I paused, noticing Curtis staring at me. His eyes seemed to beg me to continue. I couldn't fight the smile that crossed my face but managed to stifle the chuckle. I rose up from the table and stepped to his side.
"That should be enough for tonight, don't you think," I sighed pleasantly, placing a hand on his shoulder and lifting my glass with the other, finishing off what wine was left in it.
"But- You can't stop there," he exclaimed, all but leaping up from the seat.
"Mr. Reeves. I think we'd better let these hard-working people go home," I laughed, motioning to the waiters and other employees who stood in the back with somewhat irritated looks.
"… Well, I suppose," he sighed in defeat, glancing up at the dining room clock.
"Besides… What's a good story without a little suspense," I smiled, heading for the door.
He nodded with a light laugh and shaking his head, before grabbing his overcoat. He paid the bill and we stepped out into the crisp night air. This truly was one of New York's more peaceful and beautiful moments. It was roughly 11 or so at night, so the traffic was much more relaxed. Everything was quiet, and I adored it.
"Should I call a cab for you?"
"No, thank you… I think I'd rather take a walk tonight…"
Mr. Reeves gave an uneasy look before giving in with a soft mutter of acceptance. He looked out between me and the street a few times before conceding with a sigh.
"If you say so… Goodnight, Ms. Moon. Please, be careful…"
"Goodnight," I returned softly..
I watched him as he left. Occasionally, he would check over his shoulder to make sure I was alright. He turned the corner and I looked up to gaze at the moon. She was lovely. A sigh of relief escaped me and I let my eyes fall shut for a moment. I embraced the melody that the city tried to produce. You could hear the soft chirping of the crickets, the brief, random car horns, a dog barking from some lofty apartment. It all made me long for the place I truly belonged even more.
I took one final deep breath before looking up to gaze at the moon. It's full, round beauty shining like a glorious beacon of hope with an unwavering, unmatched white glow. No matter where I was, she would always remain the same. The one certainty I could always rely on.
"Mr. Reeves," I called out just enough to spur his attention. I glanced over just enough to see he was looking back at me before continuing, "Do you see the moon?"
"Of course, I do," he laughed lightly, looking up in the sky to amuse me, "It's pretty hard to miss it. Especially when it's full."
What a silly question to ask. Of course he wouldn't know the true power of the moon. How could I expect he would? For all I knew, I was the only human alive that knew of the secret's she held. So, I merely returned the smile and then headed on my way.
"Keep your eyes on the moon tonight, Mr. Reeves. You might just see something magical."
He said nothing, only watched my back before glancing up at the moon once more with a puzzled look. I didn't expect a man of this city to believe a story as unimaginable as mine, but then again, I was once just like him. However, one thing I knew had to be for certain, Mr. Reeves surely thought I was crazy. And if he didn't, he would soon. He would most likely give up on my story in a week… Or even less.
My body felt so warm and my body felt electrified under the power and presence of the white moon. I stopped where I was on the middle of the sidewalk and closed my eyes. My mind raced back to Devon and Corbin, my true friends… My family… I had almost forgotten where I truly was. I was abruptly pulled from my wishful thoughts by the loud clatter of a cab running over a sewer grate. Reminding me that I was back in the concrete jungle of New York City and not my lush, green, beautiful home.
I decided, with this depressing realization, that it was time to return to the Manor. With every step I took on the cold, stone Earth, I felt farther and farther away from my real home. Stranger and stranger in this world that I once loved. I made my way up the stairway to the door and stepped inside to see my father seated in his lounge chair in wait. He closed his book and sat it on the desk beside him, while his eyes fell harshly on me.
"It's late, Abigail."
"So, it is."
The nonchalant tone of my voice seemed to make his glare deepen. I felt his blue-grey eyes bore into me and attempted an escape. I wanted to avoid whatever discussion he was planning but I knew it would be imminent. If not now, tomorrow, or the next day. Matthew Moon always got his way. All the same, I tried to walk past the study and headed for the stairwell.
"Must I make my decisions more firm?"
I paused, turning back to look at him. The disapproving, displeased expression would have surprised me had he not worn it during nearly every interaction. He hated the fact that I would not bow to his control. The fact that I was no longer the little girl he could order around. That I was not a proper example for his "perfect" family anymore.
"What will you do? Lock me in my room like some kind of prisoner? Hide me from the world?"
"As your father, I say what is best for you."
"That would work if I were still a child."
