Chapter 22: Coincidence? 

**Alice’s Point of view**


I have been staring at my coffee cup for more than 10 minutes now. I haven't slept all night, unable to take my eyes off the picture, as if I was going to find a hidden answer.
"Are you okay sweetie?" I jump violently when my mother touches my shoulder, making her laugh. "I know someone who didn't sleep all night."
I shake my head. "Let's just say it's been a while since I've had a real night of sleep because of the rogues and last night was no exception. Dad and Alpha Mark were fighting when I got there. Thankfully, Elliot and I got them apart."
She sighs sadly. "I'm afraid one day it's going to end badly."
Just as I'm about to comfort her, my father storms into the kitchen, his cell phone in hand. His left arm is in a scarf because his shoulder was dislocated in the fight but it should be healed in a day or two. 
He hangs up and looks at us with a worried look on his face and my mother immediately stands up. "What's wrong?"
He blinks a few times. "We've been summoned by the King. We have to go in two days. »
Wow. Prince Benjamin was fast.
"What? You know why?" Asks my mother in shock.
He shakes his head. "I just called Alpha Jack and he's been summoned too." He pauses. "And he told me that Alpha Mark was too."
My mother covers her mouth with one hand. "The three of us? That's a bad sign."
I try to reassure them. "Maybe it's to solve the rogue problem? Let's not assume right away that he wants to punish us or something."
My father nods. "You're right. Let's not panic but we should prepare for the worst."
Sam and Melanie rush down the stairs.
"Alice hurry up we're going to be late!" Melanie yells at me. I drink my cold coffee in one gulp and rush behind them.  
When I arrive at the college, I spot Elliot and signal him to follow me and we end up in the forest like the last time. I don't waste a second and show him the picture I found. 
He takes it, reads the inscription then turns it over. His eyebrows rise in surprise and he looks at me without understanding.
"Where did you get this?"
"I found it in one of my mom's books. I panicked when I realized who the second girl was and took it to show you."
He sits down on a tree stump, not taking his eyes off the picture. "I don't understand. Are they sisters?" He asks me in an imploring tone. 
I shake my head. "Apparently."
He lowers his shoulders and I too feel a pang in my heart. Our mothers are sisters.
He suddenly raises his head, hope shining in his beautiful green eyes. "They must not be blood sisters. That would make us cousins and the Moon Goddess would never have bonded us."
He's right and my chest feels lighter. "So what does 'Sister forever' mean?"
"I don't know. Maybe they were friends? What do you know about your mother's past?"
I sigh. "Not much. I know she was a Silver. She met my dad a few weeks after her 17th birthday. She has no family and when I asked what happened to her parents she didn't answer me and started crying. I didn't dare to insist."
"She never gets visits from her Silver friends?"
I shook my head. "She never talked about anyone. I think she was very lonely."
He scratches his chin, looking thoughtful. "That's a little weird don't you think?"
I nod. "What about your mother?"
"Same as yours. She was born Silver and met my father when she was 17. She also lost her parents but she never told me when or how. She has a friend who comes over sometimes but that's it."
We remain silent. "I thought I knew my mom better than that." I mumble softly.
He stands up and hugs me. "I thought so too. But they seem to have had a painful past, maybe that's why they never told us. The important thing is to know them now."
I laugh, my arms around his waist, too happy to have him against me to answer Cassie's mockery.
*"Well well well! Did we change our minds?"* She laughs.
"What can you tell me about your mom?" I ask him gently.
He laughs with a touch of tenderness. "She's awesome. She's an exemplary Luna, always there for everyone. She loves grapes, drinks her coffee without sugar and cries at romantic comedies. Her favorite movie is Dirty Dancing which she forced me to watch at least a hundred times. She likes to jog in the morning and never misses a water aerobics class. Her favorite dessert is the raspberry muffin and she always buys a lemon one for me. She ..."
"What did you said?" I cut him off as I push him away.
"For the muffins? " He asks without understanding.
"No! The water aerobics! Does she do it at the pool in your pack?"
"No. She prefers the one in town. Why?"
"When is her next class?"
He's getting more and more confused. "Tonight at 6 P.M. Why?"
Suddenly everything falls into place. "Because my mom also does water aerobics in town. The same day and time as your mother."
He looks at me with raised eyebrows, understanding what I'm getting at. This is not a coincidence. I do a quick internet search and find the address of the pool. 
"Wait, look at the time of the class." He tells me while pointing to the screen.
I do as he says and see that the earliest class doesn't start until 7 P.M. I frown. What are they doing for an hour?
"It's decided. Tonight we'll follow them." I say.