His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 22

I keep punching, aiming right at the targets like Tonia told me. I'm sweating like crazy, as I have been at it for two hours now. But I'm genuinely feeling great. I finally got back to the gym, and I really missed our morning workout sessions. She lets me hit a couple more times the target, encouraging me all along. When we finally stop, I'm panting. "You're doing great, baby girl!"

"I still feel this is never going to be enough, Tonia. Nathaniel is crazy."

She rolls her eyes and helps me take off the gloves. We are both wearing dark workout outfits, but that makes the difference between us all the more visible. Tonia is one head taller than me, and she shows a lot more muscles under her tan skin. Even if I did gain a few new pounds and can now last longer at training, I still feel like I'm lacking and weak. How am I supposed to defeat a grown man, an Alpha to boot?

"No, it will be enough. It's all in the head, baby girl. What you need is to work on is your willpower, and to avoid being hurt."

Here we go. They both have this crazy theory that I would have some Alpha potential, enough to be able to make Vincent submit. I know he is not the strongest Alpha around, but still, I'm just a teenage girl who's only known how to take a hit before! I shake my head. "Tonia, you overestimate me. I can only stand Damian's gaze because he is my mate, not because I can actually dominate an Alpha!"

"Not only the Boss, Nora. Do you realize you've done it with all the Alphas you know? Even Liam asked about it. None of his friends can talk back to him like you did. I couldn't, and my family is pretty strong! But we are wolves, and wolves stick to their ranks. And I tell you, your wolf should never have submitted to that pathetic guy in the first place."

I feel a growl inside. My wolf agrees with her. She never wants to submit again, and she's quite angry about it. What, you've been hiding for years, and now you're ready to go all claws out against Vincent? I sigh. The new mystery about my birth that unexpectedly arose since Nathaniel came has me thinking a lot, too. I remember my parents. I know I looked a lot like my dad, and he loved me lots. My mother, on the contrary, was more distant, and Alec took mostly after her. They fought a lot, even if I don't much remember what it was about. While thinking it over last night, I remembered something Alec said: "Whose fault is it that I am an orphan?"

What could he mean by that? We both lost our parents in the most tragic way. I still remember that day vividly, but Moon Goddess, I don't want to reminisce. I've already lost most of my childhood memories because of that memory... But because of that, I can't remember meeting Damian, either.

I haven't seen him since our kiss yesterday, but I understand he's working. I called him this morning to thank him for the job at Nathaniel's restaurant, and let him know I was feeling a lot better now. It felt great, being able to communicate normally with him, though I blushed the entire call. He even said I should go out shopping with Tonia. I feel like they have something planned, but I don't mind.

When we go back to the apartment, I take a well-deserved shower, as usual, and take my time dressing up for once, since we are going out. We're now at the end of November, so I go for white pants, a pretty cobalt blue sweater, and some brown leather heels. I'm still inspecting myself in the mirror, unsure about my choice when Tonia comes in. She is wearing her black leather pants, an assorted jacket, and a sexy white top with only one strap. She whistles when she sees me.

"Hello, baby girl," she says with a playful smile. "Damn, I wish I was as thin as you, you look like some princess from a fairy tale! Oh wait, you need some accessories. Let me pick some for you."

"I look like a fragile child," I sigh while putting on the silver earrings and bracelets she gives me.

I've always hated my thin and small build. Maybe it's from malnutrition, but I've always been one of those petite, slender girls. I wish I had some more curves and muscles like Tonia. Damian looks so tall next to me! Thinking about his build makes me reminisce the touch of his hands on me... I get a hot shiver. It still seems so unbelievable. Damian always treats me like I'm some precious flower, yet when I look in the mirror, all see is this horrendous scar on my face...

"Nora?"

Tonia is looking at me, worried. I unconsciously brought my finger to touch my scar, following the long red thread, running from my right eyebrow to my jaw. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"Your scar... You never talk about it. How did you get it?" She asks while sitting on my bed.