"You ARE still a child, Abigail," he thundered, rising from his chair and stepping up to confront me. A threatened, challenging look fell across his face. "The way you act around this house in front of your brothers, the staff, myself. You have no respect or concern for how your image affects this family!"
I bit my tongue briefly to get my emotions better under control. The anger that was seeping over me caused my hands to ball to fists. I looked up to look directly in his eyes before accepting his challenge.
"My actions are my own. My choices are my own. The Moon family will always be the Moon family, no matter what I do or choose. It may not be your "perfect" little family that everyone envies or looks up to, but our family will never change from what it has always been inside these walls. A group of hostages, held captive by a dictator demanding what he sees as "best for everyone", despite the misery he inflicts upon them."
His eyes widened and he stared at me in shock; angry shock. His body looked so tense, like he would pop like an overworked boiler. Suddenly, he let out an irritated sigh and turned to go back to his study. I'll admit it caught me off guard to some extent.
"Whatever happened to you… It has changed you," he spoke softly, but it held the roughness of his voice.
"What happened to me, made me a stronger, better person. Watching friends die by my side in the midst of battle. And not being able to do a thing to save them. Seeing those that you should've been able to trust, betray you. These are things that change people."
He scoffed. After I was found, my father refused to believe me, my story, or any part of it. He claimed that my mental health had been put in jeopardy because of my being gone for so long. At that our relationship became full of tension. The two of us barely could stand to be alone in a room together, less it end up in a similar situation as this.
"Those were dreams, Abigail. Hallucinations even. None of it happened. How many times must we go over this?"
"As many times as it takes for you to understand me, Father. I know what happened to me out there. I know it wasn't all just fantasy, some concoction my brain threw together to help me get through what happened. When will you believe me?"
When he did not respond, I shook my head with a disheartened chuckle and retreated up the stairs to my room. I draped my jacket over my bed post and made my way to the window seat. I sat down, resting my back against the frame and stared up into the endless night sky. The moon drew up my attention and I gazed up at it fondly. It slowly grew golden in color and the tears began to spill from my eyes without warning. The pain I felt when I first saw it, was now beginning to rise again, like an undeniable ache in my heart.
"Abby?"
I turned quickly to see little Alex in my doorway. He was still very much caught up in the woes of sleep, but the confrontation with Father earlier, must have woken him up.
"What's the matter, Alex," I asked softly, quickly wiping my face to hide my distress.
He staggered into the room and crawled up on the seat with me. He leaned back against me and I curled my arms around him, one hand running gently through his hair.
"I couldn't sleep…," he muttered against my arm.
I suggested telling him a story and his face lit up briefly with excitement. While going back and forth with him as to which story he wanted to hear, a bright white light caught my attention. I looked back out the window to see the ethereal glow of an all too familiar light.
"Hey, Alex," I smiled softly, pointing out the window, "You want to see something magical?"
"What is it, Abby?"
Alex quickly looked outside and I watched as his eyes grew wide in awe by the sight. Alex could not see the wolves like I did. He only saw the hazy shapes and shadows his untouched eyes would allow him to. However, I could see each and every one of them, clear as day. I recognized a few of them and it made my heart ache even more. When the last of them had crossed the moon barrier, I could faintly hear the songs of the pack. It was like it was resonating inside of my chest. In my heart, I felt their sadness and their peace as those members of our family had made it home. Alex looked up at me and saw the tears, unbeknownst to me, that were rolling down my face. He frantically began wiping them away with his small hands.
"Abby! Why are you crying?"
I whispered affirmations that I was okay against his hair while he hugged me tightly. I looked in the eyes of this sweet, innocent boy and kissed his forehead, returning his hugs. If only he could see what a wonderful world lied outside this one… What was beyond this city...
"That was what the pack calls the "Wolf Moon", Alex. It's where all the brave wolves of the pack go to when they've left this world. They go home."
He let out a sound of awe and I tapped my finger to his nose.
"But this is our little secret, okay? Promise not to tell?"
"I promise," he smiled, crossing over his heart.
"That's my little wolf warrior," I laughed, lifting him up in my arms and carrying him away, "Now, it's off to bed with you!"
The next morning, I decided to stay home and help Gwen with the house chores. It was just a day I felt was better spent at home. She was all in a fluster and kept asking if I was feeling okay or "what had come over me".
"Ms. Abby! You can't be messing around on the floor with me! It's not lady-like! Not to mention, what would your father say if he saw you like this!" She motioned to my dirty clothes and bandana on my forehead.
