Page 17 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

“Why don’t you just call him?”

I glare at Daniel.

“When I do call him, all he says is that he’s busy with his brother’s mate or work, Danny. If this goes on, I’m going to be jealous of a girl I don’t even know!”

He sighs and takes a bite of his sandwich. It’s lunchtime, and we managed to find a break between my classes and Danny’s experiments to talk to each other. I haven’t seen Nate for a few days, and it’s driving me crazy because I have a feeling he is mad at me. I have no idea why. The last time I was over at his place, he suddenly went out in a hurry that night because of some issue with his brother’s fated mate and didn’t come back. Instead, all I got was a stupid text saying he would be busy for a few days.

“Maybe he’s really busy?”

“Trust me, he had busy weeks before, but when he wanted to see me, he could. No, I feel like something’s wrong. I don’t like it.”

His texts are too short, and his voice was so cold over the phone. I just don’t get it. I feel like I’m missing something. Is it something I said? But everything was fine until then! He wouldn’t have changed his mind so quickly, right?

“Babe, it’s only been a few days, maybe you’re thinking too much!”

I know Danny’s just trying to cheer me up, but I don’t believe it.

“How do you cope without Bobo?” I sigh.

He frowns, furiously biting into his vegetarian sandwich again.

“I do without! That idiot can go and do whatever he wants, I don’t care,” he says with a pout.

“Seriously, Danny? It’s his work! The King appointed him as that girl’s bodyguard, you can’t ask him to drop everything like that.”

“He could at least answer his texts! Can you believe he stays in wolf form? I mean, he did spend a lot of time in his wolf form, but all I’ve gotten so far are texts from his sister! His sister, Elena!”

I try hard not to laugh. My goodness, poor Bobo. I know he doesn’t have much of a choice, but I hope he’s ready for a big fight with his possessive boyfriend when they meet again… I can’t blame Danny, though, he’s barely gotten any news in three weeks.

“Anyway, I say you give him a few more days, girl. I mean, so far, Black’s been very understanding with you, right? Plus, Xavier is all over your back these days, if you want to go to the Velvet Moon territory again it’s going to be a serious hassle.”

Daniel’s right.

When I got back from the Velvet Moon that same night, my uncle caught me right at the border. It was a nightmare, and he asked a thousand questions. He was furious about me sneaking out, even more so when I refused to tell him where and why.

“That was super odd too.”

“What?”

“My uncle was right there when I got back, waiting for me. As if he knew when and where I was going to come back. Isn’t that weird?”

Daniel frowns for a while, then shrugs.

“I don’t know, babe. You know, with all that sneaking in and out, I figured someone would catch you someday. You’ve been doing that since June, Elena. Almost four months, now! You’re lucky no one caught you earlier, in my opinion.”

Maybe Danny’s right about that too. But I can’t help but think my uncle Xavier’s timing was way too perfect. Did someone tell him about it beforehand? Anyway, it’s been a nightmare since. My uncle is keeping me as busy as he can, and watching me like a hawk. Even Isabella and Clark heard about it and scolded me like a pup too. I had the full speech about border security, me being irresponsible, the threats coming from the different packs, and so on. As a bonus, they doubled my training shifts.

“I’m tired,” I say, massaging my stiff neck.

“According to my observations, waking up at 6:00 a.m. to train the kids, going to the hospital every day, then to your classes until 6:00 p.m., to the library until 10:00 p.m. and only going to bed around 11:00 p.m. will do that to anyone, babe.”

I rest my head on Danny’s shoulder, closing my eyes for a while. Damn, I could really use a nap right now.

“How about this?”

I jump, surprised to hear a feminine voice. I calm down when I recognize Daniel’s colleague, though: Sylviana, an odd woman with crimson hair and a gentle smile. She’s handing me a little wooden box that smells good. I grab it.

“Hi, Sylviana. What is this?”

“Just some tea to relieve fatigue, a little.”

“Thanks…”

She smiles at me, and turns to Daniel, talking about one of their experiments. I’ve only seen Sylviana a few times before, but I always get a strange feeling about her. Maybe it’s her green eyes. For some reason, I sometimes get the impression that their color changes with the light. But they look normal when she’s chatting with Daniel.

“Yeah, I’ll transfer it to you later. Thanks, Syl.”

“You’re welcome. See you later!”

She walks away, her long skirt floating a little with the wind. I watch her go until she enters one of the science faculty’s greenhouses.

“Don’t you think she’s a bit weird?” I ask Danny.

“That sounds mean, babe.”

“No, like… I don’t know, she feels a bit strange, don’t you think? I mean, she sometimes has a wolf’s smell on her.”

