Page 33 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

I like the sound of that. Elena and I keep talking through the mind-link for a while before I finally exit the room. To my surprise, Liam is waiting for me in the bedroom. I frown.

“Liam? Where are Damian and Nate?”

“They are waiting for us downstairs. Neal and Bobo just came back. So, we have a few minutes to talk before they come back.”

“Talk about what?”

“About this?”

Oh, Moon Goddess. Why does he have that business card! I walk up and take it back from him. Don’t tell me he took it from my clothes while I was showering? I can’t believe him!

“Liam, that’s not your business! Don’t go through my stuff again!”

“What, you’re hiding little secrets now? Why do you have that guy’s business card, anyway?”

So, he can see what’s written on it. Couldn’t the Witch have hidden it from other people, too, like her letter? Apparently not. How do I explain this? I know Liam is good at keeping secrets, but gosh, he is good at spying, too! Moreover, there is no way I’m telling him about the Witch; he is the one supposed to hunt her down.

“Someone gave it to me,” I mumble.

“Oh, really? I wonder who.”

Gosh, can’t he be less curious just for once! And while he’s at it, drop that stupid smirk of his, too! I know there is no way he is going to let this go, so I might as well give him something else to think about instead of telling him about the Witch.

“Okay, I was thinking of going over to talk to their Alpha.”

His smile drops immediately, and he crosses his arms, looking a lot like Damian when he is unhappy. “Nice. Did you completely forget the part about them killing intruders on the spot? Because I’m pretty sure I mentioned it something, like, ten minutes ago.”

“You said they hated you guys. Doesn’t mean they will be as hostile towards me.”

“They don’t like strangers at all, Nora. Do you really think you can just walk in there and try your luck? I think you’re a tiny bit overconfident here, Princess.”

“Liam, it could be the solution! Moreover, you said it, I’m a princess, a Royal. Maybe that will help...?”

He rolls his eyes. “Nora, even I am not that crazy! And you? You are a Princess, but you are still a 5’2”, underweight, eighteen-year-old girl who learned how to control her wolf not two months ago! This is not like an Alpha fight; this is you running into a freaking dead-end!”

I cross my arms, annoyed at him. For the record, I’m not as thin as I used to be, and he knows this isn’t a matter of size either. I’m disappointed. I mean, Liam has been one of my most trusted friends since the beginning, and always the first one up for any crazy plan! I mean, isn’t he the reckless one among his brothers?

“What, you don’t trust me now? Liam!”

“I trust you, Nora, but this is a suicide, and I’m not a big fan of that! Wait till my brother kills me, too, if I let you to go there alone! You think Damian handcuffing you to the bed was unreasonable? Wait until you see how he punishes me!”

“Actually... I thought you could come with me.”

“Excuse me now?”

He looks at me with shocked eyes, but I’m still not giving up. I really think this might help. I try to make a pleading face, putting my hands together, and stepping closer.

“Please, Liam? You know Silver City like no one, and all the packs would let you on their turf.”

“All except for the Sapphire Moon Clan! And they don’t let me in, I just sneak in, Nora. Most of the time. What you’re asking me is...”

“What about Lysandra Jones? You guys are on good terms, and her Clan is an ally of the Sapphire Moon!”

Liam shakes his head. “No, Nora. First, we are not friends, she just likes to fight with strong people, and I’m one of those. Secondly, the Purple Moon is only a branch Clan of the Violet Moon. Lysandra doesn’t agree with her father, so assuming her pack is allied with the Sapphire Moon Clan is a bit risky. Finally, I’m not even sure, even if Lysandra agrees to help us and an ally of the Sapphire Moon wolves, that this plan would work. That’s way too many ifs!”

I know this idea is risky with the way things are now. but with Damian breaking the engagement, I’m afraid the balance of power between the Clans will shift way too fast, and I must act before that. “It might be my only to help you guys.”

