Page 36 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

“So, you agreed?”

“Heck no, Nate! They threw this at me, I was not prepared! I just… I said I’d think about it.”

He’s watching me walk in circles inside his apartment while he’s carrying Estelle, who fell asleep in his arms. I just can’t calm down since I left the gathering. Firstly, I’m still mad at Clark and the Lewis siblings for tricking me into this. Secondly, I’m still completely amazed that they even dared to come up with such an idea. I thought I was the crazy one for suggesting a fusion between the clans! Lastly, I’m supposed to be a pariah in that pack, and now I’m some sort of last-minute savior?

“It’s a good idea, I think.”

I immediately turn to him with a glare.

“Not you too!”

“Well, it does make sense,” he continues. “Elena, you’re not someone who can stand on the sidelines.”

“Yes, but I was expecting to fight like any other wolf, not be some damn beacon for my former pack!”

He chuckles, walking to the sofa to sit down.

“As if you’d listen to anyone’s orders, my sunshine. Your Alpha– I mean, Clark is right. You can certainly do this, and you should.”

I shake my head. No, no. Not when I had just found who I am, who I want to be. This is madness. The whole point of putting the events with Diego into the light was to have the pack see the Blood Moon differently, not have Clark step down from his position and push it over to me!

I go to sit next to Nate on the sofa, suddenly tired from that whole mess. He puts a hand on my knee, gently caressing me.

“Don’t think too much for now. You don’t have to answer them now, Elena. You just confronted your former pack, that’s enough for today. We need to talk to Damian and Nora about your idea too.”

I nod, feeling a bit comforted by his words. He’s right. I should take some time to consider it, see if I think I can shoulder this. I have no doubt Nora will agree to it though. She’s always been keen on making any differences between the packs disappear, and she respects my opinion. I am not worried about my cousin-in-law either; almost everything Nora says he’ll agree with anyway. And Nate agreed it’s a good idea too.

“… We should make plans,” he suddenly says.

I look at him, a bit surprised. What is he talking about? Nathaniel smiles and kisses Estelle’s temple, laying her on the couch next to him before turning to me and taking my hand.

“You, Estelle, and me. I want us to have plans for when this whole mess is over.”

“Nate, I’m not sure this is…”

“I don’t want to live as if we are going to die, Elena. I want to have something to look forward to.”

“I am not marrying you,” I assert with a growl.

He laughs it off, but I know he’s still holding on to that stupid idea. Well, he can forget about it. I don’t want to get married, and certainly not to him. That jerk is not reliable at all. Moreover, he already got more than he was supposed to from me. I am not indulging him again. Well not for a few more years. As Danny said, he should suffer a bit for all the shit I went through.

“I’m talking about something else, Elena,” he explains. “Like a trip, for example.”

“A trip?”

That’s probably the last thing I would have thought about at such a time, but Nate seems serious about it.

“We could go on a holiday, once this is all over. The three of us, somewhere far from Silver City. I want to see where Estelle was born and grew up in too.”

It does sound good. Something we could look forward to. I want to imagine us, after all this madness, having fun together, somewhere safe and warm, and visiting our old house again… if there’s anything left of it. That damn witch probably found it.

“To be honest, I miss the house a bit,” I admit.

“How was it?”

I can’t help but chuckle.

“When Sylviana took me there, it was just an old, abandoned house. But I liked it. It was made entirely of wood. It took us a while to clean it. Sylviana used her powers to sweep away all the dead leaves, replace the rotten wood, and repel the plants that had started growing in or on it. I’m glad witches are so good at cleaning, but still, just the dust and dirt took ages to get rid of, since it was so fucking big. But it was worth it. It was the kind of old family house that has its own charms you uncover little by little, with large windows, a terrace, a big kitchen, a big bathroom. Ah, I really miss that place.”

I can’t help but smile, just thinking about it. Those four years there were really peaceful, just me and my daughter. Every day going by slowly, taking care of the house, hunting our food, and even growing vegetables in the little garden Sylviana made for us. There was a human village a few miles away, but we only made the trip once in a while. Whether they knew or their instincts sensed that we were werewolves, we were not welcome there. I just bought the groceries and left as soon as I was done.

