The Heir of Crescent Moon

Chapter 11 - The Trouble with Evie

Evie POV

The evening was very pleasant, and Dad made Adrien promise to bring his mate, Elias, next time. Elias was one of Alpha Helios' old warriors. He often babysat us with Adrien. He was a serious man that had a hidden humor to him that he usually only allowed out in front of his mate. As children, we were privy to it while we played, and they would sit and talk while they supervised us. Really, I used to consider them all family until I stopped hanging out with their kids. I used to call them uncle, just like Cory and the boys. Now they were Beta and Alpha.

I lay in bed that night just thinking about my actions over the past decade. Growing up alongside Bells and the boys and all of their cousins had been amazing. I never lacked a playmate, and the pack house was our playhouse. Despite most of the children I played with being children of ranked members, they never made me feel like anything but a wonderful part of their group.

It wasn't until we were in middle school that I started feeling like I was less. It wasn't even anything to do with them. It was everyone else around us. I had already skipped a grade, putting me in the same year as Bells and Cory. James and Joe were both stuck in a year lower than us, but it didn't seem to matter. Cory and Bells never hung out with anyone else. It wasn't that they

were snobby. They said people treated them differently, and it made them uncomfortable.

Because they were who they were, no one dared say anything to them or about them. But I wasn't a ranked member. I was fair game. The nerd that was friends with the Alpha kids. They were careful. Cory was protective of everyone. Even Bells was. It's their Alpha blood. But I could hear the murmurings. The rumors. Everyone thought my grades were due to the teachers not wanting to anger the Alpha family. There were always whispers of how people as cool as them shouldn't hang out with me, how maybe their parents made them because my dad worked so closely with the Alpha.

I know now that I shouldn't have listened to them. I was simply an easy target for them. The smaller-than-everyone-else nerd that was always the top student. But at that age, it hurt. I wondered if it was true, and I was too afraid to ask anyone because it would hurt more to find out the truth.

When I was recommended to skip grades in my sophomore year, I was given the option to take it or stay in my year with my friends. Dad left the decision up to me, telling me he didn't want me to miss time with my friends and he would respect whatever decision I made. I was ready to say no. I was ready to say that I wanted to continue with my studies with my friends. But the next day during lunch, I was in the bathroom, and I heard a group of girls talking about me. They criticized my hair. They joked about how I always had my nose stuck in a tablet, doing strange things and paying attention to no one. They were joking about how I tended to walk looking at my tablet, and Cory was always steering me away from hitting walls and people. They laughed about how I thought I could hang with someone like the twins when I was a nobody.

I ran out of the bathroom after they left and walked home. I told my father I wanted to skip to senior class. I started slowly distancing myself from Cory and Bells and the rest of them. It was a lonely first semester until Paolo started talking to me.

He was so sweet. A loner himself, and we just struck a friendship. By the end of senior year, we were dating, and I went to senior prom with him. When I went to MIT, we tried to keep dating long-distance, but it didn't take me long to figure out that I wasn't really interested in him in that way. When I came back home for Christmas, I ended things. I dated a bit through my undergrad years, but after I turned nineteen, I just didn't feel anything for anyone. Tozi wanted her mate, and I was not ready to give up on my dreams. We lived in constant struggle with one another. Going to neighboring packs around the university, she looked for her mate; I hoped he wasn't there. Eventually, we settled into a silent agreement. Once I finished my degree, I would focus on finding our mate.

Now that's where we were, and I had to admit that I wanted my mate, but...I was scared. Coming back home...it stirred my longing for home and other feelings I had denied for so many years. Every time I came home, I would look at the boys and Bells from a distance, hanging out together. They always invited me at the start, but after a few times of telling them I was busy and I had to study, the invites stopped. I told myself it was just natural for friends to drift apart, but there was always that part of me that missed them.

So when I got the request to be present for Cory's Alpha ceremony, I decided I would see if I could find a job around the pack or a remote steady gig. My only problem was I didn't want to leave Zi. She had become my best friend, and I wanted her with me, but I knew she wouldn't willingly join the pack. When Dad approached me before Cory's Alpha Ceremony for tips on an interview process for a new division, I hatched my plan to stay home for good.

I almost changed my plan the night before the first interview. When I bumped into a half-naked Cory looking for sweets in the kitchen. I had been away for too long. I had seen the changes in him when I came home, but one thing was to see him from afar, and the other was to be so close that I could feel the heat from his chest. Chatting with him for the first time in a long time that night, I could feel the way my body wanted to react with every movement he made. I could feel my eyes wanting to wander down his chest and abs.

