Page 35 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

I decided to walk to the White Moon clan’s turf. I need some fresh air to clear my mind before I do this. Truth is, I’m not ecstatic about going back there, but some things need to be done and some things need to be said. I managed to avoid them when I buried Reagan, but it can’t go on like this forever.

After all, that pack adopted me and raised me. There have been a lot of mistakes, and trust was lost along the way, but they are still my people. At least, in my mind. I know I was officially banned for birthing a child from a different clan, but that was four years ago. Nora and Damian got rid of any borders. Now, I can walk into my former territory without anyone stopping me. I knew it wouldn’t be a nice return, but I did not expect to feel so… sad.

I spent my whole childhood in these streets, and until now, I hadn’t realized how much I missed all of this. The familiar smells, the simple shops, the music streaming through the open windows. Especially in the summer, the Hispanic neighborhood is one of the liveliest ones in Silver City. Some people seem to recognize me, surprised, and greet me with a bit of hesitation. Not everyone is a werewolf around here; it’s a rather mixed area, almost 50-50 split between humans and us. Hence, those who didn’t know why I disappeared are surprised to see me back, and awkward.

After a while, the first wolves come to greet me. I was prepared to have to struggle a bit, maybe defend myself, but to my surprise they are happy to see me.

“ Elena! Welcome back girl!! ”

“ Missed ya, baby! ”

“ Guys, look, it’s really Elena! ”

“Jace! Bianca! And…”

In a few minutes, not a few but a whole crowd of werewolves run to me! The ones that were probably on patrol right before are still in their wolf form, but they bicker to run to me, like a wave of fur around my knees. They all try to hug me, ruffle my hair, or grab my hand. I don’t even know who to look at anymore!

“Elena!”

I can barely recognize them before the Lewis twins jump at me. Bonnie and Ben have grown up so much! They are freaking adults now! I hug them back, chuckling. I missed the Lewis family so damn much!

After a few seconds of hugging them, I recognize the young man behind them.

“Moon Goddess… Micah?”

He smiles and hugs me. How did he get so big too!

“It was high time you came home, Elena,” he whispers with a smile.

I realize he’s right. I was away for so long, and the White Moon clan is still a part of me, even if I tried hard to deny it and move on.

For a few minutes, I laugh and tear up a bit, catching up with my old friends, holding Micah’s arm and walking with the little crowd to my godfather’s house. Most people leave me before we reach it, making me promise to come by the pub or other places before I go back. I feel like this is going to take all day.

When I finally stop at the front door, I’m left with the twins and Micah. Their presence makes me feel a bit better, especially since Danny is busy at work and couldn’t be here. I take a deep breath and knock.

To my surprise, someone opens the door almost immediately.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Levi? What are you doing here?”

He hugs me quickly, and shrugs.

“Patrol duty, and Ben mind-linked me to say you were on your way here. So, how have you been? Your shoulder?”

I nod and show him.

“I’ll have a nasty scar, but it’s doing well, for a slow healer.”

“Good,” he says with a smile, “but I’m still going to rip that damn witch apart for what she did to you.”

“Alright,” I laugh, “but you’ll have to share.”

“Elena?”

Behind him, Orpheus and Chris just appeared at the same time. Chris is already smiling from ear to ear. My cousin runs to me, hugging me tight with his arm.

“Hey, easy! Seriously, how much did you eat, Chris, you’re as strong as a bear!”

He laughs while letting me go. Shit, he grew up too, and he’s clearly been working out!

“I didn’t stop training just because you were gone! Our training got even harsher since Isa took over. We almost missed you!”

“Haha, very funny.”

“He’s telling the truth though,” chuckles Orpheus. “Isabella is one tough trainer. Welcome back, Elena.”

I hug him too. Orpheus and I were never very close to begin with, but I don’t think he’s the type to be close to anyone. He’s the typical workaholic introvert.

“Is Clark…?”

Orpheus nods, pointing at the back of the house. I follow him into the large living room.

To my surprise, I start tearing up as soon as I spot him, sitting on the couch with a frown, reading some document. Hearing us walk in, he turns his head to us.

“Orpheus, do you have the…”

He goes silent when he notices me in the middle of the little group. His mouth and eyes stay open for a few seconds while I’m trying hard not to cry. I didn’t think I would be thrown into such disarray once I saw Clark, but I can’t stop it. I even try to look away for a second, and one of the boys rubs my back gently.

Without either of us saying a word, Clark stands up and walks up to me. I have no fucking idea what to say now that I’m here, but before I can think of something, my godfather suddenly hugs me.

