Archive of Our Own ^beta

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"How I am supposed to become this great queen if I can't open a jar of pickles by myself?"

"You are my biggest wish, Klaus."

"A king should always lead with his head, but you make me want to lead with my heart."

"I don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"Wrong things done for the right reasons are still wrong."

"I'm the only person in our family who screws up."

"You make me want to be the best version of myself."

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A/N: I do not own the Originals or Charmed 😅 I only own the characters I have created. This is being written purely for fun! Also, this fic will be a slow burn and it will consist of four acts, Klaus won't really show up until Act II <3

Chapter Text

ᴴᵒᵐᵉ

Is where the heart is

The goddess of the Hearth's fire burns brighter here

Where a cabin lies in a field of never-ending flowers

Never baren

Talia dreams of a world far bigger

Her father fears her untimely flee

Feeding into the doubt of her own faculty

Chapter Text

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ıllıllı  𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song

So Below - Visions

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

THE 3-HOUR FLIGHT WAS SMELLY AND UNEVENTFUL.

Limbo, one of the eleven planes of existence, would be more fun (even with time not moving and the inability to use magic). At least there were sculpture gardens instead of glasses of champagne I wasn't even allowed to drink yet at 17 years old.

It was silent for the most part, I was used to the incessant gawking.

Good looks were both a blessing and a curse. I learned that lesson when I was young.

My mother got looks all the time, but once they received that piercing glare of hers, their eyes dropped. I admired her fierceness. Unfortunately, I happened to be on the softer side. Meaning I wouldn't glare at anyone unless they did something to me...or my family... like my dad.

Many of the passengers were ridiculously wealthy, much like myself, but unlike them, I was more of a wolf and less of a pig.

I could smell the egoism, sea holly. A herb that when crushed, smelled like dog shit.

Having witch powers was great until you got a weird one like mine...

Since birth, I've been able to smell people's essences (what people were made of, in a sense). Perfumes and colognes never concealed the smell, it was detached so they never hid the scent. I liked to think of it as cake layers, each of them was distinguishing. Good and bad had their distinct scents. A black peppery scent was standard and always made me sneeze (that was of course, bad). A hint of lavender was unadulterated and soothing, which was good. Nothing was neutral.

It was useful enough, just a rightful pain in the ass during times like these.

Shadow, my 120-pound hellhound rottweiler, put his large head over my knees as if reading my thoughts.

Dogs weren't usually allowed to ride like this, but I used my charm to keep him with me.

And as always, it worked.

I pet Shadow's head, admiring his sleek black fur.

Reaching for my bag, I pulled out a bone engraved with a blue script of a dead language that originated in the Underworld.

Shadow's favorite treat of all time, besides cool ranch Doritos...

His penny-brown eyes, sparkled when I held the treat up, smiling.

My sister (the middle one), Jillian, sat beside me, lost in a deep sleep, drolling.

Sighing, I got out a handkerchief to wipe it off the side of her face. She didn't even flinch.

I could never fall asleep on planes. I was terrified of heights. But Jilly wasn't.

She was the second fearless person I knew. My mom was the first.

Whenever I compared myself to my family, I felt I would never be enough.

Dad was more than an alpha...since he oversaw at least one nation, he was considered a King in today's wolf society which made me the princess. My father commanded three out of the Eight Great Wolf Nations which was comprised of some states in the US, portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. There were only two Kings in today's world, and I didn't know much about him other than he commanded four of the eight Great Wolf Nations and that his name was Niklaus. Jason had built an empire (a successful one), using his words rather than his fists like his brother before him. That was the difference between my father and my uncle James.

Respect versus fear... Consideration won every damn time.

Most people couldn't believe that we were smart enough to have established such a domain.

We were not the savages they made us out to be.

My mother, Madeline, didn't rule by his side as she wasn't interested in the politics or duties of being Queen. If she did choose to be, it would be considered controversial because it had never been done before (she was half-werewolf, half-witch). Hybrids were rare, but not entirely impossible like most supernaturals thought them to be.

That whole 'Nature wouldn't allow such abominations to plague the world' was complete and utter bullshit from the witches in the French Quarter who started the rumor. They liked to think of themselves as big and bad but few were the real deal...We were rare but not an occurrence that only happened every three hundred years.

Even as a princess, the burden weighed on me. Royalty was not rainbows and ballgowns 24/7. Currently, my mother was studying to be a special agent, to be a part of the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Before my and my sisters' time, my mother had been in the navy for a year, (she had to leave to help Dad). But my godfather, Jethro...was thrilled at her choice to finally join him, Mcgee, Abby, Jim, Jenny, and Ducky.

Jillian the middle sister, wasn't actively searching for a career. Mainly, she just lived her life without worry. In a way, she was free in ways that I never could be. She was never interested in leadership rules, or keeping peace with the Eight Great Wolf Nations and other supernatural statuses being the provocateur she was...like Mom in her earlier days, she continually looked for a fight.

Hayley, the oldest sister, was now attending her studies abroad; she desired to be an architect. She was shy, unlike Jilly and me. Hayley had worked hard to be where she was now. I've never really had to work for something like that. Everything is handed to me on a silver platter.

And then there was me. The baby of the family, the youngest sister, the princess of the Three Great Wolf Nations. When my father steps down I will be next in line for the throne. Though, like in the old days, I would have to defend my title against other names who wanted what I had been born with. But right now I was just a princess, all I had to worry about was organizing meetings/social events and solving local issues. It was tiresome and most of the time boring but I was happy to help at all. When it came to the other part of me, Halliwell's sacred duty, keeping the world safe not just from demons but other things as well, I figured I was a nine out of ten.

Of course, I could never do it without my sisters. As we were, the power of three, or as many called us... The Charmed Ones.

The strongest trio of witches was predicted to be pure-hearted...blah-blah-blah

Whoever wrote out the lines of the prophecy was dramatic.

But that didn't change the fact that that was my destiny, or as House says, one of them.

Getting a headache, I closed my eyes and leaned onto Jilly's shoulder who mumbled something incomprehensive in her deep sleep.

I smiled sadly, scratching behind Shadow's ear, wishing to be home again.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

"Luna!"

Jilian shouted my name as I stood several feet away from here in the vast field of wildflowers my grandmother, Bess, planted years ago.

It hadn't changed in four months. And here I was, running home in the middle of September when the weather started to become cooler.

"How did you get so fast? Shit...I really need to work on my cardio," I heard her mumbling, but I paid no mind.

The goal of making it to the log cabin, my father had built my mother years ago was just beyond my reach.

Shadow ran beside me, his slobbery tongue flapping, my backpack bounced between my shoulder blades, and my curls streamed behind me.

The red, orange and yellow pigmented flowers parted like the seas to let me pass...just as they always did upon my arrival.

Narrowing my eyes, I focused my sights on the front door to the large log cabin that was opening.

My mother stood in the wide frame, her brown eyes shined, though they remained alert as always.

Madeline Halia Halliwell was not a patient woman. She had my grandfather's (Keanu) zero tolerance for bs, and my grandmother's (Jasmine), reliable stubbornness.

So, she ran to meet me, and her bell-like laughter echoed in my ears when she finally reached me, wrapping her arms around me... It had been so long since I had hugged her.

As always, she embraced me tightly and smelled of peppermint. There was a touch of pine in her hair. Dad liked to hide his face in her velvety ringlets from time to time for no reason at all.

I wished some boy would do that with me, then again the odds of them going for my hair instead of my ass were very low.

My mother pulled away, full lips upturned in a smirk, eyeing me carefully.

"You've grown."

Her hand came to the top of my head, and she raked the loose petals and strands of grass out of my hair.

After my summer stay at Halliwell Manor I not only chopped my hair off (into a bob), but I had grown four inches putting me at 5'7.

"We're the same height now," I replied, and she pulled me in for another bear hug, sighing.

She had missed me.

"I've overlooked how much you do around here. Things never get done without you here. I'm drowning in papers from Calloway."

"Your University, right?"

She nods, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Jason is so focused on being king right now. The treaty with the vampires is up for renewal. I'm terrified his head will break open like an egg, from the stain of it all one day." My hair raised on the back of my neck, at the very thought of something being wrong.

...Uh oh...

My pack, my eventual empire, could be in jeopardy.

"No."

My mother smoothly answered in her honey-like voice before I could ask.

"Nothing is wrong...as far as I can tell. And you know he doesn't like to share any info unless it's pretty relevant. You basically are his right-hand man though, boo."

"Mom!"

"Hey, baby," Mom angled herself towards Jilly, who was now openly running, leaving me to take my bags to the foyer where I had set them down.

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Four hours later, I was making Spicy Tuna Avocado Fish Tacos for supper.

Piper was a close relative and she happened to be one of the people I spent most of my time with. She was a chef who owned a restaurant called Quake in Oregon, only a few miles away from California. When I wasn't cutting Chaosbrute's heads off or saving an innocent, Piper was teaching me how to cook.

The recipe was not mine, but I always made sure to put my twist on it.

I'll juice a lemon instead of a lime and use crushed chili pepper instead of plain old black. And use a tsp avocado oil instead of olive.

"Hey, Mom, can you please get the pickled red onions? I have to go change!"

"Sure, boo, go ahead and change! I can smell the pepper from here..."

She laughed a little, and soon Jilly joined in. I couldn't blame either of them.

Miraculously, I had managed to get pepper spilled all over me. I stupidly - - forgot my apron back in San Franciso.

Maybe Paige could mail it to me... I thought as I raced up the stairs.

Entering my room, I could tell it hadn't changed.

The dark hardwood had been polished. My mint area rug that lay under my bed had been vacuumed a few times. The garnished oval mirror still lay on my ivory-painted wall, surrounded by filtered polaroids of my family and even a few friends. My queen-size bed still held my princess pink comforter set (that I slept with since I was seven years old). Tiny bulb lights shrouded the ceiling and even hung down the walls.

Feeling nostalgic, I flicked them on.

I stood basking in the soft egg-nog-colored light, smiling like there was no tomorrow.

Smartly, I unpacked my backpack beforehand.

Out of my old chipped pine dresser, I pulled out some cut-offs and one of Hayley's old striped shirts she had given me before going to travel for her home innovator program.

After dressing, I stood in the mirror, frowning.

I was slightly unhappy with my breast size.

In the shirt, my chest remained flat as ever. I was seventeen for God's sake! I had saved the world a few times, I deserve boobs!

House said I was still developing but the words didn't matter when I wasn't going up from a  b cup.

I worked hard to keep flat abs, toned legs, and butt. So far, those areas were fine. The full hourglass figure that I had inherited from my mother easily bewitched boys on Bonam avenue...but I wanted more than a brief brush against the lips and a slap on the ass.

I desired to be intellectually stimulated.

He didn't have to be a genius but was it too much to ask for proper phrasing?

Someone with a personality who wasn't faking it? Manners?  Let's not forget about good hygiene habits.

Most guys liked to play off emotions, the whole, boys don't cry thing killed me deep down.

As an empath, emotions are significant to me. When individuals try to bury their feelings in a hole they believe to be unreachable, the ache only builds until it blows up. IT IS VITAL in mental health, to REGULATE and COMMUNICATE your feelings in a HEALTHY way.

But in today's world...if it wasn't trending, then it didn't matter, and that was sad... It was one of the many reasons I stayed off of social apps unlike my best friend, Davina... who was hooked.

There were times when I blamed my looks for not being able to get a real boyfriend... They were too distracting.

My skin like my mother's was a soft honeyed brown. Jilian's was more like a warm beige, and Hayley's was closer to ivory. While my mother and I shared thick silky curls, shaded a dark brown so dark it looked black. Hayley and Jilly's hair was thinner but not by much, wavy at best, and medium brown. The shape of my face was not oval like my mother's or Jilly's but diamond-like my father's and Hayley's. My brows were naturally straight. My parents and siblings all had arched. Along with Hayley, I had my father's kaleidoscope green and gray eyes, set with my mother's thick/long lashes to show them off. Jillian's eyes were coffee brown like mom's. Not surprisingly, the cheekbones I inherited were high and visible. Nearly everyone in my family had that feature. My nose was upturned, like my sisters'. As if that wasn't enough, my lips had to be heart-shaped and plump (Hayley and Jilian had been given the classic pouty lip look *heavier bottom lip).

Of course, when it came to Hayley, things got a little slippery. Before my conception and Jilly's...Hayley's mother, Laura Hadley, had asked Madeline to be the gestational surrogate. But something with the process screwed up because Hayley looked like Madeline more than she looked like Laura. The marriage between Laura and my father, Jason did not last long. After she ran for the hills to be with James, my absent traitor of an uncle...my dad married my mother two years later and they had Jilian and then me three years later.

So, the five of us had distinctive but similar looks. But the important part was that we didn't put down, we held eachother up.

The built foundation of trust and love was impenetrable.

We all had unique bearings and pathways, out of everyone, I had yet to come across mine.

My family, the Labonair's and the Halliwells had their share of struggles.

Alone I had both internal, physical, and recently.... emotional. But looking at what my family has overcome, motivated me and pushed me to work on my stuff.

...The real problem was keeping it a 'me' thing and not a 'we' thing...

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"Oh, these are incredible, boo. I wish someone would serve food like this downtown. Calloway's food is overpriced; not even the flies will touch it."

Jilly smacked her lips, "Seriously, sis! Hayley's going to be pissed she missed these again," she cackled at the end.

She and Hayley had a rocky relationship. Neither of them tried to hide it.

I sighed, taking a bite of the healthy taco I had prepared.

A pang resounded in my chest, and shadow stuck his head on my foot... feeling it too.

My mother held out her hand. I took it as she sipped on her mineral water.

"Your father will be home soon."

After a brief moment of silence, she asked how the Aunts were doing.

"Piper is great. The twins just turned three. She expects them to start experimenting with their magic. Leo, as always, is still MIA."

I watched my mother briefly tense at the mention of the former whitelighter.

There was a time when Leo had been in love with my mother. Like Apollo, he was discontented in the least to find that she had chosen my father.

"Phoebe is living her best life as a journalist," Jilly cut in, waving her glass of green tea around.

"She got into an apartment; in one of those upper-class neighborhoods with Cole. Demon activity is all but none over there. Alice is about to start the second grade."

Jilly showed us a picture of Alice; that little girl was the perfect combination of her parents. She had their brown hair, Phoebe's rosy cheeks, and Cole's round blue eyes.

"She's adorable."

"That she is," I had spent some time with her because Phebbs had me babysit whenever there was something big going down.

I enjoyed it well enough.

"Pru's still in Alaska isn't she?"

Jilly and I both nod. "She has a new canine! Brutus, I believe, is a Bernese mountain dog."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mmhm, the dog treat shop she's got is a total hit, and she's going out with a conservation agent named Oliva," I added before Jilly started asking if she could get a puppy, (she wasn't responsible enough yet despite being an adult).

"Paige is still in San Francisco and taking a break from dating. She's organized several protests that have made global news, and is a member of a group called the Peace Fliers."

Unlike her sisters, Paige was very BIG on women's rights. When the Supreme Court mentioned looking things over, she went wild.

Cut her hair chin length, dyed it auburn, went to a tattoo shop, and started a riot.

Well, a mostly peaceful one.

"I actually joined one of the protests in Washington."

"Really?" Jilly and I asked, in sync. "Yes," my mother chuckled, "it was an enlightening experience. Especially with you girls' father."

"Dad went?"

"Of course," I said, surprised by Jilly's doubtful tone. "Dad might not be a woman but he does support them."

In the background, I heard a set of footsteps, a winded yawn, and cracking bones.

These were familiar sounds.

The slightest hint of pine filled my nose, and when my head turned on instinct, my lips parted open in shock. Shadow happily barked, he had moved from his spot under the table, ears perked.

My dad stood at 6'0 in the living room. The blue checkered flannel that he had loosely around his lanky frame did not hide his solidity. His fair skin had slightly darkened from the heat of the summer sun, and waves of brown hair rested on his shoulders. And his eyes, greener than gray sparkled.

Before I could even think to leap out of my chair, he was already hugging me from behind.

Dad has always been fast. Some people didn't believe it but we werewolves were light on their feet and quick-minded.

The myth that a werewolf would automatically lose a fight against a vampire (which some people thought they would win because they are faster), was totally untrue. It all came down to fighting skills and whether or not hearts were in it.

"My littlest wolf...I've missed you."

I giggled at the nickname, "Missed you too, Daddy."

He kissed the top of my head multiple times, he was always this affectionate. He only stopped when my sister scoffed, clearly jealous.

"Why does she have to get all the love...all the freakin' time?"

Of course, he stepped away running over to Jilly who he started to tickle. Shadow was jumping and licking at his hands.

"Not at the dinner table you two!" Mom yelled but winked at me.

My father sat at the table after Jilly tearfully begged him to stop. But the twinkle in my father's eyes told me...there would be more to come later...

"So, what's for dinner?"

My mom dished out the tacos with a light hand, she nibbled on dad's ear and kissed his cheek. He in turn - - gently pulled her toward him and gave her a lingering kiss...  

Jilly made gagging noises, but I just smiled. I saw the little interaction as sweet... I would give anything to have someone like my father be there to lift me up when I felt down.

Suddenly all eyes around the round table fell on me. "Spicy Tuna Avocado Fish Tacos," I answered.

When it came to eating, my father was a simple man. He didn't give out reviews like my sisters and mother.

He leaned back, closed his eyes, and hummed.

Without even having to use my powers...I knew he loved the meal I had prepared..along with everyone else...

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Mom INSISTED on taking care of the dishes. Jilly went upstairs to her room to crash. That left me and dad.

So, we climbed the stairs to get to our hang-out spot. The terrace.

LED paper lantern orb lights were strung along the railing and were dangled on the sides. There was a bold oriental print rug that rested beneath the set of white-painted rocking chairs.

As a child, I had been frightened of the balcony. To be fair, three stories was a long-ass fall.

But one day, after school, my father brought me up in the fall. It had been impossible to not be in love, with the spectacular view of the tops of the trees swathed for the autumn weather in dark reds, brilliant oranges, delicate yellows, and warm browns. In Winter, we spotted the flocks of birds, (he always made sure to take me out to see the moon, the very thing he had named me after). When Spring came, we observed the bright flowers blossoming wildly around our house and sat under the safe cover of the roof in the rainstorms. Of course, Summer was delightful as the other seasons, we counted the butterflies that flew past our house.

Over the years, this spot had become mine and dad's. We mostly discussed wolf things; social affairs, treaties, pack management, and potential growth.

"There have been issues with the Timber and Lockwood pack."

In distaste, I sighed at the thought of both cross alphas, Kate and Mason. The packs followed right after their leaders in terms of mindset.

"Are they fighting again?"

My dad shocked me by shaking his head, a concerned look on his face. His eyes had lightened and were now more gray than green.

"Nah. Kate, Mason, and his nephew Tyler have gone missing."

I froze, ice seeming to pierce my chest. "That can't be."

Things were silent for a few moments. Things had seemed so good at dinner. Outside of our home, it was apparent things weren't going so swell.

"I'm afraid so, little wolf."

My body was still, but my mind was moving a hundred miles a minute. Exploring all possibilities.

"They wouldn't be stupid enough to do it to eachother, risking to break the agreement they signed with us is basically a financial death sentence."

"Right, not worth all the hardships for a couple of laughs."

"It must be someone else," I trailed off.

"In the state of Tennessee, there are - - excuse me - - were six packs that belong to us not counting the Timber and Lockwood packs. Only three are relevant because of whatever happened with that Niklaus guy. Did you ever figure out what happened ?"

My dad clucked his tongue in disapproval at the mention of the name. My mind was curious to see whose face lay behind the beautiful Nordic name.

"He's practically a ghost...made sure he couldn't be found easily."

"Like us," I stated, and dad nodded, running his fingers through his hair.

"Back to the subject - -"

"Blair, Calder, Linden," I cut in, watching as his hands fell limply in his lap.

My father sighed, I could hear the tiredness in his voice. I wondered when he had last slept. "Every one of them is jealous of the other."

"You know that small towns with sizable supernatural residents statistically breed more drama."

"They've gone a bit far kidnapping a pregnant woman."

"Kate's pregnant?"

My dad nods and began rocking back the same time I did.

"It must be serious. Have you tried to find out what the Timber pack has been up to recently? Maybe someone has a vendetta against them... It's more likely that their enemy would be within the same vicinity. I'd say you have a fair shot trying Calder. They didn't attend the last three meetings and they haven't been replying to my messages."

"That is suspicious."

I grinned, happy that he agreed with me. His hand came on my shoulder, "You are great at these things. Your input is very important and after I talk to Jackson the final decision will be made for the investigation."

Jackson, Hayley's long-time crush had the honor of being a Duke (in werewolf society it was someone who worked under the 'King' mainly enforcing laws, making sure treaties were signed, and things like that).

With compassion, I laid my hand on top of his. "Dad, you should go rest up. You'll be crazy busy tomorrow."

He rose from the rocking chair, bent down, and kissed my forehead. "I love you, I hope to see you bright and early in the morning, my little wolf."

Smiling softly I watched him go.

Shortly after he left, Shadow appeared. I pet his ears, thinking of Kate and Mason. As much as I disliked the two I couldn't help by feeling empathetic.

Tomorrow when the moon was high, I would try a locator spell. Usually, it didn't make a difference, but it was easier to track down wolves this way.

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It was a quarter to five in the morning. I was lying in the field of flowers; that enveloped the house with their vibrance. It was impossible to go back to sleep after Shadow woke me up.

He pranced around, doing as he pleased.

While I relived what ensued in my dreams: their dewy petals brushed across my skin like his fingers.

Now that I thought about it, that dream and the others felt more like a premonition.

Usually, they were shorter, but anything was possible.

The future was guaranteed to shift. But the man I dreamed of always lies with me in a sunny meadow. Tall trees sprouted along the edges, concealing the overgrown field from the naked eye. From a bird's eye view, I could see myself beaming happily. I looked older, maybe twenty like Jilly or twenty-three like Hayley. My hair was much longer and mirrored my mother's, and I had gained weight in all the right places. He was this dashing, blonde hair, blue-eyed male wearing a dimpled smirk. Though, I had never met a boy with lips like his.

Red and kissable.

So soft and full. I know these details because I had felt them move across my throat.

It felt real...so unbearably real that I was surprised I didn't find him beside me, his cerulean blue eyes twinkling mischievously like I fantasized they would.

His lips had moved below my ear to my jaw and finally to their resting place...my neck... And then he said my name in that accented voice of his.

I wished this man would drop from the sky in front of my cabin. Not because of his god-like looks but to learn more about who he was.

Despite dreaming of him nearly every time I slept, I knew almost nothing about him. He was good. I could sense that. But that alone to go on wasn't enough to pick him out in a crowd.

In previous dreams, we'd had about a dozen exchanges, but I never retained the subject matter. I only ever remembered the quiet, savvy way he spoke. He really was a dream because he was everything I wanted: intelligent, respectful, considerate, and temperate. I felt a pressure in my chest, one that mirrored emptiness. As if I was this barren secret trunk, waiting for the only key that fit my lock.

Was that him?

Was he the key? My key?

God, I sounded so stupid right now.

House couldn't figure out what it was. The random tension I'd get in my chest from time to time. All the scans and tests came back clean.

I never told my parents or siblings about it. Davina Claire, my best friend, knew everything.

She had even started sketching the mysterious man of my dreams as she was an aspiring artist.

Later on in the day, I planned to visit her at the Abattoir for some dinner.

To be truthful, I was used to having all the information at my fingertips. Kate and Mason were the first topics I was handling on my own (without any outside aid).

Anything unknown was unexplored. Once you explored the issue, it was no longer unknown.

My grandpa taught me that.

I wanted to earn respect for the blood that ran through my veins, Labonair and Halliwell.

But how could I even start?! Those were two big names tied to both the supernatural world and the human one.

What if I couldn't?

Maybe I wasn't enough?

Ugh, all this negative energy is killing me.

The point was... Luna Talia Labonair was more than a pretty face, and it was about time the world realized that...

            𖥸

Dictionary: Plan or Plane of Existence - is a realm or dimension that exists parallel to, within, or outside other planes. There are eleven planes in existence. Travel between planes is typically possible through orbing. However, not all planes are accessible by all beings and some planes are only known to a few beings. Underworld - one of the eleven planes of existence. The Power Of Three - is the collective power of the Charmed Ones, said to be the strongest kind of magic that has ever and will ever exist in this world. Chaosbrute - a chicken demon who has a penchant for turning vegetables rotten. Innocent - someone who is blameless. Bonum - Latin for good. Whitelighter - a guardian angel who protects and guides good witches and future Whitelighters to protect and nurture them for their intended destiny. Premonition - is the ability to see and experience events from the past, present, and future.

A/N: This is going to be quite different from the shows so please don't expect everything to be the same. So excited to be writing about my original character Luna again!! The next chapter should be out soon though I'm not making any promises because I have a history final coming up... I enjoyed writing this, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it :)

Chapter Text

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ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

BREAKFAST WAS QUITE THE EVENT SINCE MY MOTHER FAILED TO MAKE PANCAKES.

In the end, my father had to take over the hustle, which irritated her to no end.

Jilly and I calmly ate our pancakes and thanked both of our parents for providing us with this meal.

Mom's curly hair frizzed up at the end, and her coffee-brown eyes darkened.

She was a kickass fighter...street smart because for half of her childhood, that's where she lived, in a grimy alleyway not too far away from the sought-after French Quarter. She was tormented for being a werewitch by the Quarter's finest tyrants, chased after by demons in the late hours of the night. She had carried her trusty pocketknife with her everywhere. All this at the age of seven. But then her parents found her, and everything was ok again. My mother never wanted pity. She always held her head high during whatever rainstorm was over her.

I admired her strength and thought of myself as weak because I honestly don't think I'd survive that. Admittedly, it frustrated me when she was angry she couldn't do little things like cook.

"Jace, I try, and try but- -"

"All you can do is try, моя любовь."

I smiled at my father's words, my love, directed towards my mother in Russian. Many people didn't know this but the Labonair wolves originated in The Motherland a millennium and a half ago. It was assumed that the bloodline traced back to France but that was just common gossip. There were a ton of rumors about my family.

Mom had the opposite reaction, and dad wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek, green eyes bright. "Don't criticize yourself so much, Maddy. You can't do everything."

She laughed as he stuck his face in the crook of her neck. "Everyone is their own critic...and I can't help but want to, boo."

"No one's as amazing as you. Don't you know that?"

"Someone amazing should be able to make something as simple as pancakes," she mumbled, clearly still upset.

"Pancakes are not simple."

Jilly and I quietly talked about our plans while our parents argued over pancakes, while Shadow chewed on a bone under my folded legs.

"Hey, are you still going to go hang out at the zoo?

"Yes, me and an old friend, Dimitri have plans there. Around lunch, we'll probably go to Orangetheory to get a quick workout. Tonight we are just going to go hang at the carnival."

I smiled, twirling around my fork. My sister had few friends, and whenever they came around, she was always in a chipper mood.

"That sounds like an eventful day."

She touched her candy red j-hoop earrings, something I noticed she did when she was unconfident.

"I sorta planned it that way... So, little sis, what are your objectives for the day?"

Slowly I chewed my cut of pancake, before responding. "Today...I will be hanging out with Davina."

My sister nods in approval, the way our mom did. It was a little unnerving.

"Davina's a good kid. I loved that 80s mix she did...who knew old stuff could sound so new! I still have the cd sitting in the glove box of my jeep. Does she still want to DJ? I need to know because I've thought about opening up a club."

I giggled at the thought. If my sister did open up a club, it would be nothing short of wild.

"Yeah, she is joining a program for it this month. We are going to meet up at the Abattoir. And I kinda have an outing with a guy."

My sister choked on her coffee, and I hit her back repeatedly until she held up her hand. "You kinda have a WHAT?"

Right, code because Dad would never let me go out with Thierry.

Not go out, go out...we were just friends, but something told me one side saw things differently.

"He invited me to dinner on the rooftop of the Abattoir via text. How was I supposed to say no?"

Jilian's honey-balmed lips lifted in a smirk. "Ahh, remember when Diego let us smoke weed up there, those were the best times... But what are you wearing? Something sheer, I hope."

I kicked her leg under the table, and she just cackled. "We are just friends, Jilly."

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes, "it's very hard to stay just friends. Trust me. I've been around."

I moved around my fork, drawing flowers with the sticky maple syrup. Thierry was nowhere near bad looking with his dark hair, blue eyes, and that gray cap he always wore. He had been going through a hard time. His girlfriend Katie was brutally murdered two years ago. I was convinced that he just wanted to talk, but my sister had been around the world three times. Spending her time with men of all ethnicities and backgrounds. Surely her conclusion wasn't entirely wrong.

Jilly picked up my plate and hers, tossing them in the sink, causing a loud clatter which our parents didn't turn to because they were in deep discussion about something.

"Come on, let's pick out your outfit for the day."

I had no choice but to go up the stairs as she was dragging me by my arm.

A pang echoed in my chest, and I wondered what Hayley would think of all this.

I would have to chat with her later.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

We spent half an hour arguing over what I was wearing. But she agreed to let me settle on a bright striped cami top, jean shorts, and white converse.

On our way downstairs, I noticed that the house was quiet. A note on the marble counter was written in my mother's light script.

Be back at 6' Have finals today, wish me luck

Your father left for pack stuff

DON'T DO ANYTHING RECKLESS

-Love Mom

Jilly snickered at the last part, exclaiming, "Reckless is my middle name. Does she not know me at all?"

I rolled my eyes at her as she skipped through the house.

Karma was her middle name, which meant fate and destiny. It was unique, and I valued the sentiment, but Jilly never did care for things like that. I swear she could be downright goofy at times. Hayley never saw this side- - if she did, maybe she would go easier on her.

I smiled, touching the edge of the pink sticky note. I jumped as if I was being shocked.

My mind was flooded with images of my mother sitting at a desk: head bent down in concentration, curls pulled into a ponytail. Someone in the back, a middle-aged sweaty man in a red polo, was trying to look at her paper.

Premonitions could be helpful even during simple things. I wondered if I should warn her.

Either way, I would be messing with this person's life: a new path would construct, and I was the deciding factor.

Would I?

Could I let this person cheat their way into Calloway?

Choosing the safe option, I unlocked my phone and sent her a be careful text. I didn't expect her to respond. Dad was probably dropping her off this very minute.

"Good luck, Mom," I murmured as Jilly lead the way out the door.

Shadow trailed after me, barking happily.

"How's Daisy?"

Daisy was Jilian's jacked-up, canary yellow jeep our godfather had gifted her. My sister adored her vehicle. When we went on vacations, she was never apart from it for long.

"Well, she's fantastic! And she appreciates you for asking how she's doing. Wanna go for a ride?"

I laughed, grabbing the bar and pulling myself up to the seat. "Sure, Jilly, I was just about to ask."

"Good because I know you're a fast runner and all - - but walking all the way from Prairieville to the French Quarter sounds like torture."

She was right, of course. An hour's drive was much better than a twenty-three-hour walk.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Soon, I was recalling last night's dream as Jilly droned on about Thierry as we drove to the French Quarter.

"He's got that cute band boy look."

It was true. Especially considering the fact that Thierry carried his trumpet everywhere he went. He declared, 'you never know when inspiration will strike.'

Thierry was quirky in an admirable sort of way.

We were from two different periods in time and still got along.

Sometimes it felt like anything was possible when little things like that happened.

"Yeah, Jilly...he's not really my type."

Jilian turned toward me, eyes narrowed, "I didn't know you had a type."

Shadow barked at a passing car, and I laughed at the driver's startled expression.

"Curly blonde hair, blue-green eyes, soft lips."

My hair flew behind me as she sped up, shaking her head, causing the bun on top of her head to get even messier.

"Sis, those are preferences."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever. The point is, Thierry is not for me. Sure he's thoughtful, smells decent, and only touches me with my consent as any gentleman should - -"

I stopped talking when I noticed the shit-eating grin plastered to her face. "Shut up."

Jilian giggled, and I blushed. Oh, why did she have to be right?

"Блядь."

Why couldn't my dream guy just fall from the sky? I was ninety-eight percent sure he wasn't a figment of my imagination. Dad would approve of him before Thierry. Not only was he a vampire, but he was at least seventy years older than me.

Was my love life doomed before it could even commence?

Why did the world have to be a small place where my father knew everyone?

Did the universe hate me? Heck, the Elders hated me and they were practically angels.

"Don't be mad, Luna. Oh, come one, don't look at me like that!" Without hesitation, I turned my head towards the scenery flying before me.

The closer we got to the Quarter, the more buildings started popping up like weeds in my herb garden: as always, when there was a city and a body of water, masses of people existed. It wouldn't be long before we got trapped in traffic.

"Hey, drop me off. I can walk from here."

She rose her arched brows, and Daisy came to a complete stop on the side of the road. Cars flew past, going way over the speed limit. Troopers sat stealthily on the edges of the road, straining to catch as many as they could.

Jully pursed her lips, and Shadow whined.

Mom and Hayley would have interrogated me. Dad would have said no, but Jilly never did.

Instead, she asked, "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"I might have Marcel take me home if he's not too busy."

Shadow hopped out of the back, giving Jilly a slobbery kiss, before doing so. I laughed at the disgruntled expression on her face.

"Ugh....that sounds great. Call me if anything happens, and don't get over your head."

I sighed, and she smiled back with her teeth, "Have fun."

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

In its own right, New Orleans was superb; multicolor beaded necklaces hung around posts, happy drunks lined the sidewalks, and people broke out dancing in the middle of the crowded streets.

Celebrated artists and musicians showcased their skills out in the open.

Jazz poured out of every orifice.

Walking in the city streets was not easy when you were alone. Of course, I had Shadow but I couldn't let him do much than growl and glare threateningly.

Even though my father could be overbearing at times, no one ever attempted to do or say anything with him around.

The staring was innocent enough, and the attempted gropes left me feeling disgusting.

I wasn't fully grown yet. A part of me voiced that I should be used to this.

After all, since the night I came into this world, I had been a target.

A wish, a desire.

Roaming in someone else's thoughts... someone's fantasies...

I would be on someone's kiss, marry, or kills list for the rest of my life.

That didn't seem to bother Jilian, but Hayley and I had yet to come to terms with that fact. The women in our family had dealt with similar ordeals but they had always endured everything thrown their way with fineness.

I aimed to do the same.

The Abbattoir stood tall and proud against the cluster of diminutive eateries around it. Over the course of my life, I had been here quite a few times. Marcel Gerard, the King of the Quarter, was an influential vampire involved deeply in supernatural matters as he has the largest vampire clan on this side of the Mississippi. He was a close family friend and my best friend's adoptive father.

A couple of vampires were vigil in front of the archaic doorway, one with floppy hair noticed me and waved. Josh, I think his name was, he had a crush on Aiden, a werewolf from my pack.

The other did indecent motions with their fingers and tongue.

Shadow tensed, and I scratched behind his ear hoping to smooth him over. My attempt was in vain as he growled seconds later.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as the man continued his antics.

It wasn't that I was afraid I couldn't teach him a lesson.

The last thing I wanted was to start something.

Royalty did not act out in positions where I currently stood.

Instead, I bowed my head politely just as the wolf princess should. If Dad had seen that guy would be ripped to pieces The daydream was satisfying enough to calm me down.

Sometimes I wished I could just go crazy. But as the potential future sovereign of three Great Wolf Nations, I could not afford to do anything of the sort.

"Luna!"

A slim short girl with tanned skin, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks was waving widely. Those neon hightops were impossible to miss under the glare of the sun.

No matter the season or weather, she always wore something as bright as her personality.

Laughing, I ran up to the steps of the large house, giving her a hug I knew she'd appreciate.

The grapefruit essential oil she always rubbed on her skin after her nightly showers smelled especially good when the weather was cooler.

"God, you have gotten so tall! I love your outfit, by the way, it's so cute!"

"I know! I have to look down at you now. And thanks, Vina."

"No problem, babes! You smell amazing, what is that?"

She asked me every time she saw me what perfume I was wearing. Truth be told I wasn't wearing any, but she insisted I smelled like a vanilla dessert in an elegant bistro.

I was always complimented on how good I smelled, even by my parents. It was strange but practically everything about me was.

"That is just me."

