>Maisie didn't know where to start or how much to tell, but it was about time someone knew what she had been through. She needed to share that, and who better to share it with than her best friend and the Alpha who had saved her once?Maisie had spent the night in horror and cold. Alone in a cabin in the woods waiting for the one person who had risked his life to save her. He had gone to get firewood and scout the area at dusk. He had strictly told her to stay indoors and not to come out no matter what she heard outside. She might not have gotten along with him but she trusted him to keep her safe. Which is why she listened to him and stayed put. She couldn't sleep. Wolves kept howling in the night and she wasn't sure if they were pure animals or werewolves. It was terrifying to be alone and not knowing what happened to her friend or her father.Maisie knew what risk she was taking by revealing her half-witch ancestry in the tribunal but she hadn't expected t
>Zoe and Xavier listened to the detailed account of events that Maisie had gone through with full attention. Zoe worried about her friend and pitied everything Maisie had to go through. Zoe blamed herself for pulling Maisie into her problems. After all, Maisie had to give up such a grave secret in front of so many people because Zoe's father's life was on the line. Xavier, on the other, was worried about his friend just as much as he was worried about Maisie. At least, Maisie had made it. Xavier had often checked with Jacob (his secretary) about Luca and nobody had heard anything since Maisie and Luca had escaped from the Werewolf Council Headquarters after Mr. Simmons' case."Maze. How did you get away from them?" Zoe asked softly. Maisie sighed and didn't meet the eyes of her friend. It was hard enough thinking about that. But talking about it all made it more real and unbearable."I'm not exactly sure what happened next. I swear, I just closed my eyes for a second. I
>"I thought you were taking me out of this jungle. Did you just bring me to your home? Or the center of the jungle?" Maisie asked confused but stepped closer nonetheless.The roots of the huge tree were spread on the forest floor. The moment Maisie accidentally stepped on a protruding root and slipped, falling face-first to the forest floor. She tried to hold something in vain. There was nothing to stop her from falling as she saw the ground get closer. Again, she closed her eyes but tried not to scream. Screaming had brought her problems so far.She fell, but instead of hard and moist ground, she felt a soft, dry, furry rug on her face. It still hurt but not as much as falling into the insect-infested forest floor might have.Confuzzled, Maisie opened her eyes and quickly got up only to stop stunned.She was now in a different location. The open jungle had vanished and she now stood in a cozy cottage that looked very normal at first glance.Then, she noticed the brown bi
>"Oh, my Goddess! MJ!" Zoe rushed to her friend as the tale became progressively traumatic and hugged her.Xavier let Zoe comfort her friend. He knew Zoe could comfort Maisie better than him. Maisie had been through some serious shit and the tale seemed far from over.Zoe realized that it all must've been awful for Maisie but as she had hugged her friend, Maisie seemed too calm and collected. Zoe hoped it was just a trauma response that would go away with time and not something that her circumstances had permanently turned her kind friend into."Maybe that's enough for now. Let's get out of here. Talk somewhere more," Xavier suggested and glanced around the small space before uneasily adding, "Cleaner."His words got the girls out of their embrace.Maisie looked at Xavier, "AlphaXS34, huh?" She gave a tiny smile."Cornhead24, huh?" Xavier returned."What's going on?" Zoe asked confused about the interaction."I told you I met someone who claimed to be of help on the dark we
>Not thinking of anything to change the subject, Xavier blurted out, "We need to find a way to get into a human-only club. Can you do that?" Maisie and Zoe turned to look at him like, 'Seriously? Is now the right time?'He raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry."'Yeah, like an apology is going to fix it.' Spike sneered in Xavier's head."What do you want now?" Xavier said to him annoyed.'Don't come at me now. The girl is right. Anyone would feel abandoned. Zoe left her in our responsibility and look what happened.' Spike tried to knock some sense into Xavier.Maisie had turned her back to them once again and started to sort random objects on a shelf as if to distract herself from their presence."Maisie, we are truly sorry for what happened to you." Zoe started and urged Xavier to continue, "And we want to try and make amends, as hard as it might be.""It starts with you coming back to us. I missed you." Zoe added."What part of I can't leave can you two not understand?"
