Page 35 of His Blue Moon Princess (The Silver City #1)

When my shift is finally over, I’m kind of worried, because Bobo has arrived with the car, but Liam is not there yet. Why would he be late now? His class ended long ago, and his high school is not that far either. I’m nervously playing with my necklace pendant while waiting. Bobo is acting as usual, texting, probably Daniel.

“If he is not here in ten minutes, we should—”

“No can do, Princess!”

I turn around, and to my surprise, Liam is finally here! I notice he doesn’t have his backpack or anything. He walks up to us with a confident smile.

“You are late! Where have you been? Did you go home to leave your bag?” I ask.

Liam shakes his head. “No, I dropped by my girlfriend’s place to leave it.”

His what...? I stare at him, dumbfounded. Even Bobo’s jaw drops!

“Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

Liam tilts his head, trying to look innocent or cute, I can’t tell. “For a while, actually. What, I can’t have one?”

“You never said a thing about having a girlfriend!”

“I never said I didn’t have one! It’s just that you and my brothers don’t ask!”

So, both Damian and Nathaniel have no idea either? Liam is even sneakier than I thought! I stare at him, not knowing what to say. I can’t believe this guy has a girlfriend and never said a thing!

Bobo frowns, really surprised, too. “Since when?”

“A few months, but don’t ask anymore, my lady is really shy.”

“What, so you won’t introduce her to us? You could at least tell us more!”

I have to admit, I’m feeling all curious now! Liam pretends to ponder for a while, a bit annoyingly I should say, then he gives me a wink. “I can’t, sorry! Anyway, didn’t you want to hurry up just a while ago, Princess? We should get going, the sooner the better before Damian unleashes all hell on us for this suicide mission you got for us!”

Despite my curiosity about Liam’s girlfriend, there was no way I would delay our trip to the Sapphire Moon Clan to learn more about that. We are running against the clock on that one. So, I give Bobo the address on the business card the Witch gave me, and he heads the car to the southwest. This is a part of Silver City I am very unfamiliar with. With the Jade territory being in the East, and the Blood Moon in the center, I never had any reason to head West until now. Judging from where we are headed, the closest I probably ever got to that part of town was probably when fighting with or against the Sea Moon Clan, located in the southwest.

“The Gold Moon Clan is located in the West, right?” I ask Bobo.

He nods. “Right. Their territory is not that big, but they have several establishments in the city, too, on the Rising Moon Clan’s turf.”

I really need to study this kind of things more carefully, but now I have a rough idea of how Silver City and its suburbs are divided between all the big Clans. Obviously, the Black Brothers and their packs are located at the center, owning quite a lot, too. In the East, my Jade Moon Clan, with the allied Pearl Moon more to the North. Elena’s Clan, the White Moon, dominates the North area, with the Latino and Artsy districts, but some parts like the Silver University premises remain neutral, of course.

The South, on the contrary, is larger and divided between the Sea Moon Wolves, focused on the sea border, the Violet Moon, and the Sapphire Moon. Of course, the borders are not definite and precise, more like a general idea of who is not supposed to go where. But our wolf instincts clearly tell us when we are somewhere we are not supposed to be.

Like now, when the highway takes us further away from the Financial District, the buildings getting smaller behind the car’s windows. This is a different landscape. More like the old part of the city, with historic buildings and brand-new skyscrapers popping out of nowhere. I can’t decide if I like it or not. This is really different from the Silver City Damian brought me to, all made of glass, neon lights, asphalt, and steel. The Blood Moon turf is more uniform, urban and concentrated, while the Sapphire Moon Clan looks like a mix of old and new, wood and marble next to steel and glass. As we keep driving further, I notice the car slows down, while more and more wolves and people suddenly surround us. Their eyes are all following us without blinking, and we can’t ignore them. Bobo has to pull the car over, and we get out. We are probably just at the entrance of it but driving any further into their territory would have been too imprudent.

As we step down, a lot of the wolves that were following and a few people immediately rush towards us, all of them growling loudly. A sturdy woman comes forward, looking very pissed. “Are you kidding me? How disrespectful is the Blood Moon Clan to actually step into our territory unannounced! Are you prepared to get killed!”

Bobo instinctively comes to place his large body in front of me, growling very loudly in a threatening manner, warning anyone who would try to harm me. Sometimes I forget how large and menacing he can be. Still, now it is apparently sufficient enough— some of them don’t dare to approach his gigantic figure. Liam, with his Alpha instinct, is not holding back his growling, either. I can’t fear his Alpha aura, but I can tell it’s here, and pretty intimidating, too, as no one approaches him either.