“Sylviana smells super good, and she’s obviously not a werewolf! Maybe she knows other werewolves, but she’s human, I don’t know what you’re thinking about.”

Still, I can’t shake that odd feeling about her. It’s nothing wrong, but my wolf is always alert when Sylviana is nearby. Daniel finishes his sandwich and licks his fingers, then turns to me.

“Anyway, no studying tonight, babe, you need to rest a bit, okay? If you’re dozing off in class it’s not going to help, all right?”

“Yeah, yeah… But I’ll drop by the cemetery after class. It’s been a while since I went to change the flowers.”

“Go with Levi.”

I roll my eyes.

“Seriously? Since when is your brother my bodyguard?”

“He’s your alibi!”

“I don’t need Levi to be glued to me all day! Diego has been backing off these days, all right?”

“Only because of my genius plan!” insists Daniel.

Seriously, what genius plan? It’s a stupid plan. Ever since Levi posed as my boyfriend in front of Diego, Daniel has insisted that we keep up the act. It’s not that hard anyway, Levi and I have always been close. What I don’t like is the feeling that I’m giving Levi false hope and using him to keep Diego at bay. He’s assured me that he doesn’t mind and understands a thousand times, but still.

“I’ll go alone, Danny. Levi’s probably busy with the patrol anyway, and Diego is not going to follow me all the way to the cemetery; even he is not that nuts.”

Probably.

“What about Reagan?” asks Danny.

“Avoiding me again.”

I’m so used to it that I don’t even care anymore. Since she scolded me along with Clark for leaving the territory, my mentor has been set on watching me from afar. Probably because of Diego, too. But my ex strangely hasn’t approached me for a while. Not that I’m going to complain about not seeing him, though. I just don’t like not knowing what he’s been up to.

“Okay, you go to the cemetery and then straight home. Mind-link me if anything happens. All right?”

“Yes, mom,” I answer with a smile.

Daniel rolls his eyes.

“I’ll really have Mom scold you if you keep going, babe.”

“Your mom loves me too much. Anyway, time to go back to class, and you probably have some stuff to check with your microscope or whatever too.”

Indeed, Daniel has too much to do on his own to complain any further. We part ways for the afternoon, each heading back to our respective departments. I wish I could finish my studies soon, but I still have two years to go.

I’m lucky, though, my last class is canceled at the last minute. I text Danny to let him know and head back to the Opal Moon territory. It’s such a good day, I don’t even need the car and walk all the way back, heading to the cemetery.

I buy flowers before going, since my mom loved them.

To be honest, I hate going to the cemetery. It’s a cold, sad place. When I get there, there’s a heavy silence reigning over the tombstones. I walk a bit between the rows. I forgot how big the cemetery was. When I’m about to reach my mom’s tomb, I stop.

Reagan’s there.

She’s sitting in front of it, in her wolf form. I’m shocked. I had no idea she ever visited my mom. I step closer, and she notices me right away.

“Hi…” I say.

“ Hi, brat. ”

“You could be nice at least in front of mom.”

She growls a bit. Yeah, she probably doesn’t give a damn. I turn around to look down at the white stone. “Ivy Whitewood, dedicated wife and mother.”My adoptive mom, and the only mom I remember. Moon Goddess, I miss her.

I tear up anytime I come here. As if the memories submerged me like a wave, a whirlwind of emotions twists my stomach into knots, and I have to repress those feelings. I don’t want to cry in front of Reagan.

“ I went to see your dad, too. ”

“He’s the same since the accident.”

“ Who’s paying the hospital fees? ”

I roll my eyes. Seriously, why does she care about that now?

“I sold the house,” I confess.

I didn’t have much of a choice. My parents’ savings and mine were not enough to pay for Dad’s hospital bills and my mom’s funeral. It broke my heart, but I didn’t want to accept Clark or Joseph’s money. Reagan doesn’t say anything.

We both stay here in silence. I never talk to my mom, not even in my mind. I just pray she’s at peace, with the Moon Goddess watching over her. I’m not much of a believer, though.

After a while, Reagan walks away without a word. So much for comfort.

I don’t feel like staying too long, either. It’s a depressing place to be, and my mom’s not here. I change the flowers and clean the stone a bit until it looks good enough. With a silent goodbye, I walk away, hands in my pockets. It’s still early, but I promised Danny to go straight home. When I reach the cemetery’s entrance, I’m suddenly faced with Sylviana, who had just walked in.

“What a coincidence,” she says with a gentle smile.

She’s carrying a small bouquet of white lilies. Is she visiting someone’s grave too? She notices my eyes on her bouquet.

“Family,” she just says with a sad look in her eyes.

I suddenly feel very impolite, as if I had asked out loud. I look away from the flowers, trying to think of something to say.