“Moon Goddess Mother. I’m so sorry, baby.”

It’s too much, I’m crying buckets already. Damn him. I missed my godfather more than I thought, and I can’t help but hug him back. His huge arms are covering all of me, and I feel his hand gently caressing my hair, like a child.

“I’m so sorry Elena, I was wrong… This was all wrong…”

“Clark, it’s over now, so…”

“No, Elena.”

He grabs my shoulders, looking at me with a very serious expression and red eyes.

“It was my fault. Entirely. I’m your godfather. I should have protected you all the way, and I didn’t. You did nothing wrong. I should have told them to fuck off, and never, ever agreed to your banishment. I know that now.”

I wipe my tears and take deep breaths. I don’t need a nervous breakdown now, it’s not the time for that.

He takes me by the hand and pulls me to sit next to him on the couch. The rest of our little group spread around in the room, sitting or still standing, but no one’s willing to leave. My cousin, Orpheus, and the Lewis siblings are all looking at us, waiting for what’s next.

“It’s good to see you back,” whispers Clark.

“I know. I didn’t think I’d be so happy to be back, to be honest. I guess I missed home more than I wanted to admit.”

Everyone around us chuckles.

“Stubborn as ever,” says Chris with a sneer.

“As long as you’re back, I’m happy. Forget the banishment, we don’t have any borders anyway, and–”

“Clark, you know it’s not that simple.”

My seriousness seems to pain him, but we have to set things straight. There are some things we won’t be able to avoid.

“I’m no longer part of the White Moon, it’s over.”

“Elena…”

“No, listen. I’m saying this because I need you to know, and because now, it’s okay. I’m fine with that.”

“So you’re with the… Blood Moon now?” asks Levi.

I shake my head.

“No. I’m my own wolf. I’m fine with not belonging to any pack. I’ve never liked answering to anyone, anyway. Alpha or not, I’m better off being a rogue. It’s better this way.”

Maybe because I’m voicing it out for the first time, I’m more convinced than ever.

I’m my own wolf. Not a White Moon daughter, not a Royal, not an Alpha. I’m just me, Elena Whitewood. Selena Bluemoon. I’m half-human, and half-werewolf, and a warrior. I’m different from my cousin, different from my peers.

And that’s okay. I don’t need a clan’s backing, or a Royal’s entitlement. I just need my family and my friends. I think I finally understand Reagan’s feelings a bit better now, and that freedom she always cherished. She couldn’t be tied down, she was a free wolf. I think I’m just like her.

For a while, I explain to Clark everything he may not have heard of already. From when I left the White Moon, to the attack, and the Dark Witch’s threat. Levi and Daniel told him most of what he needed to know already, so I’m just filling in the blanks from my perspective. I stop at the point where I decided to get back with Nathaniel, so we could raise our daughter together.

“I know it’s not what you would have wanted, Clark, but it’s the decision I’ve made. It’s better for her, too.”

“No, it’s fine, Elena. I’ve lost all rights to tell you what to do with your life, or your baby girl’s. I would just like to meet her someday, if you’ll allow it.”

“Of course,” I say with a smile.

I’ve been dying to show Estelle the streets I grew up in. I never had the chance to know much about my mother, so I want to do that with her, so she knows where I come from, and why our family is like it is now.

“Clark. I wanted to talk about the Dark Witch too. I want you to cooperate with the Blood Moon clan. Unconditionally.”

He sighs.

“To be honest, we won’t have much choice. We already lost too many people back then, four and a half years ago. If anything bigger than that is coming, I want to do anything I can to protect our clan, everyone. We’ve been watching the north for a while already. We will move first if anything happens. I just don’t like to think we will be on the front lines, but–”

“We don’t know that for sure,” says Levi. “It might come from the east.”

“Our clan will stand at the border no matter what,” replies Clark with a dark expression. “We have always been. Everyone is preparing for what’s coming. But even if I agree to it, Elena, it won’t be easy to convince everyone. They haven’t forgotten how the Blood Moon clan killed Diego. He was a criminal, but your mate had no right to kill him like a dog.”

I take a deep breath.

“Nathaniel didn’t kill Diego.”

“What?”

“When I asked him, he said he couldn’t answer. I know he wouldn’t lie to me, so it wasn’t him, but he probably couldn’t tell me the truth either.”

“Why would he–”

“Clark, I need to see Iris.”

“What the heck? Elena, NO!” yells Chris.

I ignore him to address Clark.