Estelle played with me, or the pets she befriended, like the little rabbits she found and adopted, her bunnies. Maybe she can get to school in September. It would be good if she made some friends.

Will we still be here in September? It’s only a few weeks away, but it feels so far away. I turn to Nate.

“So, a trip?”

He nods.

“Yeah, wherever you want. Just the three of us. We could even search for it. You know, the Blue Moon clan.”

I stay speechless for a while. I had never thought about it. Going back to my roots, finding more about wherever Nora and I came from if there’s anything left. Nathaniel is right, with the witch gone, we would be free to go and look for clues about our parents. We know so little about them. It feels like I never had time to stop and think about it, but it did cross my mind a few times. I could ask Nora about it, and even our long-lost cousin William.

“Maybe,” I sigh. “Did Nora ever mention it?”

“Yes,” he nods. “To Damian, at least. She’s very curious about her mother. About Queen Diane too.”

Nora is probably more at a loss than I am. After all, I was brought up by Reagan and adopted soon after by loving parents. My attachment to the White Moon is legitimate, as they retain so much of my childhood.

Nora is different. Her parents disappeared when she was a child, and though she was taken in by another pack, she never really felt any family love from them or even from her half-brother. Even if she has a family of her own now, she’s probably the most curious one.

“I see,” I simply reply.

Nathaniel smiles and leans in to give me a long kiss. It’s a bit unexpected but it’s nice as always… Well, not just nice. He caresses my arm too, in a gentle way. Though, with Stella next to us, we can’t push it too far. We play nice and simply exchange long, hot kisses, warming up our lips and chuckling like teenagers in love.

After a while, we part, each with a smile on our lips.

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” he whispers with a sigh.

I push him away with my feet. You damn idiot.

A few hours later, our baby girl wakes up, and we head to Nora’s place to talk about my plan to fuse all the clans after a nice dinner. No one is really interested in the desserts, they are all listening with open ears, shocked by my words. All three Black brothers are there, plus Boyan and his siblings, as well as Isaac and Danny. Neal’s wife is watching all the kids in the playroom next door. Only Sylviana refused to come; apparently, she’s busy, but this is a werewolf matter anyway.

“So, the White Moon would agree to a fusion with the Blood Moon?” asks Tonia, doubtful.

“I convinced them.”

“What Elena didn’t say is that they want her to lead them,” adds Nathaniel.

I roll my eyes. He didn’t need to mention that part yet, but whatever. Nora’s eyes are already full of excitement.

“Elena, this is awesome!” she exclaims.

“Really? I just told you they want to follow me into this crazy war, Nora. Me, of all people. I didn’t think–”

But I stop talking as, around the table, none of them seem very surprised. Really? Nora glances at her husband, who starts talking.

“We have been in close talks with the Sapphire Moon and a few others recently,” says Damian. “Elena, if the White Moon clan agrees to it too, we could have almost all of the werewolves clans of Silver City in.”

I’m speechless. Already? How long have they been preparing for this? Nora blushes a bit, seeing my reaction.

“We had the same idea as you, so we started talking to the other Alphas these past few weeks, but it’s nothing new, Elena. William insisted that I officially join the Sapphire Moon, and as of now, he has made me his successor. Since Damian and I are mates, the two packs are already aligned.”

“I thought William Blue had a daughter?” I ask, confused.

“He does, but he doesn’t want her to take over the Sapphire Moon clan. Rose will be the Luna for the Pearl Moon clan, her mother’s pack.”

All the math between the Sapphire, Pearl, and Black Moon relationships is way too complicated for me. However, I understand that Nora can basically become the Sapphire Moon’s Luna anytime now, and through Damian, she is already the Blood Moon’s Luna. The two biggest packs of Silver City are allied, and the next biggest and wealthiest one is the White Moon.

“What about the others? The Violet Moon, the Sea Moon wolves?”

This time, it’s with Tonia that Nora exchanges a look. Right, Boyan’s sister is going out with the Violet Moon Alpha, Lysandra Jones. That probably helps.

