"No. You can't. It's not suitable for the situations here."
My jaws clenched rightfully.
The wolf in me twisted her neck, ready to let out a howl of War.
But I controlled. For the sake of my mate.
For Leo.
"Orina," I said, gulping down the anger I felt at the Moon. "Think about it, again. Please."
The whole of my spine was shaking inside.
My soul shuddered in defeat that I felt in front of this massive universe. I was inferior. No. I was forcefully made inferior.
Her luxury room with red curtains was all set and silent. Dressed up in her long skirt and that short top showing off her midriff, she was sitting on the chair with crossed legs and her long silky black hair spread on her back. Her long earrings and those necklaces set perfectly against her neck.
A Beta's daughter became a Luna.
Me? An Alpha's daughter, now a Beta.
How fucking fair!
"I cannot seduce my mate when the full moon is so close," she said, shaking her head in thought.
"You don't have to seduce him. You have him wrapped around your finger already. You were the one who showed your hatred openly to your own Mother-in-law for her performance on the night of Misty's departure. You have the upper hand here."
"It was my wolf, Eva. I couldn't see her proud face and let her make me feel inferior just because I am a Mystic. She cannot order me around unless it's her motherly love. I couldn't believe she threatened to kill your Aunt's unborn pup. It's all for that pup."
I blinked.
"I appreciate it, Orina. But thalso said that, her and your Luna Elsie, together argued against my father."
Orina raised her eyebrows at me. "Luna Elsie does what she has to after receiving her signs. For the good. Just like she fought for Misty to be on the other side because that's what is right. For her to be with her mate, no matter what."
"Can you forget your wolf, the Luna in you for a minute? Can you forget being a Mystic for a second? Can you just be a woman and think of how a human—an innocent, lively and witty girl like Misty would be surviving there? Without her luxuries," I told her, lowering my voice to sound as serious as I could. "She fainted when she saw our wolves first time. She couldn't take our shifts. Okay? And they are Lycans. One of those savages is her mate who must be lusting for her already."
"He will fall for her," said Orina, negligently. "The Plan of bringing Misty back is hopeless."
"I wonder if you would have said that, had it been your real sister Mariam."
She stiffened and glared at me, immediately. "Careful, Eva. You are dear to me for more than one reason. For you are a strong female. For your homeland was the space where I found my mate. For I am Alyssa's sister-in-law who is your sister-in-law too. For we both wants to brings progress and prosperity to this pack."
Her eyes moved over my denim shirt and she looked back up. "A Lycan's bite is dangerous. There's no treatment in our world for it because of the lack of exposure with them. They are fast and active. One step ahead of the border, they will reach you before the air and strike without even letting you realize or see their presence."
My nostrils flared. "There's no harm in trying. Further generation will learn from our experiment."
"There is harm. You will get harmed. Leo is your family more than the wolves you left behind now," she said as if I was a five year old. "You will not explore the border. Klynn would never agree to it. Leo needs you every second of the day."
"He gets bored of seeing my face. His grandfather is about to return within next three days from the elders. I will request him. He will attend him during the hour I would use to explore the borders," I said confidently. "Come on, understand. You have grown up in magic. Do your spells and get Klynn agree to it."
Orina sighed heavily.
"Magic is possible when we do it without any mean motive for the benefit of others," she said while showing me her dark eyes, Kohl and beautiful. "What you ask for is a mean motive. Your loyalty lies with this pack."
"Misty was not to be involved in our Werewolf world like this. We all should be ashamed for what happened to her," I said through the gritted teeth.
Orina smiled at me sadly. "She was involved since the day your mother decided to birth her, Eva. She will be happy with her Lycan mate."
"No," I whispered, imagining the worst of scenarios. The kind of torture those Lycans could do to my sister. "She needs to come back. Her life is there in the city. In the human side of the world. Surrounded by humans."
Orina gave me a small smile. "Your family needs to stop. Even if in my wildest dreams, I see your family getting successful in bringing her. Alpha Brexton and Luna Anne, these siblings. They'll get her killed or worse, throw her back to the Lycans. All other Alphas and Lunas will support them except for your mother. While your brother and father would be helpless."
"And I would break both the sibling's necks," I said through clenched jaws. "Misty is coming back. I am going to explore the borders. You can't let me down by not supporting me. We are women. We do what we are capable of. Without any restrictions."
Orina rubbed her forehead while leaning back on her chair. "Staying at the border is useless for you when there is already a bunch of wolves patrolling that side of the pack."
