Page 7 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

I just can’t stop playing with my hair, so restless. I’m anxious beyond words, yet I have no idea why exactly. This is stupid. Levi is eyeing me intensely from across the room, but I try my best to ignore him.

It’s Friday, the big day, and Moon Goddess, everyone is on edge. About a dozen people are standing in the room, waiting. Clark is talking to his Beta, Isabel, and to a couple of their lieutenants. The rest of us are standing around with nothing to do.

I check the clock again. Only a few minutes left. I shouldn’t be so nervous! It’s nothing, just a dinner with the Black brothers, maybe a walk around our turf and that’s it. I should barely have any reason to talk to Nate, right?

I check the expressions around me. Aside from our Alpha, his Beta, and a handful of lieutenants, there are only me, Levi, my uncle Xavier, my cousins Iris and Chris, and Clark’s two godsons, Eric and Orpheus. Everyone looks serious; some impatient, some nervous.

Among them, I notice my cousin Iris looks prettier than ever. Her lavender hair is styled into a complicated braid, and she is wearing an eerie white dress. She’s even wearing a pink quartz necklace and matching earrings. I guess the rumors about my uncle wanting to introduce her to the Black brothers were true. Compared to her, my outfit is rather casual. I picked a red leather skirt and a denim shirt, the right balance between properly dressed and not too much. I only hope I won’t have to stand for much longer; these damn heels are killing me.

Aside from us, all the guys are wearing shirts and dark pants, which I think is formal enough for a simple dinner. I mean, I do think the whole silverware and large table are a bit too much though.

We finally hear a car stopping in the street, and people coming out. As they said, a few of their people are in their wolf form. Nothing alarming though, when they come in, I realize their group is smaller than I expected. I count five wolves and six humans.

Of course, I notice Nate right away, leading the group. He only walks a few steps and my heart skips a beat. Damn, why does he have to look so good?

He combed his blonde hair back, showing off his mature traits and mesmerizing blue eyes. A magazine-worthy face, handsome and attractive. He’s wearing this terribly tempting white shirt again too, slightly open on his chest. Inevitably, memories of this perfectly sculpted chest under my fingers come back to me. Damn, if only he wore a necktie or something. I try to look away as Clark greets him politely. Right behind him is his younger brother, whom he introduces as Liam Black. The two brothers do have some common features if you look for it, but that’s about it. Their faces look different, their stature as well. Liam’s hair is pitch black, and his eyes are more of a blue-ish gray. Moreover, the teenager didn’t put in as much effort as Nate, wearing only a gray T-shirt and denim pants.

“Welcome, Mr. Black, to our humble turf.”

“Your clan is very esteemed and with good reason, Mr. Hamilton. Thank you for having us. I know it was an abrupt request on our part but we deeply appreciate your hospitality,” replies Nate with that angelic smile of his.

“Our pleasure. We are not used to having visitors but please make yourselves comfortable. First, let me introduce my Beta, Isabel.”

With that, Clark starts introducing the lieutenants one by one to Nathaniel and his entourage. They greet and shake hands; all of this is terribly ceremonial and somewhat awkward, but everyone is going along with it. Behind Nate, no one else is talking. Only one guy behind him is smiling amiably, but everyone else is silent and expressionless so far. I stay as quiet and composed as I can. Clark quickly introduces Xavier as the Opal Moon Alpha, and Iris and Chris as his children then moves on to us.

“And finally, these three are my godchildren. Eric, Isabel’s son, Orpheus, our most promising hunter, and Elena, our best fighter.”

“Nice to meet you all.”

While saying this, Nathaniel’s eyes meet Eric’s, then Orpheus’, and finally mine. For a second, I feel a wave of heat rising in me. Is it just me or did his pupils suddenly get darker? His intense stare on me only lasts a couple of seconds, but he has this slight smile on while looking at me, and all of a sudden, I’m thrown into a flurry of emotions.

Moon Goddess, I try to hide my feelings, but I’m so shaken right now. If it wasn’t for all the people currently surrounding us, I might run away! Run away from him, his tempting eyes, and his devilish body! But I don’t say a thing and just nod politely. Ignore his eyes, Elena, just ignore them.

“Well, let me introduce my party. As you know, this is my younger brother, Liam. My Beta, Isaac Graves. Those are three of our lieutenants, Joshua Hale, Vanessa Lockwood, and Tonia Mura.”

