Page 27 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

“You agreed to what! Moon Goddess, Daniel, have you gone crazy? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

I can’t believe this is my best friend facing me right now. Daniel Lewis, who couldn’t even look an Alpha in the eye three years ago, just sold someone out to the Black brothers? I am fucking dreaming right now!

Next to me, Reagan has her arms crossed, looking at me very calmly. She even has a bit of a smirk on, satisfied by Diego’s death.

“The shrimp did something right for once.”

“Nothing about this is right, Reagan! Daniel just–”

“Got rid of a rapist and a murderer who was threatening you.”

“And you helped him. Of course,” I growl at her.

She shrugs.

“It was just a matter of luring him out. I washed my hands of whatever happened next. If Black did things cleanly, I’m satisfied.”

“Satisfied? Reagan! This is–”

“What needed to be done, Elena!” yells Daniel. “I am not kidding about my best friend’s safety, Elena. That guy was stalking you, and he could have assaulted you anytime. He’s a rapist, and he doesn’t even feel sorry for causing the death of an unborn child!”

“That was not for you to decide, Daniel!”

He finally shuts up, and I just shake my head, exhausted. This all happened so fast.

“Daniel, even if Diego was an issue, it was mine to deal with. You can’t dish out justice by yourself or let Nathaniel do it. He just killed someone from our pack because of you, and right before a gathering too! Do you realize how wrong that could have gone?”

“Elena, you don’t get it,” he replies. “This isn’t about justice. I wasn’t avenging you. We live in a world of wolves, alphas, and blood. You’re having a miracle child, and this guy threatened you! I am not letting you take any chances; I won’t let you lose that baby. It would kill you, I know it.”

He sighs and shakes his head, resolute.

“Nathaniel did the first thing he should do as the baby’s father and protected you. I don’t care about the cost, and I don’t care about an asshole like Diego. He should have been the one to go to prison, but everyone turned a blind eye and let him back in. Well, I am not making the same mistake of waiting for something bad to happen to you. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I don’t care if you blame me for that, Elena. I am no alpha like you. I don’t fight with my fists, but I do what I have to do.”

Next to him, Reagan nods. I can’t believe his nerve, or that he doesn’t regret it one bit. We’ve killed before, fighting for our lives and pack, but this… this was simply murder, and I can’t cope with that thought associated with my best friend.

“Daniel, I understand, but… I still think this was all wrong. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, babe. What’s done is done. I’ll live with it.”

Just like that, we both agree to end that argument for now. I can only deal with so much. Moon Goddess, these last few days have been so crazy. I pray Nora’s side can really come up with the solution to fight all of this madness.

As promised to Nathaniel, I am not going to the gathering, but it’s hard. My heart’s telling me something big will happen there, and I’m dying to go.

I decide to get out and go see my father to calm myself down. I haven’t been to the hospital as often as I used to, and I feel like I haven’t seen my dad in ages.

I manage to convince Reagan and Daniel to let me go alone as I need some time to cool off. With most of our pack gone to attend Nora’s gathering, the streets are quieter than usual. I haven’t been on my own in a while, either. I take my time getting there and enjoy the cold December breeze.

Right, it’s almost Christmas. The Hispanic neighborhood had put up such pretty decorations a while ago, but I feel like I’m only seeing them now. The White Moon hospital is decorated nicely too.

A nurse put a little Christmas tree next to my father’s bed. I take the stool next to him, observing my dad again. He ages so slowly, yet I start to see his little wrinkles, and his beard is growing a bit more sporadically. I miss the color of his eyes. My dad has deep brown eyes. I decide to add to the atmosphere, listening to some Christmas songs with him for a while. I don’t feel like talking anyway. I’m just glad I can be next to him.

Suddenly, I realize I’m not alone. Sylviana is there, at the entrance of his room. She smiles softly.

“Good morning, Elena.”

“Sylviana? How did you… Daniel called you?”

“No, he did.”

She’s pointing at… my dad? What the… She walks up to my father’s bed and sits on the other side, looking at him.

“He’s a very brave man.”

“He’s the best father in the world.”

“Of course,” she replies gently.

I don’t really understand.

“Sylviana, what are you…? Why are you here?”

“It’s time to let him go, Elena.”

I stare at her, a bit shocked.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, in a hoarse voice.

“His fight is over, Elena. You’re a stronger woman now. You’re not alone anymore. It’s time to let your father go.”

I keep staring at her, trying to understand her words. No, I understand what she’s saying; I just don’t want to hear, I don’t want to listen. Sylviana is speaking softly, so calmly I can’t even get mad or cry. Is she doing this?

She turns to my dad, looking at him like he’s an old friend of hers.

“Samuel needs to rest now, Elena.”

“He won’t wake up?”

“I think you have known the truth for a while now.”

I look at my father, choking up a bit. He only seems asleep.

“Sylviana, I don’t want to say goodbye…”

“I know.”

“Can you not?”

“It’s not me, Elena. It’s your father. He’s the one to decide. I’m not going to do anything. I only came for you.”