“Clark, Iris knows what happened. She probably didn’t say anything on purpose. My cousin might be a mythic bitch, but I must admit, she’s a freaking mastermind when it comes down to manipulating people.”

“Elena, if it’s really the Blood Moon clan who did it, it could make things worse.”

“I don’t think they would have done this without a reason. I want to know exactly what happened. Moreover, I’m sure that Iris can help us convince everyone to rally with the Blood Moon.”

“Elena, that’s the shittiest idea ever,” growls Chris. “My sister’s been locked up for four years since we found out she falsified several documents of the clan for her benefit. You think she’s going to be happy to see you? No way she’ll agree to help you!”

I chuckle.

“You know Chris, one thing about being locked up is that by now, she might be craving some fresh air.”

He shakes his head, unhappy. I can see they are all in disbelief, or seriously wondering if I’ve gone mad about letting my worst enemy out of prison.

Truth is, I’m not as sure as I want to sound, but at the moment, I’m more concerned about changing opinions in the White Moon clan. I know a lot of people missed me, and are happy to see me back, but a lot of them don’t trust me either. Even if Nora and Damian did most of the job by erasing the borders, I know the White Moon clan still isn’t ready to fully cooperate. Both times we did, we lost people, like Eric. We will probably lose a lot more this time, unless we unite as one with the Blood Moon clan. Not as a gathering of several packs, but as one, large pack. One pack of wolves, ready to defend one city. It’s a crazy idea, but it’s our only shot, I realize that now, especially since it will be the only defense between Estelle, James and the baby, and that Dark Witch with her army of vampires.

“You want to ask Iris for her help to convince the White Moon to unite with the Blood Moon?” repeats Levi, when I tell him my full idea on the way there.

“It’s already starting, Levi. The Sapphire Moon and the Blood Moon are unified through Nora. Smaller clans will follow unconditionally. The only big clan that has always worked alone is the White Moon. It became worse after I left, didn’t it?”

“Because our people thought you had been driven away by Black! And they killed one of our own, Elena. Even if it was Diego, it was–”

“I know. But I feel like there’s something that still can be done about that.”

“… The situation is already complicated, and you have to ask your psychopath cousin for help? Of all people?”

I sigh. Yeah, I have to.

I always imagined Iris to be locked away in some dark, creepy dungeon, but this is the twenty-first century. We don’t have a prison on our turf, but we do have a hospital with a psychiatric ward. It’s easy to throw someone in a tiny room, lock it, and forget the key for a few years.

So, my cousin is and has been confined in an all-white, rather spacious room with the simplest furniture and a few books. Her hair has grown a lot, so her lavender curls are now pushed down by her blonde roots. It kind of annoys me that, despite having been locked away all these years, she’s still as pretty as before and looking fine. I take a few seconds to observe her from behind the tiny window; she’s wearing some dark jeans and a sexy white top. Nothing like the quiet, shy Iris she pretended to be for years. I guess she has no more use in pretending. She’s barefoot, but I bet she’d be wearing killer heels if she could.

I take a deep breath and walk in. She raises her eyes from her book and, as soon as she notices me, sneers.

“Look who’s here. My dear cousin. How have you been, Elena? It’s been a while! Did you bring me something, since you’re visiting?”

Behind me, Levi clicks his tongue.

After a long argument, we decided it would be better for only him to accompany me. Chris strictly refuses to see his sister again, as it upsets him deeply, and the younger Lewis siblings are unrelated to her. Even Clark refused to come.

“I’m not here to play your petty games, Iris,” I reply coldly.

She sighs.

“I know. Since you’re showing up here, I guess you have something to ask me. I wonder what that is and, more importantly, how you’re going to get me to comply.”

She’s not going to make it easy, I know. Behind me, Levi’s already growling. She chuckles.

“You brought your little sweetheart? No, let me guess. You’re a single mother now? I bet Clark changed his mind and let you stay… Well, that idiot would be happy to take a single mom as his girlfriend, but it doesn’t seem like you two are together.”

So she has no idea what happened after she was imprisoned. She doesn’t know I was gone for four years or even about the witch’s attack. I take a deep breath, and after hesitating a while, undo my shirt, showing her the large scar, still pink and wide. It runs from my back to my shoulder and down to my right breast. It’s thick and ugly, and she probably can tell it’s rather fresh.

Iris frowns. I managed to get her attention.

“Someone attacked you with a chainsaw?” she says in a mocking tone.

“Very funny, Iris, but no. The Dark Witch did this, and without a weapon.”