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

I felt eyes on my back as Davina, Shadow, and I walked through the compound. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Marcel, Thierry, and Diego in deep discussion.

The treaty with us, the wolves, would be due for signing soon. And there had been trouble with the witches recently.

"Hey, girls, heading upstairs?" The King of the Quarter asked.

"Yes, Marcel, I have some sketches and I new mix I wanted to show Luna."

I smiled at his laugh, it was so contagious. He had this energy about him that was so enthusiastic. My empathetic nature reflected this back.

"Come over here and get a hug, princess."

Giggling I gave him a tight hug, making his bones crack in the process. "Someone's getting strong on me."

My nose scrunches up as I pull away, "I've always been strong."

Marcel yawned, "You don't have to rub it in. We'll catch up later, but for now, go have some fun."

Diego playfully made a phone symbol and mouthed the words call me, resulting in a slap on the back of the head by Marcel.

Ooh I bet that stung.

The vampire with the cap, Thierry only smiled at me before returning to his talk.

My friend's room required conquering the quest of two lavish flights of stairs.

The outcomes were consistent as we ended up stopping at the top, both panting messes.

"I tried to get Marcel to install an elevator over the summer."

Half serious and half joking, I crumpled on the final stair, my legs on fire. I really needed to focus more on my legs when it came to working out.

"What did he say?"

My friend wore a neutral expression as she replied, "Well, we're here, and it's not, so..."

Shadow barked lowly licking me in the face. That was enough to spur me off the step, Davina as well.

He hadn't got her yet, but she had paled.

When Shadow gave kisses, they were serious business.

"Let's just go to your room before my dog kills us with his affection."

"That's not a bad idea - -" Davina squeaked as Shadow jumped up and licked her face.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Davina's new mix played from the boombox I got her two  Christmases ago. She was calling it, sweet fever. It consisted of rock songs that used crazy and love in their lyrics.

Her room was bright even without the lights on. It reminded me very much of her illuminating personality. We were catching up on our shows, laying under a sea turtle throw blanket, with a bowl of Twizzlers and Shadow between us.

Macgyver was our go-to every time. Explosions, spies, hot guys, it was perfect.

Richard Dean Anderson really knew how to capture the moment.

As Mac dove for cover and gunfire sounded, I couldn't help but nod my head to the music as I peeled another piece of Twizzler off and stuck it in my mouth. She had a gift, that was for sure.

"Ahh, this is really great... I feel like I'm at a concert..."

She giggled and turned her head in my direction, eyes still glued to the tv.

"When I picked these up, Marcel tried to convince me to get the carmel apple. And I told him nothing is as good as the classic strawberry - -"

"Vina, I was talking about your mix!"

"Oh!" She tore herself out of Macgyver and faced me.

Her turquoise eyes meant mine, and the smallest of smiles formed on her lips.

"Thank you, Luna."

As I gave Shadow the rest of my Twizzler, she continued.

"You have no idea how much that means for me to hear that."

"I'll always be honest with you, V."

Waves of delight were emitting from her because of my words. My empathetic sense gave me an edge, because I could sense how I made others feel.

Being a witch was pretty cool at times like these.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Shadows danced across the walls of Davina's room as the hours passed. Josh came up on his break and hung out with us, he was a nice guy, and the three of us made plans to the carnival tomorrow night. The traffic could be heard even with these thick walls, it was soothing and reminded me of California.

Don't get me wrong, Prairieville and the Quarter were nice enough, but San Francisco felt the most like home.

When half a season of Macgyver was binged we paused it for the next time and tended to the mess, which consisted of folding blankets and cleaning up dog puke.

It turns out my demon dog was not a fan of Twizzlers.

We had now settled on her daybed which was coiled with vines of ivy.

She had just given me her sketch pad and I...

I was in a complete state of shock.

The latest illustration of the man of my dreams hit the nail on the head.

We had been doing things ever since the visions had started. At first, it had been a joke, something to laugh about, but turned meaningful as my visions grew more intricate.

I would use my words, and she would use her hands. Before, it had never been this precise.

And I swear his eyes were looking through me.

"Oh, it's bad, isn't it?"

Wordlessly I shook my head, and she presently cheered up.

"Then it must be pretty damn good."

I clutched the pad tightly, the wide surface stretching over my folded legs. He was right down below me... well, his eyes were.

Sighing, I traced the shape, wondering if those hooded, cerulean blue eyes of his got him everything he wanted.

"Congratulations, you just drew my dream guy's eyes."

Davina jumped up, "Yay!"

But my response was anything but enthusiastic as I lay back, groaning.

What a terrible headache I was getting.

"Luna, what's wrong?"

Looking at the time, I felt sick. I would be heading up to the roof soon to be with Thierry.

I better tell her. It was now or never.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

"Jilly said- -"

Davina and Shadow cut me off. One of them sat on my feet, and the other shushed me.

They made a great team.

"Your sister is cool. Please don't take this the wrong way, but let me ask you this...how do you feel about Thierry?"

"Thierry is a nice guy. Who I happen to be really good friends with."

A weight fell onto my shoulders for reasons I could not detect. A pang resounded in my chest. I winced, and she didn't miss it.

"If your only going to appease him, don't go. It wouldn't be fair to him or you."

"I want to go."

To be honest, I did want to go to the roof. But I was terrified of something happening.

Don't get over your head.

That's what Jilly said. And that's exactly what I was doing.

Bitting down on my lip, my dream guy's face flashed before my eyes, and his laugh echoed in my ears, generating what felt like butterflies...that attacked my nervous system...

"I just wish..."

Davina smirked, finishing my sentence. "That your dream guy was the one waiting up on that roof."

I nod, "But what are the odds of that."

She hummed, tilting her head back. "My brain wants to say slim to none. But my witchy sense is telling me you'll meet him."

"I want to trust that witchy sense of yours."

My friend chuckled, "Intuition is a powerful thing, babes."

"Hey, do you mind if Shadow stays here with you while I'm with - -"

"Of course not, don't trip!"

I left my best friend and dog in the room with my head held high.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

The rooftop of the Abattoir was stunning. Tall leafy plants took up the space of corners. A mosquito net with tiny bulb lights in the shape of a dome had been put up. A wooden table had been set up, and a downy pink sheet laid over it. A plate of finger sandwiches lay on top, but Thierry was nowhere to be seen.

Approximately three breaths later, a cold hand touched my shoulder.

I couldn't help but flinch, startled by his sudden proximity.

"Are you alright?"

Turning around to meet Thierry, I smiled playfully, "If my hair is white with fright, just know you are the cause."

He chuckled, pulling his hat off and revealing his cropped brown hair.

"Why don't you sit?"

A sudden breeze ruffled my shoelaces, and Thierry was on the other side of me, his hands on the frame of the chair.

"Thank you," I murmured. I didn't miss the smile that graced his lips after he pushed my chair in. "You are welcome, dear."

I laughed, grabbing one of the two teas by the mini sandwiches. He was quite sweet.

"This looks quite lovely," I spoke in the fanciest voice I could muster. Thierry's nose crinkled as he shook his head, chortling.

He had an interesting laugh, one you wouldn't expect, especially after hearing his low-pitched voice.

"You are something else."

I sipped my tea through the metal straw, smirking, "I am the only one of me. So, thank you for noticing that."

His response came quickly, and after hearing it, I nearly spit out my tea.

"It's impossible to not notice the thing that you are."

My eyes widened. "What kind of thing am I exactly?"

He passed me a sandwich. They did look appetizing with the lettuce and tomato poking between the slices of white bread.

"A delightful one."

I smiled, "Thierry, you are too sweet."

"Ahh, Luna, but there is no such thing."

His blue eyes shined as he took a bite of his sandwich. "Well, I suppose I would rather you be too sweet than rotten."

For the next few passing moments, we ate in silence. New Orleans was never quiet. The cursing and blasting of horns (both vehicle and instrumental), could be heard easily from this high up.

I had nothing to fear from him. I inhaled deeply, Thierry smelled of lavender, which meant he was good. He was safe.

We were friends, he wouldn't take advantage of me...

"How is school going?"

I crossed my leg over my knee, sighing feeling more relaxed, "As good as it can go. I always try my best."

He drank back his tea, I noticed he had forgone the straw. "Good. Have you figured out what you want to be yet?"

"You mean other than a badass werewitch who is an essential element to the Charmed Ones and a future queen to nearly half of the werewolf population on the planet."

Thierry shook his head, smiling, "Other than that... Have you considered doing something more normal?"

I answered him honestly, "I haven't thought about it. And you forget, I am the very opposite of normal, even in a supernatural sense."

He laughed, nudging his foot with mine, our eyes met, and I was the first to look away.

I could not detect if that was intentional or not. Concentrating, I was able to pick up on the emotions emitting from him.

He was content, but I could sense a lingering sadness.

"Do you want to know what I see?" He asked, in a candid tone of voice.

I hummed, leaning in a smidge to show my interest as I sipped on my tea.

"A charming young lady, who is waiting on her chance...to take over the world."

"You aren't wrong, I am patiently waiting, but I- I can't help but feel insecure."

I bit down on my tongue. Why did I tell him that?

Thierry's laughing caught me off guard, but I couldn't help but join him in confusion.

"You? Insecure?"

I frowned, "What?"

His hand came to rub his chin, something I noticed he did when he was spirited.

"You are incredible. How could you ever doubt yourself?"

Point blank, I stared him in the eyes, "Thanks, but I don't feel like it. I feel like I will never reach my family's heights. My father has accomplished so much, bringing the entire city together... Do you know that New Orleans is the only place where vampires, witches, and werewolves coexist together? My mom survived hell and back. My sisters separately are forces to be reckoned with. How do I even start, Thierry?"

I began tearing up, and he handed me a handkerchief. The empathy and compassion in his eyes soothed me.

Ever the gentleman.

"First of all, what your father did is nearly impossible. He has this sense of unity, and it's communicable. Your mother is a strong woman who guarded her life at the young age of seven. Jillian and Hayley are powerful, that's for sure, but so are you. What you're missing, Luna, is that you have a piece of them inside you ."

He tilted his head to the side, and the tiny bulb lights shining above us made it look like his eyes were on fire.

"You have your father's integrity and natural talent for being compelling. But your own innovativeness. Madeline's resilience is remarkable, and she has passed that on to you. For some reason, you can't see it. Your sisters are a force to be reckoned with...but the Power of Three would be nothing without you."

I gave him a small smile, "thank you, Thierry. I really needed to hear that."

My bottom lip started quivering again, but I held in the tears, saving them for later.

From behind his back, he pulled out his trumpet and it gleamed under the bright lighting.

"No way. You'd play for me?"

He grinned.

"Of course, I would. Cheering you up is the mission."

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

My good friend played his instrument for me until a crowd gathered below the Abattoir, shouting for him to continue.

The gathering of cheerful and obviously drunk individuals had ruined the moment, but we didn't mind as it was getting pretty late anyway.

My father would not be pleased if I turned up at the cabin a quarter to one in the morning.

As I walked down the stairs, I recalled his parting actions that baffled me.

What would my sisters think of what he did? What would Davina think it meant?

Hopefully, I would find out tomorrow as I could still feel Thierry's lips on my cheek, his goodbye seared into me.

The promise of meeting at Rousseau's for the Musicians and Singers Night next week made my stomach churn with excitement. My pipes weren't too bad, in fact, Davina begged me to record my singing for her mixes.

Both Marcel and Shadow were waiting for me when I returned from the rooftop.

I searched for Davina's white fuzzy pink slippers, but they were nowhere to be found, meaning she wasn't at the lower level of the compound.

"Where's Davina?"

"Passed out," the King of the Quarter replied, throwing a ball in the ample living room, which Shadow caught before it could hit the expensive projector screen.

"We watched a lot of Macgyver today."

He chuckled, "Are you two still hung up on him?"

I laughed, "Mac is needed every day."

He shook his head, brown eyes glinting.

"Ready to go? It's midnight."

I nodded, and Marcel walked me out to his truck.

"How was your date with Thierry?"

My mouth popped open in shock, "How do you - -"

He held up a finger as he started his chevy, "Theirry is my right-hand man, has been for seventy years. How could I not know ?"

"And don't worry about what you're going to tell your father, I'll tell him you were discussing the treaty with us."

Flushing red, I had enough sense to turn around in the seat and thank him.

"Oh, it's no problem, Luna."

Fiddling with the fringe of my shorts, I pondered for a moment, "It went well. Thierry is a real sweetheart."

"Did he kiss - -"

Like a child, I plugged my ears with my fingers, "Ugh, we are just friends, Marcel!"

The man took a right turn and held up his hands from the steering wheel. "Ok, ok, just friends. That's cool too."

I removed my fingers from my ears, relieved to hear that he didn't insist that Thierry wanted me in any other way.

A wolf emerged from the edge of the woods, causing me to gasp and Marcel to slam on the breaks.

"Damn!" Marcel exclaimed, wiping his brow.

No reply would have had the chance to slip past my lips as I was too entranced in the scene before me.

The wolf was at least six foot tall, with broad shoulders. Its brawny physique was not concealed by its gold fur that gleamed under the moonlight.

But its eyes...

Oh, its eyes...made my flesh burn, and a foreign feeling swept over me like a nippy fall breeze. There was a tingling in my chest, closely followed by a warmness that pooled.

My empathetic abilities stretched, reaching the wolf, and soon I was feeling what he was feeling.

The sensation that mirrored my own caused my hands to shake it was so powerful.

His cerulean eyes bore straight into my own, and I found myself unable to perform simple, bodily functions such as breathing.

And then he was gone.

Just like that...

Marcel looked over at me, breathing hard. "Whew! That was a close one, kid. We'll have to let your dad know that a wolf is hanging around the streets..."

He continued speaking, filling the empty silence with his happy thoughts. The foreign feeling of warmth pooling in my chest disappeared, leaving my insides stony.

They were so cold it almost hurt.

The wolf's eyes... so alert and blue ...plagued my mind for the duration of the drive home.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

"Where have you been? It's one in the morning."

It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. Luckily Shadow licked my hand, distracting me from doing the rude act.

I hadn't stood on the hardwood floors for five seconds before my father came at me from the kitchen, using his authoritative tone.

Luckily, I was not alone because my mother came down, and Marcel stood beside me.

"Jace, it's all good! We were discussing the treaty renewal process."

"And you couldn't discuss this with me?" My dad asked with his arms folded over his chest.

I had seen him act this way when Jilly snuck a boy in, but I hadn't done that..at least, not yet...

Marcel's face turned serious, "She's supposed to be planning a party. That's what you told me the other day."

His Adam's apple jumped, and I couldn't blame him for his feelings of stress. When my dad was angry, he was a little scary. My mother, on the other hand, mirrored dad's pose, but her dark eyes were twinkling.

At least she wasn't mad at me.

"I figured it would be important to tell her the time and the place it was going to be so she could do her thing."

My dad circled me once, his nose scrunching in distaste. I know I did not stink.

"Something is off... Who were you around today?"

A quiet moment passed, and I realized that all eyes were on me. Even Shadow seemed to be waiting for my explanation.

"Davina and Josh."

My dad's kaleidoscope gray and green eyes were locked on my own.

I did not blink.

Tearing my eyes away was not an option because that would be considered a sign of weakness.

A lot was riding on me, pulling this unblinking stare off: Marcel could get in trouble for lying (which could destroy his friendship with my parents),  and I could basically be put on house arrest.

Thankfully he believed me. I exhaled after he looked away from me to Marcel.

"Josh...he's one of yours."

Marcel nodded wordlessly, and my father opened his mouth, but I cut him off.

"You don't have to worry about anything happening. He's gay, Dad."

He offered up a small smile. I let go of the breath I had been holding as he came up and hugged me.

"I'm sorry for yelling. I was just worried."

Mom came from behind and hugged me just as hard as dad was.

I was sandwiched between my parents, slowly being crushed.

But then they released me.

"Why don't you head upstairs? It's late," my mother suggested, yawing. It would be best not to argue.

Maybe I should do that locator spell tomorrow night. The last thing I needed was dad thinking I was sneaking out!

"Thanks for dropping me off, Marcel!"

I raced up the stairs with Shadow, before I reached my room: I heard his reply.

"It was no problem, kid."

The image of the wolf remained burned into my mind as I got under my embroidered pink comforter.

It would be a restless night.

The ghost of the warm feeling in my chest made its presence known.

I dreamt not of a man that night, but a wolf.

𖥸

Dictionary: моя любовь (Russian for 'my love'). The Motherland (nickname for Russia). Millennium - thousand years.  Блядь (Russian for fuck). the Elders - are a powerful group of older whitelighters who advise and govern the forces of good. Their purpose is to preserve the "greater good" by directing their Whitelighters to guide and protect. The Charmed Ones - are a prophesied sisterhood of three witches who descend from the Warren line of witches. They are known as the most powerful witches ever to walk the Earth and are dedicated to protecting the innocent and ridding the world of evil.

A/N: This book is rated mature, there will be death, language, violence, and some sexual content. I just wanted to warn you guys. So, the next chapter should be out in 7-8 days. If you have any questions or scene suggestions/requests just let me know :) I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it <3

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Moaa - x marks

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

WHENEVER JILIAN KARMA LABONAIR CRIES, YOU KNOW SOMETHING WENT DOWN.

It wasn't that my sister was emotionally sensitive (my empathetic abilities made me vulnerable in that way), but not her. She was full of enough upbeat energy to fly all the way to Neverland and back without worry or care.

Jilly was always pleased to hear a dirty joke or say one herself. She was never quiet in a room, with or without a crowd.

But all of her usual fooling around didn't fit in this picture.

The door to my room loudly banged open, and she stood under the frame, trembling, wavy hair drenched and hanging around her oval-shaped face, and tears spilling out of her dark eyes... I knew something had gone wrong.

In an instant, I was up, the flower-embroidered comforter slid off me like butter. Waking up from staring into the cerulean eyes of the wolf was jarring, to say the least...but my sister needed me.

I could always dwell on the details later.

Shadow followed closely behind me. He reached her first, whining as he circled her.

Her sadness was so intense I began to tear up as I pulled her in for a tight hug.

A hug offered support when words failed. It was a connection that linked energies together for a short amount of time.

I didn't know what to say...or where to begin... I only knew that my sister felt this terrible sadness that made her cry, and she rarely did.

"What happened?" I managed to ask, and she led me to the bed, not meeting my eyes.

"D-Dimitri he - -"

She broke into a sob the very second our parents entered the room without knocking.

Their expressions ranged from anxious to dumbfounded. But the ripples of worry coming off them hit me the hardest, clouding my mind.

Jilian never acted like this. I couldn't blame them for looking or feeling the way that they did.

Their eyes widened, but before Jilly could be alerted of their presence. I shooed them away, closing the door with magic.

I uttered the simple spell, "Motus." It left a tingling in my fingertips.

She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly as more tears flowed, mouthing something I couldn't decipher.

My dog, Shadow, came and curled up by the bed as I waited for her to speak.

Instead, Jilly took my hands, and I gasped when I was shocked.

Before I had time to say ow, a vision materialized before my eyes.

A dark-haired man with hazel eyes, who I assumed to be Dimitri, was lying beside my sister shirtless. Jilly as always slept with the sheets up to her chin, I saw him slipping out the window once she began to stir.

Oh, no...

My eyes fluttered open when the vision faded, and Jilly released my hand, leaning forward laughing, without mirth. "You saw it...how he just left me. When I woke up, I didn't even remember where I was. "

She started laughing again, reading her emotions yet again. Jilly was low.

"I thought he was my friend, but Dimitri - - he turned out to be something else."

"You like him?"

My sister wiped her eyes with the edge of my sheets, shaking her head. "Not anymore... I just can't believe he would do something like that. I should've expected it... Don't ever let your guard down, Luna. It's the biggest mistake you'd ever make."

"Maybe it's not what you think..." I trailed off, trying to come up with excuses for the guy I didn't know... anything to make her hurt go away.

"Luna, you are young to piece together what happened, so I'll tell you."

She rested her face on her closed fists, puffy eyes staring back at me.

"He got what he wanted out of me."

She paused for effect, and I leaned in curiosity filling my mind.

"Sex."

I cringed at the word, and my face began heating up.

...Curiosity did kill the cat...

"Not all men are this way, but enough of them are out and about. Girls can do it too, ya know. I'm not trying to be sexist."

I nod, yearning for this conversation to be over as quickly as possible.

"They ruin friendships just to hit once before moving on to the next," she made a motion with her hand, and the expression on her face was disgust.

Jilly's emotions shifted constantly, like clouds in the sky.

Crying one minute, laughing, and disgusted the next.

"Dimitri is an ass," I added, and she chuckled. Though this time, I felt her attitude get a bit lighter. I was making progress.

Knowing I was the one who caused it, I couldn't help but smirk.

"A receiving one...but a lot of people are. You have to watch out for that, and I'm still learning. But sex doesn't always end this way - - "

I covered my ears, flinching at the word, and she laughed at me. "Don't hide! Sex is completely normal that beings like us appreciate. Especially witches... as we are more sensitive to energies than any plain old mortal. You'll find out soon enough."

She shot a wink at me, and I rolled my eyes, groaning. Without care, I leaned back, laying a pillow on my face.

This was so awkward.

I was so awkward....

Jilly popped up under my arm, removing the pillow from my face.

"What base did you reach?"

I shuddered, "Negative one."

Jilly frowned, "What? You didn't even kiss."

Pursing my lips together, I shook my head. "You are so boring."

Feeling offended, I hit her face with the decorative throw pillow.

"Did you just - -"

"Yep."

She grabbed the pillow that she cried on and hit me hard on the back.

I grinned, feeling her sudden rush of joy and my own. "Oh, bring it on."

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

We crashed in my bed after making quite a mess. We were woken up by a very unhappy demon dog who was coughing up goose feathers.

"Oh, god, is it Monday?" Jillian mumbled, her face against a pillow.

The day that started the week. It was important to be optimistic for the rest of your week to be light rather than depressing and heavy.

A morning meeting with the local pack should be fun.

I giggled, "I think so. We should get dressed before Dad comes up. You know how impatient he gets with these outings and showing up late."

She nods, gasping, "But what about - -"

Jilian gestured to the feathers that floated aimlessly around my room.

"I'll just clean it up after - -"

"The carnival," my sister through in, brows raised skeptically.

"Shit."

I had no time...absolutely no time today.

Jilly just laughed, "I'll help you out, don't stress so much, baby moon!"

Cringing at the nickname, I still managed to smile a little.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, for starters you'd be doing this by yourself," she sang, stuffing the feathers into a trash bag along with the torn open pillowcases.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

For the day, I chose a pastel yellow sweater as there was a chill in the air. I paired it with a jean skirt and white tennis shoes.

My hair was slightly damp from my quick shower and hung down in a heavy curtain. I applied eyeliner for tonight's carnival and daubed some strawberry lip balm on my lips to moisturize them as they had been feeling dry.

Jilly's getup was mostly black and showed some skin, her men's jean jacket slung across her shoulders, and she was sporting her trademark brick-red lipstick.

I could sense she was in a better mood. This Dimitri person seemed like a thing of the past and I wanted him to stay that way.

Making our way to Dad's truck we were surprised to see that Marcel was still here. He and my dad were in a deep conversation.

Feeling curious, I tilted my head to the side, listening to their conversation.

"Really, Calder?"

"Yeah," my dad heaved a big sigh. I wondered if he had slept all night. "Luna says they are the most likely suspects."

"I've gotta say, man, I agree. They did steal a bunch of stuff from me last year. Proof that the Calders certainly aren't pure of heart."

Marcel grinned, and he waved at me and Jilly.

"She's a good kid, smart as a whip. I'd hate to be on her bad side... I'll see you Thursday, Jace, for the signing of the treaty."

My dad nodded and Marcel was gone into the wind.

I only had three days to plan and prep for that party, plus go to a carnival with Davina and our new friend Josh. Get ingredients for the locator spell, find time to do it in the middle of the night, and write a two- thousand-word paper on the well-known enlightenment philosopher John Locke.

Who said, what worries you, masters you... I couldn't help but agree with that sentiment.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

The frequent Monday meet-up was always held in an older model church with a high cathedral ceiling, and many flights of stairs, though Bible studies were never carried out here.

Father Kieran's place was the most sought after, even after his nephew killed himself in front of everyone. No one could figure out why he did it, not even his twin sister.

Mary Dumas was an elderly woman with white hair and bright blue eyes. She had quite the mouth on her and adored Hayley, Jilly, and me.

Though, currently, she was giving a speech about how far we'd come over the past decade with the help of my father.

"Before Marcellus Gerard stepped in, Midas threatened to destroy us with the witches' aid. But fate had other plans. We have Jason and his beautiful family to thank for all that we have. The clothes on our backs, the food in our stomachs, and he gave us something that can't be bought."

She paused for effect, looked at me, and beamed, "Respect."

There was loud cheering as Mary stepped down from the podium, head held high.

Jackson, her grandson, stepped up. His dark hair, like dad's, hung at his shoulders. His tawny eyes were gleaming. He was handsome, and I might be tempted to flirt if it weren't for Hayley having the hugest crush on him.

"Alright, folks, let's give Jason a hand. Give him the courage to come up here after that speech."

My ears began ringing from all the hollering. I was surprised when dad pulled me up from my seat.

"I thought it would be nice of you to share your plans for Thursday's party."

Blinking, I slowly smiled, this could not get any worse.

I was wrong of course.

A boy with blonde hair, Oliver whistled at me loud enough to make my dad turn around. I had to practically push him to the podium.

Never in all my life had I been nervous in front of all these people. I was scrambling my brain, trying to figure out what I could say as dad was letting me go first.

Ahhh that's it!

"Good morning, everyone!" I spoke loudly over their chatter, capturing their attention.

When I saw that every eye in the room was on me, I smirked a little and put my hands on my hips.

A habit I had inherited from my father.

"Now, for this year's treaty renewal, we will be meeting...here. I thought since we always do it in their territory, it's time we started doing it in ours. We can tidy up, make a few banners... Make it a community project, and get the kids and everyone involved. Maybe set out some of Randy's barbeque, and get a nice bonfire going...if all goes as planned, it's going to make a lovely evening."

Multiple brows shot up, and hands raised to speak, but I waited for my words to sink in.

"Yes, Oliver."

"Excuse me, princess," he said the word with distaste. I glared lightly at him at his open disrespect for my title. "That's 'bout the stupidest idea I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

Mary, who was sitting near him, slapped his arm. "That was tactless. If you are going to give criticism, be constructive."

She continued, "Nothing to say? So, her plans must not be as stupid as you make them seem. If you wish to gain the princess' attention, perhaps calling her ideas idiotic is not the best way."

I looked down, trying to hide my smile. I caught Jackson's eyes, noticing he was doing the same.

There was a moment when one of us nearly lost it but luckily we held it in. The last thing I needed was to not be taken seriously.

"I think it's an excellent idea," my mom said from the back, and I shot her a thankful look.

Jackson raised his hand, "As do I."

My father stepped closer, his voice booming in the room, "All those in favor say I."

I'd be damned if everyone in that room said it. I looked every one of them in the eye before smiling.

"Well, the I's have it."

Jilly escorted me back to my seat near the front, giggling. "Oh my god, you're a freakin' genius."

Mom's head turned, "She knows, now, pay attention to your father, the both of you."

I stared at the wood beams that ran across the ceiling, waiting for the voices to quiet down.

Luckily my dad knew what to do.

"Settle down."

Me being up there had been a bit much because the applause had not ended.

But two words from my father and everyone was calm.

"There's been some issues down in Tennesse. The Timber and Lockwood alphas: Kate, Mason, and his nephew, Tyler, have gone missing."

Murmuring broke out, and my dad raised his hand, and silence dispersed over the room. "Jackson and I have agreed to open an investigation on the Calder pack. We believe them to be suspects since they have sidestepped us for weeks. And they have proven themselves of kidnapping before."

The voices grew louder, putting us right back at square one.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

The meeting had ended, but I didn't feel as satisfied as usual when that happened.

So much to do in so little time.

I didn't know if I was going to make it to the carnival tonight.

Dad was busy driving mom to school, who was already five minutes late. Jilly had gone with them to pick up Daisy and Shadow from the house. I would be writing my essay on John Locke while arranging the event for Thursday, and meeting with the party committee.

As I exited the church, I gasped, bumping into - -

"Princess, I apologize."

I had run into Jackson unintentionally, of course. I ended up on my bottom landing rather unceremoniously.

Oliver would have laughed at my predicament. Jackson stood over me with his hand out for me to grab.

Within his emotions, I couldn't sense any crooked sentiments.

I took his hand, groaning as he pulled me up. I would have a sore butt for an hour or so. Thanks to my werewolf healing, I think I would survive.

"Thank you, and please," I looked into his brown eyes, "Call me, Luna."

"That's improper."

I chuckled at his earnestness, "You can call me by my name and still respect me, Jackson. I have other duties than to be the three Great wolf Nations princess."

Jackson smiled as we walked closer to the dock.

It was a picturesque view; the wood beams of the dock seemed almost ancient, but they did not creak under our weight. Trees overlooked the rippling greenish water. Fish stuck their mouths to the surface of the water. Apparently, the dissolved oxygen in the water was low today.

"Right...sometimes I forget you are also a witch."

"Oh," I playfully moved my brows, and he laughed. "I can make it hard for you to forget if you wish."

He leaned on his heels and muttered something I didn't quite catch.

"I can't believe you are only seventeen."

"Well, I find it hard to believe that you are only twenty-three."

He laughed, sticking a hand on his chest. "Why did you say it like that? I'm not that old."

I smiled, nudging his shoulder with mine, which was nearly impossible because he was the same height as my father.

"My sister's the same age as you."

"Hayley," Jackson said my sister's name slowly, leaning back onto the railing. "She's still in college?"

"Yes."

"When is she coming to visit?"

I sighed, looking over at Jackson Kenner.

"Soon... Wait, why so interested?"

He had the goofiest smile plastered on his face as he looked down. Oh...

I felt waves of admiration coming from him.

"Jackson," I said his name in hopes that he would look up at me, but he didn't.

"You like my sister."

Hayley would die to hear those words from him. And when he looked up at me, eyes shining I knew that he felt the same way.

"Is it really that obvious?"

Being honest with him, I nod. "Especially with my powers."

He raised a brow, and I sighed, explaining how I could sense people's feelings.

"You can do that?"

I giggled at his shock, "Yes, but not all witches can."

"Being a Charmed One sounds like a blast. Is there any way you could adopt me? Maybe I could get a useful gift..."

Hearing my dog barking, I smiled, beginning to step back.

"For starters, you could marry my sister."

Jackson kicked a rock on the dock, reddening. "Luna!"

"What?! You asked!"

I then began running to the sound of my father's truck, his laughter present in my ears.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

My father and I sat in his truck, listening to an instrumental track by a group of amateur artists known as The Howling. They were good enough to get themselves a record deal but from what I'd read online they weren't interested in any of that.

Dad thought it was humble of them and I agreed.

Last year we attended a concert together it was nice. Hayley and Jilly never really did things with him like that.

It wasn't a question of love because I could feel that. Jilian and Hayley loved him just as much as I did, the way Davina explained it was that every parent had their favorites.

From an early age, she was sent into foster care after her mother attempted to kill her. She bounced from home to home until Marced took her in...so she knew a lot about things like this. She was convinced that my dad favored me.

Luna, sometimes parents are closer with one child than the other. It's no one's fault, but that's how it is. If Tommy is an easier kid than Dan then Tommy is your choice pick. But you can still love Dan at the same time.

Dad always asked me for advice about wolf stuff, how to keep the peace, and how to improve the system that's been in place since I've been born.

He never asked my sisters but they had clarified their opinions of being 'princesses' alongside me.

We were watching Jilly and Shadow play the game of fetch.

Sometimes he threw it. Sometimes she did.

Those two were having so much fun I ached to join them.

My dad turned towards me, green and gray eyes alert. "Marcel told me about that wolf you guys ran into... Did you sense anything?"

Oh, gee, how would I ever explain my feelings of passion for the golden creature that haunted my dreams?

I  had a theory...my dream guy and the wolf were the same.

It started with the eyes. His cerulean eyes were a pretty blend of blue and green. They were rare! Especially on a wolf.....

Was it crazy of me to think that they could be the same?

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He was quite big though," I smirked, trying to hide my nervousness with confidence.

There was something in his unchanged facial expression that told me he didn't believe what I had said. But for some reason, he didn't press.

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

I thought being honest was the best way to go, lying to my dad was hard.

"Tonight, Vina, Josh, and I are going to go hang out at the carnival."

Surprisingly my dad seemed to love the idea. "Sounds fun! You should have them over sometime... just be careful, little wolf."

He said the last part sternly and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was always careful.

Maybe too careful, I took very few risks.

But I told him I loved him and kissed his cheek.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Hours later into the day, I knew I wasn't going to finish my paper on the English philosopher John Locke.

It wasn't that I didn't want to because I found his remarks to be particularly engaging.

Stress over the party and the carnival was taking me away from my studies.

But both had to be done!

I couldn't let Marcel or my dad down. That would be soul-crushing.

Just imagining the disappointment on their faces made me queasy.

The carnival would be a great outing for socializing. I knew I would have a fun time with Josh and Davina! So, I couldn't let my friends down either...

Oh, how could I forget? I still have a locator spell to do.

Though I think mom spilled grape juice on one of the good maps...I guess that means I have to go shopping too.

My days seemed never-ending.

I wish my dreams weren't so fleeting. There were times like now when I wished for dream guy's arms to wrap around me and make me forget everything.

Shadow and I narrowly avoided colliding with Aiden. He laughed and shot me a quick smile, humming to some new Luke Bryan song that was playing over a radio a few houses away. As wolves, our heightened hearing sense was invariably convenient for even the pettiest of things.

I was busy riling up the party committee to make welcoming banners, hand out pamphlets with a list of activities, get ahold of Randy, and order edible table arrangements. The problem was only twenty out of fifty members showed, if I had to repeat, "jewel tones go best with silver," one more time I was going to lose it.

"Oh, it's good to see you, dear."

My hand shot to my chest, Mary had scared the devil out of me. I was particularly vulnerable whenever I began pacing back and forth in an irregular fashion.

"Oh, Mary, hi! I loved what you said at the podium."

She shook her head, "No one cares about what an old bat like me has to say, dear."

My eyes widened, "I care," I muttered, but she continued as if she had not heard me.

"That was some idea you came up with, don't listen to Oliver and his goons they don't know left from right. You've grown so much. Every day you seem to be sounding more like a woman and less like a child. I see great things in your future."

I looked down as she beamed proudly. Mary helped me arrange gatherings, so in a way, she was like a coach/tutor. From time to time she helped me with chemistry.

But she motivated me into the late hours of the night whenever my parents went out. Sometimes I just needed that extra push to get through.

"Can you let me in on what you see? It's a little blurry to me."

I was always eager to hear her thoughts.

"One day you will see what everyone around you sees."

Hmm...right now I was a teenager who was occasionally rebellious yet reliable. I strived to carry myself with grace but lately, my head hung down from the heavy weight I was carrying.

Looking over at Marry I noticed her sights were set on a little blue bird fluttering around a group of tree branches. The muted coloring of its feathers matched her eyes.

Shadow licked my hand before sinking to the ground, scratching his back on the dry grass.

"Our future Queen."

I laughed nervously, sticking a loose curl behind my ear. "There's no guarantee I'll win the tournament."

Despite my words, her eyes twinkled, "You doubt yourself far too often. I believe it is your destiny."

Pressing my lips together, I fought back a sigh, "Well, I can't defy that."

"Not when it's written in the stars," she agreed, leaning back in her infamous lawn chair.

To be honest, I was worried I wasn't worthy of being Queen or even the princess of three Great Wolf Nations. It was a heavy weight on my back, and right now I was struggling to balance it. Being a witch, a Charmed One, things got less complex.

How challenging could saving innocents and vanquishing nasty demons and vengeful spirits be?

I loved the other half of me but sometimes I wished things were easier.

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Who knew demon dogs could throw a five-pound ball so far?

I revisited the question as I jogged through the woods near the bayou. Shadow was with Jilian, who offered to babysit him while I got his ball.

The brush grew wild and rampant, unmoved by man's hands.