"You were worried about your full moon fucking? You are a wolf. Klynn is a wolf. But my sister is a human," I said, staring at the floor in thought. "What would that Lycan gonna do to her soft sensitivity human body?"
My fists tightened and eyes turned glossy in anger.
I needed my punching bag.
But thanks to Pete, I couldn't have a proper farewell with me getting the time to pack my belongings too.
I got up from the chair, making Orina look up at me.
"Okay, fine. I won't request anymore to you. You're my Luna. I have got to respect your orders," I said, stepping back and looking down at her.
Her face turned blank.
"I think, I came to you for no reason. I mean how can you even help me. I will just call father and tell him how he should actually talk to your Luna Elsie. With Willis gone, Alvena gone, now Clark roaming empty—she might get sentimental and help us. I thought Alpha family is attached to Beta family in sorrows and happiness. But guess, their sorrows are theirs. For your sister Mariam happened to be lucky for not being chosen."
Her face fell immediately.
"I will just go and call father. Or maybe, the plan should be cancelled really. What is hope? A stupid phenomenon. Like look at Leo. I mean, I have lost my fucking hope if he would stand up and hug me tight some day. If he would run with me like the wolves we are, someday." I whispered, feeling my eyes burning with tears. "I lost the hope."
She got up from her chair in concern. "Eva," she pleaded with sympathy in her eyes.
"No. It's okay. This is my life. With years, I will learn to accept your NOs with a straight face too," I said while walking out of her room.
Gritting my teeth, I walked out of the house and stepped ahead on the path with my face held high. My high pony moved along with my movements.
The bystanders in the street, washing their porches and doing stuff, looked at me up and down.
Just as I covered the three streets and was about to reach my new home, Leo's home, I lowered down my eyes to check my phone.
My lips quirked in a smirk at seeing Thomas' message.
What did she say? She agreed or should I ask Alyssa to talk to her mother?
I sighed slowly. I didn't know if she would allow me to be at the borders or not. But. . .
She will help, in one way or another.
I typed hurriedly and pressed the sent button.
Deleting the chat, I locked my phone and put it in my Jean's pocket.
A sudden masculine scent of leaves and sand filled my nostrils, I looked up with narrowed eyes.
My jaws clenched. "What are you doing here?"
The door shut after him as he smirked slightly. "Checking up on my great friend," said Declan, making me tighten my fists.
A fist on that bald head would be such a thrill.
His eyes moved down on me slowly, observing my clothes. Looking back up in my eyes, he nodded with a straight expression. "I will leave for now," he said quietly. "Klynn mentioned to me how you are dying to be at the borders."
"Better I die in patrolling on the borders rather than my sister on the other side." I said, tauntingly. "Have to try something to save her before she dies too like Gus."
His jaw ticked.
"She is gone for the good. She ain't coming back," he whispered while stepping closer, making my wolf infuriate. His eyes fell down to my lips. "But if you really want to be at the borders, I'll ask Klynn to agree to it. For an hour, just like you asked. Or maybe two."
My teeth gritted hard when he whispered, "We can discuss new strategies to contact Chelsea at my home, Eva. Misty is smart. Who knows if she reaches this border too? We can make some way to get more clues."
I stared at collar of his shirt. "You know what," I said, pointing my finger at his chest and stepping back. Glaring up in his eyes, I added, "Your limit is just the clues. But my limit is to bring Misty back. We are different. In thoughts. In ambitions. I have learnt to not hurt my mate anymore by touching others. While you are keen on doing that more and more."
His nostrils flared. "I do half of what she has done to me."
"How sweet." I muttered tauntingly and smirked humorlessly. "You are going to regret it, like I do now. But Leo has given me a hope of redeeming myself. While you, will be ashamed whole of your life."
Declan's eyes narrowed. "At least, I didn't do any more than what your father did or your mother." He chuckled tauntingly.
A growl escaped my mouth and my finger turned into an open palm against his chest. The claws protruded along with my canines.
He smirked and scoffed, glancing down at my hand. "You know what my mate does to me. She touches herself sometimes to sign, that she doesn't need me. I tell her the same. It's that simple."
His hand raised as he pointed his thumb towards the door. "She would never come up to touch me. He might never heal enough to touch you, Eva. We know each other's pain. We can share our sympathies."
My face shook in anger while my claws entered his skin smoothly.
He shook his head with a smile, standing tall and broad. "Think about it."