“Don’t you miss them?” she suddenly whispers.

“What?”

Her tone is a bit strange, lower than usual. When she looks at me with those green eyes of hers, I can feel that odd sensation coming again. Is she talking about my mother? But I have a very strange impression that isn’t the case…

“Who are you talking about? Who should I be missing?” I ask, completely lost.

She caresses her flowers, and I notice the little blue butterfly resting still on one of them. It only distracts me a second, though, and I look at Sylviana, but she just smiles and suddenly resumes her walking. I hesitate for a second and turn to follow her.

“Who are you talking about?” I ask, feeling strange.

“Have you ever been to the Jade Moon’s territory, Elena?”

The Jade Moon territory? Why would I be interested? It’s a minor clan and located almost on the opposite side of Silver City too. How does she even know about that name? It’s a clan of werewolves… Does she really have werewolf friends? That’s not completely unusual for a human, especially in Silver City, but… Sylviana doesn’t answer me again but just keeps smiling and walking away.

That girl is just blurting things out, but why do I feel so weird listening to her?

My wolf is a bit restless, too. Her voice awoke something in us, and I really want to visit that territory suddenly. Why the Jade Moon? I shouldn’t go, it’s far and I have no reason to be there! Especially after I was caught and scolded for going out a few days ago.

I decide to leave her and quickly run out of the cemetery. I’m not thinking straight. I walk east and drop my backpack at Henry’s bar on the way. I don’t know why; I just keep walking east. I’m about to cross the border when I shape-shift and run away.

I’m headed east, to the Jade Moon territory. I have no idea why, but my werewolf just wants to go.

I run, in my wolf form, across the Pearl Moon territory, rushing and praying that no one will say anything about my presence here. Hypothetically, we are on good terms with their pack, but I wouldn’t push it. Damn, if Clark or my uncle hear about this, I’m dead.

However, my wolf is pushing me even faster. We have to go. I’m still unsure about that weird thing that happened with Sylviana. It was a strange sensation. That girl is weird, creepy weird, but I still did what she suggested. Why? Why are my guts pushing me towards the Jade Moon right now?

I finally reach the border.

I’m prepared for tighter security, but to my surprise, there is absolutely no one guarding their border. What’s going on? I walk a bit further, my wolf guiding me. What the hell? I pick up Nathaniel’s smell out of the blue. What is he doing here?

I carefully approach. After walking a bit, I reach a clearing, where a crowd has gathered, split into two groups.

First, I spot Nate, standing in his human form next to a young, black-haired woman. All I can see are their backs; they are turned towards the other group, and I hear some argument going on. I walk closer, curious. Some wolves turn their heads towards me and growl, but they stop quickly.

I spot a big, brown wolf in the group, standing next to the young woman. Boyan! He briefly looks at me, and I get he’s the one who told the others to leave me alone. Everyone is more focused on what’s going on, though. Standing a bit to the side, I try to listen too.

“Food and shelter?” says the girl. “You put me in the basement. You made me work from dawn until dusk, and never let me eat with you. You never even considered me a part of our pack.”

Is that her? Nora? She seems so young and frail! Is she really his brother’s mate? I wish I could see her face. Why does she feel so familiar? My wolf is restless, too. It’s funny, though, I can barely feel her inner wolf no matter how hard I try, like she is hiding.

“Everyone has to work to earn their living! You… You would have died in the streets if it wasn’t for me, Nora. Nobody else would have helped you, but we did! Doesn’t that count?”

Is that her Alpha? She was in the Jade Moon clan all this time? Damn, the guy doesn’t have much of an Alpha Aura.

Compared to him, Nate is much more imposing. I notice another wolf standing in the front, a black one. Is that the younger Black brother? I’ve not seen him yet. The young wolf is growling furiously. I can feel Nate’s anger from here, too, even if he’s acting calm.

“You never really meant to help me, did you? All you saw was a helpless child, a free slave you could make use of. I was young, and you knew no one would protect me. Nobody would care no matter what happened to me. You never did. You are not my Alpha! You never acted like one to me. You never protected me or considered me your family, not in the slightest. All you did was use me, like some tool you could throw away anytime. I was broken, and all you did was break me even more.”

Damn, I have to give it to her, that girl has some backbone. Is she an Alpha? She sort of feels like one, despite her very quiet wolf. More than that, listening to her, I feel something strange inside… I can’t name it. My wolf wants to go to her, too.

I know that familiar feeling, I’ve felt it before, but where? Damn, if only her wolf wasn’t so concealed!

