Song: chaotic academia playlist by theadultsaretalking

"Cut it out!" I shouted. My head was pounding with an oncoming migraine. I cursed under my breath as I swerved to avoid the sudden car drifting into our lane. Gripping the steering wheel, I glanced into the rear-view mirror. The first thing I saw was Pride and Flora's blanket covered figures in the far back.

Whatever.

They weren't the issue here.

"Stay on your side," Sky spat. Shoving her large black suitcase between her and Reign for the umpteenth time. She glared at the mildly irritated wolf beside her. Her tan face was creased with lines of annoyance.

"I haven't moved since we got in this car, pup." Reign gave her an uninterested once over before cracking another book open. I sighed, relieved at the end of their three hour argument.

That relief quickly died as soon as I caught sight of Sky's narrowing doe grey eyes. Shit.

"Pup?" Sky repeated. Malice dripped from her naturally light voice. I swore again as another car cut me off and I was forced to veer out of yet another accident.

"A pup is a child," Reign replied. His apathy shined clear as day as he continued to leaf through the golden pages without a care in the world. "Which is what you've been acting like since we left Delaware."

"I am not a child!" Sky grumbled under her breath as she shoved the suitcase into Reign's side.

"Can you guys-"

"A child would've done exactly that," Reign deadpanned. Turning on my blinker, I turned right and tried my hardest to drive and police the siblings behind me.

"Please-"

"I'm the child?! I'm the child?!" Sky shoved her suitcase again. The only difference this time was that she'd knocked Reign's book out of his hand. The old novel fell with a heavy thump and Reign's usual expressionless eyes turned icy cold.

Flicking my eyes between the road and the war erupting over my shoulder, I eyed a café in the distance with hope. Maybe food would distract them until we got to the Moon Seekers Pack? They hadn't eaten much since I'd forced us to hit the road at seven am. Their natural dislike for each other in addition to a near empty stomach wasn't putting them in the best mood.

Food could fix that.

Food fixed everything.

"Listen here you insolent brat," Reign hissed. I shivered at the frosty tone of his voice. Peeking at the scene behind me, the sight of Reign's frigid face and blank eyes made me press on the gas a little harder.

Current Mission: Separate and feed these wolves before they ripped each other apart.

Sky's jaw ticked.

Success: Not looking good.

"I'm not going to deal with your childish antics while we're on this forsaken quest." Pushing the suitcase back towards Sky, Reign lowered his voice and said, "Now, stop being a pup. Nurse your little fruit drink and stop making this ride unbearable for all of us!"

Pride and Flora's giggles stopped at the sound of Reign's shout. I didn't blame them. I was surprised too. We'd only known each other for a few days but it was more than obvious that Reign was the type that didn't yell.

Like, ever.

The café drew closer and I breathed easier. Almost there! I'd surprise them with food and everything would be al-

"And if I don't?" Sky's wide lips were pulled into a villainous sneer as she matched her half sibling in intensity. Both of their small button noses flared the longer they stared at each other. I pulled into the parking lot, searching for an empty spot as my nerves began to climb.

"I will hurt you." Reign's wild eyes blazed darkly. "You think I care how you feel? I don't. Push my buttons again and see what happens."

Tension hung heavy in the air. My palms grew sweaty as I turned into a vacant spot and put the SUV in park. Taking the keys out of the ignition, I took a deep breath and turned around.

"Guys-"

"You wouldn't touch me-"

"Words hurt just as much as a fist," Reign interrupted her. His octagon glasses were slipping down the bridge of his nose but he didn't move to fix them. Nor did he blink.

By the Moon Goddess, Sky really did know how to wind Reign up.

The promise I made to Dion was going to be a lot harder to fulfill than I expected. How I was going to manage keeping these two from killing each other was beyond me.

"There's nothing you could say that'd hurt me." Sky rolled her eyes nonchalantly. But I noticed the nervous twitching of her fingers in her pale blonde hair. "You're just a pompous assh-"

"Dad doesn't even love you," Reign said lowly. Mania seeped into his dark eyes as he leaned over the suitcase. Sky's sharp face fell at the sound of those five words. Her wide lips opened, gaping as we all watched in stunned silence.