Fierce thorns continually threatened to pierce the soles of my shoes. I muttered a spell to flatten them to the ground.

Thank goodness for magic!

Now that I was alone, I began to contemplate last night's dream.

No words were said but the things I felt made up for that.

There had been a tingling in my chest and a warmness that pooled.

His golden form had been against a landscape adorned with snowy mountain tops and a full moon.

My fingers were laced into thick fur... I swear, even now, I could still feel the silkiness of it.

I must have been a mile deep in the treeline before I felt a tingling on the back of my neck.

Someone or something was watching me.

Strangely enough, I didn't feel threatened by this presence.

I turned around in circles but saw nothing but the pale skin of the trees.

The wind roared in my ears. I couldn't detect any furtive footfalls or faint heartbeats.

The sky was beginning to darken. It was getting late.

Davina and Josh would be expecting me soon.

I huffed angrily. How could I, of all people, lose a twenty-five-dollar dog toy?

──────── ·𖥸· ────────

Unlike the vampires and witches who dwelled in the middle of the city, the werewolves chose to remain secluded. Of course, this had benefits and a few drawbacks.

Jackson and I had been arguing about whether to put a road in place of the gravel.

I defended the rustic charm. It was satisfying to hear the tires crunch under the gravel as the verdant scenery flew by. Jackson pushed that road could pave a faster route to where we congregated.

We planned to bring it up with dad after the treaty renewal. As always, we left on a good note, his hug had warmed me.

From my powers, I could tell that he genuinely liked me...not for my looks or body... That was especially rare nowadays.

That Kenner boy was headstrong to the point it could be grating, but he was always looking out for the wellbeing of people like us...even people who weren't like us. When he wished, he could be as sweet as his grandmother Mary's apple pie.

"Who is this Josh guy anyway? He sounds cute..." Jilly added as she got off the gravel road and onto the highway.

"He is, and he has a crush on Aiden."

"Really?" Her bottom lip jutted out, and her eyes widened. "Did you know that Aiden was the only guy to turn me down?"

"I didn't, and it's not like he was an ass. You just aren't his type."

We laughed together, and Shadow barked loudly. The two sounds reverberated in Daisy, Jilly's jeep. My sister had put the top on when it started sprinkling.

"Oh my god, we have to get them together."

I smiled, tugging on the end of my yellow sweater. "The treaty renewal is set for next week. Surely we can think of something then."

Jilian agreed, "I can't believe you, baby moon. Planning all these events and parties, making speeches, holding babies, kissing toads."

"I do not kiss toads."

"Sorry, I watched Princess and the Frog last night," she chuckled. "Do you ever wish you weren't?"

I turned to her, aghast. "Of course not! I love who I am."

"Why do you stress over it so much?"

My eyes fell to the floor of the jeep, "I'm afraid of messing up."

She scoffed, "Oh please, Luna, I'm the only person in our family who screws up. Just ask Hayley."

I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "Are you two fighting again?"

Jilian rolled her eyes, "When did we ever stop?"

𖥸

Dictionary: Motus (Latin for move); The Charmed Ones - are a prophesied sisterhood of three witches who descend from the Warren line of witches. They are known as the most powerful witches ever to walk the Earth and are dedicated to protecting the innocent and ridding the world of evil. Innocent - someone who is blameless.

A/N: There is definitely going to be more witchy stuff going on in the next chapter :) Thanks for reading, I hope you all have a lovely day/ night! Please review💖

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Harry Styles - Golden

 Taylor Swift - You're On Your Own Kid

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE CLAIRE WITCHES AND THEIR HUGS.

It had only been a day since we'd last seen eachother, but maybe I missed something when we texted last night.

Davina was going to give me bruises from her affection. But did I have any help from my other friend?

Nope. Josh just stood there with an awkward look, twiddling his thumbs.

I sensed his feelings of timidness towards me. Nearly everyone I knew, in a way, stressed over me, mainly if I'd like them or what they'd said.

"Luna, I'm so glad you're here. I got a new selfie stick!"

She took a picture of the two of us intertwined and motioned for Josh to get over here.

"Christmas must have come early."

Davina got this dreamy look on her face as she put her selfie stick and phone into her bag. "With Marcel, it's Thanksgiving and Christmas all year round."

"Mmm, I'll have to come over from dinner sometime!"

Josh chuckled, "Luna, I'm afraid you'll be eating leftovers for lunch. Chef Mike's three-course specials are impossible to skip."

Davina began giggling, and I noticed her face flush with red.

"I'm guessing Mike is a cuter older guy, right, Vina?"

My friend nodded while Josh was put into a coughing fit. I hit him on the back while Davina told me about Mike.

"He's just so sweet. A single dad, human, and he's Scottish!"

"Really?"

"Yes, and before you ask, he's not a ginger. Mike's bald, but that look works on him, I swear!"

I blushed, "I have a thing for accents. It's not so much the hair I care about."

Davina sighed, looking over to the side, "Do you think the goldfish will be in the same spot as last time?"

Closing my eyes tightly, I remembered all the goldfish lives lost in my friend's care. But she seemed so excited...I couldn't stop her.

"Yes, please be careful."

She kissed my cheek and zipped away, nearly knocking over a four-year-old.

Bless her heart.

Josh stood to his full height, causing a stuffed bunny to fall from its spot.

He apologized to the disgruntled vendor, and he ended up purchasing the soft blue thing.

The vampire looked harmless holding the stuffed animal. An idea popped into my head.

"You could give that to Aiden. Write a cute little note in the shape of a carrot."

His eyes widened, and his Adam's apple bobbled. "But isn't he macho or something?"

I laughed, clutching my sides as we walked past all the decorated signs the sellers had assembled. A boy my age with round glasses waved, and I waved back...only because I discerned compassion.

"Macho is a word you would never want to describe Aiden."

The vampire's dark brows jumped up into his hairline. "He is more down to earth than anything."

He scratched the back of his head, chuckling, "I just assumed he was because of the leather."

I smiled. It was rare to come across someone so naive yet adorable at the same time.

"Judging only by my attire, Josh, what would you assume about me?"

"You're pr-pretty," he stuttered out as we stopped at a dart-throwing station, stuffed animals hung on strings.

The vendor greeted us and handed me three darts after Josh backed up.

"Everyone assumes I'm nothing more than a pretty face," I say, placing my feet in the white spray-painted square.

"But thank you, Josh."

I aimed for the red dot in the center and exhaled, launching the dart.

"Holy crap."

I smirked at my friend's astonishment. All three dots were bunched in red.

You could never go wrong with precision and accuracy.

"Bullseye!"

The old man smiled kindly at me and handed me a fuzzy, pink bunny.

"You folks have a lovely evening."

"You too," I took Josh's hand as we entered the oncoming crowd. He sighed, seemingly appreciating it.

"I didn't mean to sound so shallow back there, but even you can't deny that. You're smart, and can I say I've never met anyone who's actually hit a bullseye before?"

Laughing, I nodded, "Of course. And by the way, my bunny is way cuter than yours."

Josh chuckled.

A finger dug into my back, and I winced in pain. Turning around, I saw a guy who looked to be in his early thirties.

"Hey, baby, how's it going?"

I swallowed my growl down, and Josh tensed.

"Well, it was going great until I saw your face."

"Aren't you a sassy little lady?"

The man laughed, but there wasn't any enjoyment conveyed in his brown eyes.

He reached for me, but before I could deflect, Josh's hand appeared first.

"Back up, dude."

The Josh I knew had gone. His lips weren't curved up at the ends, and his usual kind eyes had blackened.

I felt waves of anger coming from him. Oh no, you don't.

The man laughed, and this time I could feel real enjoyment and anticipation when Josh stepped forward. I acted quickly, putting my hands on his chest and looking him in the eye. It wasn't difficult to do since we were almost the same height.

"Forget this creep, Josh. Let's find Vina. She'll never let us live it down if we missed the rides."

He shook his head a little, his entire body quivering. When I looked behind me, I noticed the man had gone, probably to torment another girl around my age.

That didn't sit well with me. Josh winced clutching his jaw, I took out a spare blood bag disguised as one of those kids' juice pals.

"Here, drink this. You'll feel much better."

Josh's eyes narrowed, "Where are you going?"

I winked at him, and he coughed, "The ladies' room. I have a business to attend to."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"It's okay."

I tilted my head to the side, detecting a new voice. It was shaky, she was scared. I could feel the dread coming off in ripples.

"N-no, no, what are you doing - -" The voice was cut off. I looked a the tall yellow and red striped tent in front of me.

I walked inside and saw a bunch of gamers with headsets on. What the hell were these people doing at a carnival?

Ignoring my irritation, I pushed past them unnoticed.

Pulling open the tent, I saw that the creep had the girl against the wall. His hand was covering her mouth, and his pants were down around his ankles, exposing his colorful looney tunes boxers.

This guy has class.

I pulled him off her. I must have underestimated my strength because he ended up slamming against the brick wall, knocked out cold.

Every hair on top of her head was quivering. I knelt at her level, relieved to see that all of her clothing was still intact. I reached into my bag and pulled out a spare jacket I kept on hand.

"Hey, deep breaths, you going into shock won't help either of us."

The girl's teary eyes meant mine, "H-how did you - -"

I only smiled, "Answering that question will put you in jeopardy. All you need to know," I gently placed the jacket on her pale, freckled shoulders.

"Is that you are safe, and that guy isn't going to torment you anymore."

She nodded, looking away from my sincere gaze. I helped her get to her feet.

"What's your name?"

"Crystal."

I smiled, "That's a nice name. I think you should head home now."

Reaching into my wallet I pulled out a slip of paper with my number on it. "If you have any more problems, give me a call."

Crystal nodded, tucking her red hair behind her ear. "That's brilliant. T-thank you...for what you did I mean."

"It was no problem."

Crystal looked at me over her shoulder one last time before she exhaled shakily, exiting the dusty space behind the tent.

The creep groaned, twitching. Getting out my phone, I dialed Marcel's number. The King of the Quarter picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, baby moon, what's up?"

I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Thanks to Jilly, it seemed to be spreading around.

"I need you to come take out the trash."

The joyful tone in his voice disappeared, "Where are you at? Do I need to call your parents?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary. The slime ball is already incapacitated. And I'm at the carnival. His body is behind a yellow and red striped tent full of a bunch of gamers. Compulsion won't be necessary. Their eyes so glazed over it probably wouldn't work."

"What happened?"

"Nothing exciting," I heard an engine rev and a door slam. "A grown man, tracking down underage girls."

"There were two?" The anger in his voice was easy to catch.

"I was one of them, but don't worry I've handled it. And Crystal should be heading home."

"Are you sure you don't want me to call your dad?"

"I'm sure. If I tell him, Marcel, he'll never let me out again."

"True, just be careful, alright, kid? I'll be there in a few."

The call disconnected, and I headed out of the tent.

By now, Josh should be feeling less angry, and Davina should have her goldfish.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Where the hell have you been, Loca?"

I laughed at the twilight reference as Davina tackled me with another hug.

The smell of orange blossoms flooded my nose, calming me. I don't know why but I felt emotional. If I hadn't been there to save Crystal...bad things would've taken place.

Sometimes it was hard...living with the fact that you couldn't save everyone...even if you tried.

Josh stood up from the wooden bench, my pink bunny; and his blue bunny together in his hands.

"To the ladies' room. That is where you went, right Luna?"

I silently put a finger to my lips. The vampire closed his eyes in understanding.

Davina would freak out if I told her. She would either cry in sympathy or go to the tent and find him with intent to harm.

Even as her best friend, I could never tell what she'd do...she was a wildcard.

Pulling away, I asked if she had gotten a goldfish. Instead of lighting up, she looked down.

"No... but I did get a guy's number!"

I squealed, jumping with her. Josh shook his head, looking lost and a little confused.

Without hesitation, I took his hand in mine and explained the situation.

"Oh, well, congrats, Davina."

"Thank you, now I'm gonna have to get you and Luna hooked up with someone so we can go on a triple date! Can you imagine how great it would be? I mean, we could coordinate our outfits!"

Josh and I glanced over at each other, equally fearful. "Umm, that won't be necessary - -"

"Shhh, I can see it now... The three of us sporting faded jean jackets, cropped teas, hoop earrings, and leggings."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Four sweet teas and three carnival rides later, there was a sharp prickling ache in the back of my head.

I couldn't tell if it was from Davina's giggling or Josh's incessant whining.

The vampire wasn't a fan of rollercoasters, but I could sense he wanted to please a friend. After this ride, I would step in and offer to foot the bill for some yummy funnel cakes: getting Josh out of the safety straps and Davina's mind elsewhere.

"Oh, no, not this one, D! I'm gonna barf!" Josh exclaimed, accidentally throwing his bunny into the air.

Jumping up, I caught it before it could land in a little kid's ice cream.

Davina sighed, "Just one more... This is Luna's favorite ride." The witch gave him a pleading look. Her lipgloss-coated bottom lip jutted out.

Josh looked over at me for confirmation. I shot a smirk his way, ignoring the pain from my headache.

He sighed, and the operator gestured for us to move on in the line.

"One more..."

Davina jumped up, clapping her hands together. The loud sound made me want to cover my ears. I grit down on my teeth instead.

For the first time in my life, I was terrified to get on this ride. Not of falling but of throwing up.

There was this overwhelming pressure in the back of my head. I started to tear up as we were pulled full height.

We began spinning.

And spinning...and spinning...and spinning.

Davina grabbed my hand and whispered something I couldn't hear. My ears began ringing, and something warm and wet trickled under my nose.

I gently ran my finger above my lip. I gasped, seeing red. Black spots danced in my whirling vision... and the glare of the lights faded away...

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Davina Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Anxiety made my heart beat fast against my ribcage.

I had never experienced something like this; out of the two of us I always got injured, but she never did, which irritated me.

But now I wanted to be the one hurt.

Josh carried Luna off the swing ride, and we were now in a dark alleyway, a few blocks away from the carnival.

I could still see the flickering lights in the distance. See her faint smirk... Feel the warmth of her hand.

"Lay her down," I ordered, and he did. I watched as my best friend's head lay limply to the side.

Her chest moved up and down, I was relieved to see she was still breathing.

With haste, I dumped everything out of my pack. Blue and purple vials toppled out along with some bound herbs, and a few emergency spells I ripped out of my family's grimoire.

I undid the cork to the smelling salt and stuck it under her nose, but it did nothing. Josh and I recoiled away from the pungent smell.

"What happened?"

I gently began removing the dried blood from her chin, ignoring his question. I didn't know the answer.

All I knew is that Luna was bloody and unconscious.

Josh grabbed my shaking hands.

"Let me do that. Call Marcel."

"I'm sorry, Josh."

His voice was soothing. It offered me a bit of comfort. "It's not your fault."

After watching him run the wettened rag gently across her face a few times, I shakily stood up, bile rising in my throat.

Seeing blood made me queasy, and Josh being a newbie vamp, was supposed to be overly sensitive. But he didn't look like he was fighting off transition. He looked calmer than he had all night.

I did this. I brought her here.

Teary-eyed and breathless, I dialed Marcel's number, and as always he picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, how's your night going, Sweetie - -"

"Luna's hurt." I couldn't help it when my voice failed me, and I broke down.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Jason Matvey Labonair was a scary sight, especially when his arms were folded over his broad chest, with his eyes a dark hue of gray.

My stomach dipped, and I feared I would throw up in front of him.

I had the biggest crush on him when I turned thirteen, and four years later, I still regularly fantasized about him.

All I could say was that Madeline was one of the lucky ones.

On this night, I did not find myself to be particularly lucky.

I always stuttered when I spoke around him, but after everything with Luna, tonight was especially bad.

"What happened?"

His husky voice brushed over me like blades of grass, and for a moment, I had to recite what he asked me in my head before I responded.

"Ev-every thi-thing was fine b-before we got on the ride. And then - -"

I cut myself off, feeling intimidated under the gazes of not only Jason but Marcel.

The quote, "just keep breathing," reverberated in my head. Luna always said that when I became frantic.

"We stopped spinning, I looked over, and she had fallen limply to the side. B-blood was just trickling out of her nose. I tried to use smelling salts, but it didn't work."

Jason moved towards me, and the hard look in his eyes softened when they met mine.

I nearly gasped when his hand touched my shoulder, and he bent his tall frame down to mine.

"Everything is going to be alright, including Luna."

He sounded so compelling that I began nodding along with his words.

She would be alright.

Jason stood to his full height, towering over me, a warm smile on his face. "You should go home and get some rest. After Luna is well again, the four of us can go out for lunch or something; would you like that, Davina."

"The four of us," I whispered, excited about the thought of a daddy-daughter outing with my best friend.

"I would love that, Jason."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a bush tremble; a heartbeat later, I saw big blue eyes peeking under the leaves. I spotted hints of gold.

My brain couldn't pinpoint what this thing was... Marcel was taking my arm, and the thing vanished from my mind.

Didn't shock sometimes make you hallucinate?

"Let's head home; you look exhausted."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Third Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Miles away a wolf howled, rain fell from the skies, and the air in the lavish cabin that night was still.

It was well into the night, and nearly into the next day.

Shadow, the hellhound, moped around, refusing to eat from his bowl. He was curled up by his owner, whining every so often.

The oldest sister arrived not long after the storm began. Rather than kissing her baby sister's cheek as Jilian had, she went to work in the kitchen. Brewing the awakening potion in their family grimoire.

Jilly stood behind the marble counter with her sister looking misplaced. It wasn't normal for everyone to be this quiet, she thought as she watched Hayley dice mushrooms.

Hayley and Jilly were not thrilled to be in each other's presence, but with Luna's condition, their worry was more powerful than their petty rivalry.

Jason paced outside on the porch, talking with Mary. He voluntarily went, unable to look at his youngest daughter's still form on the couch next to his tense wife a minute longer.

Madeline was at a loss for words as she stroked back Luna's curls. She had never experienced one of her girls being ill.

The odds of a werewolf catching a yearly cold have always been slim to none. With the sisters being werewitches, they still had impressive immunity from pesky viruses.

"Jilly, please pass me that ladle."

The middle sister rolled her eyes but did as Hayley asked.

"Is that the awakening spell?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

Feeling unproductive, Jilly offered to go upstairs and get a poppet.

"That would be immensely helpful," Hayley remarked, stirring the steaming brown mixture.

In curiosity, Madeline questioned Hayley on her choice.

"This particular spell can have bad side effects. Are you sure she's sick, Hayley?"

The young woman sighed in tiredness. She had taken a three-hour plane ride to be here.

Hayley took long strides to get to the living room. Without a beat to miss, she checked her sister's forehead and nearly recoiled. She was burning up. And her skin was clammy.

"What I am sure of, Mom, is that something isn't right, and she's exhibiting what looks like a sickness."

Hayley smiled a little, looking into her mother's worried face. She bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry so much. I've got this."

Madeline chuckled, taking a sip of her mineral water. "It's my job to worry about you three."

Hayley nodded, swearing in her head when she heard the timer go off in the kitchen and Jilly return from upstairs, a poppet in her hands.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Jilly shot Hayley a cocky smirk as she reached for her hand. The older sister took it, rolling her eyes, fighting the urge to smile.

It wasn't often that the two of them had moments like these. So the sense of togetherness felt nice.

"Together?"

"Yes, together," Hayley agreed with Jilian's statement.

There was a moment of silence. It lasted long enough for Jason to kiss the top of Luna's head and Madeline to pray for the spell to work.

"Troubled blood with

sleep's unease

Remove the cause

of this disease

Sleep eternal nevermore

And shift the source

of illness borne

To this poppet

who none will mourn."

As the sister's finished their chanting, the air hummed, the flames of the candles flickered, and the chandelier shook.

The family looked up in apprehension, but it did not fall.

Madeline sighed, closing the Book Of Shadows as her youngest daughter began to stir.

Luna gasped, and Hayley was instantly at her sister's side, her herbal tonic in a small serving bowl.

"Drink," Jason said in a soothing voice while his wife Madeline answered the phone.

It was their family doctor; he was asking for an update.

His youngest child did as her father commanded, wincing at the bitterness of the concoction.

"Sorry, I must've forgotten the sugar," Hayley whispered, causing Luna, Jilly, Jason, and Madeline to look at her.

"What."

Luna chuckled dryly, sitting up with the help of Jilly, who was snickering to herself.

"Of all the times you could forget to use sugar...this had to be the one..."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the stillness in the air vanished like fog.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Love reminds me of a hug; it can squeeze the life out of you or leave you with a warm feeling in your belly.

I believed it left an impact on everyone's lives.

It certainly left an impact on mine.

My parents huddled near the corner of the couch, and Hayley and Jilly were on either side of me. Shadow was below me, a puddle of drool collecting from under his head. The five of them had passed out around two-thirty a.m.

This couch was hardly comfortable but they stayed on it for me. My parents were ridiculously stubborn, I watched them fight sleep for hours until their eyes drooped. Hayley and Jilly fought often but when we were watching reruns of the hit series Friends, they remained peaceful, even laughing together.

As disjointed and wonderful as my night had been I knew I had to get up soon as the morning light was beginning to pool out of the windows.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

A shower was necessary before I officially began my day, ugh I could still smell blood in my hair from last night's nosebleed.

The minute I unlocked my phone it began ranging, I smirked seeing Jackson's name.

...One phone call wouldn't hurt...

"Hey, cutie."

"Luna, are you alright? Mary told me what happened..." I rolled my eyes, removing my socks as I placed the call on speaker. Multi-tasking was needed if I was going to beat my dad to the stove to prepare breakfast.

"Jack, I'm perfectly fine."

I felt surprised by his concern. "Are you sure, have you hit your head recently?"

"For your information, I have not recently hit my head."

Placing my cell on the counter I turned to turn on the shower.

"You called me cutie," his tone sounded questioning.

I drenched my hair before squeezing a quarter-sized amount of my vanilla bean and coconut shampoo into my palm.

"Arguably you are one," I replied, rubbing the fluffy aromatic suds into my scalp.

There was silence on the other end, and I wondered if he had hung up.

"I think you are cuter than I ever could be."

My shoulders shook as I laughed, "Are you in the shower?" He sounded aghast and I had to admit this was all very amusing.

"You should come help me out, I can't really reach this spot on my back - -"

"Luna."

He spoke my name in an authoritative tone and I giggled. "Yes, Jackson."

"You do know that your father would skin me alive."

"And so would Hayley...who is home by the way. I expect your cute ass to be here buttering up my sister later. Why are you calling me again?"

Hot showers felt like summer rains. I leaned my head back, enjoying the feeling of the water rolling over my body.

"Well, I have some info on the Calder pack, and I couldn't get ahold of your dad so I figured I'd just call you."

I smiled gleefully, this was another great opportunity to prove to the pack that I could handle things like this.

"Smart boy."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After finishing up my shower, I wrapped a fluffy towel around myself and made my way to my room.

Everyone was still asleep, well besides Shadow but I had let him outside to play. He was happy to go having developed the recent habit of chewing rocks.

"I was looking over some of their transactions these past months and they took out over one hundred thousand dollars."

Jackson went into more detail about Calder's recent spending activity, as I hummed going to my closet and picking out a yellow dress. I planned to wear it with a sage green cable knit cardigan because it felt a little chilly today.

"Which doesn't exactly sound fishy because of all the renovations that are being made."

"But there's a paper trail leading to another pack, Blair."

I sighed, taking in the new information, as I did my hair up in a low bun. "Those two, in particular, envy eachother. It's gotten to the point that I can't recognize them as individuals. It's like their subconscious twins or something."

Jackson chuckled, "You should see their cabins now, I swear every color is identical."

"So, why would Calder pay Blair if they despised each other's guts?"

There was a creaking sound and Jackson laughed, "Well, if Calder didn't kidnap the alphas of the Timber and Lockwood packs maybe they paid someone to do it for them."

"It's smart. Maybe they're assuming we'll go after just one of them."

I could hear the smile in his voice, "When in actuality we're going after both of them."

"We make a great team you know. Maybe you should come over later, so we can talk more about this development."

Laughing I replied, "I bet you'd like that."

"You would win that bet."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After making arrangements to meet up with Jackson tonight, Davina started blowing my phone up.

Are you awake yet?

What the hell happened?

That guy who gave me his number turned out to be not worth it.

I shook my head, cracking a dozen eggs into a bowl before answering her messages.

             Just got out of the shower, and off the phone with Jackson.

             I have no clue.

             Hayley theorized that I could've had a vision and it was so intense that I blacked out from it.

             Do I need to take out a hit on him?

Seconds later she responded with two laughing/crying emojis.

I'm glad you're better, and have I ever mentioned that Jackson is kinda cute <3

Stretching, I laughed quietly as I reached for the whisk. My phone dinged again, I could never comprehend how she was able to text so fast.

Josh and I are hanging out at the park later, you should come :D

I smiled as I typed my reply: I'll be there :P

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Five steaming plates of cheezy scrambled eggs with a side of bacon rested on the table. Shadow huffed happily at my side, he had already had his serving.

Not one of them was up. That was going to change.

I put my hand on my father's shoulder, and his kaleidoscope green and gray eyes snapped open. Dad was always a light sleeper unlike the rest of the people in this household.

"What is it, little wolf?" His cheek was red and lined from using my mother's legs as pillows. "Are you alright?"

"I'm great! Breakfast is up."

He chuckled and I placed a kiss on his scruffy cheek before walking over to where my sisters lay.

"Hayley... Jilly... get up, I made breakfast..."

They remained dead to the world.

"Jilian, Hayley, your sister was nice enough to make us all breakfast. I expect you to be at the table in five."

Hayley sighed, blinking heavily as she lifted her arms over her head. "How are you feeling? Did the tonic work?"

"I'm feeling better thanks. I hope you slept well."

She glanced at Jilly, who was yawning loudly. She didn't like talking much in the morning, she required at least an hour of alone time before making contact with the world.

My oldest sister smiled at me, putting her hand on my knee and using it to stand up. "I'm glad."

"Oh, would you guys go do that somewhere else," Jilly finally cracked.

Hayley bent down and picked up a pillow from the floor. I winced as she hit Jilly with it.

It wasn't long before Jilly attempted to throw our family's ancient grimoire at Hayley's face.

Muttering a spell the book zoomed out of her hands and into mine. She glared, "What the hell?"

"What is going on in here?"

I smiled hearing the smooth, honey-like voice of my mother. "I won't ask again."

Hayley shrugged, pointing to Jilly, "That one started it - -"

"Ah, but I am the one who is finishing it." My mother beamed as her two oldest headed for the dining room, no longer squabbling.

Even separately my parents could handle the three of us well.

Her hand came down to my shoulder, "Are you sure you're alright? You feel a bit cold."

I laughed, " I feel great, Mom. I really do. Last night was amazing."

A confused expression crossed her delicate features, "Honey, you were passed out from a nosebleed."

"Yeah, but when I woke up Hayley and Jilian weren't fighting, and we all watched reruns of Friends."

She nodded, taking my hand, and leading me in the direction of the dining room. "Ok, that does sound pretty amazing."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

For the most part, breakfast went well, Hayley and Jilly did glare at eachother but the food I made wasn't thrown which was a good thing.

"Heading out?"

I nodded, slipping on my cardigan. "Mom's going to drop me off at the park to hang out with Vina and Josh."

"Sweet, hey your best friend and I came up with something great."

I raised my brow as I replied to Thierry's texts.

Are you alright?

         Don't worry about me, everything's great I promise

Listen, I was told by Marcel to come with Davina and Josh :/

           I'll be happy to see you there :)

"What's that, Dad?"

"Well, we both thought it would be a good idea if we had a daddy, daughter brunch."

I giggled at my dad's eagerness, I felt the same way. "Really."

"Really, little wolf."

He chortled, as my mother rounded up on him planting a kiss on the tip of my dad's nose.

I turned away from the sweet scene giving them privacy. Shadow clawed at the door and I let him out.

My siblings stood in front of me, hair up, wearing jeans, tube tops, and minimal make-up.

I had seen Phoebe and Paige sport similar fashions when they went out to hunt demons. Piper and Pru never seemed to get dressed up for a fight so they never did.

Damnit, I still have to call Paige and ask for her to mail my apron!

"Where are you two going dressed like that?"

They both looked at eachother before they answered, "A stakeout. There's a witch that runs a club a couple of miles back."

"When will you be back?" Jilly and Hayley asked in sync and my eyes widened in shock.

Since when were they so synchronized?

"Around dinner time. Vina wants to make up for all that hangout time we missed out on."

"Sounds great because before you go to sleep we need to find Kelly Delane if we haven't."

"I'm actually going to have a late night, Jackson and I have plans."

Hayley's hazel eyes lit up at the mention of him and I knew she would be calling him later. I gasped, Jackson, smiling at my father at the dinner table took over my sight.

Looks like he's coming to dinner.

Jilly wagged her brows and I rolled my eyes, thankful Hayley didn't notice as she still had that wistful look on her face.

"Why is this chic so important again?" I wondered aloud as I powered off my phone.

"Belthazor is after Kelly. And before you ask, Cole contacted us."

That was a useful little trick of his; being able to sense who his other half was going to attack.

It gave us enough time to try and save innocents from the demon's grasp.

"What could Belthazor be up to now?"

They both shrugged, and Jilian snorted. "I'm willing to bet that the Triad has him wrapped around their grubby fingers."

"Haven't we killed them once already?"

Hayley groaned, "Mom and the sisters did once...but remember they regenerated when the Source came back."

"Oh, yeah, sorry it's been a while since I've read up on anything."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Have you been talking to anyone?" My mother asked as she drove me to Woldenberg park.

The city was crawling with supernaturals and humans. As always, the traffic was going to take some time to get through. There was a pile-up on Peach street and I was thankful that we were on Elm despite my aversion to the name.

I hated that word ever since I watched Nightmare on Elm Street with Davina.

"I had an outing with Thierry a couple of days ago, and Jackson called me this morning," I replied yawning. I released my hair from the band that held it, hoping for the wind to dry it.

"How did it go?"

"Well, he's a great friend, very supportive and kind."

"What about Jack?" She nudged her shoulder with mine, and I laughed. "I flirted with him."

"Pray that Hayley doesn't find out."

"We have plans later to talk about the Calder investigation and I don't like him, like him, he's just - -"

"Nice to look at, and fun to tease" my mother interceded and I nodded as she made a left turn.

She gave a sigh and for once I couldn't decipher the meaning behind it. The only thing my empathetic powers could pick up was pride.

"You're getting to that age, sweetheart."

I groaned, "Please don't tell me this is part two of the talk."

She frowned, "I thought it went well, do you remember - -"

"Yes! I remember everything...there's no need to rehash anything!"

She laughed and poked at my sides as we stopped at a light. "Ok, ok it's not a part two I'm just telling you to be careful. Jackson is a grown man, you are still a child in your father's eyes. He would not approve."

I sighed and she held up her hand, cutting my words off, "I'm not saying I do or that I don't. You are going to make your own choices, I can't stop you. What I can do is remind you that anyone you mess with can get hurt just as easily as you can."

"Even if I wanted to mess around with Jack I couldn't do that to Hayley."

My mom was quiet for a moment. "What your sister doesn't know won't hurt her... and what about this other guy?"

"Thierry's definitely in the friend zone... But there is this other guy."

"Oh..."

"Yeah but the thing is, I only ever see him in my dreams. I know you'll probably think I'm insane but I like him."

"Is he blonde?"

I blushed, shaking my head, "Umm yes, and why does this matter?"

"The other day when I went over to Marcel's he introduced me to his friend, Nik I believe. He was quite charming. Did I mention that he was blonde?"

Excitement sparked up in me and I stopped breathing. "You didn't, but maybe it's just a coincidence."

"That's also a possibility, but from my understanding, Nik came down for business affairs, I'm sure he's returned home by now..."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Woldenberg was always nice this time of year. The trees were dressed in the rich, fiery colors of autumn, and the birds sang their melodies and rested on slim branches as the breeze moved through the area, rustling the leaves. Couples walked on the pavement while some ventured past the concrete, onto the lush grass with woven picnic baskets and plaid blankets around their shoulders.

It was easy spotting Davina in her hello kitty crop top and pink hightops. While she happily did cartwheels, Josh and Thierry sat on the bench chanting her name and cheering her on.

"Whew! I was starting to think you weren't coming, babes!" She yelled over the roaring wind and I smiled, sensing her genuine surprise.

"I said I'd be here!"

Josh turned in my direction, "Do all Halliwells keep their word?"

"It depends but you can always trust me, Josh," I planted my butt down between Thierry and Josh.

"How are you today?" I turned to the vampire wearing the hat.

"Good, now that I know all my friends are alright. I have news."

"Did you finally ask out that artist from Cloud Nine?"

That was the hottest artist hangout in the Quarter, it was a fairly new business that brought a lot of people joy. He had met a girl there, she was an ordinary human girl. Thierry was trying to move on and I looked forward to seeing him happy with someone again.

Theirry's cheeks, reddened, "I did, apparently she likes me."

I slapped his arm and he chuckled, "See! I told you this would happen. I'm so happy for you."

He beamed at me, "Me too."

For a moment I appreciated the wind wafting my curls around before I nudged my shoulder with Josh's.

He laughed at me, "What's your problem? Haha, I'm kidding, you look a lot better today."

"Thank you. Did you send that carrot note to Aiden yet?"

He blushed, "Not yet...I've been struggling with what to say..."

Grinning I pulled out a pen from my purse, "Don't worry, Luna's here to save the day."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After helping Josh with his love letter, I ran off to Davina and we did cartwheels until the sun set and the wind died down. We talked of many things, my dream guy being one of them.

I told her what my mother said about that Nik guy, she promised to look into it. When it came to finding people, Vina was the one you came to.

Currently, I was seated at the dinner table with Hayley, Jilly, Mom, Dad, and Jackson.

Stabbing my fork into a piece of broccoli, I stuck it in my mouth chewing it slowly waiting for the next kick. I was playing a childish game. It would have been infantile to Hayley and silly to Jilian but I enjoyed it.

Jackson was sitting beside me and he had been nudging his foot with mine.

He kicked me and I swallowed my food before I got him back, unfortunately, I misjudged the force behind it and he was pushed closer to Hayley.

I blushed and busied myself with cutting Shadow a piece of steak. Thankfully no one seemed to notice...except for Jackson who was now talking to my older sister...

"Dad, how is Linden pack doing?"

He chuckled, subtly tossing Shadow one of his charred brussels sprouts (Mom had tried to cook again tonight).

"I think that's a question you should ask Jack, he's been pouring over the records all day."

Turning to Jackson he smiled down at me, "Well, princess since you asked they are renovating the east side of their community. There was a fire. But out of Blair, Calder, and Linden, they are the nicest."

My father narrowed his eyes at him.

"You assume they had nothing to do with it?"

Respectfully, Jack bowed his head, "Yes, sir."

"Enough about politics, Jack, have you met anyone you've liked recently?" My mother smartly asked, winking at me and taking a bite of her steak.

Jackson scratched the back of his head, and I sipped on my tea.

"I like everyone here."

"Aw," my mother's brown eyes glinted, "Isn't that the sweetest, don't you think, Luna?"

"Mmhm."

I tried to envision a similar situation, only with my dream guy instead of Jackson. There was a warm fluttery feeling in my chest, it faintly reminded me of butterflies.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"You girls be careful," dad said from the porch. Hayley, Jilly, Shadow, and I loaded up in the jeep. The three of us waved at him.

"Alright, let's do this," Jilly muttered, as she pulled out of the driveway.

"Speed it up, I have plans remember. The last thing we want to do is fight Belthazor in the dark." My sister grinned, doing as I asked.

Placing my hair into a low bun, I caught Hayley's peculiar attitude. "I thought you and Jack already talked about pack stuff."

"We're going to go more in-depth."

"Oh, ok. Did you see how cute he looked when he got the mashed potatoes on the side of his face?"

I chuckled, picturing it in my mind. "I would have paid to see that."

"Luna! He was right next to you, how did you not see?"

"I was sorta thinking about something."

"Like what?"

It had been a minute since I had spent time with my oldest sister, Hayley was known for her inquisitiveness.

"There's this guy I've been dreaming about, and I have this huge crush on him. Please don't laugh at me."

She got this disgruntled look on her face, "I would never laugh at you, I'm not her," she through a pointed look to Jilly who was headbanging to some ACDC.