"If you can do it, so can I," I laughed back at her, continuing to scrub the floor with the soapy sponge, "It'll do me good to work a little bit. Besides, you work too hard."
She scoffed at me and we continued on until we finished the main hallway. We stopped for a lunch break and Gwen began looking me over in a suspicious manner. Gwen had always read me like a book. I couldn't hide anything from her.
"So, why are you really staying in today?"
"Is it so bad that I want to help you?"
Yup, she saw through that one, too. After her incredulous look, I gave up and let out a defeated sigh. I leaned back in my seat and pulled my bandana off before staring up at the ceiling tiles.
"The woods taught me a lot about myself. And a lot about the importance of family and working together. And you're every bit as much of my family as Claude or Alex."
She smiled softly and placed a hand on my shoulder. I rolled my head over to smile back. Gwen didn't really believe my story either, but she did believe that people have epiphanies in their lives that could change them for the better. She believed in the power of dreams, visions, and the like just as much as one would believe the Sun would rise each morning. Even if she didn't believe me completely, she believed that something did in fact happen.
Later in the day, I decided to go out for a walk. It was chilly and light misting rain fell on the city with a soft fogginess to it. I breathed deeply and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. Back home the rain felt cooling on my skin. Here… it just didn't feel the same.
"Ms. Moon, is that you?"
I looked up and saw Mr. Reeves walking in my direction. He was wearing another suit and I had to stop myself from letting the groan escape my lips.
"Good evening, Mr. Reeves," I smiled softly, "We really must stop meeting like this."
"I suppose so. This is just the way I take home from work. What's your excuse, Ms. Moon?"
"I don't really plan my walks. I just go the way my feet take me. I think the world has a way of making things happen though."
"So, you think it's fate that we keep meeting," he had a hint of a tease to his voice.
"Perhaps," I shrugged lightly before nodding toward the briefcase in his hand, "Headed home to the family?"
"Home; yes. Family; no."
"Ah, so you live alone?"
"Yes… Well, if you aren't counting Dex. He's just my cat."
We exchanged a few more pleasantries and idle conversation before the rain began to fall harder. I covered my head with my arms while the rain only continued soaking through my light jacket. I was too absorbed in this conversation to have noticed the shift in the weather. Mr. Reeves took off his coat and offered it to me. I tried to protest, but he placed it around my shoulders anyways and we ran under a nearby bus stop awning.
"Thank you…," my voice whispered out.
Mr. Reeves only nodded out a reply before looking out into the street, seeming to look for a cab. "Mr. Reeves… Would you like to come with me back to the Manor until the rain stops? Gwen is an excellent cook and I may give you another piece to my story?"
"How can I turn down an offer like that? Dex should be fine for a few more hours."
Mr. Reeves managed to flag down a cab and held the door for me. He was still a peculiar man, but he was a gentleman as well. The cab pulled up the Manor and Gwen met us at the door. Her eyes seemed to beam when she saw Mr. Reeves at my side and his coat on my shoulders.
"Hello, Ms. Abby. Welcome back home," she tried to hide the fact that she was looking over my guest, but I just shook my head with a chuckle.
"Gwen, this is Mr. Reeves. He'll be joining us for dinner tonight."
"Yes, Ms. Abby. Pleasure to meet you Mr. Reeves."
"So, this is Gwen? The pleasures mine, ma'am."
Mr. Reeves smiled and nodded nicely to Gwen, who got flustered and fumbled out something along the lines of "I'll come fetch you when dinner is ready" before hurrying further off into the Manor. I nodded towards the lounge and hung Mr. Reeves' coat on the rack. Father was probably going to work late again, as I was hoping. He didn't really appreciate guests, business partners excluded.
"I've never seen the inside of Moon Manor…," Mr. Reeves trailed off, following me into the lounge. His eyes trailed over pretty much everything, "It's quite lovely."
"I suppose to most people, it would be. But I envy those who are free from this cage. They don't have to see these same walls everyday. Father tends to be very persistent about solitude. He doesn't like people, you see. Always thinks they want something from him or us. But after the incident, who can blame him?"
"He must've been very worried about you…"
I pondered in thought for a minute. Father worried about me? He was probably more concerned with how the family would be viewed? What the tabloids would say about the Moon family and what negative publicity I had brought upon us. I merely gave a lighthearted smile and took a seat in Father's chair. Mr. Reeves stepped up to one of the bookshelf and browsed it's contents.
"We have quite some time til dinner. Would you be interested in that next part now, Mr. Reeves?"