“No, Nora. I didn’t do it. I never laid a hand on you, did I? I even tried to keep Alec off your back, sometimes, I—”

“You didn’t do anything! You let others do it for you, and that was it! You saw what they did to me, and you closed your eyes a million times! A million times you could have put an end to it with a single word, and you never ever did! You are worse than any of them! You are not even worthy of being called an Alpha!”

When she yells, her Alpha Aura shines a bit brighter, and I can feel it too. Around us, people are impressed or shocked. Yeah, that’s what a young Alpha’s Aura feels like. Only that she’s not that young for a werewolf. A late awakening, possibly? I could use my wolf to yell like that when I was just six or seven, but for that girl, Nora, one can tell she’s not used to it at all. It’s almost as if she wasn’t doing it on purpose, letting it flow naturally.

I look at Nate, and I can tell he’s feeling it too. He looks surprised. Didn’t they know about it?

“You wench! You should just shut up and be grateful the Alpha accepted a cursed, damn freak like you! No one wanted—”

But before she could finish, the black wolf jumps at her. I could tell before it started, that girl had no chance. In a couple of minutes, it’s over. What an idiot… Smart werewolves don’t fucking provoke one of the Black brothers! Despite my relationship with Nate, I can never forget how powerful he and his brothers are. That girl was probably blinded by her wrath, but attacking at that moment was clearly suicide.

It’s my first time seeing one of them kill someone, though. It’s the younger brother, but I’m very aware it could have been Nate. I can feel his cold anger from here. He could have killed her exactly as his sibling did.

Next to him, Nora seems shocked, looking at the body in horror. Welcome to the Black brother’s world. I try to step to the side, but I still can’t see her face. I want to get closer, but that’s just when Nate’s voice resonates.

“This was the last time I hear one of you talk like that about Nora ever again. We will leave behind as many corpses as necessary for that.”

I felt that. It’s the same voice he used whenever he was angry. So cold and frightening. I don’t get to hear it often. A typical dominant Alpha warning. That Jade Moon Alpha is such a weakling compared to them. I don’t even understand how he could have mistreated that girl all these years?

Suddenly, another of his wolves attacks. Did I miss something? His attempt is cut short. Another wolf dies right in front of us. Another wolf jumps, right after his death. A female, this time. Moon Goddess, are all the Jade Moon wolves idiots? They are all going to get killed at this rate! I don’t know what they did to that girl, but this is suicide!

This time, Nate is the one to stop her. I barely saw him move. He was so fast! When I look, he is holding that she-wolf by the throat. I know what’s about to happen, and I can’t help it, I close my eyes. I wish I didn’t hear it, either. The horrid sound of bones breaking and death.

“I warned you. Anyone else wants to try me?”

The body falls at his feet. Moon Goddess, I’ve never seen him like this before. I can’t control myself and take a step back.

This isn’t the Nate I know. The sweet, gentle, and patient Nate. This man is Nathaniel Black, the Alpha, angry and impatient.

“Enough, enough, please!” begs the Jade Moon Alpha.

“I have yet to hear any names,” hisses Nate.

“Nathaniel, stop it.”

I’m surprised to hear her speak so familiarly to Nate. And somewhat bitter to hear that, too. How did they become so close? He’s only known her for a few weeks, right?

No, Elena, you idiot, it’s his brother’s mate. What am I thinking…? But I hate to see them look at each other. Moon Goddess, is it because he’s been ignoring me? I can’t believe I became jealous so easily. I have never seen Nate interact with another she-wolf, I think. Not so close, not so familiarly. I try to bury those idiotic feelings, as Nora steps closer to her Alpha. Moon Goddess, why can’t I see her face, I’m too far back!

All the wolves accompanying Nate and her suddenly start growling even louder, intimidating the pitiful Jade Moon clan while she speaks.

“I’m not stopping them because of you. I still hold you responsible for what happened. But this clan needs its Alpha, and I’m done with seeing blood spilled today.”

“From today on, the Blood Moon clan is hostile to the Jade Moon clan,” declares Nathaniel. “Any of you takes one step into our turf, and you will face the consequences.”

Wow, this means huge trouble for them. This is why no one ever gets on the Blood Moon’s bad side. If you’re any kind of werewolf with a brain, you don’t want the strongest and wealthiest clan, which basically controls half the city, for an enemy. Those people are even lucky to still be alive, in my opinion. I bet if it wasn’t for Nora’s words earlier, this place would already be a bloodbath.

“In ten days at dusk, I want this whole pack to come to the East Point Ground. If a single person is missing, no matter the reason, we will hunt them down,” suddenly says Nate. “This is a challenge for the Alpha position.”

What? They want to take full control over the Jade Moon clan? Why would they even bother with a duel? They could wipe them all out here and now, right? I look at their Alpha. He looks like he’s about to vomit…

Nathaniel doesn’t add anything and turns around to leave with Nora.