“Lysandra and Arthur are still reticent,” she says, “but I’m pretty sure we can have them agree to a temporary fusion. After the war, they want their packs back, but they are fine with submitting to Damian and me until it’s over. Same thing for the Red Moon.”

Or whatever’s left of them. Black should have banished those traitors four years ago when they turned on us with the Gold Moon clan. I’m trying to count, but those are all the main clans of Silver City. If the deal is done, Damian and Nora will be Alpha and Luna of 90% of the Silver City werewolf population. This is insane.

I’m getting chills. This is really to be an all-out fucking war.

“Our only missing piece was the White Moon clan, Elena,” says Damian. “We couldn’t talk to them until now, but if you agree to their terms…”

“I’ll be a bridge between Nora and them. You want me to be the bridge between you and the White Moon, I get it,” I sigh. “So, it all comes to this.”

“I wasn’t sure you could convince them, and I wasn’t sure they would listen to you, so I was afraid it was too soon to ask you,” admits Nora, a bit fidgety.

“Well, for once I was faster, I guess.”

I stand up, pacing around again to think. Nate grabs my hand to stop me, pulling me to him.

“Elena, it all just happened today, but Sylviana said we have a few weeks, so you can think about it a bit longer”

I gently smile at my man and lean down for a quick peck on his lips. I turn to Nora, feeling a bit braver.

“Nora, there’s something I have been thinking about for a while. With your power, do you think we could… officialize our relationship? When I talked to my pack, most of them were doubtful about my origins. If we had a way to make it official…”

“If this is about you having a bond with the Blood Moon clan, my sunshine, I’m pretty sure marrying me would–”

“Nathaniel Black, the answer is still no. And Nora is the one I need a bond with.”

“Hey! Nate would be a bad husband, but I would make an awesome brother-in-law, Elena,” says Liam with a cheeky smile.

“Thanks for the support, Liam,” growls Nate.

Everyone laughs, breaking a bit of the heavy atmosphere that was floating around until just a moment ago. Nathaniel rolls his eyes and pulls me onto his lap. Nora smiles across the table.

“What did you have in mind, then?

“You know… just putting our family tree into the city records, things like that. And I want to take my real name, too.

She opens her mouth a bit, surprised.

“Elena Bluemoon?”

“No. I don’t want to completely omit the White Moon part in me. From now on, I want to be Selena Whitewood, and have my relationship to you known. I think this is how I will find a middle ground between my two identities. I think this is what I would like better.”

Nora nods, looking a bit emotional.

“I did almost the same,” she says. “I registered as Eleanora Bluemoon, though everyone still knows me as Nora.”

“Reagan is the one who saved Selena. She held on to my name for years, I think it’s time I take it back.”

“Damn, now you sound like a Royal,” says Liam.

“I don’t hear a Royal, I hear a warrior. You know what, Selena, I have been hearing about you being the best fighter for a while now, I want to see that.”

I turn to Tonia, surprised. But then, I remember, that woman is the one who trained Nora, and is Boyan’s sister. Moreover, she is the number two in the Violet Moon clan, known for its fierce fighters.

“Tonia,” says Nate with a frown, but I stop him.

“Is that a challenge?” I ask.

Let’s be honest, she woke up the wolf in me. Seeing a challenger, she just wants to go. Easy girl, we just finished healing a few hours ago.

“Mommy! You were so cool!”

Estelle runs to me, her little eyes sparkling. I smile and open up my arms, satisfied.

“Are you okay, Tonia?” I ask, while standing up with my baby girl in my arms.

She’s still laying on the floor with a sour expression.

“Don’t ask,” she growls.

Truth be told, I can’t really blame her. After she insisted on a fifth fight, I couldn’t go easy on her, and went all out. Tonia is a very, very good fighter, I cannot lie about that, but she relies a bit too much on her strength and is stubborn. Once I analyzed her strengths and weaknesses properly, I found the key to beating her. She has great adaptability, though, and gave me quite a challenge. I’m sweating and a bit out of breath.