"That sounds like a splendid idea," he smiled, moving to the couch across from me and getting comfortable..
"So, going to meet the Southern Wolves..."
Corbin raced ahead of Devon and I, stopping at the top of the bluff. Corbin teased that we were moving too slow, but I had to get into the habit of walking on four legs versus two. Devon was very understanding though. Devon and I made small conversation all the while; mostly me answering his questions about the human world. With each question answered came five more. He seemed deeply curious by all of it.
All of a sudden, Corbin froze in fear and his fur began to stand on end. His body trembled with fear and anticipation. Devon looked around and smelled the air around us to see if he could find any scents.
"Corbin, Devon… What's wrong?"
Neither of them responded and Devon raced up to his side. When his paws hit the bluff, a large gray wolf with black markings on his eyes and muzzle leapt over and tackled Corbin, rolling him down the slope. I watched in horror, not knowing what I could do to help. Was I supposed to run? But how could I leave Corbin and Devon to fend for themselves?
Devon attacked the large wolf, grabbing him by the scruff and tearing him off Corbin. The two engaged in a rough, brutal battle. I could only see the baring of teeth and hear the growls, yelps, and snapping of teeth. Another wolf began creeping up from the shadowed wood on the side, hidden from Devon's view, preparing to attack him. He was too preoccupied to notice and, in a moment of instinct, I jumped over Corbin to get between Devon and the new wolf. He snarled his teeth at me and I felt Corbin move to cower behind me. In that moment, my body took control. My purpose was to protect the young pup.
My teeth came out of hiding and I felt a snarl tear up my throat. It startled him almost as much as it did me. He leapt at me and tossed me over on my back. In one swift movement, I pushed my hind legs into his gut and threw him onto the stones of the bluff. He landed on top of them with a yelp. Slowly, he staggered to his feet and winced. He regained some strength and came for me again.
My teeth dug into the flesh of his shoulder and I tackled him to the ground, snarling wildly. A strange fighting spirit, a rage seemed to engulf me. The wolf thrashed his teeth about and tried to bite me, but I caught his flesh again. He whined and growled, but he surrendered reluctantly.
Devon let out a cry and in a state of shock, I released the wolf beneath me. He raced over the slope and the wolf fighting Devon followed suit, not wanting to take on the two of us alone. Devon stumbled over to check on Corbin and let out a sigh of relief when there was only one small bite wound. Brambles and thorns had given him minor cuts in some other places, but all in all he was in good health.
Devon was not as lucky, however. He had a bloody wound on his neck from where the large wolf had tried to kill him. It seemed painful for him to even move and when it appeared he would topple over, I moved to his side to support him.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine… But where'd you learn to fight like that," he managed to get out, "You were fighting like Eva…"
He was weaker than he was letting on, that was obvious. I paused, trying to process what he had said. When I couldn't make ends of it, I nuzzled around the wound on his neck to see how severe the damage was. He yelped and then growled at me. His eyes flashed at me, blue as the sea. They didn't show any signs of anger, but more like a scolding mother would.
"We should hurry back to your pack…"
Corbin moved to the other side of Devon and pressed up against him, a sign to assure his brother he was okay.
"Right, it's not much farther from here."
We crossed two streams and a "bunny meadow", as Corbin called it, and then we approached a large cave with two small waterfalls at either side. It was almost like a curtain opening up the entryway. Devon let out a weak howl that went inside an echoed off the walls. A long, deep howl called back, and a large light brown wolf came out after it resounded. Three smaller adult wolves followed closely behind him; one white, one black, and one golden.
"Devon, Corbin, who is this stranger you've brought home to our den?"
Devon stepped up on his own and laid flat on the ground before the large wolf. Clearly, he was their leader. The large wolf let out a huff of air, acknowledging Devon's act of submission, before Devon spoke.
"She is a human girl who has become the body of Eva, Leader Benry…"
"A human… Becoming a wolf? Absurd."
"She claims the Old Crow tricked her into magic… And I have witnessed things that cause me to believe her…"
"The Old Crow?"
The wolves before me froze in silence and Benry looked hard into my eyes. They were golden with flecks of electric green. They made my knees feel weak. There was no doubt he had a dominant power. The power of an Alpha. I knelt to the ground as Devon had done and kept my ears back. I didn't dare attempt to meet those eyes again.
"Kala," he growled, turning back towards the cave.