He shakes his head. “Nora, this is a really, really bad idea. Damian would be super against it, and with all the right reasons for it!”

I do feel bad about acting behind his back, but he would prevent me from going there if I did. I know I’m the one who came up with this “no lies”

thing, but I don’t see any other way to help my mate. I sigh. “Okay, let’s talk again about this later. You think about it, please, Liam.”

“You better think about it, too, Nora! Like, as an awful decision you should not make!”

He sighs and turns around to leave the room. I know this is unreasonable, but this is the only thing I could think of after receiving this business card. I look at the butterfly flying around me while I quickly brush my hair. Is this little thing going to get me killed? The Witch wouldn’t let such a thing happen, right?

I try to chase away those depressing thoughts and get downstairs to join the guys. Liam ignores me, but I just naturally walk up to my mate. Damian puts his arm around my shoulders, and it’s time to go.

We don’t need to get far; the elevator takes us way downstairs. The brothers guide me through a couple of corridors, and we finally walk into what looks like a vast reception hall. Except that nothing is put up for a reception, no decoration or furniture whatsoever. Instead, it is just crowded with a lot of people. It looks more like some shady business reunion. The curtains are closed, and everyone is dressed in dark outfits, mostly black. Most are between their twenties and forties. Some wear suits, others wear some street clothes like hoodies or leather jackets. I finally understand. Neal didn’t gather the full Clan, but its lieutenants.

The Jade Moon Clan was not that big, only eighty or a hundred people, so Vince was enough as its Alpha to control it, with the Beta’s help. For the Blood Moon Clan, however, that wouldn’t work. From what I’ve heard, this Clan has hundreds, perhaps thousands of members. With so many people, a single Alpha could never oversee it all. Hence, like any prominent Clan leader, Damian, has an organization that allows him to control all the wolves without being himself on the scene.

That’s where the lieutenants come in. Those people are Alpha werewolves, but of lower strength than the main Alpha. Just strong enough to control smaller groups. I look around, and that seems about right. Headhunters, top fighters, family heads, gang leaders. Every single person in this room is an Alpha, leading their own smaller pack, but moving under Damian’s orders.

As we walk in, all of them react to my mate’s presence, willingly lowering their heads in respect, calling him “Boss.”

Despite the room being full of Alphas, I can tell none of them are on Damian’s level. He has his own aura, on a whole different scale. And here I am, walking next to him, with no idea how to act. Gosh, I can’t believe I’m just standing there with a denim skirt and this plain t-shirt! Maybe I should have dressed up a little? I feel awkward facing all the lieutenants with their severe looks in this casual attire.

Damian walks up to a small stage, where all of them can see him. Taking a quick look, I try to estimate how many people are there. Maybe about a hundred or so? How large can the sub-packs be, then? Some of them look young, maybe my age or so. They don’t look childish at all, though, more like punks and street gang people. It really looks like some Mafia gang gathering...

“Hi, everyone. Apparently, Neal already filled you in, so let’s go over this quickly,”

says Damian. “From today on, no more favors for the Gold Moon Clan. They overstepped their bounds, and we are to make them regret it.”

To my surprise, most people in the room cheer or applaud, and a couple of them whistle in appreciation. Are they happy about pissing the Gold Moon Clan off?

“I like that, Boss!”

Yells some guy with a large beard.

“Let’s ditch those money-suckers!”

“Who do they think they are!”

A few more people are heard before Damian growls. Immediately, everyone goes silent again, all eyes focused on him. A woman with a black leather jacket raises her hand.

“What about King, Boss? The engagement? Judging from the young missy next to you, I bet you found better!”

Damian smiles and takes my hand gently before making me face the crowd with a fierce look.

“I found the best one, Vane. All of you meet Nora, my fated mate.”

A few seconds of silence follow his words when all eyes turn to me, and all sudden, the cheering starts again, ten times louder this time. People clap their hands, and congratulatory words are flying all over the room.

“Finally! We’re so happy for you, Boss!”