"What does he look like?"

I stuck a loose curl behind my ear, and my insides for some odd reason felt warm. "All I know is that he's got blonde hair, sunkissed skin, and cerulean eyes."

She laughed, "Well, he definitely sounds attractive."

I nodded, "Yeah but it's more than that. I feel - - "

"We're here!" Jilian shouted, clueless to the fact that Hayley and I were trying to have a conversation.

Hayley rolled her eyes, and waves of annoyance hit me, "We'll finish this conversation some other time, ok?"

"Sounds good to me."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Hey, we're trying to find someone, could you help us out?"

The girl turned and I immediately recognized her. "Crystal?"

"Luna," she cried, wrapping her arms around me. "It's so nice to see you."

I would have replied to that remark had Hayley not cleared her throat. "Oh, could we talk another time? My sisters and I are looking for someone who might be in trouble."

Crystal sighed, sticking a hand on her hip, "Give me a name and I'll do my best."

"Kelly Delane," Jilly said and Crystal's eyes widened as she drew her long red hair into a ponytail.

 "That's my aunt."

I looked over at my sisters to make sure we were thinking the same thing. "She is in need of our help."

Her eyes remained wide, "Like you mean when you helped me?"

I nodded, and Jilly cut in. "Except she is in trouble with a demon."

Crystal's freckled nose wrinkled, "A demon? I thought those stayed in hell."

Hayley hit Jilly's shoulder, I watched as the two of them got into a fight.

I separated them, growling, "We don't have time for this."

"Well, I don't bloody understand any of this but I'll take you to her apartment, we just moved here two weeks ago."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Something wasn't right.

I felt that as soon as I stepped inside the apartment. I told my sisters to watch over Crystal who was a nervous wreck as I inspected the small minimalistic space.

Nothing had been knocked over and I couldn't smell any - -

My hair stood up on the back of my neck, that was the only warning I got before I was thrown against bookcases.

Taloned hands gripped my throat.

My eyes flew open, and Belthazor stood before me. His red skin shined under the lights, with the black markings on his face he looked like some Star Wars villain.

"It's good to see you too," I said, hoarsely.

The demon tilted his head to the side in what looked to be confusion. Lifting up my legs, I kicked him off me.

He flew back and his head went through the glass coffee table and his acidic blood oozed out singing the carpet.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be hunting my sisters and me down?"

He offered me no reply as he roared, running towards me. I moved to the side just in time, and he hit the wall, groaning.

I gasped, there looked to be a secret space if I could just move him out of my way...

Muttering under my breath, I gripped his shirt getting ready to remove him when he pushed me into the wall.

Just where I wanted to be.

I winced, the bricks digging into my skin. Bruises were never fun to deal with.

Sticking my hand in the hidden space I was shocked to draw out rolled parchment that was most likely a map and a crystal necklace...simple components required for a locator spell.

He threw me to the side like a rag doll, and I winced landing in the glass and his blood.

Belthazor reached inside the secret hidey hole but came back empty-handed. His black eyes stared me down and I stood bracing for an attack.

But the oddest thing happened.

The demon shimmered away. Leaving me alone in the apartment.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Bloody hell, are you ok? Is that awful thing gone?" A woman with red hair identical to Crystal's asked as she clutched my shoulders.

This must be Kelly.

Jilly and Hayley were calming Crystal down in Daisy, Shadow was of course aiding them.

"I'm alright and for now yes. Since you are a witch," I held up the roll of parchment and the crystal necklace. "I suggest you put a boundary spell around that apartment. I'm sure he will return."

But she didn't take the items from my hand, "I don't practice the craft anymore. Please take them."

I saw Crystal and my sisters making their way to us, better make this quick.

"Do you have any idea why that demon is after you?"

"Oh, he wasn't after me, in fact, he shoved me out of the way. He was after those things you've got in your hand there"

Hmm...the crystal did seem odd, it was iridescent. And the parchment felt ancient.

"Did you hit your head?" I asked, noticing the blood on the side of her neck. "Yes... I-I think I did...."

There was a funny look in her eyes, she grunted and fell into my shoulder.

I panicked, this woman's life was now in my hands.

"Someone call 911!"

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The drive home was silent. The paramedics said that Kelly Delane was in critical condition now that she was unconscious. Crystal promised to give me updates on her aunt's condition.

Hayley and Jilian sent sympathetic glances my way, but I focused on the road trying not to let my emotions get the best of me as I drove us out of that part of town.

Kelly could've died if we hadn't been there.

That put a heavy weight on my shoulders.

Being a witch, especially a Halliwell was harder than it sounded.

We were supposed to protect innocents from evil and keep the Underworld in check. Melinda Warren my ancestor was the first, and she deemed it our sacred duty.

"Honey, there was nothing you could do," Hayley murmured, as Jilly rubbed my shoulders.

"You did all you could," Jilly voices correcting Hayley's assertion.

Taking one hand off the steering wheel I touched their hands, "Thank you both for the support I appreciate it."

Hayley gave me a hard look, "I'm fine just a little sleepy."

"You want me to take over?"

"Don't worry, it's not that kind of tired."

They said nothing else, Shadow who was in the front seat turned to lick my face. I chuckled, feeling better at his attempt at affection.

It was the simple things that brightened my nights.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Are you sure about this?" Jackson asked as he pulled up to his house. It was a nice-sized cabin, he had built it with the help of the pack. Pretty soon I would be stepping into an 800 sq ft area that Jackson ruled over.

I rolled my eyes. "Dad's totally cool with me spending the night, I already talked to him about it." I hopped out of his truck, slinging my bag and cardigan over my shoulders.

He came to unlock the door, humming something under his breath. I smiled recognizing it.

"Jack frost nipping at your nose," I sang the next line of the song.

Jackson chuckled, turning around as he opened the door and let me in. "You know that song."

I nodded as I closed the door behind me. "For some reason my dad really likes him."

"He's good."

"I believe you."

He was the first to break our eye contact, grabbing a few logs to set in the fireplace.

I found myself in the kitchen, I smiled seeing a picture of him and Mary over the sink.

"Would you like some?"

"Mmm, my Dad would never let me over again if he knew what you were offering me." I stared at the amber liquid in the pitcher.

Jackson flushed, and his Addam's apple bobbled. "I just think you deserve it."

"Really?"

He nodded, pouring some liquor into two glasses. "You always put everyone before yourself. Hayley, Jilian, your parents, the pack...even your dog."

I caught the glass when he slid it towards me, sipping the aromatic liquid I winced, feeling my throat burning.

Jackson smirked noticing my reaction.

Leaning on the counter, I winced preparing for the burn. The taste wasn't awful, it was the burning that made it bad.

"Slow down." He placed his hand on the glass, lowering it.

I cleared my throat brushing past him, "Where do you normally work, cutie?

He chuckled, "Anywhere... Why don't you pick for tonight?"

"The fireplace," I suggested, taking off my cardigan and tying it around my waist.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

About an hour later the fire was crackling away and I was feeling hazy from the cup of liquor I had drunk. Jack offered to pour me more but I declined, this buzzing feeling would last until the morning I was sure of it.

If I drank anymore I would surely be sick in the morning.

It gave me a funny feeling. Neither good nor bad...just weird.

Jackson was bent over his five-star notebook, documenting his theories. I was already done with mine, but to be truthful I only had one while he had several.

Biting my lip, I nudged my shoulder with his. "So, who do you think the father of Kate's baby is?"

Jackson's expression was filled with bewilderment. "Does it matter?"

I shrugged, "It could. Think about it." I sat up on the blanket he had laid out for us to share.

"If things ended badly with Tony or some other high-ranking pack number belonging to the Calder pack where would that put Kate?"

Jackson frowned, "In a really bad position even if she was alpha of her own pack. Folks down there hate to see a woman in charge." I noticed he had stopped writing.

"Exactly and we won't know anything until we actually go investigate. All of this speculating get's us nowhere in the long run."

He groaned rubbing his forehead. "You're always right, Luna."

The smile slipped from my face, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't. Someone almost died tonight. If I hadn't gotten there in time - -"

I cut myself off, tearing up.

All the liquor was getting to me.

"You can't control everything," his hand came to rest on my own. I never noticed it before but there were gold and green flecks within his brown irises.

"And that's frustrating as hell to hear..."

He chuckled, "Our lives were written in the stars before we opened our eyes for the first time. I think it's perfectly ok to not be ok with that."

Getting the chills I unwrapped my cardigan from my waist and placed it around my shoulders.

I sighed, "Everyone in my family makes it look so easy, carrying all this weight on their shoulders. I don't know how to balance it all."

A sad look passed over his face. "One day, you'll figure it out."

Not liking that answer, I narrowed my eyes at him and he opened his arms in response.

Leaning forward into the hug, I inhaled his woody scent. "You really think I will."

"Oh, I know you will - -"

My unexpected sneeze cut him off. I sat back, horrified that I had sneezed on him but he looked unbothered.

"Bless you."

"Thank you, Jack."

He started gathering the files up and I followed suit. We had been doing this for four hours straight, now was a good stopping point.

"It's my fault, there's so much damn dust in here from all these files."

I giggled, "Don't worry about it. The only thing you need to worry about is how you're going to ask out my sister."

He turned to me, a perplexed expression on his face. "You're right, aren't her favorite flowers daisies?"

"Mmhm, you have an obstacle in your way though."

He tilted his head to the said, "And what might that be?" My legs curled beneath me as my hands reached for a pillow. I was really tired tonight... Being thrown through glass and demon blood hadn't been fun.

"You are awfully cute tonight..." I yawned loudly, and I sensed he was waiting for me to elaborate.

"The obstacle is my father silly."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

At six o'clock in the morning, Jackson passed me a black cup of coffee with a genial greeting.

Unlike Jilian, he seemed to be more of a morning person

.

I smiled sprinkling sugar and french vanilla creamer into my cup. It lightened considerably the more I stirred.

"Have you come up with a plan of action? Getting her attention won't be easy... Hayley's the groggiest in the mornings..."

He hummed, sipping on his pipping hot cup of Joe.

"I was planning on running down to that meadow, picking her some nice daises."

"Make sure to get some nice ones... they might be for your funeral."

He laughed, but I heard his voice go up an octave.

"Thank you for that vote of encouragement."

I gave him a thumbs-up as I went to the bathroom to get dressed for the day.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I couldn't explain why but I was feeling uneasy. The moment I stepped out of Jackson's truck, I ran, leaving him the dust and asking where I was going.

There was a harsh and harrowing chill that hung in the air.

Only one entity left behind such a feeling.

It was Death.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Is there a particular reason you're here?"

His bone-white face was painted with disgust and his usually vacant eyes were fiery.

The Angel snarked, "As if you didn't know... You Halliwells are vexing souls!"

Hayley and Jilly stood at my sides, this was the pose we picked when faced with trouble.

What did we do to piss off the Angel of Death?

"That woman you saved...her soul belonged to me." His hand twisted around empty air.

"I noticed you used past tense," Jilly ventured forward, fearlessly staring Death in the face.

"Meaning that her soul doesn't belong to you anymore," Hayley finished crossing her arms over her chest, a determined attitude emitted from her defensive form.

"Fools! Every choice you make, and every action you take has consequences!"

As the wind picked up, his cloak flared in the wind.

"When the time comes we will face them head on...together..." I glanced over at my sisters who nodded in affirmation.

"Mark my words, for rescuing Kelly Delane's soul you have only caused misery to another."

His eyes were filled with so much fury that - -

My sisters and I grasped hands, standing our ground, but no blows ever came.

Death was gone into the wind... His warning rang in my ears...

                                                                                                               𖥸

Dictionary: Grimoire - is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divination, and how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, deities, and demons. Book of Shadows - created by Melinda Warren and was passed down the family to the Charmed Ones. Belthazor - is Cole Turner's demon half that Phoebe Halliwell siphoned out. Innocent - someone who is blameless. Triad- second in command to the Source of All Evil. The Source of All Evil - known primarily as the Source, is the title given to the most powerful demon and ruler of the Underworld. Shimmering is an energy-based method of teleportation that allows users to appear at and disappear from the desired location. Underworld - one of the eleven planes of existence. The Angel of Death- is commonly referred to as Death and is an ancient, powerful being that is neither nor, but simply neutral

A/N: Omg, have you guys listened to Taylor Swift's new album, it's incredible! I just had to use one of the songs for this chapter 😁 I couldn't resist mentioning Nik, aka Niklaus this chapter, I can't wait for Act II! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see more of ;) I hope you all enjoyed it, this is the longest chapter yet 💖 

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı Music In Chapter ıllıllı

 Francoise Hardy - Fleur De Lune

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

JACKSON KENNER KNEW HOW TO MAKE MY SISTER GIDDY, EVEN THOUGH SHE REALLY WASN'T THAT TYPE.

My sister for the most part was composed, reserved, and particularly studious. It was not an abnormal occurrence to find her inside reading with her long hair piled onto her head, drinking a cup of hot tea on a chilly Autumn day. Sometimes if she had the time, she'd journey to Marcel's stables and ride his horses. When I asked her why she liked it...she responded, "To me, it's paradise, like flying in a dream... It's a privilege to be able to partake in something like that."

I tried riding horses...each time I ended up sore and in ice baths... It just wasn't for me but she was a different kind of girl...and Jackson was a different kind of guy.

He was always the first to take any leadership roles up for grabs. Unlike most boys in the pack, he didn't party like a frat boy. In his free time, he was helping others, and when he wasn't he was exploring the terrain of the bayou. When he returned, he always had stories to tell the children of the pack about how he nearly escaped the jaws of a bloodthirsty gator.

So, Jack offered her the daisies he had picked, her favorite, and asked if she'd like to accompany him to Maize, the new bookstore in the Quarter on Blue Cork Avenue.

That surprised me, he must've been paying more attention than I thought.

The polite man transformed my sister into an unrecognizable blushing, giggling mess. Jilly and I had to help her say yes but she said the three-lettered word!

The date was set, and Hayley marked it down on the fridge calendar for all eyes to see...even dad's.

We hadn't forgotten about the Angel of Death's warning, we planned to discuss it over dinner... It was just going to be the three of us since it was date night for our parents.

I didn't want to dwell on the fact that someone could perish because we saved Ms. Delane. Of course, I was worried and stressed but I couldn't bring Jilly and especially Hayley down.

My stuff would have to wait...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I found myself in the basement that my mother had converted into a gym. How she managed to fit all the gear and weapons I don't know.

"Are you ready?"

Laughing at my mother's high spirits, I looked down at my outfit for the day which coincidentally matched hers.

A black cropped Nirvana tee, with sweat pants.

"Of course! What's your favorite song?"

She looked at me, puzzled before I gestured to her shirt. "Oh, something in the way is the best in my opinion. Don't bother asking your father, if the entails aren't G.S. he's not invested."

"Haha, I loved teen spirit. You can never go wrong with that one."

"True... start warming up. We are going to be sparring today."

Smiling I began doing the basic warm-up exercises, stretching my tendons and muscles. Compared to my sisters I was very flexible, Davina and I had attended gymnastics classes from a young age. When it came to getting out of weird positions, we were quite good at it.

Before I moved on I sipped some of my water in my tye-dye bottle Davina painted two summers ago.

My legs started burning after I finished my second set of ten squats...whew only eighty more to go...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Did you guys kiss?"

I leaned against the wall mat, barely sidestepping my mother's sharp jab.

"No."

She frowned as I stepped forward, elbow raised to strike - -

And she successfully countered it.

Fighting with my mom was challenging, I rarely was ever victorious. But that also pushed me to be better.

I landed a few quick hits and she popped me in the ear. Her reflexes were fantastic, I guess I could say the same for me. Being a werewitch had more than a few perks. She immediately apologized, I knew she meant it.

Tilting my head to the side, I winced but carried on, trying to figure out how to close in. Her guard was spot on, better than dad's even! And his father, my dead grandfather had been a part of the mafia in Russia.

"Hmmm...at dinner I sensed some chemistry, are you sure nothing happened?"

Bewildered, by her question and high kick I jumped back. "We fell asleep after we talked about pack stuff...he woke me up and gave me a cup of coffee. Is it important if he smiled?"

She hummed, looking off into the distance as she blocked my left hook.

"I saw the calendar, y'all's ship sank...but what about dream guy? Do you think that Marcel's friend Nik- -"

Her voice was cut off by her vibrating phone.

Seeing her frown I became worried. "Who is it."

"It's your father...he's calling an emergency family meeting."

"Oh..."

He must've seen the calendar.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Mom and I came out of the basement and trekked out to the patio which was our designated meeting place for the warmer three seasons.

As it turns out, I had only been half right.

Dad had seen the calendar, but he wasn't upset. He was unbiased about it.

What backwards world did I live in?

There had been a time when I brought a guy home named Alec, but I recall Dad treating him as if he was at the same level as the mud on his boots.

It didn't end well for Alec or me. I was so upset that I gave dad the silent treatment for a week until Mom made him apologize.

What was the difference between Hayley and me?

For a moment, I let myself wonder if Dad would treat my dream guy the same way. Perhaps my father was a little overprotective? By a little, I meant a lot... So, maybe, it wouldn't matter if dream guy took Alec's place.

I concluded that the results would remain constant. I had never known anyone to stand up to my father.

The odds of dream guy existing and being ballsy enough to stand up to my dad were in the negative percentages.

We were sitting on our backyard patio (this was something we did every morning before each of our days began).

Autumn had transformed our hang-out area... The tiles harbored a chill that made you want to curl your toes in defense. I had been wise to wear shoes, unlike Jilly, who only wore thin ankle socks. Straw-woven chairs were settled around a stone-embellished burn pit. There was a faint hint of smoke in the air. My parents were curled up together on a sofa looking as cute as ever. Hayley sat alone on an ottoman with Shadow at her feet, and Jilly and I shared a wide armchair.

Spending time together was paramount in order to maintain the strong bond we all shared.

"I'll have to chat with him later."

Mom nodded, smiling as she stuck her head on dad's chest. "And I'll handle the threatening."

Jilian cackled, clutching her sides. "Don't worry about going to Maize Hayley...they're gonna kill him."

Hayley tore blades of grass from the ground and threw them in her direction, but if Jilly noticed, she didn't retaliate.

"Jackson's a good guy. If he wasn't... Hayley wouldn't have said yes."

My parents nodded at my words, "Jack's a good kid, but he's never been in a relationship with one of you girls. He needs to know the rules."

Hayley turned to Mom, aghast. "There are rules?"

She responded, "Of course, decree number one, break her heart, and I'll break yours."

Hayley and I laughed, but the expressions on our parents' faces displayed no humor.

"In all honesty, your happiness is all that matters," Mom said as she smiled softly, breaking the silence that had settled over us.

Dad sighed, looking from Hayley to me, he tensed when he looked at me.

Uh oh.

"Is there anything you need to tell me, little wolf? You look stressed."

I waved my hand, dismaying my feelings of uneasiness over the whole 'Angel of Death appearing at our house' thing.

Telling my parents about the whole ordeal would make them want to come after Death...which would be very, very bad.

Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head to feign tiredness. After hearing Death's warning, I felt wide awake.

"Jack and I stayed up pretty late talking last night."

He hummed under his breath, and I sensed his interest from afar.

"We concluded that until we physically travel to Tennessee to carry out a thorough investigation, there's no telling where the Calders sent that money. There's also the possibility that could lead us to who kidnapped the alphas of the Timber and Lockwood pack. We also have to consider the paternity of Kate's heir."

My father sat straight up, causing my mother to dislodge from his lap with a groan.

"How do you know they sent money?"

"Jack picked up a paper trail. He couldn't figure out where it lead to."

"It could have gone overseas," Mom intervened, wearing a concentrated expression. "The trail could've run cold there. Kate could also be in some serious trouble."

I nodded, whipping out my phone to send Jack a quick text. Neither of us had thought of that.

"Which is why I have to find out where she is so we can send help her way," I mumbled under my breath, sighing.

"You really need to get that locator spell going, it could take hours," Hayley said, giving me a small smile as she patted my shoulder.

"That isn't the worst idea," I muttered rising, I waved goodbye to Jilly and my parents as Hayley and I walked into the house.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

While Hayley remained downstairs examining the objects from Kelly Delane's hidey spot, I found myself in the shower.

It wasn't a long one but as always I found the time to daydream. Whenever I did I noticed that I was never alone.

Dream guy accompanied me everywhere.

It was like my subconscious kept him constantly in the rearview. He was like a red wine stain on a white dress, impossible to overlook and dismiss. But unlike a stain, he wasn't bothersome, if anything thinking of him made me feel more peaceful.

There was a nuanced tingling in my chest and a faint warmth that followed. I closed my eyes and placed a hand on my chest... I hadn't felt like that since the night Marcel almost hit that wolf driving me home.

My heart raced the more I thought of those blue, alluring eyes and the way they bore into my own.

I sensed that he had been feeling the same...the combination of feelings was so intense my hands began to tremble. I remember catching my breath afterward, it was as if my body acknowledged that nothing else in the vicinity mattered but him. Not even breathing as odd as that sounded.

What the hell was wrong with me? What was up with that wolf?

What did it all mean? I asked in my head, but thankfully there was no answer.

Was it a sign? And if it was a sign, a sign of what?

Was it possible my ability to have premonitions seeped into my dreams? Ever since my first visions I had been able to predict the minutest of things, like if a particular flower pot broke. Could I be dreaming of the future and not even know until it happened?

Or was I just experiencing good ole deja vu?

Running my fingers through my dripping curls, groaning as I walked into my room, a towel wrapped around my frame.

Was today going to be filled with questions I couldn't answer?

For the day, I chose to wear a blue button-up top, with white shorts, boots, and a soft knit cardigan.

It was fall, this time of year Davina's closet looked like it had been bombed by vibrant oranges, mellow purples, and mustard yellows. I tended to keep the same color palette year-round; various pastels paired with earthy/neutral tones. The seasonal tops were usually gifts that I always cherished.

Gathering my damp curls into a low ponytail, I gently nudged Shadow with my foot, he was whining for attention.

"As soon as I get this locator spell done, I'll play with you okay?"

I knelt down to his eye level and held my hand out, within seconds his large paw was lying in my hand.

His penny-brown eyes stared into my own, he barked lowly, affectionately licking my face. Shrinking away I chuckled, gathering my laptop and notebook.

Shadow was silent as he trailed behind me downstairs, he wagged his tail once he saw Hayley sitting cross-legged on the island

"Anything?"

She shook her head frowning. "Other than the crystal being iridescent, there isn't anything interesting about it or the world map. They are pretty old though. The world map is outdated."

I expected this.

"Kelly did say that she didn't practice the craft anymore... maybe it was some type of heirloom from her great, great aunt."

"Must be something like that..." Hayley muttered under her breath, she slid off the island landing with a soft thud... "Mom spilled grape juice on our map, do you want to go with me to get a new one?"

"Absolutely."

Hearing my reply she smirked, "Great, now we can finish our conversation from the other night."

"Are you going to borrow Jilly's jeep?" I asked when we finally made it outside. She scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"That thing? Oh, no... we're biking."

I was baffled, to say the least. "All the way to White Beard?"

White Beard was lower-level a supply shop for witches located in Prairieville. Compared to most stores it did a good job of disguising its proper purpose. It was also a mile away from our house.

"Yep, I need the exercise."

I glanced at my sister quizzically as Shadow jumped up, and Hayley mocked his action. I had Jackson to thank for this...

Slowly but surely we managed to pull our old bikes out of the courage, Mom came out to help air our tires and sent us on our merry way.

Hayley raced off, and I was close behind her, the two of us laughing.

It felt like we were kids again... if only Jilly was here... then everything would be complete.

Faded leaves that had accumulated on our gravel road, lay silently now that there was no breeze to swirl them around in the air. They crunched satisfyingly under the tires of our bikes, and Shadow's four paws.

Hayley leaned back, and her dark hair obscured my view. "How are you doing back there, slowpoke?"

I smirked, inhaling deeply."I'm doing just fine, Hails, you should slow down and enjoy the view."

Fall was here. The sweet smell of decaying leaves was heavy in the air, and the footprints of chipmunks covered the ground. I had no doubt that their cheeks had been stuffed full of nuts. I could picture it now.

"So..."

The sound of my sister's voice brought me to reality. I peddled faster, noticing that she was several feet ahead, Shadow gleefully ran between us.

"So, what?"

"That guy you were talking about the other night... How exactly does he make you feel?"

I allowed silence to fill the air before I responded. I had to think about what to say, I wasn't trying to sound crazy.

"He makes me feel a little strange..." I bit my lip, "It's a good kind of strange though."

We were finally off our gravel road but I continued after the right turn onto the street.

"The feeling he gives me is warm, albeit fleeting. It's comparable to water...think of the smoothness... remember the ocean at our grandparent's place. That is such a peculiar description but instead of being pulled down by the current... I feel as if I'm aimlessly drifting. It's like a whole new world and all of my stress...all of my worries wilt into the background."

I exhaled peddling as I observed the beautiful scenery.

"From what I hear, I'd say that you are very much crushing on this guy. House would probably tell you that your dopamine levels are up. Take what he says with a grain of salt, love is real."

Apprehension bubbled in my stomach as I prepared to ask her questions that I was too afraid to ask myself.

"Do you think dream guy is real? I mean I know what I feel is real but is he merely a figment of my imagination my brain created to alleviate stress?"

Hayley shook her head, "With your powers? Absolutely not. You have the ability to see and experience events from the past, present, and future. Luna, this could potentially be the love of your life that you're seeing..."

Huh... I hadn't thought of it that way before...

"He could be my mate?" I asked, over Shadow's excessive barking.

A mate is basically a werewolf's soulmate. It's the person you're meant to be with, though very few people find their true loves, it's rarely discussed during times like these. In theory, you could find out who your mate is just by hearing their voice or even looking them in the eye. It was involuntary and regarded as an intimate phenomenon. As an unbreakable bond was formed between the two individuals.

Hayley nodded her head as we pulled to the side when we noticed a big truck barreling down the curvy road.

"Prick," Hayley muttered under her breath after he had passed.

I grinned, hearing her say another series of expletives. Not many people knew it but my sister was quite easy to piss off.

"As I was saying... it could be possible that he is your mate. You should read the book on my nightstand, Fullest Moon, it's by a werewolf named Ansel. His works are incredible."

I frowned, concerned, "Ansel discloses that he is a werewolf to the public?"

"No, but I have written to him in the past."

"I'll have to check it out, thanks for the recommendation, Hails."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

White Beard was dead around this time, only one person stood behind the counter.

Before I even stepped foot in the quaint shop I sensed the pretentiousness of the person coming off in waves. An elderly lady looked to be explaining something to the red-headed woman who was bent over laughing.

How rude...

Frowning I pulled open the door, catching her vicious words.

"I mean you really aren't all there are you? Simpleton, it's acaci not ague."

Those herbs were always confused with eachother, both were used for protection. It wasn't right that she was treating this poor lady this way.

The older woman's lip trembled and I had the good sense she was about to cry. I intervened, sticking my hands on my hips.

"Hey, snake, isn't this the time of year when you usually molt? I reckon you should go into hibernation early... before you embarrass yourself trying to sound superior when you are anything but."

My sister chuckled beside me while Genevieve's red-lipped smile slipped off her pale face.

The woman shot me a sly grin and left the store leaving Genevieve, Hayley, and me in the store.

"At least my scales gleam, no one likes balls of dirty hair sailing around, wolf."

Her lip curled up the last word and I sent her my most amiable smirk.

"Yet despite all my shedding every hot-blooded thing seems to want me, can you say the same for yourself?"

The Quarter witch flushed, and her eyes fell to her hands.

I lead Hayley to the back of the shop where the maps were located, satisfied beyond belief.

With my sister's help, we scoured the shelves searching for the perfect map, we were equally picky when it came to shopping.

"This one's perfect," Hayley whispered, as she unruled the dusty thing. I coughed, squinting my eyes at her. "Are you sure? It's awfully old?"

Hayley clicked her tongue, "In the description, it says that a witch with clairvoyance in the 1700s created this map."

I hummed examining the careful embroidery work, it seemed as if the person utilized the juices of berries to stain as it was parts of the world were illustrated in tints and hues of blues and purples...

As we made our way to Genevieve, she turned her back to us, rolling her eyes.

Placing the map gently on the counter, I cleared my throat. Something about her sapped my patience.

With a sigh, she turned around, I noticed that her eyes had dark circles under them.

I was tempted to ask if she was alright but what was the point if I was going to be reciprocated with a 'fuck off and die attitude.'

She wordlessly scanned the item, "That'll be $200."

Sliding the money across the counter she bagged the item and handed Hayley the receipt.

"Genevieve."

The woman looked up in a bewildered sort of way, her owl-like blue eyes narrowed. "Oh, what is it now?"

Since she had tilted her head, I noticed the blooming bruise on her neck. Her sweater only covered so much.

"If you ever need anything - -"

" I know the damn number...everyone does."

Envy was coming off of her but so was stress. I couldn't help her if she didn't want it. I had tried.

As Hayley and I began to head out I heard her mutter, "Thank you, Luna," under her breath.

I regretted what I had said earlier. Looks weren't everything, and I knew that but the way she hurt that lady irked me.

Stopping in my tracks, I turned to her. She slowly met my eyes, no longer did I detect her superior attitude.

I liked Genevieve well enough when she was genuine, she was a couple of years older than me, and we had a lot in common. We came from elite witch families and we both had a lot on our plates. Though that didn't mean we would be friends.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

She stared blankly at me, and I looked over at the window hearing Shadow bark. She didn't make this easy.

"I'm sorry too," she pulled on the ends of her long red hair, "for what I said... everyone likes you."

I chuckled at that. "I was exaggerating, trust me, I have my fair share of enemies who wish me dead."

Genevieve rocked back on her heels, nodding. "Well, I don't...just so you know..."

Smiling I bowed my head, "I appreciate that."

With my head held high, I exited the shop, I could still feel her eyes on my back as I headed towards Hayley and my bike.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Two hours later, my hand was beginning to feel numb from staying in the same position.

I was working on the locator spell while Hayley was reading in the bath, and Jilly was over at Marcel's playing poker with Diego.

To be honest, I would gladly soak in hot water with aromatic bubbles up to my chin, and lose money I bet than be doing what I was currently doing.

Noticing that the crystal was glowing I looked down, just as Shadow came bounding from the other side of the room.

I had yet to play with him.

The crystal from Kelly Delane's house circled in the Mid-western parts of America, refusing to move anywhere else.

It glowed, and seconds later it fiercely rooted itself to the map.

Damn, that had to be the border of Tennessee.

There was the possibility that the three of them; Kate, Mason, and Tyler could still be there.

After doing some research, I discovered that Tyler Lockwood was not a true (person from Tennessee), he was from a town in Virginia called Mystic Falls. He played college football and was the star of the town. He was also Mason Lockwood's nephew. I found some papers about the mayor of Mystic Falls, Carol Lockwood, dying in a water accident, I wondered if that was the reason for Tyler leaving for his uncle.

I texted Jack the results of the locator spell, and he replied almost instantly.

Shouldn't you be telling your dad this stuff?

      I refuse to spoil the time my parents spend together for pack stuff

He would probably say that it's his job as King

      Probably and I would say that it's my job as their daughter to make sure they spend time with each other

I neatly rolled up the map and stored away the Crystal as I waited for him to stop typing.

You are so thoughtful. What color goes best with my eyes?

I scrolled down noticing he had sent me pictures of him wearing two different colored flannels, one green, and one gray.

Shadow licked my hand, breaking my concentration. I shooed him away, getting off the floor and onto my bed.

    Green

Really?

   Yes, Cutie :P

The typing icon popped up before it faded away.

Hmmm... how strange...

My phone rang shrilly, instead of Jackson it was Crystal's number.

"Hey, Luna, I called to give you an update."

I sighed, feeling the stress coming on as I began to worry about her aunt's well-being. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she um just got out of surgery. They removed her from the ICU she's stable now."

Relief flooded through me.

She was ok.

"That's great."

"Mhmm, hey would you like to go to Rousseau's with me? I could use a coke right about now, but I don't think me being alone is the best idea."

I agreed and promised to be there within the hour.

Picking up the slobbery baseball Shadow dropped at my feet, I held it up signaling his attention.

"Let's play, some ball, boy."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After scrubbing my hands free from my demon dog's slobber... I asked Dad to drop me off at Rousseau's.

He was curious, I knew he would be.

I was seventeen after all, what business did I have in a bar?

Technically since part of it was a restaurant, I could sit there. But I just told him the truth.

"Crystal sounds like she is going through a tough time. Are you sure you don't want me to go after Belthazor?"

I laughed, at the thought of my dad demon hunting, but when I looked over at him I stopped. His posture was rigid, and there was a glint in his eyes. I swore I saw a hint of gold in them.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, he untensed slightly, I've always given off a palliative influence. Usually, others calmed down as soon as they came in contact with me. When I was around people in pain they seemed to be a bit better. Hayley theorized it had something to do with my witch side, whereas Dad proposed it had more to do with my wolf. I didn't care or mind. The significance of being able to diffuse situations was a vital skill.

"Dad, what have we talked about?"

He rolled his eyes, "I have faith in you...it's him I don't trust. And I know you and your sisters do your own thing...but you are still my girls."

I smiled at the last thing he said, his love for my sisters, and I was potent yet candid. There were moments when I could understand his protectiveness. Sometimes I was even appreciative of it. And there were other junctures when I was vexed by it.

"Never trust a demon unless you have a good reason. And we always will be."

He sighed, "That should apply to everyone, little wolf."

As my Dad crept into the parking space, I saw Crystal wave.

Her face was pale, making her freckles more prominent and she was sporting sweatpants and a tie-dye ripped tee with a tank top underneath.

Even from here, I could sense her unease and despair.

I allowed myself a few moments to calm down, I was seconds away from crying.

But I waved back and sent her one of my best smiles.

Just fake it until you make it, Luna.

My father took the key out of the ignition and proceeded to prop his feet up on the dashboard of his truck.

Bewildered, I looked over at him. "Are you going to sit out here?"

"Where else am I going to go?"

He was grinning, but I didn't find the situation to be humorous.

"Back on your date."

"When you want to go back home, I'll take you, and then I'll go back to spending time with your mother." His tone was firm, and instead of arguing, I thanked him for the ride and hopped out of the truck.

I knew he was protective but sitting outside of Rousseau's?

Really, Dad?!

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Rosseau's radiated rustic charm in every eyeful you got of the place. With the dark wood accents, antique furnishings, striking monochromatic artworks, and ruby red walls it was a hip spot to hang for a reason. The atmosphere was breathtaking...the humans, wolves, vampires, and even the occasional demon turned up here to chill.

Here the supernatural world was merged with the human one.

Maybe that's why it felt so great, fewer secrets and more fun...

Crystal and I walked over to a table, and the moment we sat down, we were directly offered service by a sweet waitress.

The perks of being a princess.

Callie may have been a witch but she still respected my title.

A few humans nodded at me, their curious eyes pivoted over my face.

I caught what they whispered under their breath, "Now, that's the kind of girl you risk it all for..."

"You think she'll say yes if I ask her out?"

"She looks to be way beyond your pay grade."

Fighting to keep a smile off my face, I spotted Thierry and Marcel in the corner, they raised their glasses, and I did the same with my iced coke before I turned to Crystal.

"So, how have you been doing? Feel free to go into detail, maybe I can help in some way, shape, or form..."

Crystal sighed, and her eyes fell to the floor. "To be honest... I am not doing too well. My Aunt is the only family I have."

She was telling the truth.

I placed my hand over hers, "I may not be able to relate since I have a big family, but I understand your sadness."

Her brows gently rose as she sipped on her coke.

"You understand my sadness?"

I nodded, a tender smile taking over my face as I thought of my parents, my siblings, Gibbs my godfather, Marcel, the Dravens, Pru, Phoebe, Piper, Paige, and my grandparents.

"I'm an empath."

Her eyes narrowed, "I feel as if you aren't joking."

"Your feelings would be valid."

Crystal laughed softly and ran her hands through her frizzy hair.

"I can't believe this. Last night you fought a red demon in my Aunt's living room! And now you can feel what others are feeling. Bloody hell, you are Supergirl!"

Blushing, I downed more of the icy coke as she gushed over my combat skills.

