Blood-Stained Moon

Troubles

Under Roans distainful gaze I scraped myself from the floor, dusting my legs down unknowingly. The room definitely hadn't been cleaned in a while, as the floor contained a slight dust angel from my hands and knees. I locked my knees in the vain attempt to stop them quivering. I had never been on this end of Roan before, an angle to him never shown in public. I made a mental note to remember the directions back. This room didn't look inhabited or even visited very often. I take a glance round to wonder what it might have been used as, in order to distract myself. In my head, this room was a floor above, so it must be at least higher Omega/Gamma living quarters? but which side was the entertainment east or west... I lose myself too much and feel Roan yanking my arm towards the door. I take in my surroundings with all my senses to focus on where we are as Roan walks ahead. A corridor with a few doors each side, each looking as closed off as the last. A smell of dust, handles unpolished, a slight layering upon my hand as I trace along, I'm dragging myself as slow as I can, feeling like a petulant child on their way home after curfew, parents waiting at the door to scold them. The end of the corridor is a right exit and a small door, a peculiar looking one, jutting out at an odd angle. The smell coming from behind the door confuses me, almost a putrid mix of steam, strong smelling oils and chlorine. This must be the spa end of the west wing, but why is this section hidden off?

Nothing beats the smell of relaxation. I could dig my claws into a massage

Stop purring like a cat, this is punishment. Roan's reaction tells me Alpha's won't be better.

Mmm, mate, smells better than spa

Shut up

I push wolfy into the back of my thoughts. She can stay there with her ridiculous mate ideals- all I want is to stay as far the hell out of all this as I can. Roan reaches towards the handle, and I roll my shoulders in preparation for the battle ahead. He pulls the door open, then other side is a bookcase, a hidden door. I peeked over his shoulder and saw the Spa was closed. Better than an audience, I suppose. He steps forwards to clear the doorway and turns to stare. I get the message quickly and close the bookcase/door until I hear a small click, giving it a little tug to make sure it is definitely closed. I follow behind Roan again as he strides ahead, trying not to get too close to him in case. We passed the open area Reception and took another night, down a few steps. It opened up into a grand stairwell, with a connecting corridor. There are guards posted at the bottom of each staircase. Roan waves the guard off and gives a gruff she's with me before heading up. The guard moves to the side quickly with a nod. His puzzled face gave me a once over before returning to his position as I passed. We headed up a floor, and it began to wind. I couldn't resist taking a peek up towards the ceiling. The height made me dizzy almost immediately, and I gripped the banister for support. It must go all the way to the top, I thought. But Valerie only informed us of the first few floors. I had barely got to the top of the second set of stairs when I heard a commotion. Roan had just rounded the corner when a group of men dressed in the same suits came barreling down the hallway, shouting at each other so fast I could hardly catch a word. I heard Alpha, trouble, go. Our old Beta, Nathan, reaches Roan and pulls him close, taking one disgusted look at me and whispering in his ear too low for me to hear. Roan's eyes went from squinting to wide open in shock within a second. He whipped round to face me. " Alpha's busy, go have breakfast and do whatever it is you do, I'll deal with you later." He shouts as he raced down the flights two steps at a time with Nathan in tow.

What lit a fire under his *ss?

Can't be good, but whatever it is just saved ours

I debated retracing my steps back to the kitchens, but I had no clue how to open the bookcase doorway, and as much as I hate to admit it, I was starving. I decided to head down the stairs and hope I would find some familiar landmarks. I got to the ground floor and played eenie, meanie, minee, moe with the arched halls. I took the latter arch and walked aimlessly, hoping to bump into someone. My nose told me it was the right way as I started to smell the food. I had no clue how late I was for breakfast, but I hoped when I reached the main doors that I could just sneak in unnoticed. The doors were still wide open and everyone inside was busy eating and conversing loudly. I found our table almost immediately and quickly hurried to sit down. It earned me a few looks from nosy Omega's but nothing compared to the stone faces of my friends. A small pang hits my stomach as I see Claire's very much empty seat next to Amal. Ryan drops a bowl of porridge in front of me angrily, spilling some in the process. I waste no time digging in the second my spoon hit the bowl. It's lukewarm, but I'm way past hunger at this point and I need sustenance to deal with the daggers being stared into my head.

I look up and spit out a quick "Roan wanted to ask about Claire, she's missing since the ceremony, apparently." between shoveling mouthfuls. I hoped this at least would divert them from me while I ate. I grabbed a pastry from Ryan's hand, thanking him while I tore it apart with my teeth.

"You're like a bloody animal, the f*ck were you doing last night Remy?" His anger subsided into shock, and awe at the same time. I guess they were all on the same wavelength with the 'hooking up last night' idea.

" C'mon, I want deets, if you're going to scare the living s*it out your besties, I wanna hear everything." He nudges my shoulder. Grace chipped in "I swear to every wolf in this room I will torture the information out of you if I have to. Our little girl is growing up!" She feigns wiping a tear and grabs Leon's hand. Leon just shrugs his shoulders and finds anywhere else to look, as if he definitely did not want to hear. I gulp the remainder of the food down audibly.

"Guys, seriously. Calm the f*ck down. If you really want to know what happened, I somehow managed to get lost last night. I ran into a freaking branch, smacked my eye really good, went the wrong direction because I was blinking so much I couldn't see, then I ended up by a lake. It was dark and muddy. I went to wash my eye out, heard wolves and jumped in the water because I was buck naked. I don't know why I didn't just shift back, then it was too embarrassing to pop out of the water in front of random strangers." I take a second to gulp from my glass. "Nearly drowned waiting for them to leave, tried to follow their scent back from far behind, and uh, I fell down a hole and smacked my head on a rock. Woke up a few hours later in the mud with a horrible headache. Don't even ask me how long it took to find my way back. I think I followed a patrol maybe? Then there were loud bangs like fireworks? Anyways I found a random hoodie abandoned in the trees, threw it on and bolted to the shower room. I think I'd rather make up a story about a lover than tell anyone else this embarrassing sh*t." . I pretend to be busy pouring myself a coffee as my face reddens. Ryan guffaws loudly smacking a doubled over Leon on the arm. Grace's eyebrows arch in disapproval and Amal groans loudly before whipping his wallet out onto the table. I gasp, "You f*ckers bet on me?". Leon stops laughing and looks in Grace's direction as Amal throws a note towards him. She tuts. " Of course, of course Remy. I went out on a limb for you, that hopefully you'd found yourself someone finally. Or at least a night of fun. I don't believe that even you are that clumsy.". "I still think I'm right." She mutters at the end. Luckily, everyone starts to leave the hall, and I give her a shrug before slipping out while I still could. I'm dead on my feet and my bed sounds amazing right now.