His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 34

"Boss, they won't even listen to us. They..." "I said, try again."

Neal looks desperate. He gives me a glance, helpless, but I'm not sure what else I can do at this point. I don't have any better chances to convince them, and Damian's Beta probably already gave it his best shot. But the Sapphire Moon is like an iron wall and stubbornly refusing any form of communication with us. They hate us to the core and won't let any room for compromises.

The only person more stubborn than that is my brother, especially when it involves his fated mate. He has been driving all of us nuts these days. I don't know if things have gotten worse for that girl, but Damian is more adamant than ever about replaceing her. I wish we had any kind of lead to begin with. We visited five packs in the last two months, without any luck.

"Let's try again, and check other packs meanwhile, alright?" I offer, hoping to calm my brother down. "I'm pretty sure we can negotiate something with the Violet Clan," adds Neal.

"That would be easier if Liam didn't spend half of his time sneaking into their territory," growls Tonia.

Neal's younger sister gets a glare from me. Can't she shut up for once? I respect Tonia a lot as one of our best fighters, but sometimes she doesn't know when to stay quiet... Moreover, she is the one with relations in the Violet Clan, she should know better. Neal reprimands her for being insolent, but I'm focused on Damian. My brother looks like a scary shadow... His aura is growing darker and darker these days, even the Betas are starting to be unsettled around him. He is not moving an inch, standing still like a statue in the middle of the room, his silver eyes glowing in a scary gleam.

"I don't give a damn which Clan is next. Just replace her."

We all nod. Moon Goddess help us if we can't replace that girl soon...

Neal and his sister leave the room, and I'm about to do the same when Damian holds me back.

"Nathaniel, we have to talk."

To talk? He only calls me Nathaniel when it's serious... What does he want now? Is it about work again? I sigh and only go to close the door, as there's only the two of us left now. Damian still looks as imposing, but he leans a bit against his desk. "I had a talk with Isaac this morning."

s**t, what did Isaac say? Why would these two talk without me there?

"You have been seeing someone?" "Damian, I..."

"You don't need to justify yourself, Nate. I don't really care who it is, and Isaac didn't tell me either. My thoughts are, if you haven't told me before, it's because you have been protecting my feelings, or seeing someone you shouldn't be seeing. Or maybe a mix of both."

s**t. He is painfully right on the mark. How the hell did he know... Damian knows me too well, only at times like these does he remind me that he is the older brother. I sigh and nod, a bit embarrassed. This is why I keep my private life separate from the Pack and my brother's matters... To avoid having to explain myself.

"It's nothing serious, Damian. Nothing you need to concern yourself with or be curious about."

"Nate, stop acting like that."

"Acting like what?"

"Like you don't care. Don't think I haven't noticed. You have been different lately. You look... more serene."

More serene? Is that what I've been giving off? ...Indeed, I do feel a lot lighter every time I get to see Elena. Spending the night with her seems to be the best remedy against tiredness and tension from work. And I'm not just talking about the s*x. I genuinely love discussing even the most trivial matters with her. I never get bored during our dinners, she is a smart and broad-minded woman. I look forward to any of our rendezvous, or even her texts. It's refreshing, being able to reach out to her any time.

Damian is still observing me. Damn, how can he be so sharp-witted about such matters... I feel a bit embarrassed.

"Right, it's... nice. But it's not what you think, Damian."

"I don't think anything. As long as you look happy like this, I won't oppose it. You deserve some happiness, Nate."

His words shock me. Happiness? It's a word I haven't thought about in a long time... I never thought of myself as unhappy, or lacking anything before. I've been content with my life as it was. My luxury apartment, a job I love, enough spare time to enjoy a workout or any hobby of mine, and as many mistresses as I wanted.

But all of this isn't enough anymore. My mood lately has been dictated by whether I could see Elena or not. If we haven't met for a couple of days, I get irritable and moody. When I know I'll see her soon, I get impatient. And once I finally see her, everything seems great again.

Damn, know that I think about it, what a simple-minded i***t I've become...

"...Should I meet her?"

"Hell no!"

Is he crazy? Why would I introduce Elena to my brother? He is getting protective again, isn't he? There is no way and no reason for them to meet. There is nothing serious between Elena and me.

"I told you, Damian, it's not like that."

"Don't think you have to stay a bachelor, Nate. You can..."

"Why don't we focus on your mate, for now? Why are you so curious about my love life all of a sudden?"

"Precisely because we have been focusing on myself for a long time. Being worried for my mate doesn't mean I can't be concerned about you or Liam."

Damn, why does he have to experience big brother feelings now... I sigh.

"I'm fine, Damian."

"Then why aren't you moving on?"

I freeze. Not because of my brother's cold tone, but because I didn't expect him to bring that matter on the table again. I massage my neck. Don't we have enough drama going on already without bringing up old ones? I thought we were over that discussion. "It's not about Katherine, Damian. I just don't feel like having a new mate, alright?"

"It's been years, Nate. I never see you getting serious with anyone, and it's not like you don't see women anymore, from what I've heard. So what's the problem?"

f**k Isaac and his chatterbox... How is Damian so insistent? Is it because I've seen Elena more regularly compared to others? I hate being questioned and I hate being the one he's worried about. Doesn't he have enough to concern himself already with his mate and Liam?