I feel a few tears on my cheeks. It’s so hard. I don’t want to let go, to say goodbye. I take his hand, and try to think of words to say. What haven’t I told him? In two years, I’ve said so much: I love you, goodbye, I’m proud to be your daughter… I never had any filter with him. Just my heart, poured out day after day to let him know how much I love the man who raised me.

After a while, I decide to take out my phone and select a song: Mom’s favorite song. I let it play out loud, and Sylviana smiles.

“It’s a pretty song.”

The singer’s voice is soothing, talking about love and his funny valentine. About his lover’s flows and strength. About how she doesn’t need to change a thing… I sing with him, softly. My voice is the worst it’s ever been, I’m hoarse and trying hard not to cry. As the last note hits, a long beep follows.

I hold my father’s hand a bit tighter.

“Elena, it’s alright. You can let go now.”

One of the nurses barges in, saying something I can’t hear. I can only hear Sylviana’s voice, trying to help me. I’m crying helplessly, unable to step away, unable to let go. She comes around and puts her hand on my shoulder, slowly whispering something to me. I don’t understand what she’s saying, but I feel something warm covering me, and my hands go numb. I can hear my own wailing, erratic and frantic. Sylviana pats my back.

They ask us to leave the room. I hear people giving orders, a doctor walks in as we walk out. Sylviana takes my hand and guides me outside. I’m not walking away from him; my father isn't in that room anymore

He’s gone.

“Elena? Take this.”

She puts a cup of hot tea in my hands. I don’t know how much time has passed, how long I cried. I take a deep breath and drink a bit. It burns my throat, but I feel a bit better.

“I can’t believe he went so fast…”

“He went peacefully. He was just glad you were there with him.”

“Do you know… what happens after death?” I ask, feeling a bit stupid.

She chuckles.

“Witches don’t have the same beliefs as humans or werewolves. We live different lives. I could give you an answer, yet like everyone else, I wouldn’t be able to prove it. Witches are part of a cycle. We live, we die, and we are reborn.”

“You believe in reincarnation?”

“Yes. Our souls live on in other witches to guide them. We carry the souls of our mothers and ancestors with us.”

I keep listening to her, but my heart just feels numb right now. As Sylviana comforts me, I see my uncle and Chris running into the hospital, but I don’t go in with them.

We sit outside in the little hospital garden. Despite the cold, I feel better here than within the hospital’s white walls. Daniel is on his way, but I have no idea what I’ll say. I just feel numb right now. My father just died, and my heart is as cold as ice. I can’t think of anything else. I want to cry again, and I do every time I need. My eyes are red and puffy, my head hurts, and I’m a mess.

I lost my parents… twice. I really am an orphan now. When my dad was alive and hanging on, I was okay, but… damn, I’ve never felt so alone.

I put a hand on my tummy, thinking about the baby girl growing in there. Will I be a good mother? It seems so hard. I want this child so badly, yet my confidence is plummeting. Will I be able to do it on my own if Nate rejects her, rejects me?

I take a deep breath in. It will be fine. As long as I love my baby, it’ll be okay. I’ll do my best for her, be the mother I’ve always wanted to be.

I suddenly feel a hand on mine. It’s not Sylviana or Danny, it’s Reagan. She looks at me with a sorrowful expression, not saying a thing. I gather all my courage and nod.

“Dad’s gone, Reagan.”

“I know, kid. How are you holding up?”

“I…”

No words can explain what I’m going through. I just end up shaking my head and holding my tears back. She puts an arm around me, probably the nicest gesture she has ever done for me. I rest my head on my mentor’s shoulder, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths so as not to fall apart again.

“You’ll be fine, kid. Sam knew how strong you are. You’re a woman now.”

I listen to her words, and it’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Why are Reagan’s words so effective on me?

“… There’s something else I never told you.”

I sit back up and look at her, confused. Reagan looks around, making sure we are alone. Sylviana wandered off somewhere, so we are.

“When I took you from your mother’s arms, she asked me to protect you,” she whispers. “I had to hide who you were, any bond you had to the Royals. I also… changed your name.”

“My name?”

“I’ll say it only once, because it’s a blessed name, and you should hide it for now. It would easily expose your link to the Royals, so only reveal it to people you trust, alright?”

I nod, despite my confusion. She gets close to me and whispers it in my ear, so low I barely hear it. However, when I do, something lights up inside of me.

“… That’s my real name?”

“I didn’t do much, but I thought it would be better to hide it for now. It makes your identity too obvious.”

I agree. It’s such a simple thing, yet…

“Elena!”

I see Daniel running toward me, out of breath. He pulls me in for a hug, holding me tight and close for a few seconds.

“Babe, I am so, so sorry about your dad. Are you okay? You weren’t alone, right?”

“I’m okay, Danny. Thanks for coming.”

“Actually…”

He seems uneasy for a while, hesitating. I frown.

“Danny, what is it?”

