*
“Welcome, one and all, to the 156th annual New Moon Festival,” Alpha Clark announced, to which a great cheer went up in the crowd. Everyone clapped, except Sierra who was standing by the side. She tried to pay attention, but her mind kept wandering to what Shiela had told her earlier. She still needed to talk to someone about it, and that couldn’t be her parents. She needed someone who would listen without judging; someone who would do their very best to help her find a solution to all this.
She needed Brandon.
But for the time being, it appeared that Brandon was nowhere near the town square. And his absence bothered her more than Shiela’s appearance.
“This festival is as much a part of us as our own brethren are,” Alpha Clark continued. “Over the years, it used to involve our hum
