"Are you sure you're okay?"
I nod, but I can't help but grimace when she puts the ice pack on my forehead. Damn... I didn't realize I would have so many bruises. My wrist is perfectly fine, but every other part of my body has been aching like crazy since I woke up. Kelsi gathered all the towels she could find to make little homemade ice packs... It helps with the bruises, but my sore muscles are probably the worst... It took me forever just to freaking stand up.
Next to us, Ben is loudly eating his bowl of cereal, and Kelsi glares at him. He was the last one up, and not as concerned as she'd like him to be about my current state. Plus, thanks to our drinking last night, she is a bit hungover and not enjoying that... I guess she decided to blame the extra shots of free vodka on him. He chuckles.
"I swear she went easy on you, Mara. Selena is probably one of the strongest wolves in Silver City."
I roll my eyes. Those damn werewolves and their crazy standards. If they could just stop saying that she went easy on me so I can keep whatever self-esteem I have left and suffer in peace...
"I thought she was the strongest?" I retort.
"Well, the top ones have never fought, so..." Ben shrugs with a mouthful, "it's hard to rank. Basically, the King is probably at the top, but I'd say she's a close second."
"I thought there were two Lunas?" says Kelsi. "What about the King's wife? Isn't she stronger?"
"Oh, she's not much of a fighter... I mean, she's crazy strong, but just not as much into fighting. She's a healer, so she's got the other side of the job."
"A healer?"
Ben nods.
"The two Lunas are a bit special... They are cousins and have some super-powerful werewolf blood in their veins. We call them Royals, when a werewolf's blood is almost completely pure of any human blood, though it's extremely rare nowadays. Selena and the Black Luna are like that, and their children too. It gives them something like more strength, better werewolf abilities, and some extra powers."
"Extra powers?"
"Yeah, from all the extra werewolf juice, it makes them a bit special. Well, Selena can mind-link with humans, and the Black Luna has healing powers."
Kelsi frowns, trying to remember everything we learned so far. We exchange another glance. Healing ability and being able to mind-link with people other than werewolves? That does sound a bit special, in the paranormal range; not that I can compare with my own abilities we are learning day by day, but...
"So the... White Luna is the fighter, and the Black Luna is the healer, but the latter is married to the King?" I say, trying to remember all of my notes.
"Yep."
"...And the White Luna is actually the King's sister-in-law...?"
Ben puts his empty bowl down in the sink, still nodding.
"Yeah. The Lunas are cousins, their husbands are brothers. The four of them lead two of the most powerful clans of Silver City, pretty much all of the werewolf territories. Easy to remember, right? Selena's husband you saw last night, he's crazy strong too... He scares a lot of people, actually. But he's the King's brother, so I guess that should be a given?"
I sigh. I'm starting to comprehend the werewolves' dynamics, but this is really not helping me understand their relationship with the previous witches. One they loved, the Good Witch Sylviana, and one they hated, the Dark Witch Nephera. That is all I got so far. I feel like I am gathering more questions than answers...
I suddenly remember a question that has been bothering me since last night, about Selena's husband. I wouldn't have dared to ask them directly, especially since that Alpha was so scary, but... I glance at Ben. He's now cleaning the dishes while whistling a bit, his back turned to us.
"Ben, about... her husband's arm..."
He suddenly freezes and hesitates. Crap, did I ask something I shouldn't have? Kelsi bites her thumb too, glancing at Ben. I'm thinking maybe he doesn't want to answer that, but just then, he shuts off the water tap and turns to me with a sour expression.
"I'll tell you, but... never talk about it in front of Selena, okay? It really upsets the Luna whenever someone brings it up."
I nod and Ben sighs.
"...He lost it during the war with the witches. It was... cut off."
Kelsi makes a horrified expression, a bit shocked. Damn, I knew there was a war, but this is the first time I actually saw a... real consequence of it. It was hard to think about it as someone else's death, but the image of that missing arm really marked me last night.
"Doesn’t the Luna have healing powers...?" asked Kelsi.
"No. We didn't find his arm until after the fight was over, so... there was nothing that could be done. That was the kind of injury the Luna couldn't do anything about, and Selena is really mad about that, so never ask again, okay?"
