Simon was determined to get Amiya inside his sheets and keep her busy, and by doing that he would really be helping Miraj and Nazar work out their plans and as long as his alpha was happy, so was he. When Amiya was silent after requesting if he can take her on a date, he quickly tried to change the subject trying to manipulate her into his own ways.
"But it's totally fine if you don't want to...no pressure" He said knowing fully well that she was into him.
"No, I want to. It's what I wanted since the first day I saw you...and I just didn't have the courage..."
"But?"
"I have some issues, family issues that needs settling as quick as possible. And you..." She paused and looked at his abs, and his strong muscles all on display and he was gorgeous. A simple "Oh my..." escapes her lips.
"I'm sorry what?" Simon asked.
Amiya quickly shrugged it off "It's nothing, just nothing"
"Well alright, I'll leave you to your family matters"
He turned back slowly and started to walk away, desperately waiting for Amiya to call him back and she did. "Hey, I'm sorry" she called out.
Simon returned back to her "For what?"
"For feeling like I have turned you down, but this isn't a no. I have to find my granny, it's urgent"
"Find her? Is she lost?"
"It's complicated..."
"My middle name is complicated, you are going to find her by yourself?"
"Yes"
"Perhaps a road trip will do"
"You are willing to come with me?" Amiya was stunned by Simon's suggestion, she let out a smile but Simon was serious. He replied "Do you want me to?"
And from there a wider smile escaped Amiya's lips. She drove Simon to his apartment and then they packed things he needed like clothes and some lighters and they were off, getting out of town in search of Gladys.
Through out the whole trip, it was all smiling and having fun together as they crossed out of town. Simon packed snacks and drinks which they ate and drank for the whole time they were on the road.
*********
In the midst of dense forests, out of town and just on the country side of Virginia. Miraj was on parole escorted by her pack of werewolves, heading to Nazar's wishes of finding a seer who owned a piece of leaf very crucial for him to have on his day of ritual.
Even for strong wolves with high healing capacity, they couldn't maintain the heat and tedium at hand. They were aiming to get at the top of the mountain and they were just hallway there. Directions were given straight by Nazar himself to find the seer and the wolves had to pay for it since their leader was determined to please the big bad wolf.
The leaf that Bazar was looking was a leaf from ancient tree of Pinus Longaeva which had gone into extinction for most past of the world but only to this one seer who lived in an exile, far away from civilization and that was the first task that Nazar assigned to Miraj so that she can prove herself worthy of his assistance and trust.
"Where are we going Miraj?" Asked one of the werewolves who were following Miraj, he was tired as so were others.
"Just a little bit longer Michael" Miraj shouted at him.
"We are dehydrated and tired, why you being such a bitch to this stranger. You fucking him?"
"What?" Miraj turned her back to Michael Miraj. They stopped walking for a moment and she faced him "I said, walk!"
Michael shook his head "And I say, I go back. Who wants to join me boys?" He asked the other wolves in the pack but they all remain silent.
Michael stood in silent panting with sweat all over his shirt, waiting for others to join him but no one dared to partake into his decisions. Miraj smiled at him out of arrogant and then she continued leading the pack to the top of the mountain, Michael hesitated at first but then he followed the others up to the top.
Luckily when they reached the top, somehow it had started freezing while it felt like they were on the Sahara just few hours ago. A fog appeared and they started to freeze, the fur coats which they had took them off had come into use. Miraj checked her watch and it had stuck "What the fuck?" She cursed and then turned to others "Who had a watch?"
"I have it" replied one of the werewolves.
"Check it"
He took his watch out of his pockets and to his surprise the time was stuck "It doesn't show anything...might be broken"
"It isn't mine is stuck too"
Miraj looked around the dense forest they were in, and saw how they were surrounded by the heavy fog. She assembled her pack to stay close to each other and pay attention to anything that felt unusual. There was a small hut in front of them, a place where the seer lived. "There, that's it boys" said Miraj and they raced towards it.
Without a sun, the moon was up high and it started as a small one until it slowly build up to a full moon. The wolves all fell down instantly, grunting in pain as they were experiencing a transition but the hut was just a few meters away. The transition was happening so fast, and some had already transformed into wolves.
Miraj braced herself as she desperately trying to get to the hut, her legs had turned into wolves and she she emptied her lungs with a loud scream embracing the pain before she threw herself inside the hut. And suddenly the pain stopped, so did the transformation.
As she was still down, she looked around the hut and it was quiet and empty as if abandoned. Somehow it was warm comparing to the outside but there was no fire around, she slowly made her way up surveying to see if there was anyone inside.