I’m the only one keeping my calm, and not impressed by all this. So, I speak out for the three of us. I address the woman who spoke first. “We did not come here as Blood Moon Clan representatives. I don’t even belong to them; I don’t have any marking. Those two just came along.”

“A rogue, then? Do you think that is any better, young lady? Do you know how we treat strays here?” Says a young guy on the side.

“I don’t care if you consider me a rogue, but I just came to have a peaceful talk with your leaders. I have questions.”

This really doesn’t look good, despite my attempts to look as harmless as possible. About a dozen people and wolves are circling us closely already. I can’t have us attacked now, so I ignore Bobo’s efforts to shield me and address the woman. “Please let us through, that is all we ask.”

“You don’t get to make requests, girl. You should go back to where you came from and be glad we are letting you go alive!”

Gosh, this is getting nowhere, and I’m starting to get really annoyed, too. This gathering is not intimidating me the slightest, and all those growls are giving me a headache. So, I deliberately step forward, provoking a new wave of angry growling around me. My inner wolf, pissed at their disrespectful attitude, starts growling, too. “ That’s right, girl .” I click my tongue at them, directing my stare to anyone who is acting hostile.

“Enough! I asked to speak to your leader. Let us through right now,” I enjoin them.

Most are surprised by my imperious tone, stop growling or take it down a bit. Some exchange looks, lost at what to do. I’m pretty sure a couple of wolves even took a few steps back. The woman has lost a bit of her confidence, too, and seems to be re-examining me with caution. She probably is struggling to know how to react.

Liam mind-links me at this very moment, his eyes going all around us to evaluate the situation. “They hadn’t realized you were an Alpha, too. You surprised them.”

“You... Which Clan’s Alpha are you?” Asks an old man.

“None. I said it, I don’t belong to a pack as of now. I was raised within the Gold Moon Clan as a child but got lost. The Jade Moon Clan picked me up, but I never belonged to them, either. Now, the Blood Moon Clan is protecting me, but I have yet to join them.”

“An Alpha without a pack?”

I nod, hoping she will believe me. She is frowning hard, and her eyes go from one member of her pack to another. They are all mind-linking to decide what to do next.

Liam is not acting as anxious as before, either. He is observing them, looking interested but calm, analyzing the situation with cold eyes. Bobo hasn’t moved an inch.

After a minute or two, the woman turns to me again. “What are your current relationships with the Clans you mentioned before?”

I’m getting tired of all this questioning. It’s cold standing here, and I only have this much time before Damian knows where I am. My wolf agrees, and growls louder, giving them a new scare, enough for more of them to retreat.

“I already said it earlier! Now, let me through. None of you are Beta or Alpha, and I need to speak to a man named William Blue. That’s your Alpha, right?”

While talking, I take out the business card and hold it high enough for all to see. They recognize it immediately. The woman finally walks up to me, up until Bobo starts growling, warning her not to come closer. She is only a few steps away now.

“My name is Gloria. You can follow me, but the car stays here. Can I get a name to give to my Alpha, at least?”

“My name is Nora, Nora Bluemoon.”

As soon as I say those words, a lot of them get agitated all of a sudden. People start whispering, and the wolves are fidgeting, too. Gloria looks at me in shock. “Bluemoon? Is that a joke?”

I remain silent, leaving her to believe whatever she wants. Does my last name mean something to them? Anyway, I don’t have time for this now. Can’t we just go already? I don’t have all day! Gloria is lost in her thoughts for a while, but she eventually turns around and starts walking.

As we follow her closely, a few wolves from the Sapphire Moon follow us, too. A lot of them are growling at Liam, but he simply ignores them. He is more focused on our silent conversation.

“Well done, but I wouldn’t say we are fine. They were impressed by your Alpha aura, and your name is intriguing them, too. You probably just made them doubt whether they should kill us or not.”

“I know, but at least now we have a chance at meeting their Alpha, and Damian isn’t looking for us yet.”

“Nora, I think I’m more scared about one angry Damian chasing after us than hundreds of Sapphire Moon wolves trying to kill us.”

Honestly, I’m pretty much the same. No matter how many people are growling and circling us, I don’t feel intimidated, thanks to my Royal Blood. But Damian? That’s another story.

It doesn’t take long until we reach a vast house. I expected a company building, but instead, this is more of a family house. Not your average household, though. More like the old colonial house, all white, a large romantic garden, and a terrace. I count four floors, and so many windows, I bet ten full families could fit in there. How many millions is such a house worth? I feel out of place just by standing in front!

