Glass Moon

—Bain

AARAV WAS NO OSMOND.

Aarav didn’t have Sawyer’s filthy rich taste in floral prints. Aarav was simple, minimalist, and so fucking humble.

Everyone lived in the main village, simple houses surrounding fields, and everyone pulled their weight.

This place welcomed me the second I got here with Constance. Constance was their lost princess it seemed because they treated us with such royalty, the kind of treatment the Soothsayer would beg for, and I couldn’t wait to rub it in.

“Hey, are you okay?” Constance was handing out pamphlets with me about their Moon Solstice.

Her dark skin glistened in the Aarav sun, the weather was hotter down here and my skin grew colour from my time here.

Constance wasn’t my mate. That brutal snap to Alice was telling enough.

We spoke about what our relationship meant now. Constance and I were in an understanding of our relationship. She didn’t have a mate, I didn’t have a mate, and we knew we weren’t each other’s. Because moon I’m afraid doesn’t like us that fucking much.

We were strictly friends, and we were happy.

I hadn’t told her about Alice. I hadn’t told anyone. I told her that I had met my mate that night but sometimes the moon chooses wrong and I knew Constance wanted it to be her.

Smiling, “Yeah, you?”

Her smile was wider once we arrived here, she was with her people, and she vibrated with joy and I wouldn’t ruin it.

She nodded and continued handing out her pamphlets.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket, and I glanced at the screen as I pulled it out, “Shit.”

It was Eden.

I hadn’t spoken to her in months, or anyone in Osmond, and I didn’t know if it was guilt or avoidance. Knowing I couldn’t keep anything from them.

My finger pressed the green button, and I rose it to my ear, “Hey—”

“How about ‘sorry for not calling Eden, I’ve been so busy enjoying my new life to give a damn about you or my family’?” Eden’s tone was playful, “How are you?”

I laughed, turning away from Constance’s questioning look, “I’m good, E,” my hand came up to block the sun from my eyes, “How’s everyone?”

How’s Alice? The words fighting against the inside of my lips to come out.

I could hear Sawyer’s loud voice in the background, telling me to come home, and went to laugh when Eden spoke again, “Actually, that’s why I’m calling,” my ribs hurt during the breath of silence, “It’s Alice.”

Fuck. My gut hollowed out.

I stepped inside from the noise of the street, blocking my other ear with my finger, and I tried to remain calm, “What do you mean?”

“I think something happened to her,” her voice was wobbly as she tried to explain, “A few weeks after you left, she asked to go to this fancy school with the humans, and it was overseas—”

“Overseas?” I felt the anger rise in me.

“Don’t yell at me, Bain!” she snapped, “She was depressed, she had no one her age, and I let her go. I called her every week, and she was loving it, but until a month ago, she stopped answering.”

I let out a breath to steady myself, “You waited a whole fucking month to call me.”

“I’m sending some of Sawyer’s Deltas to go find her,” Eden ignored me, and continued, “I think you should come home in case something—”

“No, nothing has happened, and don’t bother with the Deltas,” I was already moving to my room, adrenaline pumping through my veins, “I’ll find her myself,” and I hung up.

My best bet is that Alice just had enough of the baby sitting, and decided to go MIA, not realising the fucking rescue team that’s about to hit her.

My door opened as I was shoving clothes into my bag, and I didn’t have to look up to know it was Constance, “What happened?”

I felt the pressure on my chest rise, threatening to turn it into tears as the panic turned into fear. I didn’t know what I’d do if something happened to Alice, but I held the emotions down while I continued to pack, “Alice is missing, Eden needs me to find her.”

“Why you?” I could hear the frown in her voice, “I mean, don’t they have wolves for that.”

Swallowing the anxiety-induced tears that threatened to escape, I looked up at her with disbelief, “Are you saying I shouldn’t go?”

Constance shrugged, “I just think there’s better people suited to do this,” she was silent for a moment before taking a step towards me, “I guess I’m just scared that you won’t come back.”

Closing my suitcase, and I laughed, grabbing her hands, “Connie, it’s just a stupid rescue mission, and then I’ll be back in no time.”

I could see it in her eyes that she wanted to argue, to disagree, but she smiled, and offered me a small nod, “Okay, did you need help packing?”

I took a car to Osmond, because I was too overwhelmed with the thoughts of Alice missing that I wasn’t completely certain if my wolf would just scent her, and run after her.

And wolves do not swim.

Quinn was the first to greet me at Sawyer’s door, as always, and I struggled to breathe in her grip, “Took you long enough to come back.”

