His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 71

I almost lose balance. His words float in my head like an echo that won't stop. The Blue Moon Clan. So there really was a Blue Moon Clan. It was real. I came here to stop a war, but now I suddenly learn about something I was not prepared to hear about. Something about me, about where I come from. My legs are shaking. I feel Bobo supporting me, but I have a hard time taking it in.

I breathe deeply, but William Blue just calmly walks past me to go back to the desk.

"I really didn't think I would one day meet someone wearing the name of Blue Moon. My grandmother gave up that name when she came here. Either Damian Black did a really impressive work of replaceing someone that looked like my great-aunt and told her to call herself by that name, or you are a survivor, miss Nora. So, I really hope you have a good story to tell me."

A good story? Does he mean about my origins?

But I don't know anything! Aside from what Alec told me a few weeks ago, I'm completely at loss. Whether it's about my mother or my birth, I don't know a thing. Shouldn't he be the one to tell me more? And why would I be called a survivor? He can't mean... I stare at him again, completely at loss.

"Wait, what happened to the original Clan? To Queen Diane, and her children?"

I want to ask what happened to my mother, but those words won't come out. This truth hasn't fully sunk in yet.

He shrugs. "You tell me. You came all the way here to introduce yourself with that name, so I want to know what you know."

"But I don't know a thing!" I yell out of frustration. But it is the truth, I only gathered pieces about my birth that turns out to be fake or wrong one after another. Now that I finally meet someone who could finally tell me where I really come from, who my birth mother really is, he suddenly wants to hear from me? Moon Goddess, this is impossible to bear!

"I just came here to ask why you guys resent the Blood Moon Clan, my mate's Clan, so much. I had no idea I was related to your Clan at all! All I wanted was to replace a way to stop the war between the Clans, and a way to stop that witch! I never imagined this was all linked to me! I.."

At some point, I started crying, and I feel Bobo is worried for me. He pokes me gently with his nose, but the tears won't stop. All the stress and the emotions are overflowing right now, and I can't stop it. Nora, where the hell are you?

Oh, Moon Goddess. Damian. I completely forgot! How long were we gone for? He is already looking for us, and I didn't manage to do anything yet! He must have felt my distress, too.

I am fine.

Stop it, neither you or your wolf sound fine. Tell me where you are right away!

"What is it?"

William Blue noticed my expression, and can't understand why I suddenly held in my tears. I wipe them away clumsily and shake my head. "My mate is looking for me."

He frowns, visibly confused. "Damian Black? How can you know if you are not part of his Clan?"

"That is an ability of mine. I can communicate with other Alphas as long as I've physically met them before."

"Or you lied about not belonging to him yet..."

If I was lying, could I do this?

I use my wolf's inner voice, but I don't bother to hide how annoyed I am, and he subconsciously steps back in surprise as soon as I mind-link him. It takes a few seconds for him to get it, but then he regains his composure quite quickly. "Interesting... This ability must be quite handy, I imagine."

"You still haven't said a thing about the Blue Moon Clan!"

He shakes his head. "I don't trust you just based on a physical resemblance and a name. Even if I do, there is no way I would rely on a man like Damian Black."

"Damian is not his father."

"Doesn't mean I can trust him, either. What tells me he would willingly work with us?"

"Because he would do anything to protect me!"

My words echo in the room for a while, leaving a heavy silence after them. I used my inner wolf without noticing, but I don't care who heard me. I'm running out of the time and this man is being so annoyingly stubborn.

I try to calm down and ignore Damian's angry voice in my head to turn to face William.

"If I am right, and if what you said is right, then this witch is most likely after me. My father gave me the name Bluemoon; he had to know who my mother was. I am a child of the Blue Moon Clan. Those twins, Queen Diane's children, were born fifty years ago, you say. Look at me! I look like her, and I have so many of Queen Diane's abilities! I even have the same wolf form! And I am eighteen, the twin girl must definitely be my mother! My birth mother, my real mother..."

I catch my breath, trying to regain my composure, and step forward as I keep talking to him with a pleading voice, trying to convince him.

"That means I'm probably a descendant of Queen Diane, her grandchild. A blessed child of Moon Goddess. The witch attacked you because she thought I would naturally be with the Sapphire Moon Clan, but now she knows I'm not. I showed my wolf form in public weeks ago, when I was fighting another Alpha. Right after that, vampires attacked, coming after me. She knew where I was. She won't go after your pack anymore; you guys are safe. And I promise I will make sure Damian doesn't fight with you, either." "Even if everything you said is right, didn't your mate promise an alliance with the Gold Moon Clan? Forget the witch, what is their aim, other than ganging up on us? When two powers out of three allies themselves, what do you think happens to the last one?" I have nothing to answer to that. I know Damian feared an attack from the Sapphire Moon Clan most, but what can I say? The Gold Moon Clan probably sought this alliance first, and now it does seems like the Blood Moon was getting ready to get rid of their pack. I shake my head. "I don't trust the Gold Moon Clan. But I don't want to see any fights arise right now."

He shakes his head. "We hate the Black Brothers, but we never started a fight in the first place. I am not my father, either. I'm not so petty and childish that I would deliberately look for a fight when nothing's happened since I became the Alpha of this pack. The ones who have been a thorn for months are those annoying puppets of King," growls William.

Wait, what does that mean? Does William mean to say they are not after Damian's pack, but after the Gold Moon Clan? How come? I'm lost.

