HERS

20. The Magic in Late Night Strolls

Danica was up all night tossing and turning unable to sleep. She had been avoiding everybody she could, including her brothers. Though avoiding them wasn't as difficult as the others were since Chris was now the Beta and Alex the Alpha he had some serious catching up to do which Chris helped him with as well as Ed lending a helping hand whenever he could and where ever.

The most difficult people she had a hard time avoiding was Bruce and Mason, James was mildly difficult though he has been busy over the past few day which was understandable seeing as everyone was in hardcore training no matter what you were. Everyone was being trained up; Alex was seeing to it that everyone knew how to fight in one form or the other. This genius idea of his hasn't gone easy on Danica since her personal trainer was none other than Mason himself it had been difficult avoiding these sessions but she had managed and achieved, but her excuses and lies were getting ridiculous as each session went by.

She had a hint Mason was getting suspicious but that little nagging voice was pushed to aside at the back of her mind, her hiding spot remained unknown and will remain hidden until it is time-or whenever she feels like sharing the place.

Danica laid in bed eyes wide open, as her mind went over the events of the past few weeks trying to understand the behaviour of her family and the people around her. She knew there were secrets being kept hidden from her and she had to find out and will find out one way or another if that was the last thing she did. She hated being kept out of the loop she hated having secrets being kept away from her sure its fine when she did it but when it was the other way around it bugged her beyond means.

Frustrated no sleep was coming as her mind was running track she got out of bed changing into a pair of jeans and a hoodie. She ran a hand through her hair and left her room going downstairs to the fridge freezer. She opened the fridge the light blinded her eyes momentarily as she got used to it, staring into the fridge she scratched the back of her head then shut it, coming up empty she walked around the kitchen opening and closing cupboards then return to where she started at the fridge. Repeating her actions of earlier, she opened the fridge and brought out a coke can, the can hissed as she opened it taking a long swig from it and placed it on the counter.

Closing the fridge Danica stretched herself yawning loudly; she opened up the freezer bringing out cookie dough ice cream and sat down on the counter. She took the large spoons that were used to serve curry with and began eating with it. Digging in without a care she ate out of the tub not bothering to consider anyone else who might have wanted some. The lights flicked on, Danica continued to eat the ice cream not bothering about who had come to join her.

"Care to share?"

"Do I look like someone who shares?" Danica snapped back.

"Danica"

"The one and only," she smirked.

"I see you you've come out of hiding." Danica grunted in an uncivilised form. "What are you doing up?"

"What's it to you." She snapped back

"Why are you dressed up?"

"Aren't you a pervert." said Danica, icily continuing to eat her ice cream.

Bruce came around the counter standing in front of her closing the space between the two. He stood in between Danica's legs taking a drink from her open coke.

Danica's eyes narrowed at him, "Bruce."

"Danica," he smirked. "Why are you up so late?" He asked leaning in to his surprise his closeness was not affecting Danica who continued to eat her ice cream. "Let me tell you why you are up so late, you want answers." He states. "Answers to the events of the past weeks, what Ed meant by original Alpha, you want to know what they're keeping you out of the loop of, you want to know who the Andersons truly are if Alex is the true alpha of this pack and most importantly who you are."

Danica's eyes widen slightly before she masked her response to what had come out of Bruce's mouth, but her reaction hadn't gone unnoticed by Bruce. He had come bang on spot with his assumptions and he knew it.

"So many questions," Bruce continued he knew he had her attention and he was luring her in bit by bit. "Yet so few answer and even fewer of those with the answers.

Danica's eyes narrowed at him with the spoon half way to her mouth. "What do you know?"

Now he had her, "More than you do." Those four words had her reeling and captured she wanted to know more but that required going back on her plan of avoiding Bruce and ensuring things went back to the day before he left.

Danica was conflicted. Truly and deeply she wanted to ignore everything he had said but could not, his words had seem to ignite her curiosity fuelling it feeding the flames. She wanted the answers to them all, to every single question he had asked and many more questions that remained unasked.

The inner battle she was fighting was clearly on display her face revealing her inner turmoil, much to her displeasure though the opposite could be said for Bruce he loved that every emotion and conflict she was feeling he could clearly see and read like an open book that she isn't. The pros and cons of this were out weighing each other. Pro she gets all the answers she wants and need. She will no longer be out the loop. The truth will be out in the open. Cons... there wasn't many cons she could think of at the moment except what if this little findings of theirs would repair their broken bond and make it as if it were just the way it was before but that was one thing she couldn't allow, never allow that to be repaired as she was the reason it was broken in the first place it was she did it all on her own and it wasn't as simple as it sounds breaking off a friendship like theirs took months and months of hard work yet with him back less than a quarter of the time she spent ruining their friendship, everything was almost back they way it use to be.