“I’m sorry, babe, but I saw a bunch of the Opal Moon clan heading south on my way here, I didn’t know if I should tell you or not.”

Holy shit. I jump back on my feet. Who would dare to…! I saw Xavier and Chris running to the hospital, who could be doing this behind their backs! And after Clark told the whole Opal Moon clan to stay put! I immediately start growling. This is not the day to fucking piss me off.

“Elena, wait!”

I ignore both Reagan and Danny and start running south. They’re going to get it this time. I mind-link everyone I trust from the Opal Moon, including Daniel’s siblings, our friends, and the youngsters I trained. None of them know anything about the group headed south, but agree to meet up with me.

I hear my best friend, already shape-shifted into his tawny wolf form, and my mentor running behind me. Sylviana’s apparently gone Moon-Goddess-knows-where, but she doesn’t need to be involved in this.

When I finally reach the group, they are about to cross the border. I growl immediately. Even in my human form, my Alpha Aura and angry wolf voice are enough to stop most of them. Some seem confused to see me here, and others are furious.

“Elena? What is it?”

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” I growl back.

The sorrow from earlier adds to my anger, and the fuel in my voice impresses some of them enough to make them step back. I must look scary, with my red eyes, disheveled hair, and anger painted all over my face.

“I asked where do you think you’re going?!”

They hesitate, looking at each other like no one wants to take the blame until someone finally steps forward to face me.

“Get out of the way, we have a gathering to attend, cousin.”

“You?” I ask, confused.

Why the hell would my cousin Iris be leading this group? On her father’s orders, perhaps? But Xavier just lost his brother, so why would he give orders now… Iris chuckles at my confusion.

“What is it, Elena? Surprised to see me taking the lead, perhaps? I bet you never thought one second your pretty, well-behaved cousin had the guts to overstep her own father’s authority to make a deal with the Gold Moon.”

Iris? Iris was behind all of this? Since when! I’m so shocked, I don’t even know how to react. But my cousin steps forward, not impressed by my Alpha Aura.

“Elena, you’re no match for me. Step aside and mind your own business, cousin.”

I growl back. Hell no. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I am not letting her ruin Nora’s hard work to organize this gathering. Iris may be my adoptive cousin, the one I grew up with, but Nora is my blood. She is the one I feel close to, and the one doing the right thing right now. She’s trying to unite the packs and be a good Luna. And so will I.

I am Selena Bluemoon, and I am a fighter of the White and Opal Moon packs. And I’ll fight for them.

“What is wrong with you, Iris? This isn’t you!”

My cousin sighs, brushing her purple hair back.

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Elena. Let me guess. You’ve always seen me as the quiet, shy, and good girl my daddy raised. Isn’t that it? I was never on the stronger side, like you and Chris. I was barely average for an alpha. Do you have any idea what it’s like to grow up in someone’s shadow? In my own sibling’s shadow? In yours?”

I don’t even recognize her voice when she speaks. She sounds like someone else, yet she is still… Iris. An Iris I don’t recognize. She steps forward again, defying me with her eyes.

“My father was always crazy with his jealousy. His younger brother was stronger, smarter, and more appreciated. He always felt like Samuel stripped him of his Alpha title. Even when my dad finally got it back, it wasn’t enough. Your adoptive father’s shadow was always there.”

What does this have to do with her? Our fathers’ rivalry is nothing new!

“Iris, that has nothing to do with us. Xavier got the Alpha position in the end!”

“Oh, but that was never enough. Actually, he trained us even harder because of that. Or more precisely, he tried to train Chris. Me? I was his smart little girl, cast aside because why would he consider me when he had a son?”

I’m confused. Didn’t Xavier always treat Iris better? He cherished her like a little princess her whole life compared to Chris! Her brother always had to train harder, to prove himself to their father while Iris could do whatever she wanted.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t have cared that my younger brother took the heir position if it wasn’t for you, Elena. But you? You were always so annoyingly strong and perfect. Father grew obsessed about Chris being better than you. ‘You can’t be beaten by Samuel’s daughter, by a girl!’ Guess what? Your existence fueled our father’s jealousy, Elena. And mine! You were supposedly only the Alpha’s niece, but Clark had to make you his goddaughter and make you a possible heir for the White Moon clan! Do you know how humiliating that was?”

I’m completely in shock. I never thought Iris gave a shit about the Alpha position, in the Opal or White Moon clans!

“I didn’t ask for anything, Iris! Clark and Xavier decided it all on their own!”

She sends me a glare back.

“Oh, shut the hell up, Elena. You’ve always known you were more cherished. The precious little orphan, so strong, so bright, so loved. After enduring my father’s jealousy towards yours, now you were in the competition as well? But guess what, my father never, ever considered me as your rival or an heir for a single second!”

“I don’t want to be anyone’s rival, Iris! I even gave Chris the Opal Moon Alpha position!”

Iris laughed, rolling her eyes.

“You gave it to him? Do you even hear yourself? Even now you think you’re so much better than us? Moreover, you’re the same as my dad! You don’t consider me at all!”

