Forty-three

Ace pounded loudly on the door of the house where Vanessa and Cole stayed. The original owner of the house came to the door and opened it.

It was a middle-aged woman whose only child was away in college. She and Hayden’s mum were the ones who took care of him after his parents suddenly died in the army.

“Ace, how do you do? Come in, come in,” she said as soon as she saw him.

He beamed, “Sophia, hello,” he said as he entered the house, “I’m here to see Vanessa. And I brought this for you.” He presented her with a bag of groceries and a box of Swiss chocolates.

“I know you like them a lot, so I got it from my last trip with Hayden,” he explained.

“Oh, thank you, Ace. Thank you so much,” Sophia thanked him and hugged him.

She was a small woman, so she only reached his chest. Her soft scent of lavender and baby powder took him back to the days of his childhood when he had nightmares and she was the one who would comfort him, hugging him tight and then slipping under his covers and holding him until he fell asleep, comforted by her warm body and familiar scent.

His childhood bedroom was still back there. He wondered who used it now, Cole or Vanessa. Secretly, he hoped it was Vanessa.

“Is Vanessa around? I really want to see her,” Ace requested again.

A knowing look entered Sophia’s eyes and she smiled, dragging him to a sofa before she sat in front of him. She held onto the box of chocolates, but the bag of groceries lay on a side stool, temporarily forgotten.

“Tell me, Ace. Is there something between you and that vampire girl? I see you’ve been sneaking around and canoodling with each other. Many a time have I seen you hovering around this house, having secret little meetings with her, thinking I wouldn’t notice. I did, my boy, so tell me, is she your mate?” she asked suggestively.

Ace’s smile turned shy and he lowered his gaze, “Sophia…”

“Don’t ‘Sophia’ me, Ace. That girl comes in with a dazed look on her face anytime you leave, and I am certain that there is something between you two. Is she your mate?”

Ace chuckled, but he didn’t reply verbally because he saw Cole lurking from the entrance of his room in the passageway on his right.

Instead, he mindlinked Sophia with his reply, “Yes. But mindlink only. Cole is eavesdropping, and he has been threatening Vanessa. She doesn’t want him to know yet, although he suspects.”

“Okay. That’s good news. Have you told anyone else?” she asked.

“Apart from the Alpha and his mate, only you know now,” Ace replied.

Just then, the front door opened and Vanessa entered, announcing her arrival by yelling loudly, “Sophia! I got ice cream. We can have that movie marathon you wanted.”

She stopped short when she and Ace locked eyes. She dropped the bag containing the ice cream on the same side stool and walked into the living room. Ace rose to his feet, and his gaze swept over her body.

She was dressed in monochrome colours as usual, with a black crop hoodie, black jeans and white sneakers. Her sleek, straight hair was colored in a gradient of black to silver from roots to tip, and the headphones around her neck were white.

He smiled and made a tiny wave with his hand, “Hi.”

Sophie observed their spell bound state, and hid a smile. She grabbed the bag of groceries and the ice cream and retreated, mumbling something about keeping the ice cream frozen and making dinner.

“Why are you here?” Vanessa whispered.

“What do you mean? I came to see you, of course,” he replied.

“Why?”

***

Hayden was out on his random trips to the human towns when Athena came upstairs to their room. She knocked sharply on the door, and Alexia told her to enter. She was working on something on her MacBook.

“Alexia. There’s someone downstairs to see you,” she said. Alexia whipped her head to face her friend, and smiled.

“Athens. I didn’t know it was you. You said…?”

“There’s someone in the common room asking for you. I think…” she moved closer to Alexia and whispered, “I think it’s the former Luna, Hayden’s mum. She’s sipping soda and honestly, she intimidates me,” Athena confessed. Alexia was confused, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Evie Lockwood is here? In the packhouse?”

“Yes, and she’s asking for you rather insistently. Hurry up, girl!” Athena said and left the room.

Alexia was lost. Why did Hayden’s mother want to see her? She has never even had a proper conversation with her, so why? Numerous thoughts circled in her head as she put on a skirt over the shorts she wore.

Her blouse was sleeveless, but it seemed presentable, so she brushed her hair and checked herself in the mirror. Drat! Her lips were dry.

She rummaged around in her drawer for a Chapstick, but she didn’t find it, so she upturned her purse. She found it among her tube of lipstick, BlackCard, diary and hair pins and ties. She wiped it on her lips, and then she found her appearance satisfactory.

As Alexia walked down the stairs, she felt her heart speed up and her palms become sweaty. “Come on, Alexia! Get it together. She won’t eat you alive,” she scolded herself.

Right before she entered the common room, she took a few steadying breaths, then walked out confidently to meet her mate’s mother.

Evie Lockwood sat down on the sofa, back straight and appearance immaculate in her casual grey pants and loose white chiffon blouse, similar to hers.

Her brown hair was perfectly coiffed and rested daintily on her shoulders. She wore little makeup – only her lips were covered in a nude pink gloss. She nursed a glass filled with soda and ice cubes. The soda can was on the side stool next to her.

She looked up when Alexia drew nearer and smiled, exposing perfect pearly whites. Could I ever be this…perfect? She thought to herself.

“Mrs Lockwood, hello,” Alexia greeted stiffly.

“Oh, nonsense, my dear. Call me Evie,” replied Hayden’s mother in a Southern drawl.

She stood up and hugged Alexia. The gesture took her back and she just stood there awkwardly. A split second later, she released her and asked her to sit.

“How are you, Alexia dear?”

“I’m fine ma’am.”

“And how do you find the werewolf clan? I’m sure it must be dreadfully different from life in the Hunters’ clan,” Evie asked good-naturedly, taking a sip of her soda.

Alexia smiled and toyed with the tips of her long hair, “It took a while for me to get used to it, but I like it here. It’s serene, and apart from the Half-Moon battles, the Werewolf clan is peaceful and communal. It lacks this constant hard edge that the Hunters’ clan has. We’re always running on adrenaline back home. There’s a constant thrum of energy and electricity in the air back home, but here, it is calm for a change. I like that,” she explained.

Evie smiled as she listened to her. When she was done talking, she nodded, “I’m glad you like it here. And what about Hayden? Is he…?”

Alexia smiled bashfully, “Hayden has been the highlight of me being here. I mean…I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. He’s kind, sweet,thoughtful and funny…” she trailed off, staring into nothing.

“I see you like my son very much,” Evie said.

Alexia snapped back to reality and bowed her head, blushing, “Yes ma’am. I like Hayden very much.”

“That’s good. The affection you have for him will be very important when you become Luna. That affection will strengthen him, and the pack as a whole. Do you know what the function of a Luna is, Alexia?”

She snapped her head up, all vestiges of smile gone from her face. The atmosphere had suddenly turned serious.

“No, Mrs. Lockwood. I only have a vague idea,” Alexia replied.

“Tell me what your vague idea is. I want to hear it,” Evie said. She placed her empty soda glass on the side stool and faced her squarely.

“I…uh…I know that Lunas are the backbone of the pack, and the other Alpha. They help to keep the peace in the pack, and they’re like the soul and spirit of the pack. They also handle the affairs of the wolves and pups in the pack.”

Evie’s lips turned up at the corners in a smile, and she nodded. When she took in Alexia’s anxious expression, she burst into hearty laughter.

“Calm down, Alexia. You got it right. All of it. That’s what Lunas are for,” Evie said. Alexia exhaled loudly, tension melting from her shoulders.

“But do you know what it takes to be a Luna, Alexia? Are you ready to be the Luna of the Werewolves?”