His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 27

not too loud, though. I wondered if this was her car.

Unlike I thought, I couldn't fall asleep in the car. I don't know what kept me awake, despite the long trip and my exhaustion. For a while, I just stared at Liam's silhouette against the window and the city's nightlife behind him. Tonia had some jazz music on the radio, Sitting on Damian's lap, I could feel his hands gently brushing my hair. Gosh, I always feel so safe whenever I am in his embrace. I'm cold, soaked, and exhausted, yet I am content being there. What happened in just a few hours seems crazy... "You okay?" Asks Damian "Yeah, just tired.... What about Alec?"

"We caught him. Bobo is taking him to one of our houses as we speak."

"Are we heading there?"

I want to settle things with my brother now. After selling me, and trying to kill me twice, I think it is high time we have a little conversation...

But Tonia stops me in my reflections.

"No, we are not. We are headed to the hospital. Nora, in case you haven't noticed, you are bleeding."

"Well, I know, but I figured I would just... heal."

"I meant you are still bleeding."

I realize Tonia's tone was a bit worrying for a reason. I check the cut on my thigh, and it is indeed still leaking a bit of fresh blood. And it stings, thanks to the seawater. It may be deep, but I thought my wolf would have taken care of that by now! Why am I not healing?

...Can't do that.

What do you mean we can't do that? I ask my wolf mentally. How come we can't do that? Any werewolf is supposed to do that! That's part of the checklist: Shapeshifting, enhanced sense of smell, mind-linking, night vision, and healing fast! Why don't we? While I'm trying to get my wolf to talk, Damian lifts a bit of the coat, too, checking my injury with a frown. I bite my lip. Okay, this deep cut is worrying. Liam is looking, too, a bit curious. But that is only until realizing that this is still my bare leg, and thus, his brother is giving him the glare. He quickly looks away, but I'm pretty sure he is blushing. Sorry, Liam.

"Why aren't you healing?" Asks Damian.

"I wish I knew... I thought I would heal like any werewolf now that my wolf is fully awakened, but... I don't get it. Maybe it's the salt from the seawater?"

"You're not a bad spirit, Nora, salt doesn't affect werewolves..." sighs Liam.

"Maybe a witch's curse, then?"

"You mean the ones that our father would be stupid enough to keep living in a city full of werewolves instead of exterminating them...?"

I feel Damian stiffen all of sudden, but Liam apparently doesn't notice it. I knew about their father having chased all vampires and witches out of Silver City years ago- that's not a secret for anyone. He made sure it was rather... blatant. Is it the mention of their father that makes him react...?

"Liam's right, I don't think we have any witches left in the area, and anyway, I don't see why a witch would have anything against you. You were under the radar until a few days ago," says Tonia.

Well, I don't have any other idea. I keep looking at my cut, disturbed, but Damian puts his hand on it, slowing the bleeding. I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder once again. He presses his lips against my forehead gently.

"It's okay, we're almost there, baby girl."

"Thanks, Tonia, but... I don't get it. Why don't I heal? There is already too much going on with my brother and all that mystery surrounding my birth, and now this..."

Nobody answers, but I feel Damian tensing up. I should have known. If it appears that I am really unable to heal myself, my already very protective mate will probably not like it at all... We finally arrive at the hospital, but no VIP room this time. Damian carries me straight to the ER, and an old lady doctor comes to examine me. She is tall, very thin, and wears her long white hair in two braided buns. She seems acquainted with Tonia, judging how they are openly conversing about my injuries and sharing her notes. Apparently, other than my obvious cuts, I have a broken rib and a few bruises, but that's it. After a few stitches and the bandaging, I'm only left with some swelling and a blood transfusion.

Liam gives me a wink. "Not bad for a first battle."

"Nana, any idea why Nora isn't able to heal herself?" Tonia asks the doctor.

Wait, what? Does this mean this woman is actually Bobo and Tonia's grandmother? She does look a bit like the siblings now that I think about it... She has the same honey-colored skin and Bobo's greenish eyes. Well, that would explain how Tonia knows so much medical stuff.