He grabbed my wrist gently, pulling it back and left it. Glancing down at the red circle on his chest, he looked back up at me. "Wonder why you didn't pierce my heart?"
I huffed in disgust. "I can't snatch that chance from Misty or your mate."
His smirk faded and he growled lowly.
"Get lost," I mumbled, giving him the dead eye.
He gave me the death glare. "Wish I could. But I have founded myself. I teach the females of this pack to find the hero in themselves. You don't tell me to get lost. You tell me to wait. Because I know, Eva. One night, you'll need me. I would be there for you because I know the pain of waiting for your mate."
"I would kill you to end my misery rather than be with you, Dick-lan."
He chuckled with a raise of eyebrows.
"We'll see, Eva. We'll see," he said while walking away.
Getting inside after a soulful angry grunt, I bolted the door after me and walked into the corridor.
For just Leo and Ellie, the house was bigger and better than my old one in terms of space and yards. Just that the luxuries we're left back at my father's home. The touch of the city.
The Chandeliers, the artistic pain patterns on the bedroom wall, the paintings, extra furniture and all those things.
Though, it was a sweet home.
Now, Ellie was gone and we had four rooms in total along with a hall and kitchen. With one of them being mine and Leo's bedroom. The house felt empty of the furniture. There were mostly wooden chairs, cupboards and beds in two rooms. The other two had to make shift beds only.
The kitchen was alive though.
Ellie liked cooking.
I did but not enough to impress my mate.
He was on a medicinal diet which only included more liquids and less breads. I could provide all that with enough balance of spices and herbs.
Heating the food, I prepared one bowl of spicy spinach, one of the meat soup and toasted breads for us. I also made sure to wash my hands before anything so he won't find out much about whose blood got stuck in my nails.
Cracking my neck slightly, I nodded to myself.
Walking into his room, I observed his open eyes in the mere glance as I put the plate on the nearby table and pulled it along with the chair too, near his bed.
Walking closer to him, I snaked my arms underneath his shoulders and grunted hard. Pulling him up, I groaned at his muscled weight. Finally, after managing his sitting position with extra pillows behind his back, I sat beside him, watching him watching me with a small smile on his face.
His beautiful face.
The blue eyes had yellow ocean in the middle around those black pupils. There was a cut slashing his eyebrow. The scar hadn't gone. There was this another scar cutting lips. Though, they were as pink and full as they had to be. His cheeks had been sucked in from all the pain he suffered through this mere chunk of healing.
"Life is beautiful with you," he said, churning my stomach. His deep voice made my veins pop all the blood out. My body functioned senselessly whenever he would speak something. "Reminds me of a dream I thought would never come true."
He would always throw in some romantic lines whenever I would return back home after any errand.
I chuckled briefly. "Look how lucky I am for you," I said, while moving my fingers against his chest full of scars. "Look what I did to you by coming in your life. My entrance in people's lives ruins them. Mother and father fought. She ran away. Things got worse. I entered Misty's life, her heart and see what happened to her."
"That's your own made up stories," he said, staring at me with kindness in his eyes. How could I even deserve him? "Stop blaming yourself. It's destiny. What's meant to happen, happens anyway. Anyhow. Anywhere."
I blinked, observing his very faint stubble. His hair had grown long again, reaching past his ears while I liked to shave his beard whenever the length was good. Long hair might disturb his paralyzed body in my absence. Who would be there to tickle that out?
"Are you hungry?"
He chuckled lightly. "I don't know. But it's lunch time. You must be hungry."
"I want to eat something else," I said, looking in his eyes, making him quirk a smile.
"Are you doing this to pay me back, Evangeline?" He suddenly asked, his smile fading and being replaced by sincere expressions. "For all those bad times. Because if yes, then you don't have to. I might have to spent life like this while you can still enjoy by being back home."
My heart drowned. Did he hear Declan's words or smelled the blood that I had already washed?
"Did we take those rituals for this moment?' I asked, looking at him. "So, you can tell me to go away?"
He sighed heavily, without his shoulders sulking. "That was before I became a burden more than a mate."
I grabbed his cheeks, cupping them and moved my face closer to his. "You can never be a burden on me. You are healing my soul, my mate." My voice cracked. "Will it be believable to say that I am falling in this deep deep love with you?"
My eyes lowered as they filled up instantly. I could swear I hadn't been this soft at heart all my life, enough to get these blurry visions on every talk with him.
"Look at me, Eva."
I did, slowly and steadily, observing his soulful eyes.