>Xavier returned after two hours, to find the girls in a strange way."Okay, someone catch me up. That's not how I left you, girls." Xavier sauntered in, his relaxed gait turned into confusion, "What's going on here?"Zoe and Maisie were sitting on the floor after having cleared some space, as impossible as that seemed. Zoe, for some strange reason, had changed into rags similar to Maisie's and was holding hands over a large bronze bowl that had some weird stuff in it.Maisie was holding a ceremonial blade with a rune carved in its handle and was about to chant something when they were disturbed by Xavier."Where have you been for the past two hours?" Maisie asked in return."I asked first." Xavier challenged, still eyeing the whole setup suspiciously."We are doing the ritual that you came for." Maisie said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I don't remember coming here for any ritual." Xavier retorted."Well, you want to get into a human-only club and this is the way to it. So,
>"I hope you don't intend to go in that." Xavier walked out of the bathroom, dressed in an expensive clubbing attire and ready to leave while Zoe was still in her sweats, working on her makeup."What's it to you?" She replied awkwardly while stretching her mouth to put mascara on her curled lashes."Why are you making that face?" He asked as he stepped closer with a childish curiosity mixed with humor."Again, what's it to you?" She replied with a roll of her eyes and then cussed under her breath when the wet mascara smeared on her upper eyelid because of her rolling eyes.Xavier laughed and Zoe glared at him. They were like an old married couple but hadn't realized it yet."Why are you here? Are you ready?" Zoe asked annoyed."What's that supposed to mean?" Xavier twirled and flipped his coat with a smirk, offended that she didn't think he was ready."What's gotten into you?" Zoe asked confused at his carefree behavior."What do you mean? I'm going clubbing with my mate f
>Xavier and Zoe got out of the car, handed the keys to the valet, and walked over to the entrance like they owned the place.There was no queue. Either you were a member and walked right in, or you weren't a member and had to buy an extremely expensive ticket online on the possibility that you might be let in. Xavier had gotten two VIP tickets under fake names and was directed to enter through a non-member lobby.They stopped at a receptionist who asked them to wait so they could confirm their identities."What if they find out?" Zoe dared to open the mind-link between their mind spaces for the first time. She was not ready to give herself up until she found anything that she came for.Xavier was pleasantly surprised to hear Zoe in his head. He glanced at her and she yelled in his head, "Look ahead!"He resisted flinching and replied, "They can't hear us but that doesn't mean you get to yell at me in my head.""Sorry," Zoe whispered."Okay, you don't need to whisper eith
>Zoe and Xavier were about to head to the hotel they were staying at when they received a text from Maisie. They chose to go to her first since she couldn't leave her sanctuary. She had been very vague about who was after her and why. Zoe didn't press because she knew how hard some traumas affected people and one needed time to be able to talk about some things."Hey, how did it go? I was starting to get worried when I didn't receive any update." Maisie started as soon as Zoe and Xavier entered through the door of her new space."Unexpected," Zoe said."That's one word for it," Xavier said as he sat on a much cleaner couch than Maisie had previously."What happened to the old dump?" Zoe asked as she sat beside Xavier and looked around Maisie's new space."All thanks to your mate," Maisie said and before Zoe could complain about that relationship, Maisie said to Xavier gratefully, "I don't know what you said to the landlord, but he has never been this nice. It's almost susp
>As I picked up the khaki letter Lady Chihiro had given me, she sarcastically advised, "I'd suggest reading the first letter before reading this one."It took me a moment to understand what her words implied. When I did, my eyebrows raised in surprise and disbelief, "Wait a minute! Did my mother write this letter?"She sat back satisfied and smirked, "You reached that conclusion all on your own. I didn't say anything. And I will neither affirm nor deny that assumption." But I was not satisfied. I needed answers. How could my mother be sure that I'd choose to come at the club? Lady Chihiro was good at guessing my thoughts through my facial expressions. So, she said, "Go home Zoe Simmons, and read the letters in peace," She paused before adding, "Preferably alone."Talking about Xavier, I realized that he was probably still with all those guards in the waiting room."Xavier is my mate," I had no idea where the sudden protectiveness came from but I had the urge to defend h
>The conversation had taken a turn that I was not comfortable with. Given Lady Chihiro's judgy looks, I contemplated telling her that I had received that letter fairly recently. My mother probably hadn't expected my Dad to hide the whole box away while I grew up motherless and wolfless.And that was the reason why I hadn't had much time to prepare myself to read what were possibly my Mom's last words to me.To turn the conversation in the direction that I was interested in, I asked, "What's with all the Lycan decor? I'm guessing it is more than just interior designing." "Of course, not." Lady Chihiro spoke as if my words had offended her and answered proudly, "All of us at Base Dark Moon take our Lycan lineage very seriously. In a world crawling with vicious Werewolves, cunning witches, and deceptive humans, one only has our kin to lean on. Lycans have always been closely knit packs. Closer than most wolves, one might even say."I furrowed my brows in confusion. She talke