I finally see them both. Nate sees me too, and the surprise on his face is something else. I know, I shouldn’t be here.

I’m more intrigued by the young woman, though. Damn, she is pretty, but she looks so frail… Her skin is milk-white, and she’s too skinny. But Moon Goddess, her eyes are beautiful. Striking, sapphire-blue eyes, like the night.

As I’m looking at them, a thought comes to my mind. I’ve seen those eyes before.

Why? Why the hell do they seem so familiar… I don’t remember ever seeing Nora before, so how could I feel like this? I wish her wolf had a stronger aura, so I could feel it properly. But it’s like reaching out for a cloud of smoke, it fades before I can touch it. So frustrating!

Nathaniel’s eyes are riveted on me, trying to make sense of me being here. He stays close to Nora, though, accompanying her to a car close by. All the wolves around them quickly disperse, only Boyan and a few others staying like some security group around Nora. I recognize Tonia, his elder sister, when she shape-shifts back into her human form. She recognized me as well, it seems.

I don’t really care about catching up with Boyan’s sister, though. I’m still confused about that girl, Nora, and I need to talk to Nate. He seems angry at his own brother, though, glaring at the young black wolf the whole time. That’s when I notice Nora is looking at me. For a second, she seems a bit surprised too, but Nate asks her to follow Tonia and soon, she disappears into a car. Did she feel something too?

“Elena.”

I’ve caught up with reality. Nate has opened another car door for me. Now that the other car left with Nora, Boyan, and Tonia, it’s just Nate, his brother, and I left. And it’s awkward.

I jump in, trying to sit as best as I can. Yes, a car isn’t the best place for a wolf. I can’t even shape-shift, I don’t have any clothes! So annoying.

“Who is that?”

I realize his brother shape-shifted into his human form on the back seat and pulled out clothes from his bag. I can hear him changing, so I look forward.

“Mind your own business, Liam. What the fuck were you thinking? Bringing Nora back here!”

“Hey, that was the only way to find out about her clan, okay? And I warned you right away, didn’t I? Nothing happened to Damian’s precious princess, so chill.”

“This is not for you to decide!! We have half the clan trying to protect her and you fucking help her sneak out! When are you going to think before doing things like this! What if she had been injured? What if things had gone wrong with her pack, if I didn’t get there in time? Did you even stop to think about that? About Damian, too?”

I hear that boy, Liam, sigh loudly.

“You are all so overprotective over Nora. You just saw her, didn’t you? She’s an Alpha! A freaking Alpha, you can’t keep her locked up in an apartment! She spent half her life locked in a basement, see what it did to her wolf, she can’t even growl properly!”

Suddenly, I feel some movement, and the younger brother puts his head between the front seats to smile at me, ignoring his older brother.

“Hello, pretty lady! Nice to see you again!”

I see Nate roll his eyes at his younger brother, exasperated. Damn, Liam seems like an energy pill. He hands me a large, black sweater.

“You can take it to change if you want! I don’t want to leave a pretty lady naked.”

Okay, Black brother number three is rather cute. He smiles and goes back to his seat, looking away. All right, time to change, I guess. I do my best to quickly shape-shift and put on the large sweater. Damn, it’s big and covers down to my thighs, but I’m still totally naked underneath.

“Thanks, Liam,” I can finally say.

He gives me a big smile in the mirror.

“Wow, you’re even prettier in your–”

“Liam, shut up,” growls Nate.

The atmosphere in the car goes cold again with Nate’s words. He avoids looking at me, but I can tell he’s only pretending to be focused on the road.

“Why did you come, Elena?”

“To see you,” I reply right back. “You’ve been so busy.”

I made it clear the last word is sarcastic because I don’t believe him.

“As you can see, I was busy watching Nora and this idiot.”

“Hey, don’t lie to the lady when I’m right here, Nate. You only check on Nora and I once a week.”

Thanks, Liam. I glare at Nate, who’s a bit uncomfortable now. Damn, caught lying to my face.

“We’ll talk once we get back to my place,” he finally growls.

Whatever. I’m not leaving until we are done talking anyway. He drives back to his apartment, after we dropped off Liam at another one of their properties; the atmosphere was ice cold in the car. We finally reach his building and walk silently to the elevator. I don’t even care that I’m almost naked and with bare feet, his attitude is pissing me off. Ignoring me for days and now this? Seriously? What the heck is wrong with him! The elevator stops on his floor, and we walk out. Damn, that silence is getting on my nerves. My wolf is almost about to growl. Nate is about to enter his passcode when someone suddenly opens the door.