Then a heavily bearded old man who looked like he had lived for thousands of years appeared out of nowhere. He wore a grey robe and his feet were bare, he was a warlock.
"Child!" He said with his husky voice "You've come so far"
"Give me the leaf and I'll be on my way..."
"The leaf? Of course he sent you didn't he?"
"Give me the leaf!" Miraj said and she took out a small knife out of her pockets. Standing still facing the man.
"You are a Montenegro wolf! The last of your kind. There is no end to Nazar's selfishness"
"Listen old man, give me the leaf. I'm not here for chit chat"
"What you seek child is evil, the Montenegro wolves were eliminated for a purpose. One can never wish upon their return"
"Hand over the leaf!" Miraj shouted at him.
The old man placed his hand inside his robe, and took out a leaf. It was shining and of purple color, he held it in his right arm "Tell him, he shall know no peace" He said and vanished.
But the leaf was hanging on air, it didn't fall and Miraj picked it up. She quickly got out of the hut and started running while her pack of wolves followed her behind. The moon was still full and she was fighting against everything she had to resist the transformation and until they all made it out of the fog and back to the heat where her wolves turned back to humans.
Back at Warlington, the whole group of Nina, Hawaii, Alice and Regina were at Warlington bar discussing the map that had drawings showing what to expect from Lunara. They had no idea of Miraj working for Nazar or his plans to perform the ritual sooner than later. "Antonio, said something about going back in time. I don't think if Alice and Hawaii's way of stoping the ritual will work" Nina started the conversation after what was ten minutes of the whole group staring at the map.
"The way involved killing Nazar's witch, that witch who tortured me" Alice explained the plan she and Hawaii had worked out. But the group wasn't buying it.
"He can always replace her. For a man like Nazar, he always has a back up" Nina said and Regina backed her up.
"It's stupid to think he has only one witch that works for him" she added.
"What Antonio suggested, is it like time travel?" Regina asked, then she took a sip of her drink.
"Yes to ancient Greek, to meet your original creator" Nina said to Alice.
"My original creator?"
Hawaii intervened "Wait, that's too far early on"
"How early?" Regina added she was curious "And how exactly?"
"Guys, I don't know. I don't when...and I don't know how but that's how we will know about what's coming"
"I don't trust him, so I say no" said Hawaii.
"I say we think about it" Nina replied to him.
"It's a no and that's end of discussion"
"I'm not your child Hawaii. You do not get to say what I should or what I shouldn't do"
A moment of silence engulfed their table. Hawaii was pissed by what Nina said, he always wanted to be in control. In control of anyone that's in his life and that included his best friend of years.
"Are you nuts? This is the guy who fried me alive, almost tried to kill me hundreds of times. He burned out our house with you inside and I had to come and take you out" He lost it, and started shouting "I am saying you are not going and you are not! End of discussion"
With that he barged outside of the bar, leaving Alice confused with his new found behavior. "What's wrong with him?" She asked.
"I'll take care of it..." Regina said and then she followed Hawaii outside.
She couldn't find him anywhere, it was like he dissapeared. She even called out for him but there was nothing, the night was young and people were moving outside. She gave up. Then as she turned back, Antonio was standing behind her.
"Jesus! You shocked me!" She said
"I'm sorry" Antonio said with a smile.
"What you smiling for? You are always smiling..."
"You would rather I frown?"
"I would rather you take this seriously. We are in grave danger"
"I'm aware, and my sources are telling me that you are somehow assisting this danger that you talk about"
Regina was alarmed, she didn't expect that from Antonio. She even looked around if any of her friends were listening "What? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh come on Regina, I'm not stupid like your friends I know things"
"I had no choice..." She whispered.
Antonio moved closer to her with his face full of anger "You betrayed your friends, you betrayed the so called grave danger by giving him what he wanted"
"I had no choice he threatened the man I love"
"What will that man say after he finds out what you did? After he finds out that you helped unleash hell on Earth?"
"He'll understand..."
"I can't have you in town, if I find you here after sunrise I will kill you"
"You need me..."
"Not anymore, you've made your choice to stand with the foe. Leave before you break their hearts if you care for that man you say you love too much, then you'll leave"
Antonio was serious, Regina wanted to go back inside the bar but he blocked her entrance. "Let me pass..." she said to him but he didn't move an inch. She knew it was time to leave, to take responsibility for what she had done. She tried again to pass through and Antonio still blocked her. She turned back, with a bitter look on her face and walked away.