A Tale of Three Lunas-Completed

Chapter 28

Topaz' POV

Warren is driving myself and Ford to the Realm of Goodwill. I am hoping to get the Goodwill King's permission to look at their birth and death records so that I can find out what happened with the two women that I am looking for.

Honestly, the ride to Goodwill is pretty dull. Warren and Ford are both men of few words, so it is largely a quiet ride. We stop at some rest stops on our way to get some food, but the conversation is anything but lively, especially with Warren being so consistently hostile toward me. It makes me admire his dedication to hating me.

Once back in the car, I finally get the opportunity to think, be alone with my thoughts and all I can think about is how lonely I am. I try once again in vain to communicate with Bow.

I think about my mother. She taught me how to do research and she would show me what she'd find and ask my opinions on it. She was my best friend. We would spend hours together, just the two of us. Her mate, my father, died when I was young, but I never felt like I was in a broken family until she was gone.

I wipe some tears from my eyes and tell myself to think about something else, something simple. I'll just think about tomorrow.

The Goodwill Kingdom. They take in wolves who have to flee their own packs for whatever reason and they are given a fair trial, a chance to explain themselves and sometimes we'd hear stories about it. A few years ago, a group fled to Goodwill from a pack in Lunaria and when our King was informed of the sick things that had been going on there, he had that pack invaded and shut it down. The Alpha of that pack was sentenced to death for his crimes. I'm excited to see where this philosophy has led the packs of the Goodwill Kingdom.

I feel my heart beating faster, a bit of excitement comes over me as we get to the Goodwill Kingdom just after midnight on the third day. I was so excited to take a shower. Once the dispatcher did his thing to let the right people know that we were there, it was pretty much smooth sailing, at least for me. We get three separate rooms and I don't remember anything after my head hit the pillow.

I am awoken by the sound of birds welcoming me to a new day and when I open my eyes, I am able to see what a beautiful room that I have been staying in. I am also able to see an envelope stuck in my door.

Good morning and welcome to the New Moon Pack! We have a wide variety of food in the last room down the hall to help you break your fast. We would like to inform you about the 10 am meeting we were able to set up for you with the Beta of the New Moon Pack.

I bathe and get dressed and by the time I am finished, it is just after 9. I follow the directions from the note and find Warren and Ford in the dining room already, sitting and eating. It is a humungous room and there is a long breakfast buffet. After I plate some of the fragrant food, I have a seat with the guys.

"It seems like there are a lot of people visiting here. Did we interrupt something?" I ask Ford.

"There is actually a big going away party today or something." he tells me.

"Oh. We've intruded on them."

"Actually, they said they are happy to have representatives from Lunaria here. They said our timing was perfect."

I'm sure they are just being polite. After we eat, Ford tells me that they were offered a tour of the Kingdom. I go back to my room to freshen up and bring what I will need to inform the Beta of exactly what I am looking for, including wearing my mother's necklace. I am brought over to a conference room where I meet Beta Everett. I spend the next few hours telling him all I know about the obelisks, letting him take a look at my mother's notebook, answering his questions and giving him the piece of jewelry to look at.

"Okay, well this is a lot to mill through. Thank you for making the trip to meet with us about that. How about you come out to the party that is just starting and enjoy the food and I run all this by our King. I will get back to you about everything as soon as possible."

"Sounds like a plan. Thank you for listening, Beta Everett."

I'm so glad to be invited to the party. From the window, it seems to be a giant fair. Everyone looks like they are having a blast and the smell of cinnamon sugar is drawing me in. I bring all my stuff back to my room and take a bath. I can finally relax. I have done all that I can do up until this point and there is no reason I can't celebrate just a little bit today for finally making it over here. I put on a white tube top and shorts combo with a short, red kimono, some white tennis shoes and my mother's necklace.

I follow the faint but alluring smell of cinnamon sugar outside to the large town that has been decorated with balloons and streamers. There are kiosks selling all different types of foods. I head for a walk around to look for the one that has whatever I have been smelling this whole time.

As I search, the smell is filling my senses, but none of the kiosks are selling anything like what I am smelling. I turn around to try and find another line of kiosks and am hit by a wall of cinnamon sugar.

Then the smell is gone.

I look up to the face of the person I face-planted into and the world seems to go silent. The first thing I notice are the loose, black curls that sit on his shoulders. His perfectly groomed dark beard frames his soft lips. His hard, gray eyes sit beneath slight, disorderly brows and his intense stare makes my heart beat out of my chest. He is beautiful and intimidating. Something else that is intimidating is how everyone around us is silent and just staring at us, however a second later, everyone turns away from us.

"Hello." The gorgeous man's deep voice makes me jump at first. I guess I'm disoriented. I was just looking for a churro or a cinnamon waffle. The entire atmosphere in the place changed. Did I do something wrong?

"Oh hi, sir. I'm just visiting this pack. I was told that I could attend. Did I do something to disturb the peace?" The last thing I need is another kingdom that hates me.

He looks a bit caught off guard, but answers immediately. "No, not at all. I'm just making sure everyone is having fun. May I ask your name?" he asks, following me.

"Oh yes, sorry. My name is Topaz." I suddenly hate my name. I didn't like it when I was a kid and telling it to this beautiful man makes those same insecurities resurface.

"Topaz, a rare gemstone."

It did sound nice when he said it.

"My name is Kaipo. It's so nice to meet you."