Unbelievable! was the word Danica used to describe it but deep down it made her swell up with pride knowing how strong their friendship is and how that no matter how hard someone spent trying to ruin their friendship even though that person was close to their heart their friendship won't be ruined for too long.

"You know you want to find out," Bruce whispered.

Danica looked up, looking him in the eye for the first time tonight and for the first time in a while. The answer was on the tip of her tongue but hesitation took over, having her contemplate her answer.

Danica starred into Bruce's eyes, looking into his eyes she could see that he was hoping that she wouldn't be turning him down on his offer. Finally making up her mind she nodded in agreement.

Bruce lifted her off the counter, effortlessly, spinning her around and putting her on the ground, all that time he held a huge grin plastered onto his face. "I'll be right back," he quickly pecked her on the forehead and left the room. Not within the time she binned her empty ice cream carton he was back without her noticing he slipped his hands in hers began tugging her along causing her to jump and elbow him in the midsection. "Ugh." Bruce groaned bending over holding himself with one arm.

Danica spun around taking him Bruce bent over form. "Ooh s**t sorry." She apologised.

"It's okay," Bruce waved off standing up straight. "At least we can say your reflexes are sharp as ever even with the practices you've been missing." Danica didn't say anything to his comment other than shrugged it off; he slipped his hand into hers and led the way. "Come on, this way." He took h-er out the house through the garden door and into the fields where the pack training are held.

"Where are you taking me?" Danica asked realising her was leading her into the forest that surrounded the house, on any other occasion she had nothing against the forest but seeing it was four o'clock in the morning and the sun hadn't even risen it was almost pitch black and he had no clue where he was leading her to this raised concern for her as alarms in her head went off warning her.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to leave you there for dead." Bruce assured her.

"That's assuring."

"I don't think I'd live to tell the tale." Bruce said in a serious tone.

"Why is that?"

"You'd come murder my ass and that's if Chris and Alex don't get to me first!" He said all serious.

"Damn right! You wouldn't have survived the next ten minutes." She assured him. He eyed her suspiciously. "Now, tell me where you're taking me."

"Remember when we were younger we came across this door on the ground?" He asked unsure whether she remembered or not.

"I remember what about it?"

"That led to an underground passage way linking to the pack house, you remember right?"

"Of course I do!" Danica said excited. She had forgotten about that they used it all the time when they got grounded after getting in trouble she stopped using it so frequently after he left. "We snuck in and out of the pack house all the time."

"Well, that place has many more secret passages connecting our little wolf community together but by the looks of things they are well forgotten and abandoned." He explained.

Danica followed as he led the way to the abandoned cottage. "You do know it's a school night?"

"So?" he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"You got to be in school, teaching."

"And you don't?"

"There's a difference," She shrugged her shoulders as she rolled her eyes. "I'm a student and you're a teacher you can possibly get sacked for ditching whereas I can't."

Bruce came to a stop in front of the familiar wooden gates that had been worn out by the weather over the years; vines grew all over the cottage, the empty cottage windows shattered with the door broken. The colour fewer fences creaked as Bruce pushed it open; it looked as if it would turn to dust if not handled with care.

Danica let out a loud yawn, Bruce turned around with an eye brow raised, "are we tired?"

"Not even one bit," she lied she was in fact exhausted heck, she could sleep here on the dirt ground but she knew sleep was beyond her reach. "Now, let's go find my answers." She said pushing Bruce out the way and passing the thresh hold of the garden fence. "Are you coming or what?" Danica asked half way to the house, she stood on the pathway that was now covered and buried deep beneath the over grown and untamed grass.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Bruce said blinking a few times, he quickly caught up with her in a few strides; he took her hand in his and led them inside.

Danica forced Bruce to take tour of the house before finding the answers to all her questions. The cottage was a one floor cottage it consisted of an old fashion kitchen with new gadgets in it like a fridge and a cooker it even contained a washing machine, one living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. To Danica's surprise the rooms of the cottage were cleaned up and looked like they had been occupied recently.

Once satisfied with her tour she turned to Bruce. "Are you going to tell me why were at the abandon cottage and why it looks like it's been lived in?"

