The Secrets of a Luna

Chapter Sixty-One: A Bittersweet Goodbye!

Evelyn:

The alphas stared at me, the series of questions never ending. Joy glittered in their eyes, the immense stress laid beneath my polite smile. Running his hand through his hair, Evan slid over a pile of black files. Why was there always more work than I could work through?

"We did some research on a new hunter's organization." Evan expressed with a quiet fury in his eyes, my face falling. "I am aware you have demons, angels and everything after you. We need to nip this in the butt before it becomes a problem." Devin wandered in, his tired eyes falling on us. Looking worse for wear, his messy hair told me a tale of sleepless nights. Motioning for him to sit down, he reeked of something fierce. Where the hell had he been? He had a habit of disappearing, my brow rising in suspicion.

"When was the last time you slept?" I inquired cautiously, focusing on Evan's gray designer suit. "Are your quarters not up to your standards?" Rubbing his forehead, dirt covered Devin's white t-shirt. He had disappeared for a while, his past week having been spent camping in the woods. Snatching a piece of fried chicken, he took a bite.

"I took a hike to clear my mind. I have been through Hell and you know that." He snapped hotly, my eyes narrowing in his direction. "You could shut the death glare down." Softening my expression, it suddenly became clear that I was the leader of them all. Leaning my head back, a long sigh poured from my lips.

"You guys don't actually think that I am your leader do you?" I asked impatiently, snapping my head back. An awkward silence hung in the air, no one meeting my eyes. Grappy wandered in, taking a seat on the counter. Folding his arms across his chest, he blew his hair out of his eyes. Of course he was going to confirm my worst fears.

"I believe they do. My brothers do as well, so get used to it." He uttered simply, his foot tapping incessantly. "You saved us all. We owe you our loyalty as our captain." Instead of processing all of the eyes on me, my leadership roles had been piled onto me. Tucking a piece of hair behind my ears, everyone seemed to follow me blindly. Tears welled up in my eyes, the weight on my shoulders dragging me to the damn floor. This wasn't fair, the work kept suffocating me.

"I appreciate it all but I don't d-" I began, Devin putting his hand in the air. Cupping my shoulders, his intense gaze snapped me back to reality. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks, the emotional agony showed on his face. Wiping away his tears, this man had been broken down to an empty shell. Something else hovered behind him, my lips pressing into a thin line. Was it a death shadow?

"You can do it. We just have to work as a team and not separate units." He comforted me with a sad smile, his hands rubbing my shoulders. "I know you care more than we ever could. Take your crown with vigor and guide us through this war." Chewing on my lips, this was the first time he spoke up for me in such a way. Rising to his feet, he ruffled the top of my head. Something ate at me, the way he was speaking sounded like a desperate cover for a goodbye.

"Evie, you are the strongest of us all. You see the bigger picture. You helped me without thinking." He continued sweetly, shoving his hands into his pocket. "I am going to take you out to dinner. You know, just the two of us. I want to show you something. Do I have your permission, Hudson?" Nodding once, he marched upstairs to take a shower. Turning my attention back to the files in front of me, everyone was expecting me to step up. Opening the first one, they all seemed young. Such horror haunted me at the idea of probably having to kill them, my heart sinking. Just looking at their pictures, I knew they wouldn't give up.

"How about we watch them for a hot minute and attempt to sway them to our side?" I suggested serenely, scanning the page. "If they don't comply, we can kill them." Fear burned bright in their eyes at my harsh words. We didn't need another group to battle, the chair creaking as I stood up. Bowing in their direction, a major migraine throbbed violently. Chewing on my nails, I took a second look.