Moonlight

Chapter 14

Merissa leaned on the glass, sadly looking out the window.

"He's not coming back until Sunday night. Please tell me that you're not planning on spending the entire time standing there with the belief that he's going to turn around and apologise for something that is not his fault."

Turning to her father, Merissa earned a disinterested shrug.

"I don't care. He was right. You knew what would happen and if you knew anything about him, you would have known what werewolves do in their lives. If you don't then you are not a good friend. Now, am I taking you to the Baker estate or are you coming home with me?"

"I'm fine here," Merissa muttered tersely.

"That was not an option. Your life was put in danger and Carson has not located the source of the orders so you will either be with me or with Adley. Either way, you need to go and pack your bag."

Merissa was stunned but remained quiet. Her father while caring was stern and she knew he meant well. Aside from that, Merissa knew that things with Adley had not gone as they should have. Chasing after him to fix things, that is what should have happened. Instead, she sat on the bed and cried.

Walking into the bedroom, Merissa grabbed her overnight bag and dumped it on the floor next to her bed. In the wardrobe was the white dress that she'd bought. Adley had great taste in clothes, it was a gorgeous dress in her opinion.

Setting it aside, Merissa rummaged through her drawers and found out more white clothes. She didn't know if it was an all-white event or if it was just during the birthing ritual. Merissa also packed a few coloured clothes, just in case it wasn't.

With the bag packed, Merissa began closing the house. Gamichee was waiting by the door, taking the bag from his daughter.

"Well?"

"I'm going."

"A wise decision. Take a large slice of humble pie, Merissa. You are not in the right here."

She nodded, then walked out of the house. When the door was locked, she handed the keys to her father.

"How long do you think it will take to get there?"

"From memory, I think it is about an hour's drive. Did Adley go on foot again?"

Merissa shrugged, climbing into the passenger seat. When her father got in behind the wheel, he turned to look at her.

"Well, that is standard for Adley. He likes to run everywhere."

"Because he has no land or forest," Merissa murmured.

It also had a lot to do with the fact that werewolves rarely drove. Adley had done it a few times now, all of it in the past month.

"But that will change in time. Perhaps you might see a happier werewolf. It's in their veins, Merissa. They're not cut out to be city dwellers. Those who do come to the cities do as Adley does, run constantly."

Merissa nodded silently. Gamichee pulled out onto the street, already regretting giving Carson a task to do. He didn't mind taking Merissa to Adley but he despised driving.

During the drive, Merissa's mind wandered to the questions that were bugging her. It wasn't the right time to talk to her father about it, not when she'd already caused issues with the person listening to her in the cafe. It would come soon, just not right now. Her mind was muddled from the argument. Merissa wondered when the morning sickness would start. One month into a five-month gestation and it hadn't happened. She firmly believed that this weekend, she'd spend it with her head in the bushes.

The city soon became suburbia, already settling in for a quiet night. Merissa would miss the bustle of the city, the bright lights and the convenience of walking everywhere but accepted that the future was ideal. For Adley and her babies.

Deep down, Merissa knew that it would be okay. She would adjust and then life would be great. Learning how to drive would be a pain in the backside but it would be necessary. There would be so many things that she'd have to do once they moved. Not just visiting her friends or the handsome man beside her but for doctors appointments, play dates, fun activities and the place that Merissa hated the most, school.

The final leg of the journey had begun. Suburbia started to expand as the property sizes grew. This area wasn't considered country but the land was wide open and resembled the country in many ways.

It was darker now, free of the city lights and pollution. The night sky was far prettier than Merissa expected. She pressed her head to the glass, looking up at the night sky. Her lips parted in awe of the night sky that was littered with stars.

Merissa's phone rang, startling her. Reaching into her pocket, she took a deep breath and hoped it was Adley. It was an unknown number, Merissa answered it with a lot of trepidation.

"Good evening Merissa, it's Renee Eastwick."

"Oh hey, I hope you have good news for me."

Her fingers were crossed as Merissa looked at her father. He glanced before returning to the road, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I do, the vendors are eager to sell and have accepted your offer."

Merissa smiled at Gamichee. It warmed his heart to see her happy after spending the past hour miserable.

"Great. That's amazing. We're away for the weekend, can we come in Monday to sign the paperwork?"

"Of course. I'll send you an email with the details and what you will need to bring in. Congratulations."

"Thank you,"

The call ended, Merissa stared at the black screen with a huge smile on her face.

"This is it," She whispered.

"It is. Be proud, my dear. You drove a hard bargain and got a great deal."

The smile faded as sadness gripped Merissa. She tucked her phone back into the pocket and sat back in the seat with a huff.

"You know that I went low so they'd refuse, right?"

"Merissa," Gamichee chided gently. "Everyone starts low with the expectation that a little back and forth happens. It's called negotiations and I find it surprising that they accepted such a low price but maybe they were about to drop the price anyway. The valuation that you obtained certainly gave you a valid argument for the offer so don't think about it too much."

"No dad, I did it because I didn't want to be out in the sticks."

"You seemed quite happy about the acceptance though."

"I am. I guess I changed my mind. I mean, look at it."

Merissa flicked her hand out at the view ahead of them. It was a dark road with two lonely headlights lighting their path. Above the road was what Merissa was referring to.

"It is truly majestic." Gamichee offered.

Gamichee slowed at the gravel driveway. Over the new path was a large wooden sign that Kegan had created a long time ago. It was worn but still a great marker for finding the property. Slowly Gamichee drove along the tree-lined path. When the track curved, they could see a low fire pit roaring in the distance. A few figures sat around the fire. Merissa grimaced at the sight of the little domes around the fire pit. That was her weekend.

She would not complain, she would accept it and be grateful for everything. This was about Freya and Kegan bringing their babies into the world and it was not about her.