92

Lucy

After the test was over, things kind of went back to normal. A few days passed and I could focus on my studies again. One day, while I was heading home from the college campus, I ran into David. He was dressed in a three-piece suit. His hair was slicked back and he looked a little angry while he was on the phone.
The moment he saw me, the anger vanished and his entire expression brightened.
My heart fluttered as he finished his call and walked towards me.
“You look… official,” I said. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Pack stuff. It’s done now. Done with classes?”
I nodded. “They let us out early today.”
“Care for lunch?” He asked. “You have afternoon classes, right? We don’t have to go far.”
My stomach grumbled and I wrinkled my nose. I nodded. “Sounds great… We don’t have to get on a bus, do we? I’d hate for your clothes to get ruined.”
He chuckled and shook his head and offered his hand. “The open-air mall is nearby. There’s a park next to it and a food truck I think you’ll like. Have you ever had tacos?”
I shook my head, but I took his hand as if it was normal and followed him out the doors. There were a lot of people on the street. The afternoon sun wasn’t as hot as it had been a few hours earlier, but it was still hot.
“Are you going to be okay in your suit?”
He grinned and leaned close. “Luxury comes in many forms… Including cooling spells weaved into your suit jacket.”
My eyes widened. “You can do that?”
“Want to see?” He smiled. I nodded, leaning over and curious.
He rolled up a sleeve of his jacket and reveals a glowing line of symbols that seemed to float through the silky fabric.
“That’s… so cool. Did you do it?”
“Not the cooling spells, but the protection ones.”
We walked on through the crowds of people laughing and chatting. There were shops lining the walk way, they were all selling clothing. I cringed a bit at the thought as it made me think of Matt and Tony.
“Look at those,” David said, pointing at a pair of shoes that had no laces. “They look so comfortable. I really wish business formal wasn’t so formal.”
I laughed. “They don’t have any laces or straps? How would they stay on?”
He chuckled. “They’re slip-ons. You’re not supposed to be doing anything too strenuous in them. No leaping building in a single bound, but you can job and catch a bus in them.”
He hummed and pointed at another pair of shoes. “I guess those are more up your alley?”
I hesitated, but when I saw them, I couldn’t help but laugh. They were decorated with butterflies and lit up at the bottom. They reminded me of a pair of shoes I had when we were in the orphanage.
“They’re… much nicer than the shoes I had then.”
He squeezed my hand. “Come on.”
“I couldn’t!”
He grinned. “Live a little. In ten years, people will say you’re too old to wear light-up shoes unless you’re running in the dark. They could be your signature when you’re a detective. Butterfly Foot or something.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I followed him into the store and tried on the shoes. I wiggled my toes and chuckled as they lit up when I tapped my feet. He came back with a receipt and the box and a grin.
“But—”
“The Council will reimburse me if I want since shoes are considered a necessity.” He rolled his eyes. “Relax. We’re… friends, aren’t we? Can’t I give you gifts? I missed your birthday.”
I sighed and nodded. “Okay… thank you.”
I changed out of the shoes, and David carried the bag out. My eyes stung as it hit me that this was the first time anyone had ever given me a gift.
“Hey,” David whispered and pulled me close. “It’s okay. I promise. You’ll have so many gifts; you’ll be sick of your birthday by the time you turn thirty.”
I chuckled and sniffled, wiping my eyes. “Okay.”
We walked on until we reached a shiny metal bus-like thing that had a sign saying it sold tacos. David stepped up and ordered a bunch. The man on the bus gave him two bottles of drinks which David handed back to me before he paid the man.
“But I have cash,” I pouted.
David scoffed. “Keep it for when I’m not around to buy you lunch.”
We went to one of the benches and sat down. He opened the drinks and gave me a straw.
“Try them if you like and pick which one you like the most.”
I took a sip of each and took the strawberry one. We talked about how my classes were going and what David had been up to.
“Are you okay with me being a part of your witness list?” David asked.
I nodded. “I thought they would ask.”
He nodded. “I should tell you that… it might get complicated depending on what they ask.”
I frowned. “Why?”
He winced. “Because of my father… I hadn’t thought about it before, but Eva and Emily told me that there’s a good chance that they’re going to expand the investigation to try and get some information on the books about how the war ended and… the fallen pack.”
I swallowed. “They said that I have family that’s alive, but they hadn’t told me anything more.”
He nodded. “I just want you to be prepared. I don’t know if they plan to have you in the courtroom.”
“Where are you worried about?”
“He…” David’s gaze wandered away as he frowned. “My father was the leader of the Blood Moon Pack. He was known to be ruthless and cold, but not many people knew that he was an alcoholic.”
I went still, listening to him.
He winced. “From what I’ve been told by people who knew him from before I was born, he wasn't always like that. When he was younger, he was a strong and respected leader. But after my mother died... something changed in him. He couldn't cope with the loss, and he turned to alcohol as a way to numb his pain.”
I nodded. “I’m… sorry. That sounds so hard.”
“They say that when he found me again, he was better, but it didn’t last long. He hid it well from the pack. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who ever saw him like that… The smell of alcohol still makes me think of him…” He shook his head. “Anyway, I didn’t bring him up to talk about his problems but his plans. Everyone who spoke to him enough knew about his plan: to unify the three werewolf packs and take over the world."
My eyes widened. "Take over the world? How... How did he plan to do that?"
"He believed that by uniting the werewolf packs, we would become an unstoppable force. He wanted to establish dominance, to eradicate the human influence on the supernatural, to subjugate them and reshape the world according to his own twisted vision." He shook his head. “The details were fuzzy, but if there is even a chance that it had anything to do with the White Moon Pack and its fall, Tony and Matt’s lawyers are going to jump on it, as will the Council.”
He sighed. “All three packs have had issues with the Council over the years, and we all know it. Any chance to make anyone else seem worse than the other is going to be taken, and the Council can stay out of werewolf issues so long as we’re fighting each other.”
I reached out and took his hand. He looked up. "But...that's not what you want, is it? You don't share your father's beliefs?"
He shook his head. “No. I've seen too much, learned too much about the world to think that such a plan could ever work. I want to work towards integrating werewolves back into the supernatural community properly, and undo the damage we’ve done to ourselves.”
His lips twitched. “It’s funny. Tony brought up an idea at the conference, something like a werewolf UN, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean it the way it could be.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Blue Moon has always gotten the lion’s share of leniency from the Council due to their history as warriors. No one wants to really go up against them. They’re the smallest pack, but the Blue Moon genes are still strong, especially in the twins. As far as I know, Tony has been keeping the pack neutral on everything.”
He shook his head. “You can’t make changes by staying neutral. You have to pick a side eventually. Especially with the older alphas.”
He scowled. “Pretending otherwise is just trying not to get your hands dirty.”
Before I could speak, David shot to his feet and grabbed a woman’s arm.
“Let me go!”
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