She stays silent for a few seconds, staring at my injury with an indecipherable expression. After a few seconds, she tilts her head.

“Well, it looks painful. That bitch has some talent.”

To my surprise, my injury doesn’t seem to make her any happier. My cousin doesn’t seem to care at all, in fact. She lets out a long sigh of boredom, sitting back on her bed.

“Oh, well. I guess you didn’t come here just to strip, so let’s get this over with. What’s going on?”

“The Dark Witch will attack any time now,” I explain. “I need the White Moon to trust the Blood Moon clan fully.”

“Okay, and why should I care?” asks Iris, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re the one who knows what really happened to Diego. If I want the White Moon to trust the Blood Moon, I need–”

Before I can finish, Iris bursts into an annoying laugh. She shakes her head, unable to stop, as if I had said something funny. What the heck is wrong with her?

“Seriously, Elena? That’s why? You think resolving your ex’s death will solve things? Are you dumb?”

I want to slap her so badly at this moment, but I’ll restrain myself. She chuckles and gets up, walking toward me like a cat.

“You’ve always been so strong, but you haven’t gotten smarter, Elena. You think that’s all this is about? That if you can solve Diego’s death, you can make things right between the White Moon and the Blood Moon? Does that mean you’re still…? No way, you and Black?”

I growl, truly annoyed at her tone. Maybe it was a bad idea after all, I shouldn’t have come here, she’s so…!

Iris sighs, crossing her arms.

“Even if I tell you the truth, you think it will solve things? Get real, Elena. The real reason no one trusts the Blood Moon clan is simply because they are cold-blooded murderers.”

I take a deep breath. Iris has no idea.

True, she played a role in getting me and Nathaniel together. But she doesn’t know a thing about our relationship, about him. Sure, he’s made mistakes. I know he’s not as gentle as he is with me when he’s being his Alpha self. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen him murder a man with his bare hands and not feel sorry about it. All the times I smelled blood on him, I didn’t say a thing.

Because I know that man isn’t my Nathaniel. Yes, we are werewolves, and we fight. We defend our territories, we get into battles. We growl when we feel threatened, and we bite when we have to. This is the world we live in, but it doesn’t make us who we are. That same man can be the sweetest father, the gentlest lover. Those same hands that got dirtied can also hug and caress. It’s just that too few people know about that side of them. That side of him.

The Black brothers aren’t cold-blooded. They are Alphas, scary and mighty, but they are men too. Men who can be reasoned with, protect their packs, and love their families. They listen to their mates, they care for others. If they kill, they have a reason for it. It’s never unjustified, or unnecessarily cruel.

The cruel one was that bitch witch that tortured me to find my baby and use her as a weapon.

“Iris, tell me,” I growl. “Why do you care, anyway?”

“Why would I tell you? You had no issue with leaving me to rot here for months and months, and now I should be a good girl and obey? What about your little puppy here? You didn’t even ask him, did you?”

I turn to Levi and sigh.

“I already know Danny and Reagan had an agreement with Nate and gave him Diego. They told me a while ago. What I don’t know is what really happened after that. You’re the one who was behind Diego’s return, I bet you were watching him and know who killed him.”

Iris clicks her tongue, meaning I’m right. She seems to hesitate for a bit.

“Why should I help you, Elena? I don’t gain anything from opening my mouth, I might as well keep it shut. I do gain some satisfaction from it, so I'd rather stay silent. Unless you have something worth my while.”

“I’m not playing, Iris,” I growl. “We have a witch outside our borders that can attack at any moment with her horde of vampires. You’d really be fine with that?”

Iris shrugs and opens her arms up, showing her environment.

“I’ve got my own personalized bunker. If you lock me up, I’m probably just going to be happy watching from the sidelines! Oh, maybe I should get some popcorn?”

Can I just slap her? This selfish bitch! Our whole civilization is on the verge of war and she finds it funny!

“Iris, I’m not kidding, this is our pack you’re talking about!”

“Our pack, Elena? More like your pack! Ever since Reagan dropped you here, you’ve been entitled to everything! Yes, I’ll be fucking happy when someone finally gets rid of the eyesore that you are! My dad, Chris, Clark, even Eric! Since you arrived, you have done nothing but take what was mine, and disrupt other people’s lives!”