Clark politely salutes them. They have two women accompanying them as well. Both Tonia and Vanessa are obviously fighters, judging by their lean bodies, practical leather outfits, and serious expressions. My inner wolf is curious to see how good they are, though they appear weaker than me. Tonia is a beta and Vanessa is a natural alpha. Now that I observe them more intensely, it appears everyone in their group is either a beta or an alpha, like us. But the King and his Beta are not here, and I can tell Xavier and Clark are a bit disappointed about that.

They keep chatting, some very basic information about the pack hierarchy and turf. Meanwhile, I can’t help but notice Nathaniel’s eyes sometimes shift from Clark to look over his shoulder, right at me. And every time, I feel my wolf reacting, like a magnetic attraction, some spell I can’t help but answer. I try to avoid his stare, but even while looking somewhere else, I feel those two blue eyes piercing a hole through me.

“Well, we have a nice dinner waiting for us! I don’t mean to brag, but we have some of the finest cooks and I heard you were quite a gourmet, Mr. Black.”

“I plead guilty. And I’m all the more curious about your cuisine, with all the cultures you have mixed here, Clark.”

Looks like I missed the moment when he started calling our Alpha by his first name. But Clark doesn’t say anything and invites everyone to sit. To our surprise, Liam Black picks the seat right next to Clark, while Nate sits on the opposite side. For a few seconds, no one is sure where to sit, until Tonia suddenly offers me the seat right next to hers.

I would probably have said yes right away if it wasn’t also the one right next to Nate. But everyone is watching, and I can’t just say no.

Trying to focus my attention on the female warrior, I sit down, and almost immediately, she starts chatting with me about fighting techniques. Apparently, Clark introducing me as the best warrior caught her attention. I’m only too happy to chat with her and do my best to ignore Nate sitting on my left.

Moreover, he is talking about cuisine with Clark and doesn’t seem to pay any attention to me. That’s alright with me so far!

The starters are served, and Nathaniel exchanges a few comments with Isabel, who did most of the cooking for today. He really is a gourmet as he said, talking about each dish with expertise. He stays surprisingly polite and friendly towards our Beta though, complimenting her menu.

I reach out my hand to help Chris serve wine around us. However, I suddenly freeze halfway. Did he just? I turn towards Nate, but he is still talking with Isabel. I swear I felt his fingers on my leg. Maybe he didn’t do it voluntarily? I mean, the seats are quite close to each other. I decide to ignore what just happened and pour a few drinks. When I put down the bottle and reach for my glass, though, I feel it again.

This time I know for sure. His fingers brushed my knee again under the tablecloth, and it can’t possibly be by mistake. His whole body is turned towards Isabel! I frown. What the hell is he playing at? There are about twenty people around this table!

But as I look around, it’s obvious nobody noticed. Actually, it would be hard to. The table is large and rectangular, with a dark tablecloth, and all of the seats are very close to one another. Even if Nathaniel’s hand ventures under the table, it would take someone sitting directly behind us to notice, and there’s nothing but a wall and an old chimney. Thank Moon Goddess that everyone is busy with their own conversations. Tonia is talking with one of our lieutenants facing her, and she has no idea. No one does!

I take a large gulp of red wine, hoping to conceal my emotions somehow. But Nathaniel’s hand finds my leg again, and I stiffen up a little, anxious. I feel his fingers gently brushing my skin, right where my skirt stops. Why the hell did I choose to wear a skirt? I feel myself blushing while his fingers go back and forth on my inner thigh, tracing invisible lines and making me crazy. He’s barely touching me, yet I’m as hot as a furnace. I want to run away, but damn, this is also terribly electrifying. I don’t even think of pushing his hand away. I bet he would stop if I did anything. I know I should, but I can’t bring myself to do anything.

His full hand is now caressing my thigh, and I don’t move an inch of my lower body. I’m so hot. I drink more wine, and suddenly catch Levi’s eye. He’s in a conversation with Eric, but he just happened to look at me.

“ What is it? ”

“ Nothing. ”

He frowns slightly, but I smile naturally and turn towards Tonia as if I was following their conversation. Moon Goddess, after the scolding Levi gave me and Daniel, if he knew Nate was actually caressing my leg at this very moment… I did notice him frowning when I sat next to him, but Tonia was the one asking, so he couldn’t possibly have said a thing. Moreover, technically Nate and I haven’t exchanged a word since our introductions.