I laughed, pulling back, “I’m only visiting.”

She ignored me, and pulled me into the house, “Aten has not stopped talking about you after E said you were coming.”

“It’s true,” Urith met us in the foyer, clapping a hand on my back as he leaned in to hug me.

That second, I was greeted with a heavy blow to my legs, little arms squeezing them desperately, and I had to grab onto Urith to stop me from toppling over, “Hi Aten.”

The realisation struck me as the young boy smiled up at me, “Uncle Bee,” I had been gone for five whole years, Aten was a baby when I left, and seeing him now with working legs had regret swirling in my blood.

I had missed so much. I had missed them so much.

I reached down to pick him up, and he laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world as he grabbed my cheeks. He was a spitting image of Sam, orange hair had sat wildly on his little head, and the bluest eyes, which was no doubt a gift from his mother.

Walking further into the obnoxious mansion, we found the Soothsayer arguing with his Peacekeeper, and Sawyer looked up instantly as we entered, “As if you didn’t come to see me first,” he mused.

“Your highness,” I mocked a bow, making Aten laugh as I bent down.

Erik also found it amusing but said nothing, and Sawyer clicked his tongue disapprovingly, “Very funny, Eden’s waiting for you in the kitchen.”

The anticipation was making my hands sweat, I handed over Aten to Quinn, and headed into the kitchen. Eden was stirring something over the stove, the smell made my stomach rumble, but I ignored it, and approached her, “What’re you cooking?”

The Soothsayer had tried to give up the Alpha position to Eden, but Alexei told me Eden refused, and gave it to Quinn. All of them Alpha potential, all powerful enough to lead a pack, and so Eden asked the pack to choose.

The pack, of course, chose all of them.

Sawyer insisted on being the Gamma, leaving the Alpha positions to Eden and Quinn. The pack accepted.

Urith happily remained the Sigma, and Alexei now was the sole Beta, and if there was a happier pack, I had yet to meet them.

I wish I was here for it. To witness to change in power.

I was now nothing in this pack. I renounced my position for Constance. For her pack to accept me as nothing. I held no position, and being here with my family, brought regret flooding my thoughts.

Eden turned around with a wide smile, “Bain!” her brown hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and the apron she wore barely covered her protruding belly, “How are you?”

I accepted her hug without hesitation, “What the hell Changeling, when were you going to tell me?”

Eden and Alexei haven’t had any children in the last five years, and we we’re all waiting for the news. Alexei kept in constant contact with me, but this was a surprise because he didn’t tell me they were expecting.

“Alex was going to but then Alice happened,” she insisted.

“Does Alice know?” I took a spoon from the drawer and dipped it in the pot.

Eden was quiet, not answering my question.

I tasted the delicious stew, and looked back at her with a questioning look, “No?”

“I can’t get a hold of her!” her tone was irritated, “I knew I shouldn’t have let her bloody go.”

“It’s fine, E,” I ensured her, “I think she just wanted a break from you checking up on her all the time, she’s perfectly fine.”

She better be fucking fine.

Eden’s dark eyes met mine, glistening with worry, and she sighed, “Thank you for doing this.”

“Please, he needed a break from all that good samaritan crap they have him doing down there,” Alexei strolled in, kissing Eden’s cheek before taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

Eden frowned, “I thought you liked it there,” she smacked my hand away as I tried to get another taste, “How’s Miles?”

There was a stiff silence as she glanced at me, “Stop looking at me like that,” I sat down next to Alexei, “I do like it there, and we’re just friends.”

“Does she know that?” another questioning look from the pregnant cook, and she held out the spoon, “Alex, come stir while I give Bain my opinion.”

A groan left my lips, “E, honestly—”

She ignored me with an icy glare, “I know Miles isn’t your mate,” her dark eyes saw right through me, “Otherwise, you would be together, and I know you both are desperate for that—”

“Desperate?” I gaped at her offensive choice of words.

“But, it’s not healthy to be in a relationship where both parties are going to be hurt, I know you say you’re friends, and I love Miles with every inch of my heart,” she held her hand over her heart as if it was trying to jump out, “I wanted you together so badly, but the moon chooses the right one, and you can’t keep dragging whoever you want around with you.”

Her intensity was too much. I had to step away from her so desperately that I walked away, and pretended that I needed a glass of water, “What would you have me do, E?”

She smiled, trying to soften her next words, “Stop watering the dead flowers, they’re never going to grow,” she took over Alexei at the stove, “I love you and Miles too much to see this fall apart.”