"What do you mean by that? The Gold Moon Clan?"

"We share our Northern border with them. Yet they keep making intrusions into our territory, testing our reactions and behaving like they own the land. They even hinder our businesses and help the Rising Moon Clan in taking over our shops in the city. We established ourselves after lots of effort, and I don't like giving up. But if King and Black keep this going on, I will not-" "What do you mean, King and Black? Damian hasn't taken any part in this!" I cut him off, annoyed.

William Blue stays silent, but it's obvious he doesn't believe me. What is going on? From what he says, it looks like the Gold Moon Clan has been bullying them for months! And why would Damian's name be associated in this? Gosh, I really hope he is wrong! I try to think of something, but Damian's voice is echoing like the thunder in my head.

Nora! Nora tell me where you are right now!

I see Bobo's head lowering more and more, and Damian and Neal are probably giving him hell right now. I sigh, and my wolf faintly growls at our mate, a bit annoyed, too.

Stop yelling! I will meet you in fifteen minutes, at the Sapphire Moon Clan border. Bobo is with me, I'm fine.

What the hell are you doing there?!

Just come and get me.

After that, I ignore him again, turning to William.

"How can I convince you?"

"Convince me?"

"I need you to trust Damian and me. I don't care about the Gold Moon Clan, I don't want anything to do with them. But the Blood Moon Clan is not what it used to be. Damian has no desire to fight with others."

He observes me silently for a while, then tilts his head. Wow, with his curly hair falling on his temples, it makes it so obvious he has some of my features. His skin is darker, though, and he has some differences, like his square jaw and larger chin. "You are not going to convince me you are our Princess?"

I roll my eyes. "Honestly, I don't really care about being a Royal or not. I only learned a couple of weeks ago that my birth mother wasn't the one I thought. All I want to know is where I come from, and what happened to my mother, who she was, and why did she have to give me up. But at the moment, I'm more worried about a fight between the packs, and calming Damian down. I will ask later."

"I see... Well, I heard you, but I won't make any decision yet. So, you're free to go."

That's it? He heard me, and that's all? Why do I think this is all a bit too easy? But he just stays there, looking calm like everything is perfectly fine.

"Thanks..." I say, a bit hesitantly.

With Damian's voice echoing in our ears, we really have to go. As Bobo and I go to exit the room, I take one last look at the portrait. To think this woman is probably my grandmother... I can't think too deeply now, though- we have to go. But when I open the door, to my surprise, the corridor is empty. Where the hell is Liam! I turn around to William, but he is still nonchalantly leaning on his desk, staring straight at me.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, we are keeping the young boy Black."

"What?! Why?"

Liam! Liam, where are you?!

Hi, Nora. Hm, well, you are not going to like it, but I'm pretty sure I've just been kidnapped. They gave me some cookies, and well, I got pretty drowsy after that... Liam Black, are you telling me you just let someone poison you?

Not poison, sleeping drugs! I still feel drowsy, actually.

Where are you?!

No clue... It's all dark in here. But it smells nice.

Who cares if it smells nice?! This i***t just got captured and he doesn't sound alarmed at all! And we just left him alone for barely twenty minutes or so! How careless can he be?! Liam, I'm so going to kick your-

Wow, language, Princess. And just so you know, that is what my brother has been yelling for five minutes in my head right now. He is still scarier than you. Hey, are those brownies?

Stop eating the damn food, Liam! Damian is coming in ten minutes! You have to come with me!

"Release Liam. Why would you keep him?" I ask William.

"As a token of goodwill from Black. The oldest brother, I mean."

A token of goodwill? He just literally captured Liam! That just all looks like a very not-funny joke, and is giving me too big of a headache right now. How will I explain this to Damian? The three of us came here secretly, and now Liam is supposed to stay there?! I can't have the youngest Black Brother captured now!

I unleash my exasperation at William. "What token of goodwill?! We never agreed to this!"

William frowns and walks up to me. When he is close enough, he reaches out his hand to me, and Bobo growls, but there is no animosity in his gesture. I wait to see what he will do, but to my surprise, he just takes one of my curls between his fingers. He stays silent and looks at me eye-to-eye.

I can tell he is detailing me, looking for any facial feature that may betray me. But no matter how much he looks, I'm not fake. I do look like Queen Diane, and that's not of my own doing. And I even look a little bit like him, too.

After a while, he sighs and whispers, so low only I can hear it, "Consider it an exchange, then. Our princess against his brother."

I look at him, surprised. So, he acknowledges it? That I am not lying? That I am a Blue Moon Clan child? It's... I don't know what to think of it now, but this is big. But his blue eyes don't leave me, and I can tell he has made his decision. He really does think the same. That, wherever I came from, I am a descendant of Queen Diane.

I slowly step back and get ready to leave. I'm too choked up by my emotions to add another word right now. I grab Bobo by the collar, pulling him to come with me so he will stop growling at William. We have to leave this place for now, before Damian causes havoc. "Nora!"

I stop and turn around, surprised. William is standing at the door of his office, his hands in his pockets, looking at me with an indecipherable expression. Gosh, he really does look a bit like me, with his curly dark hair that stops at his shoulders, and his blue eyes. He waits for a few seconds and suddenly blurts it out.

"Lilyan."

"...What?"

I look at him, confused. What is he talking about?

He sighs. "Your birth mother, Queen Diane's girl child. Her name was Lilyan."