Moon's Assassin

{8} "Reincarnate"

The cramp in my hand intensified as my scribbles grew swifter and messier, until finally I released the pen with a sharp exhale of breath. I had been translating the message, which was rough considering the ancient Latin language never really translated into English well. Licking my lips I rub the spot between the brows reading the words over and over again.

"Have you been up all night?" The new male voice caught me off guard to the point I actually jumped a little in my seat. Angry with myself I spun my head around, hair up in a bun, to meet Zander's concerned eyes. He held a plate of foot and a steaming mug in the free hand. Holding it out, I gingerly took it from him muttering a quiet thanks, voice rough from lack of use in the past twelve hours.

"Yes." I finally answered after my first long drink of the vanilla black tea. "I've narrowed it down to a loose translation, the literal translation really didn't make sense." I explain placing the food and mug down to grab my notes and handing it to him. The look he sent me was one of pure confusion and I realized it looked like to chicken scratch to anyone but myself. Wincing I snatch it back, placing it on the table once more and grabbing the hot mug once more. "It essentially is saying, 'Moon Warriors, I will cross the veil and then nothing will be able to stop the plague I bring to this world'." My words were met with a deep frown, as I'm sure he was debating who exactly the "I" was in this equation.

"Alright. Well that doesn't bode well for us." He spoke while rubbing the scruff of his jawline. "Any ideas?" His brow quirking in curiosity.

"No solid leads so far. I'll be looking into it, call in a few favors to try and find more info. Might even call up the vamps." The corner of my mouth lifts up in amusement to see his reaction to the vampire comment. We weren't mortal enemies but we did find a lot of conflict in the simple way of their food and prey were humans, and werewolves have always been tasked with keeping the secret of our underground world and having men and women hunt down humans was pretty difficult to contain and hide especially when they can't survive without said blood and most of the time the human ended up dead. Big no no.

"Well, choosing to ignore that, how is Madelyn doing?" He takes a seat next to my own, giving a long look at my food before returning his gaze to me in a 'eat' kind of look. Rolling my eyes I take a few drinks and bites of my food as he patiently waits for my answer.

"She's struggling. This wasn't the first time fighting rogues, but it was the first time she's been bit so many times." I flinch remembering the blood on the hospital bed. "But the doctors are hopeful she'll pull through, says she has a good chance. But she can't travel right now, so if I could have your permission to stay until sh—"

"You don't even have to ask. You all are welcome to stay for as long as needed." Zander reached out, lightly trailing his thumb over the shape of my jaw, momentarily hypnotizing me with his slow and deliberate movements. "So, have you thought about what I've said?" His eyes finally leave the trail his hand was making to meet my own.

"Zander," I start, trailing off seeing the intensity in his gaze. "The fairytale, it ends in tragedy." I finally whisper after a pause.

"Plenty of stories end in tragedy, that doesn't mean every one will. There are so many stories of love, adventure, and happiness, why should one that ends in tragedy hold you back from a potential story of your own that ends in your favor?" His point was logically sound; I could find no real fault here yet, I was still hesitant.

"But—" Before I can even try to back pedal he plows through.

"No buts. Life means taking risks, and this could be a risk but I believe the possibilities of positive outcomes outweighs the negatives." His eyes begged me to give in, to let him in. My shoulders rose and fell a few times, my mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish out of water.