I’m getting tired of that attitude of hers. I’ve had enough emotions for today. I growl, warning her.

“You are who you are, Iris, and that is not a leader. You may be an alpha, but…”

“What? I don’t have the muscles?”

I frown. She really thinks that’s all there is? Is that why she’s so delusional? And jealous?

“I have the brains, Elena! I may not be strong, but I was always the smarter one!”

“You’re doing a great job with our facilities, Iris, I know that. You’re an integral part of the clan, and so important, but…”

She scoffs.

“Oh, poor Elena,” she sighs. “You really think that’s it, right? Don’t you get it? I’m so good at this game, I am the one who kicked you out of Clark’s heir position as the White Moon Alpha in the first place.”

What is she talking about? Clark took me out of his potential heirs because of my baby, and Iris has nothing to do with it. She shakes her head, with that annoying smirk of hers.

“I bet you never realized until now, cousin. Gosh, it wasn’t easy, you know?”

She walks around me in a circle while talking, making my wolf wary of her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Daniel, Reagan, Levi, Ben, and Bonnie arrive next to us, all the Lewis siblings in their wolf form. Reagan is still in her human form but growling.

“Let’s go back to the start. When your father had his accident and you were sent to jail because you were stupid enough to get involved with Diego, I thought we would finally get rid of you. What I did not expect was that you’d be back and forgiven by Clark. Not only that, following Samuel’s coma, he made your position official as his goddaughter and possible heir. You have no idea how furious I was! So I tried to find a way to kick you out discreetly.”

What the hell? Behind her, the rest of the Opal Moon clan is listening as well, visibly as confused as I am.

“Luckily, you gave me an opportunity sooner than I thought; when you met Nathaniel Black.”

A lot of faces cannot hide their shock and stare at me in awe. I guess the cat’s out of the bag now, but I couldn’t care less who knows or not. Iris continues her speech, ignoring everyone else, so full of confidence it’s beyond irritating.

“I didn’t think much of it at first, but when I heard about you two being together at the club, I thought this might be another opportunity.”

“You saw us?”

“Oh no, Elena, I’m the good girl, remember? I don’t go partying outside of the pack’s territory. But some kids from our pack were there, remember? One of them saw you, how attracted you were to Black, and told me everything.”

I can’t believe it. This goes back to my first meeting with Nate! She chuckles.

“So I made sure you went back again. I know how attracted you are to bad boys, Elena, I knew you’d fall for him.”

“You’re the one who sent that text,” I realize.

I had never understood how the club had gotten my number to send a private invite, but it turns out it was Iris?

“Bingo!” she says with a smile. “Clever, right? You ran back there, so I knew I had you in Black’s arms. knowing you, I thought you’d sleep with him once or twice. But I didn’t expect it to go on and on for weeks!”

“How the hell do you know!”

“I watched you, of course! To be honest, it wasn’t easy. The Blood Moon watches their territory closely, and the Black brothers almost caught me more than once.”

The female that intruded on their territory! Moon Goddess, so many things are coming to light now! I can’t believe it. All those little details that had me intrigued earlier, even…

“You’re the one who sent that picture of me and Levi kissing to Nate!”

“I did! Oh, it was fun, to be honest. Having you pretend you had a boyfriend here to keep Diego at bay while hiding your relationship with Black! Not going to lie, Elena, it was thrilling. In all honesty, I did it out of revenge too.”

“I never did anything to you, Iris, all this jealousy was your own!”

She sighs and shakes her head.

“Oh no, Elena, you never did anything. That’s right. But it didn’t stop Eric from being crazy in love with you.”

“Eric?”

I didn’t expect him to be brought up. Right, her deceased boyfriend used to express his love for me, but I thought that was ancient history since he got with her! Iris loses her smile while talking about Eric.

“If I ever had one crush, it was Eric. For years, I got prettier and prettier, hoping he’d notice me. Yet, like an idiot, I had to watch him talk about how much he loved you day after day… It was so upsetting! So, when you pretended to go out with Levi, I knew it was my chance. I asked him out, arguing you’d never notice him anyway. Luckily, he agreed. Do you know how useful it is to be with a police officer, Elena? Much more than I thought.”

I can’t believe her. She even used Eric? Iris chuckled again.

“When Levi was thrown into your love affair, I didn’t really expect it. But after that picture, I knew your relationship with Black would collapse at any time. I mean, any male would be jealous, right? Yet, it had already exceeded my expectations, so I threw his ex in the mix, just to be sure. With Eric’s contacts, it was easy to get his passcode, send a little innocent text to his ex-girlfriend, and just as I saw you leave the pack again to see him, with the right timing… surprise!”

A wave of cold anger is rising in my bones. I can’t believe her! She was evil enough to plot so much against me and Nathaniel? I’ve never wanted to slap someone so much!

“What was your plan, Iris? Bringing us together just to have us break up? Why?”

She shrugs.