An elder white wolf limped slowly out of the cave. She seemed weak and was very thin. Her skin seemed like it was warped around her bones like shrink-wrap. Her eyes were bright gold like the sun and held a soft nurturing glow. She stopped and smelt me over, circling me. I was used to that by now, but that embarrassing feeling crept over me again.
"This one smells of Eva's scent and wear's Eva's pelt, but she is not Eva."
"Then, who or what is she," Benry growled, flashing his teeth at me ever so slightly.
"It is as your wolf says," Kala's voice cracked out, "A human girl tricked by the Old Crow, but more is to her story. Tell us, child, how did you come to possess Eva's spirit? The Crow could not give you that."
I shifted my eyes nervously between the motherly gaze of Kala, the deep glare of Benry, and Devon's strangely comforting blue eyes.
"Do not fear, little one. Tell us."
"I… Saw the Wolf Moon… And a wolf… Eva… Saw me… She came through the window and… The old lady said she now lived in me… The old lady was supposed to help me get home, but, instead, she turned me into Eva…" With every breathe, my voice subconsciously broke with a slight whine as I remembered everything that had happened only days before.
"A human who has seen the Wolf Moon? Ridiculous. Impossible," Benry growled, beginning to pace behind Kala, the only thing standing between me and the Alpha's rage, I'm sure.
The old she-wolf paused, staring deeply into my eyes. Almost as if she we're trying to read my soul with those wise eyes.
"It is as she says, Benry… I sense Eva's inside her."
"But, Kala, that is impossible! Every wolf that dies goes to the Wolf Moon. Every wolf knows that. No one has ever broken the beam. Nor has one ever wanted to."
"Benry… Eva was a wolf of generosity and protection… Just like her father… She must've thought this path would help our little friend… So, she defied her own destiny to ensure another's…"
Benry's eyes grew soft for only a moment, and then returned to their harsh, strong appearance. He turned sharply, without another word, and went back into the cave.
"You may come in, little one. Benry has accepted you… Whether he wants to or not," Kala laughed hoarsely, following him, "And, Devon, come. We must see to those wounds."
The other wolves followed suit in some kind of unspoken order. Once they had all gone, Devon stood slowly and shook himself; little bits of gravel and grass flying off him, revealing his dazzling white coat once more. He staggered briefly and Corbin rushed to support him.
"Abigail, You can get up now."
"Actually… I'm not sure if I can," I whimpered, standing up on wobbly legs. The power of the Alpha still lingered over me.
Devon and Corbin laughed between one another before Corbin moved to help me get stable. Once he was certain Devon and I were able to stand alone, he happily raced in through the mouth of the cave. I came back to Devon's side a noticed the bleeding had stopped. Devon gave me a halfhearted nod, as if acknowledging my concern.
"Benry isn't that bad… He just takes some getting used to. Kala is our Spirit Guide and the others are members of the Council," Devon instructed, "Together, they help enforce and advise Benry on his decisions, but only Kala would dare question Benry's word."
"Something was off about him, too… Maybe I'm mistaken, but he seemed a little distracted, I guess?"
"Well… It's too much to try to explain now," he smiled, wincing slightly as he took a step forward on his own.
"Right," I said softly, putting aside my suspicion, "We've got more important things to tend to right now."
We both entered the cave, side-by-side; each supporting the other.
"Abigail."
I turned to see my father looming in the doorway, his stoic figure casting a dark shadow into the lounge. His eyes were just as dark as he glared at Mr. Reeves.
"Who is our guest," his voice came out hard, more like he was demanding an answer than actually asking for one.
"Father, this is Curtis Reeves. He escorted me home in the downpour. He even provided me his coat to keep me dry, whilst he was getting soaked. So, I thought I'd show some hospitality and gratitude by allowing him in to warm up and stay for dinner."
"Curtis Reeves, Sir," Mr. Reeves said nervously, reaching out his hand as he stood.
My father looked him over and merely nodded, having not even acknowledged or attempted to return the handshake. He was obviously less than pleased.
"Very well. Abigail, I'd like a word with you."
He retreated down the hall towards the dining hall and I nodded to Mr. Reeves with a distant smile. I followed in my father's stead and met him out in the hall. He gave me the usual look of disapproval, the only face I recognized on him in these past few years.
"What were you speaking to Mr. Reeves about?"
"He is an author I met a few nights ago who was curious about my story and wanted to turn it into a book or something of the like."
"And what all did you tell him," he growled out, eyes narrowing in on mine.
***** A/N: If you like what you've read or are enjoying things so far, lemme know! I appreciate any feedback anybody wants to give! Thanks! *****