What do I say? An accident? It was not precisely an accident... I bite my lip, trying to look for some explanation that won't leave her to shocked. I really don't want to get into the details, but I don't want to lie to Tonia again, either.

"It was some sort of... domestic incident, I guess? With a knife. But that's from when I was very young. But I don't want to talk about it, Tonia, sorry."

She nods, still frowning. But I don't want to talk about this memory. Not now and not here. I put on a smile, and grab a coat.

We head outside, with Bobo following us as usual. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever see him in his human form at all. The elevator takes us to an underground garage, and Tonia heads for a black SUV that looks brand new. Bobo jumps on the back seat while Tonia and I take the front, and she starts driving out.

I'm so happy to go outside again! I aim to open my window, but Tonia closes it as soon as I do.

"No, no, baby Girl. Too dangerous."

I frown. Why can't I open the window? It's not like some sniper is after me! I pout, but I don't want to argue with Tonia when we just barely exited the building. Now that I think about it, the car does seem to have tinted windows. They are not kidding about my security... It's almost like I can see Damian's shadow surrounding us.

"Tonia?"

"Hm?"

"What is Damian's job exactly?"

She thinks for a while before answering me. She looks so severe while driving, but she put on some aviator glasses and rock music on the stereo, which also makes her look totally cool.

"Basically, a businessman. The Boss runs the Black Group along with his brother Nathaniel, so that includes a few companies. He is the CEO and main owner, so he has to show up to meetings every now and then. He's really good, but he hates going to those and always says they don't need him. He sends our brother, Neal, to replace him sometimes, but according to him, they all go crazy when the Boss is not there."

"Is that why you always call him Boss?"

She laughs at my question and plays with her ring while waiting for the light to go green.

"Sort of. It's Bobo who started, actually. Since we are werewolves, there are always big internal struggles with the money, deeds, and who gets more power and stuff. It's like a Mafia, and the Boss certainly works that way. He never forgives anyone who oversteps their boundaries or tries to double-cross him. He has them all shaking whenever he enters a room. Thanks to that, it's going smoothly, but trust me, some guys can never sleep well."

This doesn't come as a surprise to me. Saying that it works like a Mafia doesn't only apply to Damian's group, but all the packs as well. It's all about power between werewolves. We learn to respect and submit to the strongest, and fight to survive. The wars for territory are no joke. Some packs are known to be more peaceful than others, but no one wants to step a foot on the wrong turf.

Considering this, the Blood Moon Pack needs just as many assets to strengthen its power over Silver City. Being a strong wolf means nothing if you have to beg others for money, or don't have a proper place to let your pack live in. But from what I've seen so far, Damian doesn't have this kind of problem... I wonder how and when he got that powerful.

Tania finally parks in front of a colossal shopping mall I've never seen before. She is smiling so brightly it's almost blinding.

"Here we go! Shopping time!"

Bobo lets out a low growl, and I'm pretty sure he's not as enthusiastic as his sister.

And I soon understand why. It was nice for the five or six first shops we visited. Tonia loves to try lots of different things, dress me up like a doll, and run around to see what she might have missed. Her shopping technique is a bit scary, as I've never seen someone pick out clothes so fast. And only brands too! I feel a bit shy standing in the middle of such high-class items, but Tonia clearly is used to it. I wonder how she gets the money to pay for all that, though she only buys one-tenth of everything she tries. I try to keep her from buying me things, too, as my wardrobes are already full, but she doesn't care. She even buys some clothes for her brothers. When we are exit our tenth shop, I'm carrying more shopping bags than decent, and my feet are killing me. I have to beg Tonia for mercy.

"Tonia, I'm just going to grab something to drink. Can you meet us at the café we saw upstairs earlier?"

"Sure, sure. But stay with Bobo!" She says while looking into a pair of jeans. "Promise."