>Walking inside the room I felt like I had just stepped through a time machine or a portal that teleported me centuries back in time.The walls seemed to be carved out of huge stones that had probably withstood the test of time. Claw markings on the walls and low-hanging cast-iron chandeliers gave the whole place a dark and mysterious aura. The electrical circuits seemed to have been installed after construction as if after their invention."Impressive, isn't it?" I jumped at the remark and closed my mouth that had opened in awe of the place.I looked to my right, where the calm voice had come from, and saw the elderly lady from earlier sitting behind a huge mahogany table with carvings of Lycans like Dahlia and celestial bodies intertwined with vines and markings that looked, unlike any language I had ever known.The lady had a softness in her eyes that she didn't have earlier when she was interrogating me and Xavier. I noticed that my necklace was placed neatly on the t
>Zoe glanced at Xavier from the corner of her eye but the elder lady's authoritative glare rooted her on the spot. She didn't know what to tell. She barely had any memories of her mother. All she did have was an unopened letter, which she still hadn't had the courage to open yet. So, how could she explain why she had taken extreme measures to enter such a tightly secured and secret establishment?"I don't have all day." The elder lady raised an impatient brow expectantly."Who am I answering to, ma'am." Zoe tried to buy some time in vain."I am the one in charge of your fate. So, be quick with your answers, and don't try to be smart with me." The elderly woman had not raised her voice; somehow, her calm was more threatening, "Let's start with your and her name."Zoe took a deep breath and a desperate leap of faith, "I am Zoe Simmons. Daughter of Joe and Aroosa Simmons." Saying her mother's name felt weird. Especially, after how far her father had gone to make sure that no
>Xavier and Zoe exchanged glances.Were they supposed to make up a good lie? Improvise? Or tell the truth?No, truth seemed to be the worst option. How could they explain anything to humans when they had so many unanswered questions?The receptionist tapped her pen on her notepad impatiently."What do we do?" Zoe asked through the mind link desperately."I have a plan. Just go with what I say, okay?" Xavier replied."Ma'am-" Before Xavier could have another word out, the receptionist's facial expression and body language changed."What are you?" She asked almost threateningly."Excuse me, I don't-" Xavier started but was interrupted again."No! No stories or lies. Don't you dare. Do you even know where you are?" She stood up. Her eyes were cold. They were two against one in the room, and one of them was the youngest Alpha Councilor, yet the receptionist was more intimidating. "Enlighten us," Zoe stood up as well, followed by Xavier. Things were escalating and not in a fri
>Zoe turned the door handle, her stomach was in knots due to the anticipation.She pushed it open to reveal a set of stairs going down. She stepped forward followed closely by Xavier. Slowly they descended until they stood face to face an elevator.She pressed the button to call the elevator. The few moments of the wait were the longest that they had waited in their lives. The elevator arrived and dinged open.They stepped in and Xavier noticed a camera in the corner with a beeping red light. They were being watched. Zoe noticed the elevator had options for four floors, one, two, three, and the last button with the same seal as on the door that got them there. Instantly, Zoe pressed that button.To their surprise, a voice sounded from the elevator confirming Xavier's conclusion that they were being watched."What will happen if a pair of Moonstones is found?" A female voice asked. Zoe nearly jumped and looked around, "Who is it?"Xavier nudged her, motioned for the camera,
>Xavier and Zoe got out of the car, handed the keys to the valet, and walked over to the entrance like they owned the place.There was no queue. Either you were a member and walked right in, or you weren't a member and had to buy an extremely expensive ticket online on the possibility that you might be let in. Xavier had gotten two VIP tickets under fake names and was directed to enter through a non-member lobby.They stopped at a receptionist who asked them to wait so they could confirm their identities."What if they find out?" Zoe dared to open the mind-link between their mind spaces for the first time. She was not ready to give herself up until she found anything that she came for.Xavier was pleasantly surprised to hear Zoe in his head. He glanced at her and she yelled in his head, "Look ahead!"He resisted flinching and replied, "They can't hear us but that doesn't mean you get to yell at me in my head.""Sorry," Zoe whispered."Okay, you don't need to whisper eith
>"I hope you don't intend to go in that." Xavier walked out of the bathroom, dressed in an expensive clubbing attire and ready to leave while Zoe was still in her sweats, working on her makeup."What's it to you?" She replied awkwardly while stretching her mouth to put mascara on her curled lashes."Why are you making that face?" He asked as he stepped closer with a childish curiosity mixed with humor."Again, what's it to you?" She replied with a roll of her eyes and then cussed under her breath when the wet mascara smeared on her upper eyelid because of her rolling eyes.Xavier laughed and Zoe glared at him. They were like an old married couple but hadn't realized it yet."Why are you here? Are you ready?" Zoe asked annoyed."What's that supposed to mean?" Xavier twirled and flipped his coat with a smirk, offended that she didn't think he was ready."What's gotten into you?" Zoe asked confused at his carefree behavior."What do you mean? I'm going clubbing with my mate f