177
Lucy
Lucian’s words resonated with me for the next few days. There was so much about the werewolf world that I didn’t know. Maybe my fear of it would go away if I knew more. With any luck, all my coursework would make that the case.
“There!” Jessie said, pointing down the way and waving her hands over her head.
The Hecate City airport bustled with activity as a large group of people made their way from one of the terminals. The Blood Moon escort with us lifted the sign overhead as Jessie waved her hands. The group of newcomers were also members of the White Moon Pack who had moved across the country after the war.
One of them looked over at us, pointed, and the rest of them followed. Jessie rushed to meet them, and as I pulled Duke forward to greet them with Lucian, I felt like we were making more and more progress towards restoring the White Moon Pack, my family. Excitement and curiosity surged through me as I watched them interact.
They pulled me into a hug even if they weren’t sure who I was or how we were related. It was so warm I was dazed for a little while.
Duke and I rode back to the pack house with them, listening to them talk and shaking hands. When we pulled up at the estate, Lucian got out, helping one of the older people out, and gestured to the house.
“Welcome to the White Moon Familial Pack House,” he said.
“Pine,” the old woman said, lifting her face. “It smells like pine.”
His eyes glimmered. “It’s not home, but… maybe in good time. We’re glad to have you here.”
A woman with fiery red hair stepped forward, grinning up at the house. “It’s better than that crappy apartment we were in before!”
The doors opened, and someone came out. Someone else screamed in recognition, breaking through the group and catching the person in a hug.
Lucian helped the old woman into the house gently, and it felt just like the first night everyone had come. Excitement filled the air as they took in their new surroundings, marveling at the comfortable living spaces, the communal areas, and the sense of belonging that permeated the atmosphere.
As we showed them around, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of joy. The pack house was more than just a place to live – it was a symbol of hope for the family that had been torn apart by the war. Every time we found someone else and brought them home, we were fixing just a little more of our family, growing stronger.
With more people, that meant it would be harder for Blue Moon to annex us. Dagon wasn’t clear about whether or not that meant we could annex them or not if we wanted, but I hoped that was the case. Maybe it would make them leave us alone.
Over the weekend, the pack house buzzed with activity. Lucian was registering everyone to the pack and getting the family tree together. He’d made a magical version of it on the main wall in the large living room. It sprawled across the entire wall. I liked to look at it when I couldn’t sleep, watching the lights glimmer around the names of the people who were both living and dead.
On Sunday, David came with Blue and a few other people stating that we were going school shopping.
“Oh, but Stacy said she’d take me…”
David smiled. “Stacy had to call off. She got swamped with work, so I offered to take you instead, and since we have a lot of people to shop for, I thought we’d make a day of it.”
I was a little wary about it, but I couldn’t refuse. Sarah, Amy, and Michelle were already in the car and grinning.
“Let the wealthy man spend his money!” Sarah cried.
“If Peter offered to take me, would you say the same thing?”
Sarah scowled. “Depends. How much is he spending?”
Michelle laughed. “I don’t know. I haven’t brought it up.”
I got into the car with David, Duke, Michelle, Sarah, and Amy and headed to the same shopping mall as everyone else. We split up into groups, but David took charge of most of our age group. It should have been simple, but the way he smiled and his eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm told me he was enjoying this more than he let on.
“I still can’t believe you’re dragging me into these shops,” I said, eyeing all the clothes in the store.
He laughed, nudging me playfully. “You heard Sarah, let the wealthy man spend his money.”
“Besides,” Duke said. “Admit it, you’re secretly having fun.”
He leaned close. “Being doted on and all that.”
I flushed and nudged him away. “Go away! Don’t you have new jeans to look for?”
“Absolutely not,” Duke said. “Blue has already stuffed my closet full of clothes. I haven’t even worn them all yet.”
As we moved from one shop to another, I tried on various outfits, noticing that slowly and surely, it was just David and I, as other members of the Blood Moon Escort, came to help. Duke winked at me as David sighed.
“I guess we got ditched,” David said and looked at me. “This… isn’t making you uncomfortable, is it? I swear I didn’t do this on purpose.”
I shook my head. “It’ll… be more uncomfortable if I pick out something Sarah doesn’t approve of.”
He laughed. “True!”
David offered his honest opinions, even if some of his comments were more playful than constructive. His presence made the whole experience enjoyable, turning what could have been a mundane chore into a lighthearted adventure. It was so different than when Matt and Tony took me shopping. David cared about what I liked, even when he suggested trying something new. At one point, we found ourselves in a quirky little boutique, browsing through racks of unique and eclectic clothing. I held up a dress that was adorned with a whimsical pattern of stars and moons, my lips curving into a grin.
“What do you think of this one?” I asked, twirling the hanger between my fingers.
David raised an eyebrow, his eyes tracing the design before meeting mine. “It’s definitely...not you.”
I laughed and put it back. “Thanks.”
He chuckled, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “I do my best not to lie to you.”
“You lie to me?”
His lips twitched as he met my gaze. “Only when… I know that it would make you uncomfortable.”
“Like what?” My stomach churned as he pushed more clothes aside.
“Like how beautiful you are,” David said softly. “And how much I want you to trust me.”
I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, and I was thankful for the dim lighting in the store that concealed it. There was a warmth in his voice that said a lot more than his words had. My heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his eyes.
I bit my lip, struggling with what to say before he pulled out a sparkly monstrosity.
“Think I could pull this off?”
I burst into laughter. “Maybe for Halloween as a disco ball!”
As the day wore on, I did find a few things to add to my closet. We handed the bags off to the escort.
“Where is everyone else?”
“Already headed back.” The man smiled. “Blue said not to come back without having eaten something. She’s watching the receipts.”
David scowled. “Of course she is. It’s like everyone in the pack is a meddler.”
He shook his head and nodded.
“There’s a café in the mall if you’re up to indulging her?”
I nodded. “She takes care of Duke, so… how could I not.”
He offered me his arm. “Shall we, my lady?”
I laughed, twining my arm around his. The warmth of his body so near to mine made my face heat, but he didn’t draw attention to it. Soon, we found ourselves seated in a quaint little café, sipping on cups of warm tea. The sun had set by then, casting a warm glow through the window.
“You know,” I said. “I never thought shopping could be so enjoyable.”
He chuckled, stirring his tea with a small spoon. “I’m not a Sarah-level shopping companion, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Soon, the sampler platter arrived. We tried a bit of everything, though David ordered more of the things that I liked. We laughed. We talked. It was so normal, yet my stomach was full of butterflies. He smiled, his gaze lingering on me in a way that made my heart race.
“Never had so much fun shopping,” he said. “Thanks for humoring meddling parties.”
“Thanks for coming,” I said. “The last time I was in a mall wasn’t… great, but I didn’t really think of it at all.”
I looked out the window. “Sometimes, I wonder if I imagined it all.”
“I’m glad you’re healing,” David said.
I looked over at him and smiled. I felt my heart stop for a moment, and the air around us charged with tension. The unspoken words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Then, it vanished as he gave me a small, reassuring smile.
“You know, I mean that with no… other motives, don’t you?”
I smiled at him, touched and a little dazed.
“I know.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
