C9

"Fuck, yeah. Those were the best years of our lives." There was a deep longing in her voice. "Don't you think so?"

I nodded. They were simple years, until that last year. Then everything went up in flames thanks to her oldest brother. But she didn't need to know about that. Nobody knew about it except for the two of us. The problem was that I didn't want to see Kairo again. I had no idea where he lived now, but the siblings usually remained in the close vicinity of each other.

"So, what do you say?" she asked eagerly.

Taking a deep breath, I met her hopeful expression. "I have to move, yes. But I don't want to live with you while hunting for a space. Your brothers are there, and I don't—"

"No, no, no," she cut me off quickly. "I have my own place, and my brothers have theirs. Besides, for the past few weeks, they were far north dealing with international pack matters and will slowly start spending more time there than here. In fact, that's where they'll be for the foreseeable future. It would be just the two of us. Well, Katerina is there too. She ensures the pack house runs smoothly."

I shook my head. Our lives were so vastly different that it was mind-boggling. Before I met her, I had never known a single wolf that had a cook, assistants, and an entire staff to run a household. But that was exactly how Zuri and her family lived. When we first met, I heard whispers about her family being part of a dangerous, deep bloodline network, but it was so far-fetched, I never paid it any attention. Initially, I had no clue what her family did for a living, but I knew they owned extensive lands and multiple pack businesses. During our academy years, I never asked, more interested in her friendship than anything else, so we never discussed it.

But after that night with Kairo and my mother's death, there were so many secrets revealed. I had never even fathomed my mother could have kept so many dark secrets. How did I not know? How did I not see? My mother's journal that I found after her death was eye-opening, that was for sure.

Zuri's family was part of the royal bloodline. Scratch that, they were the supreme leaders of the Nightfang Alpha Dominion. But I couldn't cast the first stone, because among all my mother's written words, I found out my true heritage, and my hidden father was a much worse rogue warlord than Kairo's father.

"I don't know," I told her honestly. "I'm not exactly in the best frame of mind."

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Both of us jumped at the door buzzer sound.

"Great moon," I muttered to myself. "I wish they would just go away."

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Zuri got up and strode to the intercom link. "Yes?"

"Miss Whitmore, I have a few questions from the pack council about—"

"Stop harassing her, or I'm calling the pack warriors," Zuri threatened.

"Just one—"

"No."

She cut the link and strode back to me, looking like a proud alpha female.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

"When was the last time you left this room?" she questioned me.

I thought back. It was the day that I was told not to come back to the sanctuary. "A week ago."

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

"That's enough of this," she exclaimed. "Spend October with me. If you don't like it in Silvermoon Hollow, we'll find some other pack lands you like. Just not in this forsaken place."

"At least the forest running is good here," I muttered.

She gave me a blank look. "That was very random, and I didn't know you still ran in wolf form."

I shrugged. "Occasionally, I do." After all, I grew up near the open woods.

"I can't just get up and leave," I told her. She might have that luxury, but I didn't.

"Yes, you can. I'll handle it all." That was the scary part. She could handle it all in a matter of hours. I knew firsthand she could handle anything and everything. "I just want one thing in return," she added, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Immediately suspicious, I watched her for any hints of trouble. "What is that?"

"You go to a special gathering with me," she grinned. I hadn't seen her in almost eight months, but sometimes she acted like we were still at the academy. And truthfully, I hadn't been to a big festival since my senior year. It was my least favourite time. The memories of that night were bitter, but I still couldn't muster the will to regret it. Nobody had ever made me feel the way Kairo did that night. "There is this underground venue, a werewolf fantasy event ground called the Eclipse Fang Manor."

My head snapped to hers. "What?"

"Yes, can you believe it!" She continued, all giddy. "Talk about a coincidence. They are holding a Blood Moon Mating Festival party. I want to go there with someone, and I know you won't ditch me. Besides, considering it matches our old academy dorm group name, it is a sign. Don't you think so?"

"I don't know if that is a good sign," I muttered under my breath while my heart sped up despite my brain's objections.

Reluctantly, I recalled what happened during the last festival night. Even after all the cruel words spoken by Kairo, my body still warmed at the memories of that night. Nobody had ever felt like him or made my wolf respond like him.

"Besides, it is you who always ditches me," I objected, pushing memories of her oldest brother out of my mind. "I'd ruin your time with my mood. I'm not exactly in a celebratory mood."

"Give it time," she quickly replied, jumping at the opportunity because I didn't shut it down firmly enough. "It is a few weeks away. I don't want to see you drag around for months and months." She referred to the last time I was dumped by the man I gave my virginity to. "You never told me who it was," she complained. "And we are best friends. We are not supposed to have secrets."

This was one secret I absolutely could not share with her. "We granted each other one secret," I reminded her.

"So does that mean you are coming?"

I knew it was time to leave this place, but after the encounter with Kairo three weeks ago at the lodge, I knew I couldn't be around him. I knew I should have mentioned to Zuri that I saw Kairo three weeks ago, but it was so much easier not to mention it. I needed more time to get over him.

He won't be there, I justified to myself.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I groaned, sick and tired of that sound.

"I'm visiting you in Silvermoon Hollow while I decide where I'm going next," I told her, my mind finally made up.

She squealed so hard, I felt a headache coming on.