“I’m fed up with your jealousy issues, Iris,” I growl. “Yes, I was adopted into the pack, but that was it. Before I was stronger than you, my dad was stronger than yours. I’m sorry Xavier couldn’t see anything but our strength, but if you wanted to change things, you should have stood up to him! If you wanted to be closer to Chris and if you wanted Eric to love you, you should have tried harder with both of them! And didn’t Eric pick you when you tried? With all your schemes and lies, you’re the one who disrupted everything! You can’t blame me for everything when you never fought fairly for it!”

My words finally seem to hit her, as she takes a step back. Her sneer disappears, finally replaced by her hatred for me. Seems like playtime is over.

“Moon Goddess, I really hate you, Elena.”

“Right back at ya.”

We stare and glare at each other for a long time, until she rolls her eyes.

“Fine. I’ll tell Chris.”

I hesitate, but Levi replies before I can.

“Your brother doesn’t want to see you, Iris, you know that.”

“Well, then find a way, because I’m not going to tell anyone but Chris. You wanted an exchange? Well, there you go, I want to see my brother.”

I frown, a bit confused.

“What are you planning, Iris?”

She clicks her tongue, annoyed.

“Oh, stop it, Elena. I may hate you, but Chris is my younger brother, and I haven’t seen him in years. You said I should make an effort with him? Well, I’m starting now.”

“Why didn’t you ask for your freedom?” I ask, suspicious.

“With the shit show that’s coming? Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll stay here, you know, in my private bunker. Now, my brother.”

I sigh and turn around, exchanging a look with Levi. Can we convince Chris, though? If he’s been ignoring his sister’s attempts to talk to him all this time…

We decide to go back. Surprisingly, it only takes a few minutes to convince Chris, but he’s clearly unhappy about his sister’s bargain. He insists that I come with him. Less than an hour later, we are back in Iris’ cell. She stands up as soon as she sees her brother.

“Chris, I–”

“No, Iris, you listen to me,” he says. “First, you tell Elena what she asked you. After that, we will talk. I don’t trust you anymore, so if I doubt you’re telling the truth, even one bit, I swear I’m leaving and you’ll never see me again.”

For the first time, Iris seems truly hurt by his words. She probably didn’t expect Chris to act like this toward her. His spite seems to have hit a nerve. Her mighty attitude soon disappears, and she turns to me, clearly unhappy.

“Fine. What did you want to know?”

“What happened, the night Diego died. Everything you know.”

She rolls her eyes, sitting on her bed, but with her brother in the room, she’s a lot more docile and less arrogant.

“… I was there when they caught him. I’m not sure how blondie and Reagan kicked him out of the territory, but as soon as he stepped over, several Blood Moon wolves jumped on him. They dragged him farther away, so I followed secretly. I wasn’t exactly overjoyed by this situation, as you can imagine.”

I bet. It probably disrupted her evil plans a lot.

“It was quick, though. First, that bastard struggled a bit, but, well, your man didn’t come alone, so he didn’t have a chance to run. The Black blondie was furious, and wanted a duel with him, probably to make him suffer a long death.”

“That fight never happened,” I say. “Diego’s body was fine; he was just shot in the head.”

“Yeah, well, your boyfriend didn’t see it coming either, from the face he made. His brother arrived.”

I stay speechless for a few seconds. His brother?

“Liam?”

“No, not the brat, the King. He showed up out of nowhere. From the look on his face, your man didn’t expect him. And just like that, the King took out a gun. The two brothers argued for a while. Your man wanted a fair fight or whatever, but the King said that he didn’t deserve any chance. Something like he didn’t have any pity for rapists. And just like that, he shot Diego right in the head.”

I’m… I did not expect that at all.

Damian Black. Nora’s husband killed Diego. Not to help Nathaniel, but because the King wouldn’t allow a rapist on his territory. I suddenly remember Nora’s past. She never really went as far as giving me details, but something like that happened to her; in her previous pack, someone attacked her.

No wonder the King was so cold-blooded as to kill Diego. For him, it wasn’t a murder, it wasn’t a crime. It was the execution of a criminal. Because I went through what Nora barely avoided, and Damian Black knew. And he wouldn’t allow someone like that in Silver City. Did Nate tell his brother about what happened? There are so many ways Damian could have found out, back then. He was watching me because of my relationship with Nate, I bet he got a hold of my criminal record too.

“Shit,” whispers Chris.

“Yeah, that doesn’t make the situation better at all,” sighs Levi.

Indeed, this is a problem. Nathaniel or Damian, either of the brothers killing Diego doesn’t change anything. A member of the White Moon clan was killed by one of the Black brothers, that’s all our pack members are going to see. This is such a mess! Even if he is the King, even if Diego was formerly banished, Damian Black had no right to execute him; he was part of another clan, not his.