"You are my hope." He whispered while his eyebrows narrowed in discomfort. "If I want to get better, it is so because I want to kiss you with my hands wrapped around your soft form. Because I want to touch you every moment to believe that it is not a dream. Because I want to make you and connect to you with the every way possible. I love you."
I blinked through the unshed tears. I thought that I was stonehearted when it would come to handling a patient. Even though, Leo was recovering slowly, I had to avoid treating him like a patient. Stephen had warned that, strictly.
While here, I was feeling the urges to cry any day or another. I wasn't this emotional. I wasn't this weak.
"You have turned on some spiritual side in me," I said, looking in his eyes. "All I do whole day is pray."
He smiled and chuckled when I added, "For some thrilling action. To entertain you. To bring Misty back. To punch the shit out of people who are so infuriating."
He breathed lowly, his smile going small yet so pretty. "Bring Misty back? Still going on with that plan?"
I nodded, roaming my hands against his chest, lowering down to hold his hand and observe the pink knuckles.
"Ask my family."
"Do you miss them?" He asked, looking around the room. "You miss home?"
"This is my home. Our home," I said as it was actual obvious thing. "I do miss them, though. Not that I used to spend much time with all of them in the whole day. But still, Mom's bickering, Dad's rounds to the office, Natalie's sharp voice, Thomas' useless jokes. Aunt Kate, Fred, Jiro. Uncle Robert. Heck, I miss the tree in front of bedroom window too." I chuckled.
"But this is like a new life for me. I needed this change for the good. I am loving it here," I said while looking in his eyes to show how I meant each word. "You listen to me. You see me. You appreciate me. That matters."
He blinked in understanding.
"Do you miss Ellie?"
He blinked again. "I was always busy with Beta stuff. But we had our sibling moments. I am the elder one but she maintained this house like a mother. I am sure, she will miss this home of hers. I am thankful Blake brought her here those two days in the beginning."
I smiled slightly. "Blake is good. So is Gina. But they are more like me. You know, kind of blunts. But Savina was a good one. She was sweet and polite. Just like Aunt Kate. Ellie is sweet too. She helped me make all those dishes. Blake was always possessive of his toys. Ellie is going to enjoy wines there. Uncle Rudy has this great collection of wines that his father made."
"What about Pete? You miss him?" Leo asked while looking at me.
"Don't take his name in front of me," I said while giving him the disturbed look. "He doesn't deserve you to even call his name."
"I forgave him, Eva. He was not in his senses. I have seen Declan do that same thing before. I knew that he could have crossed the territory."
"Better than throwing Misty off," I muttered through clenched jaws.
Leo smiled tightly. "I cannot come up to hate him. He did what he had to. He is a great Alpha."
"Not a great brother," I said, while trying to distract him with the previous question of his. "I don't know what plan my family is thinking about. Whatever it is, Klynn and Orina won't let me participate, I know."
He smiled tightly. "You can do anything here at your home. They can't rule inside our space."
I nodded lightly. "I wonder how and why it happened. But guess, it's all done and now, we just have to deal with the aftermath. Strategize and do some experiment. Misty didn't deserve this."
"She really deserved a loving mate," he said, making me raise my eyebrows.
"One of those savages for my modern city girl?"
He chuckled. "Don't give me those eyes. I am just commenting. It's all Moon Goddess' doing. Though, this is first the time, all of your family is trusting the Lycans to not have killed Misty yet. You wouldn't have thought the same way, had it been another wolf."
"Because Chelsea was alive for months. Wasn't she?" I said, making him blink in understanding.
He squinted his eyes in thought and mumbled, "She might still be." He blinked slowly. "Bringing her back is difficult when we cannot contact her. There should be some way of contact before your family enters or bring her back to here."
I gulped. "What if we throw a phone inside? A loudspeaker or something?"
He chuckled. "Moon Goddess plays fair. Nothing like that works on that other side. Remember the drops your father sent. It fell the next moment before going off. We have to think of something else. But it would be unfair for the females who have gone before her."
I nodded. "I know. But Misty's human. She can come back. She cannot shift. She won't feel the mate bond. She is immune to the wolfsbane, you know."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "That might come handy in kidnapping Misty."
My eyes lit up. "Right." My face fell as I remembered. "I hope, she uses her brain to confuse them out. I narrated the Witch's story to Natalie in front of her. If she manages to remember that, we can bring her back."