He resumes his conversation with Eric, and I try to blend in with Tonia and the little group talking with her. Nate has moved on to talking with Orpheus and Clark, but his hand won’t leave me. His fingers are playing with the end of my skirt. I want to move, badly, but I’m too afraid I would give anything away. I really, really shouldn’t, for Moon Goddess’ sake.

“Elena!”

I turn my head and realize Isabel was calling me.

“Sorry, Isa?”

“I was asking if you were okay, sweetie. Is the wine too strong? You’re a bit red.”

Oh shit. Isa’s words suddenly bring me down to earth, and Nate’s hand is gone too. I smile at her, looking a bit sorry.

“Can I excuse myself for a second? I want to refresh myself.”

“Go ahead, Elena. Can you bring a new bottle on your way back?”

“Sure, Isa.”

I try to control my steps and not leave the room too fast. It’s so hot in here, and I need to get as far away as I can from Nate and his hands! When I finally reach the bathroom, I rush to splash my face with cold water, clearing up my thoughts. You stupid, stupid girl! What the hell was I thinking?

I catch my breath, looking at myself in the mirror. Calm down, Elena, calm down.

But then I suddenly catch a glimpse of two electric blue eyes in the reflection.

“I really like that skirt.”

What the–! What is he doing here? I turn around and walk up to him, pushing him away. Is he crazy?

“What are you thinking? You shouldn’t be here!”

“Don’t worry, I told them I needed to go to the bathroom too,” he answers calmly.

I shake my head. What kind of stupid excuse is that? This guy is way too confident and full of himself! And I hate that stupid grin of his! I look behind his shoulder in the doorway, but I can hear the muffled sounds of the group still discussing. Looks like nobody’s paying attention to our absence, for now.

“Seriously, Nate, what if someone sees us?”

He steps aside and closes the door, looking serious.

“I needed to talk to you, alone.”

“I can’t. I mean, we can’t be seen together like this. You’re just–”

But before I can finish my sentence, he steps forward, and grabs my waist, pushing me against the wall behind me. I lose my breath under his electric-blue stare, as our faces get dangerously close. My whole body is tensed up by Nate’s touch, burning hot already. I gasp, his lips only an inch away from mine. I can’t avoid the lusty look he’s giving me, I have no choice but to look at him.

“I want more.”

His three words make my heart skip a beat. Oh, Moon Goddess. Think rationally, Elena, rationally. But before I can formulate any decent thought, I feel his hand going down my leg, and he starts whispering.

“I mean it. I liked it, and I know you did too. I want to take you again, Elena. And don’t you say no.”

Why the hell can’t I? I glare at him, frustrated. The inner battle is raging inside me, and he has no fucking idea how torn I am right now. I try to think of Danny and every good reason I have to refuse him. And damn I have a lot.

“I don’t want to be involved with you. I can’t afford it. You’re from the Blood Moon, and I’m from the White Moon. Even if this dinner is happening by some miracle, it doesn’t change anything.”

This time, he looks angry and frowns.

“I don’t give a fuck about the packs, or your Alpha. I do whatever the hell I want, Elena, and I don’t answer to anyone about who I’m seeing.”

“Well, you may not care but I do! If my Alpha finds out about us, I may be punished or banished! Don’t you realize I’m the one at risk here?”

His expression softens, and his hand gently caresses my back, venturing under my blouse to give me delicious chills. I can’t hold back a shiver, and this fever rising under my skin.

“Is that why you’re refusing me? You think I would let you be banished? And your Alpha, no, your clan doesn’t need to know in the first place.”

Damn him and his overconfidence! Can’t he understand the place I’m in right now! But it’s even harder to oppose him when his hands are quietly caressing me at the same time, one under my top and the other on my leg, and his whole body is cornering me against the cold wall.

I look for something to say, but his lips suddenly ravage my neck, and my breathing gets more erratic from the kisses he lays there. When did he undo my first button? I put my hand on his chest and, after a second of gathering whatever strength I have left, I push him away, forcing him to look at me.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted a one-time thing to begin with? You said we would be done after! One night and that was it, remember?”

He stays silent and expressionless for a second, and in that short while, I have the illusion he might have come back to his senses. But all of a sudden, his hand suddenly ventures under my skirt and I gasp involuntarily, grabbing his wrist by reflex. That doesn’t stop him one bit, though, as I feel his fingers roam underneath and start playing with my most vulnerable parts. He smiles upon feeling my moistness, and I blush unconditionally from this sweet torture.

