Sisters By Chance - The Dawn (Book Two)

The Star, the Luna and The One

Raven's POV

It's dark. There are only a few lights on in a couple of apartments. Music is blasting from one of them, completely drowning out all sounds. But most homes are empty. My best guess is they're all at the Fork or on the main square. My eyes sting, and my eyelids have never been this heavy - like lead, concrete, or iron, whichever weighs the most.

I've been standing here at this pathetic excuse of a square for hours, waiting for the wandering fortune cookie. I'm starving. My legs are burning, and my mind feels slow.

The open patch of meeting alleys creates a make-believe square. An exquisite glass fountain adorns its middle. It glows like the magical orb the little witch played within the laundry room when the "mouth" of it twirled in circles and huffed out clouds depending on the hour. Air is my element, but I have never been more tired of looking at it. I'm hidden in the shadows, unable to move. I have no intention of being a sitting duck.

My legs are burning so badly. Oh, how I wish I could sink to the ground and fall asleep. I can't even lean back to rest against the wall. I'll squash Doggie. But sleep isn't an option anyway. So my legs, back, eyes, and head will have to wait a little longer for a well-deserved rest.

To keep my head in the game, I keep thinking. If my mind goes blank, I'll feel asleep.

The shield was let up by seven.

I sat my foot on the Fork by half past that.

I must have wandered the market with Paula for at least an hour and a half. And the last time the mouth of the twirling fountain spewed pink and violet clouds into the sky, I counted twelve. So it's past midnight, and here I am, still waiting.

'f*****g b***h!' I grumble as I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck from side to side. Harry is still inside the backpack, but we haven't spoken. I don't dare talk to him in case someone sees me. I suspect he's asleep since he can make himself comfortable. My eyelids fall, and I let them linger. I only need to relive some of the sears in them. My forehead leans against the wall as I open my eyes again to keep watch. Where the f**k is she?

The cold against my skin feels good. I keep my eyes on the thin glowing clouds as they evaporate and reminisce over my past life. Mostly mum.

-

I can't get any worse than today - I thought as I slumped onto my bed. I'm tired and sore from our self-defense class. Our teacher paired us up, and I had to train with the teacher's pet: Pumpkin-face.

I've never been good with names. However, I swear Pumpkin-face looks like a pumpkin: her face is round, her makeup is too dark - making her face orange, and last week she did her hair, and it backfired cause it's green. I laughed so hard I think I peed myself as she stepped into the classroom earning me the honor of cleaning the classroom after our potion class. Pumpkin had intentionally spilled the entire content of her cauldron onto the floor for me to mop up without using magic.

I close my eyes hard before opening them again, looking at the ceiling of my small and dark bedroom. The wooden beams look charred, and I know a thick layer of withe dust is covering them. I should tidy this place up. I'm just not in the mood.

Today my misery continued as Pumpkin volunteered to show the spells we were to master. I've been struck and flung across the room so many times I have lost count. Surly a week of vengeance must be enough?

Mum has also been at my throat. Pumpkin is from a prominent family, and to my mother's dismay, I have yet to befriend her during all our years in the same class. I'm a disappointment in her eyes. Unable to do anything right.

I'm pretty sure the rest of this week will be torture. At least school is closed Wednesday, so I won't have to see Pumpkin then.

My mum's shrilling voice drilled past my door and entered my eardrum to be registered by my brain.

'Come here, now!'

'Great!' I grumble as I push up from my bed. My entire body ache. f**k, I'll be purple like an eggplant tomorrow. The handle on my wooden door is hard to grip. I suspect my right-hand pinky is broken. I heard and felt a snapping when crashing into the stonewall at the back of the classroom, and I'm sure I'll have to figure out how to mend it myself. Mum won't help. She has never been a nursing type. I'm a bit surprised sometimes that I survived as an infant, a toddler, and then as a child.

The hallway is dark and gloomy as I slowly go toward the kitchen. Mum is preparing something by the stove. I got to hand it to her - It smells amazing. And it makes me suspicious.

Cooking means one thing and one thing only to me: bad news!

I've got my looks from her; raven hair, dark eyes, and smooth alabaster skin. She has a slender figure with square hips that men ogle as they walk behind her. I'm not sure what I have gained from my father. I have never met him, and she never speaks of him.