“I told you, I expected you to sleep with him a few times, not have it go on for weeks and then months! Oh, I guess you fought a few times. You have quite a temper, cousin, after all, don’t you? Yet, as time passed, you kept getting back together with him, and a thought hit me. I wanted you with Black to piss Clark off and have him take you off his list of potential heirs, but what if? What if things got serious between you and Black? What if you got the Blood Moon’s backing eventually? I realized things were more complex than I thought when we went out together. I sensed something was going on between you and the King’s mate, but I couldn’t grasp what.”

I remember. Iris picked me up at university, and we went to see Nora’s fight.

“I had only meant to bring you to have you betray my father and Clark’s order on leaving the pack territory, but…”

“You called your father, you said I had permission to–!”

“Oh, yeah, I lied. I pretended to call.”

Holy Moon Goddess, that explains why Xavier was so fucking furious! He never gave me his permission to go out, yet I thought so and kept arguing with him! I can’t believe Iris was behind all this from the start!

“Anyway, I had another problem on my hands. You got closer to the Blood Moon, and I couldn’t understand why. Then, the attack. I lost Eric. I was so, so mad, and you… and meanwhile, you went and got fucking pregnant with Black’s child!”

Everyone’s eyes are on me, shocked or angry. If anyone wondered about my baby’s father, I guess things are out in the open now. But I don’t care. I’m angrier about Iris being behind all of this. I just can’t believe her!

“I was furious. I had lost my lover, yet you of all people managed to conceive a child with Black? It was hard to swallow, but at least Clark knew soon enough, and I knew he would never allow that. I finally got you out of my way. But to be honest, I didn’t feel relieved. It wasn’t enough. Hence I decided it would be better if you didn’t have this child at all. After all, I worked so hard for you to not become this pack’s Alpha, I couldn’t let you become another pack’s Luna, right?”

What the hell? I try to think, but I don’t understand what she could have done. However, Iris’ unhappy face tells me things didn’t turn out her way. She growls softly.

“So, I tipped off your dear ex, Diego, about your pregnancy. You should have seen it, it was funny how crazy and mad he went. You have a thing for psychos, cousin. Anyway, he started rampaging about how he was going to stab you, make sure your next child was his.”

I get a chill down my back. Holy fuck, that sounds like the crazy Diego I once knew. But Diego is dead now. I swallow, trying to calm down.

“But it didn’t go your way, Iris, did it? Diego is dead.”

She glares my way, losing her smirk for good.

“Yeah, you’re lucky your dear lover got a hold of him. Since Clark had you on lockdown, Diego had to wait for the right moment to get to you. It wasn’t easy, since you were never alone. If it wasn’t for Black protecting you...”

I frown. Black protecting me? Nathaniel never came to the White Moon territory, and I did leave the house a few times unaccompanied or with Daniel only… What is she talking about?

“Moreover, you weren’t my only issue. I needed to do more for Father to consider me as an heir, and I did. To be fair, I’m sorry that my brother lost an arm, but it worked in my favor. I already had control of most of our medical facilities, our pack’s main economy. All I needed was better control of the funds. And guess what? I could do so by an agreement with the Gold Moon clan.”

I growl. She wants to shift the clan’s money to the Gold Moon banks to gain more control! So far, the only place we have our money stored is under the financial establishments owned by the Sapphire Moon clan, the main reminder of our alliance with them! If we shift this money, we will clearly be losing the partnership with them!

“You’re crazy, Iris! You can’t manipulate our money in favor of the Gold Moon!”

“Oh, I will. My father was never good at handling these things or making big decisions, so I did. I let my dad think he could lead the negotiations, but I was the one behind it all. And you fell for it, cousin.”

I growl. Damn it, she’s right. I always thought Xavier was the one behind the scheming with the Gold Moon clan, not her!

“You can’t do that, Iris,” says one of the men behind her. “Chris is the new Alpha, you…”

“I control the clan’s finances! I am the one in charge! My brother has lost an arm and has nothing, he is not fit to be an Alpha!”

“Chris is still better than you!” I yell back. “He is a brave, strong, and good kid! He cares about others, not only his little old self like you, Iris!

“That is not for you to decide, Elena,” she growls back.

I glare at her, furious. Who the hell does she think she is? She’s been deceiving not only me, but the whole pack for weeks, and now she wants to fucking claim ownership? Iris has a smirk on.

“They will never accept you, anyway. Not with the little bastard you’re carrying.”

I growl. How dare she insult my daughter! The people around her are confused. I bet they didn’t expect Iris to have done so much. One of them steps forward.

“Iris, we can’t move without the Alpha’s permission.”

“I am the Alpha! Didn’t you listen? I control this pack’s money, and I have the support of the Gold Moon. Chris and Elena have nothing, and my father even stepped down because of her. If you don’t want to be exposed and penniless, you’ll do as I say!”

Everyone hesitates, unwilling to say anymore. I cross my arms, staying right in front of her. She frowns, a bit surprised.

“What the heck are you doing?”

“You’re not going anywhere, Iris. I’m still a fighter of this clan, while you are not its official Alpha. I say you’re not going. Don’t you dare take one step outside.”