“Blessed Moon Goddess mother, a fated partner for the Boss!”

I can’t believe all these people are genuinely happy for us. Aren’t they disappointed I’m not of a powerful family, or as pretty as Alessandra King? Do they think I have some significant backing they don’t know of yet? I blush, embarrassed by so many people cheering for our relationship. Damian pulls me back next to him, putting his arm around me in a showy manner. Once again, the crowd calms down as soon as he gestures it.

“From now on, Nora is my one and only partner. The engagement with King is no longer. Don’t let the Gold Moon Clan use it anywhere. No more favors, no more special treatment.”

I see the Alphas wearing black suits all nod. They are giving off a businessman feel. They are probably the ones handling businesses and dealing daily with the Gold Moon Clan. Damian then turns to the side with the most street gang people, the younger Alphas.

“I don’t want them anywhere in my territory. Let everyone know they are not welcome anymore. No more coming unannounced, no more going through our territory. If they don’t like it, show them it’s not up to them.”

A young man with red-colored hair nods. “Got it, Boss! I was tired of seeing them acts like they own the place! We will drive them off and make sure they don’t dare step in our streets again!”

“Spread the word, Sean. And tighten up the security; from now on, I want more people watching our borders. Some psycho managed to go past our defenses; make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“Sure, Boss.”

Damian keeps giving instructions to chase the Gold Moon Clan off their territory. Not just geographically, but they also start talking about land property and corporate actions. None of this I can help with. Meanwhile, I notice a few people looking at me with curious eyes.

Well, I kind of dropped in out of the blue, so that would be logical. Everyone probably wonders where I came from, how I met Damian, but surprisingly, no one dares to ask. They listen to Damian’s orders religiously. From my perspective, no one seems really worried about what’s coming next. All that matters to them is the Boss’s orders. A hundred Alphas, all gathered in one place and listening to my mate with no discussion. I feel like this is the first time I’m really witnessing with my own eyes the extent of Damian’s influence.

The meeting takes longer than I expected. Damian’s orders were clear, and some of the lieutenants left right away. Still, some stayed to ask him about some border issues like the rogues, or how they should handle business deals. I notice a few of the lieutenants still look at me from time to time. I go to sit aside with Liam and Bobo, leaving Nathaniel and Damian to handle the Clan issues. To my surprise, five people shortly walk up to us.

I recognize the woman who spoke earlier, and Sean, the teenager with a large hoodie. Three other guys are with them. One is wearing a completely black suit and glasses, like an office worker. The one next to him has an entirely different look, with a leather jacket and tattoos all over his arms. I’m pretty sure he’s a biker. The last guy wears a casual outfit and a beard, but he has a large burn scar on half of his neck.

“Hello, miss Nora. I hope we are not bothering you, we just wanted to pay our respects to the future Luna,”

says the woman, Vane.

Bothering me? I’m just sitting next to the wall, doing nothing! I get up to salute them. What am I supposed to say? This is a bit awkward, but they act politely and respectfully, so I do my best.

“Oh, thanks. It’s nice to meet you all, I’m Nora Bluemoon.”

“That’s a pretty name, young lady. Nice to meet you, I’m Joshua Hale, in charge of the North highways,”

says the biker guy. He gives me a handshake with his gigantic paw, and a big smile.

Next to him, the teen just nods, his hands in his hoodie’s pockets. “Sean Pierce. I’m in charge of Rock Park, and all the dark alleys a lady like you shouldn’t go.”

“Hello, miss Nora. I’m Thaddeus Cooper, in charge of the Financial district and M. Black’s accounting assistant,”

says the guy with the office worker look, bowing in a really polite manner.

The last man gives me his hand, too, and a gentle smile. “Isaac Graves. We have met before, but I was in my wolf form, at your fight against the Jade Moon Alpha. A beautiful fight, by the way.”

“So, you’re Nathaniel’s Beta, right?”

I ask, suddenly remembering where I heard his name before.

