I - Os Dois Lados da Lua | I - Two Sides of the Moon

I DISCOVER A NEW ENEMY

POV JULIO

There were no words to describe how difficult it was to do that with Hope. Our short time together made me remember why I wanted to go back to New Orleans every summer, just to be with her. Listening to her open up, allowing herself to be vulnerable with me and then betraying her trust was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But if my father's suspicions were correct, it would be worth losing his friendship and affection if it meant she was safe. He was very clear, if she refused to be alpha, we would have no choice but to take care of her safety even if she rejected our protection.

I carried Hope in my lap by the most discreet paths I found. I was lucky most of the students were in class, the route to the garage where I would steal a car to get her out of there got cleaner. Once there, I was wondering how to leave it to start one of the vehicles when a voice spoke behind me:

LI: - It will be easier if I have the keys.

Tall, blonde, all worked in irony, yeah , Lizzie Saltzman . She, her sister Josie—who I met when I asked about Hope earlier—and another girl who didn't know who it was were behind me when I turned around.

J: - Look, I can't explain it now, but if you're here to stop me, you won't be able to. - I said trying to believe those words.

JO: - Don't worry, we came to help.

Okay, now I was surprised. Relying on the help of three girls I didn't trust was not in the plan my father gave me.

LI: - Apparently, your father has convinced ours that what he's doing is the safest thing for Hope.

J: - Convinced?

JO: - Not that it was very difficult, Hope's safety matters a lot for him and for us too.

F: - I think to accommodate the five of us, it's better to take your father's car. - The girl I didn't know the name said.

J: - We five? Are you going too ?

LI: - Trust me, she'll want to have us around when she wakes up and wants to kill you. Also, two witches and another werewolf will come in handy in this quest.

JO: - I think so too.

J: - I drive. - I decided not to question it.

I didn't know them well, nor did I trust them, but if my father thought they would be helpful in ensuring Hope's safety, I would take them with me. I put Hope in the front seat and we took off from there.

Minutes after we left school, Lizzie asked:

LI: - So what's the plan and where are we going?

J: - Wait, are you helping me and you don't even know the basics of this mission?

JO: - It's not like we had time to receive a newsletter. Our dad only let us come because being away from school is also a way to keep us safe from whatever your dad thinks he's going to attack.

J: - Okay, the plan is to keep Hope safe, as far as where we're going, to a safe place.

F: - Can you be more specific? As I understand her refusing to be alpha kind of puts a target on her back, it would be nice to know more than what you've told us so far.

J: - The crescents have many bases from which they monitor the borders and territories that we conquered over time, we are going to one of them. There, we will plan the next step.

LI: - Assuming Hope doesn't wake up and kill us first.

J: - Yeah, counting on that. As for the target in the back for refusing to be alpha, it's more complicated than that.