“Oh, and you’re going to stop me, perhaps? I know of your medical condition, Elena, you can’t fight or you’ll lose your baby. And you would never risk that.”

This time, it’s my turn to smile.

“I don’t need to shape-shift to fight, Iris. And I can assure you my human form is plenty enough to keep you here, cousin.”

I hear Reagan step forward behind me, handing me a large pole. It shines immediately, and Iris goes pale.

“You… You can touch silver?”

I chuckle.

“Surprise, surprise, cousin. You’re not the only one with secrets.”

Even if I am not a full Royal like Nora, I guess being a daughter of the Sun also has its perks.

I glare back at my cousin.

“Now Iris, I would advise you to use your smartness and think twice before trying to cross me.”

My cousin goes red with anger, probably the first time I have ever seen her lose control. Her eyes are glaring at me, yet staring at my silver pole with defiance.

Yes, I can touch silver. It injures me like any metal if I’m hit, of course, but unlike most werewolves, I am not that affected by it. I’ve known since Reagan started training me, but it had become something irrelevant in a city inhabited half by werewolves and half by humans, both living together in peace. I never thought it would come in handy at a time like this.

“You… Enough, Elena! Stand back and–!”

“I won’t, Iris,” I answer calmly. “Clark gave me one mission: making sure the Opal Moon stays out of the gathering.”

“The Alpha said that?” whispers someone behind Iris.

My cousin immediately turns to him.

“Don’t listen to her! Why would Clark trust her! Didn’t you hear? She is bearing a Black brothers’ child? He kicked her out for that! I forbid you to listen to her! I am the Alpha and–”

“Chris is the Alpha, Iris! You are nothing!”

She turns to me, turning so red I feel like she is going to explode.

“I have anything I want! I planned all of this, Elena. I worked so hard, and you are nothing! You’re just an orphan, a little bastard picked up off the streets! I am the oldest child of my father, his heir! How dare you name Chris and tell me what I can and cannot do!”

“You are smart, but you are not fit for the Alpha position, Iris.”

“Why? I have power, don’t I?” she says with a confident smirk. “I have the entire packs’ funds under my control. I’m in charge of most of our medical facilities. I rule our economy from one border to another. They can disobey me if they want to go penniless!”

Behind her, people exchange looks, somewhere between shock and fear. The White Moon clan’s main income comes from the clinics, hospital, and labs we have, and indeed, Iris spearheads them all. There is one thing she can’t control, however.

“Iris, we are werewolves, not humans. We don’t just need money. We need hierarchy, relationships, trusted individuals. We need people strong enough to protect the pack, and some to rule it. We are a pack, a group. But you?”

I chuckle.

“You’re just a selfish, self-centered little bitch.”

“You swine! You–”

I slap her before she can finish her sentence.

I didn’t hold back, and she stumbles a couple of steps back, astonished.

“How dare you–”

“You think you are an Alpha? Have it your way. Try to get past me or touch me. I’ll show you how wrong you are!”

She growls furiously, and without thinking, runs at me. It’s funny how conscious I am of our difference in strength now. Iris was never a fighter. I only need to take a step to the left to avoid getting hit. She is so mad and keeps coming at me, trying to throw punches.

Too bad she didn’t pay better attention during training. I have no difficulties dodging anything she throws at me. For a few minutes, I keep dodging and she keeps attacking. She is using so much strength for nothing, it’s pathetic. Having brains is of no use now. I am the stronger wolf. I keep going, but I make sure to fight back too: making her trip, hitting her back, and using my silver pole as a barrier. I am playing with her.

Iris is getting more and more exhausted while I flawlessly lead this fight where I want it. I don’t even break a sweat, but Iris is out of breath in minutes. Behind her, people watch her with nothing left but pity and embarrassment. Such a weak wolf cannot be an Alpha. No way.

I can tell what they are thinking, but my mind is somewhere else. I wonder where the rest of the pack is, as well as Nora, the King, and Nate.

The gathering should have started by now. I don’t even dare to mind-link them, closing my mind to focus on Iris. If anything happens, I don’t want them to get distracted by my mind-link. I’ll wait for the good news.

I hope.

“Iris!”

I stop fighting and turn to Chris. My cousin, completely lost, is watching me humiliate his sister until someone runs over to explain everything to him. His glare is already directed at his sister.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Iris? Step away!”

“I won’t! You are–”

“I am the Alpha of this pack!” roars her brother.

“ Elena.”

I turn my head to Clark’s mind-linking. Shouldn’t he be at the gathering by now?

“ You were right. The Gold Moon expects the Opal Moon to follow them and betray us. Do whatever you need to, but make sure those traitors don’t come here.”

I glance in Chris’ direction, but judging by his dark expression, my cousin got the info too. He growls even louder at his sister. Iris looks scared for the first time, stepping back. Did she not expect Chris to take my side and interfere? She looks around, but the Opal Moon people don’t really look willing to follow her anymore.

