“You shouldn’t go alone. I’m coming.”
I see him take off his shirt, and he suddenly shapeshifts in front of us into his large wolf form. I roll my eyes, and Gloria gasps at his enormous size.
“Bobo! How stubborn can you be!”
“Never mind. As long as this one stays here, you can come in,” says Gloria, pointing at Liam.
I guess this is all because of him being a Black Brother. Liam and I exchange a look, but he seems okay with it. I don’t feel good about leaving him alone, though. I turn to Gloria. “You do realize that if anything happens to him, the Blood Moon Clan will react, right?”
She stays silent, but Liam sighs.
“Same for you, Nora. Let’s both stay safe, all right?”
I nod and glare one last time at the woman, using my wolf to make her feel it. If anything happens to Liam, I won’t stay still, either. She avoids my eyes and opens the door for me.
I step into a large office, Bobo behind me. It smells like old books, ink, and dust in here. It lacks sunshine, too, so much that the place is a bit suffocating. Half of the walls are actually covered by bookcases, filled with many more old books than I’ve ever seen in my whole life. The place is so large and dark, I have to keep walking in until I finally see a large leather couch facing a wall. When I turn around to see what that couch is facing, I almost fall on my knees.
A portrait. A large portrait of a woman sitting with a white wolf. I stay stunned in front of her, unable to speak. Moon Goddess mother, I can’t believe it. Why does that woman resemble me so much?
I keep staring at the painting, at a loss for words. That woman is sitting straight and fierce like a queen, a hand on her white wolf. Is that wolf meant to be her other shape? Or just a pet? Her dress is as white as its fur, sparkling and spotless. More than that, I am mesmerized by her eyes. The very same color as mine, a very peculiar night blue shade. If the portrait wasn’t so large, it might not have been as obvious, but this one is covering the whole wall. I can very clearly see each and every detail of her face. A face so much like mine.
The more I look, the less I can believe it. If it wasn’t for a few details, this could even be taken as my spitting image. However, that woman doesn’t have any scar, and a few of her traits are different, too. Her nose is a bit more crooked, and her lips are fuller. My hair is a dark brown, almost black, while hers is a bit lighter, of a caramel brown, but just as curly. Is that a... tiara on her head? Now that I’m thinking about it, her dress doesn’t look from this area, either. More like something from the previous century. This portrait looks quite old, as well. Nothing on the background can give any clue— that woman sits alone against a dark blue curtain. I don’t understand.
Who is this woman, and what is this portrait? It’s so imposing, with a gold frame like the one you would see hanging in some old castle. That woman looks important no matter how you look at her. Her expression is hard to decipher. She looks very fierce, but I feel like she could be very gentle, as well.
Bobo suddenly starts growling, and I finally look away from the painting. I didn’t notice the desk hidden in a corner. An old man is sitting behind it, staring straight at us. He looks about fifty, maybe older. His hair is white, but long and scattered on his head, giving him an odd look. I don’t like the way he is staring. My wolf starts growling, too, feeling threatened.
“Who are you?” He asks in a very annoyed tone.
No one told him? I thought the Sapphire Moon wolves had given him information. Or is he testing me? His Alpha aura is quite imposing. Not as much as Damian, but quite close, I would say.
I breathe in and turn towards him. “My name is Nora Bluemoon. I came to talk to the Sapphire Moon Alpha.”
“What do you want, child?” He talks with a scorched and drawling voice that gives me the chills. This man has something scary about him. Next to me, Bobo won’t stop growling, his whole body bent around me in a protective stance, so close I can’t take a step without pushing him.
What do I say now? The Witch guided me here, and until now, I was so focused on getting here that I never stopped to think about what I would actually say or ask once I did. Think, Nora. The Clans, the war.
“I came to ask for the peace,” I blurt out.
This sounds so childish and stupid, even for me.
“...The peace?” Repeats the old man coldly.
“That’s right. I know you hate the Blood Moon Clan, but we cannot afford any inner battles right now. Something much worse is coming, something dangerous and threatening our city.”
I realize how real this is as I speak. It’s as if the danger was at our doors and ready to hit us like a hurricane. As she said, that other Witch will strike again, and we should be prepared. A war among the packs is not something we can afford now.
Facing me, the old man scoffs. “Is that all you have to say, child?”
“Don’t you believe me? This is serious, if—”
“I do not care for anything you have to say. Why would you actually dare to come here and plead for that wretched, vile, obnoxious group of mutts?”
What the...? I just can’t believe how much hatred and disgust he just spat those words! I can feel my skin crawl hearing that! Calling Damian’s pack a group of mutts? How insulting can this old man be to my mate! My wolf is outraged, and I have a hard time staying calm, too. I need to keep a clear mind, but that man is not making things easy.
I breathe in. “The Blood Moon Clan is not looking for trouble. Every pack can remain in their own territory, and we can keep things as they are. If you do not seek war, we—”
He suddenly slams his hand on the table, making me jump in surprise. Bobo growls even louder and uses his body to push me back, putting more distance between the Sapphire Moon Alpha and me.
