Page 2 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

“...And this is called crème br?lée . All you need to do is burn the sugar on top a little when you serve it like I just did.”

Jill and Maria are frowning, trying to remember it all. They will be the ones to serve tonight, as Vince doesn’t want anyone that is not part of the pack to see me. Jill and Maria are my age, but they are way prettier, though they are not really smart.

“Wait, why did you have to make a Russian dessert?” Asks Maria while playing with her blonde hair

“It’s not Russian, it’s French! Vince said the Black Family is originally from France, so...”

They give me suspicious stares, but I don’t care. All I need is for them to remember a few names and how to serve it!

Thankfully, about ten minutes later, I think they finally get it. I hope so... They leave upstairs to get ready, and I can finally clean the kitchen.

It’s almost time. Everyone is ready, and it is time for me to go hide in the basement. I’m so exhausted from cooking all afternoon, I just lay flat on my familiar couch. I’m about to fall asleep when I can hear it. The people from the Blood Moon Clan are here!

I get up, totally awake, and run across the room to the small window. I climb on top of a rundown drawer to reach the opening. I need to stand on my toes to get to see something. My eyes are at ground level, and, for a while, all I can distinguish are feet and paws. But I can clearly hear Vince’s voice.

“Welcome! Welcome to the Jade Moon Den. I am Vincent Greene, and this is my Beta, Peter.”

I can distinguish his big brown boots among the crowd, and Peter, in his wolf form, next to him. Actually, a few members of our pack shapeshifted, too, before the guests’ arrival, just in case... I suppose both sides can’t trust the other.

However, facing them, the Blood Moon pack members are easy to recognize, even from my position. All of them are in human form and wearing dark suits and classy black leather shoes. Look like some mafia gang has arrived! I’m shocked not even one of them is in their wolf form. Are they that confident? Or just trying to act arrogantly? One of them replies with a gentle voice I didn’t expect.

“Thank you for having us. You have a lovely turf indeed... How lucky of you to be able to enjoy a run in the forest anytime you want.”

His tone is peaceful, so why is it his words seem so... menacing? I feel like he is threatening instead of thanking! Vince must be tense, but he won’t show it.

“Oh, we are very attached to our land. My family has protected it for generations. But the forest is everyone’s, of course, so please do not hesitate to come whenever you want to escape the city!”

I don’t believe they would wait for permission...

Vince finally invites them in, and I leave my spot to go put my ear against the door. The basement is next to the kitchen and close to the dining hall. I can hear all the chatting as they go by, with Vince introducing some pack members and showing them the way. He is the only one talking; none of the Blood Moon can be heard. I wonder what they look like...

I listen to them enter the dining hall, and then the kitchen goes quiet.

Meanwhile, I change quickly into some clean clothes. I grab a clean pair of jeans that I have left in the old wardrobe and put on a dark blue sweater that’s too big on me. At least I feel clean.

I’m putting my messy hair into a low bun when I hear some steps coming from the kitchen. Jill and Maria came to take the first plates, chatting as always.

“Gosh, I could barely breathe in there; everyone is so tense! If only they would relax a little,” says Maria.

“Oh, I wish I could relax with that Nathaniel guy. I’m sure he’s a wild beast behind the pretty boy look...”

“Keep your paws off, girl. Amber already is eyeing him. That girl is such a slut... But even without her, I wouldn’t go near one of them. Those Black brothers are scary. I mean, those guys killed their own father and Alpha!”

“And it’s only two of them here. But I heard the oldest brother is the worst; he is the crazy one. Okay, you got everything?” Jill whispers.

They go back, and the kitchen goes silent again. Did they really kill their Alpha and father? I didn’t know that part! No wonder everyone is so afraid of them... Jill and Maria come and go again in the kitchen, but the chatting is reduced to them trying to remember what they are serving. It’s nerve-wracking to hear them struggle when I’m just behind the door, but I can’t disobey Vincent’s orders just to help those two!

Thankfully, it seems the dinner goes well. I can hear everyone exiting the dining room, and the voices reach me again when they go out.

“... was impressed. It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed some authentic French cuisine,” says the guy from earlier.

They liked it! I find myself smiling and let out a sigh of relief.

“Glad you enjoyed it! It was our honor to have you here tonight.”

“Who knew the Jade Moon Clan had such cooking-skilled members... By the way, you have some exquisite ladies here.”

Vince must be overjoyed. This is the same as saying they would agree to let our packs members court each other, right?

