DANCE IN THE MOONLIGHT

Unveiled Shadows

Mrs. Marianne had left the house under the pretext of grocery shopping, leaving the young people alone.

Without waiting for an answer from Valeria, Lucian sat down next to her and began looking at the pictures. He could feel her angry and curious gaze upon him.

"What are you doing here, Lucian? How dare you come here?" Valeria asked, her eyes fixed on him.

"I told you I couldn't stay away from you," Lucian said, still looking at the photos.

Valeria suddenly snatched the photo album from Lucian's hands. "That's not a valid reason. Why are you here, Lucian? I remember speaking very clearly to you in the forest."

"I thought you’d have a ton of questions after your transformation. I couldn't leave you to the torment of such a crowded mind," Lucian said, looking straight into Valeria’s eyes.

"I have nothing to be curious about. You can leave now," Valeria said as she stood up.

"Why are you like this toward me?" Lucian asked, gently catching her wrist. The last thing he wanted was to make her angrier.

Receiving no reaction from her, Lucian grew bold and tried to pull her slightly closer. Valeria suddenly wrenched her wrist away and directed her furious gaze at him. This time, her look was different.

"And you have the nerve to ask me that?!"

Lucian was surprised by her reaction but felt he deserved it. He knew everything she had done and everything she was thinking, but he couldn't say it now—not yet.

"Please tell me my mistake. I want to make amends," Lucian said, remaining perfectly calm.

"YOU ARE THE WHOLE MISTAKE! YOU ENTER MY LIFE OUT OF NOWHERE, MAKE ME LOVE YOU, AND THEN TELL ME YOU’RE ONLY BY MY SIDE OUT OF DUTY—THAT YOU’RE GUARANTEEING YOUR OWN SURVIVAL BY TURNING MY LIFE TO s**t!!"

Valeria was breathless. She looked at him as if flames were erupting from her eyes.

Lucian smiled bitterly. "Actually, I didn't say it exactly like that," he said, hoping to soften her anger.

Valeria let out a scream at his response and knocked over the first thing her hand touched. She still couldn't understand how Lucian could be so relaxed and arrogant.

"If you live, I live. Your life is my life. And this has absolutely nothing to do with the assigned mission."

Valeria immediately turned to Lucian upon hearing this. "Why does it have to be this way? Just tell me one logical thing!"

He stood up; he was serious this time. "I won't tell you until you trust me again. When you stop hating me, when you trust me even a little, then I will tell you."

Valeria took a few steps toward Lucian; she had to tilt her head up slightly to look into his face. "The reason I hate you and the reason I don't trust you is you. It’s like this because of what you’ve done. You are the one who needs to change."

Lucian suddenly felt as if a dagger had been thrust into his heart. He didn't think this feeling belonged to Valeria. Beside this pain, he could feel her rage. The pain, however, belonged only to him.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. This standoff was broken by Mrs. Marianne opening the door.

"Are you two okay?" Marianne’s eyes darted between her daughter and Lucian. Then she saw the broken chair on the floor. "Is everything alright?"

Valeria grabbed the album again and sat on the sofa farthest from Lucian. "Mom, there are things I want you to explain regarding these pictures."

Her mother dropped the bags where she stood and sat next to Lucian. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything about my father."

"Only about your father?" Her mother’s question made Valeria look up from the album. She looked at her mother with a confused expression. "Open the very last page."

Valeria opened the last page. In the photo was her mother, climbed up a tree, looking down with a laugh. As Valeria looked closer at the picture, she saw a black mark on her mother’s left collarbone.

She quickly turned her gaze to her mother, then to the boy beside her. "Did you know?"

Lucian slowly nodded his head up and down. Valeria was waiting for an answer in shock.

Her mother began to speak. "Your father’s family is from a very noble pack. You are currently the youngest and perhaps the only surviving member of that pack. Your father wasn't traditional; he was a rebel. He didn't care for traditions and opposed most things. He was a maverick." Her mother took a deep breath. "I, on the other hand, came from a normal, ordinary pack. It was forbidden for your father to marry someone like me, but as I said, he was a maverick; he didn't listen to anyone. When I got pregnant, we went to a seer. They said you would be the strongest and most special person ever. That’s why the birth was going to be so difficult."

Her mother looked into her daughter’s tearful eyes. "I didn't like sorcery; I didn't really believe it, but your father did. When the birth truly became difficult, I started to believe it too. Shortly after you were born, someone from your father’s pack came after us because he had defied the rules." Her mother wiped a tear or two from her eye with the back of her hand. "He knew he would be killed. That’s why his only wish was for you to transform as soon as possible. Some time after they killed him—that is, when I felt you were ready—I asked the Alpha for help. You might think your life has been ruined, but this is the greatest legacy left to you by your father."

Lucian spoke, perhaps to lighten the mood. "It's clear your rebelliousness comes from your father, Valeria. That’s what suits an Alpha best." He laughed softly.

Her mother opened her moist eyes in shock. "Alpha?"

Valeria slowly pulled down the collar of her dress. She showed the red symbol on her left chest.

"You should have seen her, Mrs. Rowan. Her fur was so beautiful. And her eyes were as red and beautiful as a blood moon."

Her mother looked at her daughter with such admiration that tears began to flow once more. "I wish... I wish your father could have seen this."

Valeria quickly stood up and hugged her mother tightly. There was only one thing she could think of. "Is that man who killed my father still alive, Mom?"

***

While Fenrik was lying in the dormitory reading a book, he stood up quickly as soon as he caught Elara’s scent. As he went toward the door, the scent grew stronger.

Looking through the small peephole, he saw the woman biting her lips out of stress, hesitant to knock. She was pacing back and forth, changing her mind and coming back to the door just when she was about to give up.

Fenrik heard her repeatedly telling herself, 'Don't think about anything, don't think about anything,' but he hadn't understood why she was doing that—until now.

When Elara suddenly knocked, she looked at her hand and the door in surprise. She was likely regretting doing it at that very moment.

To prevent her from running away, Fenrik immediately opened the door and pretended to be surprised. "Elara? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Were you waiting behind the door? Why so fast?" Elara suddenly slapped her forehead as if remembering something. "Ah! Right! You’re a wolf, aren't you?"

Fenrik stepped back from the door and led Elara to a small room filled with cleaning supplies—a place male students definitely didn't frequent.

Elara stood with her head held high and her arms crossed. If Fenrik knew her even a little, he would realize she was acting this way to hide her fear. And he did realize it.

"Elara, you didn't have to come all the way here to talk; I would have come to you."

Elara was looking around, biting her lips. Fenrik could still hear her thinking, 'Don't think about anything.'

"I'm going to make you an offer, Fenrik."

Fenrik raised an eyebrow. Since she clearly didn't want him to hear what she was thinking, it was an important offer; he couldn't take this effort lightly.

"What offer?"

"If you accept, we will continue our lives happily, but if you don't..." Elara paused.

"But what?" Fenrik grew impatient.

"If you don't, I’ll break up with you and go to France."

"Elara, you know you can't do that," Fenrik said, hoping it was a joke.

"I will, Fenrik." Elara was serious.

"Alright, what is your offer? Although you haven't left me any choice but to accept."

Elara laughed softly. "I want to be a wolf too."