Page 39 of Chasing Luna
I beckon them to come closer, and they scoot over toward me. I continue with my speech.
“This will be your first mission. Tomorrow, gather intel in and around the house for any signs that they are working with someone inside the estate. You,” I point at Lisa, “take Tommy and Mikey when you go out to the gardens. I suspect that some of the guards might be spies because otherwise how will the enemies get in without alarming the security system?
“I also wanted to say that I’ve received a threat from an unknown number. While I don’t doubt that they will come for me next, they shouldn’t underestimate me,” I declare with as much conviction I can muster. “So, don’t worry about me and focus on the tasks we need to finish, and let’s take this one day at a time.” I stand up, and head for the door. “That would be all. I’ll come back to check in on you.” I open the door and leave without another word. I step back inside the estate and make my way toward my own room, when I notice a couple of guards pushing past each other to run in the direction of the main hall. “What is going on now?” I mutter loudly.
“A news report broke, Mistress.” I look behind to see Vida, one of the elder healers in the pack, walking calmly. “Arsonists have attacked the town. Close to a hundred people are dead.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I sigh. “You really play with the cards you’re dealt with in life.” I shake my head. “Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes life finds a way to fuck you over sideways.”
Vida laughs at that. “I’m afraid they’re not mere arsonists, Your Highness,” she comments, pulling me toward the foyer. We both look down at the commotion happening in the main hall, where the projector had been set up.
A TV station broadcasts the details of the attacks in real time, with hundreds of firefighters scrambling to put the fires out. Images of kids, some as little as toddlers, cry in one corner. Medics pull out the remains of those unfortunate enough to get caught in the flames one by one in the background.
I get a sudden flashback of the uprisings. The flames dancing around my memory, and the violence and the carnage that followed were enough to traumatize me until now. I can’t imagine how normal people will be able to rebuild their lives after this.
“Who did this? It’s horrible, like it’s taken straight from a horror movie. Where’s their sense of humanity?” I watch in disgust as the news reporter interviews a victim.
“They don’t have one. They’re not human.”
I turn toward Vida. “What?”
She pats me on the back. “They’re from another pack. The destruction of the town is a message for us since it’s our territory. We’re being targeted by a usurper of power, Your Highness.” With that, she leaves me by the foyer and makes her way down into the hall.
“They’re already this strong?” I scan the crowd below. Most are murmuring amongst themselves, concern lacing their features. Others are angry, expressing their discontent over the whole situation. My eyes land on Gregory isolated in a corner, leaning against the bookcase below. His eyes are already on mine even before I notice him. I give him a small smile and head downstairs to join the crowd. “Katarina?” I pull at her pajama sleeve.
She spins and gives me a hug. “Great, you’re here. Grandmother called us for a briefing.” I nod and she locks her arm around mine, pinning me at her side.
A few moments after, my grandmother appears beside us. The crowd disperses to give us space, and as soon as the commotion has settled down, my grandmother clears her throat. “As you all have guessed, we are under attack. This,” she gestures at the news reports behind us, “is the work of the Midnight Walkers pack. This is them declaring war against us. And we will not stand to the side and let them get away with this. We are the oldest pack in the world. We own the power to the demon wolf spirits. We own their whole existence. They all wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for us.” My grandmother pushes me and Katarina a bit away from her. Her whole body starts to glow, and she starts levitating from the ground. The lights in the room start flickering, and a slight shake beneath the floorboards startles everyone in the crowd. I look at my sister and she’s just as distraught as I am. “Let’s make sure they do not forget it,” my grandmother’s voice echoes throughout the estate.
The crowd erupts in howls and cheers. Gregory, still in his place by the bookcase, wears an unreadable expression.I can’t imagine how he must feel right now. Getting dragged back into fighting a battle not meant for him. I need to get him out of here soon.
“Tomorrow, we start our preparations. We will intercept their hideouts. We will eliminate them, one by one.” And with that, my grandmother leaves the pack in high spirits. As soon as she is out of sight, Katarina clears her throat and pats me on the head. With one nod to me and a smile at the crowd, my sister lets go of my arm and goes upstairs too. I wait until she’s safely upstairs before bowing to the crowd. Assuming my role as a princess tonight, I follow suit and make my way back to my room, forcing myself not to look back at the man I wanted to talk to.
Back in my room, I let myself fall freely on the bed. I try to force myself to fall asleep, but my mind is a little overstimulated. Another knock on my door rouses me from my thoughts, though this time the sound annoys me more than it should have.
“Who dares disturb me now?” I say, opening the door wide.
Gregory stands in front of me, hazel eyes full of concern. “May I come in?” he asks as he steps inside without waiting for my response. I lock the door behind him.
“It’s almost three in the morning. Why are you here? Again?” I rest my head back on my pillow, not caring about the tall man pacing back and forth here in my room.
He closes the gap between us, and sits on the floor beside my bed. “I just wanted to ask if you’re okay.” He folds his arms across his chest and leans forward.
“Honestly? At this point, I just want to go to bed.” I close my eyes again. “If someone catches you in here, we’ll be both dead.”
“Isn’t that why you locked the door, my dear?” I can practically feel him grinning at me.
“Stop calling me that.”
“You used to like it when we were little, though,” he remarks and I open my eyes to see his eyes boring into mine.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“How did you knowthat?” He shrugs at me and rests his head on the edge of my pillow, too.
“I figured it out as soon as you said that you remembered the uprisings when we were on our way to my place, and I saw the scar on your leg too.” I smile at that.