We exchange looks, but this is a real situation. If we can’t get the White Moon to change their opinion…

“Oh, please,” suddenly says Iris with a dramatic sigh. “You guys are such idiots, aren’t you?”

“Iris, you better have something smart and useful to say following that sentence,” growls Levi, just as irritated as I am.

Chris glares at her too, but his sister just shrugs.

“There’s one simple way to resolve this, isn’t there? Tell them the truth.”

I stay silent, unsure about what she means, and Levi and Chris look just as confused. Iris sneers.

“Just tell them the truth, Elena, what happened nine years ago. The real reason Diego and you fought. The White Moon will change their minds if they know what Diego did.”

I slowly understand. That’s right. I stayed silent about what had truly happened back then. Aside from a handful of people, no one knew that I stabbed Diego because he raped me, and that I lost a baby. I didn’t want to talk about it, so I let people make their assumptions about the real reasons for the fight, and Clark was the only judge for it. I went to jail, Diego disappeared, and no one brought it up again. People thought we had always been an electric, unstable couple that suddenly crossed the line. For werewolves, especially alphas, it didn’t seem so crazy.

However, it wasn’t so simple. Iris is right. People would change their minds if they knew the truth about Diego. No one would cry or even mind the death of someone like him. Actually, they might even think it was justice. He committed the worst sin possible for a werewolf. The one thing our kind can never, ever forgive.

Killing a werewolf pup.

“I can’t decide if it’s a crazy idea, a genius idea, or the shittiest one ever.”

I take a deep sigh. We have been debating Iris’ suggestion for a while now, and this isn’t getting any better. We’re back at Clark’s house with everyone, including Isabella and Orpheus. Daniel came back from work too, but Chris stayed behind with his sister to talk after Levi and I left.

“I’m positive the pack will be mad at Clark for keeping this whole thing quiet,” says Orpheus. “It’s too big.”

“Agreed, but I think they have every right to be,” announces Isabella, who has been glaring at Clark non-stop since we told her everything. “Really, Clark, what were you thinking?”

“It was my choice,” I explain. “Back then, I was perturbed a lot, Isa. Losing my unborn child threw me into depression, and I was convicted too. I begged Clark and my parents to not tell the pack what had happened. I didn’t want to hear about it anymore, and I thought if I was gone for a while, and Diego too, I would be forgotten.”

Thinking back, it was also probably the only way for me to truly end my abusive relationship with him, by pretending nothing happened. I didn’t care that I was convicted for attempted murder, compared to the loss I had suffered. As long as Diego was out of sight and far from me, I knew I’d be able to recover someday.

Isabella takes a deep sigh.

“I understand, Elena, but it was Clark’s responsibility. Now, if we explain this to our people, they will accuse him of wronging you and allowing Diego back. Having him banished for good should have been the lightest punishment possible, but he was gone for only five years. People won’t accept it, and they won’t listen to his words to trust the Blood Moon after that.”

“But they will listen to Elena.”

We turn to Orpheus, who stands up.

“I know I would.”

“Orpheus, no one will listen to me,” I reply, surprised he would even suggest that. “I’m the girl who had a child with one of the Black brothers and left the pack who adopted her. Trust me, I’m not high on the list of the most trusted people right now.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true, Elena,” says Levi. “Most of our people are fine with the idea of mating with people from other packs now, even the Blood Moon. Since the Luna abolished the borders, it has become more and more common.”

“No one will blame you for having Estelle, especially after what you went through,” adds Bonnie.

“A lot of the fighters now are people you trained too! I bet they’d be happy to see you back!”

I chuckle at Ben’s enthusiasm. The twins’ words are very comforting to me, but I can’t tell how realistic they are.

“I think it’s worth trying. We need to ally with the Blood Moon officially, and no one will agree to it without a proper explanation,” I admit.

I turn to Isabella and Clark. They are the ones to decide, as I know Orpheus is already agreeing with me. Isabella sighs.

“Will they believe you, though? It’s coming out years later at a time like this,” asks Bonnie.

“We have tons of proof if needed,” replies Danny. “It went to court, plus we kept Elena’s hospital bills and all.”

“Clark?” I call to him.

He hasn’t said a word in a while. Is he worried about the position this will put him in? He might lose all respect as the Alpha. My godfather suddenly stands up.

“It’s fine, Elena. I would rather get it off my conscience. I was never comfortable with how things turned out, so it’s high time I repair my mistakes and repay my debt to you. Isa is right. This pack had a duty to protect you, and we failed. I won’t allow it twice.”

