THE LAST SUCCUBUS QUEEN MOONBOUND TO THE ALPHA TWINS

(Third person Pov) The mask always went on last. Ellery has just finished putting on her has just finished on her black and silver with a feathered nocturne mask. Outfits she has worn hundreds of nights before this one. The club on the other side was very noisy, a typical noise of a club. Backstage smelled like hot wax, spilled whiskey cigarettes smell, sharp copper tang of some pack members that just fought a while ago. She stopped being scared and shaky like she did two years ago . "Two minutes Ivy " the stage manager called Ellery. Nobody calls her Ellery at wolfmoon except one person. Ivy was the name on the contract, the name she is called while she wears the mask. She was ready to go on stage, when she remembered four counts on the St.louis hospital. Whatever happens beyond those stage curtains only her body knows exactly what to do. And any other things doesn't matter. The backstage door opened to a gold and wild crowd that mostly were not humans. Ellery has mastered their smell for a long time. Wolves were faster than humans. They way their looks pressed on her skin, as if it was a hand, it's didn't just look like a glance. Tonight the heat was more. It was concentrated and didn't spread across the ballroom as usual. They were in a private lounge the Draven twins. They don't come to wolfmoon club very often and when they did, everyone in the club behaved well and rearrange themselves without being told. Ellery stepped on the stage to do what she does best. She focused on her choreography so she don't lose a step and losing her step means losing her pay. And she wasn't ready to lose that at least not any time soon. She gave the audience what they paid for, and arch of her body, moving as if she had no bones. The specific slow control in her hands that made her name the most popular on the audience lips. Wearing that masks is like wearing and becoming an entirely different person on the stage. Because on this stage there was nothing to hide. On the stage she was no longer the girl with a dying mother and a stack of unpaid bills. She was very good at this. She was better than good. The only thing in her life that doesn't need explaining. Ellery felt a stillness in the way the crowd watched. Caius Draven the older twin, he didn't watch like others did, he watched like he was already five moves past whatever was happening around him. Ellery has heard a lot about him. The younger twin Cassius Draven, had a reputation that made both humans and grown wolves change tables. She has seen men and wolves twice his size leave a room and nobody in the club would ask why? She kept dancing and told herself that whatever was going on in the room has nothing to do with her. As she was about to end her dance, her body already moves towards the final turn as if she was in autopilot. She felt the weight of men with too much money watching closely as she ends her stage performance. She didn't miss a step. Years of training kept that from happening. She finished her routine as routine as always, went backstage cleaner sweats and changed her outfits. Her hands were shaky but she gave it away to stress. She quietly left the dressing room and went out through the employees exit door.it was barely 3:00 am. She went straight to the hospital to where her mother is.When she arrived she saw doctors and nurses very busy in her mother's room. She was in an intensive care unit where heart monitors were beeping very loud, we can't get a pulse, Ellery stood exhausted and screamed from the window 'No mom please ' . Doctors and nurses were all in tension to save the life of Edna, Ellery's Adoptive mother. Ellery was asked to step away from the door but she refused. She watched as the doctor was carrying out chest compression, another was adjusting the oxygen mask, another held the defibrillator that has been charged to two hundred, they used it to jerked her mother. Nothing. It was repeated again and the third time, a flat line appeared on the monitor and beeped. Each sound from the monitor tore inside of Ellery. All the doctors and nurses sighed with relief and we're all happy. Ellery was filled with joy and excitement and she leaned on the wall to get balance. Tears in her eyes made her vision blurred. After a while, the doctor called Ellery to his office, he asked her to sit while he stood. I am afraid the medication for your mom has stopped working, the way we anticipated. Ellery was hopeful. So are you commencing treatment on her? The doctor looked at her and said it is not available here. We have to transfer your mom to a specialist hospital, the treatment is very expensive. Ellery asked how much? Ninety-six thousand dollars. The numbers echoed in her ears. Is there no other option? No the doctor said and we have seven days to commence treatment and payment made. The doctor gave her the invoice and other outstanding bills. All she could see on the papers were numbers. Ellery stood up and left the doctor's office. Where will I get such money? Seven days to pay or prepare for my mom's funeral. She took her old bag pack and went and sat close to the mother's room. She peeped and saw her mother sleeping. Ellery waited for day to break before leaving the hospital. All manner of thought flood her head on where to get the money for the treatment. Ellery was lost in thought when one of the nurse tapped her and said your mum is awake. Ellery entered to see her. Edna looked at her without words. Ellery went closer and touched the crescent moon pendant on her daughter's neck and said faintly please don't take it off. I haven't taken it off since you put it on my neck. Stop worrying yourself . Mom I have to go to Ellery said, I will come once I close from work. Edna has always been overprotective of Ellery. Ellery has asked why she hates celebrating birthday with other people, why she disliked friends that pry too much. Edna will always say you will know when the time is right. Ellery stopped asking. Deep down all these things unsettled her.