It’s a woman. Tall, pretty, and looking damn sexy in a tight black dress. She looks at him with a big sigh, but then her eyes fall on me. Who the hell is this? And what the hell is she doing at his place? She eventually ignores me to look at him.

“I was waiting for you.”

I see Nate’s eyes, going from her to me very quickly. I’m really, really tempted to fucking slap him right now.

“Narcissa. You shouldn’t be here.”

Damn, that embarrassed look on his face.

I’m so fucking stupid. I don’t want to go through this. This is so fucking stupid.

“Looks like you two need to talk,” I say with a bitter taste on my tongue.

I turn around. I suddenly feel Nate grabbing my wrist, but I push him away.

“Elena, wait!”

“No, I’m done waiting!” I yell back. “If you didn’t want to talk to me, you could have said so, Nate. I’m not that stupid.”

I walk away, so pissed I feel like I could murder someone. That jerk!I need to go back but fuck, I’m only wearing this stupid sweater! Never mind, I can always shape-shift.

“Elena, stop, let me speak!”

“You had days to speak, Nate! But every time I called, you were busy! Now I know what you were busy doing!”

“It’s not what you think, okay?”

He follows me into the elevator. I’m thinking about throwing him out, but it’s his place, I can’t just push him out. Never mind, it’s only a matter of seconds before I’m out of here anyway.

I just cross my arms and keep my eyes fixated on the wall, ignoring him. Nathaniel takes his chance to speak anyway.

“I have no idea what Narcissa is doing here, okay?”

“How she mysteriously got into your place, where you supposedly never invite anyone but me and your brothers? Are you going to tell me she teleported here, or got your keys by mistake? How stupid do you think I am!”

“I don’t know! Someone must have let her in, but–”

“Oh, shut up, Nate, can’t you just admit you’re seeing someone else?”

He becomes red with anger, slamming the elevator’s wall next to me. Damn Alpha, I’m seeing red too, and my wolf is angry at him, growling furiously. She feels betrayed, and so do I.

“I am not! You’re the only one I–”

“Tell me you never had sex with her,” I suddenly ask, looking him right in the eyes.

For a second, he’s taken by surprise and stays silent, visibly shaken. Moon Goddess, I knew it. I’m so fucking stupid.

“That was before I met you, Elena,” he answers very seriously.

“Before and after, I suppose. You could have just told me if you were bored with me, Nate.”

“I am not bored with you!”

“You ignore me for days with stupid excuses about being busy and when I finally cross two territories to talk to you, you happen to have an ex-girlfriend in your apartment! Seriously, how do you expect me to believe you?”

“She was never my girlfriend, only a fuck buddy!”

“For Moon Goddess’ sake, Nate, just shut up!”

I push him out of the way and exit the elevator, angry like never before. Moon Goddess, how could I be so stupid to not see what a player he was! It’s only been a few days, and he sleeps with someone else? I’m such an idiot!

“Elena, if you would just listen–”

I turn around and growl at him once more. I’m pissed and angry, and I don’t want to listen to him and his stupid excuses!

“I don’t want to listen, Nate. If you wanted to fuck someone else, you could have told me we were over, not just ignore me like some high school brat!”

“What about you then? You’re the only one who gets to play around with other guys, and I have to just wait?”

I stop, completely lost. What the hell is he talking about? I made it clear that I wasn’t sleeping with anybody else!

“Excuse me?”

He suddenly rolls his eyes and takes out his phone, showing me a picture. What the–? Why the hell does he have a picture of me and Levi kissing?

“What is this then?” he asks, furious. “I thought things were over with your ex? It doesn’t seem like it!”

“That’s not Diego, you big idiot, that’s Levi, Daniel’s brother!”

Nathaniel shakes his head in disbelief. I let out a big sigh. Why am I the one justifying myself right now? I’m not the one with another woman waiting upstairs in a fucking sexy black dress!

“So, even your best friend’s brother, now?”’

Moon Goddess, if I wasn’t repressing myself and my wolf right now I would slap him! What’s that look he’s giving me?

“I never slept with Levi, what the hell are you thinking, he’s like a brother to me!”

“That didn’t prevent you from kissing him!”

“That wasn’t real, Nate! Levi is passing as my boyfriend so that Diego would leave me alone!”

I can see the shock on his face. Yeah, I guess he didn’t expect that. That was a shitty plan, but the only one that worked. Whether Diego believed it or not, he backed off a little when Levi was around.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because Diego is a fucking psycho, and that was the only idea I had for him to back off, Nate!”

“So you picked your best friend’s brother? And he believed it?”

“Yes, we have been pretending for a week and that’s working, for now,” I sigh, exhausted by this fight.

“So, there’s nothing between you and that guy, Levi?”

“Of course not…”

“He doesn’t like you?”