Our small audience is amazed. We picked one of the dojos near the Blood Moon’s Headquarters, but after the first three days of watching Tonia and I fight for hours, only Liam, Nate, and Estelle are still here to watch, and some young ones from the Blood Moon and Purple Moon packs.

Damian is concerned about Nora’s health, as she’s been tired lately. The Luna is resting at her house, but it seems that, since we officially entered my new name into the city’s registry yesterday, I’ve inherited a new nickname I didn’t expect.

“White Luna! Can you show us how you did that move? The one with your leg and bam!”

I sigh at the sight of half a dozen young werewolves crowding around me with their eyes filled with expectations. That’s right, they have been calling me the White Luna, while Nora somehow became the Black or Blood Luna. I still can’t say how I feel about that.

“You little punks! Why don’t you ask me!” growls Tonia while getting back up.

Seeing her come our way, the kids run away laughing. I can’t help but chuckle too.

“They’re cheeky, aren’t they?”

“Tell me about it,” she sighs. “The ones from the Violet clan are the worst, I swear. They are not afraid to tackle the older ones and have been groomed for fighting since they were pups. I often fight with Lysandra about their excitement. They think this damn war is going to be fun. Fun, for Moon Goddess’ sake!”

I understand her concerns. It’s hard to explain to the children what’s at stake, and that they might be the first ones to die. I kiss my daughter’s forehead and stare in the direction they left, Nate joining my side.

“Do you think we will be ready?” I ask.

“In all honesty, I don’t know,” replies Tonia. “If I knew how many vampires are coming or what kind of witch we will be dealing with, I could, but no. It’s just as bad as it sounds, Elena. I am glad your plan with Nora is working fine and it’s a good one, awesome even, but it really might not be enough.”

Sadly, I know Tonia’s pessimism is justified. We could really be wiped out in a few weeks’ time.

I take a deep breath. I’ve trained enough. No matter how I look at it, I am in shape and ready. My injury’s completely healed, thank Moon Goddess, even my fights with Tonia didn’t cause any issues with my scar. It’s ugly and it will remain, but it’s healed. That’s all I ask, and luckily, Nate doesn’t seem to give a shit about it. I turn to him.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Sure,” I say with a nod. “Nate, I want to change at your place and then go.”

He seems a bit surprised, but he knows what I mean, and nods with a determined expression. I chat with Tonia a bit longer before we part, and Estelle bids her a shy goodbye too. It’s funny how she bonded with her more easily than with Boyan, whom all the kids seem to love. Maybe she reminds her of Reagan?

I take a quick shower at Nate’s place, and get dressed again in dark pants, a tank top, and a white leather jacket. I put my hair in a ponytail, almost ready for a fight. It’s a different kind of fight that awaits me, though.

Nate drives us to the White Moon territory, and I’m nervous all the way there, despite chatting with Estelle. My daughter is excited to finally see the pack I grew up in, but I can’t shake off that nervous feeling inside me. For some reason, I’ve always been so careful to keep her and Nate away from my clan; now that we’re going there as a family, it’s very strange and nerve-racking.

As previously planned, Nate carefully parks close to Clark’s house, right after sunset, and we walk up to the clan’s gathering point.

Everyone’s here. A lot of people are glaring at Nathaniel, wary of the Black brother walking on our territory. He is a stranger, and a damn strong Alpha. A lot of our people have shape-shifted already, either out of fear or just to feel safer. Maybe some want to show they don’t trust him or his brothers either. However, since he’s holding Estelle’s hand, the most adorable little girl in the world with her floral white dress and cute ponytails, I can also see a lot of smiles and amazed eyes. Yeah, that’s my baby, she looks just like me. I walk up to my godfather, who gives me a hug before his eyes land on Nathaniel. He sighs.

“If they had told me I would one day welcome one of the Black brothers on my territory…”

Nathaniel can’t repress his smirk.

“Don’t worry. I don’t bite.”

They both chuckle, and after a few seconds, finally shake hands, making everyone around relax a bit. As soon as they are done, Clark’s eyes go down to Estelle.

