I start walking, but he just looks at me as if I was doing something stupid.
“What?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“What, are you waiting for me to shapeshift? Aren’t we supposed to get there fast?”
I shake my head. “I can’t... shapeshift. I’ve never done it before.”
He stares at me for a few seconds, shocked. “Wow, you really are as useless as you look. Okay, never mind then, let’s walk like useless humans. But you better walk fast!”
We did walk for quite a while. I hadn’t realized how far we were from the Jade Moon turf. At some point, we even took the subway when Liam realized where we were headed, and he paid the tickets for both of us. Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t ask me anything. He even took his headphones out to listen to some music on the way and asked me if I liked any music in particular. I didn’t, but he kept talking to me about his favorite groups, telling me which songs I should listen to and about the concerts he wanted to go to later that year.
“Liam? Can you tell me about your brothers?”
He looks a bit surprised by my question but put his headphones back into his backpack. We are walking through the last streets of the city now, a few minutes away from our destination. I probably should have asked earlier.
“What do you want to know?”
“I don’t know, things like... What do they do for a living? And where do they live?”
“Just that? Well, I’m not sure about what Damian does... He is a CEO, and busy with Alpha stuff most of the time. But he owns five or six buildings and some establishments in the city. Like the one you live in.”
What? I thought he earned the apartment, not the whole building!
“Nathaniel is mainly at his restaurants and clubs. He likes it, so Damian lets him runs all the resorts we have when he’s not busy with the Clan.”
I shouldn’t be so surprised... The Blood Moon Clan is the wealthiest and largest of Silver City. Even I know a few places they own and about how big their turf is. No wonder they have to split the work.
“My brothers run the Blood Moon Clan since a few years ago... Since they got rid of our Father.”
I’m stunned by how casually Liam can say such things. Is this really a thing to say out loud? And talking about Nathaniel, too, I can’t imagine him killing someone as simple as that; it sounds so... coldhearted.
But then again, they are the Blood Moon Clan.
As we get closer to my Clan’s turf -if I’m still part of it somehow-, my thoughts are no longer about the Black brother’s bloody history, but about my own dark past. I’m genuinely scared of what might happen.Will they reject me? Am I considered dead? Or as a Rogue?
I decide to head for Robert’s bar first, as it’s one of the Jade Clan’s only establishments in the city, and far enough from the main house. Moreover, if I can talk to anyone first, I would pick Elisabeth. She’s the only one I ever considered to be a friend. Liam is walking next to me, and I can see him frowning, unfamiliar with that territory. The streets we are in now are a bit too poor to be of any interest to anyone, so it’s hard to say whose turf it is.
I stop a few steps before entering the bar and try to hide my hair a bit as I put my hood on.
“The Jade Moon Clan? Seriously? You’re from this Clan of weaklings?” Scoffs Liam.
“Yes, now please, I don’t want them to notice me for now, okay?”
He rolls his eyes as he lets me enters first. Honestly, I have to say, having Liam with me is really reassuring. He is one of the Black brothers, and I’m pretty sure he can warn one of his brothers through their mind-link if anything goes wrong. Which I hope won’t happen.
At this early hour, the bar is entirely empty, as usual. And behind the counter, it’s only Elisabeth, cleaning glasses while whistling.She probably partied again last night, as I recognize her familiar messy bun, tired eyes, and jean jumpsuit. She notices us entering right away.
“Hello, what can I... Oh, Moon Goddess, Nora? Is that really you?”
She looks so shocked; she stares at me blankly for a few seconds before running to me. She pats and examines me as if to see if I’m real. Liam stays silent, but he’s looking at her like she’s some annoying fly.
“Hi, Liz...”
“Don’t act like this! You crazy girl! I thought we would never see you again after what happened!”
She’s almost yelling at me, and I feel awkward. We haven’t seen each other for weeks, and I have no idea what to tell her. For now, she just looks like she’s still in shock from my returning and sighs while looking at me.
“Oh girl, you have to tell me what happened, okay? Sit down, you can tell me all about it.”