From the passenger seat beside me, Leo let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples.

"Your mother killed his Mate and you're a simple bastard." Reign's dreary mask covered his face once more as he swept his eyes over Sky's shocked state. They lingered on the way she pinched her pastel pink shirt before scowling. "You're nothing but a monthly paycheck to him. And that's all you'll ever be. As a matter of fact-"

"Enough!" I slammed my clenched fist on the center console. Streaks of silver emerged from my dark fist and I speared the bickering wolves with a dark glare. "I'm done listening to the both of you argue. You're both acting like children. Talking about who daddy loves most and acting like sitting next to each other is the end of the fucking world."

Reign opened his mouth and I raised my hand in response. A small silver barrier formed over his mouth, silencing his words of bitterness.

"Now, you're all going to go into the café and order some food to go," I continued. "When you come back you're going to eat in silence and no one is going to say a word until we reach the Moon Seekers Pack. Do you all understand me?"

I waved my hand and freed Reign from his temporary moment of silence. His lips were pursed in such a thin line that it looked like his mouth had disappeared. "Well?"

"I didn't even start-"

"She said," Leo growled. Turning in his chair, his warm eyes were a bright red. The tips of his nails were pointed as his black claws fought to come out. He was dangerously close to shifting right here in the car. "Do you understand her?"

Sky's trap snapped shut at the sound of his Alpha tone. She shrunk into herself and nodded pitifully. I raised a brow at Reign, holding his challenging gaze. Clenching his jaw, Reign looked away and pushed his glasses up, muttering an agreement.

"Great. Now, go get your food," I ordered. They piled out of the car and I handed Pride a fifty dollar bill. After finding out that Sky and Flora went on a $500 shopping spree with Dion's money, I was in charge of finances now. Neither of them were allowed to drive either after denting the bumper of the SUV Dion also gave them.

Children.

"Do you want anything?" Pride asked. "Pancakes, coffee-"

"She doesn't like coffee," Leo grumbled. When I turned to look at him he'd turned away, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Pride made a face and I shrugged in response.

"A cheeseburger's fine." I raised a hand to touch Leo's shoulder but let it fall once I recalled our agreement. We were supposed to be keeping our distance. Clasping my hands together, I asked Leo if he wanted anything and he picked my order of a plain burger too.

When Pride was gone, silence claimed the atmosphere for itself with neither of us daring to break it.

True to his word, Leo continued to keep his distance from me. We people watched to pass the time. We didn't dare let our hands drift from anywhere that wasn't our own laps. As our hearts yearned for even the simplest of contact, we forced a wall where the Oracle said it needed to be.

Between us.

But I couldn't take it after a while. The silence was too much to bear when my destined Mate was only a few feet away from me. Surely we could still talk and get to know each other, right? It's not like there was much harm in that.

Talking didn't equate to Marking, mating, or marriage.

We could still be friends.

Glancing at Leo, my eyes widened when I saw that he was already looking at me. His snow white cheeks flushed as he swiftly looked away. It was a small interaction but it was enough to make my heart flutter. Feeling the quick staccato of our synchronized heartbeats, Leo grinned. His timid eyes found mine again, his grin growing into a sad smile.

"This is hard for me too," he admitted. At the sound of his confession, I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Knowing he was suffering as much as I was somehow alleviated my own misery. My heart ached a little less and I allowed myself to indulge in our private moment.

The hand that was grazing his plump lips fell to the center console. My eyes followed the movement and I gently placed my hand next to his. We didn't touch. But the tension lingering between our wanting hands was felt.

This was enough.

"I know we agreed to keep our distance," I began. "But we can still be friends, right? Ignoring each other is just going to hurt us anyway. So why not-"

"I'm ok with that." Leo's knuckles grazed my open palm before retracting his touch completely. Small tingles shot up and down my heated hand at the kind gesture. "The Oracle was more focused on us not Marking each other. Or, you know, being close."

Being close...

At the curling of his inviting lips, I understood the meaning of his words. Biting the bottom of my lip, I looked away once I felt the tugging in my gut urging us closer. Being close...