"Who taught you how to fight? I've never seen anyone be so graceful yet dangerous at the same time."

"My mother taught me how to fight."

"Really? I was betting on your dad, he does seem to be a bit protective of you."

I nodded, hearing a whistle behind me, I turned around.

"Ain't you Jason's daughter?" A man in his forties asked, and I turned back to face Crystal.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and I mirrored her expression.

"I think you are... You know that your daddy took my pack from me. I've been waiting for this moment."

WHY ME?

Why couldn't he choose someone else?

I did not know this man, but I had a bad, bad feeling about him.

"If he did take your pack, you lost to him in the tournament fair and square," I found myself standing up for my father. I knew my mouth was only going to get me in more trouble, but I couldn't help it.

I spun around back to Crystal, my heart racing in my chest. I could feel everyone's eyes in the bar on me.

The hush of the room made my chest tighten with apprehension.

The windows rattled, and the sound of the wind only added to the suspense.

I found myself looking in the mirror above Crystal's head. I nearly gasped, seeing the Angel of Death staring back at me. His gaunt face was grim as he nodded at me before vanishing.

What the hell?

"Hey! I'm talking to you, little princess - -"

The very second his hand touched my shoulder, it was gone.

I turned expecting to see Marcel or even Thiery, but my father stood over the man who now lay at my feet.

I threw money on the table and took Crystal's hand, determined to get out of there.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"Hey, are you alright?" Crystal asked her tentative energy encircling me the instant her hand touched my back.

It was a comforting gesture.

I nodded wordlessly, I felt a bit fuzzy, to be honest. This is not the first time something like this had taken place. I was thankful that my dad stayed behind because I don't know what I would've done.

It wasn't that I was afraid of the man...he angered me...people like him angered me.

They threatened to burn down everything my father and my family had built.

And I hated them for it but was it worth wrecking my reputation for one satisfying breath of relief that one of them had been eliminated?

No, no it was not.

Swallowing thickly, I turned to her. Crystal wore a concerned expression, it didn't fit well on her.

"I'm fine, things like this...well they kind of happen all the time."

"About what that guy said in there, is it true?"

I tensed, waiting for her next inquiry. "Are you a princess?"

I laughed, not being able to contain my surprise. "I happen to be the princess of close to half of the Eight Great Wolf Nations."

"Wolf?" Her nose scrunched up and before I could answer her my father stepped out of Rousseaus followed closely by Marcel and Thierry.

I stood as did Crystal.

"Are you alright?" My dad asked looking me over, and I nodded, shrugging my shoulders.

Marcel asked a similar question to Crystal whose ears tinged with pink as she replied.

"His hand wasn't on me long enough to do any damage."

My dad nodded, a rough expression taking over his face. Feeling his rage, I leaned over to hug him with the hope I would quell it.

"Dad I'm fine... everything is ok..."

His hand came to cradle the back of my head, "I wish it was."

I pulled away confused, "What do you mean? Is Mom alright?" I demand, and he nodded.

"Your mother is alright but Jackson just informed me that more alphas have gone missing."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I promised Crystal that we would talk later, and she looked thrilled at the idea.

Something about me drew people in. I knew that I had been endowed with good looks but they weren't everything. It couldn't have been all the good in me because I had a little bad too.

Dad and I talked about the news of Alpha's going missing on the drive home.

We had both agreed that it wasn't a coincidence, this had been planned out. The alpha's of Linden and Blair were missing and had been for over forty-eight hours. While the Calder pack was sitting pretty, the two co-alphas even suggested taking over as leader for the two packs, but Jackson and Dad shut that shit down.

We theorized that either the Calder pack was next or they were the ones who were doing the kidnapping.

When he pulled up to the house he didn't turn off his truck, he glanced over at me smiling. "Don't throw any parties."

I laughed, "The only party I'll be throwing is on Thursday night at the reservation."

Right, that was two days away...And I had so much to do! But at least I finished that John Locke paper!

"That's my girl."

After I planted a kiss on his cheek, I hopped down from the truck running to the house.

Hayley would kill me if I didn't help her get ready.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

"I feel like it's too springy for fall."

Hayley narrowed her eyes at me in the mirror, and I folded my arms over my chest getting defensive.

The yellow and blue butterfly dress she was wearing was perfect for a spring day but not a fall one.

Her door banged open and Jilly stood under the frame, sporting her usual brick-red lipstick, hoop earrings, and leather jacket.

"Did you miss me?"

Hayley frizzed up, hissing at Jilly to leave.

Playing the mediator stood between them. "Let's all remain calm."

Jilly sighed, looking at me pleadingly, "I'm just trying to show my support. You guys know how good I am with clothes."

Hayley sighed and didn't say anything else as she pulled more items from her lowly stocked closet. She had never been one to shop regularly.

Half an hour of no's later and Jilly snapped jumping up, aggressively pointing at Hayley who became offended by the motion.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore, you are wearing one of my dresses."

She rendered Hayley speechless as she left for her room. I reclined back yawning, it was only noon and Jackson would be arriving at the house in twenty minutes or less. Her makeup and hair weren't done but miracles had been pulled out of magicians' hats before.

On a hanger, Jilian brought in a cream-colored cardigan and a, maroon dress with a sweetheart neckline.

I thought Hayley would hate it because of the low neckline, she dressed modestly but for some reason she loved it.

I hugged my sisters, overjoyed with the fact that some miracles did happen.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

It wasn't long until I was grabbing Fullest Moon by Ansel off my sister's nightstand.

The cover was black and speckled with stars, a yellow moon peeked from the top, followed by red trees that lined the bottom.

I would be lying if I said that it didn't intrigue me.

So, I flipped open the page and sipped on my tea as I made my way to the terrace.

I.

We all have a hunger... cravings... and longings... This truth will toll like a brass bell when it's hit... even at the end of days when greed has taken over civilization and the skies have dimmed... Wolves are tenacious creatures...ravenous beings especially susceptible to feeling deprived but there has been one thing proven to remedy the constraint. A stunning clarity in the vague opacity of life... Once the wolf finds its other half, two parts evolve into one. Whether they pick familiarity or camaraderie, clarity permits them to be whole on the inside... entirely complete.

I turned the page, and then another and another.... This book had me enthralled, my heart pounded in my chest and once again I was reminded of the feeling that wolf's eyes gave me. I sunk into the rocking chair and threw a throw blanket over my lap not taking my eyes off the italicized black printed words.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Three hours later, I was sticking Fullest Moons on my sister's nightstand. I had finished the book and my brain was buzzing from everything Ansel said about undeniable insatiable hungers and the clarities that remedied them.

I opened the pack of ground turkey and I busied myself shaping patties, pitching Shadow a small treat.

As I laid them in the cast-iron skillet Jilly came down from her room. "Ooh, sis, what are you making?"

"That's for you to find out at supper... Aren't you supposed to go pick up Hayley?"

Jilian stomped to the front door. I rolled my eyes she was so theatrical.

"Ok, Mom."

I flinched at the door being slammed.

What a day it was...

                                                                                        𖥸

Dictionary: Angel of Death- is an ancient, powerful being that is simply neutral. Premonition - is the ability to see and experience events from the past, present, and future. Mate- a werewolf's soulmate. Acaci - herb used for protection, Ague - herb used for protection or hex breaking. Clairvoyance - the art or practice of foretelling future events. Belthazor was Cole Turner's demon half that Phoebe Halliwell siphoned out. An empath is a term used for a witch who has the power of empathy, meaning they are able to feel the emotions of others.

A/N: Part two should be out soon if everything goes well!! I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter, there are going to be some interesting developments :)

Chapter Text

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE SUPERGIRL?

Those are the words Crystal just messaged me.

I smiled a little at the nickname as I carefully sliced the tomatoes and pondered for a moment. What was it like to be me? I wiped the juices from my hands onto the hand towel and flipped the seared patties in the skillet.

Most of the time I didn't want to be anyone else because compared to others...my life seemingly was flawless... The trials and tribulations my family faced were physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding - - though most of the time quite rewarding. But there were times when I felt intimidated, and during those ephemeral and brief moments, I desired to be simple...uncomplicated...

I had talked to my sisters about that occasional urge and was met with bafflement followed by laughter.

To be frank, I was hurt by my thoughts being met with silliness and frivolity. Being a sentimental person was a double-edged sword in the back at times like those.

Over the course of my life, I developed a thick skin, I was abhorred by a quarter of the witch and werewolf populations of the world because they considered me to be a mistake.... an abomination. Their sticks and stones may have left me blooming with bruises but when it was the ones I loved...... the cuts went deeper.

That particular occurrence had taken place two years ago, and I had yet to really open up to them since. I was afraid to. So, rather than talk it out I continued to put everything of mine on the back burner. It was getting a little hectic and crowded... soon I was sure I was going to burst from the pressure of it all if something didn't change....

Yes, my abilities could help others, but there were times when I wasn't enough. Believe it or not, there were moments when I was powerless.

Saving people for a living was not for the faint of heart. Sometimes you succeeded...and other times you didn't...

That was a hard pill to swallow...

I didn't hold back from my response. Usually, I would, she was practically a stranger! But a lot was bothering me... I told her about the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of being Supergirl.

The feelings I had harbored for so long, were set free and the stones on my shoulder didn't feel so heavy.

I didn't expect that reply, your life just seems so magical and problem free, she wrote with a smiling emoji at the end.

My life at times is magical but you know what they say, there is a price to pay for happiness

           Do you believe that?

I paused for a moment, asking myself if I did. I smiled remembering what my mom said when my five-year-old self asked her why there were gloomy days.

My mom always says that for every sunny day, there will be a rainy day

       Wow, that actually makes sense

I turned away from my phone, and the moment I did it started going off. Crystal was calling me.

The sudden sizzling sound caught my attention, ok let's multi-task, Luna.

"Hey, Supergirl, unlike you, I don't have mighty texting fingers."

I giggled as I began assembling the Turkey burgers with thin slices of tomato and lettuce.

"Talking on the phone would be easier since I'm making dinner."

Crystal was silent for a moment, and I busied myself with pouring the iced green tea into Hayley and Jilian's glasses. I got myself some mineral water.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she replied and I sighed closing my eyes as I placed the toasted buns on top of the three turkey burgers.

"What would you do if you told someone something and they kinda hurt your feelings afterward?"

I heard rustling on the other end of the line and I guessed that she was sitting up. "Was it one of your siblings?"

"Both of them. Ugh, I feel so stupid, it happened two years ago...they probably don't even remember."

"But you do," Crystal was quick to reply. "And that's what matters. You've been hurt, if I were you I'd bring it up at dinner."

Hearing the front door open and the muted voices of Hayley and Jilian speaking I sighed, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Positive, sweetie, you've been hurt, and it's time for them to acknowledge and apologize."

Bringing the three plates to the table I laughed, tilting my head to the side as I set them down. "That last part was really catchy."

"Speaking of catchy...do you like to sing?"

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Crystal asked me to go with her to Rousseau's for karaoke night! Thierry asked me the same thing days ago... I was thrilled that both of them were going to be there!

I didn't have any foreboding but I could tell that tomorrow night was potentially going to be fun!

I ended the call as my sisters entered the room. Shockingly enough they were not fighting, in fact, they looked to be talking intently about something.

The promise of tomorrow left a smile on my face despite what I planned to do this evening.

Confrontations rarely went well but I wanted to get it off my chest, and I wanted to get back to the way the three of us used to be...open...honest...and sincere.

But again my stuff would have to wait until we finished discussing Hayley's outing with Jack, The appearances of the Angel of Death, Belthazor, and the Triad.

I wondered if there would even be enough time for the five discussion topics.

The two of them sat down and I joined them at the table, smoothing down the white linen cloth at my side.

"How was your date?" I asked casually, drawing out the last word causing Hayley to redden.

Jilian laughed at this and eagerly busied herself with her burger. I smiled, happy that she was enjoying it.

"Well, I couldn't ask for a better man to spend my time with. He paid for my books, took me out for coffee, and gave me a goodbye kiss on the cheek."

I grinned, nibbling on a sweet potato fry, feeling waves of happiness emit from her. Hayley was pretty content with Jackson, I hope all would end well between those two...

Shadow came inside the house, through the doggy door, he raced to me and leaned back on his back legs, begging.

"Oh, fine," I tossed him one of my fries and watched as his jaws snapped loudly.

I pet him on the head and looked to my right.

Jilly's red lips made a wide smile, "You spoil him."

"I do not."

Hayley laughed, sipping her iced tea. "Luna, I hate to agree with Jilian but you do spoil Shadow."

Disgruntled, I looked over at my dog and I swear he was pouting.

I tore off a piece of my burger and flung it to him, he caught it instantly. "Well if he is spoiled... so are we."

Jilly and Hayley looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"We are not spoiled."

"Yes, we are just loved immensely," Hayley added to Jilian's previous statement.

For a moment I just observed them. Hell must have frozen over...I'll be damned if they weren't getting along.

"Ok...so neither is Shadow."

I took a small bite out of my burger. I was lucky enough to get a taste of everything, the juicy tomato, the crisp lettuce, the rich turkey, and the melted swiss cheese.

"Are you guys going out again soon?" Jilian asked, and I watched Hayley's face flush. "The day after tomorrow actually."

I sipped on my mineral water, suddenly thankful that tonight was Tuesday.

There was still so much to do, and Thursday wasn't that far away...

"That is the night of the treaty renewal."

Hayley nodded tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear. "I know...he said he wanted to walk  with me."

"Oh," I was surprised at the twinge of jealousy that materialized. It was like a slap to the face.

I wish someone would walk with me. Of course, it would be easy to pick someone up off the streets but I didn't want to do that. It's not like Dad would approve anyway so...why did it even matter?

The air went still before there was a loud pop and my glass abruptly shattered, and fragments of prismatic glass fell to the floor causing quite a commotion.

Shadow ducked under the table, whining, Hayley's mouth had fallen open in shock, and Jilian looked unbothered as she chowed down on her food.

Did I do that?

"Luna, are you alright?" Hayley was over at my side in an instant.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. Why did I feel this way?

...It's not like I wanted Jackson... so why was I envious to the point where I could make glasses of water explode?

"I just feel kind of off," I spoke honestly, as I picked up the large pieces of glass.

Hayley slapped my hand, "Don't, you'll slice open your hand! I'll go get the broom."

I sighed and she left me alone to my thoughts.

It definitely wasn't Jackson...it was the fact that Dad was totally ok with Hayley and Jilly going out with someone but not me.

Sure I was only seventeen, but I was only a couple of months away from being eighteen.

Something told me on the night of my birthday a switch wasn't going to flip off and magically I could go out with anyone.

I think he was overprotective to the point it came off as borderline possessive.

Hayley returned and swept up the mess, and I dumped it in the trashcan. Shadow came out from his hidey spot and curled up at the bottom of my feet.

Swirling a few of my fries in mayonnaise, I watched my sister reach for another glass in the cabinet.

What was the difference between her and me? Why didn't Dad treat her and Jilly the same way?

Mom was never biased and she was painfully honest...maybe I would ask her later...

"So, the Triad, what are we going to do about them?"

I thanked Hayley for the sweet tea and thought for a moment. "Let them make the first move."

Jilly didn't seem to like my proposal, I was surprised she brought the topic up. Usually, Hayley did but judging by the look on her face she was daydreaming about Jack which left all the scheming to Jilly and me.

"Ugh, playing offense sucks. Why can't we just go straight down to the Underworld and kick their ancient asses?"

"Unless we want thousands of demons sent after us by the Source of All Evil himself... the best thing would be to only act if directly targeted. Now if they try to score big on us, then and only then do we get to kick their ancient asses."

Jilly laughed and Hayley sighed reaching for her drink.

"Have I ever told you I don't envy you?"

I nodded at Jilly, taking a bite of my burger. "You've mentioned it once or twice over dinner before."

She sighed, squirming in her chair under Hayley's glare.

"I don't mean it in a negative way. It's just with all the pack stuff, you are literally thrown to the wolves and you have to come up with all these strategies and solve everyone's crises. You are expected to get down in the nitty gritty with a dazzling smile on your face. Which is the reason why I think that you are a total bombshell."

I gave her a warm smile and Hayley nudged her foot with mine, her fist under her chin. "Oh, I totally agree. We couldn't do what you do, Luna."

"Thank you."

I stood collecting plates and glasses, Jilly helped me set them in the dishwasher while Hayley adjusted the tablecloth.

Working as a team made things easier. The four of us, counting Shadow, made our way to the grand living room.

The ceilings were high, and the large windows let the silvery light from the moon shine down on us, there was a massive rock fireplace accompanied by a large flatscreen tv and a red velvet sectional.

But like always, the three of us sat in the middle, and Shadow was curled up below us. Jilly aimlessly flipped through channels until she found ESPN.

"Belthazor," Hayley said, suddenly.

I leaned forward, frowning. "Is there a possibility that the attack could be linked back to the Triad?"

Hayley and Jilly contemplated my inquiry. "There's always a chance, I'd say it's highly likely. Cole said he used to work for them after all. The question is, why wouldn't the Triad have his darker half under their control?"

Jilly shrugged, "Don't know, but Cole is kinda hot."

I rolled my eyes, hitting her with a pillow. "Are you even listening?"

"I mean have you seen him with his shirt off?"

Ignoring the heat rushing to my face, I pushed forward determinedly.

"If Belthazor is linked to the Triad the only way we could figure it out is if we summon him and I don't know about you girls, but this week is busy enough for me."

They both nodded, "Next week," Hayley sighed. "Next week we'll summon and interrogate him."

Jilian grinned, "Sounds like a plan to me. Oh my god! Luna, how could you forget the Angel of Death?"

I rolled my eyes again, "I didn't forget, Jilly, I was going to bring it up next."

"Sure, Luna."

I bit my tongue, there would be no use in arguing with her. Hayley must have sensed my dismay because she offered to go get us some ice cream.

Once she returned she had quite a few things to say.

"Death is neutral. It makes no sense to me as to why he would be messing with us in the first place."

I cleared my throat before taking a spoonful of mint and chocolate chip ice cream. It made me feel better, I know it sounded silly but the most minuscule thing could do wonders.

"Today, I saw him in a mirror at Rosseau's. Maybe he's not trying to mess with us...but warn us..."

Jilian shivered beside me, and I resisted the urge to mimic it. My empathetic sense seemed to be in overdrive today.

"If the Angel of Death is warning us, something serious is about to go down."

I nodded, agreeing with Hayley's statement. "We'll be ready for whatever comes. There is no use training for an unknown threat."

We discussed four out of five topics for tonight. I wasn't sure that I could bring this up, they looked so happy eating up my favorite ice cream that I didn't want to disturb them. But Crystal's words echoed in my head.

I couldn't continue ignoring my wants and needs for the sake of everyone else. It wasn't healthy for me...

"Hey, do you guys remember when I talked to you about wishing to be normal?"

They stopped shoveling ice cream into their mouths and looked at me expectantly.

"Yeah, why?"

I swallowed thickly, "Well, you guys' reaction hurt my feelings. And since then I haven't been able to really open up to you two."

Jilly's eyes fell to the floor and Hayley's facial expression was dismal. "I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt your feelings I was just floored, it's really impossible for you to ever be normal, Luna."

I nodded, and my knee started bouncing up and down something I did when I was anxious.

Hayley shook her head, "Nevertheless, I shouldn't have acted that way."

She gave a sharp kick to Jilly who jolted upright, a forlorn expression on her flushed face.

Their feelings were genuine and so strong that I began to tear up.

"Babymoon, you know I would never intentionally hurt you. I'm so sorry for the way I acted."

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and Hayley imitated the action, and soon the three of us were crying.

Despite all the tears I shed I felt better now that our relationship had been restored to its former glory...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Feeling a hand on my knee I sat up.

Before I even looked around I knew hours had passed.

The fire in the fireplace had died out and the tv had been shut off leaving the room dark.

After Jilly, Hayley, and I ended our crying spell we watched a few games of football and downed the rest of the mint chocolate ice cream. After that, we passed out on the couch.

I squinted in the darkness, I no longer felt my sisters' warmth beside me, but I relaxed when I heard my mother's voice.

"Luna, baby, why don't you head upstairs to your room? It's about one in the morning."

She helped me up and I noticed the smell of alcohol, paired with her usual scent of mint and woods.

"Has Dad been drinking?"

I asked this because she never did. Her laugh echoed in the room and I followed the sound of her footfalls upstairs.

"Your father and Marcel came up with a new drinking game. It was quite entertaining, I got the last bits of it on my phone, would you like to see?"

I yawned and stretched as I climbed the stairs. "Maybe later, Momma. Did you have a good date night?"

She sighed contently, "Oh, it was as magical as ever. We always get interrupted but the time we spent together means everything to me."

I followed her into my room and was surprised when she tucked me in and turned on my fairy lights.

The egg-nog-colored light danced across her cheerful features. "Night, boo."

"Wait, I have a question."

She hummed patiently waiting while I struggled to stay awake.

"Why is Dad so overprotective of me?"

"I'm going to state the obvious reason, Luna, he loves you. But he still sees you as his little girl," my mother moved a strand of hair out of my face, and continued speaking, her smooth voice reminded me of honey.

"Whereas I see you as a brilliant young woman."

She kissed the top of my head, murmuring, "I love you," before she closed the door behind her.

I shivered, surprised by how cold my comforter and sheets were. Shadow hopped up on my bed barking lowly.

I gently pushed him away from my face as he started to suffocate me with his kisses.

"Enough, boy, off to bed."

And soon he was curled up at my side snoring louder than any hellhound dog that's ever been.

I welcomed his warmth as the currents of sleep tugged me down into the depths of its darkness...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Slow seductive beats of music echoed in the grand ballroom.

It was loud and inconceivable to ignore.

This had to be the most lavish party I had ever attended.

My hand crept to my throat in fear. There was an unnerving tightness in my chest, that told me I was bordering on an anxiety attack.

Breathe, Luna, Breathe.

Clutching the soft flowing fabric of my ball gown, I trudged forward, moving towards something I couldn't see...going on nothing but a feeling.

I had no idea where I was.

It was obvious that an event was being held, and I was a part of it.

Everything was hazy in this dreamscape. Usually, things were clear, but it was like my vision had been clouded.

The chandelier above cast a golden light over everyone, acting as the sun, but I took my phone out of the pockets of my silver skirt, and it was midnight on the dot.

I felt like Cinderella, spinning around, but my prince charming was nowhere in sight.

People were everywhere... dressed in a variety of colors, each sporting masks engraved and embroidered.

Bits of confetti fell like snowflakes in the winter, and I stood aimlessly in the snowstorm of people.

I grew relieved when they began to part.

For reasons I could not decipher, I felt the strong urge to look up.

Trusting my instincts, I did.

Standing not five feet from me was a man.

His sun-kissed skin seemed to glow under the soft light...my fingers itched to wind themselves in his blonde curls that resembled a halo. The black mask hid a portion of his face, but his eyes...oh his eyes were the most captivating mix of blue and green I had ever seen in my life... and they were looking at me.

Warmth pooled in my chest as he walked closer to me.

My mouth seemed to be wired shut... I couldn't even manage to say hi to this man who gave off this magnetic energy that made me want to lean in...

Luckily, he spoke first.

"Hello, Love."

His accented voice made me want to melt onto the floor.

I couldn't stop the nervous chuckle, "Hey."

The man seemed to fidget for a moment as if he was deliberating.

If only I could read minds...

"I don't mean to be forward, but did you come alone?"

I nodded once, biting down on my lip.

His plump lips curved into a devilish smirk.

"That has to be the best news I've heard all night."

I grinned, sensing that he was telling the truth. The man took a step closer and held out his hand. I took it and gasped when he brought my knuckles to his lips.

"I'm Niklaus, but you can call me Nik or Klaus...whichever you prefer..."

I held eye contact, and my heart seemed to beat faster in my chest.

I hoped he couldn't hear it.

"It's nice to meet you..." I paused for effect, "Niklaus."

He broke out in a wide smile, and I blushed, realizing he had been holding my hand this entire time.

"I'm dying to know your name."

I smiled softly, the warm feeling spreading throughout my entire body.

Before I could tell him my name, the glorious golden scene faded, and he did too...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I sat up in bed, wide-eyed.

The morning light spilled into my room, and Shadow no longer accompanied me, but at the moment, all I could think about was the dream I had awoken from.

Or was it more than a dream?

The man in my dream sounded like dreamguy, and kinda looked like dreamguy. And his name was Niklaus.

That name wasn't exactly common in this day and age.

Could the Niklaus in my dream be the man who decimated a portion of the packs we looked after in Tennessee?

If it was Dad wasn't going to be happy...

Maybe I should call Vina...

I speedily dialed her number, I noticed that it was 7:00 a.m. she probably wouldn't be awake.

Needless to say, I was shocked she answered at all.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice was muffled but concerned.

"I think I know who dreamguy is."

𖥸

Dictionary: The Triad - is a trio of high-class upper-level demons loyal to the Source. Underworld - one of the eleven planes of existence. The Source of All Evil - known primarily as the Source, is the title given to the most powerful demon and ruler of the Underworld. The Source itself is an essence of pure evil, which possesses and merges with a new host each time it is vanquished. Belthazor was Cole Turner's demon half that Phoebe Halliwell siphoned out. Angel of Death- is an ancient, powerful being that is simply neutral. 

Chapter Text

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Allie X - Kid Wonder

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Davina Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

AFTER GETTING OFF THE PHONE WITH MY BESTIE, I JAMMED OUT TO SOME GUNS AND ROSES WHILE I WAS IN THE SHOWER.

That gave me plenty of time to think about Luna's dream guy. I was ninety-eight percent sure I knew who he was.

My Dad had some guy Niklaus over a week or two ago. I was sure he wouldn't mind asking me a few questions.

I raced to my closet as I applied my deodorant, eager to start the day.

For the day, I chose to wear a simple graphic tee, a vibrant yellow jacket, and some ankle boots.

With my curling wand in one hand, and my phone in the other I began texting Luna and curling my hair simultaneously.

I had done this so many times...it was nothing new...

Didn't you're mom say she met some dude named Nik?

She replied a beat later.

               Yes

Well, my dad had someone named Nik over, that could be a nickname for Niklaus

               That's a possibility, I'm trying not to be too hopeful :/

Aw, don't expect disappointment, one way or another, I'm gonna find this guy for you :P

After finishing curling my hair I stuck it in a high ponytail and began to apply my daily citrus-smelling moisturizer. Then my favorite pink lipstick, eyeliner, and powder blue eyeshadow.

Feeling pleased with my look I kissed the mirror, rubbed some rose oil on my pulse points, and skipped out of my room bumping into Marcel.

"Hey, Dad, where were you headed?"

He smiled, his dark eyes twinkling. "I was actually on my way to wake you up, V."

I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Well, there's no need for that. Why don't we head downstairs and get some bagels and cream cheese?"

He looked a teensy bit unsettled by my words.

"Am I in trouble again?"

I giggled shaking my head as I began making my way downstairs. "No, silly I just need to talk to you."

Marcel nodded, "Is this about guys again?"

I scrunched up my nose, remembering our past conversation on the subject.

Dad had given me the sex talk, a month earlier. It had been so embarrassing, Diego laughed at me and I had thrown my bowl of frosted shredded wheat at his face. Needless to say, he didn't really laugh at me anymore over it.

Once we were in the kitchen I waved at Mike who greeted me with a hug as always.

My heart sang and Marcel asked me to sit while he prepared our breakfast.

Here we go, I thought as I watched him sit down.

"Who's Niklaus? You know the guy that comes over and shakes up the Quarter witches..."

He froze, and I tilted my head to the side, curious as to why he would react that way.

"Me and Klaus are friends... he is a revered King to four Great Wolf Nations. I was romantically involved with his sister, Rebekah, once a long ago..."

I thanked him when he handed me the steaming cinnamon bagel with cream cheese spread over the top.

"Hmm...I've heard about Rebekah before why don't you tell me more about her brother."

He arched a brow as he bit into his bagel.

"Davina, honey, he is a bit too old for you..."

I pressed forward, determined to squeeze as much out of him as I could.

"How much older? And besides, you always say that age is just a number."

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Klaus is one of the Old Ones... apart of the Original family- -"

I sighed, "Klaus and Rebekah were the first Hybrids. Kol became the first Heretic, leaving Elijah and Finn as vampires."

He smiled, "I'm glad you pay attention to my lectures."

"I always pay attention to you."

Sipping on my orange juice I tapped my foot in a frantic manner. "What does he look like?"

"He's got curly blonde hair, and blue eyes... wait why are you so interested?"

That's how Luna described her dreamguy, she really put emphasis on his eyes.

"Dad, I'm just curious."

He stared at me for a moment, before sighing. "Alright, you know that hot spot in town that just popped up?"

I smirked, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Cloud Nine."

"He owns it, and if you are so...curious...about him maybe go there for your answers. He's supposed to be in town again soon."

I nodded, finishing up my bagel with a grin.

I couldn't tell Luna yet, I wasn't 100% sure. I was just going to have to see for myself.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

               I'm here :)

Squealing in excitement at Luna's text, I peered out the window and saw a maroon truck pull into the parking space below my window.

I swear I could smell his woody scent from here.

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he stepped out.

Hello, gorgeous...

Today Jason Matvei Labonair was sporting an olive tee, which showcased his biceps. The blue jeans he was wearing were tight enough to allow me to see - -

Luna waved at me, and I waved back, tearing my eyes away from her very attractive father.

Her curls were gathered at the back of her head, though a few loose strands danced in the breeze. She wore a red chenille sweater paired with a jean skirt and sheer tights.

Luna made an impact everywhere she went. It made sense that she would innately radiate chic style no matter what she wore.

The two disappeared from my view, and I dashed out of my room and down the stairs. By the time I got there, Thierry and Diego were already greeting them at the door.

"How are you two doing on this fine morning?" Asked Thierry.

Luna responded, standing on her tippy toes. "Pretty good. How are you doing today?"

The two continued speaking about karaoke night at Rousseau's.

Diego and Jason were talking about the treaty renewal. Jason saw me at the foot of the stairs and nodded at me, a winsome smile on his face.

It was impossible to not be charmed by this man.

I melted to the floor, barely remembering to smile back. I was frozen, like a deer in headlights: caught in the path of his captivating kaleidoscopic green and gray eyes.

Feeling a hand on my back, I jumped. I untensed, realizing it had been Marcel.

Oh my god, what if Jason saw? If he did, it was clear he didn't find me being scared amusing because he wasn't laughing, unlike Diego.

Turning around, I lightly punched my Dad in the chest.

"Ouch. What was that for?" He asked with wide eyes.

"That was for scaring me."

Marcel chuckled and took my hand, leading us to the chatty group.

"Are you ready?" Jason asked Marcel, who was grinning.

Luna looked at me, a curious expression on her delicate features.

"What exactly are the two of you on about?"

Jason turned to me, "Remember that talk we had the night of the Carnival?"

I nodded. How could I forget?

"The Daddy-Daughter day?" I playfully whispered to him and he nodded, beaming.

Looking over at my best friend I saw her eyes had lit up. Today they were more green than gray. Luna really had her father's eyes...

"What's all this about? Have you two been scheming together?"

Her almond eyes darted to her Dad and me as she placed her hands on her hips. I don't know if she noticed but at the moment she was mirroring her father.

"You'll love it," I insisted taking her hand.

I watched as my best friend's shoulders untense and saw her lean her head back.

"Vina, I don't doubt that."

Jason and Marcel left the room, mentioning that they were arranging a few small things for Thursday's event.

I drug Luna away from Thierry and Diego's talk of the new Call Of Duty game...there were much more important topics to discuss like dreamguy...

"So, I talked to my Dad about that Nik guy and he being your dream dude is a pretty good possibility."

Instead of jumping for joy, my friend sank to the floor, holding her head in her hands.

The smile slid off my face.

"What's wrong?"

Luna groaned.

"There's just so much going on tomorrow...and Jilly and Hayley want to hang out Friday and sometime next week I have to summon a demon! Did I mention that Mom said we all needed a vacation?"

I patted her head, "Girl, you are always crazy busy but trust me when I say that I got you."

She stood, her curls bouncing from the quick, agile movement.

"You got me?"

I nodded, standing on the tips of my toes to kiss her on the cheek. "I'm your best friend...we're practically sisters so you don't ever have to ask me to stalk a guy for you."

She laughed nervously, "What do you mean stalk?"

I waved my hand around, "You know stake out his house - - "

Her perfect brows lifted, "You know where he lives?"

I winked at her as our Dad's footfalls came closer.

"No... at least not yet."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The Audubon zoo has always been my favorite place to visit, the elephants fascinated me.

They were so intelligent and self-aware. When I was a small girl, I remember Marcel bringing me here, and I swear one of the waved their trunk at me.

It was a memory I treasured deeply...

I had memorized the gold-lined plaque that gave visitors information.

"Aw, I think it likes you," Luna said, nudging her shoulder with mine as she drank her water from a straw cup.

I held my hand out, and she passed it to me.

Marcel and Jason just shook their heads at us, but Luna and I shared everything... including drinks and food.

We've been doing it since before we could walk, why stop now?

"I hope so," I murmured, watching as its large ears flapped.

Soon we moved on to the tall Giraffes, each blotched uniquely with brown spots.

"Are you girls having a nice time?" Marcel asked, and Luna and I nodded, cringing internally, as we fed the giraffes.

It was cool until you had to wipe their spit from your hand onto your shirt.

"Are you going to come down for the treaty renewal, Davina?"

Turning I met his green and gray eyes, for a moment I allowed myself to breathe...and calm down.

He was speaking to me.

Luna and Marcel had moved on to the zebras, so we were by ourselves.

I swallowed thickly, "Yeah, I've got nothing else to do."

He laughed, "Well, that's not necessarily true. Are you still going to take that DJ course?"

How did he know about that?

"I am, but it doesn't start until summer."

Sighing, I took out the rubber band and shook my hair. I was expecting him to be looking at me, but instead, he was looking at the giraffe.

"Are you ever going to sign a treaty with the witches?" I wondered aloud, and he turned to me and nodded his head.

"Luna suggested that at the last meeting. We'll vote on it Friday, and if it passes I will be meeting with Vincent Griffith next week. I wonder...did she get the idea from you?"

I blushed looking down as his eyes met mine. "No, but she always talks about there being an unbalance, and if the witches feel threatened - -"

"They'll attack as any starved animal would," he finished for me, and we began walking over to the zebras where Marcel and Luna were.

"I hope the vote goes through... I wouldn't want to witness war."

He patted me on the back, and I stifled a gasp.

"Don't worry about it," he wore an easy smile on his lips.

My hands began to shake, and my anxiety kicked up a notch.

How could he be smiling right now?

Jason seemed to read my mind. "You must think I'm crazy, but after all these years of being King, you get good at calculating probabilities. And the odds of the witches going against the wolves and the vampires are highly unlikely."

I smiled, alleviated by his words, "Right because that would be a stupid move. We outnumber them."

Jason's eyes softened as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "By thousands... Run along now. I have to talk to your Dad about tomorrow."

I turned away from him and practically skipped all the way to Luna.

"What were you talking to my father about?"

My fingers traced the ornate metal fence as I tried to get the dreamy look off my face.

"Probability. I was worried about a war with the witches but then he told me the odds of that are low."

She slung an arm around my shoulder, kissing the side of my head.

"Well, I'm glad you used worried in the past tense because they have enough sense to not do such a thing. It'd be suicide on their end. Did I tell you the encounter I had with Genevieve Aceveda?"

At the sound of that name, my nose on its own accord scrunched up as if something unpleasant was nearby.

"What did that snake want?"

Luna's green and gray kaleidoscopic eyes widened at my tone.

It was noted in my Grimoires. Claire and Aceveda witches did not get along. My family considered them our greatest enemy. I couldn't help but agree with the sentiment... Even though my grandparents' disdain for the Acevedas grew so strong I ended up being taken away and in the system. But that girl was as charming as a wicked viper nipping at your heels scouring for your weak spot. Luna saw Genevieve as sly and crafty but I saw just her as a nosy bi - -

"Why do you call her that?"

The tiger in the cage roared, lunging at the glass. He smacked against it, hard, Luna and I flinched.

This one was not a fan of captivity.

"Because it's what she is."