I’m touched by his words. Back then, it did feel as if I was alone with my pain. It was convenient for everyone else to forget it all. He smiles at me and ruffles my hair.

“I knew you’d grow up to be a fine woman. Don’t worry, I will handle this.”

“I want to be there, to do it with you,” I immediately insist.

“If you want.”

After a few minutes, Clark calls most of the pack’s adults over to the nearby park, the only place big enough to have all the werewolves attend comfortably. I wonder how fast the word spread about my return, because absolutely no one seems surprised to see me next to Clark and Orpheus.

As we discussed, Isabella and Clark do all the talking, and it’s short anyway. About how full cooperation with the Blood Moon will be needed, and why Diego died. Everyone stays silent while the Alpha talks, but I can read shock and anger on a lot of faces.

“… We need to come to an agreement now,” concludes Isabella.

“Clark, why didn’t you tell us back then! We never liked Diego, but you should have told us the full story!” yells someone from the back.

“That’s right! A rapist and a pup murderer? Clark, he could have attacked our other kids!” growls a woman.

“This was between him and me,” I explain. “It was personal, I don’t think Diego would have–”

“You can’t say that for sure! A sociopath, a murderer! And the Alpha allowed him back!”

A lot of people start growling along but Clark doesn’t flinch. He expected this, after Isabella’s warning.

“Elena left because of you!”

“No, I had different reasons to leave!” I interrupt, annoyed. “Listen, we are not having Clark’s trial now! He is your Alpha, and whatever he decided back then is between him and I!”

Some of them won’t listen and keep yelling. It’s frankly annoying to be facing such an undisciplined crowd. Werewolves are so damn stubborn.

“Stop it!” I yell, releasing all of my Alpha Aura.

Everyone shuts up as if a wave had hit them. I don’t think I’ve ever used so much of my aura before, but here we are.

“This pack has enough issues as it is. Remember what happened just four years ago? All those that we lost? You want to avoid more deaths next time? Then stop acting so stubborn and listen, for once!”

A long silence follows my words. Some exchange glances and frowns, as if they were trying to reach a common ground. I take a deep breath and look sideways at Clark. My godfather smiles and nods.

“We will lose more people if we don’t work as one with the Blood Moon clan,” I explain.

“We are already on good terms with them, Elena!”

“I don’t mean an alliance. I mean we need to fuse the White Moon pack with the Blood Moon pack.”

I’m hit by a wave of protests. Some people are just speechless or hesitant, but some of them are completely against the idea.

“No fucking way! We are the White Moon clan! We won’t become someone else’s property!”

“Elena, what the hell! Is this Black’s idea?”

“Shut up and listen!” I growl again. “It is my idea. Not Clark’s or anyone else’s. This isn’t just about our turfs or our pack anymore. We have an army coming. An army of vampires, and a witch leading them. The same one that attacked us before!”

I undo my shirt, showing them my injury, still fresh.

“See that? I can’t stand against her! We can’t, okay? We are lucky enough to have a witch on our side. You think we won the previous fight? Well, listen up, we didn’t! Sylviana, the witch of Silver City, saved our asses! Otherwise, what do you think would have happened?”

I catch my breath, looking at the crowd. I’ve managed to make them doubt. People are remembering, I know they can’t have possibly forgotten. Not with the number of wounded people we had, or the ones we buried.

Next to me, Orpheus nods.

“Just try to remember the hell it was,” he adds. “The water attacking us. Even with the Blood Moon helping us, it was a fucking nightmare!”

“Everyone lost a friend or a family member back then,” says Isabella.

I know everyone in the pack is thinking about her son, Eric, who was among the victims. This is what we need to focus on. How many people we can save, what will be left after the fight, and what we could lose. I see a lot of them finally stop protesting, glancing at each other with worry.

“This won’t be a regular fight,” I declare. “There will be deaths. It’s the sad truth, I won’t lie to you. We will lose people. All I want is for us to lose as few as possible. I want the best outcome; I want us to win this fight. We can’t afford to lose, because if we do lose, it will be the end. Not only the end of our pack, but the end of everything we know and love. I don’t care anymore about the packs, the borders. We are werewolves. We are the werewolves of Silver City, one large pack. I know I won’t fear a witch, no matter how many vampires she brings, if I can stand with my people. My family, my friends, all of my kind, as one.”

I let a bit of silence float after my words, hoping it will reach them.

