Moonless

Chapter 19

AN; I'm happily getting closer to my goal of 1,000 reads and 200 votes! We stand to meet our goal soonish with 166 votes and 799 reads! Anyone else become really creative when they get slightly heart gets broken? And I'm dumb because as I'm writing this I'm listening to Taylor Swift. Anyways, here's to another short chapter! I think the direction of my book is finally taking and it's a darker one.
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I gazed out the window, while two stone griffins flew passed us.

"What are you thinking about?" Grayson asked breaking the silence that had stretch between us for the last ten minutes.

My mind had been filled with the thoughts of Liam. I was trying to chase out the idea that he was in fact my brother from my head. For one, he didn't explicitly say his sister was a Lunera. But if he was a Lunera, than that would mean that I was the daughter of the Red Crescent's Alpha/  I would need to do some digging, and I had a person with a lot of information about him was sitting beside me driving. Too bad I couldn't ask him without possibly triggering the binding spell. It didn't mean I wouldn't try, but not here. Maybe later.

"Just that I have to live in the Alpha's mansion," I lied.

"You don't sound to happy about it."

"No, why would I like to live at a place like that?" a small chill went down my spine at the thought all the hidden cameras that would be pointed my way 24 hours a day.

"Grayson is there anyway that the cameras saw me walk in, or walk out of your room that...night?"

"No, mostly downstairs. There is just one in his office upstairs. The Alpha values his privacy."

"What about in your room?"

"I've found a couple of cameras in there before, but he's learned over the years that I will find any and all cameras and recording devices. I had to sweep the truck first before coming to get you, or I would have been here a lot sooner. As I suspected, there were none. Father wouldn't think that I would take Richards truck, and the man barely talks, what is there to record?"

"Hmm... smart."

"You sound surprise."

"I am."

Grayson let out a soft laugh.

"You know, despite everything. I'm happy that you will be close and not so far away."

I looked over at Grayson, whose eyes were fixed forward on the icy road ahead of us.

Seeming it sense my eyes on him, we spared a quick glimpse in my direction, before returning his gaze to the road.

He sighed, "I'll keep my distance while we are awake, but in return I do expect to see you in my dreams."

A smile spread across my lips before I could even stop it, and I bit my lips to keep it under control.

"Okay," I replied and then seemingly out of no where, another thought came bubbling to the surface of my mind.

"Grayson, don't you think that it's weird that the Alpha wants us to come to live here on the mansion, and nowhere else? Like why not somewhere else on pack land?"

The truck came to a stop in front of the iron gates.

"I think you're reading too much into it. My dad is a control freak. That's why he's moving you guys in."

Just like Richard had the other night, Grayson leaned out the window and pressed the button. The intercom buzzed to life and he said his name. The gates instantly swung open.

"If you say so..." I gazed apprehensibly at the four story log mansion growing bigger and bigger the closer we got to it.

Grayson pulled up to the front of the mansion. I reached out and stopped him before he could turn off the engine. I gave him a pleading look.

"Grayson, absolutely no talking to each other from this point, and if you do it is to order me to do something."

"Come on Aurelia, I'm not a complete idiot, only the Alpha's son orders you around," He grinned.

I shook my head at him and opened the door, and stepped onto the snow covered ground  below.

I jumped when Richard appeared seeming out of nowhere on my side of the truck.

"Thanks for letting me burrow the truck Richard!" Grayson said and tossed Richard the keys.

Richard caught them with ease and gave Grayson a nod, before he climbed in the truck, and sped away into the daylight.

Meanwhile, I waited patiently by the steps till he was besides me and we climbed up the stone stairs until we reached the top. We paused while he opened the door, and we both stepped into the warmth of the Alpha's mansion.

The double staircase was still wrapped with garland and ribbons and beside it, and beside it the Christmas tree decorated with tinsel and blue and silver bulbs rose up into the wooden rafters. It was while I stood gazing at the tree that I remembered that Christmas was actually only three days away.

At the top stood of the staircase on the balcony stood the Alpha. His fingers curled around the banister while he stared down at us, like a vengeful god that had just deemed us unworthy. And a lot of ways, that was true.

At the bottom of the staircase stood Caesar, then Beatrice, and Benedick. Beatrice was leaning heavily on Benedick, who looked like he was supporting most of her weight. I was relieved to see them, but while my eyes traced their solemn faces, grief quickly made a reappearance.

Connor stood beside them, looking way to pleased with himself. The light reflected brightly off his shaved head. It made my skin crawl just looking at him.

"What are you waiting for. Go stand beside them," Grayson said loudly and gave me a little shove on the shoulder.

I stumbled forward, balanced myself and took my place besides them.

"To much,  it looks like I was misbehaving, and you're punishing me."

"But that's how I see Connor treat the other Lunera."

"Is that how you treat the other Lunera?"

"No..."

"Welcome," the Alpha said, but everything about his voice did not scream welcome.

"You were late for introductions 23, but we were about to start off with a lesson. A lesson about what it means to be a thieving Lunera."

From behind his back Connor produced a wine bottle. A familiar wine bottle, one that had been smuggled out of the Alpha's mansion the other night.