Bruce nodded a yes. "This place looks like it's been lived in because it had been lived in; a few months ago your brother, Alex and me, and a few others have moved here, without the pack knowing we lived here for that time being." He explained never taking his eyes off her.

"So," she stretched the word out. "That would mean that you guys have been here more than a month, that means..." her eyes grew wide as she realised her best friend had been back longer than he let on."You've been here all this time and you didn't bother dropping in and saying hello to your best friend? I find out a month ago and...And you've been here all this time!"

"Danica," Bruce sighed. "I'm sorry, I couldn't just drop by, I wanted to, you don't know how bad I wanted to see you but I couldn't since Alex made it an alpha's order I couldn't disobey him." He pulled her into a hug taking her by surprise. "It would've jeopardized everything and not only that it would've raised suspicion and not only that Chris still wants my head through a spike and on a silver platter." Bruce chuckled. "He's not so forgiving is he?"

"Not really." Danica smirked at him pulling back. "You still have more explaining to do." She informed him.

Confusion took over his features for a moment until he realised what she had meant. "Oh, right the reason we're here." He nodded running a hand through his hair. "Remember the tunnels underground?"

"Yep," She said popping the 'p'.

"Before I left, I started using the tunnels and passageways more frequently as I was avoiding people and we weren't much friends so I used these and kept exploring them more and more and I soon realised these tunnels are all connected to every important werewolf landmark and territory owned by a member of the Blue Moon pack. Just like the one we found that leads to the pack house behind the grandfather clock in the library, there's one to the shopping centre, the school, some of the elder houses, anyways you get the point." Bruce explained.

"Okay," Danica nodded. "But, I still don't see why we're here."

"Right, you see this cottage is a crossroad, it is the pinpoint every tunnel leads here. There are tunnel openings all over the house hidden and what is supposedly is the cellar leads to the crossroad, the one we came across leads from here to the Pack house which has several passage ways, some of the passage ways at the house connects one side of the house to the other."

"This is dangerous." Danica said taking Bruce by surprise, not understanding what she means by that. It was the last thing she had expected coming out of her mouth

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"Don't you see how dangerous this is for us?" Danica asked. "How many people know of this?"

"Well, myself, you and Alex." Bruce shrugged in a casual manner.

"And no one else?"

"Not that I know of any. I haven't told anyone but the two of you, why?"

"These passage ways linking everything and everyone, this makes us vulnerable. If a hunter or an enemy of the pack found out about this our lives would be in grave danger." Danica explained.

"Oh, I'm assuming some of the members of the elder council know of it well, some of them at least the ones that were here on the council before the reformation of the pack and Ed Anderson."

"The less who know the better, got it?"

"Yeah," He nodded.

"Oh, just so you know James will soon find out about this."

"Why?" Bruce asked defensive. "What happened to the less who know the better?"

"He's my best friend of course he will know!" Danica said, a flash of hurt crossed Bruce's features at her words, but were gone as soon as they came.

"Does that mean Chris will know about this?" Bruce asked in a harsh tone.

Danica shrugged her shoulders, "probably he is the Beta after all and if Alex decides to tell him ultimately Avery will find out since they're mates and all, you know no secrets are kept between mates and stuff."

"Will Mason find out about this then?" Bruce asked. "Since you two are mates." He added as an afterthought.

Danica whipped around stopping dead in her tracks to face him, she took a step forward closer to him with a deadly glint in her eye. "No-He-Won't." she spoke slowly each word laced with bitter venom. "Now why did you bring me here, if you got me out here, all the way to the meadows to taunt me, you could've done it back at the pack house where it's warm and has lighting." She told him bitterly as she turned around to avoid looking at him.

Bruce shook his head trying to clear it, "I'm sorry," he apologised as he sling an arm over her shoulders pulling her towards the closet under the staircase. Bruce opened the door wide open, allowing Danica to see inside, it was dusty and dirty covered in spider webs and dust balls. He took a step back proudly allowing her to see inside.

"Err... what is it I'm supposed to be looking at?" Danica asked in confusion.

Bruce's face dropped, sighing he asked, "What have I been explaining all this time?" He entered the closet, crouching so he didn't bump his head. "Look carefully at the ground." He instructed. "What do you see?"

"The floor"

"Look closer," as instructed Danica looked closer at the floor trying to spot what he was trying to show her. "Do you see the gold latch?"

A smile stretched across her face as she spotted it. "Yeah and there's a trap door there."

"That," Bruce pointed to the floor. "Is exactly what I was trying to show you, come on?" He said opening the door and looking down at the earthy wall surrounding the tunnel. "This one is connected to the tunnel we use to use." Switching the torch on Bruce jumped through without hesitation.

