so the only person who knows about her is Nathaniel, to whom she doesn’t want me to talk to...

I wanted to wake up early the next morning to get ready for my first day of work. I had set the alarm for six o’clock. Instead, I gradually got awoken by noises coming from my bathroom. I open my eyes, making sure I’m not dreaming.

There are sounds of the shower running. I quickly check my smartphone, which Tonia gave me back yesterday. I had left it on the site of my fight with Vince... It is not even 6 am yet! Who is using my bathroom at this hour? Tonia always uses her own. Is it Damian? But we agreed to see each other tonight, and I’m pretty sure he mentioned he would be busy this morning.

It’s okay, it’s our friend.

Our friend? My wolf doesn’t seem worried one bit. Could it be the white she-wolf? How would she get all the way here without being noticed by the siblings, though? And where is Bobo, anyway?

I grab the dark blue kimono lying at the end of my bed to put it on, unsure about what to do. Should I get Tonia? What if it’s Damian and I’m alarmed for nothing? I don’t think a stranger would be brazen enough to come all the way to my room and take a shower!

While I’m hesitating, the sound of water running stops, and I hear someone putting on clothing. I step back, unsure. Why are you not worried, wolf! But she clearly isn’t. Who did she recognize?

The door opens, and to my surprise, a stranger comes out. The first thing I notice, he is really, really tall. About two meters high, I would say. He is quite muscular, too, and he only wears a pair of jeans, so I can’t miss the sizeable crescent moon tattooed on his torso. A Blood Moon Clan member?

He sees my empty bed and turns around with a worried look until he sees me. He softly smiles once his gaze meets mine. He looks young, but I wouldn’t be able to tell his age. With his large build, his thin black dreadlocks, and soft features, it’s hard to say. However, I do feel something strangely familiar about him.

“Hi, Nora. Happy Birthday!”

He has a really soft and low-pitched voice and a warm smile. But it’s only when I look up that I finally recognize those familiar dark green eyes. I can barely believe it.

“...Bobo?”

He gives me a big smile and opens his arms. “It took you a while!”

“Oh, my Goddess, Bobo!”

I run into his arms without thinking. I can’t believe it’s my Bobo standing there! He hugs me back and laughs softly. I never imagined I would get to see Bobo’s human form today! It’s weird, like meeting a friend after a long time of not seeing each other, but we saw each other literally every day for weeks now! I don’t care, I’m happy to be able to finally see the human Bobo. He is as big as his sister said, too! While he hugs me, I feel like a baby trapped in his massive arms. He is still half-naked, though, and I back away a bit to look at him.

“Sorry I didn’t shape-shift earlier. Being a wolf is just so nice, you know. But I wanted to be able to wish you a happy birthday, so...”

I can’t believe he shapeshifted just for me! I smile back at him, overjoyed. “Thank you so much, Bobo! I like your wolf self, you know. It’s just nice to finally talk to you!”

He laughs softly. “Sorry about that. But you can talk to me anytime, you know. Even if I can’t answer, I can listen to you whenever you want. I know my big sis can be fussy, so just know you can confide in me, too, okay?”

I nod, and he pats my head. “Good girl. Now listen. There’s another reason I wanted to talk to you.”

He grabs my hand and takes me to sit with him on the bed. He looks a bit serious suddenly, so I wonder what this is about. He grabs one of my rubber bands and ties some of his dreadlocks to keep it out of the way, then turns to me, speaking softly.

“When we were chasing your brother, Alec. You ran ahead, and I thought you caught up with him. But when I arrived, he was alone. What happened?”

I bite my lip, hesitating. Is it okay to tell Bobo about her? I did ask Tonia yesterday, after all. But that she-wolf acted like she didn’t want anyone to know she was there that night. Before I can actually make up my mind, Bobo speaks first.

“Nora, I know someone else was with us. I felt a third presence, someone who was a stranger but not hostile. You didn’t mention it to the Boss.”

I realize Bobo knew something was off about this chase all along. Still, he never mentioned it to anyone before talking to me today. If not, Tonia or Damian would definitely have asked. I decide to tell him the truth. After all, Bobo has been siding with me every time.

“It was a white female wolf...”

“I knew it. What happened?” He asks, frowning.

“Alec caught me by surprise and threw me into the sea. I thought I would drown, but she came and pulled me out of the water right on time. It was the white wolf I was asking Tonia about yesterday.”

“So, I was right. I thought I had caught her smell, but I thought it just came from Nathaniel.”

Does that mean he knows her? Tonia seemed to barely know of her existence. How come Bobo identified her smell so quickly?

“Bobo, you know her?” I ask, whispering.

He nods. “Her name is Elena. Elena Whitewood. She’s from a different pack than ours, as Tonia said. The Opal Moon Clan, a branch of the White Moon. She’s one of their fighters.”

Finally, I get more information about that mysterious she-wolf! “How do you know her? Tonia said she doesn’t really know her...”

“That’s because she and Nathaniel aren’t an official couple, so they avoid being together in public, usually. They shouldn’t even be together, being from different Clans. My sister isn’t really into gossip, especially when it concerns Nathaniel— she never liked him.”