Luna sighed, "The other day Hayley and I biked to White Beard and she was working there. She had bruises, I offered her my help. Have you heard anything about her since? I went to White Beard the other day but she wasn't there."

I waved my hand through the air as the colorful leaves on the ground swirled beneath me under the gentle wind's guidance.

"Her boyfriend, Henry, beats her."

Beside me, Luna stiffened. But I rolled my eyes, don't feel sorry for her...

"Marcel tried to help her. Oh," I gave a laugh, but it sounded cold to my own ears. "He even invited her over. But she didn't want my Dad's help... she doesn't want anyone's help."

Luna hummed and said nothing more on the subject as we journeyed past the monkeys and to her favorite place...the aquarium...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The luminous moon jellies cast light in the dark room.

Crowds of people rushed past us to look at the other colorful fish in the enclosure, but my friend and I were standing in front of the massive tank filled with jellyfish.

I found myself staring at Luna rather than the majestic creatures before me.

Call me weird if you want, but she was outlandishly pretty.

She looked stunning in the pale light. There were times when I thought she was a textbook princess. And this was one of them.

I felt a twinge of envy looking at her delicate, enchanting features: her high cheekbones were adored by all the land, her upturned nose was adorable, and with her green and gray eyes blanketed with thick and long lashes she could bat away bad luck with ease! Her full lips were the softest shade of pink, and when she spoke it sounded like she was singing. Her alluring silvery voice contrasted with her mother's smooth, honey-like voice, and her father's husky undertones.

I sighed, and her eyes flew open.

"What if this thing is all one-sided, and he could care less if I died in a ditch?"

"By he you mean dreamguy, right?"

She nodded, her curls swaying above her shoulders.

"I looked it up in my family's grimoire this morning, linked dreams are extremely rare but conceivable. If you dream of someone, it is considered an emotional closeness."

Her frown deepened, "I haven't even met him yet."

"I know," I held up my hands, "that's the weird part. But I'm theorizing that he wants you just as much as you want him."

A soft pink color spread across her face.

"What do you mean by want?"

I moved my eyebrows up and down, hoping she would get it but she didn't.

"The heart wants what it wants."

"Oh," she smiled.

"Do you ever remember what he says?"

She shook her head, and I grew disappointed. Damn, this stalking thing was not going to be easy.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

As we all settled into Jason's truck, I caught my best friend rolling her eyes.

Luna met her father's eyes in the mirror... they had a stare-off.

It was adorable how they shared the same eyes and how their noses scrunched up the same way.

Marcel glanced back at me and chuckled. I sent a smile his way.

Jason sighed heavily, "You're right."

The edges of Luna's lips lifted up, "Oh, I know I'm right. I just wanna hear you say it."

Her father dramatically placed his hand over his chest, "I swear not to speak of tomorrow for the rest of the day."

Shortly after his valiant assertion, they interlinked pinkies.

Once we began moving along, my Dad clapped his hands together.

"Alright, let's get some music going in here!"

Luna, Jason, and I cheered, and as Marcel's fingers twisted the dial Jazz blasted out from the truck's speakers. I swear my bottom was vibrating from the force of it.

Marcel changed the channel and the familiar sounds of cups blared around me.

Driving past all the different people and bright structures was swell. Everything was spiced with uniqueness from the inside out. The aroma of blended cajun spices and fried shellfish revolved around the truck, and my stomach rumbled in anticipation.

I hoped Jason drove fast. These leather seats were starting to look appetizing.

Luna had her hand out the window as she sang softly. I could never get used to hearing her sing, it was immensely appealing. I begged her to record her voice and put it on a cd for me, and she eventually did. On the nights I had trouble sleeping I would put it on. If she wanted to she could easily take over the music industry. With her clear and light, voice it didn't matter what lyrics she sang, she would be a total hit.

"I got my ticket for the long way 'round

The one with the prettiest of views."

Smiling I joined her on the next line. When she sang it was contagious...you just had to join even if you sounded terrible.

"It's got mountains, it's got rivers

It's got sights to give you shivers."

We laughed clutching our sides as her father and Marcel joined in.

They did it justice, especially Jason. His husky voice reminded me of smoke because it left something behind that you couldn't shake off.

"But it sure would be prettier with you

When I'm gone

When I'm gone

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

You're gonna miss me by my walk

You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh

You're gonna miss me when I'm gone."

We all sang the last lines of the song, I couldn't see any smiles though. Luna's silky ringlets were blocking my view, and her vanilla bean condition assaulted my senses.

But despite that, I was really enjoying this Daddy-Daughter day.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Rosseau's house specialty, shrimp po'boys, were simply divine. The french bread was baked to perfection, as were the fried shrimp. The hot sauce and cajun seasoning gave it zing, and the slices of dill pickle gave it the acidity it needed.

There were good vibes all around until a member of the human council came up to the table. As always, Jim Freemon was quick to stare at Luna and me in a subtle preying way.

For once, I was thankful I wasn't wearing a low-cut top.

I shivered, sensing bad vibes from this politician.

Was it me, or did Marcel's fists ball up under the table?

"Howdy, folks! How are my southern belles?"

Luckily Luna answered for me. I was taken aback by him taking a seat next to our table and staring at my chest like it was bejeweled with precious stones.

"We are fine," she gave a little cough, and Mr. Freemon leaned forward. "Excuse me," her green eyes narrowed. and I swear I saw them flash to gold.

"We were fine."

That crooked smile slipped off his face, and I giggled, covering my hand over my mouth as Marcel and Jason attempted to do damage control.

He was a part of the human council after all, but he was a creep.

After Jim Freemon disappeared as quickly as he came Jason questioned Luna.

"Why were you rude?"

My best friend sipped on her coke and took a tiny bite out of her loaded sandwich.

"He was staring at Vina and I's chests, I figured being rude was the most polite thing I could do."

Jason's lips curled up, revealing his teeth, but he wasn't smiling.

His eyes searched for the man who stared blatantly at us, but Jim Freemon was long gone.

Marcel patted his friend on the back, trying to silence the beast that was clearly ready to come clawing out.

"One day, that man is gonna get what's coming to him. Now, let's talk about something else."

Luna joined Marcel, leaning forward and folding her arms on the table.

"We should definitely hang out at Cloud Nine after lunch and then head home."

I frowned, "Why so soon?"

She held up her phone, and I read the text Jackson sent her.

I am in major need of your help. How do you put up banners again?

"What is it?" Jason wondered aloud and Luna laughed.

"Jackson can't figure out how to hang a banner."

Marcel shook his head, "I can send a couple of vamps over if you'd like- - "

I narrowed my eyes at my dad.

"We aren't supposed to be talking about tomorrow, remember?"

They all sighed and muttered something about reflexes.

"We're sorry."

I laughed at Jason's puppy face look. "You are all forgiven but have you all heard of the Nirvana concert taking place next week?"

"We should all go," Luna suggested, pulling her head out of her phone.

Jackson was probably blowing her up.

"I like the sound of that," Marcel said, and my nose scrunched up.

"You told me you didn't like their music."

He shrugged, picking up one of his fries and tossing it into his mouth. "It's not about what I like, it's about being together."

I smiled warmly at that...and we all enjoyed the rest of our lunch unbothered.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Walking into Cloud Nine was a breath of fresh air.

People of all shapes and sizes congregated around bright and monochromatic besmeared canvases. Some oil, others watercolor, but it didn't matter what type of paint was used because they were all distinctive and beautiful in their own way.

We were welcomed with curious eyes and even some hugs from the openly joyous. Most stayed in their respective areas, though, engagement was evident on their faces.

I relaxed, sensing that this was a place free of judgment.

In places like these, you could create what you wanted.

The environment was literally celestial: the marble floors glistened, an elaborate rug lay in the center of the large space, the walls were festooned with archaic relics and numerous artworks, the furniture was velvet and shaded royal blue, and on the ceiling was this magnificently painted night sky that glimmered down.

I really felt as if I was on Cloud Nine.

Marcel and Jason having already been here before, greeted those they knew cordially, while Luna admired everything she saw, grinning from ear to ear.

When I asked her if she liked it she shivered as if she got the chills.

"There's something about this place... I can't put my finger on it."

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and she gazed upwards, clearly enchanted by the glorious ceiling.

She was distracted... here was my chance...

I snuck away from my best friend, and bumped into a woman with long, flowing purple hair.

"Have you seen Niklaus around?"

I hope I didn't butcher his name, I thought, but the woman didn't seem to think so.

Her hand touched my shoulder as she smiled. "He actually just got here, he's out back."

"Thank you..."

"Dasiy," the girl said before her eyes went to Luna.

"Oh my god, the princess is here!"

Daisy jogged off towards Luna, and I bit my lip, feeling a little sorry for Luna but I was hunting down her dream guy.

She could thank me later, I thought smiling to myself.

Glimpsing at the three ebony doors: the two bathrooms and the other door with the employees-only sign. I knew that there was only one option for me...

Here we go.

My hand reached for the knob, and I whipped around to make sure no one was looking before I let myself in.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I followed the wide hallway down to another door that had a plush sofa.

Even though the door was closed, I could hear a man's rich voice.

Tilting my head to the side, I eagerly listened catching his silky utterance.

"You know, it's funny how often a person's sharp tongue can end up cutting their own throat."

My eyes widened as I heard another voice in the room. It was a woman.

"It is amusing, but you couldn't have directed that at me, Nik. I just dropped by to say hello."

The man, Nik, scoffed. Butterflies started fluttering around in my stomach the longer I stood there listening.

"Adah, you are the mother of my child and my dearest friend in this malformed world. I would never speak to you that way, but my bloody brother is testing my patience!"

I cringed away from his yelling. Nik's voice alone was inviting, but when he raised it, I was reminded of an angry King who was unhappy with his subjects.

"Calm down! There is no need to yell, darling - - wait, is this about that girl?"

I heard a long-winded sigh from the man, and it sounded as if he sat down.

"Maybe the Original Hybrid has finally lost his mind."

The Original... oh my god...

"Oh, Niklaus, you and I both know you aren't. Elijah would agree. It is why he is so pushy with you. He just wants you... well, we all want you to be happy. Ruling alone can feel desolate at times. And if this girl is the key, then we shall move heaven and hell to get to her."

Niklaus...could she mean the Niklaus...the same one my dad was talking about...the same one Luna was dreaming about...

"Adah, I truly appreciate you being here for me. No one else - -"

He paused, sighing heavily, "No one else besides you and Elijah knows, and I'd like it to remain that way. Rebekah already thinks I'm deranged."

I quietly walked down the hallway, and my hands reached for the doorknob. I had to leave before this Adah person or Niklaus came out.

The last thing I heard was Adah say, "Nik, you did kill her last boyfriend. What did you expect?"

I breathed a sigh of relief as I shut the door behind me. I was not expecting Luna to swoop down on me, her green and gray eyes narrowed,

"Where have you been? Daisy has been under my left armpit for twenty minutes."

"I was in the bathroom, do you have a pad I could borrow?"

Luna reached into her purse and discreetly passed me what I'd asked for.

"My Dad and Marcel are ready to go, but don't worry I'll stall them."

She took my hands in hers and gently squeezed.

Luna was so kind.

I let myself into the ladies room and felt a twinge of regret for leaving her with her biggest fan Daisy.

The door opened and I saw a pretty set of green heels appear from under the stall.

I finished with my business and exited the stall at the same time the woman did.

As I washed my hands, I looked over at my side, curious as to who I was sharing this space with.

Her cheekbones were sharp and could have rivaled Luna's. Her long brown plaited hair contrasted with her fair skin that shimmered ever so slightly in the light. The woman's maroon lips were lifted up into a smirk.

She had caught me looking.

Oh, boy, was this awkward.

"I'm Adah, what is your name?"

"Davina."

"Ahh, a pretty name fit for a pretty girl."

I blushed at Adah's statement, having a hard time believing that this was the woman Niklaus had been speaking to moments earlier.

"Thanks."

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and left the restroom wanting to do nothing more than go home and digest all this new information.

How was I going to tell my best friend all of this?

I was also sure that the girl they were speaking of was in fact Luna, but how could I prove it? My spying attempt had been risky... hopefully, the odds were in my favor...

                                                                                                                     𖥸

Dictionary: A grimoire - is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divination, and how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, deities, and demons.

A/N: So, I know that Rebekah was not a Hybrid in the shows but I wanted to try something different! Writing in Davina's POV was so fun I really enjoyed it :) The next chapter will be called, Midnight Rain, and Luna will be meeting a certain Mikaelson😏

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 - 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘑𝘩𝘦𝘯é 𝘈𝘪𝘬𝘰

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I SENSED THAT SOMETHING WAS OFF WITH VINA BUT AFTER SAYING GOODBYE TO HER AND MARCEL, I FIGURED IT WAS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THAT TIME OF THE MONTH.

During those times, I was wildly emotional. I couldn't watch Marley and Me without crying bucketloads. The first few days were always the worst... I would have to send her a gift basket with plenty of bath bombs, a fuzzy robe, and a new set of bunny slippers.

I had quite an experience in San Francisco. The summer I spent over there...those three months seemed to blend into one.

Paige would join me on the couch in her Pikachu onesie, and together we would cry as we watched sad movies. Piper and Pru walked in once and said that we were weird but hey, during times like those being weird was okay ... Phoebe joined us later on and we all drank ice water out of wine glasses...

Closing my eyes, I snapped myself out of reminiscing and focused on the task at hand.

Hey, are you ok?

I sent her the text and waited for a reply and only when Dad pulled into the reservation did my phone vibrate.

             I feel like I'm dying but other than that I'm alright. I met this woman in the bathroom

Is that a good or a bad thing?

             I don't know but she was crazy pretty

I was aware of Davina's giant crush on my father. But I was also aware of the crush she had developed on Jilian when had both been fifteen.

Vina was a vivacious soul...anyone who corresponded with that energy would draw her in...

She was always open and honest, and I know Marcel hated that sometimes but I didn't.

I admired it.

To be frank, I lied a lot. Sometimes they were small, other times they were big. But mainly I lied to brush off a loved one's worries.

I didn't need them to worry because I was the worry wart in the family.

Did you talk to her?

             Yes, her name is Adah, and she seemed really nice

I'm happy for you

           Really? You don't think it'll be weird if I end up walking down the aisle to a girl?

Davina Claire, I could care less about their sex, your happiness is the only thing that matters :)

          Luna, I want to live by that but I'm terrified of what everyone would think!

I hit the call button, and she picked up instantly. Dad was in the truck but he was jamming out to a George Strait Christmas cd.

Halloween hadn't happened yet but here we were...

And it wasn't like he was the type to listen in on conversations, we respected each other's privacy.

"Hey, Luna."

She sounded low, I wished I could hug her over the phone.

"I'm going to tell you something that has helped mold me into who I am today. Being a part of royalty is mentally and emotionally taxing. Someone and their great-grandfather will always have something rotten to say no matter how many great points I make but the thing is... no one can make you feel inferior without your consent," I stated, it was my favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.

She sniffled, tugging at my heartstrings.

"There's just so much hate in the world, and I don't want to be caught in the middle of it."

"Don't think about the entire world, think about yours," I replied, crossing my ankles over each other.

"But - -"

I shook my head, "The only world that matters is yours. Let me worry about the bigger one, okay?"

She exhaled shakily but mumbled ok.

"You make me want to be the best version of myself."

"Vina - -"

"I mean it, Luna."

Dad pulled up to Jackson's cabin and I turned my head seeing him on a tall ladder, trying to hang a bright red banner up between two trees over the main road.

Oh, brother...

"I feel honored, you are pretty great."

She gave a laugh, I smiled at that. Happy to have cheered her up.

"I have to go, but we'll pick this back up later, ok?"

She sniffled again, "Love you, bestie."

"Aw, I love you too. If you need anything, let me know..."

I disconnected the call and turned to my father. I hugged him tightly, and he kissed me on the top of my head.

"Did you have fun today, little wolf?"

"I had a blast. We should definitely do it again sometime."

He nodded, "I'm gonna put the date of that Nirvana concert on the calendar."

Smiling I stepped out of the truck, "Sounds great, Dad! I'll call you around midnight to pick me up."

He gave me a thumbs-up before he pulled out of Jackson's gravel driveway.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The gravel crunched satisfyingly under my boots as I made my way to Jackson.

Once I reached the bottom of the ladder, I greeted him.

"Hey, stranger!"

He cussed and looked down, grinning and running his hands through his shoulder-length hair.

"You scared the hell out of me, Luna."

Jackson hopped down from the ladder and scooped me up in his arms.

I laughed, feeling surprised, but welcomed his affection anyway.

Using my empathetic abilities, I could tell that he was being genuine.

"How have you been, Jack? You know you make my sister a very happy woman. What are you going to do when she goes back to school?"

He coughed, "It's because of your sister that I am more than fine, and she didn't tell you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and folded my arms over my chest, "We're going out."

Groaning, I hit him in the shoulder with an open hand, and the sound echoed. "Oh my god, why didn't you tell me?!"

"I just did!"

He brushed a fallen leaf off my shoulder.

"I meant earlier. Anyway, what are you struggling with?"

Jack wiped the sweat off his brow; up ahead, I noticed a group of men gathering at the lake in the distance. My curiosity peaked.

"This damn banner. Mary wanted it up before dark."

Judging by the rapidly fading light, we didn't have much time left.

Right away, I noticed why he was having so much trouble, he had been trying to just stick it on the branch, he wasn't looping it.

"This won't take long," I said, over my shoulder as I began to climb the ladder.

Me and heights didn't mix well, but I could get the job done faster if I did it myself.

Sometimes you had to do things that you didn't like to do.

My stomach plummeted once I reached the last rung, and my eyes fell below me.

"Luna, I'll catch you."

His assertive voice reassured me as I grabbed the rope and quickly looped it around a particularly sturdy tree branch.

I dismounted the ladder quickly...and a little clumsily...

Working with what little daylight we had left. I journeyed to the other ladder and lifted the heavy banner as I ascended.

Once I was several feet up in the air, I tied the thick rope around the branch.

I ignored the bile building in my throat.

Breathe...just breathe, Luna... I thought as I began my descent.

My foot slipped on the second-to-last rung, but thankfully Jackson was there to catch me.

"I've got you."

I thanked him, breathless from fear. That would have been awful.

"Do you want to go for a swim, princess?"

I chuckled, rubbing my arms, "Isn't it a little cold?"

He nudged my shoulder with his own. "We're wolves, the cold doesn't affect us as much. It'll be fun."

I rolled my eyes, "You're probably right. Let me get dressed for the occasion, duke."

He chuckled lowly, and I followed him into his cabin. "Home sweet home," he stated, settling onto his couch.

I laughed and went into the bathroom. The red chenille sweater, jean skirt, and tights were soon on the floor. Out of my bag, I took out an emergency bikini.

The Compound had a large pool that Davina and I usually swam in, and while we wore the same bottom sizes, we didn't share the same top size as her chest was a size bigger than mine. So, I usually brought my own swimsuit.

Putting it on, I was not pleased in the least.

The lilac color was pretty and went well with my caramel skin but - - I hated my chest or lack thereof.

At least my butt looked cute.

I threw on an old band tee to hide one of my biggest insecurities; I freed my hair and combed it out with my fingers. It was a little past my shoulders now.

Once I stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the living room, I noticed two things.

Hayley had left her cardigan behind, and Jackson was shirtless.

Out of the corner of my eye, I admired his form. His skin was free of freckles unlike my sister's, and he was lean with nuanced hints of muscle. He took great care of his body... but his hair wasn't the color of the autumn sun...and his eyes were two pools of water that threatened to sweep me away with their magnetic current...

"Are you ready to go?"

I nodded, and as we headed out the door, I sensed a presence behind me.

Without turning my head fully around, I saw dark tendrils of a cloak... and when I finally did pivot around they were gone.

I was just seeing things in Jackson's cabin, maybe feeling that cold water would clear my head.

Because why in the hell would the Angel of Death be stalking me?

Jackson and I ran off the pier and jumped. The sounds of people cheering loudly rang in my ears before the water quieted everything.

God, it was freezing, but I had this sense of clarity... Oh shit, how could I forget! I was supposed to hang out with Crystal and Thierry!

What an awful friend I was...

I stayed under a bit longer, flexing my fingers under the water, and slowly kicking my legs. My lungs didn't protest, I had been swimming since I was three days old. I could hold my breath for long periods of time.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder I rose up, shocked by the touch. I relaxed once I realized it was Jackson.

"Hey, I thought I'd lost you there for a minute."

I splashed water up at him, annoyed with my forgetfulness.

"Jack, am I a terrible person?"

He wore an appalled look on his handsome face

"Why in the hell would you think that, Luna?"

I sighed, and relaxed my body, floating aimlessly in the water.

"Well, I messed up. I planned a meet-up with a few friends at Rousseau's and I forgot about it."

His brown eyes softened, "Hey, you've been under a lot of stress lately. I'm sure they will forgive you... And everyone forgets things sometimes...even princesses."

I smirked up at him as he splashed me with water, I splashed him back and the cycle continued until we were both laughing.

We separated ourselves from the others and moved to the middle of the lake, where the water was deeper and much colder. The moon shone down on us against a starry night sky. It created a rather beautiful backdrop fit for any artist's capricious imagination. At the edges of the woods, I swear I saw a glimmer of gold fur.

It had been so long since I had seen the wolf... I had almost forgotten about him.

"Do you think mates are real?"

Startled by the question, I couldn't help but look over at him.

I cleared my throat, cupping water in my hands, and watching as it slowly leaked out.

Nature was a captivating thing.

"I think that they could be real, I mean it's possible... especially in the world we live in, I mean think about it. Magic connects us to every habitant of this planet. Would it be so odd to think that another remarkable bond could exist?"

When I looked over at him I noticed his face was flushed.

"No, and sorry for the randomness... I've just been thinking about - -"

"My sister," I supplemented, and he sputtered, the tips of his ears reddening.

"What that's crazy?" He waved me off but I knew the truth.

"You guys fit well together. Like two pieces in a puzzle."

Jackson bit his lip, "I appreciate hearing that from you, it means a lot. It's wild because I'll be thinking something, and then she'll come right out and say it."

His hands ran through his wet hair, "It's like she's been in my head all this time and I'm just now starting to notice."

Feeling a spark of courage I turned to him, "You know, I've been dreaming about this guy almost every night and he gives me this warm, glowy feeling."

"Oh, yeah? What I feel for your sister is similar, do you have any clue as to who this guy is?"

I blushed, "I know that his name is Niklaus."

Jackson frowned, "Well, that's not much to go on. The only Niklaus I know is - -"

"King Niklaus. He possesses four Great Wolf Nations. It's worth mentioning that he also decimated three of our wolf packs, we still don't know the details of what happened. He showed up and every damn one of them disappears."

Jackson shuddered, and I looked at him curiously. He felt scared.

"That man is a ghost, your father and I have looked for him everywhere and came up blank."

Like in the cartoons a lightbulb seemed to materialize over my head. "What if he is my dreamguy?"

Jackson's eyes widened, he was staring at something behind me...something I couldn't see...

I was frozen until he grabbed my shoulders and moved me behind him.

And then I saw it.

The glorious golden wolf was sitting at the edge of the bank. It was a simple pose, but he made it look regal. As if sensing my staring, his cerulean eyes found mine.

I shivered, feeling what he was feeling.

An intense inquisitiveness. A warm feeling pooled in my chest the longer I held his eyes.

Jackson tried to pull me away but I dug my feet into the bottom of the lake, winning as I encountered sharp stones.

"I know those eyes," I insisted.

"From your dreams?"

I wordlessly nodded and watched as the wood leaned its head back and howled. The sound was so mighty it gave me goosebumps.

"Jackson, Luna!"

I tore my eyes away from the wolf for a moment to look in the direction of my dad's voice - - a single moment and I knew the wolf was gone because the warm feeling disappeared.

Jackson took my hand and lead me up to the shore. We could get there faster this way.

There was an all too familiar eerieness hanging in the atmosphere. It was fierce, it was smothering...it was everything I hated to feel...

Once we reached the edge of the wood and could see the pier and members of the pack gathered around it we stopped.

Fear made my heart race in my chest and I knew I was not alone.

So, I took Jackson's cold hand and lead him through the crowds of people to get to my father.

His green and gray eyes shone with relief the moment he saw me. He seized me up, and I winced from the force of his hug.

"Little wolf, something has happened..."

He trailed off as if he didn't know what to say.

I sensed his apprehensiveness and noticed a touch of sadness that lingered. My curiosity and worry simultaneously peaked.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, and I held my breath.

"Crystal was killed by a vampire. We found her body behind our house."

The words may have been cold, but his eyes held mine and I heard the words he hadn't said out loud.

I'm so sorry.

I couldn't stop the gasp that tumbled past my lips, all I could do was cover my mouth afterward.

"Does this mean that the treaty won't be signed?" Someone asked in the crowd.

Dad looked at me, and I realized he was waiting for me to decide.

This was a big choice.

"A single action made by one will not determine the fate of others. The person who killed my - -"

I paused, a single tear rolling down my cheek. "The vampire who killed my friend will pay for it in due time. An investigation will be held but until then we will proceed with the renewal."

Before anyone could say anything in response to my words, I booked it to my father's truck with a heavy heart...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I would not cry in front of him... I would not cry in front of anyone...

The second my dad pulled into our drive I hopped out of the truck and dashed inside the house brushing past my mother and sisters who had gathered at the door. I sprinted up the stairs, only letting Shadow in my room before I slammed the door shut.

Tears streamed down my face and I opened my desk drawer searching for my wireless earbuds. I couldn't deal right now, I needed something to drown it all out.

So I connected my phone to my earbuds and played the most obnoxious song I could find on full volume.

I curled into the fetal position in my bed and hugged a pillow into my chest.

Everything hurt.

Reality was repeatedly punching me in the gut.

Crystal was gone... we would never talk again...she would never hear me sing... I would never get to invite her to my eighteenth birthday bash next September.

Maybe if I had been at Rousseau's none of this would have happened...  

The thought alone that her death could be my fault, brought another agonizing wave of sadness.

Shadow stood from the bed and grew loudly at my door.

Ice filled my heart when I heard the Angel of Death say, "It's for the best you know. Crystal may not have looked like it but she held tremendous pain inside of her soul."

That ice softened and simmered into a fire.

I grabbed the dagger from under my pillow and turned.

Death was standing in my bedroom wearing a solemn expression on his lean, powdery face. I could care less about the reason he was here.

I wanted to be alone.

"It would appear that you've been crying."

Shadow lurched forward, his eyes glowing red, but I sent him to his bed. He left with a huff and kicked up my dirty close from Jackson's house on the Angel of Death.

I loved my dog.

My hands began to shake and I resisted throwing the dagger at the neutral being. The only reason I didn't is I wasn't certain if my aim would be on point because at the moment my emotions were all over the place...

"How else am I supposed to react? My friend just died and I couldn't save her!"

I was thankful that I placed a noise-blocking spell in my room. No one downstairs would be able to hear.

"Please forgive me, princess," Death bowed his head, a sign of respect, and my mouth popped open.

"I did not intend to be callous."

I sighed, "Thanks and all but can you go now? I wish to be alone."

A ghost of a smile passed over his thin lips, "I only entered this space to tell you that Crystal has found peace and that she doesn't blame nor hate you."

I began tearing up again, and Death put his cold hand on my shoulder.

"She told me to tell you to and I quote, hold your head high like the badass you are."

I beamed and whipped the tears from my eyes.

"I will hold my head high."

Death bowed again, "As you should, princess."

The angel faded into light, disappearing before my very eyes.

That night more tears were shed but the assurance of Crystal not hating me from beyond and being at peace softened the blow of her passing.

While I was sad to hear that she had been carrying a lot of pain, I was relieved that she wouldn't have to endure that any longer.

Now, Crystal was at peace...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The morning shower is everything I needed.

The hot water rolled down my front and back and splashed down onto my feet creating ripples.

Last night's tears seemed endless but today was a new day.

I awoke with a smile on my face.

Today was Thursday, a treaty would be signed and a party that I helped organize would be held. I put a lot of hours into it, so I was a little nervous but my excitement for the event itself outweighed my apprehension.

A part of me would always hate myself for not being at Rousseau's and for forgetting my friends. But like Crystal said, hold my head high like the badass I am.

I smirked as I heard the words in her voice.

Drying my body and hair I stared at myself in the mirror.

Yes, I had my insecurities but today I wasn't going to berate myself over them.

Today, I would live for those who couldn't... today I would not wish for things that were beyond my reach...

I applied my primer and foundation, before lining my eyes with black eyeliner. For fun, I added a little wing at the end before I used mascara, and coated my eyelids with periwinkle eyeshadow. After that, I chose my go-to peach-colored lipgloss. It was light and didn't really leave a mess behind.

For the day I chose to wear a maroon knit sweater, paired with a jean jacket, heeled boots, and jeans.

It was comfy but classy enough for the event. I decided to leave my hair down, it was already curling back up but I hit it with the blow dryer a couple of times to put my mind at ease.

I made my way downstairs, and Shadow followed closely behind me.

"Hey, boo," Mom said, as she gently pulled me in for a hug. I grinned hugging her back.

"Are you alright, baby moon?" Jilly's oddly concerned voice caught my attention.

I pulled away and hugged her to assure her. This time I wasn't lying.

"Everything is fine, sissy, including me."

Jilian beamed and kissed my cheek. "I'm so excited for tonight!"

"Really, me too!" Hayley remarked, and I noticed that like me she had on a full face of makeup. No doubt the thought of Jackson influenced her decision.

"You've worked so hard to prepare for this event. You should know that your father and I are so proud of you."

I hugged my mother again before making my way to the table.

A plate of the classic combo, bacon, and eggs, was already at my placemat.

I smiled even though the eggs and bacon looked a little dark.

"Where's Dad?" I wondered aloud as I chowed down.

My mother sat down at the table, joined by my sisters. They all looked particularly great today. Maybe it was because I didn't appreciate them as much as I should have...

"Jace is at the reservation helping Mary micromanage."

"That sounds fun."

"By the way, you all look beautiful today."

They smiled back at me and told me that I did too.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Mom dropped me off at the reservation. We didn't talk much due to the fact that she was in a hurry.

Her college was posting the scores of their latest exams and she did not want to be late.

The reservation was looking nice .

Members of the pack were running string lights through the branches of the trees, and others were helping aid the caterer. The smell of the pork loin and pineapple slaw together made my mouth water.

Dozens of tables and chairs fit to sit six encircled a decorated podium with garland and little white flowers shaped like stars. Each table had a white tablecloth covering the stained wood, an olive branch wreath was accompanied by yellow roses in a jar of water. two components acted as centerpieces.

One meaning friendship...the other meaning peace...

You couldn't go wrong with either, and I was so glad I was able to get my point across.

My vision for a beautiful evening was coming true...

"Hello, dear, how does it look?" Mary asked, sticking a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, Mary, it looks beautiful. The pack did great putting all this together."

She nodded, the smile dropping from her face. "Well, I'm awfully sorry to hear about your friend. But I'm pleased you were able to make it. It's important that you are here as an asset."

I frowned, "You really think I'm a crucial piece in today's Event?"

She pulled me close and whispered in my ear, her voice as sweet as honeysuckle blossoms.

"You're the centrepiece, hun."

-ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎˊ-

Time Skip

:

7 Hours Later

-ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎˊ-

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jilian Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Thirty minutes into the treaty renewal and I was bored out of my mind.

Dad told me to be on my best behavior, but it wasn't like I was going to mess anything important up.

So, I busied myself with throwing grapes at Hayley.

Eventually, she grew frustrated, but rather than confront me like Luna would have, she and Jackson moved away, leaving me alone to my own thoughts...

Night made everything beautiful. The soft glow from the fairy lights cascaded onto everyone, and the wreath and jarred roses as centerpieces on the table were brilliant. They added a lovely touch.

My sister really worked her ass off, and it showed.

I hope she got all the appreciation she deserved. Of course, those speeches were first in line, though not everyone had arrived yet.

I looked towards the archway and smirked, entering now was a man. He looked classically masculine, cleanly shaven, sporting a black blazer and tie paired with dress pants. The man oozed power from afar.

Mr. tall dark and handsome's brown eyes met mine and I winked at him, giggling coyly.

He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning my face before he regained his footing.

God, I loved the effect I had on people.

Luna and Hayley may have been oblivious to their gifts but I was not.

I saw my younger sister shaking hands with a little girl who was accompanied by a pretty elfish-looking woman. I noticed that Mr. tall dark and handsome was over there as well...time for me to head over...

"It's nice to meet a fellow princess," Luna curtsied and the child's bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

"I like you. I think my Dad would like you to."

"Aw, I like you too but I'm not too sure about your father."

The little girl smiled.

I cleared my throat, capturing my sister's attention. "Oh," Luna turned around.

"Adah, Hope, Elijah, this is my sister Jilly."

I grinned nudging my shoulder with hers and narrowing my eyes the slightest bit.

"My name is actually Jilian."

Elijah took one step forward, and I smiled admiring his form and how it towered over mine.

"Such a lovely name for a lady as - -" he paused, his dark eyes glimmering, "stunning as yourself."

I blushed and dropped his eyes. I was just wearing a simple black satin dress with a high slit...but this guy seemed to really dig it... I admit I was digging him as well despite the fact he wasn't my Usually, I went for men who liked to get their hands dirty, but the guy standing in front of me did nothing of the sort as it would be inadequate .

"What a gentleman, it's been so long since I've been around one of those... You wouldn't believe all the - - demons - - I've encountered."

His eyes were locked on mine as his lips lifted up into a smirk. "I can assure you, Ms. Labonair, that I intend to act reasonably around you."

Adah jumped into the conversation, breaking our intensity and ardent eye contact.

"Now, now, Elijah there are times when it is perfectly natural to be unreasonable."

Luna nodded her head in my direction and began laying out cards on the table. It looked like she was playing war with Hope.

Cute.

Adah seemed to feel the undeniable tension and left for her daughter leaving Elijah and me alone. He handed me a flute of champagne and I thanked him.

"What brings you to New Orleans?"

I sipped on the fizzy beverage, pleased with the creamy peach flavor.

"To be honest, I've lived here for most of my life."

Elijah smiled, "While I may not live here, the city is one of my favorite places to visit from time to time. Though I must admit I haven't seen you out and about."

"You've found me, now what will you do with me?"

He laughed at my implication and I held his eyes. "I may keep you as a memento."

I grinned, "Really? I think I'm worth more than some keepsake destined for dusty shelf life."

He raised his glass to his lips, "A woman should always know her worth... I must confess, Jilian, I feel as if I should not be speaking to you."

A fire sparked within me and not the good kind. Just what in the hell was he on about?

I shifted from foot to foot waiting for him to elaborate before I completely lost it on him.

"You are a radiant soul...that was evident the moment I walked under that archway and saw you. I would hate to tarnish it with my darkness."

Oh... that was actually kind of sweet...

But instead of melting to the ground like I wanted to, I only smiled.

"Darkness isn't so bad. I deal with it on a daily basis and win almost every time."

Elijah chuckled, tipping back his flute of champagne.

"Do you have any tips for me?"

"Never let your guard down, once you do, they all come charging for you. Besides, everyone has darkness within them... a little isn't all that bad."

"But it's not good either," he insisted and I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my chest.

"We live in a world that has evolved into a grayscale, embrace it."

He smirked a little, "Perhaps one day I will. A millennium ago everything was written in black in white, it's hard to envision such a dissimilar world."

"Well, baby, it's here."

He opened his mouth to say something when Mary's calm voice carried over the green space.

"Everyone please take your seats, the renewal process is about to begin."

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I clapped loudly as my sister walked to the podium, as did a number of others.

Elijah was sitting with Adah and Hope at the table behind me. I shivered, feeling his eyes burning into the back of my head.

I was tempted to look back but only smiled at my sister. I could do him later...right now, I needed to show my sister support!

And most importantly, prove Hayley wrong.

"Welcome."

Luna's dulcet, silvery voice appeared to cast a spell on everyone as silence fell in the site.

"On behalf of the three great wolf nations under my father's reign...." she paused and lifted a hand towards the excitable audience.

"I would like to thank everyone who has set aside their time to be here at this grand summit."