“If we fuse with the Blood Moon clan, we will truly become one pack. All together, hundreds of wolves, able to mind-link as one body. The strongest clan this city has ever seen.”

“… What about the other packs?” asks someone. “How do we know they will allow that too?”

“You know how loved and popular the Luna is,” says Levi. “She’s a Royal, people will rally to her. The Sapphire Moon and Jade Moon clans are already completely loyal to her. Most packs will follow her lead. We can follow Elena’s.”

Whoa, wait. When did I say anything about following me? I glare at Levi, wondering what the hell he is thinking, but I see him exchange glances with Clark and Danny instead. What are they planning?

“Clark will be leading,” I warn them.

“No, Elena, you will,” suddenly declares Clark, turning to me. “For this fight, we need you to act as the Alpha.”

What the hell! I just decided I won’t be an Alpha! I’m fine not being anyone’s Alpha, why are they doing this to me now?

“You said it yourself, Elena, all the werewolves must act as one. We will need all the Alphas to act together to lead them. And no one is more capable of doing that than you.”

I growl at Orpheus, annoyed that he is part of this freaking trap too.

“I am not fit to lead anyone!”

“You’re a fighter, Elena, it’s in your blood,” says Daniel. “Your father was a Royal warrior, wasn’t he? There is nothing more powerful than that.”

I see the crowd start to whisper between themselves, surprised to hear about my parentage.

“Seriously, Daniel? Now?” I yell at him, furious.

“Don’t blame him, Elena, we already discussed this.”

“I am not going to fucking lead anyone! This is not–”

“Elena, you’re an Alpha, and half-Royal. You’re the best fighter of your generation, or any generation this pack has seen! And your mind-linking ability is way better than anyone else’s too!”

This is a nightmare. How can they do this to me, in front of the whole damn pack! I never agreed to any of that shit! Would it have been too much to at least warn me? Did they do it on purpose, thinking I wouldn’t be able to refuse?

“Elena is half-Royal?” asks someone from the crowd.

“Who freaking cares!” I yell. “Clark, I was gone from this pack for four years, who the hell do you think I am? I can’t show up and start ordering people around! I am not Alpha material! I hate making decisions for others!”

My godfather turns to me, looking dead serious. I almost step back, feeling his all-out aura, but before I do, my wolf is growling right back at him, her instincts taking over.

“Elena, I’m ready to abandon my Alpha position right here and now for you to take it. You know this is what I’ve always wanted for you, and what you deserve.”

“Clark, no. I’ve made my share of shitty choices, haven’t I? You really think I would be able to–”

“You’re good at protecting others, Elena. You make the decisions you make because you know when to attack, when to fight back, and when to retreat.”

“This is insane,” I mutter.

“This whole situation is insane, Elena,” he continues, “but we have a war coming, and it’s just as you said, we need the best chances. You’re one of those chances. You came up with this idea, and I wholly support it. But now, you need to see it through to the end, and do what needs to be done.”

“You fucking exile me for four years, and now you expect me to come back and save you all just because of my lineage?”

“Not just your lineage, Elena,” replies Isabella. “Everyone here knows your skills. Despite what happened four years ago, everyone welcomed you back, didn’t they? If we took back a jerk like Diego, what kind of pack are we if we don’t take you back?”

“I never said I wanted to come back, Isa!” I growl. “I’m fine. I have my daughter, everything I need is not–”

I stop my sentence, realizing I’m wrong. The White Moon is, or was, my pack. I remember the feeling I had when I walked back in. The people I had missed. My friends, my family. I growl, frustrated as hell.

“You’re the one we need, Elena,” Clark sighs.

“I’m not. I don’t know how to lead a pack. Even if I agreed to this absolutely shitty idea, I’m not in shape, I haven’t fought in years and–”

“If I remember correctly, you killed dozens of vampires without even shifting into your wolf form,” notes Orpheus.

“And while being pregnant,” whispers Danny, avoiding my glare.

“You have time to get back in shape,” says Clark. “What we need is for you to agree. If you do, everyone here will follow you into this union with the Blood Moon clan, Elena.”

I glare at the little group, furious. I really hate the whole damn idea, especially since I’m well aware they would make me feel fucking guilty for abandoning them if I don’t agree.

“Elena,” whispers Isabella, “I know how crazy and selfish we may sound right now. But trust me, we talked it over. We truly believe this is the best shot we’ve got, and it’s with you, honey. Maybe things should have gone differently for you, you should have gotten the Alpha position in a more normal and fair way, but here we are. We only have one chance, Elena. And I truly think it’s you.”