"Would she be able to do that before the full moon?" Leo asked while looking at me, his hand shook in my hold as I left it. He tried to raise it but the weakness in his muscles was too much to raise more than an inch.
I witnessed it all, calmly.
Moon Goddess was a stonehearted bitch.
I breathed, calmly.
"I don't know," I whispered while rubbing my thumb over his hand. "What can a human do within four days?"
His finger touched mine shakily. I looked up at him.
He sent a warm tight smile. "She will be fine."
Silence settled in the room with me thinking worst of the scenarios for Misty and controlling hard to not continue them in my mind.
"What would you give me on the full moon?" He asked, snatching all of my attention.
My eyebrows raised absentmindedly. He wanted a gift?
"What?" I asked while looking at him.
A sweet innocent smile turned into a dirty one. "A strip tease?"
My mouth parted in surprise. "Ah well," I said while chuckling mildly.
That was a first. He had a good mood today instead of frustrated one where I had to compel him to still rest and not practise sitting or standing on his own. He wasn't ready yet. The sensations were there but not strong enough.
Leo chuckled when I looked down at his pants and grabbed the big monster. "Stop, Eva. I was kidding. No. Not kidding."
He was shying away now. His cheeks had turned scarlet.
While the horny bitch inside me had awakened. He was thick and long.
I bit my lip, while looking in his eyes. "I will give strip tease and more to my mate."
His smile straightened slowly as sincere expressions covered his face. He looked like he needed an afternoon nap. Though, he seemed interested in experiencing what I was about to do. The nervousness started flickering on his face.
"On the full moon," I told him, watching him gulping slowly. "For now, you will eat."
His eyes widened slowly in surprise. "Oh come on! That weird herbal soup over this," he said while glancing at my hand that I was pulling back to myself. "No," he said, watching me smiling goofily.
"That will heal you," I said, stressing out the words while picking up the bowl and bringing it closer to him.
"The option will do."
"There is no option," I said, chuckling as he bit his lips while smiling to himself.
"My wolf nearly jumped inside me."
That was improvement. He didn't even feel his wolf the first four days after waking up. He had gotten consciousness after two days of continuous treatment of his gashes.
"If I finish the soup, we make out?" Leo suggested with a goofy smirk.
I brought the spoon up to his mouth.
"Deal."
He opened his mouth and gulped down the soup, squeezing his eyes hard.
"Fuck me!" He breathed hard while showing me his glossy eyes. "That's bitter."
"It will strengthen your immunity."
The heart in me cried as I watched him gulping down the bitter juice. He was controlling the gags and tears.
"Your kisses will be sweet. Therefore," he said while breathing hard and flaring his nostrils. "More!" He said loudly, making me smile slightly.
I kept feeding him while thinking how sometimes we would just fail to recognize the right person. Even when that person would be just around us only. The Ego and overconfidence would make us blind and alert. Educated yet so ignorant.
It would not be our fault to not see the true colors of that person. Time rules. And so does the destinies.
If the stars are correctly aligned, we would realize our mistakes at last.
We would learn from our mistakes and make it up to that person. That would still be a mean motive. But for the good of that person. Things would turn better.
The Universe will not be the same. Different. A good different.
We would finally value the love that we had been taking for granted.
We would finally see the person we had been ignoring who had been around us all this time.
We would finally realize that the Moon Goddess wasn't a bitch at all. For she choose someone like our mates for us.
And if she had chosen one for Misty, it must be someone good enough to handle her wits and charms by his demeanour.
Someone who would unbelievably not hurt her on the full moon.
And keep her alive.
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"What do you think?"
Please vote and comment.
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I tried to proof read it and edited it the most I could. I still had the vibe that maybe, there are some errors. Please spare me for that.
Also, I read all of your comments about the thoughts I shared with you guys. You all will be happy to know that I am better and followed on to your words. I talked nicely, forgave my friend, cleared out my mind and also gave the give through some straight words that I am upset. The person got the vibe, apologized and backed out. So, now I am all good and free of any worrying thoughts.
All thanks to you guys. Some shared good advices, their own stories. I really could relate and was enlightened. You all did what a friend would do. Even we are just virtual. But look, you all are there for me.
Thank you so much.
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About the story, these POVs are going to be fillers of what is going on on the other side. More like fillers. This one was tough to write. I tried to show Eva's surroundings here more than her thoughts.
I can't wait to share the rest of the story slowly. Upcoming chapters are fun. I will try to update within a day or two.
Thank you for being patient. Love to all.