"There is no problem. Why can't you and Isaac just accept the fact that I'm fine being free and single? I'm over what happened with Katherine, and whoever I'm seeing is nothing you need to concern yourself about, Damian."

He stays silent, and I take it as my signal he'll let me leave now. I head for the door, but just when I'm about to step out, my brother's voice elevates again behind me. "Whatever you decide to do, you know I'll back you up without reserve, Nate."

I stop.

That's the Damian I know. The older brother, the protector. Just like when we were kids. The one who had no hesitation standing between our father and us, who wouldn't flinch when taking a hit. I know we had nothing but each other, but he was the one who made all the sacrifices. He would kill anyone without hesitation for us. He already did, and he would do it again.

"...I know."

Just with that, I finally exit the office. This conversation with Damian left me with a weird feeling.

Since I started this relationship with Elena, things were crystal clear. No strings attached, just s*x. We had both agreed on it and swore it wouldn't change. After a few weeks, it became clear to me that Elena had a past, a complicated history she didn't want to talk about. I didn't want to talk about mine either, and we left it at that. There was no reason to put our feelings on the line.

I ride my bike home, reminiscing about our time together on the way. Elena and I never talked about our feelings after that. Like a thick line that neither of us is ready to cross. I had never even taken the time to think about it. Because everything was so simple. We would have s*x when we felt like it, we could talk without reserve, and there was no reason for things to get complicated.

However, things were slightly changing. I never cared about her sleeping over until Elena mentioned she didn't want to. And then it bothered me because I actually like sleeping beside her. Waking up with her honey skin next to me. Having s*x again in the morning or just replaceing any reason to caress her. But Elena refused me, and it came as a shock. What was so bad about sleeping together? I thought it over. Then, I realized. s*x friends don't sleepover. Lovers do.

Elena was the one still thinking straight, and I was the one acting unreasonably. Though, I couldn't put words on it. I just felt dejected when we couldn't see each other, but I figured it wasn't that big of a deal. When I thought I could have any girl I wanted, the only one I fantasized about was Elena again.

So, after thinking long and hard, I just decided it didn't really matter. There was no need to analyze it too deeply. If I wanted to see her, I could. If I wanted to text her, I just did. Maybe I'm just a coward, but anyway, that's what I decided. Stick to the promise and don't involve my feelings in it. All I have to do is act the same, and do what I want.

So, when I finally reach my flat, I take a long shower, and text Elena when I'm done. We haven't seen each other for a few days now, so I'm expecting a long night of wild s*x. I wait a bit and grab a pair of jeans. Still no answer. Is she busy? I pour myself a whiskey when the notification finally comes in.

... reread the text. Not feeling well? Is she sick? She's never refused to meet up with me straight out, not without proposing another day first...

After a minute of hesitation, I send a new text, asking her if she is sick. Nothing too nosy, just a friend asking about her well-being. I don't think I've ever heard her complain anytime, not even when she was covered in bruises from her training sessions. Is she mad at me for some reason? I read the text again, looking for a hint, a clue to what she's thinking. And she is not answering... Don't tell me she's really ignoring me? The notification comes in, she read the text, but she's not answering.

After a couple of minutes, I can't hold it anymore and call her. Is she going to answer? If she doesn't, it means she... "What?"

Her annoyed tone is speaking for itself. Damn, I feel a bit stupid now.

"Hi. Sorry, I was just... Are you sick?" I ask again since she ignored my text.

"... No, I'm not."

"...Are you mad at me for some reason?"

I'm really puzzled right now. Elena just sounds pissed, not sick. After a few seconds of silence, I hear a faint sigh.

"Why would I be mad at you, Nate? I'm just having a shitty day. I'm tired, and mother nature is reminding me of my female condition with those damn cramps!"

I stay stunned for a couple of seconds. Damn, I didn't even think about that. I feel so stupid now, but a bit better still. What am I supposed to say now? But before I can think of anything appropriate, Elena speaks first, with another sigh.

"Sorry you thought I was mad at you or something. It's just that it's been a while and I have very nasty ones. I'll be better in a couple of days, ok?"

"...Is it that bad?"

"Seriously, Nate, I'm not discussing my period with you!"

I can't help but chuckle. Even when she is in that state, I replace her embarrassed answer terribly cute.

"Alright, alright....Do you need anything?"

"Unless you have some miracle solution to make time pass faster, no... Danny is away on that stupid seminar anyway, so I'm just going to wait at home for it to be over."

She does sound tired, over the phone. I just nod, feeling useless.

"Ok. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll text you later."

"Bye."

She hangs up, and I stay there, a bit clueless. So, that's one mystery solved. But now I'm feeling even worse about not being able to help in some way. I don't know much about it...

I lit a cigarette and do a quick search on my phone. "Painful periods." I wander a bit on some websites, but the more I read, the luckier I feel about being a man. The exchanges on some forums are even worse. Women have a lot to deal with, and I had no idea it could be that bad...

After twenty minutes of educating myself about womanly troubles, I quit the website I was on and hesitate a bit. I keep remembering Elena's tired voice, and she sure didn't sound well. I sigh and pick up my phone again, resolute. I'm sure I saved his number before... Ah, there it is.

"...Hello?"

"Daniel? It's Nathaniel Black. I need to ask you something."