His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 56

The next morning, I wake up on the couch. I fell asleep there, listening to Damian's voice. My first reflex is to check that his message wasn't deleted or anything, but it seems like my phone archived it on its own. It turns out the battery is almost dead because it

stayed online most of the night. I use the last of it to listen to Damian's message one more time.

It feels so unreal... Every time I hear it, I'm brought to tears. His voice breaking, his words, repeating how much he loves me. It takes me a few minutes to calm down. My wolf, too, is going crazy, begging to see Damian. I have a hard time taming her, and my heartbeat is going wild. Is the room spinning? And I feel hot all of a sudden...

I hear Elena's voice, calling my name. What is wrong with me? I'm burning from the inside. A fire is raging from below my stomach, consuming every bit of my body, reaching all the way to my fingertips. It's like I'm one with my wolf, longing for Damian like never before. And my heart is bursting like it's about to get out of my chest. I'm so hot! I can't take it. Why can't I calm down?

When I wake up, I'm feeling cold. Elena is next to me, gently caressing my hair. I recognize her living room; I'm still on the couch... What happened? I'm so thirsty! She notices I'm awake when I try to sit up. "Nora! How do you feel?"

She helps me sit up, but all I can think of is this hellish thirst.

"Elena, can I get some water?" I ask with a really raspy voice. "Oh, sure!"

She hands me a water bottle, and I start drinking like I haven't had any in weeks. Once I'm done, I feel a lot better. Daniel takes the bottle away, and Elena smiles to me and puts her hand on my forehead like a doctor. "You should feel a lot better now. Do you still feel hot?"

I shake my head, still confused. "Elena, what's going on? What happened?"

"I found you there this morning; you looked very sick. I thought of taking you to the hospital, but after a while, I figured you were just in... heat."

It takes me a while to process what she just said. In heat? I turn red.

"Don't worry, it's a natural phenomenon. Not as common as people think. It only happens to female werewolves who have met their fated partner but have yet to mate with him. Your wolf is looking for her partner, basically."

So, this happened because I haven't had... s*x with Damian yet? I'm red with embarrassment, and I see Daniel trying to keep himself from laughing. Elena throws a cushion at him to make him stop. "Don't laugh, you i***t, it's not funny!" "Nora's wolf is more honest than she is!"

This time, it's my turn to throw a cushion at him. Elena sighs and ignores him. "Don't worry, I asked help from a friend, and she gave you a... natural medicine that suppressed most of the effects. If you had gone to a hospital, they probably would have filled you with drugs to calm you down. What we gave you is much better for your body. You will feel normal, and no one but your mate will be able to tell the difference."

"You do smell weird," says Daniel with a frown. Elena nods.

So that's why I actually feel a bit cold instead of hot... And I don't feel my wolf either; it's like she is half-asleep. It's not too disturbing, though. And she is quiet, for once. It really doesn't feel like a d**g; it's different. Like I'm in a very calm, relaxed state, which seems natural to me, as she said. "Thank you, Elena. How long will it last?"

"She said the heat would subdue in a few hours since it's the first time and the ma... medicine will take care of it until the end. But it will surely happen again, so... Well, I would say you should be okay for a month."

I blush again. Does that mean I have to sleep with Damian before it can happen again? Gosh, this is so embarrassing... And it's kind of the worst timing, too! Why is my wolf doing this to me now?! Is it her way of telling me I'm too stubborn now? I can't believe I'm in heat... Thank god it didn't happen while I was in a public place or anything.

"How do you feel, Nora?" Asks Elena, concerned.

"I'm cold and... tired, actually."

She nods and gives me an extra blanket. "Sounds right. You can sleep anyway; it's Sunday. Will you be okay going to work tomorrow?"

Right, work... I can't believe I have to go to work after everything that happened. It feels a bit surreal, but after all, I wanted this job. I nod. I may not be too happy with it for once, but I guess I have to. And it's not like Damian will come, anyway. "Okay. Well, just rest for today, Nora."

I spend the Sunday resting on Elena's couch. I feel cold and a bit drowsy for most of the day, and when I'm not talking to Elena or Daniel, I feel sleepy and went go to sleep naturally. All those semi-naps allow me to take time to think, a lot. About Damian, and our relationship. What I want to do next. About the whole situation of Silver City, too. Sadly, I can't come up with any solution regarding the Clans.

Regarding my mate, however, I know exactly what my feelings are.

When Monday comes, Bobo brings me some of my clothes from the apartment. Elena lent me hers for the weekend, but she is taller than me, and I need to wear my own clothes for work. I put on a denim skirt and a white top, my earrings, and my necklace, and Bobo drives me to work after breakfast.

It feels good, to be back to work. Because there is so much to do, I don't have time to think about anything else. Chef Michel keeps me busy all day, and every other minute, Narcissa is the one giving me chores. During my break, Liam and Tonia send me messages to hear some of my news. Honestly, I'm fine.