'You called for me?' I mumble as I take a set by the table.

'Yes!' She said without giving me as much as a look over her shoulder. 'Tomorrow is Walpurgis Night.'

I roll my eyes. I know. We're free from school, so how could anyone still in school forget? But I don't tell her that.

'I know,' I answer shortly.

'Don't be insolent!' She snorts before continuing. 'It's going to be special, and we're going to the council for a special announcement!' She sounds way too satisfied for my liking. If she has a reason to be happy, I usually don't.

'Yeah? Why?' I ask carefully.

'Dosen't matter!' She shrugs, dismissing my question. 'You have to dress nice, not like you usually dress, and you'll need your cloak - clean. Now get back to your room. I'll have guests over for dinner, and you're not to disrupt us!'

She didn't even look at me. She just sent me back to where I came from. And I left. There was no use in asking who was coming. No reason to expect I'm getting something to eat. I'll sneak down and grab something when they have left for the night or when they have passed out in her bedroom. The last thing I heard as I closed the door behind me and slid to the floor was my mother greeting her guests with a high-pitched ingratiating voice.

-

I sighed as I opened and closed my right hand, wiggling my still crooked pinky a little. That was the night before Mum sold me. Well, she didn't sell me per se. She had volunteered my name, and the rest is history.

She had the biggest smile on her face. I wouldn't have been surprised if her head had split in two. I don't know how I looked as the fact registered - terrified?

I was shocked in the sea of witches and wizards, unable to speak, smile, or even breathe. I stood frozen as people cheered my name and congratulated Mum and me - as if I had completed an essential task by having the misfortune of being chosen to die.

'You look tired.'

The soft voice made me jerk so hard that I hit the back of my head on the wall behind me with a low thud. A woman with doe eyes and flaming red hair smiles at me from under her hood. Her smile is warm and hearty.

'Sure, I've been waiting here for a while!' I shrugged. Unwilling to give her the satisfaction of knowing how annoyed I am. I know she's making conversation and not mocking me, but it's hard not to be annoyed. Well, let's keep it charming!

'Yeah? You're waiting for someone special?'

'Sure am! A very shining stare!' I wink, making her smile wider as she answers.

'The sky is full of stars. Meeting royalty, however, that's something worth waiting for!'

I can't contain myself from snorting at her statement. Stella giggled as she hooked her arm around mine. I don't know if it's because I'm tired or because she's finally decided to show. Whichever it is, I don't care. Now I understand why she chose the name Regina for me. I nervously checked the shoulder straps on my backpack, ensuring I got my doggie bag as she pulled me to tag along arm-in-arm. We take a couple of steps before opening my mouth.

'So, where...'

'Did you find anything at the market?' Stella interrupted me with a high-pitched voice. She looked around as if followed, then turned back to face me with a look telling me - not here!

'Oh, yeah! I got restocked on a bunch of things. I'll show you as we get back home.'

'Did you see the self-heating cauldron? I have wanted one for a long time.'

'Self-heating?'

'Yea, no fire or stove!'

'Cool, didn't know it existed...'

'Sure, do! It's expensive, though!'

'I can imagen!' I nod as if this was the conversation of my life.

We keep on babbling about the market and superficial stuff as we walk. I even allowed myself to gossip a little about stuff Paula had told me about as Stella led me through alleys and backyards until It felt like we had walked in a big circle. My eyes sting from tiredness, and my belly rumble from the lack of food. It took longer than expected before we ended up in front of a door leading into a sleek stone building. Stella held the door up for me as we walked into the stairway. She passed me quickly, leading me to the apartment door at the far end, right behind the stairs.

'This is me!' She mused as she opened the door and let me in.

I'm not sure what I expected. I had this notion that everyone lived as Mum and I did; dark and gloomy. Stella's apartment is a mixture of blue nuances. From floor to ceiling, I see; navy, midnight, sky, sapphire, and artic blue in a mix that should make it feel cold but doesn't.

The best way to sum it up would be: heavenly.

She kicks her shoes off in a homely manner before she hangs her cloak on a hook hollering at someone that she's back, and walks inside to what I expect is the living room. I lean against the closed door and take a deep breath - safe at last!