I twirl the silver bar in my hand, reminding her about the additional threat.

“I can do this all day, Iris. Stay here or I’ll really get mean and mad, cousin.”

“Out of my way!”

Her anger isn’t that hard to handle. She keeps struggling, trying to fight me off, but it’s useless. I dodge every one of her attempts to kick or hit me back, except when I retaliate, I don't miss my target. I am a fucking fighter, no kidding. She may be smart and manipulative, but she is no match for me. I keep fighting her off, and Chris doesn’t intervene. He knows his sister can use a good lesson.

“Elena, what about our money!” suddenly yells the guy from earlier. “We will never get it back from the Gold Moon clan!”

“Trust the new Luna. She won’t agree to their terms, and the Blood Moon clan and the King will end all this.”

I believe in Nora. Her idea will work.

Suddenly, we hear a huge explosion from afar. Everyone turns their heads toward… There’s smoke where the gathering is happening! What the heck is going on? I turn to Chris, but he looks just as worried and clueless as me. Holy crap!

“ Clark! Clark, are you okay! ”

“ Elena, stay where you are! The Gold Moon is attacking the Blood Moon! Make sure to– Shit! ”

I lose him, and I’m freaking out. What the heck is going on over there? I don’t dare to mind-link anyone else, what if they are distracted and take a hit because of me? I’m so powerless and furious! I turn to Iris, grabbing her collar.

“What do you know? Iris, what do you know about this!”

But she just laughs at me, despite her mouth covered in blood from my punches.

“How is it, Elena? Frustrating? Annoying? Well, you should get a taste too!”

I slap her, too pissed to control myself. Chris gets between us and grabs his sister by the throat.

“Iris, enough! Someone lock her away!”

Two of our men grab Iris and drag her away to Moon-Goddess-knows-where.

“Chris! Chris, you can’t do this to me! I’m your older sister! I did this for us! I–”

“And have her shut the fuck up,” he growls while turning his back on her to walk up to me.

I’m too worried to care about his sister anymore. I keep looking at the horizon in the direction of the Silver Stadium, scared. Chris puts a hand on my shoulder.

“He said to stay here.”

“Yeah, but...”

Damn, fifty people from our pack are there, Nora is there, Nate is there! Reagan stands next to me, frowning.

“The Gold Moon had a trap prepared. Losing the Opal Moon will probably not help. Don’t worry, kid, the clans are better than that.”

That’s the problem: What if they didn’t manage to get everyone to ally? What if every pack is on its own? I take a deep breath and try to feel them. I can feel Clark’s wolf, fighting. I check on our pack, but they are all fighting or fleeing the scene.

Then, Nora. She is panicked, but she is fine. For now. Moon Goddess, please protect her… I already lost my father today, I can’t lose her too!

Suddenly, I realize. I don’t feel Nathaniel’s wolf. It’s like a blank space. He can’t be sleeping at such a time. Holy shit, why would he be unconscious? Now?

“ Elena, the fight’s over! We are going to help evacuate people from here, a lot are injured! The Gold Moon clan’s dead. Shit. There are bodies. The King is injured too.”

“ What about his Luna? And his brother? Clark! ”

“ I’m busy! Meet me at the General Hospital! ”

I swear and turn to Chris, but he’s already nodding. He was mind-linked and informed too.

“Go, Elena. I’ll stay here and make sure everything’s alright, okay? Don’t worry about the Opal Moon anymore. But judging from the number of victims, they will probably send people to our hospital too, we’ll be busy. Don’t worry, just go.”

I nod and start running without a second thought.

Moon Goddess, please let them be alright! Suddenly, as I’m close to the border, a bike’s loud engine catches my attention. Reagan is waiting for me, handing me a helmet.

“Get on, kid, you’ll get there faster.”

Reagan rides as fast as possible to the General Hospital in the Blood Moon territory.

When we arrive, it’s hell there. Dozens of people are running in and out, admitting more and more injured people. I jump off the bike and try to get a grasp of what’s going on. Some people visibly fought other werewolves, while others were most likely injured in the explosion. Moon Goddess, how many people died? I run inside, trying to look for a clue, something, someone in this crowd who could tell me how Nora and Nate are doing. Even Boyan! He was there too, I just realize now.

I try to find Clark, but I don’t know this place. I get so confused by all these corridors, and they are packed with medical staff and victims! Suddenly, I recognize a familiar silhouette across the crowd.

“Sylviana!”

The witch turns to me, surprised, while I do my best to get to her.

“Elena! What are you doing here! Are you okay?” she asks.

Who cares if I’m okay, I wasn’t even at the scene! I want to ask her about Nathaniel when I recognize the guy right behind her. It’s the King’s youngest brother. He looks exhausted and a bit of a mess, but I unconsciously address him.

“Liam. Where is Nate?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“He’s in surgery.”

Oh, Moon Goddess. In surgery? Why? What happened to him! I can’t hold back my tears, I start sobbing loudly, panicked. Why is he in surgery?! Sylviana tries to calm me down, rubbing my hand.