“Who is it that doesn’t want more?”

I bite my lip, annoyed at him. How dare he? Of course I would be excited after he played with me like that! But he doesn’t care about my frustration, and suddenly starts an intense, deep kiss.

I know I should fight him off, push him and his lips, his fingers away, but I don’t. My body isn’t acting rationally anymore. I’m overtaken by the pleasure, the sensations this man is giving me. I hold onto him, giving in to my desire and letting him do whatever he wants. Nate just keeps going, both with his devilish kisses and fingers moving actively under my skirt. I feel my legs going numb, and my hand clenching around his wrist. I try to keep up with his intense kiss, his lips playing, his tongue flirting with mine. When he switches from my lips to my neck, I try to catch my breath, but it’s erratic and messed up by the pleasure he’s giving me.

Moon Goddess, he is insane. I close my eyes, trying to control my voice. But I feel it coming, and soon enough, the movements of his fingers get more intense, driving me crazy. I whisper his name uncontrollably, again and again, like a quiet prayer. When I suddenly feel this familiar heatwave brutally hitting me, my whole body tenses up, and I relish in a muffled cry against his shoulder.

It takes a few seconds for me to get out of this trance and calm down. Nate supports me and my numb legs while I come back to my senses, but neither of us say a thing. I just need to catch my breath, calm down, and realize what the hell just happened. I must be crazy. In a few minutes, maybe five or ten, I let him give me a damn orgasm in the bathroom!

“I hate you,” I mutter, with a voice less angry than I would want it to sound.

“Is that a yes?” he asks with a smirk.

“No.”

“No to what? My question, or…?”

“I did not say yes.”

He sighs and helps me walk to the bathroom sink, as I want to rinse my face, and he washes his hands. I’m still not really thinking straight, half scandalized by what happened, and half lost in a post-orgasmic daze. He crosses his arms, staring at me with a complicated expression.

“What would it take for you to say yes?”

“What would it take for you to give up?” I sigh.

“Oh please, Elena. You liked it. We both enjoy sex with each other, why won’t you admit it?”

“I enjoy the sex, alright. What I don’t like are all the risks that come with it!”

“What risks? We are not going public or getting into anything serious. Just strangers having fun once in a while. No need to let anyone know what is happening between us. No strings attached, no obligations.”

He looks very composed and serious. I sigh. His arguments are starting to get in my head, and I hate that. I have a hundred reasons to say no, yet I can’t bring myself to refuse him. How insane is that? I put my hair back and check my appearance in the mirror while he waits. After a while, I just leave the bathroom, with him following right behind me. I walk to the wine cellar, looking for any bottle. But Nathaniel is faster in grabbing one and comes to face me again. My whole body reacts to his proximity again, and I step back.

“So?” he asks, finally getting impatient.

“Let me think about it, okay?” I blurt out.

He frowns, but he seems to accept it.

“How long?”

“What?”

“I’m not as patient as I look. When will you give me an answer?”

“Look, I’m not having this discussion in my clan’s basement, okay? Give me time to think about it and–”

“Sunday evening. Dine with me.”

This time, I’m the one frowning, a bit surprised by his proposal.

“Dinner?”

“Yes. I’ll show you I can respect your privacy and we can discuss this calmly. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes, but–”

“Then it’s settled. You’ll be free to give me the answer you want, as long as you come to dinner with me the day after tomorrow.”

And with that, he turns around and leaves the cellar first. I can’t believe it! When did I even agree to that idea of his? This is so frustrating!

I just swallow my anger and follow behind him, trying my best to conceal the hurricane of emotions overtaking me right now. When we walk back to the main room together, Isabel spots us first.

“It took you long enough!”

Crap, I don’t know how long we were gone. How do I explain this? But Nathaniel speaks out first, very composed.

“My apologies, I ran into Miss Whitewood as she was going to your wine cellar and my curiosity got the best of me. Quite a nice selection you have down there!”

“Oh, really? Well, I do have a hobby of collecting fine bottles. Do you have a preference, Mr. Black? Personally, I have a soft spot for Portuguese ones.”

I can’t believe he got away with such a lie! I’ll have to remember how good he is at lying, that’s for sure! I get back to my seat and decide to ignore him, hoping I don’t look odd or anything. Thank Moon Goddess I checked myself in the mirror first. Aside from being a bit red on the cheeks, I should look fine. However, I notice Levi’s intense stare from across the table.