I'd waited twenty years to be close to someone and now, I was going to have to wait a couple more months. It was annoying for many reasons. Like a stupid bump in the road that I wanted to get rid of as swiftly as I could. But, I also knew that this wouldn't last forever. The quicker we completed our tasks, the sooner Leo and I could be together as a normal couple.

Everything would be alright in the end. We'd just have to be patient and resist the Mate bond pulling us together. It was doable.

"That's fine with me," I chuckled. "I've waited twenty years for that. I can wait a few more months until we can be close."

A light sheen of crimson lingered under the warm brown of his eyes. Leo leaned against the console, his head cocked to the side playfully. "You've waited twenty years for that?"

I raised my chin and nodded.

Yeah, I was a virgin. I decided to save myself for my Mate and my Mate alone. It was an idea that was slightly archaic in modern times. But it meant a lot to me. The only partner I was interested in sharing myself with was the one the Moon Goddess chose for me.

I knew other wolves my age thought it was silly. But I didn't care. I wasn't ashamed to be a virgin and I wasn't ashamed to have saved myself for Leo.

"Have you...?" I let the question hang in the air. My fingers tapped the steering wheel nervously as I waited for him to answer. I didn't expect him to wait for me the way I waited for him. Whatever he did before me was in the past. It didn't matter anymore now that we'd found each other.

But a tiny part of me still wanted to know if there was someone else that I needed to outperform in the future.

Leo chuckled and shook his head. As he opened his mouth to respond, his eyes flitted over my shoulder. Three creases appeared over his forehead. His brows furrowed, shock and confusion filling his eyes. Turning around, I followed his line of sight and gasped.

Stumbling through the vacant parking lot was a young redheaded girl. She couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen at the most. Her knee length hair was knotted and purple welts covered her pale body. She trembled as she held her tattered dress over her body to hide her femininity.

Not even waiting for Leo, I jumped out of the car and ran towards her. Leo's heavy steps pounded behind me. The poor girl jumped at the sight of us and she let out a squeal. Holding her hands up, she begged us not to come closer. The scared girl tripped over her small feet and fell to the ground.

"It's ok," I cooed softly. Extending my gift to her, I filled her with warmth and safety. Some of the fear within her frightened chestnut eyes faded as we crept forward with caution. Her eyes anxiously shifted towards my hand and I raised them so she could always see where they were. Leaning down, I gave her a warm smile and looked over her beaten body. "It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanna see if you're ok."

Which she most certainly was not.

The unknown beauty clutched her falling dress tighter and stared at Leo apprehensively. Analyzing the mistrust in her eyes, I put two and two together and motioned for Leo to take a step back. A man had probably done this to her. The last thing she needed right now was to have a big Alpha standing over her.

I took Leo's plaid shirt and she allowed me to wrap it around her. Shifting closer to her, I shielded the front of her body as she slipped into the huge garment. The deep blue button up hid her bruised skin. I gave her a moment to collect herself before pushing on.

"What's your name?"

The young girl sniffled before replying, "Evelyn."

"That's a beautiful name." Through her glossy eyes and trembling bottom lip, Evelyn managed a small smile for me. I moved a little closer and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. When she didn't flinch away from my touch, I rubbed soothing silver circles over her bony shoulder.

She was so skinny.

"Evelyn, who did this to you?" Fear seeped back into her wide eyes. She shuddered at my question, biting her lip so harshly that she drew blood.

"Was it your boyfriend?" Leo asked. Still keeping his distance, he crouched lower and tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck. He was showing her submission to make her feel safer in his presence. But judging by the fear that never left her eyes, I didn't think she understood that.

I sniffed the air surrounding her and frowned. She wasn't a Werewolf or a Vampire. She was beautiful underneath all the abuse. But, not gorgeous enough to be a Siren or a Mermaid. My eyes settled on her long hair and I instantly made the connection. Tucking her hair over her ear, I gazed upon the pointed tip and my suspicion was confirmed.

She was of the Fair Folk.

Maybe an Elf or a Fae?

"Evelyn?" I coaxed her gently and poured more of my gift into her battered body. "Did your boyfriend do this to you? Maybe your father? Or-"

"Yes," she whispered. "It was my boyfriend. But he didn't mean it!"

Her glassy eyes begged me to understand but it was useless. She wasn't going to find any understanding here. Domestic abuse never took place in a healthy relationship. Real love and abuse weren't synonymous terms.