“Hey. Is that all your girls?” Says a voice I haven’t heard before.

Judging from his arrogant tone, that must be the other brother. What’s with his question? He sounds so disdainful!

“Hmm, well, yes. You’ve seen all our young girls who have yet to find their mate tonight...”

“Never mind. Let’s leave.”

They exchange a few greetings and soon leave. I can hear some of our pack members letting out sighs of relief.

“What’s with this attitude of his? Are we not pretty enough now?” Growls Amber.

“Anyway, that went well. We should be content with that alone. I don’t want any issues with the Blood Moon Clan. Their brother is pissed at the Sapphire Moon Clan these days and trust me. No one wants to take their place...”

I step down, as Vince is now just giving orders for the patrols. What a night... Even without being in the room, I was still on edge because of this dinner. Again, I wonder why the Blood Moon bothered to come all the way here. They own half of the city and scare the other half. Are they interested in the outskirts of the city now?

I just keep thinking about the dark rumors surrounding those three Black brothers and slowly fall into a deep sleep...

Something’s wrong with my brother.

Since the dinner with the Blood Moon Clan and me not obeying him, Alec has been acting weird. I thought he would come and punish me afterward, but he didn’t. For some reason, he just keeps watching me from afar.

Even today, as I am working, he is standing at the bar, watching my every move and drinking without saying a word. Robert frowns, unsure about what is going on. At some point, he grabs my arm, almost making me spill the beers.

“Hey, what’s with Alec? You did something? Looks like he’s pissed at you or something’.”

“I don’t know. Now let me go, customers on table six are waiting for those,” I just answer and shake his arm off.

He may not be pleased with my answer, but I really don’t know. It’s his fourth beer already, and he hasn’t said a word for hours! It’s almost scary how silent he is.

Knowing he is watching, I keep working. It’s not like I’m bored, anyway. Rob’s bar is crowded tonight, and the orders keep coming in non-stop. Liz and I have been running around all evening. Elisabeth, Robert’s daughter, is the only member of the pack who’s kind to me.

I’m cleaning a table for the next group when someone loudly orders more beer from across the room. I nod and go behind the counter to pour the drinks, and Liz joins me, grabbing a towel.

“Those drunkards spilled some of their damn beer on me! How am I supposed to go party after this if I smell like a barrel of beer!”

“It should come off with just water and soap from the ladies’ room,” I say.

“Really? You better be sure because I’m not going like that!”

I nod, and she runs off to the bathroom. Liz isn’t bad. She’s just a bit self-centered and still acts like she’s sixteen instead of twenty-six sometimes. But I like her. Sometimes she gives me some of her clothes she won’t wear anymore, even if it’s just because she is too lazy to throw it out. Thanks to her, I can wear something new sometimes, as Alec won’t ever leave me any money to buy anything.

I keep working, and the bar is so full, even Robert seems in a good mood. Liz and I run around without stopping to keep up until about 11 pm.

Now the groups are paying and exiting the bar one after another, going to find some more fun somewhere else. I can clean the tables without stopping every time to take a new order, and even Robert went outside for a quick smoke. I realize Alec is still there; only he isn’t alone anymore. Why is he talking with Marcus?

I don’t like this. This pervert is leering me, whispering with my brother, who doesn’t seem very happy. Alex’s fidgeting. I wish I knew what they’re talking about...

“Nora! If you’re done, come clean the glasses, girl!”

Liz has decided she’s done for tonight. She takes her apron off and waves me good-bye before heading to the back exit. She probably was waiting for a chance to go while her dad is not watching.

I take over behind the sink, and I’m almost in front of my brother and Marcus now. They immediately stop talking, and both stare at me. One is looking at me with disgust, the other with lust.

“Hi, Nora,” says Marcus

I ignore him and keep washing one glass after another. Even if I concentrate on my hands, I can feel his gaze piercing me. It’s so unsettling.

“Playing hard to get? That’s not what this pretty skirt says, you know.”

Won’t he stop? My own brother is sitting in front of him, and neither of them minds his trashy talk! This man is so disgusting. My wolf is growling inside, annoyed, too. Can’t he just drink and leave like everyone else?

“Isn’t your sister good at this, Alec? She’s a freak, all right, but a hot one...”

The freak doesn’t want any attention, you pervert. There are so many hot girls in the pack, why is he always after me? I’m not pretty, I wear ragged and oversized clothes, and I even have a scar across my face! Is he blind or what?