“ Was that the truth? You only showed him the cellar? ”

Shit, why does Levi have to be so suspicious now? I try to keep myself as composed as I can. For a second, I wonder what would happen if I told him the truth, if I told him I had five minutes of intense pleasure with Nathaniel in that tiny bathroom. Just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster, so I settle on an answer before it becomes too obvious.

“ That’s right. He was just acting curious about Isa’s collection. ”

Awesome, now I’m a shameless liar as well. I don’t know if Levi believed me or not, but after a minute, he went back to talking with Eric and Orpheus without adding anything. I don’t even dare look in Nathaniel’s direction after that. Levi already scolded me and Daniel yesterday.

He had heard a bit too much of our conversation, and neither of us felt like lying to him. After all, he was Daniel’s older brother, and practically mine too. So we told the truth, or most of it: that Daniel had met and slept with Boyan, one of the Blood Moon members, and that I had sex with Nathaniel Black. Despite the shock, Levi contained most of his anger, but only because the rest of the family was close. Other than that, he still gave us one hell of a scolding. He called us irresponsible and reckless, among other things. He was shocked that I had the nerve to willingly sleep with the King’s brother, or that we even ventured outside our borders. Daniel and I didn’t get to say a single word to defend ourselves, and I don’t think we would have been able to anyway.

Moreover, he reminded us of the risks: if we were discovered to have relationships with people from the Blood Moon pack, we could get punished or worse, banished from the pack. I already knew that, of course, but hearing it from Levi’s mouth, a beta close to Clark, made it even scarier.

“Nate, are you going to ask or what?”

Liam Black’s voice suddenly brings me back to the present moment. Everyone else, surprised to hear the teenager’s voice, stopped talking at the same time. Ask what? Next to me, Nathaniel nods and turns to Clark with a very serious expression.

“We came here with a motive. We are actively looking for someone on behalf of our older brother.”

I exchange a glance with Levi. It’s exactly as I had told him. Clark frowns, a bit surprised.

“Do you think this someone would be in our pack? Can I ask who it is and why are you looking for them?”

“We cannot give you our reasons. This is our brother’s will. But be assured this person is not to be harmed in any way by us. Moreover, we are not in any way sure they might be in your pack, or in any other.”

This is so intriguing. If they have no ill intentions toward this person, why are they looking so frantically? And for the King, no less? I look at our Alpha, but Clark is still looking hesitant. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to trust them so easily. If the person they are looking for turns out to be from our pack, who can guarantee they won’t go back on their word and do anything they want to them?

“Does this mean you plan to visit all the packs? Isn’t that unusual for the Blood Moon clan?” Isabel suddenly asks.

“Indeed, but we thought this might be our best way to deal with this. This is an important matter to our brother, and we are running out of options,” says Nathaniel.

That’s right, both brothers look very serious about this. I wonder what’s the real issue here, but they won’t give more info. I see Clark hesitate a few more seconds until he sighs.

“Alright. Who are you looking for?”

“A young girl. She should be seventeen now, with black or dark brown hair, and sapphire-blue eyes.”

Sapphire-blue eyes? This is rather unusual. So she’s most likely a werewolf. Why would the King look for a young woman? Clark looks surprised. As far as I know, no one in our packs matches this description. We do have a lot of dark-haired people, but none with dark blue eyes.

“Most importantly, she should have a large scar on her eye.”

“A scar?”

“That’s right. Pale-skinned, with dark hair, dark blue eyes, and a scar on her face, around seventeen years old. That’s as much information as we have.”

“What about a name?” Asks Isabel.

But Nathaniel shakes his head. Wow, it’s a lot about her physique, and yet, not much to find someone. No wonder they are desperate. Once he’s done, I see Clark’s shoulders relax.

“Sorry, but no one from our packs matches that description, either in the White Moon or Opal Moon. Especially not with that kind of scar.”

“We thought that might be the case,” says Nate.

Both brothers look disappointed.

“Is there anything else we can do for the King?” Xavier suddenly asks.

Both Isabel and Clark glare at him. Why does he have to blurt out that kind of thing? He makes us sound so desperate to please them, it’s embarrassing. Liam Black considers him with disdain, and Nathaniel doesn’t even respond. But my uncle doesn’t even seem to realize how ridiculous he is acting, and this is awkward now.