I knew she was right. My mother used to say the same thing, “Stop carrying around a dead carcass like it’s going to come back to life.”

Eden reminded me of my mother. Book smart and headstrong.

“Motherhood makes you crazy,” I muttered, receiving a glare in return.

“Now, did you bring a car?” Alexei asked, after Eden shooed him away.

My frown was my answer, “What?”

His smile widened, “You have to take the ferry to Weatherbrae, only way in and out.”

Weatherbrae.

It was further east of Osmond, over the ocean, and was densely populated by humans. It stunk of posh humans, who I bet believed they are the toughest thing to walk the earth and getting there was the shitty part.

Weatherbrae is its own island, the entire island is Weatherbrae, and the school dominated majority of the land. Only one way in and one way out. I didn’t like places like that.

“Is that where Alice is?” my tone skeptical because I thought those types of people would annoy Alice.

Alexei’s amused nod was not the answer I was hoping for. I was irritated. Fuck Weatherbrae. Fuck the ferry. Fuck Alice. If she’s not dead, she’s going to be.

“So, what happens if I do find her, and she is okay,” I took the address Alexei handed me, “Am I just leaving her, and returning to Aarav?”

Eden shook her head, “She’s not answering my calls for a reason, so even if she is fine, she’s doing something she shouldn’t be,” she turned to look at me, “We both know how impulsive Alice can be.”

Impulsive, yes. I remember with crystal clear memory of the electric fear that coursed through my body when Alice decided to go in the burning house. My burning house back in Anwir.

My anxiety didn’t allow me to sit there anymore, and my legs moved for me, “Okay, I’ll call you when I find her.”

Eden walked me out, she placed a hand on my arm before I jumped into the car, “If you do find her, and she’s what you say she is, just bored of my check-ins,” she looked inconsolably sad, “Leave her, don’t even approach her, and when you return, visit before you disappear again, okay?”

My heart broke for her. In a way, it was always broken for her, ever since she lost Sam, and I knew she missed the way we used to be. One family, living together, and even though we were still family, I felt her loss.

My hand gripped hers over my arm, “I promise.”

“Okay, be safe, and I love you,” She shut my car door, and watched me drive out. I made a silent promise to myself to make Alice feel like shit when I find her.

I hate ferries. Boats in general made me uneasy. No way off.

The whole trip took a few hours, and it was dark when I arrived, I was the only one who got off at Weatherbrae, making me more uneasy.

Like a tumour, Weatherbrae had a town attached to the school, and it consisted of a few shops, a café, and a bar. Behind the prodigious red brick wall, stood the ominous school, and the wall stood like a blanket, wrapping around the imposing building. A few houses scattered over the hills past the school, and the street lights almost acted like stars, Weatherbrae was bigger than I thought.

It was too late to visit the school, so I parked my car at the bar with every intention to head over to the school’s gate, and shout Alice’s name until that brat came out, but I turned my head to the packed bar. Through the window a redhead was serving drinks at the bar, her short hair clipped behind her head, and she was looking at me. Squinting as if she couldn’t see through the tinted windows, her hazel eyes searching around me, and I knew then that she couldn’t see me. Except, I knew who she was because I would know that face anywhere.

Alice.

Fucking Alice.

I thought of what Eden said, to leave her, and then I remembered how heartbroken she would be if I returned to tell her Alice was perfectly fine. That she was just ignoring her sister’s calls for no reason.

I wanted to burst in there, and embarrass that selfish brat, but instead I returned to my car. I waited as I watched Alice hand out drink after drink, her smile was bright and polite, and I wanted to strangle her.

Her face had changed slightly, her shoulders broader, and she no longer resembled a skeleton. 16-year-old Alice was a small fragile wolf, I knew that Alice. I didn’t know this Alice, and I was going to meet this Alice, I would wait all night if I had to.

It was close to closing time when the last customer left, and that same second, I was already through the bar’s doors.

Alice was talking with the other staff, her laugh was fake and short, and she grabbed a bunch of empty glasses, taking them to the kitchen. The other bar staff consisted of a female and a male, the girl was Alice’s age, and her hair was in two spikey buns at the back of her head. Her hair was half black, half bright pink, and her slanted eyes were heavily coated with eyeshadow of the same colour. Her eyes almost as dark as the dark side of her hair, she eyed me with annoyance, “Mate, we close in 5,” she was placing dry glasses on the shelf, “We aren’t taking any more orders.”

“I’m not here for a drink,” I took a seat at the bar, leaning forward on my elbows, “I’m here for Alice.”

