— Mom, dad— I started, the voice jammed. Part of me died with you that day, Arabella Labonair no longer exists, her heart stopped beating when the blood of her parents ran down the floor. You died tragically, but you will always be alive in our memory, in our life and essence. I am alive today thanks to the sacrifice you made to save us, Aiden and I.
Aiden cleared his throat to clear his voice by saying:
I will never forget your teachings, the advice and wisdom you have given us. My heart is filled with peace as I remember the moments we spent together, and knowing that my son will have the blood of warriors and brave Labonairs brings me pride, because I know that the legacy of our lineage will be preserved and will continue.
I took the red rose in my hand and placed it before the house, touching the earth one last time, allowing all the guilt and anguish to be taken from my shoulders.
I will always love you, no matter how much time passes, I will always be proud to be the daughter of Mikael and Ellen Labonair. And one day, I swear by the heart that now beats in my chest, that I will free our people and avenge your death, I promise. We will still meet in the immortal land under the verdant valleys in the moonlight.
I went back to Aiden’s side, he rested his arm on my shoulders, depositing a tender kiss in my hair. And together, we recite the farewell prayer.
— May the moon welcome them and make them rest in eternity, the green valleys under the moonlight await them, an immortal land awaits them. Rest in peace, brave warriors, for your struggle has come to an end and the time for reward has come.
I whispered goodbye so that the wind would carry away all the pain and grief.
Aiden and I stayed in the same place for a few minutes before my brother encouraged me to walk with him on the edge of a lake not far from where we were.
Smile lightly with the memories of all the times I bathed in those waters with the other children of the pack.
— What are you doing here, Aiden? I thought you were staying with Rebecca in New York.
My brother stopped by the lake and put his hands in his pockets, watching the horizon.
— You were right about that.
— About what is it?
— I was a coward in turning my back on our people and ignoring the curse of the Crescents, not taking away your reason for being angry at me after what I did.
Enrijeci in surprise, I really did not expect that change, at least not so soon.
Why did you change your mind?
— I do not want my son to have a cowardly father who runs away from his obligations and responsibilities. I have a duty to the Crescents, I cannot abandon them again, our parents would be ashamed of such an attitude.
— So, are you staying? — I asked a voice wire.
— New Orleans was once our home, and will be again, these lands belong to the Crescents and I will not rest until I conquer it again, is what Dad would do in my place if he had lived, he would fight until his last breath, but would not give in.
I blinked to keep the tears from my eyes.
— It will not be an easy task to take control of the city.
He gave me a crooked smile.
I never said it would be.
I ran my hand through my hair.
— I want to be the one where you can always count on, Hayley, more than your older brother, a safe haven on stormy days. I won’t let you down again.
I exhaled deeply, my heart warmed.
It will always be us against the world, my brother.
— I’m not leaving town until we find a way to break the curse of the Crescents, Madison is looking for the witch Celeste, I’ll have to stay a few more days.
Aiden waved in understanding.
— Jackson is on his way.
My heart took a leap of joy to hear that.
— How? He didn’t tell me anything.
I think I blew his surprise.
— When is he coming?
— I believe that even today. The Blood Moon is in two days and I doubt that he will stay away from you.
I bit the inside of my cheek to hold a smile. By the Moon! It was just a few hours before the night that would forever change my life, the moment when the bond of companionship would finally fit Jack and I, uniting in body and soul while we lived.
— You could not show so much happiness to receive this news, so I’m jealous.
I laughed.
— You can’t stand being away from Rebecca.
He snorted a breath, but dared not deny it.
— It’s hard to believe that you grew up so fast and will go through the mating ritual.
My face burned furiously.
— By the Moon! I really don’t want to talk about it with you.
A funny smile played on Aiden’s lips.
If Jackson makes you happy, that’s all that matters to me, your happiness.
I faced the blue sky above our heads.
— So much bad has happened to us in recent years that I’m even afraid of being happy, as if at some point something would arise to end my happiness.
Aiden supported his hand on my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb.
— You deserve to be happy, my sister, more than anyone else I know.
I touched the wolf head pendant hanging from Aiden’s neck, just like the one I carried with me.
— Protect and lead, we will keep that legacy alive.
Aiden agreed.
— We will honor those we lose until the day we die.