The big wolf is only too happy to accompany me to the third floor and escape his sister's shopping marathon. We walk away side by side and, once again, I wonder how come nobody says anything about the enormous beast walking around in broad daylight. We replace a table in a corner, and Bobo hops on the bench. I order two lemonades since I've seen him drink some at home. Gosh, I'm so tired! I don't know how Tonia can run around on her heels all day.

The mall is actually not so crowded. It's a Tuesday, after all, so no surprise there. I like this place, it's all white, rather neat, and clean without being too pompous. There are three floors, the two upper ones being open so we can see downstairs. I like to look around to watch what people are doing. It's mostly early Christmas shoppers, I would say. December is already starting next week, after all.

I wonder if I should get a Christmas present for Damian... The only person I got a gift for each year was Alec, but he always rejected it. Even if I couldn't take part in the party, I liked Christmas with the Jade Moon Clan a bit. Mostly because I could spend all day in the kitchen to prepare the Christmas dinner.

But what should I get him? He must be so rich, and I have yet to make any money! Damian owns buildings, companies... What could I possibly offer him that he can't get himself?

While I'm lost in thoughts, I suddenly get a chill. My wolf starts growling, and I instinctively get on my guard, too. I feel like someone's observing me. I look around, but aside from us, the café barely has more than a couple of customers. I still can't shake off this uneasy feeling. Something's off.

"Bobo?"

He has started growling, too, and steps back until he's against my leg, in a defensive position. We wait, looking all around to understand what's going on, but for a while, nothing happens. The uneasy feeling gradually disappears, and after a couple of minutes, I see Tonia running towards us.

"Nora! What's wrong? Bobo said something was happening!"

"I don't know. I feel like someone was watching me. I'm not sure, and we saw no one." I answer while looking nervously around me.

Tonia looks all around us, too, but everything seems normal. I'm sure someone was staring at me, and it gave me the creeps. My wolf instincts don't lie.

"Whatever it was, it's gone... But I don't like this. If someone's watching you, that's no good, Nora."

"Could it be someone else Damian sent to protect me?"

But Tonia shakes her head.

"No. He only trusts Bobo and me for your security. He would have told me if anyone else was supposed to watch you. And Bobo didn't pick up any familiar scent either; it's definitely not someone from our pack."

She sits, still on her guard. But I think whoever it was is gone... Tonia then grabs one of the bags and gives it to me. I frown while opening it, and turns out it contains a small box wrapped with a Christmas-themed paper. She gives me a smile. "Sorry, it's for your birthday, but they only had this kind of wrapping. An early birthday present, though you should have had one sooner."

I open the present, curious to know what it is. It's a brand-new smartphone! I know this Korean brand, and it's the latest model, too! Tonia even picked a white case and some very girly and shiny stickers so I can decorate it. It's already on and unlocked, and in the contacts, she already put her number, as well as Damian's.

Without warning, I can't help but let out a few tears.

"Nora! What's wrong, baby girl, why are you crying? Don't you like it? Should I have picked a different model? Or is it the color?"

She is so panicked about my tears that I can't help but laugh at her questions. I wipe out my tears to answer, a bit embarrassed to be crying in public.

"No, no, Tonia, it's awesome, really. I... I just... I haven't received a present in a while. It's been years, so I'm really touched. Thank you so much."

"Oh Nora, you are so cute..."

She comes and gives me a hug. I really am sincerely touched. Back in the Jade Moon Clan, nobody cared about my birthday-most of them didn't even know when that was. Even Alec gradually forgot about it, since he didn't care anyway.

Tonia orders a coffee and takes her time showing me how it works since it's my first time using one. Her phone is the same as mine, except that she chose the gold model and even put small diamond stickers all over it. Tonia explains the most basic features to me but suggests I get a mailbox and some games on it later. Apparently, she uses her own phone a lot.

"Does Bobo have a phone?"

She nods and takes a second phone out of one of her jacket inner pockets, a black one. This one is an older version and looks used.

"I keep it for him most of the time. He doesn't like using it too much anyway, except for listening to music. He loves Latino stuff, like reggaeton."

"Really?"

