Tomorrow Never Dies (Moonlight 3)

Chapter 6-Replay

Once we'd finished dinner, my mother had dropped Ashton and I off at Michael's place. As we stepped out the car, I noticed that Ashton was already looking a lot better. The colour had returned to his cheeks, and there was only a faint scar line running beneath his eye. If I hadn't known, it was there I might not have even noticed or just thought he'd simply scratched underneath his eye. I was just glad to see that the solution was working and quite clearly Ashton's healing had started to kick back in.

The front porch light had been left on and I reached in my pocket for the house key. It wasn't unusual for me anymore to have a key to whoever's place I was occupying now.

Ashton and I walked up the driveway and onto the front porch. As I looked back I could still see the bright beaming headlights of my mothers' car outside as if to make sure we'd make it in okay. The moment the door closed behind us, I heard the engine start and the car drive away.

I couldn't help the small smile that played on my lips. It didn't bother me all that much. I was just glad at how far she was going these days to help protect us.

Ashton stuck close behind me as we climbed the staircase up to Michael's bedroom. The door was closed, so I knocked on the door. There was no response. Ashton and I exchanged nervous glances.

I bit my lip as I carefully pulled open the door. There was a shape sitting on the other side of the room, a box of takeaway food lying by his side. The smell still lingered in the room. A Fall Out Boy song pumped over the speaker. Michael was avidly focused on his game on the television screen. I didn't recognise it, so I assumed that it must be a new one.

"Hey Mikey." I spoke, entering the room, with Ashton trailing behind me.

"Hey, how was dinner?" He replied chirpily, his eyes barely leaving the screen. Suddenly he paused and there was a loud noise as his character died in the game. His eyes quickly spun to Ashton, before growing wide, "Wait. Ash what on earth are you doing here? I thought you were-"

"I was-" Ashton interrupted already anticipating what Michael was about to say.

Michael paused his eyes seeming to hover over Ashton for a moment. His gaze lingered on the light scar beneath his eye. It was clear that he was realising that something wasn't quite right.

"What happened?" Michael begun, his face falling.

Ashton went on to explain everything that he'd told me had happened tonight. A horrified expression barely left Michael's face the entire time. He kept shaking his head, and through the bond I could sense the anger building in him. I think that Ashton's attackers were lucky he didn't recognise them. Michael would've been onto them in an instant.

Then Ashton showed him the post it note. Michael's face fell even further.

"But Mei and Mikayla are supposed to be locked up still. It's not like there would be another Shadow Wolf around either could there?" Michael exclaimed, as he passed the note back to Ashton.

"None that would have or know this symbol." Ashton frowned. "All those hunters and other Shadow Wolves were locked up too."

Michael and I both nodded slowly.

"Unless maybe someone else is working for them?" I suggested thinking of just how many Shadow Wolves and hunters had been with them that night. The group had split off when we'd forced them to shift back, very easily a few could've slipped past the hunters and escaped.

Michael nodded, "True, it's possible that someone survived and escaped that night."

"Wait what if the attacks and the post it notes are related? What if Mei is somehow convincing humans to attack us?" I wondered aloud, "I mean it wouldn't be that hard with the news and all."