“Mr. Black, I’ve heard you are very invested in the catering and leisure businesses. Do you have anything interesting going on these days? Our neighborhood has a few famous places as well, have you heard of them?”

Wow, I’m surprised by Iris. Since when does my cousin know so much about the Black brothers’ activities? Did Xavier train her or something ahead of the dinner? Her little brother Chris looks just as surprised as I am. Since we were kids, Iris has always been a discreet and reserved girl, not one to stand out. Suddenly hearing her speak out at this dinner is a bit surprising.

But Nathaniel answers her, and they start having a conversation about the most popular restaurants around. For some unknown reason, I feel very uneasy watching the two of them exchange. Is it because, unlike Isabel, Iris is a young single woman? They talk very politely to each other, but they obviously get along fine and are having a smart and entertaining conversation. I don’t feel like butting in, so I just start eating in silence, ignoring my unsettled heart. I drink a new glass of wine, scolding myself for feeling this way.

“ Easy on the wine, kiddo. ”

Clark is looking right at me with a frown, and I immediately put my glass down.

“ Sorry, Clark. ”

“ You okay? ”

“ Yeah. ”

I even make my godfather worry about me. I look around, but Tonia is busy discussing with Eric and Chris, and Nathaniel’s conversation with Iris is still going on. I can’t even use the bathroom excuse to get out of here. Instead, I eat silently and suddenly decide to mind-link Daniel.

“ What are you up to? ”

“ Catching up on some TV show since my roommate is busy being naughty in the wine cellar with a certain Black. ”

“ Oh please, Levi already snitched to you? ”

“ Yeah, and he is not blind you know. Did you fuck him? ”

“ Daniel! ”

I have a hard time controlling my anger right now. I can’t believe him!

“ No, I did not! “

“ What? ”

“ Wait until I get home. We gotta talk. ”

“ Don’t get home late then. I only have half a season left. ”

I sigh and put an end to our mind-linking. This is going to be another dispute again.

The rest of the dinner goes by, and I suddenly learn Tonia is Boyan’s older sister! It’s a bit tricky to follow the conversation after that since she probably has no idea about her brother’s sudden change of tastes. I’ll need to let Danny know though, this is such a coincidence that his sister actually attended the dinner.

Suddenly, I feel something brushing my fingers on the table. I look down and realize Nathaniel just discreetly pushed a business card under my napkin. I take it quickly and look under the table. It’s his business card, but he marked through the phone number to write a private one. Probably his. I take it and hide it in my skirt’s pocket. We don’t exchange any words. He just saw me taking it and returned to his conversation with Iris and Clark. Why do I feel a bit better now?

I try to not think about the little piece of paper and spend the rest of the dinner focused on chatting, eating, and behaving normally. My mind doesn’t follow and wanders somewhere else. In the memories of a luxury suite, with a view of the city night lights and white silk sheets. I get lost in my thoughts for a while before I realize my wolf is growling internally. When I look around, I suddenly spot my uncle, Xavier, intensely glaring at me. What’s wrong with him now? I ignore him, and this time, turn towards Nathaniel who is talking with Isabel and Chris. My cousin catches his father’s glare in my direction and frowns. I give him a silent look, and we both ignore him to pursue our conversation.

Like promised, Nate actually acts very normally towards me after that, finally allowing me to relax. We talk and enjoy the dinner, with various guests joining our conversation. It’s mostly business and trivial talk, but we can’t show we are involved in any way. Anyway, many join our conversation, until the dinner ends.

Around 11:00 p.m., the Black brothers politely decline a tour of our turf, and without too much ceremony, leave our grounds. Our group watches as their car drives away from our streets in silence.

However, as soon as they are out of sight, Clark suddenly turns around and grabs Xavier by the collar, growling with all of his might. Everyone freaks out, and for a second, I think this is about his remarks earlier, until Clark speaks out to my uncle’s terrified face.

“This is the last time I ever see you glare at my goddaughter like that again!”

A cold silence falls around us while everyone is shocked by the scene. Clark, still holding Xavier by the throat, is growling like a furious wolf. I get a chill and realize this is because of me, or because of my uncle’s attitude towards me. I didn’t expect Clark to get so mad.

“I’m fed up with your attitude!” growls my godfather again.

“Uncle Clark,” says Chris, a bit scared.