The sound of branches being broken caught our attention. Aiden turned his face quickly towards the noise, always alert, and only when a red hair appeared among the trees, my brother relaxed minimally to recognize the approaching wolf.
I knew I’d find you here.
— Kimberly?
The wolf smiled slightly and bowed her head towards me.
— Good to see you again, Alpha.
I waved to the female.
— Last I heard from you, you were training the females in Supreme City.
It had been a few weeks since I had seen Kimberly, the wolf that was part of the female pack, the Nannies, pack created by my mother years ago.
I was summoned by my sisters to return to our home when we learned of the problem with the Crescent wolves.
Aiden and I exchanged confused looks.
We’re trying to solve the pack situation.
— You mean the witch Celeste.
I raised an eyebrow.
— Do you know her?
Kimberly blew a lock of red hair that stuck to her cheek.
— The witch is known to have cursed many creatures over the centuries.
— So the Crescents weren’t the only ones attacked with the witch’s curse? — Aiden asked. Kimberly agreed.
The wolf squinted as she stared at my brother hard.
— Out of respect for your mother and our creator, the Nannies are willing to help you hunt down the Celestial Witch.
— Why would they do that? Saving my pack wouldn’t benefit them.
Kimberly murmurs.
— Your mother was a Crescent, your sister and our Alpha is also one, we have a connection to the pack of cursed wolves. We don’t do this for you, but to honor the memory of Ellen Labonair.
Aiden’s face was a mask of ice and indifference, yet my brother left his stupid Alpha male pride aside and dared not refuse that temporary alliance.
— And what do you want in return?
Kimberly stared at me.
— We can discuss this at another time. I believe the time has come to know our home, the land of Amas. We need to talk.
(....)
The territory of the Amas was not far away, we crossed the entire forest until we reached a rural area of dense vegetation, further away from human civilization, the perfect place to hide from the nosy humans and other species, thus having a quieter life.
I could see that he had set foot in the lands of the females when silence reigned around us, as if a predator walked among the trees.
I detected strange and unknown smells as I approached the Amas' camp, a perimeter covered in tall trees, an extensive lake of clean waters and a wild territory that housed many animals. Small wooden chalets and huts occupied part of the region, with training fields and outdoor arenas, and a small plantation space.
I opened my mouth, surprised at the size of the Nannies' domain. My mother had really done an admirable job with those females. When stepping in the territory next to Aiden, the whole pack stopped to see us, some arched in wonder and amazement, others growled for having a male and his lands.
— There are some people who wish to meet you, Hayley.
Kimberly guided Aiden and me through the middle of the territory, making way among the curious werewolves with our unexpected visit. We were taken to a large tent located in the center of the area, pushing the fabric on the door, thus revealing an improvised meeting room with an extensive wooden table with chairs. Some females occupied the seats and all rose with our arrival, and together, in unison, knelt on their knees and bowed their heads.
My brother stared at the scene with his face empty. I meanwhile raised my hands and said aloud:
— Please stand up, that’s not necessary.
Kimberly pointed to two empty seats at the edge of the table, Aiden stood beside me at all times, mindful of any possible threat. There was nothing of the affectionate and loving brother in him at that time, but rather the lost Alpha of a cursed pack, the leader of a surviving warrior people, nothing gentle and gentle.
— In the name of all Amas, we greet you, Arabella Labonair, from the blood of our creator.
I ignored the knot that tightened my throat. I looked at Kimberly at the end of the table.
Why did you call us here?
A female dragged her chair as she rose from her seat, the black curls loose like a velvet cloak over her shoulders.
— I think the question we’re all asking ourselves is why is he here? — his voice was harsh when referring to Aiden.
Kimberly cleared his throat.
— We want peace with the Crescents, and that’s all we’ll get by having peace with your Alpha, Aiden Labonair.
The female spat a squeaky noise.
— We don’t side with males.
— Emily, Kimberly said it harshly. — We didn’t bring them here to argue.
I did my nails on the wooden table.
— Aiden is my brother and has the blood of Ellen Labonair, our mother, he deserves the same respect as me.
— That’s ridiculous— the female, Emily.
I rubbed the sore spot between my eyebrows. A few days ago I could not sleep, I spent almost all night awake due to nightmares caused by the hours I spent in the lair of the strays. The approach of the Blood Moon made me nervous, broadened my senses and released an absurd amount of anger and fury.