"I don't know, sweetie. This is the first time I'm seeing such a thing. Well, you are healing a bit faster than a human, to be honest, but a werewolf would already be healed by now." "Then what is it? Maybe a spell?"

But the doctor rolls her eyes at Tonia. "What's with those stupid ideas? There is no witchcraft that can make it so that a werewolf can't heal herself. Trust me, I know enough about black and white magic to know this has nothing to do with it."

I'm even more curious now. Their grandmother seems to be even acquainted with magic, how cool is that? But she just smiles at me and shows my banded injury with a comforting smile.

"It's going to be okay. You just have to bear it the human way."

"I can do that. It's not like this is my first time..."

Liam smiles, but his brother is clearly not happy about it. He's stayed silent since the doctor came and was next to me for the whole examination, but I'm starting to think it might have been better for him to stay outside. He reacts so negatively each time I'm wounded...

We exchange a look, and he suddenly exits the room without a word. Tonia's grandma watches him go, but she clearly isn't affected by his Alpha aura. She is not one of us. Whispers my wolf.

Oh, that certainly explains it. I wonder how she got werewolves grandchildren then? After all, she still seems to know quite a lot about werewolf specifics.

"He probably just went to call Nate or Neal," explains Liam.

I nod and turn to Tonia and her grandmother.

"All right, can I go now, doctor? I have spent enough time in the hospital as it is, recently."

"Oh, you can call me Nana or Granny Adriana, sweetie. And yes, just finish up this transfusion and then you're free to go. But you should rest tonight, and make sure you eat enough, okay? You're still too thin. Antonia, tell your brothers they have to come to see their old Nana sometime."

Granny Adriana gives us a smile and exits the room. Liam and I turn to Tonia with the same smirk.

"Antonia?" I tease.

"Oh, shut up, you two. I hate my first name," she grumbles.

About an hour later, I finally exit the hospital. It is completely dark outside, but Damian carries me straight to the car despite my protest. I insist on going to see my brother, but the three of them are against it.

"You need to go home and rest, baby girl, you heard Nana. And your brother can wait."

"Don't worry, Bobo and Nate are watching him. He's not going anywhere," says Liam.

Damian doesn't say a thing, but he clearly agrees with them. He's barely said a word since the hospital. I wonder what he is thinking. But to be honest, I'm too tired for any deep thinking right now.

Once we finally reach the apartment, Damian carries me all the way to my bathroom before exiting to take a call. I can finally take the hot shower I dreamed about on the way. It was high time, because I really do stink after the battle and that short swim. Tonia comes in to help me wash my hair, since I'm too tired to stand after all that. I really have to work on improving my stamina.

When I'm done, I finally feel clean in my blue pajamas. I arrange my hair in a low bun for the night and prepare myself to sleep, when Tonia comes back carrying a tray with a three-course meal on it. I frown.

"No, don't you say you don't want it," warns Tonia. "If you do, I can call the Boss and have him spoon feed you like a baby."

I can't really say anything after that, so I let her put it in front of me on the bed. Well, it does look good. Vol Au vent, pesto pasta, and even an almond cake for dessert. I bet this came straight from Nathaniel's restaurant.

I start eating under Tonia's close surveillance. We don't really talk since she is busy texting someone and I'm lost in my own thinking. I haven't forgotten about the she-wolf that helped me during my fight and pulled me out of the water. Seeing how she called him "Nate", I guess she is related to the second brother somehow. But then why wouldn't she want him to know she was there? He didn't seem to have anything to say when she was with us at the Jade Moon territory... I wish I knew her human form or had seen her Clan marking. She said we would meet again soon, but how? I don't even know her name!

"Nora?"

Damian came back to the room, followed by Liam. Apparently, I'm not the only one that showered: The youngest brother also smells like soap. Damian, however, is still wearing his jeans tainted with my blood. I'm not done eating, so he sits in front of me on the bed while Liam walks to the window, standing next to Tonia with his arms crossed.