Suddenly, his hands go over the counter, and he grabs my wrist.

“Hey, don’t run away, sweetheart. Come on; I just want to chat a bit.”

Let me go! I struggle to break free, but he won’t let go. He is grinning and holding as hard as he can until it hurts.

“Let me go!”

“Oh, here’s your pretty voice, sweetheart. Do you have any idea how enticing it sounds? You could...”

“Enough!” Robert is back, and his yell surprises Marcus enough that he loses his grip, and I can free myself. I massage my painful wrist and step back. Marcus looks pissed, but he won’t win against Robert’s angry face.

“Marcus, why the hell are you annoying her when she’s working! Get out!”

Marcus grunts, but he knows who the stronger wolf in the room is. He pays and leaves, to my relief. That was close... He’s gotten physical a few times before, but these days, he really is pushier than usual.

Alec, still silent, gives me an annoyed look and leaves behind him. I see him catching up with Marcus outside, a pissed-off expression on his face, talking to him. Robert starts counting today’s tips while looking at them across the window.

“Tsk, this guy is such a pain... And you, hurry up with the cleaning. I’m tired.”

No need to tell me twice.

The bar is located downtown, thirty minutes away from our Jade Moon territory. I don’t mind the walk. Most people don’t even notice me, and I can enjoy the quietness of the night. And it’s mid-October, so it’s not too cold either.

Though Silver City can be dangerous at times, we cohabitate peacefully with humans. They don’t meddle in our pack situations, but it’s different between the werewolf clans. We get into fights with other packs sometimes, but the Jade Moon Clan never looks for trouble willingly. We don’t want to upset a bigger, stronger Clan by mistake.

I finally make it back to the main house, but surprisingly, someone’s still up. Rory and Bill are talking in the kitchen over some drinks. I just head right away for the basement, but they call me when they see me.

“Hey, freak! Come here for a second.”

I’m in no mood to entertain them now... I want to flee to the basement and get some sleep! But they insist with a hand gesture, and I guardedly enter the dining hall.

“Oh, come on; we are not going to eat you or something’.” Says Rory, seeing me so defiant.

I don’t trust them. My brother’s friends can be quite vile and cruel when they’re bored. They’ve locked me out a few times, for example...

I stop a few steps after the door, within a safe distance from them.

“Hey, where’s your brother? We’ve been looking for him all day!”

I frown. What, so they were just waiting for Alec? I shake my head. “I don’t know... He came to Robert’s Pub with Marcus, but they left together before I did. I really don’t know where he went...”

“Tsk. This dumbass is evading us!” Growls Bill.

“He can’t keep it up for long, anyway. Even Peter’s looking for him. Bet that idiot was actually stupid enough to borrow some money from the Beta, too.”

“Alec borrowed money from you and Peter?” I ask, nervous.

Bill slams his glass on the table, making me jump.

“Hell yeah, he did! And we’ve had enough of it! That idiot brother of yours owes half of the pack and smokes it away!”

Not good... Alec doesn’t win any money on his own! All he has is my salary and the inheritance from our parents. Why is my brother going around borrowing money? There is no way he can pay them back! Rory keeps complaining, but he’s obviously drunk and gabbling. I can leave the room without either of them noticing.

Back to my familiar basement, I’m exhausted. Why is Alec so... reckless? He won’t get a decent job; he just pushes all his chores on me and beats me up when he’s upset.

What was that talk with Marcus for, anyway? Is he trying to borrow some money again?

That night I lay on my old couch with an uneasy feeling...

The next day, my brother isn’t in the dining hall for breakfast. And I am not the only one concerned about his absence: Peter comes to me to ask about his whereabouts, but I’m just as clueless as he is.

Borrowing money from the Beta and his friends, what was he thinking? Peter could have Vincent banish him from the pack for this kind of thing; our clan is not easy on troublemakers...

I try not to think about it too much and just focus on my chores for the day. But after cleaning the breakfast dishes, doing the laundries, and cleaning the first and second floors, I keep wondering where he could be. No one has seen him all day, I heard Vincent and Rory complain about it.

I wish I knew where Alec was, too! A lot of people stared at me suspiciously as they came for dinner time, and I realize he might have borrowed money from more people. Wait, he wouldn’t have run away, right? My hand freeze on my sponge. Could he? No, it’s just been a day; maybe he’s...

“Nora, come here.”

“Alec!”