“No one called Alice works here,” she lied, turning to place more glasses on the shelf, “You must have the wrong place.”

The male had his arms crossed, watching me with irritation, and remained silent as I frowned at the girl, “Funny, I just saw her.”

“What are you doing here, Rienshaw?” my back straightened instantly at Alice’s return. Her hazel eyes were skittish as they went from me to her co-workers.

I clenched my fists as I mocked a laugh, “I thought it would’ve been harder to find you in this fucking shit hole, but I guess selfishness stinks enough to leave a trail,” my tone was harsh, but I was fucking mad, “Explain yourself, Addandam.”

“Hey, watch the tone arsehole,” the male spat.

I turned my head towards him, leaving my gaze burning into Alice’s before finally taking in the human male’s light eyes, “This doesn’t concern you.”

Alice grabbed the guy’s arms, “Luke, I’m sorry but I’m fine,” she started ushering him into the kitchen, “Go home, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Luke didn’t want to leave but he listened to Alice, and I eyed the spikey haired girl who watched me with a stubborn gaze, “Go on, try to scare me Oracle.”

I hid my surprise, and glared at Alice instead, “You must be really fucking stupid if you’re telling humans about us.”

Alice’s lips lifted slightly as she returned my glare with her own, “I didn’t have to tell her.”

The girl in question stepped towards me, holding out her hand, “Romani Wicker, Roe to my friends, I’m a Soulwalker,” her grip was hard, “You can call me neither.”

Soulwalker.

Soulwalkers are humans born into the life of a werewolf. They know everything we know, and they’re fucking annoying.

“Congratulations,” I pulled back my hand, and returned my attention to the selfish brat, “Go on, explain to me why you’re ignoring your sister’s calls, I’m dying to know.”

Her mouth gaped open, “E sent you?” she huffed as exasperated laugh, “I should have seen this coming.”

Her answer only irritated me more, “Regardless, if she sent me or not, I just travelled across the fucking ocean to make sure you were alive, because your sister has been worried sick,” I gestured to her middle-class bar, “and you’ve been perfectly fine, just ignoring her.”

“Roe, can you give us a minute?” her voice soft, as she walked around the bar to take the seat next to me.

She smelt nice.

Her friend eyed me before, heading into the kitchen as I waved her off, “Bye, Miss Wicker.”

Up close, Alice looked tired. Her hazel eyes were sunken, dark circles lived under them, and I found myself frowning at her freckled face, “You look like you’ve been through hell.”

Her lips lifted into a small smile, “How can you tell?” she dropped the smile as she continued, “I can’t answer her calls, because I can’t lie to her, and if I tell her the truth of why I’m actually here, she’ll come get me herself.”

I frowned, fear re-introducing itself in my blood, “Why are you here?”

Her eyes glistened as she met mine, “I’m here to find my father.”

“I thought they killed your father,” I said carefully.

She shook her head strongly, “They never caught him, and no one did anything about it, but I know he has my mother,” her eyes wild as she explained, “I know she’s alive, and I will not let Eden stop me.”

I ran my hands through my hair, “Addandam, I don’t think—”

“She’s alive,” Alice insisted.

Curse both of these Addandam daughters, so goddamn headstrong.

There was a beat of silence.

“So, what am I going to tell your sister?” I said through a sigh.

Again, with the rigorous head shake, “You can’t tell her.”

My frown was back, “I have to tell her something, she’ll stress the fuck out otherwise.”

I couldn’t tell her she was fine, it’d break her heart, and then I couldn’t tell her why Alice hadn’t been answering her calls. I couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t fine, or Eden would have a heart attack.

Throughout the conversation, I didn’t notice my hand coming to rest next to hers on the bar, or the both of our heads leaning toward one another, and if Alice noticed, she hadn’t made it obvious. I wanted to ask how she was, since that night five year ago, and deep down I desperately wanted to know if Luke and her were just friends.

“How are you going to find him?” I asked instead.

She opened her mouth to answer, but shrugged instead, “Why do you care?” she stood from the stool, “You’re going back to Aarav.”

“Hey hey hey, I don’t think so,” I followed her to back of the bar, “Eden sent me to see if you were alive—”

“And I am,” she turned quickly to glare at me, “There’s nothing holding you here.”

You are.

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” I added, following her into the kitchen, and to where the Soulwalker was waiting, “I’m not leaving.”

Romani sighed, “I knew you were going to say that,” she stood, grabbing her bag, and car keys, “Come on Alice, let’s go.”