Damian's silver eyes are glowing in a scary manner, and I'm instantly worried. Did something bad happen?

"What is it?"

"Why does Bobo say that your brother is the guy that attacked you?"

Oh, crap.

I forgot about that. I didn't even think Bobo would be able to identify him, considering how it was raining that day, but he did chase after Alec and hurt him. He must have identified him then, and that also explains how he recognized his scent as quickly as I did earlier today. I bite my lip. Damian looks really angry, and Tonia is staring at me with wide eyes, too. I put my fork down. How do I handle this now?

"Nora!"

"Don't yell at me! Yes, Alec is the one that tried to kill me."

They all look at me, shocked.

"I thought that Marcus guy was the one!" Yells Tonia.

"No, the guy you saw that night in the alley was Alec."

"But I thought you only wanted to replace your brother to ask him about your birth thing?" Says Liam.

"Yes, that, too. But Alec does hate me, and yes, he tried to kill me."

Twice, actually, but they don't need to know that. Gosh, Damian looks furious. I feel bad for not telling them the truth from the start, but I'm a hundred percent sure he would have killed him on the spot if he knew everything.

"I knew something was odd about your brother," exclaims Liam. "When we were at the Jade Moon Clan that day, your former Alpha and that weakling girl did mention he had been wronging you. And you said he lied, too." "No wonder he wanted to avoid us so badly now," says Tonia.

The only one that remains silent is Damian, despite his fuming eyes still on me. I try to reach for his hand, but he gets up. Both of his fists are clenched.

"Damian, say something, please."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to get mad at him."

"Now, really?"

Okay, I do realize it is way too late now. He is obviously furious, and mad at me, too. I sigh, trying to replace my words.

"Damian, I need to solve things with my brother. Yes, Alec hates me, and he tried to kill me. But that is my problem, okay? I need to talk to him and solve things with him. And I can't do that if you kill him first!"

"I want to kill him, Nora! I don't give a damn about him being your brother! I'll s*******r anyone who touches you, and he f*****g tried to kill you! You would be dead if it wasn't for Tonia and Bobo! You lost your voice, and you were in a coma for days! How do you think I felt after I finally found you and yet I had to watch you while you were unconscious in a hospital bed day after day?!"

"I am mad, too! How do you think I feel after my own brother tried to strangle me? Damian, for the last ten years there wasn't a single day Alec was nice to me! He was the worst! But he is still my only blood relative left, and I need to know why he is like this! I'm not protecting him, I just want to face him myself! Damian, I need you to let me do this!"

He stays silent, and I can tell he is seriously thinking right now. Gosh, why do we always end up yelling somehow? I'm even more exhausted now. And in front of Liam and Tonia, too, though they both seem concerned.

I get up and grab Damian's arm. He ignores me, but I still hold his hand and look at him.

"Damian, please. Alec's attitude changed after my parents' death, and I need to know why. He is the only want that can help me know why my birth was kept a secret. After I talk things through with him, I promise he will be out of my life."

He stays silent for a while, then turns to me, with his ice-cold eyes.

"That's why you didn't want me to hurt him."

"Yes. You promised me, Damian."

"That was before I knew he tried to kill you!"

"Damian!"

He can't go back on his promise now! We both glare at each other for a long time. I'm not going to let him touch Alec. Then, I see his eyes shift slightly, and he points my scar.

"Is he the one that did this?"

"What? No, Alec has nothing to do with my scar, I swear."

I'm telling the truth this time, and I really hope he will believe me. He keeps staring at my scar, and I hate it. He usually ignores it, so why is he curious about it now? I tighten my grip on his hand, seeing how conflicted he is. Can't he stay here with me? I just want to go to bed, sleep in his embrace again, and forget about all this for a few hours.

But the anger in his eyes is not reducing in the slightest. I bite my lip.

"Damian, please. You promised me you won't hurt him."

He looks at me again, and all of sudden leans in to kiss my forehead, before storming out. I stay there, completely blank. Where did he go now?!