My brother is here! He’s in the kitchen, fidgeting and looking at me with a weird look. I approach him cautiously. He looks sober, but his bloodshot eyes... Suddenly, he hands me what he’s been holding in his hands. Isn’t that one of our mother’s dresses? I recognize the beautiful embroidery and the lace on the back. I didn’t even know he had it!

“I found this. Just put it on.”

Is this supposed to be a... present? He’s frowning and won’t look at it. I am not sure about what to do. Isn’t this dress too thin and too big? Why would I put on such a pretty and daring dress here and now?

“Just put this damn thing on, I said!”

He violently slaps me, making me step back. I don’t answer and flee down to the basement to obey. I don’t want to get hit a second time.

I get dressed in front of the mirror, but my reflection is... unsettling. This dress is pure white, it doesn’t look too good on my pallid and bruised skin. And it’s mother’s...

“How long do you need to put on a damn dress!”

Alec comes down without warning and looks at me, visibly pissed. Seeing that I’m done, he runs up to me and grabs me by the arm without a word. I try resisting, but he’s way stronger. He takes me out of the house and starts walking toward the city.

“Wait, Alec, stop! I can’t go out looking like this! What are you doing? Stop!”

He stops, and I get a new slap, a second, a third, one after another.

“Will you shut the hell up! I don’t fucking care! Just shut up and walk!”

I don’t dare to say a word anymore. I don’t want any more hits, but where are we going? I’m barefooted, and he makes me walk looking like this in the open! I am starting to get really scared of what’s coming now. He makes sure we avoid the rest of the pack, making us take the long way around the houses. Everyone is having dinner, is that why he only came now? To avoid others? I don’t like this...

Twenty minutes later, we finally enter one of the buildings on the outskirts of the city. I know this one: It belongs to our Jade Moon Clan, so a few pack members live here. Who are we meeting, then? Without a word, he pushes me into the elevator and finally lets my arm go. I’m freezing, and my arm aches...

“Alec, what’s going on? Why are we here?” I ask.

“Settling my debts.”

“What, how?”

He doesn’t answer and pushes me to the sixth floor. He grabs me again as he sees me hesitating and pushes me. I trip and almost fall on my knees as we enter one of the apartments. When I raise my head, I see Marcus.

Marcus, staring at me with a grin, half-naked.

“There you go,” says Alec.

“Wait, what? Alec, what is this?” I ask, panicked.

Oh, Moon Goddess, no, no, no. Marcus won’t keep his hungry eyes off me, and my brother looks so... detached.

“I told you we are settling my debts. Marcus will do that.”

“Exactly, sweetheart. Now you are going to be a good girl and let me have my fun, and your brother walks out with all that money he needs. How great is that?” Exclaims Marcus, with a broad smile.

Have they gone crazy! I don’t want to spend even a minute with this lecherous dog! And now he wants to sell me to this old pervert for money? What the Hell!

“No, no, I’m going,” I say, turning back to the door.

But Alec is in my way and grabs my arm forcefully.

“Stop it, Nora! All you have to do is let him fuck you, and our money problems will be over! What, are you going to say you don’t want to? You think I give a damn about you? But look, we need that money, so you’re going to be a good girl and...”

“And screw you, Alec!” I explode. “What money problems? You’re the one who got in trouble in the first place! Why do I have to do this! I don’t get a single cent for myself! Now you want to make me pay for the money I earned, and you stupidly wasted? No way I’m doing this!”

He hits me violently —a full punch, throwing me on the floor. I land painfully on my arms, letting out a cry.

“Shut the hell up! Whose fault is it I’m broke in the first place! Who made me an orphan, huh? You freak! Who gives a damn about what you think!”

He grabs me by the hair, forcefully making me stand on my knees, and looks at me with those crazy eyes.

” You’re going to do it, Nora. You’re going to have sex with Marcus. And after that, you better not complain, not a word, to anyone, because if you do, I will kill you for good this time, you hear me?”

He lets me go and storms out, slamming the door behind him.

He has gone mad. I’m shaking all over, from the panic and the shock combined. What nightmare is this?

“Well, well... It seems like you have your orders, now. So, let’s be a good girl, Nora. I’m paying your brother a good sum to have my way with you, so don’t you play hard to get now.”

Hell no.

I don’t want this pork anywhere near me, and there is no way I’m going to let him touch me in any way. My wolf is growling like crazy inside, ready to defend herself.

No way.