Danica starred at him mouth hanging open, she couldn't believe he just jump through, then again he is a shifter which is understandable. "Aren't there any form of steps or ladders?" She asked a little worried she hadn't done something like this in a while and was out of practice.

"Don't worry, Nic." Bruce said smirking. "I'll catch you." He promised. Danica nodded and jumped into the hole, blindly, in hopes of Bruce catching her. She was met by nothing but strong arms wrapping around her than the impact of the hard ground and the pain that followed.

"Come," Bruce pulled her through the tunnel, "you know if we were to go the other way we would end up at the field."

"So we're going towards the pack house?"

"Yep," he nodded.

"Why did we come all the way out here then, if we're going back?"

"Well, I needed to tell you about this place and not only that this way we go undetected." He briefly explained.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see." He smirked. "You know these passageways were built for us to be able to use while in our wolf form that's why they're so massive." He told her trying to change the subject.

Bruce used the light as guidance though it wasn't required more for Danica's benefits since she can't shift and her eye sight wasn't as good as theirs in the dark. Bruce came to a stop in front of large rustic gates, causing Danica to walk right into his back. Danica cursed holding her nose as she had hurt it bumping into him.

Bruce turned around facing her, "Shh," he gestured to be quiet. "They can hear us." He pointed upwards.

'Who,' she mouthed.

"The pack," he whispered, "right now we're under the pack house." Bruce opened the gates entering with Danica in tow.

"Wait," Danica said. "This is where dad took us that time." It was where Ed had taken them to discuss Mason and Danica as a couple as mates they stood facing the long corridor the door opposite them led right to the Alpha's office.

Bruce nodded, "I know."

"You know?" Danica arched an eyebrow surprised.

"Yeah, I kind of overheard." He shrugged.

"How much of it have you heard?"

"Let's just say Chris's promise and Ed's threat will be in practice right now if they knew what was going on."

"What threat?" Danica's eyes narrowed as she realised he knew more than she did.

"Doesn't matter," Bruce shrugged off, "now come, let's find it before sunrise?" Bruce went straight to a door without hesitation.

"So, that day you asked me about Mason, if, if he's my mate." Danica stated. "If you knew then why did you ask?"

His eyes slightly widen in surprise her question had caught him off guard, quickly he schooled his features, turning to face her he answered, "just to make sure its him." He shrugged trying to be casual but Danica could see that he was slightly out of his comfort zone.

"Where does that door lead us to?" Danica asked changing the subject seeing as he was trying so hard to.

"Nowhere," he told her as he pulled it open to reveal a broom closet full of cleaning supplies, Bruce ignored the look her was receiving from Danica and continued on his business going through the shelves stocked with cleaning products until his hand landed on the cold metal object, grinning he excited the room holding the key proudly, showing Danica the key in his hands. "This key opens this," he said as he unlocked the door. "Okay, not this one." he muttered moving over to the next door. "It's been a while since I've been down here." He tried to defend himself. The second door unlocked revealing the desired tunnel. "Exactly, this key opens this door; I was just playing with you." He tried to play it cool, walking through leading the way.

"Uh huh," Danica wasn't buying any of it. She followed him through with the hopes of Bruce not getting them lost. "Why was this tunnel locked?" Unlike the other's this one was padlocked which had Danica curious as to why, there must be a reason.

"For the exact reasons it's under the pack house."

Bruce's answer wasn't what she was expecting which annoyed her. "And that is..?" She snapped her patience wearing out.

"This tunnel leads to many skeletons of the pack's closet, you wouldn't want someone stumbling into these finding accidently, that's why the entrance to this is locked that is also why it was made under the pack house and not the cottage. The only way to this tunnel is from here, and if unwanted visitors do happen to stumble upon here... Let's just say it has its own defence system."

Danica frowned at his choice of words; Bruce noticed the look he was receiving. "Do you believe in magic?" He asked.

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged, "after all I live with a bunch of shape shifting werewolves."

"Good," Bruce smiled a little proud that his friend believed in magic. "These tunnels are manipulated with magic which is the cause of their defence system."

"Magic," She asked surprised that they had a witch involved in their business.

Bruce turned around and faced her coming so close that his breath fanned over her face. "Magic exactly. Everything has a little bit of magic within it-even the pack house."

Bruce opened the door that contained the room with all the secrets ever known to the pack. Danica's mouth hung open in surprise as she starred into the room, not believing what it held.