"I, I laughed at his friends joke and-"

"Don't," Leo interrupted. Waves of anger were rolling off his body but his face never showed it. He continued to wear a warm expression as he looked at Evelyn with compassion in his eyes. "There's no excuse for this."

"But, I-"

"Someone who really cares about you, would never hurt you like this." Leo looked at her pointedly. Evelyn closed her eyes, resisting Leo's words of logic. I could feel her internal conflict as my power tried to soothe her skittish heart.

This poor thing was so young and so in love. She couldn't even see just how badly she was being hurt. My heart went out to her and I knew that I'd do whatever I could to help her.

"Why don't you come with us?" I asked. I wiped away her tears and gently cupped her wet cheeks. "We can get you something to eat and get you cleaned up. Maybe we can take you home too? Your parents-"

"No!" Evelyn shook her head, her wild eyes blazing. "They can't see me like this. They, they don't like my boyfriend. If they see me like this, they'll freak out. They might even hurt him!"

As they should!!!

Sighing, I glanced away and weighed my options.

One: We needed to reach the Moon Seekers Pack as soon as possible and get our answers.

Two: We couldn't abandon this girl to her shitty boyfriend or whatever unsavory person that might pass by.

Three: We were on a time crunch and this would-

No.

I wasn't leaving her here to fend for herself. Fuck that.

"I can help with that." I could heal her on the inside and provide her with more strength internally. Pride could use his magick to heal her external wounds. It was perfect. "I have a friend who can heal you, ok? Just, come with us and let us help. Then we'll take you home."

And I'd still tell her parents that her boyfriend beat the shit out of her.

"Promise?"

My heart broke at the distrust in her tired eyes. She was far too young to be dealing with something like this.

"I promise," I replied. "We'll take care of you."

Leo and I stood as Evelyn pushed his shirt down to cover her legs. Pausing, Evelyn held her hand open to me and asked, "Sorry, but may I have your name?"

I mentally scolded myself for not introducing myself and slipped my hand into hers. A spiky chill pricked my skin as I said, "Sure. My name is Ven-"

"No!" A large hand yanked me backwards and I yelped as I was jerked away. Evelyn's hand gripped me tightly but she was forced to release me as I collided with a firm chest. Inhaling the scent of the man I'd grown up with, I pulled away from Pride's firm hold and glared at him.

"What are you-"

"Stay the fuck away from her!" Pride growled. Evelyn shrieked at the enraged wolf, shrinking back into herself. Pride's sharp canines emerged from his gums as he took a menacing step forward. His lips curled into a threatening snarl.

Leo responded with a growl of his own as he moved to shield Evelyn's shaking body. Her pitiful wailing filled the air as she hid her face out of what must've been reflex. "Please, don't hurt me!"

I extended a silver shield to her but Pride shoved me to the side, breaking the connection. Anger coursed through my bubbling blood and I growled.

Don't!

Raising a hand, Pride muttered, "Vidēre!"

A grey smoke settled around Evelyn's small form. It billowed around her before fading away as quickly as it'd arrived. At the sight of her different appearance, I gasped.

Gone were her bruises and tear stained cheeks. Her trembling bottom lip was replaced with a nasty smirk. There was a coldness to her eyes that wasn't there before.

It was a glamour.

Leo stepped backwards, half shielding me from this anomaly.

"Shit," Evelyn giggled darkly. "What gave me away? I thought I was giving a pretty good show."

A, a show?

"You asked to have her name," Pride spat. His flaming green eyes glared at her with pure hatred. "Only a Dark Elf would do that."

Dark Elves and Dark Witches
have a close relationship.

Feeling insurmountably stupid, I glanced away. The others were watching us with shocked expressions. Their bags of food hung limply in their hands as they watched everything unfold.

"Get in the car!" They scrambled to do my bidding. Not even Sky or Flora spoke back this time. Turning back to Evelyn, I clenched my fists to keep from lashing out. "Why do all this?"

Evelyn shrugged nonchalantly, her red lipped smirk remaining constant. "Why not? We received word that the Seven Stars would be on the move to fight what's coming. Our orders were to be on the lookout, get their names, and report. Man, was I so close!"