I grabbed Alice’s arm, stopping her, “Addandam, I’m serious,” her hazel eyes watched my hand before meeting my eyes, “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Her mouth lifted into a breathtaking smile, “That’s not your problem, Rienshaw,” she grabbed her own bag, “You made sure of that.”

I let her pull her arm free, her words hitting me in the face, and I let them. Returning to my car, my chest heaving to breathe, and I slapped my steering wheel with irritation. I watched their frames walk past my car, both getting into Romani’s car, and drive off. I found myself starting my car, waiting a few minutes before following them.

I wasn’t going to let Alice kill herself.

They drove into the starry night of streetlights, turning only once down a street, and then slowing down to stop in front of a small house. I watched as they both got out, laughing at something, and I stopped my car a few houses down.

That moment Eden called me. The vibration of my phone made me jump, I fumbled to get it out of my pocket, and I watched it ring in my hand. I thought of letting it ring out, to keep Alice’s secret, but then I thought of Eden on the other side of the phone, and then I couldn’t just let it ring out.

“Hey,” I tried to answer with a cheerful tone.

“Bless the moon, I thought you weren’t going to answer,” her voice was coming the phone in a whisper, fear controlling her, “Any news?”

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, “Uh yeah, I found her, and she’s completely fine,” I reassured her, and there was silence on the other end, but I was quick to add, “She’s had phone trouble, apparently they take their phones at the school.”

The lie was thick in my throat, but I couldn’t worry her. If Eden was skeptical, she didn’t let it show, “Really?”

I fingered my hair, “Yeah, she’s totally fine E,” I cleared my throat, “It’s just the school.”

She’s breathed out a breath, “I was so worried, I’m so glad you found her,” I could hear her tell Alexei, before returning back to me, “Thank you Bain, I appreciate it so much.”

I hate myself.

“Don’t mention it,” I faked a yawn, “The trip drained me though, so I’m going to stay the night, and see if Alice is all good before I come back.”

“Yes, of course,” I could hear her continuing to tell everyone on her end that Alice was fine, “Call me when you get back, be safe, I love you.”

“Will do, love you too,” I mumbled as I hung up.

I waited for Alice and Romani to get inside before I turned off my car, and I headed up to the house. Scared they would see me, as I snuck around the back. The back of the house was a glass sliding door, white blinds were half closed as I peered in, and watched Alice boil her kettle on the stove.

There was a large table in the corner, it angled to face the stool sitting in front of it, and it reminded me of an easel. On it was several scattered pieces of artworks, all coloured bases, and none contained the same colour. It was almost like someone was trying to capture an atmosphere, the colours blended with each other, and all only had two colours.

I wondered why Romani would paint such things, until Alice walked over to the table, and stared at the pieces of work with such criticism that only an artist would to her own work.

Her hazel eyes moved from piece to piece until she rolled her eyes, turning to the door where I was standing, and her glare was harsh enough to melt the glass, “What are you still doing here?”

She stood to open the sliding door, her arms crossing instantly as I stepped into the room, “I told you I wasn’t leaving.”

“I thought you meant the bar,” she groaned, sitting on the stool in front of the easel table.

“I didn’t know you were a painter,” I leaned into to see the artworks. One a strong yellow, bleeding into a turquoise, and it was nothing else. Just a coloured background, “What are they supposed to be?”

Alice took a sip of her tea, ignoring my question, “Rienshaw, why are you still in Weathers?”

I laughed, ”Weathers?" I picked up the one artwork that was only a shade of pink, “When did you become one of these snotty humans?”

She rolled her hazel eyes, I saw the irritation grow in those hazel eyes, but she ignored my question again, “What did you tell Eden?”

My frown grew on my face, “Stop answering my questions with questions.”

Her laugh was small, but washed through me nonetheless, she looked up at me, “How’s Miles?”

I didn’t want to answer that question. I didn’t want to upset her, not that there was anything to disclose that would upset here. Me and Constance were friends. Eden was probably right about letting go. I would always be drawn to Alice, no matter how far into a relationship I would go with Constance. That’s the beauty of being soul-tied. I turned the piece of paper, and shook it at her like she was a bull and I was a Torero, “What is this?”

Her eyes glowed in memory, “That’s Sam.”

I was relieved that she finally answered a question, but my confusion held my brows down, “What?”

She took the piece of art carefully, “This is Sam’s aura.”

Realisation striking me so hard I almost had to hold on the table, “His aura?”

She watched the pieces of work, turning to watch me, and her eyes lingered on the air around me. A cautious smile spreading on her freckled face, “I’m a Channeller.”