Next to me, Iris looks serious and even a bit annoyed at her dad. Did she notice his glare as well? The only calm one is Isabel. She knows Clark by heart and doesn’t look surprised at all. Instead, she turns toward the rest of us.

“Everyone but the Whitewoods, time to go home.”

Nobody dares to argue with her and soon enough, I’m left with Isabel, Clark, my cousins, and my uncle in this tense situation. Xavier growls back as a reflex, but there is no way he can oppose Clark. He is the rightful Alpha, while my uncle is only Alpha of a sub-pack, and by his will too. He eventually looks down and stops growling, submissive. But my godfather looks really pissed and only lessens his grip by a bit.

“I’m warning you for the last time. I’ve had enough of your attitude. Her father might not be here but damnit, I am, and as long as I am the Alpha of this clan you will not show disrespect to Sam’s daughter!”

“I’m sorry.”

He can barely talk, but Clark finally lets him go after a while. My uncle massages his neck, still visibly shaken by what just happened. But Iris walks up to him and takes his arm, neither complaisant nor angry.

“Let’s just go home, Dad.”

My cousin and her father leave without another look. We watch them walk away, Clark still growling. Chris, who stayed behind with us, turns to me and Clark, looking very sorry and uneasy.

“Sorry, Alpha. I don’t know what’s with my dad. You too, Elena, sorry.”

“You’re a good kid, Chris. Don’t worry. Your father’s just a greedy and stupid man,” says Isabel, clicking her tongue.

Clark doesn’t even look his way, his eyes still glaring in the direction that Iris and Xavier took. I sigh, tired of all this crap and the emotions from tonight.

“All I ask is that he leaves me alone.”

“Don’t worry, kiddo. If that idiot messes with you again, let me know.”

Clark finally seems to relax and ruffles my hair with a gentle look but a bitter smile.

“I miss your dad. Samuel knew how to handle his brother’s greed.”

“I still think you made a mistake with Xavier,” growls Isabel.

Is she talking about how he chose my uncle Xavier instead of my father to be the head of the Opal Moon? But Clark rolls his eyes and ignores her.

“You’ve said it enough times already, Isa. And I had my reasons. Anyways...”

He massages his shoulders, looking tired. My godfather is already in his fifties, but despite this, he is still a handsome man, with his snow-white hair and beard, deep husky voice, and very muscular body. A lot of single ladies in the pack wish he would pick a new mate, but Clark doesn’t show any intent to, not since his wife passed.

“That was an interesting night,” he mutters.

“Right. You think they really are looking for someone?” Isabel asks.

“Probably. The description was odd, though. Sapphire-blue eyes. And the scar thing, too. Let’s just see if they do the same with the other clans.”

“I was surprised you accepted,” I say to Clark.

“I was curious to meet them, especially since they reached out to us. The Black brothers may have a shitty reputation, but we have to give it to them, Silver City has never been so peaceful since they got rid of their father.”

That’s true. I still remember how tense Silver City used to be back then. The Mad King was scaring everyone, and no clan, no territory was safe. He would go on crazy rampages and kill a lot of people. Moon Goddess help those who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was strong like no other alpha ever was. Strong enough to chase the remaining vampires of Silver City out. I was younger then, but I still vividly remember the dark days, when we couldn’t take a step out of our turf and strictly obeyed the curfew.

“True. They weren’t as complacent as I thought.”

I let them discuss the brothers’ actions a bit longer, but I’m eager to go home. At some point, Clark notices me and Chris standing there and sighs.

“Time to go home, kids.”

He walks up to me and gives me a kiss on the forehead, and Chris gets a little pat on his head, making him all proud. We bid them good night and start walking north side by side. Chris looks a bit awkward until he starts speaking.

“Sorry about my dad.”

“It’s okay, Chris.”

“You know, I think he’s afraid Clark will name you to replace him. He wants me to be the next Opal Moon Alpha so much.”

I had already kind of thought the same too. Xavier’s actions are too transparent, especially those towards me. Everyone knows how he felt about my dad too, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he sees me as a threat to his position.

“I don’t really feel like being the Alpha, you know. I know I’m not that strong.”

“You would do great, Chris. And you’ll keep growing and getting stronger too. Plus, you’re understanding and patient. Everyone in the packs likes you.”

I can’t say the same about his dad. Things would be different if Xavier’s jealousy wasn’t so obvious. Chris and I chat a bit longer until we finally part ways, him heading to his dad’s while I go to my apartment.

