His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 24

Liam and the siblings look at me, dumbfounded. Only Nathaniel acts very calmly, going to the kitchen to grab drinks for everyone. Liam is the first one to react after a minute of heavy silence. "Wait, what?"

"It's as I said. Our mother was... mentally unstable. She was often depressed or anxious. She had been ill for a few months before it happened, and she had a sort of... crisis. She went mad and... aggressive. She stabbed my father." "The police report did mention that Alice Blackwood was under serious medication for her mental health."

I just nod. I really don't feel like reminiscing any further, so I'm not going to give any detail. This is the darkest memory of my seven-year-old self, and I don't want to linger on it any more than necessary. It seems like Nathaniel already dug up all that there was. Liam seems about to ask something again, but he is kept from it by a click of the tongue from his brother.

I take a cup of tea Nathaniel prepared and drink from it, letting everyone stay silent for a while. Bobo and Tonia are looking at me, but I don't want to seem pitiful. Liam, however, is frowning with an odd expression.

"What's with your last name, then? You told us you were named Bluemoon. Isn't that odd you don't even remember being called Blackwood at all? What about your brother? Did you guys never used either name at all?"

"I never had to. Since Vincent picked us up, l... I spent my all life in the main house. I never had to do any official documents; I just assumed everything already was in order, or that Vincent or Peter took care of it for us. Before Nathaniel brought it up, I never imagined there was absolutely nothing about me!"

"What about the school, then?"

I shook my head.

"I never went to school. The pack just gave me tasks, one after another, and no one ever brought it up. I knew how to read and write, that was enough. I just studied whatever books were in the basement with me." They look at me, clearly shocked.

I remember spending hours reading old books no one wanted over and over again, like Wuthering Heights, Metamorphoses, or Hamlet. Treasures of Literature with beautiful covers, yet no one ever looked at them. No one cared for the dusty, massive bookshelves since screens and video games were available upstairs. There were also full collections encyclopedias and dictionaries, and I just read them all to complete my vocabulary. I would even pick up history books when I was bored or couldn't get to sleep. "...Lucky you." Mumbled Liam, but Nathaniel gave him a tap behind the head

I can't help but chuckle over his grumpy teenager face. I wonder if Liam skips school often. It feels like his brothers are keeping a close watch on him, and I can't help but feel a hint of jealousy. But Nathaniel soon turns to me.

"I can't believe they didn't even bother to send you to school... It is intriguing, however, how the Jade Moon Clan also never cared about your legal existence at all. I wonder if they know anything about your origin."

"I doubt it... Vincent found us in the streets. I guess he was only too happy to replace a useful pair of orphans."

"But he never treated your brother like you?"

I brush my hair with my fingers, absentmindedly, trying to remember our first days with the Jade Moon pack.

"A bit, at first... But Alec just imposed all his chores onto me and seeing I never complained, Vince didn't really care. My brother blended more easily into the Clan, I guess. Vincent scolded him once, and Alec tried running away. He couldn't get past the warriors, but after that, Vincent officially admitted us into the Clan so we wouldn't escape anymore. Alec was ecstatic to have joined the Clan, and I... I was compliant, so that was it."

Liam growls, visibly pissed.

"I can't believe you submitted to such a weak Alpha... You should have just let me kill him the other day, Nate."

But his brother shakes his head.

"Don't be so reckless, Liam. After all, Nora needs to get back at him for all she endured. Let her give him what he deserves herself."

"You better kick his a*s tomorrow!" Says Liam.

I'm definitely not as enthusiastic as he is. They are all eager to see me get my revenge, but that's not my state of mind at the moment. Sure, I have past grievances over Vincent, but I don't have that thing for revenge. I just want to settle things once and for all, and sever my ties to the Jade Moon.

My main objective will be to get ahold of Alec. I really do hope we can catch him tomorrow, as planned. The brothers didn't really tell me what kind of preparations they have made, but it mostly must be asking a lot of people to chase after my brother once he shows up. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced he will. I just hope I'm not wrong.

"Nora, are you still okay with beginning next Monday?"

I look at Nathaniel. That's right. I told him I would accept the job. I may not be confident, but I do need a job, and I have to give it a try.

"Ah, yes. Do I need to do anything specific?"