He smiles and nods. “That’s right.”

“And I’m Vanessa Brookes, in charge of South Main Street and the southern border. You can call me Vane, everyone does.”

I shake hands with the woman. I feel like I’ve heard her name before. Her face reminds me of someone, too, but I can’t remember who. She is tall, with her brown hair falling on a red leather jacket. She gives me a warm smile. “We are happy you’re here, miss Nora. The Boss has been looking everywhere for you, you know, so we were curious. It’s good to finally see you in person.”

“You guys know about this, too?”

I ask, surprised.

The biker guy, Joshua, laughs loudly. “Everyone here knows! The Boss gave orders a few years ago. Find a teenage girl, blue eyes, black hair, a scar on her left eye. And here you are!”

“Thank Moon Goddess. If the Boss really married that King, I would have killed that whore,”

grumbles Sean.

“Well, you won’t need to get things that far, it seems like the Boss will take care of things after all,”

says Isaac.

“I was surprised earlier. Are you guys all against that woman? I mean, this alliance with the Gold Moon Clan should be full of advantages...” I say.

They look at me with surprised eyes. Sean rolls his eyes, but Vane gives him a slap behind the head right away, telling him to watch his attitude.

It’s actually Thaddeus who clears his throat to answer me. “Putting the financial benefits aside, miss Nora, the Gold Moon Clan is not a popular choice for the Clan. Their wealth is mostly due to a long history in Silver City, not smart business decisions. If I may say so, their wealth went up naturally, but they’re poorly managed. The Alpha is...”

“...A nutjob who just got lucky,”

mumbles Sean.

“Well, you may also put it that way,”

says Thaddeus.

“It’s as the guys said, miss Nora. The Gold Moon Clan may be rich, but that’s it. They are not good fighters and not smart either. They just act like they are. The same goes for Alessandra King, she acts as if she owns every place she goes, but that only if she got her purse in hand. If anything, she is the queen of disrespect, and nobody here likes that.”

I nod to Vane’s words. So, therefore everyone was so happy about Damian’s announcement concerning the engagement’s cancellation.

Joshua smiles at me once again. “We may have submitted to the Boss, miss Nora, but we are not ready to accept anyone as the Luna. But you look like a fine young lady, and if the Moon Goddess chose you as the Boss’ pair, I’m all for that.”

“That’s right. We already know you’re a decent fighter, too. A lot of us heard about that fight, even if we didn’t go. I like a Luna who’s not a wimp.”

This time, it’s Joshua’s turn to slap him behind the head. “Watch your words when talking to the future Luna, punk!”

“Don’t touch me! You want to fight, fatso?”

Growls Sean.

The two of them start growling at each other, but Vane grabs them by the collar and pushes the two guys away like kids.

“Okay, enough, you two. If you want to fight, take it outside. Sorry, miss Nora, those guys tend to get excited quickly. We will leave now, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate; you can count on us.”

She takes the two guys, still bickering at each other, away, trying to separate them, and Isaac and Thaddeus follow behind. I feel Liam coming up to me, and he gives me a quick smile.

“They’re good guys. And super loyal to my brother, too.”

“They all look very different.”

“Well, Damian gathered a lot of people from different places. Isaac, Thaddeus, and Vanessa’s families used to belong to our father’s Clan, but they sided with us as soon as we rebelled. Joshua is a former rogue, but he is a good guy, so my brother allowed him in the pack.”

“What about the young guy? Sean?” I ask.

Liam shrugs, still looking in their direction. Joshua left, and Sean is sitting next to Vane, his hood hiding his eyes.

“Sad story. He grew up in the streets as an orphan. No one knows where he came from, but he’s a real little punk. A good fighter, too. I think he looks up to Damian a lot. He is the only one Sean listen to, with a couple other people.”

“Like Vane?”

“Yeah, she’s like the big sister of the group. She was one of our first lieutenants, so...”

