Midnight Moons

Where is Hope?

POV: Xavier

Connor placed back and forth in the pack house office, struggling to remain in control. I watched his eyes flash black as he fought his wolf for control. He and Dana had driven straight over here after Hope ran out into the night.

I glance over at my wife Naoko. A human wouldn't hear her whispered words of comfort, but those of us in the room heard her clearly. Sighing, I block Connor's frantic pacing. "Beta, you've got to relax. Your mate and your pups need to see you in control."

Startled, Connor's eyes flew to his wife's huddled form. He hunkered down beside her. "Dana...baby, everything will be fine. Hope knows how much we love her, and Tim is our best tracker. He will find our girl and bring her to us."

Dana shrugged his hand off her arm. "But why hasn't he found her? It's been three hours and we haven't heard a word! Connor, he's a wolf tracking a human..." her voice trailed off. "With his speed, he should have caught up with her immediately." Wild-eyed, Dana looked around at each of us. Her eyes landed on me.

"Xavier, mindlink him again. Use your Alpha link!"

"Dana," I sighed. "I've been trying non-stop. For whatever reason, he's closed his link. I can't reach him." Helplessly, I reached for her hands. "Dana, listen to me. As your friend...as your Alpha, know that I will move heaven and earth to bring our children home."

Naoko moved to my side. Having her close to me calmed my frazzled nerves. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Normally, my Alpha's office reminded me of the power and responsibility of my role. Today it felt tight and constricted.

The lush cream and teal carpet coupled with elegant mahogany furnishings exuded contemporary style and confidence. The massive desk would overshadow a typical room, but my office was far from typical. Ornate paintings depicting our realm and those of other mystical beings adorned the walls. Crisp cream wallpaper with teal and gold accents created a stark contrast to dark mahogany and black bamboo furniture.

Glancing around the room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something seemed off. My eyes landed on the huge painting hanging behind my desk.

"Her faery is shielding her!" I growled.

Stunned, Dana quickly turned to me. Her eyes followed my own. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "She shouldn't have her fairy but I've heard her talking..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that Hope has been hearing her faery but probably didn't even realize it.

"This is all my fault!" cried Dana. "If I had been so adamant about her having a "normal" childhood, she would have been prepared for this. What have I done?"

She blindly reached for her mate's hand. Conner brushed her hair from her wet face. Gently he kissed her lips and swept her into his arms. "Connor, why did I think being human was better for her than what we are?" Dana's tortured sobs tore at our hearts.

Connor forced her to look into his eyes. "Baby, don't do this. We all agreed." He waved his arms to encompass all of us in the room.

"Dana, the prophecy was vague enough that it could or could not have been Hope." Up to this point, Naoko had been silent. Now she stood and walked towards me. "We made the best decision for her, for the pack. Shielding her all these years has kept Hope and this pack. safe."

"Dana, as your Alpha, I agreed to keep Hope safe. Keeping her true identity secret was just as much my idea as it was yours. If the prophecy wasn't for Hope, then there was no need to expose her to those who would harm her."

"The prophecy is for Hope!" Dana's sudden outburst startled us all. "The Moon Goddess and The Faery Queen told me on the night she was born!

"What?" Connor's dumbfounded look showed hurt and anger. "I'm your mate! How could you keep this from me?" Dragging his anxious hands through his ginger curls, Connor stared at me before sinking into an armchair near my desk.

I quickly moved to Dana's side. My mate was rubbing small circles on her back. "Dana, look at me." She shook her head no and turned her face into my mate's shoulder. Watching for a moment, I commanded her using my Alpha power.

"Look at me."

Dana whimpered and turned her tear stained face towards me. "Yes, Alpha."

I hated forcing her this way but we didn't have time. "Dana, I've always known the prophecy was about Hope." I began.

"Xavier, how could you know?" Naoko's startled face mirrored Connor's.

"The Moon Goddess visited me in a dream when Hope was about five years old." I stood and walked over to my Beta. "Connor, do you remember that day that Hope and Tim were playing and Hope fell off her tricycle?" I waited for his nod. Recognition dawned on his face. He jumped to his feet, quickly striding over to me.

"Yes! Tim said Hope made the rocks move. We thought he meant after she fell....but he meant before she fell, didn't he? He sat down heavily. "All this time, it was right in front of my face."

My mate stared at me. "The next day, you had iron installed all over the compound."

Nodding yes, I sighed and grabbed her hand. "Iron and silver all over the school strategically placed to control Hope but not harm any pack members." I rubbed my beard. "Small doses of wolfsbane to suppress her wolf. But we didn't think to give her anything to suppress her faery!"

"Dana, Hope's faery has been with her since birth. When the Mood Goddess talked to me, she revealed what I'm sure the Fairy Queen told you." I waited for her response. It seemed an eternity passed before she dragged her weary eyes to my face. She sighed and stated the fact that we had all realized.

"Hope is also an Elemental."