I freeze. Oh, damn it. If only I had ignored that question. Nathaniel looks like he is about to vomit, and takes one more look at the picture.

“So, you’re pretending to go out with a guy who is in love with you?”

“Stop that, Nathaniel. Levi knows perfectly well that I don’t love him back.”

“Certainly. Your best friend’s brother, you’re definitely not leading him on by kissing him and pretending to–”

“Levi knows I don’t have any feelings for him, Nate! Enough! Moreover, he knows I’m sleeping with you, okay?”

“You said only Daniel and Boyan knew!”

“Well, now Levi knows too, okay? He overheard Daniel and I, earlier this summer! So yes, Levi knows I’m sleeping with you and he’s covering up for me because guess what? He’s my only believable boyfriend!”

“You’re happily kissing him and going out with him when I’m not available, I guess,” growls Nate.

Moon Goddess, why is he the one having a jealousy tantrum now? I didn’t come here to explain myself!

“Well, we could have held hands, but we are not five years old and Diego isn’t a fucking moron, Nate.”

“So you choose a guy who loves you to pass for your boyfriend instead.”

“Yes, I fucking did because I can’t have you do it for me! So guess what? I had to sort things out by myself with who I could, and Levi knew that! You knew us being from different packs wasn’t going to make things easy, well here you go! Now, if you’re done questioning me, you can go back to that whore waiting for you upstairs! And tell your brothers, your beta, or whoever took that to fucking stop watching me!”

I can’t believe he is still monitoring me! How the hell did he even get that damn picture? It had to be taken within my territory!

He doesn’t reply back, and I run away as fast as I can, shape-shifting as I leave the building. I hear him call my name, but I’m too fast and far already. I just can’t believe him! That jerk! I’m so disappointed. Who was that woman anyway? Could it be she’s not the only one he’s been seeing? Who can tell what he’s been doing behind my back?

I finally reach our border without trouble. I can’t believe how easily I got in and out! No one bothered me, I only watched out when entering back into the White Moon territory. I grab my backpack and finally head home. I really hope Daniel hasn’t noticed my absence.

Of course, he’s home when I enter. Crap. I feel like a kid that was caught stealing when he’s glaring at me like that. I sigh.

“Sorry.”

“Seriously, Elena? What happened to coming straight home?”

He gets up from the couch, arms crossed, waiting for my explanation. Shit. I head to the kitchen to get some coffee when I spot his teapot. I suddenly remember Sylviana’s words, and how it all started.

“Daniel, I really need to talk to you and for you to listen only for like ten minutes, please.”

He looks at me, surprised by my guts.

“Seriously, Whitewood?”

“Daniel, I’m serious. Ten minutes.”

He rolls his eyes and goes back to the couch to listen, still frowning behind his glasses.

“All right. But after that, I’m giving you a hell of a scolding, Elena.”

I sigh, drink a bit of coffee, and tell him everything. My encounter with Reagan at the cemetery, Sylviana’s weird attitude, how I suddenly went to the Jade Moon clan, and my encounter with that girl Nora and the strange feeling I got from it.

Daniel is about to talk or has weird expressions several times while listening to me, but he manages to hold back and stay quiet. Then, I tell him about how I briefly met Liam Black and the whole episode with Nathaniel. I see him go white when I tell him about the woman and our fight.

I don’t know when I started to cry. I only realize I’m crying because he hands me a tissue in the middle of my monologue and the salty taste on my tongue. It’s hard to breathe, sob, and still talk at the same time, but I don’t want to stop until I’m done. I keep telling him everything until the point when I returned to our territory. By that time, I’m crying loudly and shaking.

Daniel’s anger has died while watching me cry.

“Babe.”

“I just… I feel like I had a nightmare, Danny. How could he do that?”

“I know… Men are jerks, okay? But how did he get that picture?”

I roll my eyes. Who cares about that stupid picture? That’s not the point here! But Daniel shakes his head, putting his hand on my knee to comfort me.

“No, Elena, seriously, don’t you think that’s odd? He never knew about what happened here before. You told me he only accessed your police records, right? He didn’t even know who Levi was until now, and aside from me, my brother is someone you hang out with a lot. Shouldn’t he have learned about him sooner? And how would someone from his pack get–”

“Danny, I don’t give a damn how he got that picture, okay? Did you miss the part where he was with that–”

“No, I get you, babe. I really do. But doesn’t this seem a bit too big for you? A pretty chick waiting at his place right when you come? It’s like a movie to me.”

“What movie? She wasn’t there at the right time, Danny, maybe it’s even a regular thing since he got tired of me! He even admitted he’s been with her before!”

“True,” sighs Danny.