Gloria stops at the front door and a few of the wolves who were still following and watching us scatter around. She doesn’t even knock—an elderly man comes to open before that. He lets us in without a word, and Gloria takes us upstairs. Right before entering a room, she turns around to address Bobo and Liam.

“Just the girl.”

“Hell no,” immediately says Bobo, growling.

“Bobo, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure?” Asks Liam, looking concerned for the first time

I nod, but Bobo is obviously unhappy about this.

“You shouldn’t go alone. I’m coming.”

I see him take off his shirt, and he suddenly shapeshifts in front of us into his large wolf form. I roll my eyes, and Gloria gasps at his enormous size.

“Bobo! How stubborn can you be!”

“Never mind. As long as this one stays here, you can come in,” says Gloria, pointing at Liam.

I guess this is all because of him being a Black Brother. Liam and I exchange a look, but he seems okay with it. I don’t feel good about leaving him alone, though. I turn to Gloria. “You do realize that if anything happens to him, the Blood Moon Clan will react, right?”

She stays silent, but Liam sighs.

“Same for you, Nora. Let’s both stay safe, all right?”

I nod and glare one last time at the woman, using my wolf to make her feel it. If anything happens to Liam, I won’t stay still, either. She avoids my eyes and opens the door for me.

I step into a large office, Bobo behind me. It smells like old books, ink, and dust in here. It lacks sunshine, too, so much that the place is a bit suffocating. Half of the walls are actually covered by bookcases, filled with many more old books than I’ve ever seen in my whole life. The place is so large and dark, I have to keep walking in until I finally see a large leather couch facing a wall. When I turn around to see what that couch is facing, I almost fall on my knees.

A portrait. A large portrait of a woman sitting with a white wolf. I stay stunned in front of her, unable to speak. Moon Goddess mother, I can’t believe it. Why does that woman resemble me so much?

I keep staring at the painting, at a loss for words. That woman is sitting straight and fierce like a queen, a hand on her white wolf. Is that wolf meant to be her other shape? Or just a pet? Her dress is as white as its fur, sparkling and spotless. More than that, I am mesmerized by her eyes. The very same color as mine, a very peculiar night blue shade. If the portrait wasn’t so large, it might not have been as obvious, but this one is covering the whole wall. I can very clearly see each and every detail of her face. A face so much like mine.

The more I look, the less I can believe it. If it wasn’t for a few details, this could even be taken as my spitting image. However, that woman doesn’t have any scar, and a few of her traits are different, too. Her nose is a bit more crooked, and her lips are fuller. My hair is a dark brown, almost black, while hers is a bit lighter, of a caramel brown, but just as curly. Is that a... tiara on her head? Now that I’m thinking about it, her dress doesn’t look from this area, either. More like something from the previous century. This portrait looks quite old, as well. Nothing on the background can give any clue— that woman sits alone against a dark blue curtain. I don’t understand.

Who is this woman, and what is this portrait? It’s so imposing, with a gold frame like the one you would see hanging in some old castle. That woman looks important no matter how you look at her. Her expression is hard to decipher. She looks very fierce, but I feel like she could be very gentle, as well.

Bobo suddenly starts growling, and I finally look away from the painting. I didn’t notice the desk hidden in a corner. An old man is sitting behind it, staring straight at us. He looks about fifty, maybe older. His hair is white, but long and scattered on his head, giving him an odd look. I don’t like the way he is staring. My wolf starts growling, too, feeling threatened.

“Who are you?” He asks in a very annoyed tone.

No one told him? I thought the Sapphire Moon wolves had given him information. Or is he testing me? His Alpha aura is quite imposing. Not as much as Damian, but quite close, I would say.

I breathe in and turn towards him. “My name is Nora Bluemoon. I came to talk to the Sapphire Moon Alpha.”

“What do you want, child?” He talks with a scorched and drawling voice that gives me the chills. This man has something scary about him. Next to me, Bobo won’t stop growling, his whole body bent around me in a protective stance, so close I can’t take a step without pushing him.

What do I say now? The Witch guided me here, and until now, I was so focused on getting here that I never stopped to think about what I would actually say or ask once I did. Think, Nora. The Clans, the war.

“I came to ask for the peace,” I blurt out.

This sounds so childish and stupid, even for me.

“...The peace?” Repeats the old man coldly.