"No, not really. Liam will come and pick you up to bring you there. For the first day, it's okay if you just stay close to Sofia, the manager, and watch how everyone works." "All right, then."

After discussing some more, Liam and Nathaniel actually stay over for dinner. Since my future boss was here, I did my best cooking, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Liam insisted on giving me pieces of advice about the fight, making me curious about how experimental he could be. For a high-schooler, he does seem prone to fights. Apparently, he's also taking boxing classes weekly, and was happy to discuss it with me. Obviously, Liam is the most hot-blooded of the three, while Nathaniel always seems hugely calm and rational. He stayed quiet for most of the dinner, but I did notice he spent a lot of time texting on his phone. The second brother's face never shows what he is really thinking. He smiles easily and can appear quite charming and polite. However, I won't forget how he was definitely the scariest one back when facing Vincent.

How can I be worried when I know those two will have my back tomorrow? As I go to bed, I look blankly at my phone's screen, wondering if I should call Damian or not. Nathaniel did mention he was busy, and... Well, he knows what is waiting for me. I wake up early.

The only one who is up before me is Liam, who's having breakfast alone in the kitchen. I salute him when entering.

"Did you have a good sleep?"

"How could I? Bobo snores like a pig." He growls. "I have no idea how you can get any sleep with him in the same room!"

I can't help but chuckle as I grab the tea.

"I'm used to sleeping with a lot of noise. The basement I was living in was directly under the recreation room, and there was always someone to watch TV or make noise until really late. I had to get used to it. And Bobo's snoring isn't that bad." He looks at me like I'm some alien, but I ignore him and sip on my cup of tea. We both stay silent for a while. He is on his phone playing a game, and I'm just watching the sunrise behind the glass wall.

"Nate is on his way." Says Liam out of the blue

"He didn't sleep here?"

They explained to me last night that the apartment downstairs was actually one of Nathaniel's places. He didn't sleep there often unless he had to work until late in one of the close restaurants, so Liam would use it every now and then. He shakes his head.

"No, he slept with one of his women."

So, Nathaniel is a player... You really can't judge a book by its cover.

"I thought he had a mate already..."

I didn't really intend to say it out loud, but Liam did hear me. He just shrugs.

"He had one. An older woman. But she was already married, and he was a nobody then. It was before brother took over the Clan. Nathaniel didn't really have anything, and that woman was with a rich guy, with the dream house and everything. She said he wasn't worth the trouble, and rejected him."

What? How heartless! I bite my lip, feeling bad for Nathaniel. How did he endure such a rejection? I can't imagine how I would have felt if Damian had rejected me... I suddenly feel something fluffy on my legs and realize Bobo is up. He casually walks past me to put his head in the fridge.

"Don't tell him I told you, okay? He doesn't like people talking about it. And he's over it now; it's been years."

I nod and take a new sip. Being a player now doesn't necessarily mean he forgot what happened... I feel bad for Nathaniel all of sudden. Now I understand better why he's the type to hide his emotions. What a heartless woman! I feel angry just thinking about it. After everyone woke up and had breakfast without rush, I head back to my room to dress up. Knowing what day it will be, I choose a comfy and sporty outfit. I will shapeshift and get dirty, no need to pretty up today. I put my hair up in a ponytail, and pick a tank top and large pants. I choose a dark sweater, and Tonia gives me a pair of sneakers, easy to take off.

I want to go upstairs and train some more, but Tonia keeps me from it, saying I should save my energy for tonight. But I don't want to do anything either. It's actually Liam who ends up spending most of his day keeping me company. He brought his school backpack, and for some reason, we ended up studying together for most of the afternoon. Solving exercises and writing lessons had the benefit of keeping me too busy to think about the fight. Around four, we paused our maths exercises and started getting ready to go. Nathaniel meets us downstairs in the garage, wearing his usual smile. He went for a more casual look than what he usually wore, so I suspect he will be ready to shape-shift at any moment, too. Liam, however, didn't even bother changing and is already in his wolf form, like Bobo. Like last time, we take two cars to go.

I start to feel nervous on the way. Tonia casually talks to me, and I suspect she's just trying to distract me. We discuss the music on the radio, what weather to expect for the coming days, and clothing. None of the three are really interesting for me, and I just try to think about the fight.