I hear muffled voices from inside. Suddenly Stella's head peeks around the corner into the hallway to look at me.

'You coming?'

'Yeah,' I tell her and wave her off. I'll be there in a minute. I'm only asking for a moment of safety and calm. Then I'll move. I untied my shoes and removed my cloak to hang as she did. Goldilocks' voice rings in my ears: in through the nose, out through your mouth. Nice and calm. I inhale slowly before releasing the air and grabbing my backpack to step inside with a confident smile.

The living room is spacious and sparsely decorated with light furniture and soft shades of blue. I look around the room and let my eyes linger on the ceiling portraying a nebula in space filled with sparkling stars in all different colors. It's breathtaking.

There are three more people in here - two women and one man. The man is a wolf in his mid to late twenties. Good-looking, tall, well-built, ash blond hair pulled back in a perfect man-bun. His perfect torso is a black sweatshirt with a round neckline and army-green cargo pants. He looks like a soldier. If I hadn't been so madly in love with my handsome man, I would have jumped him on the spot. He is standing with his back straight, looking impatiently at me with a glare as if I was a threat. I wink at him, making him divert his gaze and huff. A woman with hair as black as mine chuckles, but she keeps her gray gaze hard. She stands beside him in matching clothes, except her pants are olive-green, and a black fitted top shows some of her perfect skin. Her black hair is in a high ponytail with long locks resting on her shoulder. She's a wolf as well. Lean with a graceful body that makes you want to hate her, as well as kiss her. Her nose twitch, and she tilts her head to the side as she looks at me with eyes shimmering with silver.

The last woman is the one I'm here for. She's human with a mass of curly hair, a drop-dead gorgeous hourglass figure, wide hips, and large soft breasts that Bossman will worship. Her brown hair glistens in the light, framing her features; A button nose, full lips, and dark eyes.

'Luna!' I greet her and bow my head. She's perfect.

Her smile is radiant as I meet her gaze.

I was somewhat surprised when she extended her arms and hugged me. Her body is soft and warm, and I feel myself melt into her embrace with a sigh of relief. She's my mission, and I have her! John will love her. Until he sees her hugging someone and goes feral. Wolves are possessive as f**k.

'Raven? How are you? How's Sofia?' She asks.

'Hi, Luna! I'm fine, as is Goldilocks. She's waiting for you!' I tell her with a reassuring smile as I hug her back. She backs up and looks me over from head to toe before nodding. Her calming touch lingers, and my jaws strain from a stiffened yawn as tiredness hits me in the face again.

'She's not alone.' The man growled with his nose twitching and eyes flickering. 'She's brought a wolf!'

I pull up my backpack, open it and throw it on the ground for Doggie to step out. My best friend's massive body leaps out of the bag and lands on his feet like a freaking cat with a thud just as the bag hits the floor. His hands are clenched into fists as he turns to me with messy hair and eyes blazing - his face twisted into an angry sneer as he turns directly at me. Harry lifts a finger at me like a warning as he growls, 'I swear to the goddess, Raven! If you use me as a punching bag or throw me on the floor one more f*****g time, I'll snap your "twig" in two and use it as chopsticks...' He takes one step closer with each word, stalking towards me, totally pissed off, making Stella cower on her couch and Luna step to the side. Geez, he's grumpy.

I'm used to wolves by now and Doggies' snappy behavior. So I can't hide the smirk forming on my lips as I get ready to b***h back. But as I parted my lips, he stopped, and his eyes widened. He looks confused before his eyes flicker to Jack's and back again. Doggie's nose twitches while he tilts his head to the side, looking straight at Silvereyes. Her eyes are sparkling as she meets his gaze. In the blink of an eye, Harry has her pinned against the wall faster than my eyes can perceive. I ogle as my friend runs his nose from her collarbone to her ear with a deep puss as she sighs delightedly, tilting her head and baring her neck to him.

'What's happening? What's he doing?' Luna gasped, but I shushed her, unwilling to miss this.

Harry nipped the woman's ear before trailing kisses down her neck and jawline. Silvereyes relaxes into his touch and sneaks her arms around his neck. His hands grabbed her tight ass, hoisting her up to wrap her legs around him, making her moan.