Evelyn giggled like a little school girl and picked at her nails. Her sudden bored expression was infuriating.

"Your orders?" I repeated. "Orders from who?"

"The great Witch Rowena, of course." When I tried to reply, Evelyn waved me off the way one would a child and sighed. "Yes, we know she's dead. But it doesn't matter. Killing the visionary only adds more fuel to their vision."

Having heard enough, Pride stalked forward and yanked her up. Gripping her neck tightly, the Dark Elf laughed despite her compromising position. "You can't kill me. If you do, they'll know you were here. They'll track you."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you." Pride's eyes gleamed an enchanting green as he grinned at the Dark Elf. It was haunting how heavily he resembled Rowena as he harnessed his magick. "But, there are worse things than death."

Pulling Evelyn forward, he murmured a jumble of words into her ear. None of which I recognized. The light in Evelyn's eyes dwindled the longer Pride whispered. With the last mumbled word being, Dormīre, she slumped against his chest like a rag doll. Pride lifted her in his arms and started walking towards the car.

"What'd you do to her?" Evelyn's lifeless eyes remained open and I shivered at the emptiness staring back at me.

"I took her memories," Pride replied. "She's sleeping now. When she wakes up, she won't remember anything."

"Anything?" Leo looked at me with something unknown lingering underneath his questioning gaze. Not having the time to invest in what he was thinking, I chopped it up to shock and waited for Pride's answer.

"Anything." Pride opened the door and threw Evelyn into the back. Sky yelped as the dazed Dark Elf slammed into her, spilling her golden fries. "I took it all. Her name, her memories, everything."

"And why is she in the car?" Leo asked.

"Because we can't leave her here," I said. Following Pride's line of thinking, I realized the risks of leaving her here and decided against it. "People would remember unknown Werewolves leaving an unconscious body behind. We have to dump her somewhere else."

It pained me to say that last sentence. But I pushed past the bitter feeling gnawing at my bruised heart and said it anyway. Evelyn was never a victim of assault and she was never in need of my kindness or protection.

She was just another person leeching off my goodwill. And like a fool, I'd let her.

"Come on," I sighed. "We need to get going."

No words were said as we piled into the car and drove away. Nothing but silent eating filled our tense atmosphere. We raced down the secluded roads as we drove deeper into the forests of New York. Nibbling my bottom lip, I shook my head as we passed three more battered girls wandering around with tears lining their eyes. Even though my mind knew it was a trick, my heart still ached at their haggard appearances.

What amazing actresses these Dark Elves were turning out to be.

At some point, Pride opened the door and rolled the unconscious girl out. I forced myself not to care whether or not she was injured from the fall.

Raindrops pitter pattered against the speeding car. I turned on the windshield wipers as the soft mist became a thundering dance.

"I hate pickles," Leo whispered to me. Keeping an eye on both him and the road, I eyed the small vegetable being held out to me. "Want it?"

He hated pickles?

What a coincidence.

I loved pickles.

I threw the pickle in my mouth and devoured the sour goodness. As I swallowed, a loud howl pierced the air. The car came to a stop as I rolled my window down a little and sniffed. The scent of unknown wolves was nearby. It was in front of us, though. Not behind. Meaning we hadn't crossed onto their lands just yet.

"Wait here. Don't come out until I say." Putting the car in park, I left the SUV and walked a few paces forward. Goosebumps erupted over my skin. I knew I was being watched. Rain continued to pound down on me as I squared my shoulders and addressed whoever was watching me. "My name is Lady Venus Brightdoom of the Moon Warriors Pack. I'm here seeking counsel with my cousins. Take me to Alpha Lightseeker and his Luna."

The bushes to my left shook before a large grey wolf emerged. His ears were sticking straight up, nose wrinkled by his snarl. The sharpness of his teeth became clearer as he stalked forward with a confident gait.

I held my ground and prepared to speak again. But his hard stare caught me off guard. Because it wasn't directed at me. Seeing who he was glaring at, I moved in front of the unknown wolf and growled, "Why are you looking at my Mate like that?"

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QOTD: Do you think Sky and Reign will be able to get over the past? What do you think of Venus and Leo's moment? Any thoughts on the ending?