“That’s right. I know you hate the Blood Moon Clan, but we cannot afford any inner battles right now. Something much worse is coming, something dangerous and threatening our city.”

I realize how real this is as I speak. It’s as if the danger was at our doors and ready to hit us like a hurricane. As she said, that other Witch will strike again, and we should be prepared. A war among the packs is not something we can afford now.

Facing me, the old man scoffs. “Is that all you have to say, child?”

“Don’t you believe me? This is serious, if—”

“I do not care for anything you have to say. Why would you actually dare to come here and plead for that wretched, vile, obnoxious group of mutts?”

What the...? I just can’t believe how much hatred and disgust he just spat those words! I can feel my skin crawl hearing that! Calling Damian’s pack a group of mutts? How insulting can this old man be to my mate! My wolf is outraged, and I have a hard time staying calm, too. I need to keep a clear mind, but that man is not making things easy.

I breathe in. “The Blood Moon Clan is not looking for trouble. Every pack can remain in their own territory, and we can keep things as they are. If you do not seek war, we—”

He suddenly slams his hand on the table, making me jump in surprise. Bobo growls even louder and uses his body to push me back, putting more distance between the Sapphire Moon Alpha and me.

“Those dogs started it! They are constantly looking for war, oppressing the other packs! Why should we submit once more to their tyranny!”

“What tyranny? Damian has never oppressed anyone!”

“What do you know, child! You come here, on our territory, and have the nerve to talk to me about peace? Do you have any idea of the suffering we went through? You have no right to order us! You have no knowledge of this world and no right to order me to do anything! Make peace with the Black Moon? Never!”

His yelling glues me to the ground, and I have to listen to him all along. It’s like facing a wall. A wall built of hatred and anger that started long ago and has gotten stronger and thicker for an awfully long time. He called them the “ Black Moon ,” too, but that was when their father was the leader. Can he really not accept the difference now?

So many emotions are going through me right now that I can’t even decide how to react. I’m so confused and angry! And sad, too, because all of this seems so pointless! What do I do now? I try to think about his words, of how I can try to sort this out. A part of what he said is right. I have so little information! I am barely starting to learn about the Clans, but I wish I had been more aware of it earlier! All I know is what Bobo and Liam explained to me. Dealing with the Sapphire Moon Clan cannot possibly be as simple.

“What has their father done to you that you would hate the Blood Moon Clan so much? What kind of grudge would be enough for you to not care about war? Enough that you would leave other werewolves to die for it?”

He suddenly starts laughing. His laughter gives me the chills. It reminds me of how Alec broke down once Damian had captured him. Something insane that makes one feel uncomfortable. I could tell there is not a single trace of joy in that man’s loud laugh. So, I wait for him to stop, despite how bad I feel about this. This is not good.

Once he stops and looks at me, his eyes look empty, like some puppet. A scary, crazy puppet. “A war? Why would they fear war? This man was death personified! A god of madness and violence, a demon! And the one he didn’t do with his hands, he caused himself! Peace? He destroyed it, any hope of peace, he tore to shreds!”

As he yelled, he stood up, his voice echoing loudly in the whole room. I won’t step back, but my whole body wants to run away. I want to run from here, from this man. Something about him is really unsettling and hard to look at.

“I do not care for any of his bastard sons! Those filthy mongrels should be exterminated and sent back to the gutter they belong to!”

“Enough!”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. That man may insult the former Black Alpha, even insult me, but there is no way I’m letting him speak about Damian or his brothers that way! My wolf is growling furiously, exhorting him to submit.

“Don’t you dare speak about my mate that way! Not in front of me!”

His eyes suddenly spark a new light, and a sinister smile curls his lips. “Your mate, child? Could it be you actually are this mutt’s partner? Really?”

This is not good. I step back this time, subconsciously. The old man is getting closer, and I do not want this madman anywhere near me. I gasp, and Bobo is growling furiously while shielding me, all fangs and claws out. My bodyguard is ready to attack the old man any second. This is not what I came for!

“You said you are his mate, right? Black’s mate? His real mate?”

He keeps repeating his question, and I don’t answer. This man has lost it. His intentions are written all over his face as he keeps stepping closer very slowly. His legs are so weak, actually, that it looks like he could fall any minute. Is this really the Sapphire Moon Alpha? An old man, driven by madness? So old and weak? This isn’t right.

Even if he clearly means to hurt me somehow, no matter what, I don’t even think he could. My wolf agrees. We can beat such an old wolf without a problem! But what can I do? He is not listening to me, and I won’t let him hurt Damian or me either. What should I do?