'Mine!'

'Yours!' He confirms as his lips latch onto her neck, sucking her skin. I cheer them on while shoving Luna and clapping my hands together. Doggie trails her neck up her jaw until finally capturing her lips in a steaming hot first kiss. If none of them faint of lack of oxygen, I will. Oh my, they're hot to look at.

'Please tell me someone is filming this?' I breathed, unable to tear my eyes from them. However, this made Doggie pull back to look at Silvereyes.

'Harry,' He said, introducing himself in a deep husky voice.

'Tina!' She moaned, sending visuall shivers over his skin before he shook his head slightly to pull himself together.

'You're Tobias's sister?'

'You know my brother?' She panted as some of the lust cleared from her eyes. Harry nods, rubbing his nose against her, nuzzling her.

'He's living in my guestroom.' He tells her before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

'I'm guessing chopsticks is off the craft list for tonight!' I mumble through the corner of my mouth to the Luna gawking by my side. I stiffen a new yawn. f**k, I'm tired. But I'm happy for them.

My legs suddenly give in, and I fall as the world becomes black.

*

Harry's POV

My skin tingled from the contact with my mate as I sucked the strawberry off her warm lips. She's here. She's real. She's mine!

Jack is howling in my head, urging me to mark her as ours. But I'm happily savoring her sweet taste and feel for now. A sharp cry and a loud thud from behind interrupted me, and I hastily looked over my shoulder and saw Raven on the floor.

'She collapsed!' Luna Mia gasps from beside her as she looks up at me from the floor.

'Raven?' I asked before quickly turning back to my stunning mate, asking her forgiveness. 'Just a minute, sweetheart. I'm just going to check on my friend!'

Tina nods as she looks past me at the black lump. Her eyes seemed worried, but she said nothing as I let her go. Her hands cross over her chest as if she's suddenly cold without me pressed up against her, and I mentally purr at the thought. I'll have her warm, sweaty, and panting in just a bit. She has our word. Jack and I have never agreed more about anything in our entire life as we unwillingly let her go, for now.

'Hey, Raven?' I ask as I lift her upper body. But she's limp in my arms. Her heart is beating steadily, and her breathing is even. Her face scrunches up in a frown as I shake her just a little. Her eyelids flutter up before falling back with a soft grunt. However, I sigh with relief. She's fine, just exhausted.

'She's fine. She's just asleep!' I tell Mia with a small smile. 'Hi Luna, nice meeting you! I'm Harry Williams, Beta of the New Moon, by the way. It's an honor to meet you!'

My new Luna looks at me with confusion. 'Nice to meet you, Harry! Your sure she's fine?' She asks, looking back at Raven on the floor with worry.

'I'm sure. It's been a long day for her! She needs some rest. Then she'll be up and bitching about me letting her fall!'

'You sure?' Mia asks.

'Yes!' I tell her with a wide grin. She doesn't know Raven as I do - this will differently be my fault in the end. But I can take it. She loves me!

'Alright then, I'll show where you can put her!' Mia tells me with a soft smile. Raven is a small girl, sure I struggled to lift her when I was s**t-faced, but now it's easy as pie. I hoist her up and follow Mia as she leads the way.

With Raven safely tucked into bed, I swiftly return to my waiting mate.

-

When I return, my silver-eyed goddess is leaning over the other man's back, holding his shoulders as she speaks with him.

'Rip him to pieces!' Jack growls as we take long strides toward them.

'Overreacting much?' I ask while rolling my eyes. Sure. I'm not pleased with her touching another male, but I guess I have no say since I just carried another woman to her bed.

The man holds his head with his hands as if it's about to split. A pained groan escapes him, followed by a growl.

'What's up, Ian?' Stella asks, looking at him concerned.

'Dad is trying to get past my block,' He grunted. His face twist again as if someone is pounding on his brain. Ian, why does that name sound familiar?

Being inside that bag has concealed me. I have, regardless of that, being able to hear most of Raven's conversations - at least before reaching the market. There were just too many sounds to make out anything coherent.

'Ian?' I grumble like a question, making him snap his head towards me with a scowl.

'Like in the Varlett family's privet wolves?'