Applause rang out, and some even howled. Marcel who was sitting at one of the front tables, only laughed at his rambunctious crew of vampires.

She gave a dazzling smile that certainly left a number of people winded.

My sister didn't know it, but she was quite a knockout.

"Throughout history, treaties and events like this have been shown to bring people together. So, I'd like it if you looked at the person beside you and send a smile their way because they are the reason for us putting this affair together. This great city is not a stranger to loss. Midas was the straw that nearly broke New Orleans' back. To provide security for the inhabitants of the city, both human and supernatural, my father..."

Luna raised a flute of champagne in Dad's direction, who wore a sheepish look on his face.

"With the help of Marcellus Gerard, came up with a solution for peace between our respective supernatural clans. And because of this atmosphere of amicability, we are stronger together rather than apart."

The clapping started up again, and I whistled at my sister. In return, she winked at me.

"It is an honor," her green and gray eyes were shining. Aw, she was starting to tear up.

"Of the highest caliber to stand here and address this evening's summit."

Luna delicately cleared her throat while still managing to look queenly.

"Once the signatures are incised onto the accords, lives will not only be made better...but they will be preserved...Thank you."

There was a dull roaring in my ears caused by the sheer loudness of applause and shouting as my sister exited the podium.

At last, I looked back at Elijah, he was clapping along with everyone else, but he was looking at me.

I blushed, turning back around just in time to see the princess take her seat next to the King and Marcel rise to the podium.

"Whew, that is one damn hard act to follow. Let's give another round of applause for the charming princess."

I nudged Hayley's foot with mine, and she turned towards me, a smile on her face as she clapped.

"Luna did excellently! Ooh, by the way, some hot guy keeps giving you the look."

Her eyebrows rose suggestively, and I blushed, looking back.

As soon as I did, Elijah's lips lifted up in a smirk.

Oh my...

Marcel's voice caught my attention, and I turned back around, all red in the face from Elijah's lingering gaze.

"Peace has never been easy, but after Midas nearly destroyed the city, Jason and I agreed that it would be the best for everyone. And twenty years later...that truth still stands."

Many people looked over at where my family was seated, and I could read their minds...my father did not look forty years old... in fact, he was only thirty... But what they didn't know is that After Luna's birth and my mother almost dying, they decided to unite in a way that was controversial to the supernatural community. Since Mom was immortal, that meant he was too, as they were now eternally linked together. But that also came with a price... Instead of worrying about something happening to one of them we had to worry for both of them. The Halliwells were unique...not only because we combated demons but also because when we died, we had the choice to come back, and when we did, we became immortal. It was kind of sadistic...what the Elders did to us... they wanted to make sure that their little soldiers ran 24/7. Most never chose that option, though my sister Hayley, my mother, and I did. I hoped Luna would as well...

Oh, crap, I spaced out and missed Marcel's speech... I noticed that now my father was up at the podium with him.

Luna seemed to be holding her breath, but when our father and Marcel held up the lengthy parchment, she relaxed.

Mary stood at the platform now, a winsome smile on her pale face, "Let the festivities begin!"

I looked behind my shoulder at Elijah and sent him a wink.

Our interaction was far from over...

                                                                                         ·𖥸·

Dictionary: Angel of Death - is an ancient, powerful being that is neither good nor evil, but simply neutral. Mate- a werewolf's soulmate. The Elders - a council of senior good witches who governed over the forces of good. 

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪 𝘟𝘊𝘟 - 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘱 (instrumental)

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jilian Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

WORDS WEREN'T PLIANT ENOUGH TO COUNTERACT WITH THE HEAVY TENSION THAT SALTED THE AIR.

There was something about him that lured me in...he had talked about darkness at the reservation... I wished to brighten his night now that he was standing in my room, looking as fine as ever.

His umber brown eyes widened as I slowly ran my fingers along his chiseled jaw.

I stood on the tips of my toes. It would be the only way I could reach him...

He met me halfway with equal fervor.

The first kiss was just like a drug...a cocktail of chemicals were released in my brain, the moment our lips collided.

Kissing was intimate. It was up close and personal. Most guys these days didn't put a lot of effort into it, which didn't make it enjoyable in the least. But Elijah was different, he didn't bruise my lips with Brute force, instead, he bruised my heart with his disarming tenderness.

I had never been handled with such care before and to be frank, it was a little unsettling and made little nervous flutters arise in my stomach.

He broke the grandiose spell that had frozen time and made my toes tingle in anticipation.

Despite our lips only connecting for half a minute... he was flushed and seemed out of breath...

"What's your middle name?"

I lifted a brow, satisfied that our bodies were still somewhat close together. I could feel the heat coming off him. It made my knees weak.

"Karma."

He grinned like he had hit the jackpot.

"You reap what you sow. I like to think of it as being the maker of our lives. We put energy in and receive it back in different forms throughout time."

"Mmhm," I bit down on my lip and dropped my hands from his jaw to the lapels of his blazer.

"I usually don't partake in one night stands, I- -"

"Not that kind of guy," I summed up and lined my body with his. He didn't step away, so that was a good sign.

"Don't worry, hun, I'm open to anything you want. We could do friends with benefits or a relationship. I would say an open one but something tells me you're more reserved- -"

Elijah frowned, making me stop in my tracks.

"Jilian, I'm only concerned with your wants."

My heart beat faster in my chest when he grasped my hand and planted a small, simmering kiss on my palm.

"And your needs."

I melted to the floor at that, and my lips yearned for his.

Where the hell had he been all my life?

"Elijah, it's impossible to deny...I feel something for you...we feel something for each other and I'd love to explore that further...that is - -"

I leaned forward and gently captured his bottom lip with my teeth before releasing it. "If you're up for it."

The smile on his face was warm as his finger traced the curve of my jaw.

My eyes fluttered shut when his forehead touched mine.

"I'm up for the challenge."

I smirked, and our lips neared in proximity, but the door to my room slammed open, breaking us apart.

Damn it.

Luna and Hayley stood in the doorway and I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Get out - -"

Luna sighed, looking worried, "Dad's on his way home, we came to warn you. He - -" she pointed to Elijah, "has to go so Dad doesn't lose his shit."

But we were just getting down to the good stuff!!

I folded my arms over my chest, "I am a grown woman - -"

Hayley stuck up her hand and slapped it against her leg in vehement irritation.

"May I remind you of our father's temper?"

Damn.

I knew they were right but I didn't want to say goodbye to Elijah just yet.

"Would it really be the worst idea if I met him?" Elijah wondered aloud looking as posh as ever even with my lipstick on his mouth.

"Kinda," Luna added, "especially since you have my sister's lipstick on your mouth."

The sound of Dad's truck pulling up yanked me out of my thoughts. I looked over at Elijah, "Umm you have to go, like...right now."

Utilizing my supernatural hearing I could already hear the door unlock, that was quick.

I took Elijah's hand and followed the winding path my sisters were making to keep the four of us out of trouble.

"Girls!"

My Dad's voice echoed up the staircase and my sisters and I froze in place.

Luna turned to Hayley and spoke so lowly and quickly that I could barely catch what she said.

"Get him outside, I'll distract Father."

Luna then rose and began to make her way downstairs.

"Where are your sisters?"

"Upstairs, they really aren't feeling well, Daddy. You see it's that time of the month..."

I watched as he paled and held his hands up in defense, "Alright, I was just making sure everything was fine. I smelled something off..."

"Hmm, I could only imagine what it was..."

We began creeping down the stairs as Luna led Dad away, talking about how well the renewal went and how great mom did on her tests.

Finally! We made it outside.

Hayley plopped down on a chair in the patio area, glaring at me.

"A thank you would be nice."

I shut my eyes, she would never let me live it down if I didn't show appreciation.

So, I gave her my best smile, "Thank you, Hayley, for saving my ass. I look forward to when I do the same for you."

Before she could reply I was already taking Elijah's hand and leading him away from the cabin.

Once I couldn't see the house anymore I slowed my pace. The moon was full and bright; it allowed me to see the colorful bed of fallen leaves that blanketed the forest floor. Elijah looked dashing beside me...  

"I would like to just go with the flow," I stated, hoping he would understand what I meant.

Elijah frowned, "Could you elaborate?"

Smirking I moved to stand and front of him. He raised a brow, and I placed my hand on the back of his head, pulling him down to my level.

I brushed my lips teasingly against his, and his hand came to rest on the small of my back...

He tasted of the peach champagne we had drunk at the party...

Before things could progress, I pulled away, leaving my hands on his chest. He had a strong heartbeat.

"Going with the flow means doing what feels right."

Elijah grinned, "Is it right of me to assume that you are insinuating that kissing me feels right?"

"Yes," I said, unable to keep the brilliant smile off my face.

"When can I see you again?"

"Tomorrow, 12:30, at L'amour parle."

He chuckled, "That's awfully specific, Jilian."

"Well, Elijah, I have to be specific when asking you out. How else would you meet me?"

"I'm sure I would find you...one way or another..."

Dipping my head, I prayed he wouldn't see the blush that coated my cheeks.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After escaping his titillating gaze that made me warm with desire, I was confronted by my sisters when I reached the patio.

"Did you guys kiss?"

I put my hands on my hips, firing back at Hayley, "Do you and Jackson kiss?"

Her cheeks burned bright through the night, and I only smiled. "I guess that answers your question."

Luna rested her flushed face on her fists and I tilted my head to the side, "Has anyone told you that you look beautiful today?"

She shook her head and I sat down beside her and kissed her cheek. "Well, you're beautiful."

"Aww, thanks, Jilly. You just made my night."

I held out my hands for them to take, and they looked quizzically at each other

Only now did I notice Luna's green and gray eyes were glimmering. "Where are we going?"

I began leading them to the front of my house, a plan formulating in my head.

"Someplace Magical."

Beside me, Hayley muttered under her breath but tonight I didn't counter it with a threat... my smile did not turn into a frown. I had better things to do with my time like thinking about how I was going to convince my sisters to go along with my plan...

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Someplace Magical was a tattoo parlor on Jameson street. It was directly across the witchcraft shop, Whitebeard.

The tattoo spot was not the prettiest to gaze upon...  

But as my past experiences taught me...looks weren't everything...

This is why I rolled my eyes when Hayley let a snide comment slip past her lips.

We entered the small establishment and were immediately greeted by the pierced girl at the front desk. Her name was Flo. I remembered her from the last time I was here.

Her gray eyes were half closed as she blew out a puff of smoke. But Flo being high did not stop her eyes from locking onto my sisters like white on rice.

Snapshots of multiple tattoos banded the walls. For a moment, I allowed myself to admire the complex linework and blooming colors.

I had gotten my first tattoo here; the triquetra on my ankle healed beautifully!

The word, triquetra, meant three-cornered, and the Celtic emblem was an intricate triple knot design. The symbol is comprised of three interlaced arcs, the line is unbroken, but it means something different for everyone. For me, it represented my bond with my sisters and our unity. The sign also happened to be on the cover of the Book of Shadows, which was my family's sacred grimoire.

"Whatcha in for?"

Luna and Hayley both shrugged, expecting this, I took the lead.

I slid over a piece of paper; it was a simple rose I had sketched. The petals were delicately rounded and came to a point at the end.

"Small, black, fine-lined, one on each of our hips."

Hayley's mouth fell open in shock while Luna cupped her hands on the sides of her face.

I didn't need her empathetic sense to know that she was thrilled at the thought of my plan.

"Oh my god, are we really about to get matching tattoos?"

Flo grinned at Hayley's exasperation and rose slowly out of her seat. "That's what it looks like, honey. Let me get one of the artists. We just had a freelancer drop in not too long ago."

As the woman vanished behind the curtain, Luna's hands came to rest on my shoulders. I waited, getting out some cash and mom's signed consent form for Luna to get a tattoo since she was still a minor.

"Have I ever told you that I have this intense fear of needles?"

I nodded, smiling as I reached into my bag and withdraw a blindfold.

"You won't see a thing, baby moon."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A strange feeling arose in my chest when two artists came to collect my sisters but not me.

I asked Flo, who had returned to her desk, about it, and she said that some guy named Nik would be handling it.

At the sound of that name, my heart beat harder in my chest.

Nik as in...Niklaus...

Hearing footsteps, I turned my head to the sound of them. Before Jilly and Hayley left, they tied the blindfold onto my head so I couldn't see. Which left me relying on my ears and nose.

I detected a sensuous yet mysterious spicy fragrance that had me leaning forward. I had never smelt anything quite like it.

"What's with the blindfold, Beauty?"

I shivered, swearing on my life that was the rich accented voice from my dreams...

My hands twisted in my lap as I began to explain my fear of needles.

The man chuckled softly, and I felt silly sitting on that bench with the stupid blindfold on my face, but I relaxed when he said - -

"My brother did the same thing for his first tattoo. As long as you remember to breathe, everything will be fine, Love."

I exhaled slowly, thankful that he didn't think I was weird. I tried to ignore the blush that coated my cheeks when he called me Love .

"You can call me, Nik."

The man paused for a moment before resuming speaking.

"Now, I will need you to remove your skirt."

I gulped.

The thought of removing anything in front of Nik , who reminded me of dreamguy made my stomach fill with a thousand butterflies. Each brushed its wings against my innards, causing feelings of near hysteria to bloom.

I stood and with unsteady hands, unbuttoned my skirt. It dropped to my ankles with a faint thud.

The chilly air nipped cruelly at my bottom. And I stood blind before Nik, wearing only a graphic cotton tee and a pair of pink lace string cheekini panties.

I felt scandalous... did princesses ever get tattoos?

...But it kinda felt good being a little unorthodox...

"Where do you want me?" I asked, and Nik cleared his throat.

"Laid out across the chair. I will adjust you as needed..." he trailed off, and I anticipated his next words as he guided me to the chair.

"Your birthmark is rather intriguing."

I lay in the tattoo chair and touched my birthmark; the crescent laid over my right shoulder blade, just as Hayley and Jilian's did.

He continued, and I heard something hiss. Did tattoo ink do that often?

"Did you know that it is extraordinarily rare for a wolf to be marked the way you are?"

I chuckled, not feeling threatened by the fact Nik knew about my werewolf side.

"It's sort of a family thing... Does this mean you'll be using aconitum?"

He chuckled, "Not many wolves know that term... but yes, I will be using wolfsbane. Though, it will need to be touched up in a couple of years due to your healing abilities."

I bit my lip, as he walked over to me. "Why did you call me Beauty? You can only see half my face."

The question slipped out of my mouth even though I hadn't meant to ask it... I mainly just wanted to hear his silky voice.

My mind spun around the prospect of this Nik being my dreamguy...but what about Hope's father, the King of four Great Wolf Nations? Was he still a contender? Nik knew about wolves, yes, but that didn't mean he was a ruler of a percentage of them.

I had so many questions and only two possibilities so far.

His answer to my inquiry was unadorned, and it was one that brought a smile to my face.

"I call things as I see them."

"Hmm..."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when his fingers probed my hip.

"So...where exactly do you want this again?"

I blushed deeply and guided my hand onto the spot Jilly pointed out.

He sighed.

"Are you sure you want it there, Love? That particular spot can be quite painful."

I lifted my chin a fraction of an inch. "I can take it."

"We'll see about that," he replied, and I swore he was smirking. Nik softly swabbed my skin with iodine, and I recoiled away from the cold fluid.

He apologized, and I told him it wasn't his fault.

"Do you have any more siblings?"

"Nope," I said, letting the p in the word pop.

"But I am the youngest."

"Really?"

"Mmhm, do you have a big family?"

Nik chuckled, and that strange warm feeling arose in my chest, nearly taking my breath away from the intensity of it all.

"Yes... my older brother throws these lavish parties every holiday season, and we all come together...no matter how far apart we are."

I smiled, appreciating the sentiment.

"That sounds really nice... I have to ask... are you British? It's just the accent - -"

His barking laugh cut me off. "I've been around for a while... it's something I developed when I traveled overseas."

Nodding, I flinched when I felt the cold tip of a pen trace against my skin.

"Well, it's lovely, Nik..."

"Thank you... I must confess, I've never heard a voice quite like yours... so melodious... do you sing?"

I giggled. The feather-light action of his drawing movements tickled me.

"Yes. If you are interested...I'm at Rousseau's every karaoke night."

Nik continued sketching the rose onto my hip, and I flexed my foot waiting for his response.

"You look a little young to be in a bar."

"I'll be eighteen next September. And besides my father is with me every time I go."

"Oh, really?"

I nodded, "Yes, we go against each other for fun. He and I usually win the contest every other week."

Nik paused his looping motions...

"You sound like you have a close relationship with him."

I smiled, feeling Nik's warmth come on in waves. I wasn't one hundred percent sure but I felt as if his feelings mirrored mine...similar to the wolf but different...more profound...

"We have a very close relationship though he can get a little overprotective at times..."

Nik chuckled, "I can imagine that he wouldn't want anything to happen to you. As a father myself , I admit I wouldn't want anything happening to my daughter."

Hmmm...I wonder if her name was Hope...

I didn't ask that question. That would be too personal and I wasn't going to be indelicate.

"Did he sign the consent form?"

I shook my head, and Nik chuckled. "Ahh, it was your mother then?"

"Yes. My sister surprised me."

Something shifted in the air, and I detected a bit of sadness in him. "My sister and I are going through a rough patch at the moment."

That was the reason for the sadness.

"I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things get better for you and your sister in the future."

"Thank you," his reply came as soft as I imagined the golden wolf's fur to be.

The pen and his hand disappeared from my hip. Nik's touch had left goosebumps.

A loud buzzing sound filled the air and I jumped back.

He chuckled as he approached me again.

"Are you sure you are up for this, Love? You could always come back at another time."

"I'm sure," I did not flinch when his gloved hands ever so slightly pressed onto my hip.

There was a loud whirring sound... I felt the object close in on my skin and I dug my nails into my palm as I felt the first stab of the needle.

The pain was quite intense...harshly sharp and fiercely stinging... I was sure the wolfsbane only exacerbated those things but it didn't leave me screaming.

"Are you alright?"

Feeling his concern for me, I gave him a placid smile.

"I think I might actually survive this."

He laughed at my answer, placing his other hand gently down on my thigh as he moved forward with the design my sister had chosen. I felt him shift and turn to the side.

"You seem so delicate... I've seen grown men crumble in pain at this but not you... why is that?"

My nails dug deeper into my palms and I groaned lightly, my resolve slipping away minute by minute.

To be honest, I felt kind of faint, but I didn't want to tell Nik that.

"Looks can be misleading and I told you I could take it."

Nik said nothing for a while and only focused on his work. I revealed in the silence my words had created. The pain became agonizing when he started what I presumed to be the petals of the rose. He took a wet wipe to my skin and I noticed that my blood tainted the air.

"How do you know about werewolves?" I wondered aloud as the loud buzzing noise erupted from the tattoo gun.

Once again the sharp pain almost comparable to a beesting started up again.

"I am one myself. My father is quite the member of our community, he is a renowned author."

Like Ansel? I read his book, Fullest Moons, which was about mates but he had other works out there.

As much as I wanted to I didn't ask.

"Hmm...well I don't usually tell strangers this but..." I trailed off, giving suspense.

"I'm a princess."

Nik chuckled, "Is that so?"

"Mmhm, my father rules three Great Wolf Nations."

Nik chuckled, "I never got your name..."

"It's Luna."

He repeated my name and I shivered, the way he said it was so alluring.

"It's Italian and Spanish, though I doubt you are either... Do you know the reason behind your parents' choice?"

I settled into the comfy leather chair, shivering from the cold. My lower body was quite warm but only where his gloved hands came in contact with my skin.

"My Dad said that the first time he held me... my eyes reminded him of the moon. He said they lit up the room."

Feeling silly I laughed, the story was endearing but awfully dramatic.

"I'm sure they did... are you aware that in Roman mythology, Luna, was the divine personification of the moon?"

I shook my head, "I wasn't, but that is pretty cool."

He withdrew the tattoo gun and I felt a few tears escape, I prayed that the blindfold would catch them.

With his gloved hand, Nik gently applied vaseline to my tattoo.

"You are all finished, Love, are you ready to see the result?"

Before my hands could remove the blindfold I heard Flo's hazy voice.

"Nik, there is a phone call for you, your brother said it was important."

The man muttered, bloody hell, before sighing.

"I hope to see you around, Luna."

His footsteps reverberated in the room and then he was gone...leaving my heart aching to feel the warmth that cradled it so lovingly.

Oddly enough, that warmth disappeared when Nik left the room...  

Dictionary: L'amour parle (means love talks and it is a romantic cafe). A grimoire - is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divination, and how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, deities, and demons. The Book of Shadows was created by Melinda Warren and was passed down to the Charmed Ones, it is their sacred grimoire . . Mate- a werewolf's soulmate.

A/N: Writing this chapter was so fun, and I felt that I needed to split it into two parts. Jilian and Elijah's date will be next chapter, and Davina's birthday party is coming up! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading 💗

Chapter Text

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Taylor Swift - Enchanted

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Klaus Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

OCTOBER, THE MONTH OF MY BIRTH, HAD HARDLY BEEN INTERESTING UNTIL LAST NIGHT.

Elijah had thrown an extravaganza that promised much merriment the night before.

The courtyard’s furnishings had been altered for a grandiloquent occasion, the leather had been swapped out for smooth velvet, and the grand dining table was amassed with savory dishes. String lights dangled from the awning, casting a soft light on all the bodies in the room.

Despite Rebekah's distaste for me at the moment, she showed up. The death of her lover hadn't been an accident, but what was one supposed to do?

He had hit her.

And in a moment of blind rage, I reacted.

She told me that she could've handled it, but what was done was done…

Out of all of my siblings, I struggled with Rebekah the most. Maybe it was because we were too alike…

We had a different upbringing from the rest of our siblings.

In a way, this made us closer compared to the others.

Mikael abhorred us, and he was not afraid to penalize us when our mother wasn’t looking. Esther had an affair with a werewolf alpha, Ansel. He looked after us in the night… there had even been a time when he came to defend us from our brutal stepfather, he nearly lost his life but my mother intervened just in time. Bad became worse when a pack of nomadic wolves attacked Henrik. Mikael ordered my mother to call upon her magic to make us faster than the wolves…stronger… After the spell was complete, with our new selves discovered, Mikael grew increasingly hostile with his newfound abilities… My mother saw this and one evening she led us away from Mikael, through the woods and meadow to Ansel. There had been a moment when Ansel, Esther, Finn, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, and I connected hands. The declaration we had come up with, always and forever, chimed in the night air before we left together…as a family…

My sister walked up to me, with her nose held in the air, muttering, “Happy birthday, brother.”

I gave her a slight smile, and she mirrored the action before pulling me in for a hug.

“You should thank Finn, he convinced me to come.”

Tensing I sighed.

“Bekah - -”

“No, don’t Bekah me. You are a grown man, you should have acquired self-restraint in the last thousand years,” she hissed under her breath, as she smiled at some of the guests.

“I will not allow any man to hit you as Mikael used to.”

She flinched at that and her eyes flashed gold.

“Nik, I hate it when you get involved in my love life. It has never been, nor will it ever be your concern.”

“I just want to protect you,” I insisted, not bothering to keep my voice down.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I turned to see the mother of my child, Adah. She didn’t look pleased.

“Don’t tell me you two are squabbling already? This is a party, a zone where people come together not farther apart.”

Rebekah leaned forward, kissing Adah’s rouged cheek. “I apologize, dear, but my brother is - -”

“Standing right here,” I cut her off, with my arms folded over my chest.

My sister rolled her eyes, “Where is my niece?”

As if someone had called her, Hope skipped up the stairs. I smiled, no matter what mood I was in she always seemed to make it better.

“Auntie Bex, you made it!” Hope cheered happily.

Rebekah chuckled, embracing Hope, and smoothing down her red hair.

“Of course, I did, sweetheart. I would never miss your father’s birthday...no matter how much he tests my patience…”

I moved away from the scene, still feeling frustrated.

Near the banister decorated with brightly colored streamers, Elijah stood in one of his nicest suits.

"I hope she's here..." Elijah trailed off as I approached, and I instantly knew who he was referring to.

"Brother, it appears you've invited half the women in the city."

Elijah nodded, "With great numbers come greater odds of finding the one who plagues your dreams."

"Perhaps," I replied as I studied the faces of every individual in the sumptuous space adorned with music and laughter.

But her face wasn't among them.

My brief spell of excitement withered, and for the rest of that night, I spent my time trying to enjoy the birthday bash my brother had thrown me.

The next day I awoke from my usual dream… Her dulcet tones rang in my ears even though I had been awake.

I could still feel the weeds and wildflowers on my back…my lungs remained full of her sweetness. We had been laying in a meadow. Her head had been on my chest, and my fingers were swathed in her long, dark tresses.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? How we met?” She wondered aloud in that alluring silvery voice of hers.

“I think I would recall encountering you… in fact, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

She laughed, and the soft sound brought a smile to my face.

I awoke shortly after that, with no answers or clues as to where or who she was.

Following the day of tedious kingdom management… that evening I drove to a tattoo parlor in a town called Prairieville that was about an hour's drive from the Quarter. It was fairly remote, I would not have to worry about someone recognizing me.

I was in a foreign territory, walking on lands that I did not possess…

But the art form of tattooing was familiar to me despite it being at least twelve thousand years old.

Art was a way to express oneself. To me, it was a world that existed on a different plane though only a few had access to it.

“Niklaus, your father and I apologize for not being able to make it to your birthday celebration,” my mother’s clear voice sounded through my phone.

“Don’t fret, mother, all went well. Kol didn’t burn anything down this time.”

She chuckled, “That’s good to hear. Your father and I might drop by this weekend.”

I smiled softly at that.

My mother and Ansel made quite the pair. Their joy was spreadable and virulent…I had been happy for them since the day they finally got together.

“What are you up to, darling? You are so quiet…” She said a few moments later.

I parked my car in front of Someplace Magical and explained my silence.

“Recently there’s been a lot on my mind.”

My mother sighed, “Is it because of the missing alphas? Your father’s been getting uneasy about that as well.”

“Partly…but there are other things in my mind… I’m currently parked in front of a tattoo parlor, I called and they said they’d let me freelance.”

“That’s great, Niklaus! Maybe you’ll meet someone…” she trailed off suggestively.

I rolled my eyes, remembering all those horrid blind dates she had sent me on.

“Alright, alright, I’ll leave it alone.”

I gave a sigh of relief, “Thank you.”

After saying goodbye to my mother I walked into the tattoo parlor. I set up the room they had kindly given me. No comments were made about my title, I was greatly alleviated by that.

Part of the reason why I drove an hour away from the Quarter was to get away from all the politics and lofty expectations.

When I walked out of my cozy space I was caught off guard by the girl wearing the blindfold.

I was attacked by the all-too-familiar warmth… the one that had originated in my dreams…

And when she responded to my remark, the mild heat that enveloped my chest, dug its hooks in my heartstrings and yanked.

It was a pleasant feeling, despite the violent description.

Her voice was melodic…pleasing to the ears…it could have flowed along with the air.

The design Luna had chosen was simple, a single blooming rose that matched her delicate beauty. During the tattoo process, I expected her to wither in pain but she did nothing of the sort, proving me wrong.

Our conversation was cut short by Finn, my oldest brother. He was asking for advice about his wife Sage, the two were going through some things at the moment.

When I went back to the room she was gone.

It wasn’t until I drove to my hotel that I realized who Luna could have been…

She was the princess of three Great Wolf Nations but was it possible that she could be more…to me…. I rolled over on my side, and the sun’s illuminating rays blinded me. Sighing in annoyance, I arose from my bed, letting the black satin sheets drop to the floor.

I stretched my limbs yawning loudly.

Plucking the glass of water off my nightstand I downed it, cringing at the stale taste.

Well, that wasn’t as good as I expected it to be.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After a much-needed vigorous workout and a quick shower, I exited my suite and made my way to Adah’s.

“Good morning,” she greeted me cordially in her flower-patterned silk robe.

I looked down at the plate of food she was offering me. Hope was right behind her, with a glass of orange juice.

“What’s all this about?”

Hope only smiled. “I need to talk to you about something, Daddy.”

Raising my brows, I made my way to the L-shaped counter. I was surprised to see Elijah here, he was reading a newspaper, and a steaming cup of coffee sat inches from him.

“Good morning, brother. I trust your evening went well?”

As I cut into my omelet I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Luna.

“Very well, judging by that dreamy look on his face,” Adah stated, and Elijah chortled.

I ignored the adults in the room and turned to my daughter, who was perched on a stool close to mine.

“What did you need to speak with me about, little lady?”

Hope smiled sweetly, “Well, the other night I met a girl and I felt something - -”

She cut herself off as her forehead creased. “It’s like…it’s like I know she’s… important…”

Adah put her hand on Hope’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

“Our daughter here really liked Luna. She is a lovely girl, very kind and polite.”

I frowned, they couldn’t be the same person…could they?

…She did say she was the princess of three Great Wolf Nations…

“Elijah, that event you went to…was it by chance headed by Jason Labonair?”

My brother set the newspaper down, a peculiar look on his features. “It was.”

“Does he perhaps have a daughter?”

Adah chuckled, “Nik, he has three and they are all exceptionally attractive. As a matter of fact, Elijah is going out with one of them at noon today. I believe her name is Jilian.”

Elijah narrowed his eyes at Adah, before turning to me. “Why are you so interested in the Labonairs?”

“I think I may have met the girl who’s invaded my dreams for over a thousand years.”

Silence enveloped the room, Hope was the one to break it.

“Dad, I know you’ll love, Luna, she’s a princess…just like me… I can’t wait till you meet her!”

I simpered, sipping on my orange juice, appreciating the fresh taste it brought. “I already have.”

Adah was grinning from ear to ear whereas the gears in Elijah’s head were visibly turning.

“How did you meet her?”

I frowned, “Well, we didn’t meet per se. Luna was wearing a blindfold but I did tattoo her last night.”

“What was it that you inked onto her skin?” Adah wondered receiving a look from Elijah.

“A rose but that’s beside the point… I don’t know where I go from here.”

Hope snorted, “Why can’t you just ask her out?”

My eyes widened, “And what would you know about asking someone out, little lady?”

My daughter blushed and her eyes fell to the floor before she hopped down from her stool.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she announced, running off.

“My niece brings about a good point. You could ask her out.”

Adah nodded in agreeance along with Elijah’s words, flipping her waist-length hair behind her.

I rolled my eyes at the two of them, “I do know where she will be tonight. She mentioned that she sang every karaoke night at Rousseau's with her father.”

The mother of my child’s hand came to rest on mine.

“Fathers are notorious for cockblocking. Try to get her alone.”

I laid my head in my hands, was I doomed before I began my pursuit to come into contact with Luna once more?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Jilian Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I stared down at the well-used tube of brick-red lipstick, my thoughts anxiously churning in my mind.

Elijah and I’s first date was in an hour and I had yet to change out of my nightie!

As usual, I slept in but with Luna and Shadow doing some shopping with Mom, Dad with Jackson, and Hayley at a doctor’s appointment I was alone at the cabin.

Setting the tube of lipstick aside, I freed my hair from its bun and was immediately disappointed with the results.

My dark hair was a little wavy, it was mostly straight except for in the back.

I began the daunting task of brushing my hair, looking in the mirror of my vanity as I did so.

Thinking of his name made my cheeks heat up. As I stared in the mirror I could hardly believe the pink flush beginning to make its appearance on my skin.

Men didn’t make me blush… yet Elijah had made me do so.

What was so special about him?

Well for starters, I was enchanted to meet him…mesmerized by his authoritative presence that cast sparks inside me. The vibes I got from him made my heart beat with suspense. This man was unpredictable…he took control…

I wanted to see how his calm energy paired with my own erraticness… This felt like the first page of a steamy novel that my little sister read from time to time.

That kiss had felt incredible. My lips tingled as I remembered the feel of his lips lying upon mine.

It was a magical feeling.

This was all so strange, typically the phrase magical didn’t come to mind when defining a kiss I shared with a guy.

But that man incited something within me…my feelings for him could burn a candle down to the wick they were so intense.

After finishing up my hair, I rose from the vanity seat, set the brush down, and made my way to my closet.

It was easy to pick out my outfit for the date. I didn’t wonder what he would think…I dressed to please myself and myself alone…

So, I plucked a black top off the wire hanger and grasped a pair of holey jeans. From the bottom of my closet, I chose a pair of simple black heels to complete my outfit.

Once I made my way back to my vanity I put on my medium-sized white gold hoop earrings and begin to apply a small amount of makeup.

I decided to go nude rather than bold.

After I was satisfied, I left the cabin for Daisy, my yellow jeep.

As soon as I turned the key in the ignition, my favorite song blasted through the speakers.

Red rosé on painted lips

Putting on Chanel

Packing Harlem boots

Side by side like fuzzy dice

If looks could kill

We'd be doing time

I grinned as I pulled out of the driveway, singing along to the next lines of the song that reminded me of the bond I shared with my sisters.

We're a deadly combination you and me

The way I play it cool

And you bring the heat

But I got your back

And I know that you got mine

That makes us two of a crime

My plan for last night had gone well, I was surprised Hayley went along with it but also relieved. Every day we worked to better our relationship.

Some days were difficult but we were making it work.

And no matter how much I hated her lack of upbeatness… I would always have her back.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I arrived at L’amour parle at 12:25, I didn’t spot Elijah anywhere but it was technically still early.

The french cafe was cute with its maroon bricks and white trim creeping with ivy. Walking into the packed place I was met with respectable handshakes and kind smiles.

I was a regular here, and while I didn’t care much for coffee, their strawberry and cream cheese danishes were simply divine.

My interest became piqued when a black jaguar pulled up in the parking space beside my jeep.

A few moments later, just as I suspected, Elijah stepped out of the sports vehicle looking dashing in a crisp navy blue suit.

He entered the family-owned business with a gracefulness only he possessed.

When his dark brown eyes met mine, my heart skipped a beat.

His lips curled into an all-knowing smirk as if he knew what had just occurred.

“Jilian, you look lovely.”

I blushed under his lingering gaze.

“Thank you, most people say I’m hot even sexy… it’s nice to hear something different for once. The color of your suit pairs well with your eyes.”

Elijah looked taken aback by my words.

I took it as he never really got complimented much… I was sure he was used to doing most of the work as he took the lead but I believed in equality. If two individuals were interested in eachother, both should showcase affection. Men didn’t need to lead all the time.

“Do you ever get complimented?” I asked, and he reclined back in the chair as two eclairs were placed on our table.

Tracy, the waitress smiled kindly at me, “It’s on the house.”

Her eyes danced across Elijah before she moved to the next table. I clenched my jaw and exhaled lowly.

Why should I care if he gets gawked at by some blonde curly-haired bimbo? It wasn’t like he was mine… at least not yet…

“Not often… but somehow I feel things will be different with you.”

As the corners of my mouth turned up, I nudged my foot deliberately against his.

In a flash, his eyes met mine. A chuckle escaped him.

“Are you sure you want to play that game with me?”

I tilted my head to the side, and smiled coyly, as he pressed his foot against mine.

“Yes, and I have about a dozen others on my mind.”

He shook his head, “You are unbelievable…in a good way… you aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met. You hold yourself with fierce confidence.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “There are people who hate me for what I am.”

Elijah leaned forward slightly, and I noticed that are eclairs were no longer warm…in fact, we had forgotten them altogether.

“I can understand that… My family is abhorred by a few just because we are Mikaelsons.”

“Rather than wither under their hate-filled glares I smile.”

Elijah bit into his eclair at the same time I bit into mine.

I moaned at the taste of the sweet chocolate and puff pastry, out of the corner of my eyes I noticed Elijah tense.

As he continued our conversation I smirked a little, happy to have an effect on him.

“Huh, that is an interesting way to combat the animosity you are met with. I will take note of it in the future.”

I leaned slightly leaned forward, “You should, Lijah. Can I call you that?”

He laughed, his brown eyes sparkling.

“You can call me anything you want.”

“Oh, really?” He nodded and I bit my lip, placing my hand on top of his.

“How about I call you…mine…”

His brows rose up. “Never have I ever met a lady as bold as yourself.”

“Never have I ever met a man who makes me blush as much as you do.”

We dropped each other's eyes and finished the eclairs. Looking down at my watch I noticed that it was 1:30…oh how the time flew by with Elijah…

I rose from my stool…as did Elijah. I allowed him to lead me to our vehicles.

