220
Lucy
The next day, classes ended as usual, and I met up with Duke, Sarah, Michelle, and Amy outside the human college. I waved to them as I got closer.
"Thanks, guys."
"Any time," Michelle said, adjusting her tennis shoes. "I think it's pretty cool that you want to compete."
Duke stretched. "I'm sure running around practically naked is a form of foreplay."
I flushed. "I am not going to be practically naked!"
Michelle laughed. "Come on. Let's at least get a few laps in before sundown, hm?"
We started off together, our sneakers pounding against the rubberized track. The sun beat down on us, and beads of sweat formed on our foreheads. I think we got halfway around the track before Sarah stopped and threw up her hands.
"I'm out!"
"We just got started," Amy puffed as we kept going.
"I'm too pretty to sweat!" Sarah wailed. We all laughed, shaking our heads. Amy fell out next, unable to keep up and falling to a walk. Duke seemed to be the best in shape of all three of us, but he didn't run ahead.
"Maggie makes me run with him," Duke said in explanation. "It's supposed to help me do something better, but he hasn't explained what that is yet."
"I'm sure it'll be important later," I said, panting. "Maybe it's supposed to help you channel magic?"
"Probably."
I looked over at Michelle. "How are things with you, Michelle? Are you... still seeing Peter?"
She nodded. "Things are okay."
"Should we call David?" Duke asked. She clenched her jaw and shook her head.
"No, it's nothing like that. It's just...Well, when we went out a few days ago to find a dress--"
"You're going to the Festival?" Duke asked, grinning. "On Peter's arm?"
She flushed. "H-He asked me. I have to go back for a fitting this evening."
"That's great," I said. "I'm glad you're working it out... Why do you look so worried."
"He said he might be cursed... There was this hairpin in his car. He looked nervous."
"A hairpin?"
She nodded. "He wouldn't touch it. Even his beta looked nervous. He said that his liaison is looking into it. Things have been great otherwise, but I can't help but wonder what he's done to be cursed..."
I exchanged a worried glance with Duke, feeling a sense of unease settle in my stomach. Michelle's concerns were valid, and it was clear that something was amiss with Peter.
"Maybe he didn't do anything," I said. "Some people are just mean."
Michelle nodded. "I suppose you're right about that."
"Well, has he asked the witches?"
"He--"
She turned her head as I heard people.
"Guys?" Sarah yelled from across the track.
I looked back and saw a large group of people charging toward us from the other end of the track.
The approaching group seemed agitated, their voices raised. Some of them were shoving each other, but most of them were focused on me.
"That's her! That's the Moon Goddess."
My stomach lurched. I skidded to a stop.
"Lucy!" Duke yelled.
The rush of pounding feet and shouts had me frozen. Then, Duke grabbed my arm and tugged. I looked at him.
"Run!"
Panic had my heart in my throat as he pulled me along, and Michelle took off, yelling at Amy and Sarah to follow her toward the other side of the racing track. We were fenced in.
"The fence!"
"We'll jump it!" Duke yelled. "Hurry!"
Just as we reached the fence, I felt magic sweeping through the air. A group of Blood Moon Escorts seemed to swarm us. Black vehicles rolled up onto the sidewalk towards us and opened.
"Get in!" one of the Escorts barked, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
One of them vanished a section of the fence. I reached the closest vehicle, and we all piled it. He shut the door, and I looked back at the large glowing wall that was sectioning the area off. Some of the people in the crowd had transformed into their wolf forms and were fighting. I shuddered as my heart pounded with a mix of fear and curiosity. The car turned sharply and headed back to the street. I saw people rushing to their cars, and soon, wolves and cars were following us down the street. The wolves slowly started to fade into the distance, but the cars were just behind us.
"Fuck," the driver said, turning down a street as the person in the passenger seat called. My phone was ringing, but I couldn't focus on anything but the cars getting closer. I heard the Moon Goddess laughing in the back of my mind.
I felt her watching. My stomach turned. The Escorts skillfully maneuvered through the city streets. Slowly, it became clear that they'd shaken the last tail, and we headed to the edge of the city. Duke breathed a sigh of relief when we passed through the portal and were dropped onto a long paved road in the middle of a forest.
"Everyone okay back there?" The driver asked.
Michelle, in particular, looked visibly shaken, her fingers trembling slightly as she clutched the seat.
"Y-Yeah."
"What was that all about?" Sarah asked, her voice quivering.
Amy, always the calm and collected one, chimed in, "It looked like they were heading right for us."
Duke exchanged a concerned glance with me. "You okay?"
I nodded. My mind raced with questions.
"Do you have any idea about who they were?"
"We believe they're linked to Oren's allies and some other werewolves. They were looking for you, Lucy."
I winced. "Oren is...?"
"The former and now current alpha of the Blue Moon Pack."
My gut plummeted.
"What do they want? T-To take me back?"
"Likely," he said. "But the others most likely simply wanted to know what your plans are."
"My plans?"
"They've been told that you're the new Moon Goddess, so a lot of the smaller packs, desperate and probably being terrorized by the larger packs, will want to curry favor with you, for better or worse."
I shuddered. "I don't know anything about being the Moon Goddess. I don't think I am..."
"Miss Lucy," he said gently. "There is no need to panic. Our alpha is already looking into figuring out who spread this rumor, and of course, if there is any truth to it, we'll make sure you're well protected."
I glanced at Duke. "Is this going to be a problem for when we go to the Festival?"
He chuckled. "Hopefully not. Though I would enjoy seeing the alpha pulling out a sword."
Duke laughed. "Maggie said his father did nearly every year."
"He did," he said. "For now, you all can relax. We're making sure that we weren't followed and the situation has been dealt with, then we will return to the Estate."
I sat back and looked at Michelle, who seemed nervous. Her hands were wrapped around her phone as she trembled.
"Do you... want to call someone?" I asked.
"My phone is ringing," Michelle said.
I looked down at it and shook my head. "No, it isn't."
Her jaw trembled. "I-I'm scared. W-What if Peter's curse is--"
"I'll call Maggie," Duke said.
Then, my phone started ringing, but no one else seemed to notice it. Duke glanced at his own phone. He went pale.
I narrowed my eyes at it and lifted it to my ear. A part of me knew that it wasn't real, but I wanted to know what Selene had to say.
"I told you that there is no escaping," her voice said. "The more you resist, the angrier you make me."
I set my jaw. "Well, Selene--"
"You--"
"That makes two of us." Duke's eyes widened. The others didn't seem to notice. "You keep messing with me and my friends, and you're going to run into a problem."
She laughed. "Disrespectful little whelp, what do you think you have the power to do?"
"Now?" I hesitated. "Nothing, but that's not going to last for long."
"You think you'll be strong enough to fight me? Everything you are right now is because of me."
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you saying that to scare me or because you really think that's the truth?"
My heart raced as I set my jaw.
"You don't know me. All of your scheming and I keep escaping. I keep resisting, and I'm never going to stop--"
"I--"
"Even if you found a way to make me go back there. You couldn't keep me there. David will come after me, even if I can't rescue myself. Hecate's witches will come after me."
"You really think those witches care about you? They're just biding their time to get rid of everything I've built, including you. I'm not your enemy, Lucy. We could work together. Aren't you tired of being afraid? They could make you so very safe."
I clenched my jaw. "I'm going to punch you in the face the next time I see you."
I lowered the phone and looked at Duke. He grinned at me.
"Wait until I tell Lucian."
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