'You know my masters?' He growls while still fighting the command from his father. Perhaps he's the Alpha around. Otherwise, I wouldn't know why it would pain him this much.

'I wouldn't say I know them!' I tell him with a grimace. 'I heard Raven met a woman named Dawn on her way here. She mentioned your name. That's why I recognized it.' I shrug.

Ian's face turned white as a sheet. Literally, all color drained from his face - like someone threw a bucket of cold water at him.

'She's here?'

'Yes!' I tell him bluntly. There is no use in sugarcoating it. It's obvious he's not a fan of her.

'You have to go, Ian. If she has to wait...' Stella's eyes are wide, staring at him with panic. He looks at her with a pained expression. His face slowly turned green. I never saw Dawn, but she can't be a pretty girl if he's about to throw up at the thought of her. From what I heard, she seems to have the personality of a lizard. And that's harder to work with than an ugly face.

'I don't think I can do it, Stella. Please don't make me!' He begs her. Stella looks sympathetic as she shakes her head and walks up to him.

'I'm not, Ian, I'm not. But if she suspects anything, we're screwed!'

I feel Luna's presence as she passes me. She walks straight up to Ian and pulls him in for a hug, stroking his back.

'Alpha would have hated this,' Jack huffed, making me nod in agreement.

The wolf named Ian sinks into her hug and lets her hold him, calming him down. I watched as the color returned to his face, and he wrapped her up to hug her back.

'That's it, deep breathes!' Luna whispers in his ear until he lets out a shaky laugh, and she giggles while pulling back from him.

'Thank you, Mia!' Ian whispers before straightening up and squaring his shoulders with his jaw tight. He takes a deep breath and smiles, telling us he'll see us tomorrow with a curt nod.

I don't envy him one f*****g bit. He's off to pleasure a woman he has no interest in f*****g. I heard Dawn. She's using him for her own satisfaction, and I feel bad for him. He doesn't want it - it's rape.

I couldn't even get mine up for anyone but Tina, not now when I have found her. Before that, all I had was her scent.

A thought slowly turns into an idea as he walks past me.

'Ian!' I murmur, 'Would it help you if I could "trick you" to enjoy it?'

Ian eyed me slightly with one foot out the hallway. His brows are pulled tightly together in a deep frown as his icy-blue eye fixes me with an intense stare.

'Why?' He grumbles, making me smirk. I guess it's a valid question. De doesn't know me. So why would I want to help him?

'Well, bro's before hoes and all that. Bro-code!' I wink at him. He huffed with a scowl as he tried to keep walking. My grip on his shoulder tightens, keeping him in place. He's no Alpha son, I'll tell you that much.

'Wait, just listen. Have you met your mate yet?'

He looks over his shoulder at the women in the room as if contemplating his answer before looking back at me, not answering. His face is a mask, not letting anything slip.

'Fine.' I huff, 'Don't tell! But what if I could make her smell like your mate? It might make it easier to get it up?' I nod.

Ian studies me closely. He tilts his head and scrunches his face as if thinking hard before letting out a defeated sigh.

'How?'

I let him go and grabbed the bag from the floor. All hours inside have allowed me to look through every nook and cranny. And one thing piqued my interest.

'With this!' I smile while reaching down and pulling up a tiny flask with what looks like water. Ian looks suspicious at me.

'This is a love potion.' I explained, but he interrupted me with a dark growl as he turned to leave. 'For f**k sake, man. You're not drinking it. Use a drop or two on her skin, like perfume. She'll smell like your mate. Sure, you might have to close you're eyes and pretend a little, but the smell will make it more real!' I grinned. He looks at me, then the potion, then back at me.

'Thank you!' He grumbles while grabbing the tiny flask from my hand with a nod. I watch him walk away - hoping I made it better, not worse.

Soft hands sneak over my stomach, and arms wrap around me from behind. I feel Tina rest her head against my back. Her sweet scent nestles inside my mind sending shivers down my spine.

'You smell wonderful!' I sigh as I grab her arm and turn around inside her embrace. She looks up at me with her incredibly silvery eyes, smiling.

'Yeah? Do I taste as good?'

'Better!' I groan before lifting her by her ass, throwing her over my shoulder, and letting her scent guide me to her bedroom.