It's funny to imagine that this big, lazy, and aloof wolf loves dancing music! Tonia nods with a smile while petting her brother's fluffy ears. I noticed Bobo really loves to be pet, like a house dog.

"You should see him dancing! It's the only time he doesn't want to sleep. Put the big boy on a dancefloor, and he becomes a real killer. We will take you out dancing someday!"

"I want to see that someday, Bobo!"

We laugh a bit, but then I focus again on the smartphone. Tonia shows me a few more things, and I think I understand quickly enough how it works. She lets me use it for a while as she drinks her coffee, and I even download and try a cooking game for a bit. "Okay, enough playing Nora. How about trying to make a call?"

Her smile speaks volumes about who I should try to call, and I blush immediately. To call Damian? Out of the blue? What am I supposed to tell him?! What if he is busy? I ponder for a while, but I really do want to try calling him. Okay, but if I'm to call him, I need some intimacy! I get up and exit the café to stand in the hall, and Tonia and Bobo can still clearly see me from the glass wall, as I'm barely a few steps away.

I try to ignore the fact that Bobo will probably be able to hear me since he is in his wolf form, and I call Damian. It rings for a while, and I wonder if he might be busy, like in a meeting or something. But all of sudden, someone picks up. "Who is this?"

I frown. It's a masculine voice, but not Damian's. I don't think it's Nathaniel either, and I don't recognize that tone at all. Did Tonia put the wrong number?

"Hum, hello, is this Damian... I mean, mister Black's phone?" I mumble, confused.

"It is. I asked who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, it's Nora, Nora Bluemoon."

"Nora? Oh, sorry; wait a second."

His tone changed completely as soon as he heard my name! I hear someone immediately pick up the phone, and this time, I hear Damian's voice. "Nora?"

"Damian! Hi... Sorry, I... Tonia got me this new phone, and I wanted to try calling you. Are you busy?"

Gosh, I'm sure I'm so red right now. Calm down, Nora, calm down.

"No, no, it's okay, sorry about that. Neal usually answers when it's an unknown number. I'll be sure to save it for next time. How are you? Everything okay?"

Oh, so that voice was Bobo and Tonia's older brother! I forgot he was Damian's Beta. What's with him and having others answer his phone, anyway? Last time it was Nathaniel, too. So intimidating!

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Tonia took me to this really big mall today, so we are out shopping. It's nice to go out. Oh, but Bobo is with us, so don't worry."

"I know, Tonia texted me. Did you replace anything you like?"

"A few things, yes. Tonia is good at choosing for me; actually, I don't know how she can pick so many clothes so fast!"

"You should choose things you like, too, Nora. Don't let Tonia do it all for you."

"I choose a few things... But I... I don't really have any money yet, so...."

"Who cares? I own this mall. Pick whatever you like, Nora."

Ohm Moon Goddess. Of course, he owns this mall, too... That's probably why Tonia picked this one in the first place. For some reason, I feel so embarrassed now. I blush and nod, before remembering he can't see me. Let's just change the topic. "....Are you at work?"

I hear a sigh on his end.

"I am. Getting ready for a meeting."

"Tonia told me you... scare your associates."

"I do. People work faster and better when they think I will kick their asses if they don't."

I chuckle a bit. We both stay silent for a while, and I replace myself brushing my hair with my fingers absent-mindedly.

"....I love to hear your voice." He suddenly says, making me blush

"I love to hear yours, too," I whisper, embarrassed. "When can I see you again?"

"I'm busy with work, for now, since I missed a lot recently... And Neal is glaring at me right now, so I guess it will be hard to take some time off. But you can call me anytime."

"Okay, I'll do that, then."

"I gotta go. I'll call you later."

He hangs up, and I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed. I know he is busy with work, but still. I feel like we only talked for, like, two seconds. I bite my lip.

While I was about to go back inside the café, my eyes suddenly catch a movement in the corner. I turn around, and I see him. He is wearing a black cap and a large jacket. He is looking straight at me from across the hall.

Alec.