I feel better than I have been in a long time. Once my shift is over, Bobo comes to pick me up as promised.

"Are we going back to Elena's place?" He asks while starting the car.

"No, Bobo. Can you bring me back to the apartment? I want to take a shower and change. I will go see Damian after that."

"Okay."

The apartment is just as I left it, but colder. Bobo waits for me while I take my shower. It feels good washing my hair after a long day of work, and I take some time taking care of myself, too. When I'm done, I put my denim skirt back on, and pick a white sweater to go with it. Bobo helps me dry my hair while I put some light makeup on.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm okay, Bobo. Talking with Liam was... enlightening. Have you heard about Damian?"

He nods in the mirror, still focused on braiding my hair. "He is not doing well, according to Neal. He didn't go to work today. No one but Nathaniel can approach him..."

That doesn't sound too good... I remember his voicemail once again. I know it almost by heart now; I listened to it so many times. Gosh, it is high time we talk. After a few more minutes, I'm finally ready.

In the car, surprisingly, I don't even feel anxious. I'm calmer than I have ever been in a long while. My wolf and I are finally synching our feelings, and it's quite peaceful this way. I just want to see Damian for now. It's only been two days, but it feels like I haven't seen him in weeks...

We arrive at the Company building, and Bobo accompanies me in, so no one stops us or asks our identity. In the elevator, he presses the button to the top floor for me. Now I'm starting to feel anxious. I play nervously with my necklace as the numbers grow on the little panel. 24th floor, 25th... Calm down, Nora. My wolf is starting to get restless, too.

When we finally arrive, to my surprise, Nathaniel is in the entrance, talking to someone on the phone. As soon as he sees me, he hangs up, surprised.

"Nora? What are you...?"

"I came to see Damian. Is he here?"

He nods. "He is upstairs, in his apartment, but..."

"Can I go see him?"

It takes a few seconds, but he finally nods and steps aside to let me through. I don't really know where his apartment is, but I remember his office layout from last time. There was a small corridor with some stairs. I replace it quickly, and I'm in front of an entrance door. It requires an eight digits code, but luckily, it's the same as my own apartment: my seventh birthday.

When I enter, everything is dark. All the curtains are down. Didn't anyone at least put the lights on? Without my wolf eyes, I wouldn't be able to take a step in. It's not only the room that is in the dark- all the furniture is either black, grey, or dark brown. Very different from my own... This place is much colder, neat, and sober. It doesn't feel like a place to live in.

I leave my shoes at the entrance and walk silently. It's my first time here, but I can just rely on my wolf's instinct to replace her mate. I progress slowly in the apartment until I reach the master bedroom. Next to a large king bed, pieces of furniture are scattered, as someone broke them violently. Probably the remains of a bed-side table...

"Nora...?"

Damian is sitting next to the glass wall. He looks like a wreck... He is shirtless, but is wearing the same pants as last Friday, and a three-day beard. He has dark circles under his eyes, and his black hair is in a mess. When I walk up to him, his silver eyes are filled with surprise. I crouch down in front of him, calmer than I expected, despite being so close to him.

He reaches his hand to caress my cheek, and I can see in his eyes he is checking if I'm real. I breathe in, gathering my confidence. "Hi, Damian."

My voice seems to give him electroshock, and he suddenly gets agitated. "Nora, Nora, I'm so sorry! I've been an i***t, I... I know, I should've told you about all this. I'm so, so sorry Nora..."

I put my hands on his scratchy cheeks, looking into his eyes, trying to calm him down. Our faces are so close. He keeps shaking his head, whispering excuses with a broken voice. "Damian, calm down," I murmur calmly.

"I'm so sorry Nora, I'm sorry...."

He seems to calm down, and without being able to refrain myself any longer, I lean in to kiss his lips. Gosh, I missed this taste... I retreat, and he looks at me, surprised.

"I'm still mad at you," I clarify. "... But I listened to your voicemail. That, and I talked to Liam, too."

"My message... I didn't think you would really listen to it..."

"Well, I did."

He nods, and sighs. He really looks tired... Don't tell me he hasn't gotten any sleep since Friday night? It can't be...

"I meant everything I said. I'm so sorry, Nora... I should have talked to you."

"Damian, we can't keep going like this."

He frowns and looks at me in the eye. I need to say this now, because I can't take it anymore. I take his face in my hands, talking very seriously now.

"Don't hide things from me. I know you want to protect me, but this is just hurting me more. I don't want to have to learn things from others again. Tell me, Damian. Anything I'm involved with. Everything I need to know. You should have told me about the issues with your Clan and this engagement much, much sooner. I can handle it, okay? Stop protecting me so much."

He shakes his head. "I will never stop trying to protect you, Nora. I don't want you to suffer or be caught in any of this mess."

"You are making me suffer much more because of those secrets! Damian, I love you, too, but if I can't trust you, I can't stay with you."