I noticed that, too, a while ago now. Tonia and Nathaniel are polite to each other, but they never interact unless it’s necessary. She seems more comfortable with Liam or Damian, though I don’t really know why.

“...The other day really was a coincidence, I think. Even I only learned by accident that they have a relationship. I know Elena from another place, actually. She likes to go to clubs on weekends, and I’ve seen her around a few times.”

Oh, right, Tonia did mention that Bobo likes to go out.

“So, you met her at a club?”

“Not directly, but yeah, we have friends in common.”

“Then, do you know how I can meet her?”

He frowns, intrigued. “Why do you want to meet with Elena?”

I forgot Bobo doesn’t know we are mind-linked. I decide to tell him the truth, starting from when I heard her voice during my fight against Vince and everything else Elena and I exchanged after that. He listens, intrigued, but stays quiet until I’m done. I’m glad Bobo woke me up earlier. I feel comfortable sharing this with him, but for some reason, he is the only one I want to tell about all this.

“Interesting. So, you and she are probably related somehow...”

“You think she might have clues about my birth mother?” I ask.

Somehow that’s what I have been thinking about since I learned the truth surrounding my birth. The information Nathaniel found about my father and his wife matches what Alec told us about them belonging to the Gold Moon Clan. However, it also raised questions about my birth mother. I’m curious about her. Why didn’t I grow up with her? Why did my dad bring me to his wife instead? If that girl, Elena, has more information...

Bobo seems to be lost in his thoughts for a while, then sighs. “Maybe. I’m not sure, Nora. Perhaps Elena already knows why there is a link between you two. I can’t say.”

“Can you help me meet her?”

He scratches his head, thinking, but shakes his head after a while. “Not for now. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to meet her in private at the moment. Nathaniel and the Boss will be watching you more closely from now on. But if Elena told you she will find a way to meet you, I would believe she will. Just be patient, baby girl.”

I smile unconsciously. So he picked up this nickname, too. He seems to read my mind because he immediately says, “Sorry, I hear it in my sister’s head all day...”

“Do you guys use the mind-link often? I didn’t think we could use it so easily in our human form...”

“That’s because we are closely related, and I’m very comfortable with my wolf form, so it makes it easier. Except for the Alpha, few people use the mind-link in human form. Too complicated.”

“You have to teach me someday. I struggled to speak to Elena.”

“I will be happy to chat with you once you join the pack!”

It reminds me that I don’t belong to any Clan anymore. I severed all my ties with the Jade Moon Clan if I had any, and I don’t belong to the Blood Moon Clan either. I wonder what is going to happen from now on? Will Damian make me join? It’s a bit surprising that we never mentioned this earlier now that I think about it. Am I considered a rogue then...?

Bobo notices my worried expression and puts his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Nora. I don’t just guard you because of orders. I like you, baby girl. After all, I’ve been by your side all along, haven’t I? There was supposed to be a rotation, you know. But I refused and took the job full-time. I’ll be on your side no matter what. I bet you’re going to be a great Luna, and I will be right by your side then.”

Bobo’s words bring me to tears. He chuckles and ruffles my curls, making me laugh. We chat about trivial things for a while, things he couldn’t say before, like how much he loves my cooking or his fights with his sister. I don’t feel uncomfortable at all being so close to Bobo; it’s like I’m chatting with my best friend.

When my alarm clock strikes six, Tonia enters the room with a large bouquet of flowers in her hands.

“Happy Birthday! Look at what came for you this morning!”

Just then, she notices her brother, surprised.

“Bobo, you shapeshifted! When?”

“Just this morning, for Nora,” he says while giving me a wink.

“And you actually have some pants on! What a day!”

What does this mean? Tonia looks at her younger brother with a conspicuous look, but Bobo ignores her. She hands me the flowers. There is a card with it, from Nathaniel, wishing me a happy eighteenth birthday. How nice of him, considering he will see me in less than three hours! I get up and take my present to the kitchen to find it a vase, the siblings following me. To my surprise, once I reach the room, there are several gifts on the table! I turn around to Tonia, perplexed.

“What’s all this?”

“Your birthday presents, of course!”

All of this? Impossible! I see about a dozen wrapped boxes and bags! And I haven’t gotten anything in ten years... Tonia is smiling from ear to ear, waiting for my reaction. I’m speechless! I slowly walk up to the table. There are three birthday cards: one from the siblings, one from Neal, and the other one from Liam.

“Wait... All of this is from you guys, Liam, and Nathaniel?” I ask, dumbfounded.

Tonia nods, excited. “It is! So, considering you are saving your evening for your date, we thought you should open them this morning! Both Liam and Nathaniel can’t be here, so it will just be the three of us though, I hope you don’t mind.”

If I mind? Gosh, Tonia doesn’t realize I haven’t even celebrated my birthday in years! I’m overflowed with emotions right now; I don’t know where to begin. Well, I’m trying hard to hold my tears in, for starters.

“Thank you so much, guys...”