It’s interesting, getting to know the dynamics of Damian’s Clan. So many people are counting on him now. I understand more how the whole Blood Moon Clan works. A lot of them are either people who turned against the former Alpha, or outsiders, strays. Werewolves the other Clans wouldn’t have wanted. Especially Alphas. The natural reaction for any alpha werewolf is to consider other Alphas as their rival and push them off. It’s a common situation in huge packs— they would try to chase off any potential threat.

However, Damian didn’t do that. Instead, he let those Alphas lead smaller groups and gathered them around him. It wouldn’t have been possible if he wasn’t strong and charismatic enough himself. Would I have been able to do this?

While I’m still thinking, a few more of them come to salute me. I try to remember the names and areas they are in charge of, but before I get any rest, more than twenty lieutenants have come and gone, and I’m a bit lost. I hope I will be able to remember most of them, though. I share my worries with Liam, but he laughs at me.

“Don’t worry, Nora, you’ll have plenty of time to get closer to them! Plus, even I don’t know everyone here, there are too many faces! Just do it like me, and if you’re unsure, ask us with the mind-link.”

Oh, right, there is this solution, too. I never thought of that before. How convenient.

“Nora?”

Damian is back, and he takes me in his arms right away. “Sorry, that took a while. Are you tired?”

“Now that you mention it...”

It’s true. I don’t know what time it is, but it’s late, maybe past midnight, even. I look around and realize almost everyone left, aside from a few groups of people talking here and there. Nathaniel arrives behind Damian, looking exhausted as well.

“I’m going home, guys, I’m dead tired.”

“Home? You’re actually on your own again tonight?”

Asks Liam with a smirk.

To my surprise, Nathaniel glares at him. Judging by his reaction, I would guess Elena is still avoiding him... Without saying a word, he turns around and leaves.

Damian frowns and turns to Liam. “What’s wrong with him?”

But the youngest brother shrugs. “Don’t ask me, he is the one with relationship issues...”

Damian frowns, but I act like I don’t know about it. After all, this is Nathaniel’s business, not mine. I just hope everything would settle down with Elena. Unfortunately, that’s not my place to interfere.

“Can we go, Damian?”

I ask, trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, my mate nods and takes my hand. Bobo, Neal, and Liam follow behind us when we walk back to the elevator. I’m feeling so tired, I’m almost sleeping against Damian’s chest already. The elevator stops, and the Mura brothers exit first a few floors below Damian’s place. Does Neal live here, too? That wouldn’t be too surprising. To my surprise, Liam follows us to Damian’s apartment.

“All right, I’m going to bed. Good night, guys!”

He says, leaving towards what is probably a guest room.

As soon as he is gone, Damian carries me like a princess, taking me to his room to land me on the bed. I yawn irresistibly, and he laughs.

“You’re so cute when you are tired. I should make you stay up more often.”

“No way, I need to go to work tomorrow...”

Gosh, work. Can I go back to work after what happened? Damian doesn’t discuss it, and I wonder if he heard me. He exits the room for a minute, and I head to his vast wardrobe. I pick a sleeveless shirt, big enough for me to wear to sleep. I understand why Elena loves wearing oversized clothes so much. This is so comfy! When Damian comes back, only wearing pajama pants, I’m already in bed, and drowsy. He smiles and joins me. He puts his arm around me, holding me close against his bare chest.

“How do you feel?”

“Just tired...”

“You’re getting stronger. I thought you would be more shaken up by all that happened today.”

I know. It’s been a long day. The Witch’s letter, Alessandra King barging to my workplace, the attack at my apartment, the Blood Moon Clan’s gathering... I sigh. “I won’t get used to it, but... It’s not like I can sit in a corner and cry either. I promised myself to get stronger.”

I feel his lips pressing against my forehead. “You’re doing great, Nora. I’m proud of you, my Love.”

I like it when he calls me that… I wish he’d say it again, but I fall asleep to quickly to ask.