I wonder a few times why Nathaniel picked East Point Ground. It's a large plaza in the middle of the industrial area, covered in graffiti and on open grounds. It's a place where bikers or delinquents could gather at night to drink. However, it is not usually crowded, unlike tonight. When I exit the car, I'm shocked. There are over three hundred people!

And I suddenly get why Nathaniel specifically selected this spot: It isn't part of any turf. Hence, a lot of people from neither the Jade Moon or the Blood Moon Clan came to watch our match. Duels for the Alpha position are usually private matters inside a pack, but here it is obvious the Black brothers want to make this public. Once again, I feel that Nathaniel has a lot more in mind than he let on.

A lot of people are eyeing me as I exit the car, most of them who I don't know or recognize. With both Bobo and Liam in their wolf forms next to me, however, I don't feel as intimidated as I could have been. On the contrary, I can't help but look at the crowd. People from other Clans came to watch the fight. I recognize people wearing markings from the Sapphire Moon Clan, the Gold Moon Clan, or the Rising Moon Clan. To my surprise, even a few members of the former Snow Moon Clan are there, too. Don't they have a terrible history with the Blood Moon Clan? But they are clearly harboring the White Moon marking... How odd.

Of course, almost all of the Jade Moon Clan is there, too.

Almost all of them are glaring at me. I suppose that's what I should expect, considering the situation. Most of the Clan is supportive of Vincent, of course. He is a carefree leader, letting his people do whatever they want most of the time, as long as they didn't cause any trouble. He only focused on his hunters and warriors most of the time.

I finally see him among the crowd. He is discussing with his wife and a young man who must have been chosen as Peter's replacement as the Beta. He looks tired, has dark circles under his eyes, and his beard is messy. When his eyes replace mine, he frowns and ignores me. I wonder if he is having regrets now...

Nathaniel's arrival causes a lot of people to react. I see a lot of people suddenly staring, and they move to not be on our way to the center of the plaza. The only ones that didn't move are people of the Blood Moon Clan, and others with a red moon mark that must be Nathaniel's Velvet Moon Pack.

I see him smiling. Is he excited about the fight? Or because of the large crowd? I don't understand why they made sure a lot of people could see it... I realize that Bobo is moving his head non-stop, and I realize he must be scanning the area, searching for Alec. I had almost forgotten about my brother. I'm still clueless about how many people are actually going to help us catch him. I start looking around, too, but Nathaniel walks up to the center of the plaza.

"Good evening, Jade Moon Clan. I see you didn't dare to run away from this."

"I'm not going to run away and leave my turf in the hands of a brat," growls Vincent.

"We will see that with the outcome of this fight, won't we? So, do you recognize that if Nora wins, you will let her entirely decide of your pack's fate?"

Vincent looks at me, seeming hesitant. He must be wondering if I really do have a chance to defeat him. Honestly, I don't feel too confident right now. I don't trust my Alpha blood as Nathaniel and Tonia do. I don't have much experience shape-shifting, and I've barely started learning how to fight. For most people, this would seem a lot like suicide.

However, inside, my wolf is already growling. The battle has already begun, though nobody else can see it. Vincent and I are staring at each other, judging our strength, testing our wolves. I know what his wolf looks like. I know he must be growling just as much as mine right now. It is way too late to back down.

"I will, only on the condition that you guys let us have a fair fight. No interference of your people to help her. She must fight me alone."

Nathaniel puts on a shocked expression, looking a bit too dramatic to be true.

"Oh, you think we would actually cheat?"

He steps closer to Vincent, and I can tell the Alpha is fighting hard against his instincts not to step back. They may both be Alphas, but the difference is clearly showing. Anyone watching can tell who has the upper hand. Nathaniel whispers to answer him, but somehow everyone can clearly hear him.

"If we wanted to cheat, we would not bother to organize a fight here and now. If we wanted an easy win, I would have taken my warriors to kill your pathetic lot of dogs on the day Nora lead us to you. You wouldn't have a chance to answer back, and you wouldn't be standing on your two feet." Vincent is obviously shaking with fear. The ice-cold look in Nathaniel's eyes is terrifying, even for him.

"So now, you're going to be a good boy and let our precious princess beat you all she wants to settle for everything you have done to her. And I can predict you're going to think this is heaven compared to what my brother and I have in store for you once she will be done."