When I get there, it’s past midnight, the whole place is in the dark, and, as I suspected, Danny is snoring on the couch, the TV still on some sappy telenovela. I try to walk in silently and turn it off, but the sudden absence of sound actually wakes him up.

“Elena?”

“Yeah, I’m here, babe.”

He sits up drowsily, obviously still half asleep. I try to get him to go to bed, but Danny insists I tell him about the dinner. Finally, I give up and sit next to him. I tell him about everything the happened, including my time with Nate in the bathroom and Clark and Xavier’s dispute. Daniel listens, sleepy but all ears. He only interrupts me a couple of times to ask for details.

When I’m done, he shakes his head, and I’m surprised he’s not even mad about what happened with Nate. I realize it’s odd that he didn’t even react that badly.

“Danny, what is it?”

He sighs.

“Well, I know I should be scolding you, but…”

He suddenly looks for something under our pile of mini cushions, and finally finds his phone for me to take. I immediately see a bunch of notifications. Two missed calls from Boyan, and three times as many unread texts. I turn to him and notice his bitter expression. Oh, Danny.

“You ignored them all?”

“I left the phone there all night and tried to focus on this stupid show.”

“I guess it worked?”

“With the Captain’s help.”

I only now notice the bottle of rum and empty glass on the table. Seems like someone had a difficult time while I was at the dinner. I sigh and extend my legs on the couch, Danny doing the same so his are resting on mine and we are facing each other.

“What about you?” he asks.

“What? I shouldn’t go.”

“But you want to.”

Daniel reads me like an open book. I sigh and nod, unable to lie to him. I grab the bottle and pour myself a glass. I’m not fond of rum, but alcohol is alcohol.

“What about you?”

Daniel sighs.

“Girl, I fell hard. He’s a fucking gem. And I’m a boring science nerd.”

“Come on, he loves you.”

“Yeah, and that’s the scariest thing, you know. Having the dream meeting, with a guy who claims he’s gay for me, sweet and gentle. And I swear, babe, this guy is so good in bed, he’s making me even more gay, if that’s possible.”

I chuckle. Stupid Danny. He’s a down-to-earth guy, never believing in fairy tales, and more often than not, he is right about the douchebags he meets. He takes the glass from me to have a new gulp while I sigh.

“Just go for it, Danny.”

In the darkness, I see his blue eyes on me, skeptical.

“Come on, this guy might be the man of your life. I don’t want you to stay a boring single lab rat all your life because of a few dumbasses.”

“You know this smells like trouble. For you, too.”

“I know.”

“But I’m more at risk than you.”

I frown. Why would he be more at risk than me? Daniel is a regular member of our pack, not a potential successor like me.

“My feelings are on the line. You, on the other end, are negotiating a strictly-sex relationship. If the guy never falls for you, that should do the trick, right? No feelings, no way the past would repeat.”

“Danny, you wouldn’t be saying this if you were sober.”

“Probably, but I mean it. The thing is, can you not fall for Black?”

That’s a tough question.

I really thought I was over relationships and the messiness of falling in love with someone. I know I don’t love Nathaniel. I feel attracted to him, that’s for sure. I want him badly every time I see him, and sex with him is like a drug, plunging me into my desires. So far, it’s been physical only. I don’t know anything but his name and how we fuck. Until tonight, I didn’t even know his brother’s name, or what he really does for work. I don’t know anything significant about him.

“I don’t know,” I eventually admit to Danny.

That’s the truth. I want to say there’s no way I’ll fall for Nathaniel, but I know it’s not true. I’m not someone who can have sex without feeling attraction, and I’ve felt this connection to Nathaniel from the start. A passion that can’t seem to die out between us.

“I don’t want to. I’ll run away before I fall for him.”

Daniel nods.

“You’d better. I don’t want to see your heart broken twice, Elena. That’s the kind of pain you never recover from.”

“What about you?”

He hands me the glass with a sad expression.

“I don’t know. I’m supposed to be the reasonable one in this room, but I want to take this phone and beg him to see me again. I’m an idiot, babe, you know. I want to believe again, to think this is the one and try. I’m just afraid of being wrong one more time.”

I finish the rum in one go.

“Let’s go for it, babe. In another life, I’d be a virgin and you would be in the closet.”

“You mean we would be fifteen years old again.”

“Whatever. I know this is wrong, I know this might hurt, but you know what? I don’t even care. We can’t expect to die without any bruises, right?”