205
David
One day. One day soon, we wouldn’t be interrupted. I don't know how I was going to make that happen, but I was looking forward to it. I smiled. At least, Lucy had looked as disappointed as I felt.
The morning after my date with Lucy, I found myself seated at a grand mahogany table, affectionately called the Round Table, flanked by Trent and Amos, the room heavy with anticipation. We'd gone over the state of the Blood Moon Pack financially and politically in bother the supernatural world and the human world.
"Can we talk about something less serious?" Amos asked. "At least more exciting than we made more money this month than last month, and we're set to make even more next month. Hurray."
Trent laughed. "Sure, how about the report on Michelle's date."
Amos grinned, and I appreciated how excited he was. Amos was the best beta I could ask for and a damn good manager of the security force. He and Blue were the best thing that had ever happened to Blood Moon.
"You look gleeful," Trent said.
I felt a bit on edge. I had been wary about Michelle and Peter's relationship. Sure, she was older than me, but I felt like she was my responsibility. She was registered as a ward of my pack for now, but we were friends.
I didn't want her hurt again.
"They were sickeningly cute," Amos said. "I think old Peter might actually be in love."
"Shut up," Trent said. "You're kidding."
"She told him she's a werewolf-- should have seen the look on his face, like it was Christmas and his birthday all at once. I pulled the surveillance for it." Amos grinned. "He went to a Blood Moon place, nothing nefarious, brought her home, and asked her to the Crescent Moon Festival."
Now, that was interesting.
A small smile crept across my lips as I absorbed his words. Played well, it would be, essentially, an informal alliance for me to allow him to take my ward. That had the potential to change the dynamics of our relationship with them and the rest of the supernatural world.
Blood Moon was the wealthiest. Blue Moon was the most notorious for violence and brute force, but Black Moon had always been the largest pack by sheer numbers. If we could come to an accord, it would be the work of nothing to keep Oren and the twins in line even with the Council's meddling.
But we had to get there, and I wasn't sure if Peter's interest in Michelle would be enough to keep him from trying to infiltrate my pack and stop bothering other supernatural communities.
That weapon he was building needed to be dismantled before it got to be a real problem.
Amos rubbed his hands together. "She said yes. They've got plans coming up for shopping."
He glanced at me. "I suspect he'll come to meet with you soon once it's made clear that she's a ward of your pack."
Nodding, I considered it. I was still concerned, but this was an opportunity that felt too good to pass up.
"We'll keep an eye on it. I'll ask her about it and get a read on it," I said. "In the meantime, I'd like to know if they've got another date planned and how it goes."
"With any luck, we might just pull Oren's teeth before he can really get started," Trent sighed. "Speaking of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and their batshit crazy father..."
Trent's eyes lit up. "There's a rumor going around that Matt is no longer staying at the Blue Moon Estate."
Trent's words hit me like a jolt of electricity.
"He's left the pack?"
"That's not confirmed, but it looks a bit strange for him to be staying in a witch city known for not giving a damn about the Council, doesn't it?"
I frowned at that. It could be a ploy, but it didn't feel likely.
"Where is Tony?" I asked.
"In Black Moon, playing watcher to someone being treated there. I'm waiting on some more information to trickle through, but I don't think I have to tell you that something had to have happened, yeah?"
Tony had never liked Peter. To be fair, Peter had never liked Tony either. They were vastly older than me, but I remember the way they used to act around each other.
"Have you heard anything about where the rumor about Lucy being the Moon Goddess has come from?"
He shook his head. "Nothing yet, but there are only a handful of options."
"It wouldn't serve Oren to put that out, exactly," I said. "If he even knows..."
I frowned. "Do you think he knows?"
Trent nodded. "If there's a werewolf in tune with something like that, it'd be him."
He set his jaw. "But I agree, he wouldn't have told anyone."
"Thoughts then?"
"Witches," Trent said. "Top of the list to sow discord or in the attempts to take custody of her to keep another Moon War from starting, but since she's in Hecate and ensconced with White Moon, that feels doubtful. Next would be another werewolf pack looking to weaken and take over Blue Moon."
I stared at him. "That's possible?"
"Maybe not back when there was an active Moon Goddess getting in the way of everything, but now? When Lucy, if she is the Moon Goddess, probably."
I nodded, a bit of hope filling me. Tearing apart Blue Moon would do a lot to make the supernatural world safer.
"Did you look into those attacks?" I asked.
"Which ones? On humans?"
I nodded.
"Forensics say a werewolf attacked, but there's no trail about who and if they're actually connected to Black Moon."
I nodded. "Seems like I have a few things to ask Peter when we eventually meet."
I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing with questions and turning back to the issue of Blue Moon. Matt's departure had to be significant, but without more information, it was like trying to decipher a complex spell with missing components.
To my knowledge, Matt and Tony were practically inseparable.
If he was no longer by Tony's side, it could mean a shift in the power balance.
"And Oren isn't causing a fuss about it?"
"I think he's got more things to worry about now that the Council has officially named him alpha."
My eyes widened. "Is it possible they've been exiled?"
Trent hummed and shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Keep an ear out for any updates. We need to know what's going on with Matt and Tony. If we could keep them from interfering, then we're at an advantage against Blue Moon. For now, find out what you can about where Matt is staying now, what he's doing, and why he left," I said. "There's something useful there, but I can't figure out what it is."
Trent's eyes narrowed. "But you have an idea."
"Tony was cursed, but Matt's curse was... different. Lesser, practically broken."
"But not broken?" Trent asked, his eyes growing more suspicious.
"No. It still lingered, but it wasn't..." I tilted my head. Something at the back of my mind tingled. "It wasn't hurting him, I guess. I'm not sure why..."
Amos glanced at Trent, who sat forward in his seat with a giddy look that made me grimace.
"I hate it when you look like that."
"Why don't we have a little training session?"
I winced. I hated his impromptu training sessions, even if Amos always seemed fascinated.
I sighed and nodded. "If you think it best."
"You've got elvish blood," Trent said. "Foresight, All Sight, whatever you want to call it, is in your blood. Like all of your other gifts, you need to tap into it." He grinned. "I think now's a good time as any."
I had learned exactly what it meant to be a black wolf before my father died, but every time I tried to reach back into my direct bloodline more than a generation or two, I got hungry, ravenous, tired, and had a pounding headache for at least a few days.
"First off, foresight is not about predicting the future with absolute certainty. It's more like catching glimpses of possible outcomes, like ripples on the surface of a pond."
I snorted. "Are you paraphrasing Galadriel right now?"
"Those humans got some things right. Clear your mind, like stilling the waters of that pond, and choose something you want to see. Nothing too far out. Try for tomorrow or even a few hours from now."
I closed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. The soft murmur of the Blood Moon Estate seemed to fade into the background as I concentrated on the rise and fall of my chest.
"Imagine the question like dropping a single stone into a pool. Watch the ripples as they spread outward."
I decided to figure out if Blue was going to make roast tonight and hoped that it wouldn’t leave me too drained.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