“Hello, pretty lady!”

“Good evening, Mister Clark!”

“You know who I am?” he asks, surprised.

My daughter nods and blushes, a bit shy.

“Yes. Mommy explained to me that you are the White Moon clan Alpha and you are my mommy’s godfather.”

Clark’s face brightens, visibly overjoyed with one sentence from the four-year-old. Damn, he should really get a wife and have some kids. He goes down on one knee, and rubs her head with a big smile.

“How did you make such a pretty girl! Even you were not as cute as this!”

“Thanks,” I reply, unsure if that’s a compliment or not.

On the side, Nathaniel laughs, and so do Orpheus and Isabella behind the Alpha.

“Well, I do have memories of you running around, dirtying your rompers, and calling out the boys for fights.”

“Danny!”

My best friend just stepped out from the crowd, his mom, dad and siblings right behind him. While I quickly hug Danny, I notice Abigail is wiping some tears behind him. Ben sighs.

“Really, Mom?”

“I can’t help it… Seeing our Elena where she is… after… you know, everything… It’s making me so emotional…”

“Wipe your tears, honey, it’s a joyous occasion,” says Joseph behind her.

“Of course, I know, but… I can’t help but see Elena like my own daughter, and… and…”

Abigail’s words get lost in her handkerchief, and the twins take over to talk to her and try to help her control her emotions a little. While I’m so grateful for her kind words and thoughts, I do feel this is… somewhere between embarrassing and awkward. Joseph chuckles and takes this opportunity to step closer to me, giving me a big hug and whispering a few words in my ear.

“Selena Whitewood, you’re the strongest, bravest she-wolf I have ever met in my life. You deserve all of this. You have the blood, the heart, and the guts of an Alpha. Never, ever forget that. We trust you, just like Ivy and Samuel believed in you. We really do.”

I didn’t expect to hear my parents’ names after such a long time. I can’t help but tear up a bit, and I’m glad I can hide it in his shoulder. Moon-Goddess-knows how much I miss them both. Joseph was close to my dad and hearing those words from him holds more value than if anyone else had said it.

We separate, and after a moment with each of their family members, I go back to where Clark stands. It’s a bit weird, to be back to talk to my pack so soon, with Nathaniel and Estelle with me too. I take a deep breath, turning to the crowd. I thought Clark would say a few words to the crowd, but everyone remains silent. I guess I’m up.

For a few seconds, I stare at the entire audience. I look at those people I’ve known almost all my life, and I wonder, what right do I have to stand here? What do I tell them now? Can I say anything? Can I convey my feelings properly? Or will I just fail, lose their faith and have them regret picking me to lead them?

I take another deep breath. No. I am not, and I won’t be, someone who backs off. Never. I am Selena Whitewood. I am a survivor, and a fighter. I’m someone’s mother, someone’s sunshine. I am a werewolf; I am just like them. These are my people.

“I… I was born in a place far from here,” I declare, “a place I can’t even remember. My first memories are with Reagan, right at the border of the White Moon clan. I remember my first meeting with you all. With Clark, with my parents, with my friends, with all of you. I was young, so I struggled with my identity. I grew up with parents who didn’t look like me. With friends from a different background. I felt like I could never fit in, so I fought harder because I thought a strong werewolf was the only part of me you’d accept. I hated the word ‘adopted’ because it reminded me of something I didn’t have. I wished my parents were my birth parents many, many times. I often wished I was more like the other kids. I wished I knew where I came from, though I never said it.”

I take a deep breath, glancing at Nathaniel. He’s gently smiling at me, his hands on Estelle’s shoulders. I take a deep breath and turn to the crowd again.

“When you’re a child, you don’t know how to cope with your insecurities. I struggled with my identity. I made bad choices, because I was desperate to fit in, and rejected people who rejected me twice more. I couldn’t see what I had, only what I was missing. I met… the wrong people, and lost sight of the ones I should have held close. I made poor choices.”

I don’t want to go on too long about Diego, not in front of my daughter, so I don’t say his name. They will read between the lines.