I try hard to stop crying. Gosh, when was the last time I bawled like this? I’m feeling so childish and stupid right now. I try to dry my tears until I’m out of tissues and Daniel makes me some tea.

“Okay, putting that jerk aside, Elena, what was that thing with that girl, Nora?”

“I don’t know, I had a really weird feeling when I saw her, like déjà vu, you know? As if I knew her from somewhere.”

“That would be weird if she’s from the Jade Moon clan. And they kept her locked in a freaking basement, too? The King is going to wipe the floor with their limbs!”

“Well, I really couldn’t care less about the Jade Moon, but it was already a bloodbath when I got there. Even your boyfriend had a bite, you know. Quite literally.”

“That’s my man,” says Danny with a little smile.

Look at him. He was so unhappy at Boyan not too long ago…

“Danny, I need to see her again.”

“What? That chick, Nora? Elena, she’s the King’s mate, you can’t visit her like you visited Nathaniel, you know? She’s probably going to be watched like the Pope! And after that fight you had, I’m pretty sure your man is not going to watch your ass if you get caught! Moreover, Xavier and Clark are watching you, remember that? Reagan, too! No, no, bad idea babe.”

“But Bobo–”

“Bobo is too busy watching her to even answer my texts! He’s probably guarding that kid all day and night. Not that I’m jealous, but even I wouldn’t be able to get close!”

I frown.

No, I’m pretty sure that’s not impossible. My instincts and my wolf are telling me to see that girl again, and I really need to. I have to figure out the odd feeling that I had with her.

“Babe, your phone.”

I notice my phone’s been vibrating in my bag. I grab it, and frown. Fuck, it’s Nathaniel. Really, what does he want now? I decline. I don’t care what he has to say, I’m certainly not in the mood for it. Daniel, who saw the name too, sighs.

“Damn, you two have one hell of a complicated relationship. I don’t even need to watch TV anymore.”

“Great to know I’m entertaining you.”

“Don’t be angry, babe, you know what I mean. You’ve got a fiery personality, and Black is not making it easy either, okay?”

“I’m so tired of trying to work things out. He even got jealous of Levi, seriously!”

“Well, I can understand that. Levi loves you, you both know it. If he has any kind of feelings for you, he wouldn’t appreciate that you’re passing a guy who has a crush on you as your boyfriend.”

“That was your idea!” I reply, annoyed.

“I know, but I was putting your safety first, okay? Diego is still crazy as fuck. But I also understand Black’s concerns. But guess what? I don’t think you have a choice, and he just doesn’t get that. He doesn’t know how crazy and dangerous Diego is, even if he’s been quiet these days.”

Daniel’s right. I feel like Diego has been too quiet these days, and it’s worrying. I sigh and grab his cup of coffee, tired of the tea, but I frown as soon as I taste it.

“Daniel, you have to stop changing our coffee brands, this one tastes disgusting.”

“No one likes salty coffee, babe. Just leave it, I’ll make you some more tea.”

I sigh and put the cup down. I’m tired and sad. It’s like I’ll never see the end of that black hole of a relationship with Nate. I close my eyes, letting out a big sigh.

“You know Danny, maybe you were right. Maybe I should have never accepted his deal in the first place.”

“Okay, do I have to answer that, or will an ‘I told you so’ suffice?” he says with a smirk.

I growl at him, a bit pissed. He comes back with my lemon-flavored tea. Damn, that smells a whole lot better.

“All right, babe. You know what, let’s do this. You cool down for a few days and focus on school and training. Ignore Black, give him a taste of his own medicine, and see how he reacts. Meanwhile, I’ll try to get a hold of my man, and find out more about that Nora girl, okay?”

“Fine. But I want to ask Reagan.”

Daniel scratches his head.

“Why Reagan? I thought she was avoiding you?”

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling, you know? That she might know something about that girl.”

“Well, you can always try. How about asking Eric if he can dig up more about her, too? Being friends with a cop should be beneficial at times like this.”

“Yeah, fine, I’ll text Eric and–”

My phone vibrates again. I sigh. Daniel walks over and grabs it. I thought he was going to block Nathaniel or something, but to my surprise, he answers!

“Hello, this is Daniel Lewis, her best and oldest friend. First, Elena is not available at the moment, and she won’t be for a while. Second, Levi is my older brother and no, there is nothing Elena has done with my brother that she should apologize for. Third, if you’re cheating on my babe with another bitch, you’re an ass and you don’t deserve her. Fourth, she’s dealing with enough as it is with her jackass ex, so don’t be a pushy jerk and deal with your own shit before coming back to her. I’m done, so don’t call back. Bye and have a nice day.”

He hangs up and hands me the phone with a satisfied look.

“Here you go, babe. Done.”

I’m speechless.