“So, do you like me enough to go on a second date?” I asked, looking up at him.

My back was against the jeep, and he was standing inches from me.

His eyes met mine as he flashed a toothy smile down at me.

“How could I not? You are perhaps the most magnificent creation I’ve ever stumbled upon.”

I giggled and looked down at the ground, my cheeks burning. I had never been called magnificent before.

When I took a step forward, our chests brushed together… I let out a shaky breath as my heart beat away in my chest…

“It was enchanting to meet you again, Elijah Mikaelson.”

His hand came up to cup my chin, “It was enchanting to meet you again, Jilian Karma Labonair. And I’m sure the next time I meet you, you will captivate me just the same.”

I laughed.

“You really know your way around wome - -”

But Elijah never let me finish…he cut me off with a kiss. That fiery feeling arose from deep within me, hitting me like a freight train.

My hands found themselves on the lapels of his blazer, reminding me of that first night.

His lips were warm and soft…I let my tongue trail against his bottom lip, and he groaned…I could feel the thud of our combined heartbeats…

Elijah pulled away but his hand loitered on my cheek.

“Would you be interested in meeting me here Monday at midnight?”

My heart still racing from that breath-robbing kiss, I grinned up at him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The day had come for my sister to leave so she could continue her studies abroad.

Dread sunk into the pit of my stomach, as I watched Hayley and Jackson share a passionate kiss. Why couldn’t I do that with my dream guy?

Dad didn’t seem to mind… I would be lying if I said that didn’t bug me a little.

“Good luck with Uvae, I’m sure you do well,” I said with a forced smile.

I was saddened by her leaving even though I knew it was coming eventually. Hayley pulled me in for a hug, and I was emersed in her palliative lilac fragrance. She was feeling saddened yet elated at the same time.

“I hope so… I haven’t studied in the weeks I’ve been here. I wish I could stay longer but I know I need to go back.”

I nodded as she kissed my forehead.

“I’ll call you and Jilly when I arrive, ok?”

Before or after you call Jackson, I wanted to ask but didn’t. The last thing I wanted was for things to turn bitter.

“Love you,” I called out as she and Jackson began making their way to his truck.

She only waved back and I rolled my eyes before turning around and striding back to the cabin.

Why did boys have to be so distracting?

Dad followed me in, I was certain he detected my vexation but he didn’t make a peep. I grabbed the remote and put on some cartoons whilst petting Shadow.

He whined sensing my mood.

“Easy boy…” I murmured, stroking the soft fur behind his floppy ears.

“Is there something going on between you and Hayley?”

My father’s voice boomed from the kitchen and I groaned before yelling back, “Not that I know of.”

“Then why were you acting - -”

I cut him off, standing up. “Because Dad, she was all up on Jackson… she couldn’t even resist looking at him long enough to tell me goodbye.”

He was quiet for a moment, and my heart raced in my chest. It wasn’t because I was feeling that warm feeling that dreamguy gave me but I was mad…and a little hurt by both Hayley and my dad.

My father walked into the room with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I understand that you’re going through a lot right now with your friend being murdered but there is something else bothering you, isn’t there?”

“You bother me!”

The first words came out…unleashing the floodgates

“Being totally ok with Jackson and Hayley kissing but not being ok with me and another guy doing the same thing is not ok, Dad. It’s not fair.”

He paled considerably, I waited for him to say something but he never did.

I began tearing up, “Why don’t you treat me the same?”

Despite my yelling, at him, he remained calm.

“Luna, what are you talking about? I don’t treat you any differently from your sisters.”

Running my hands through my hair, I groaned in frustration.

“You can’t see it because you are blind to it, Dad. You know what… just forget it,” I hopped off the couch with every intention of going upstairs to my room for the rest of the night.

“No, we are going to talk about this.”

I glared daggers at him, “Like hell we are. Let me go.”

His green and gray eyes narrowed, “Watch your mouth, little wolf?”

“Or what?

Shadow pawed at my leg and I looked down breaking the intense staring contest between my dad and me.

I allowed him to lead me back to the couch. My anger along with my actions were unpardonable… It’s absolutely not all my Dad’s fault…he just happened to be the receiver.

“What makes you think I treat you differently from your sisters?”

In irritation, I slapped my hands against my thighs. “I don’t know, Dad, maybe it’s the fact that when I brought Alec home you hated him.”

The tips of my father’s ears turned red, and his mouth set in a hard line.

“He wasn’t worthy. I apologize if my expressing that angered you but I will not allow you to be around an abuser.”

“Alec was not - -”

My father shook his head, “Trust me, Luna. You don’t want to go down that road, your mother did once and it didn’t end well for her.”

My lower lip trembled as I looked him in the eyes, detecting truthfulness.

“That’s why you hated him? How do you know he - -”

“I got into contact with his grandmother, before he came over here she warned me. His last girlfriend went missing, and they still haven’t found her…”

I covered my face with my hands and burst into tears.

And just like when I was a little girl, my father scooped me up into his arms and held me…I apologized over and over again but my words had still wounded him. But my father wasn’t the type of person to hold something over people’s heads…

“Shhh…it’s okay…”

“It’s not okay, Dad,” I sniffled loudly.

“I hurt you. I’m so wrong regarding that. The way I acted was unforgivable.”

“Well…I forgive you,” he whispered against the shell of my ear and I blinked away my tears.

“Being able to acknowledge…and concede to the fact that your actions were harmful is something people of all ages struggle with. You should be proud of being mature.”

He continued, his voice decompressing all the balled-up pressure I held inside.

“You are undergoing a lot of pain right now it is ok to yell…it is okay to scream… I will try to be more open to the idea of you inviting boys over but right now, I just want you to know that I’m here for you and I’m not letting you go until you stop crying.”

I laughed at his last words, “Thanks, Dad, but that might be awhile. I heard you and Jack talking, you have wolf stuff to do…”

I felt him shake his head.

“At this moment in time, you are all that matters…”

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

I felt a lot better after crying a river… I just needed to get it all out… Crystal’s death and my frustrations with my father had been pent-up tension that threatened to make me break.

But I didn’t surrender to the easy route which led to my tumultuous blow-up.

Luckily I no longer felt angry at Hayley for partially ignoring me. I recognized that I was being irrational.

There was no reason to act the way I did, and I regretted my words deeply.

Dad not only forgave me but he took me out to dinner, it had been just the two of us… He wouldn’t be joining me for karaoke night at Rosseau's…something big had come up and he didn’t tell me for fear of causing me more.

I sighed staring at my contact list…I planned to call someone I just didn’t know who yet.

My finger hovered over the name Phebs and I taped it, the sound of the dial tone echoed in my room.

She picked up a few moments after Shadow trotted into the room.

“TGIF! Am I right?!”

I laughed, her intense enthusiasm cheering me up.

“You are always right, Aunt Phoebe. How have you been doing?”

“Great! Alica is as cute as a button and her father is the same. Did you call because of a demon problem?”

I shut my eyes, hearing the dip in her voice. The change in her emotions were swift.

“To be honest, I called to ask for advice…”

“Oh…is this about a guy? You know it’s funny… I keep picturing you marrying this hot blonde guy in a castle.”

I sat straight up, in shock. Like me, Phoebe was clairvoyant… could her vision come true?

Dreamguy was blonde…

“You know what…that is funny but I wanted to ask how you are able to juggle so much?”

Phoebe whistled, “Luna, I have a simple piece of advice. Don’t think about it too hard, when you overthink mistakes are made. Is this about the innocent you couldn’t save?

I cringed, remembering Dani.

“No, I’ve moved on from that.”

“Good, her death wasn’t your fault… you tried to hold onto her but she just slipped out of your grasp- -”

She stopped speaking for a moment and sighed. “Honey, I have one word for you…breathing... It helps me get through the simplest and even the hardest of things.”

I smiled, as I held the phone against my ear, “Thanks, Phebs. Hey, could you mail my apron to the cabin?”

“Of course!”

After a few more minutes of catching up, she ended the call by explaining that it was movie night.

I allowed myself to lie back as I collected my thoughts.

Breathe Luna…just breathe…

All of my stress and of my worries seemed to disperse. The heavy weight on my shoulders finally eased…

My phone buzzed and I saw that Davina had texted me.

Are you going to be at Rousseau’s tonight, singing your heart out?

       You know I’m there every Friday

Well, my Dad and I will be there. Do you need a ride?

        Yes

She sent me a thumbs-up, and a brief text that said, we’ll be there soon.

I smiled, and despite the rough beginning of my day, things were looking up for me.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Klaus Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The environment of Rousseaus was simply fascinating. All sorts of supernatural beings gathered here, but there seemed to be no animosity developing...which was a rare occurrence... The space itself would have been dark if it weren't for the bright lights that shone above; the monochromatic photographs complimented the red walls and the smell of alcohol and fried food permeated the air.

I sat at one of the tables at the back in a dimly lit corner and was immediately greeted by Marcel.

"Glad you could make it."

He slid over a neat bourbon. I thanked him, observing the stage being set up.

"How is Davina?" I asked, aware of the girl he adopted years ago.

"She's amazing. Thrilled to be here tonight."

I smirked, raising my glass, "As am I."

"Damn, it's a shame Jason isn't going to make it tonight. I really wanted you two to meet."

I frowned, was his daughter still coming?

Of course, I didn't ask that question…

"How is Hope?"

Before I could answer his query, the door opened, and my nose was filled with a familiar sweet aroma.

It was rich and sweet, exuding a warmth that captivated me.

Vanilla was a classic fragrance, but this particular bouquet was truly bewitching.

I recognized it from my dreams...but I also recalled it from the other night at the tattoo parlor.

Luna.

Her curls spilled a little way past her shoulders, and she appeared to be speaking with someone…a girl whom I guessed to be Davina since Marcel perked up when he saw her.

I seemed to be frozen in my seat…as much as I wanted to go up and approach her…I couldn’t…at least not yet…

Marcel waved his hand in front of my face.

“Earth to Klaus… wait are you meeting someone here?”

I shook my head briefly looking over at him before my eyes automatically pivoted to Luna who had now turned around.

“Not exactly.”

She waved at Marcel, her eyes completely skipping over me.

My heart skipped a beat as I took in her stunning visage.

Her swarthy curls framed the contour of her face perfectly, her almond eyes were a virescent green, and a riveting excitement swam in their depths. Her plump, pink lips were curved into a dazzling smile as she looked over and saw the stage.

“Don’t you ever get nervous being up there?” Davina asked.

Luna shook her head, as she stood on the tips of her toes searching for someone…

“Not really. Do you want to join me?”

The girl stepped back and held her hands up in a defensive position.

“Oh, no, no, I couldn’t.”

Luna leaned forward and hugged Davina, “One day, I’ll drag you up there so you can showcase your DJ skills.”

“The day that happens hell would freeze over.”

Luna grinned and the warm feeling crept up on me once more…nearly taking my breath away with its potency.

“Listen, man, I’m gonna go be with my daughter. Would you like to join us?”

“Maybe another night, it was good talking with you Marcellus.”

“We have to hang out sometime,” he bumped his fist with mine and went on his merry way.

I finished the rest of my bourbon, relishing in the sweet taste as Luna made her way to the stage.

“Good evening everyone, how’s about we start the night off with some singing?”

Her silvery voice pealed magnificently over the microphone.

Everyone in the bar cheered, many whistled, and some made lewd gestures with their fingers but if she noticed Luna didn’t seem bothered by it.

She was more than her looks but it appeared that that’s all people cared about.

How could people be so tactless?

“Hey, Lenny, look at her, ain’t she a doll?”

The men sitting by the table next to mine jabbered their jaws about Luna.

“I’d love to have her strung up on my wall.”

Another man scoffed, “don’t tell me the two of you want to fuck her.”

“You can’t tell me you wouldn’t if you had the chance, Don. She’s hotter than the sun itself.”

Before I could turn back and say something a waitress came and set down a shot of whiskey in front of me, commenting that it was from a woman who sat two tables down from me.

She might as well have just saved their lives.

A soft piano ballad began and the racket stopped enough for me to be able to detect every heartbeat in the room including Luna’s. Hers was the easiest to pick out, it seemed to have its own rhythm.

You walked in

Caught my attention

I've never seen

A man with so much dimension

Her voice was ethereal, goosebumps began appearing on my arms as she sang the next line of the song.

It's the way you walk

The way you talk

The way you make me feel inside

It's in your smile

It's in your eyes

I don't wanna wait for tonight

It was evident that she had everyone's attention… including mine…

So I'm daydreamin'

With my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

Got me

Daydreaming, with my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

Her kaleidoscopic green and gray eyes flitted over to my table, she nearly met my eyes…but the men from the other table started their shenanigans.

“Don, what do you think about catching her outside after her little song?”

The man grunted, “Are you nuts? Do you know who she is? Her father would skin us alive.”

“Mmm, I’d die a happy man if I got a piece of that ass.”

On their own accord, my fists curled.

For you oh oh oh

For you oh oh oh

For you oh oh oh

For you oh oh

Luna ran her fingers through her lustrous curls with one hand while she held the microphone in the other. I noticed the men from the table lean forward ever so slightly, caught under her spell.

Now I can't wait

To hold you in my arms

I know I was made for you

I'm in love with all your charm

It's the way you walk

The way you talk

The way you make me feel inside

Her eyes moved around the room, as she softly sang - -

It's in your smile

It's in your eyes

I don't wanna wait for tonight

So I'm daydreamin'

With my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

Got me

Daydreaming, with my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

“You think she’s a screamer?” Don wondered aloud.

“I could make her holler…I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” I turned to see one of the men wielding a silver blade.

The sharp smell of wolfsbane cut through the air, I clenched my jaw.

But I want you

Got to have you

And I need you

Like I never have loved you before

“After we’re finished we’ll dump her body in an alley on Bourban street… just like we did with the girl from last night.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to me that they had a previous victim…these people were killers and Luna was their next target...

Oh I want you

Ooh I need you

Got to have you

Like I never have loved you before

So I'm daydreamin'

With my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

Got me

Daydreaming, with my chin in the palm of my hands

About you

You

And only you

Luna finished up her song beautifully, performing the high notes with ease.

But I couldn’t help but be distracted by the men sitting at the table beside mine.

A thunderous applause erupted as she gracefully exited the stage with her head held high. Though instead of heading to Marcel and Davina’s table as I anticipated she went outside surprising me.

Moments later, Don and the other men got up and made their way to the door.

This was not good.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

After tipping the waitress I left Rousseaus following Luna’s sweet scent.

She had journeyed quite far in a short amount of time…she was seeking something I just didn’t know what…

The men were closing in on her, she must have noticed this because she picked up the pace, and her heartbeat raced in her chest.

I grit my teeth when I hear their laughter.

“This is going to be a fun one boys.”

“Not if I can help it,” I growled out.

The men whirled around, startled by my presence, I grinned as they began backing away.

“You-your the hybrid.”

“Ahh, I’m guessing you’ve heard of my murderous tendencies as well.”

Don stepped forward, his hands up in the defensive position.

“What have we done to offend you, perhaps - -”

I cut him off, lifting him up in the air by his throat.

“You made a mistake when you schemed to hurt her.”

Looking ahead I could see that Luna was now running… blowing whatever chances I had to make a connection.

Don whimpered and I snapped his neck before moving on to the other three.

Their deaths were clean, I stored their bodies in an alleyway and let Marcel know what had occurred.

“Are you sure Luna’s alright?” His voice sounded concerned.

“She’s perfectly fine, Marcellus.”

“Her dad is going to want to know about this. You should come to my place, Jason will want to thank you in person.”

I smirked, I had witnessed her singing…and soon I would be meeting with her father.

“I’ll be there.”

·𖥸·

Dictionary: L'amour parle (means love talks and it is a romantic cafe). Uvae (Latin for grapes). Innocent - someone who is blameless.

Chapter Text

✧ ✧ ✧

ıllıllı 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 ıllıllı

Aston Wyld - Next Level

Mariah Carey - Fantasy

✧ ✧ ✧

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Klaus Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

JASON LABONAIR WAS NOT AS GRACIOUS AS I HAD ANTICIPATED.

Rather than shake my hand and thank me for rescuing his daughter he simply stared.

Not wanting to appear intimidated, I stared back unflinchingly. There were many rumors surrounding the Labonairs…one of them being that the current alpha had nearly killed his older brother two decades ago over a girl…

Jason did not strike me as the type to fight over something so superficial, there must be more to it…

I could see where Luna had gotten her high cheekbones and striking eyes from. The beautiful woman standing beside Jason had to be her mother, I was so sure of it as they shared the same warm brown skin, and soft pink lips. Marcel had introduced Madeline and I once before.

Even though I knew very little about her I reckoned that she had a fiery side since I saw her in the courtyard of the Abattoir.

Her hand came to her chest as she stepped forward, speaking in her smooth, honey-like voice.

“We would like to thank you for saving our daughter, Nik.”

I nodded, “I’m sure anyone sane would have. What those men wanted to do was heinous.”

Remembering the filthy words that came out of their mouths made me grit my teeth.

“I- I could not just stand idly by as they - -”

She closed her eyes, “hurt her.”

“We’ve met once before.”

She extended her hand, and I took it. I shook it long enough for Jason’s glare to deepen.

“We have… and I must say it is an honor to meet the French King.”

Jason frowned, “Is that what they call me these days?”

“Yes.”

“Well, the notion that my bloodline can be traced back to France is false. The Labonairs originated in Russia over a thousand years ago. Now, you wouldn’t have any idea as to what happened to the wolf packs in Tennessee that went missing?” He asked this with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

I tensed, remembering the time when Hope and Adah had been abducted.

“I’m afraid you aren’t going to like my explanation.”

Madeline sighed, giving Jason a pointed glare as they settled onto the sofa. I remained standing…too tense to sit.

“The packs that you possessed, not only threatened my daughter’s life…but they kidnapped her and the mother of my child.”

His brows furrowed, “They were a shady group of individuals… And I wholeheartedly apologize for any trouble they may have caused you. If it would have been any of my children… I would have done the same.”

I nodded once, and the tension in the air began to fade.

“Now that that’s over with…I can thank you for saving my daughter… Although, I have no doubt that she could’ve handled it herself. She is her mother’s daughter after all.”

Madeline grinned before she gave Jason a passionate kiss. I looked away smirking, the two made a lovely couple.

Marcel waltzed into the room with two glasses of an amber beverage.

“How’s it going?”

Madeline frowned, “As well as it can go I suppose… How is a mother supposed to act when her child was treated as prey? Do you know where she is?”

Jason and I reached for the glasses and each took a sip. The whisky burned as it went down, but I welcomed the discomfort.

“She is with Davina and a few of my night walkers. No one is getting to her tonight,” Marcel replied, taking a seat beside me.

“That’s good to hear,” I added, feeling pleased to know that she was safe.

For centuries I had pursued the one who graced my dreams with her transcendental presence…I don’t know what I’d do if she was suddenly taken from my grasp…to never feel that warm feeling that radiated a soft glow would surely be a fate worse than death.

I had never been one for dramatics but what I felt was true.

In all my years of life, I had never come across another feeling like the one Luna gave me…

I yearned to get near her…it seemed that the closer in proximity we came the more emphatic the feeling grew...

Jason stood, and I noticed that he had barely drunk his whisky. He wasn’t staying much longer it would appear.

“I’m going to go check up on her…see if she’s okay.”

Madeline smiled as she stood, kissing his cheek. “You go ahead, boo, I’ll be here for a little while longer.”

Her coffee-brown eyes glittered as she took in both Marcellus and me.

After Jason nodded at me he left the great room, surely headed out.

“So, are you as ferocious as those rumors floating around out there suggest? They say that the wolf King is always looking to conquer more ground.”

“That depends on who you ask. And one should always look to expand their empire.”

She simpered, thanking Marcel as he offered her a glass of water.

“Jason’s been trying to win over the Gurreara wolves as well but that Francesca is quite a nasty piece of work…if you know what I mean…”

I laughed, remembering the meetings I’d had with the piggish alpha. She was very much out for blood. I wasn’t so sure she would be worth all the trouble.

“For sure.”

Madeline leaned forward, “would you like to meet my daughter? So, that she can thank you properly.”

I tensed and her eyes narrowed, catching my slightest movement.

“Unless…you’ve already met her…”

Marcel muttered an expletive.

“Man, I knew it! Your eyes were totally glued to her when she was on stage singing. It was like you were seeing the sun for the first time- -”

I shot him a glare, and he stopped speaking.

Madeline twirled one of her curls around her finger. “Most men see my daughter as an object.”

“Others are overwhelmed by her beauty, they may be blind to her other attributes but I am not.”

Marcel whistled lowly, and she arched a brow. “Your that guy she met the other night…aren’t you? The one who tattooed her.”

There would be no point in lying, so I nodded.

“She was right…you are quite savvy.”

I couldn’t help but smirk…Luna thought of me as intelligent…interesting…

Madeline chuckled, “And charming too… I like you, though it would appear that my husband - -”

I chuckled, “Only shares a mutual respect.”

Madeline nodded, “Just know that if you show up at my house in the middle of the night looking for my daughter, you might meet him instead of me.”

Marcel leaned forward, “Klaus, are you interested in Luna?”

“Only a fool wouldn’t be.”

My friend leaned back, looking winded. “Jason will have kittens if he finds out you’ve been sniffing around his daughter - -”

Madeline cut Marcel off, “She’ll be eighteen next September, and I was dating guys way older than me when I was sixteen. I trust my daughter to know what’s best for her.”

I watched as she stood, gathering her coat and purse.

“But Nik, if you hurt her…I will claw your eyes out,” her eyes glowed gold for a moment before they shifted back to their normal shade of coffee brown, she followed her husband's footsteps and made her way out of the Abbattoir.

My mouth was still open in shock at her sincere threat.

No one had spoken to me in such a way before. I wasn’t angered only stunned. I quite liked Madeline…her boldness was truly something to admire…

“So, how did this all start?”

I turned to Marcel, downing the rest of the whisky…I relished in its smoky flavor….

“Well, it all began in a dream…”

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

Marcellus was not one to judge harshly, that’s why I felt comfortable with sharing my nightly visions with him.

Walking up to Adah’s suite, I recalled his words.

“You’ve been dreaming about this girl for a hell of a long time, and now that you know she’s real…I think you should act…what’s your strategy, man?”

The truth was…I didn’t have a strategy…All I knew was that I was interested in Luna.

It had nothing to do with her beauty that left me winded or her alluring voice that sent shivers down my spine… An invisible force appeared to be driving us together…and I could not name a reason to resist the pull toward her.

“Hope’s asleep,” Adah whispered after she let me into her space.

As always, the crafty dryad always managed to incorporate greenery in her chambers…temporary or not… There were a few bird-inspired minimalistic touches on the walls. A lonely desk sat in the corner, and a large queen-sized bed with a duvet set lay in a separate location, not too far from the large plasma screen. Hope’s room was just to the right, past the bathroom. It was cozy for the two of them sure, but it wasn’t a permanent situation.

“That’s good. How was your day?”

Adah smiled wildly, as she sat on the bed.“Well, I met that girl again.”

“Oh, did you speak to her this time?”

She rolled her eyes, “Nik, I’ve spoken to her every time. You know I’m not the bashful type. Anyway, she invited me to her birthday party. I was going to ask you if I could take Hope. She hardly gets out much… I can ask Lucien to accompany us.”

I sighed, watching as Adah gave me her best puppy eyes. Since they had been abducted I hadn’t let either of them out of my sight. If I went somewhere they went too. But I suppose I could loosen the reigns a bit. Lucien could go and he was my royal advisor. I trusted him enough to protect them.

“Alright, alright, you both can go as long as Lucien accompanies the two of you.”

Adah’s blue eyes twinkled and she kissed me chastely on the cheek, “Thank you, Niklaus.”

“What is this girl’s name?”

“Davina.”

She had a serene look on her face. “This girl also happens to be Luna’s best friend.”

That caught my attention.

“How do you know that?”

Her shoulders shrugged, “People talk, I simply listen. Have you seen the wolf princess recently, Nik?”

“Yes, I went to Rosseau's and she sang.”

Adah grinned, “How sweet, she’s such a pretty thing… And you approached her afterward…right?”

I shook my head, and she groaned.

“Did you freeze up? I’ve never seen you look so pained, darling.”

“That is not what happened, I swear it,” I held my hands in a defensive position, “There were men planning to do something horrible, and I- -”

Her pointer finger jabbed at my chest.

“You thwarted them. That’s so romantic, Nik…Very fairy tale like….did she see you?”

“She ran,” Adah’s smile faded, “Well if I had been in that situation I would run too. You can’t blame her for following her instincts.”

“I don’t,” I sighed, placing my hands on my knees. Was it normal to feel so hopeless?

Adah’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, “Beasty…”

I cringed, “I hate it when you call me that.”

“What can I do to help get your Beauty?”

Raising a brow, I turned to her, “You’ll help me?”

She slapped my chest, and the sound echoed. “Of course, I’ll help you!”

“Shhhh…Hope is asleep.”

“Oh, right…sorry… I could get in touch with Luna, and work something out.”

The thought of meeting her again, made my heart beat away in my chest.

“Whatever it takes…I have to meet with the human council tomorrow morning with Lucien.”

Adah’s wide-lipped smile was worrisome and I was thankful that she was on my side.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Panic made my heart beat faster in my chest. Feelings of near hysteria begin creeping up on me like ivy vines.

I just saw someone… a man lift another man, up in the air by the throat.

There were a few things said but with my heart beating as loud as it was they were impossible to discern so I ran…and I didn’t look back… I had seen scarier things and been face to face with dreadful situations but I was smart enough to know that in that particular position I was outnumbered.

I found myself in Aceveda’s. It was a quaint little herb shop that Genevieve’s family owned. It was tucked away between two big restaurants that had a beef with each other, I would not be found easily in case I was being followed. Tonight there were no employees which I found odd…since the door had been unlocked…

Feeling a hand on my shoulder I gasped, as I turned I relaxed, realizing that it was Davina.

“Oh my god! Are you alright, you never ditch karaoke night but you just - -” her face was red as if she had run to catch up after me.

“I got this bad feeling Vina, there were men following me.”

A green tinge began to appear and she took out her phone, “I’m letting Marcel know that I’m with you.”

“Is everything alright?”

Another voice entered the establishment, but I didn’t tense because it was just Thierry.

“Everything is alright now that you two are here.”

He nodded, twisting around his gray cap, “Well, I’m going to do some patrolling. Don’t do anything reckless.”

Thierry left shortly after that and I remembered my mom saying something similar.

What was up with people assuming I’d do something reckless?

Davina’s nose crinkled as she took in our surroundings…

“What the hell are we doing here?”

A strong peppery aroma began filling my nose and I sneezed. My eyes widened…this was not a good sign.

I usually sneezed before something bad happened.

“I think something could be wrong with Genevieve. I had a dream of her being murdered here but I brushed it off.”

Davina tensed, “And now you’re thinking that - -”

A muffled scream tore through the air and I took off in the direction I heard it coming from.

I could hear Vina calling my name but I didn’t turn, fearing that I would be too late.

The back room of Aceveda was roomy and well lit which made it easy to see that a man had Genevieve bound and gagged.

A tire iron was in his hands, and just before he could swing I kicked him in the abdomen sending him flying into a mirror, it shattered to pieces.

Damn, I really needed to work on a more subtle technique.

Tears swam down Genevieve’s puffy face, seeing her in such a defeated state saddened me.

“Do you want me to call your dad?”

I looked back at Davina who had now paled, “That wouldn’t be the worst idea, Vina. Thank you.”

Grabbing a dagger out of my back pocket, I cut through her bindings easily enough. But her wrists were raw from the rope digging into her skin. I untied the gag from her head and she breathed a sound of relief.

“I’ve never been so happy to see you.”

“Who was that guy?” I asked, and she flinched, her eyes darting across the room to the man that groaned loudly.

“That was Henry. He lured me here by threatening to burn down my family’s shop. We had just broken up and as you can see and he wasn’t particularly happy with me.”

I helped her stand, and I noticed the purple bruises blooming along her skin.

I brought her out front where I could see Davina and my father talking rapidly but I ignored them and went straight to the vials on the shelves. Chamomile caught my eyes, I grabbed the neat vial of crushed flowers and water. I found a bowl at the register, I mixed the two ingredients until a fine paste was made.

“You’ll have to pay for that you know.”

Out of my wallet, I took out a hundred and placed it on the counter. Genevieve didn’t comment again until I began applying the paste to her wounds.

Genevieve’s eyes were glassy as she asked, “how did you know I was in trouble?”

“I had a dream the other night…”

She smirked, leaning in enough for me to see that there were flecks of gray in her blue irises.

“Was I the star?”

I tilted my head to the side, dropping my eyes to the cut on her arm. The blood had dried but I could see where it had trickled down.

“Yes…I -I saw you get murdered.”

The corners of her lips dropped. And before she could say anything else I made my way to my father.

“Are you alright, little wolf?”

His kaleidoscopic green and gray eyes were full of nothing but concern.

“I’m ok but she was almost murdered,” I gestured to Genevieve and she nodded once at my father.

“You were aware you were being followed?”

I nodded. “Someone stopped them, I don’t know who because I ran but I’d sure like to thank them…”

My father’s lips pursed and he didn’t say anything for a few moments.

Genevieve sighed loudly capturing my attention.

“I would appreciate it if the princess would walk me home.”

Davina and Jason’s brows shot up but Genevieve was already taking my arm and leading me away from them.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

The Aceveda witch was smiling as we walked to her apartment, even though there was a solemn chill in the air.

Her shoulder bumped against mine, “So, are you dating anyone?”

“No.”

Her eyes widened, as a breeze blew around her wavy red hair.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“And why is that?”

Genevieve snorted, “You are so great… I mean, I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t desire you in some way.”

I stopped, and she did too. We were alone walking in the streets I was not familiar with, the moonlight was our only source of light.

“No matter how I dress people tend to sexualize me. I am not blind to that, finding someone who cares about more than my body feels unattainable.”

She held up her hands, “I get that. I know I’m nowhere near as sexy…but I get it…

“You are awful chipper for someone who was almost killed,” was all I said before I began walking ahead.

My strides were purposefully long, making it harder for her to catch up to me.

“Hey! Wait up, princess!”

I paused, sighing as I checked the time on my phone. It was midnight, the beginning and end of another day…

Genevieve finally caught up to me.

“People say I can be a little bizarre…but I’ve been thinking about running a campaign.”

That made me turn my head in her direction. “For regent?”

She smiled, “Well, I’d certainly look good in the portrait.”

I smiled too, thinking of Davina’s reaction when she found out Genevieve would be running for the title of regent for the nine witch coves of Louisiana. The current regent, Sabine Laurent was stony and very much old school. She didn’t want the witches interacting with other supernatural beings. In her eyes, the vampires and wolves were beneath the witches.

“Can’t argue with that.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Was that a compliment?”

“Don’t overthink it,” I said, avoiding a puddle on the cracked sidewalk.

“Is it hard? Leading I mean.”

I tilted my head to the side, “I guess it depends on the person leading. It’s important to be in control of your position.”

She frowned, “What do you mean?”

“You can’t get superior on your subjects. While you may technically maintain them, you can’t act - -”

“Like an asshole just because you’re in charge,” she cut in and I nodded.

“I think you’ll struggle with that but you’ll learn.”

She puffed out her flushed cheeks and exhaled, her breath wafted above her head. “Do you honestly think I’d have a chance against Sabine?”

“You’d have a fair shot. She’s been regent for three decades, I’ve heard the witch community is ready for someone new.”

Genevieve nodded, “I see you’ve heard the rumors. Being a princess I’m sure you practically know every secret in the city.”

I smirked, “Some…not all… I could tell you stories that would make your hair stand up on end.”

She paused in front of a blue-painted door. Off of her charm-free keychain, she plucked a silvery one and stuck it in the lock.

“Would you like to come in and share some of those stories?”

“Perhaps another time, Genevieve. I have to head home - -”

Genevieve closed the distance between us and kissed my cheek. She pulled away quickly, a red flush began to appear on her smooth alabaster skin.

“I never did thank you for saving my life. What’s going to happen to Henry?”

“My father and Marcel will take care of that scumbag, from now on, try and be more careful about who you choose to spend your time with.”

She nodded, pulling down on her sweater.

“Alright, I guess I’ll see you at Davina’s birthday party.”

“She invited you?” I asked surprised and Genevieve nodded, looking down. “I guess she felt bad for me.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to see you there.”

“Really?” she asked, in a doubtful tone. I could sense that she was feeling surprised at my words.

Stepping forward I gave her a light hug, she looked like she needed one, “Really.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Davina Pov

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It was 3:00 a.m. and I couldn’t go back to sleep.

Technically it was my birthday but no one was awake.

Luna stopped texting me after 2:00, I bet she was tired though…it would be cruel of me to call her.

Groaning loudly, I tossed my phone onto my nightstand and slid off my bed.

I hummed a tune as I went to my cd player, I put in one of my favorite mixtapes hoping that it would slowly lull me back to sleep.

In seconds the Backstreet Boys’ voices cut through the silent air like butter.

Yeah

You are my fire

The one desire

Believe when I say

I want it that way

I lay on the floor and put a cartoon cloud pillow under my head. Adah invaded my thoughts.

This song had been playing when we met at the reservation.

But we are two worlds apart

Can't reach to your heart

When you say

That I want it that way

She had been wearing a simple silk emerald gown that complimented her figure and her sky-blue eyes. Her lips were still painted maroon and her long brown hair had been piled up onto her head. And she was toting a little girl with fiery red hair at her side.

Adah would have won the award for the best dressed.

I stupidly stared, she was the one to approach me.

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

I want it that way

“Davina, you look lovely.”

I looked down at my cropped anime tee and skinny jeans in disbelief.

“Umm, thanks. So, what brings you here?”

“To be truthful, I am a sucker for harmony. Seeing people of different backgrounds come together…brings me joy.”

“That’s really sweet, Adah.”

“Ah, but how can one begin to be as sweet as you?”

I blushed and looked down at my shoes not knowing what to say… after that the treaty proceedings began and we did not see eachother again.

Am I your fire?

Your one desire

Yes, I know it's too late

But I want it that way

It wasn’t until yesterday that I invited her to the party.

I was surprised to see her at the Abbattoir, looking as stunning as ever in a pantsuit.

Somehow I managed to pluck up the courage and approach.

“It’s nice to see you here, Adah.”

She grinned, “You stole the words right out of my mouth. Whatever are you doing here, dearest?”

“I live here.”

Her eyes grew wide, “Oh, you must be Marcel’s daughter.”

“Are you two friends?”

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

I want it that way

“Yes,” she nodded, confirming my assumption.

I looked down at my hands, “There’s going to be a party here, tomorrow night, would you be interested in coming?”

She hummed, standing on the tips of her toes, “Let me see if my calendar for the day is cleared. I hope to see you tomorrow night, Davina.”

Adah walked down the stairs leaving me bug-eyed.

There was just something about her that bedazzled me.

Now I can see that we've fallen apart

From the way that it used to be, yeah

No matter the distance, I want you to know

That deep down inside of me

I yawned, stretching my limbs…surely the answer she gave me wasn’t a no…but it wasn’t a yes either…

Hugging a pillow to my chest, I exhaled, clearing my mind before I shut my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

─────── ·𖥸· ───────

“Davina,” a voice called, I groaned, and turned to my side, troubled by the sunlight.

My name was sung again and I finally opened my eyes.

Josh held a cupcake covered in sprinkles in his hands, I beamed rising from my spot on the floor.

“Did my dad send you up here?”

The vampire shook his head no as I bit into the blue frosting topped cupcake. My eyes widened as I detected the bubblegum flavor. It surprised me.

“Wow, this is really great.”

“I know, I had one before I got here.”

Lightly hitting his arm I glared at him, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Josh nervously scratched the back of his head, “Happy Birthday.”

I smiled, “thank you, now I need you to get out for a hot second while I get dressed.”

He disappeared leaving me alone with a cupcake in my hands. As I made my way to my closet I discarded the cupcake wrapper with my name on it.

I chose a blue sweater that reminded me of the cupcake’s sweet icing, a khaki-colored skirt, and a pair of cute white tennis shoes.