“He’s fine, Elena, he will make it.”

“Oh, Moon Goddess, Nate…” I sob. “What happened?”

The Good Witch holds my hand a bit tighter, while Liam Black steps away to make a call.

“The Gold Moon clan attacked despite Nora’s attempts to calm them down. She had most of the clans agree to an alliance when they attacked.”

“We heard an explosion.”

“They planted a bomb ahead of the gathering; it took everyone by surprise. The clans fought the Gold Moon and Rising Moon clans, as well as a few others, and I intervened too. We won, but… there are a lot of casualties. The King is gravely injured as well, and Nora’s gone.”

What the hell, Nora is gone? Before I can even ask, Liam Black is back, with a furious expression that is scarily similar to his brother’s.

“It’s bad, really bad. The psycho who was after Nora, it’s him. He took her and shot my brothers.”

What?

“You’ve got to be kidding me?!” I yell.

Some sicko took Nora? And Nate and the King were shot? What the fuck happened there! And I couldn’t even help!

“I’m not,” he replies, annoyed. “We have to find Nora, fast!”

I focus on my wolf, trying to feel my cousin. Shit, it’s usually so easy, but now…

“I can’t! She must be unconscious, I can’t reach her at all!”

“Maybe I can help.”

Some shady guy just appeared behind Liam. He looks like a junkie that’s about to collapse at any moment. Liam and he start talking in low voices, and Sylviana turns to me again.

“Elena, look at me. Liam and I will find Nora. Go and find Nathaniel. He’s injured, and I believe he needs you by his side. His surgery is almost over, but you should stay with him while Liam and I are gone, alright? Don’t worry, we’ll find Nora, okay?”

I nod, unable to say anything to that. I can’t believe it. I try to calm down, but I keep crying mindlessly. Sylviana and Liam get busy with finding Nora, while I rush to the nurses office I saw earlier.

“Excuse me! I’m looking for Nathaniel Black?” I ask the first nurse I see.

“Black? He’s still in surgery.”

But another woman behind her, a werewolf, shakes her head.

“Not that one. The King is still in surgery, honey, but Nathaniel Black just came out. He’s in room 238, second floor, blondie. But you can’t go in like that!”

The hell I can’t! I’m already gone, running to the second floor. In front of his room, among a little group of people, I only recognize Isaac, his best friend, who’s frowning.

“You… What are you doing here?”

“How is he?” I ask, ignoring his question.

He nods.

“He’s doing fine, for someone who took two silver bullets. One in the arm and the other in the stomach, but his healing ability is doing what it should. He’s still unconscious, though.”

“Can I… go in?”

He seems to hesitate, then nods.

Of course, they gave him one of the best rooms. It’s spacious, but not too big. Just enough for him to be alone and have room for visitors. Well, it’s just me, actually. I choke up when I see him, lying on the bed. Moon Goddess… He has a lot of bandages, and a scar on the left side of his head where they had to shave his head to stitch him. I want to cry again when I see him like this. I stumble to the stool next to him and grab his hand, mine shaking.

“Moon Goddess, Nate.”

What happened to him? Who did this? Fuck, I can’t believe I wasn’t there. I start crying without thinking, though I try not to make much noise. My father died, the man I love is lying in a hospital bed, and Nora is missing! What else could go wrong?! I keep silently crying those tears that I have been holding back since earlier while holding his hand. If something had happened to him…

I wake up a bit later, completely confused. Oh, right, the hospital. Where is Nate? The bed is empty, but as I look around, I realize Daniel is with me.

“Danny?”

“Hey, babe. Are you okay? Damn, your eyes are so–”

“Where is he? Nate? Where did he–”

“He’s fine. He woke up an hour ago, but he asked me not to wake you. He went to check on his brother. The King is in bad shape, Elena. We don’t know if he’s going to make it.”

Oh, Moon Goddess, no, no.

“What about Nora?” I ask him, suddenly stressed out. “She was missing! They said–”

“She’s back. Liam Black and Sylviana brought her to the hospital and she had surgery. She was shot in the leg, but apparently, she’s okay. She’s… changed a bit, but…”

She changed? I get up and leave the room, Daniel behind me. We ask for the King’s room, I know Nora will be there. On my way there, I almost run into some guy who is leaving the room.

“Ex…”

He looks at me strangely, before shaking his head and leaving. I turn to Daniel.

“Who was that?”

“Elena, I think that was William Blue, your… other cousin.”

I didn’t even realize. Now that I think about it, he did have dark hair and blue eyes like her! I can’t stop to think about that, though. I almost run into the room, only to find Nora, alone with her mate. She’s silently crying. She barely looks at me.

“Moon Goddess, Nora. How are you?” I ask while looking at the King.

He was so scary before, but now… he’s obviously in bad shape. How bad were his injuries? He’s got so much machinery linked to his body, it’s unsettling. But the worst thing is Nora’s expression.

“He… They say he won’t wake up…” she sobs.