“By doing that, I… I was hurting myself indirectly. It is sometimes easier to rebel against people who wish you good than to leave people who are intoxicating. It’s sad, but it was my way of… punishing myself. No matter how many times my parents and the few friends I had left warned me, I… I didn’t listen.”

I hold back my tears, looking to my wolf for all the strength I need and solemnly put a hand on my tummy. I need them to understand, because I won’t say it. I find Daniel’s eyes in the crowd, and look at the pair of blue eyes to give myself some strength.

“I lost… a lot. I’ll never get it back. I… I shut down, and I lost my family a second time. You all know what kind of place I went to. I don’t know what you think I had done wrong for that, but the truth is, if I injured anyone, it was myself. Because I reacted too late and put myself in danger. I lost… what no girl or woman should ever lose. I lost my Angel.”

I feel the tears slowly run down my cheek as I confess the truth. I take a moment and hear the audience’s shock. Some women cover their mouths, some men are stuck between confusion and anger as they slowly come to understand.

I can feel the anger from behind me too. Nate’s wolf is exuding a scary aura, but I ignore it, along with Clark’s.

“When I came back to the pack, I was at the lowest point in my life. I had lost my family, a second time, a third time even. If it wasn’t for Clark, and the Lewis family who helped me, I might have never come back from that darkness.”

I manage to gather a smile for them, for Danny, and wake my wolf to finish.

“I got back on my feet, and I worked harder. I felt like I needed to prove myself, even harder than I used to. I was part of the White Moon clan. I truly accepted that when you didn’t toss me aside despite my parents being gone, despite everything I had said and done. I really realized it then. Because the young ones were still looking up to me. Because the ones my age would still talk to me and count me in. Because the adults would invite me over, greet me, or just acknowledge me. Because everyone in this pack was fine with me being just me. Not Ivy and Samuel’s daughter, not Clark’s goddaughter. I was just Elena, your Elena from the White Moon clan.”

A lot of people are nodding, some are even smiling to me with a tender look in their eyes. I can’t help but smile back, a bittersweet smile.

“Just when… When I started getting used to that idea, things changed again. I… I fell in love with someone I wasn’t supposed to. I met Nora Bluemoon, who was suddenly closer to me than anyone had ever been. Die… My ex came back. And the situation became a lot more complicated. I was conflicted again, between my identities, between my past and my future, between what I thought I owed to the White Moon and what I truly wanted.”

I turn around and hold my hand out to Estelle, who takes it with a smile, walking a couple of steps to join me.

“If… I have disappointed people, I will apologize,” I say, “but I won’t apologize for making a new family of my own. I won’t apologize for the beautiful baby I had, the man I love, or even for getting close to another pack. I love Nathaniel Black, but it doesn’t make me less of a White Moon daughter. Eleanora Bluemoon is my blood cousin, but that doesn’t make me less of a Whitewood. I am just building up my identity. Truthfully, that warrior part of me, the part I inherited from my father, is the only thing, perhaps, I have always felt confident in. I don’t even really realize what it means to be half-human yet. I am gathering the pieces and constructing myself, piece by piece.”

I take another deep breath, waiting a few seconds before breaking that solemn silence, through mind-linking this time, taking them all by surprise.

“ I am Selena Whitewood and I want to keep that name. I don’t want to forget the clan that raised me. No matter which pack my blood belongs to, what I know is that my heart sprouted right here, and you are the people my wolf’s voice can reach out to. You are my pack, my people. I love every one of you. Even that bitch cousin of mine, yes. That’s why I want to protect everyone here. I really do. But it won’t be possible unless you all trust me, a hundred percent.”

I turn to Clark, resolute.

“I, Selena Whitewood, claim the Alpha title of the White Moon pack, here and now.”

After a long silence, all eyes are on Clark. My heart is beating like crazy in my chest, and my cheeks are burning. My godfather smiles, and finally, gets down on both knees.

“I, Clark Hamilton, fully acknowledge you, Selena Whitewood, as the sole rightful Alpha of the White Moon pack!”

A sudden wave of cheers, applause, and howls bursts all around us.