Feelings I told myself were only there because he was my best friend's brother came back in full force, and it worried me that Tozi was as attracted to him as I was. I doubted my decision even more when I saw girls trying to flirt with him, and it was only his clear disinterest that held Tozi back. I've had so many arguments with her. Cory was out of our league, but the moment I saw him covered in blood and looking so full of concern and sorrow, I hadn't been able to help myself. I rushed into his arms, wanting to feel that he was safe. That was when I knew I was in trouble. I was the head of the new defense technology department, and I was in love with my Alpha and CEO. I was stuck here now, doomed to watch him find his mate or choose one.

I should just date Paolo again and hope the feelings go away, I thought.

I will never accept him.- Tozi warned.

We can't have the one we want.

You don't know that - She said stubbornly.

An Alpha of his caliber could never be for us. He's got double Alpha blood, his family is related to literal gods. We are just nerds that play with computers.

We are the best at what we do, and he cares for us.

Yes, because we're little Evie, childhood friend, - I countered.

She whimpered in my head. She hated when I talked like this. I tried not to. I knew my worth, mostly, but I also knew Cory's worth, and he was way above my station.

“Good Morning! I brought breakfast,” Cory said.

“Oh, I didn't bring coffee. Why didn't you tell me?” I asked, looking at the Tupperware he was holding.

“That's alright. I still brought food. You don't need to bring me anything.” He smiled, making my heart stop for a beat.

“Did you bring enough for the class, Alpha Cory?” Zi asked, a breakfast bar in her hand.

“Of course,” James said behind Cory, another container in his hands. I watched carefully as Zi blushed and took the container from him.

She's been blushing a lot in his presence, - Tozi mentioned. I agreed, but I was going to let her be. If she had a thing for James, she deserved it. James was a good guy. He would treat her right, and after her last encounter, he was just the guy to show her how men should treat a woman.

I grabbed the container from Cory, wondering if I was blushing too. I looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

“Thank you,” I said and opened the container to find some crescent rolls filled with scrambled eggs with ham. One of my favorites, with a little container of salsa on the side. I sighed happily, and it made Cory's smile widen.

“This definitely beats the cereal bars we were planning on eating.” Zi agreed between bites. These few days of Cory bringing us food were essentially the most Mexican food she's eaten.

“Do you guys not eat at home?” James asked. “What about Molly? What does she eat before daycare?”

“Oh, she gets frozen pancakes. They are her favorite, but we rarely have time to cook, so we grab whatever we can find,” I said.

“I feed my child. I'm a good mother,” Zi said, suddenly angry. Dropping the container and walking away.

“Hey. I didn't...” James started to say and deflated when she just slammed her door shut. “I didn't mean it like that,” he said quietly.

“I'll talk to her. Don't take it personally. She's been on her own for a long time. Just... have patience with her,” I told him.

“We'll let you be,” Cory said, putting his hand on James and leading him away. I sighed and watched them leave. I grabbed both containers and took them to her office. I found her with her face in her hands. I pushed the container over to her, hoping to entice her with the smell.

“I overreacted, didn't I?” she asked, finally looking up at me.

“A tiny touch,” I said sympathetically.

“I don't know what's wrong with me. I know he was just concerned and being nice, but my hackles raised. I just... I thought if they think I'm unfit, they'll take her,” she said miserably.

“They would never do that. Zi. I know what you've been through. I can't begin to even try to comprehend the emotions you have, but I have known these guys my whole life. They are good people. They will never take her away from you. James is a good guy. If he asked about Molly, it was only to make sure we have everything we need. Remember, we haven't even gotten our first paycheck. He was probably asking to see if we needed an advance.”

“I'm such a b***h. I need to apologize.” She groaned and hung her head again.

“I'm sure if you make him dinner, he'll forgive you.” I patted her hand. Her eyes went wide, and she started stammering.

“What? That man is all about food,” I said innocently.

“I'd be willing to babysit. Just saying.” I chuckled, walking out of the room while she continued to stammer incomprehensibly.

I went back to my office and started unplugging the cellphones that belonged to pack members. I took a deep breath before I turned on the first one and turned on the pack's database as well as Guardian Moon's.

The phone had a pretty couple on the lock screen, and I sincerely hoped that they were alright. I didn't want to start by violating someone's privacy, so I thought I'd look at the list of the deceased first to see if their faces were on there. Thankfully, they weren't on there, so I unlocked the phone and started looking for a name. The phone had no signal, which boded well. It meant the phone was turned off when a new one was acquired.

I opened the f*******: app and found the name. I looked it up on Crescent Moon's database and couldn't find it. Same with Guardian Moon. That left either a visitor or a Blue Moon member.

I pulled up the contacts and found one that said “Mom,” so I grabbed my phone and dialed.

“Hello?” A feminine voice answered.

“Hi! Is this Bethany's Mom?”

“Yes? Is she alright? Did something happen?” I could hear the panic rising in the woman and cursed myself for not remembering everyone in our three packs experienced recent trauma.

“I found her phone that she dropped during the full moon. I was hoping you could help me locate her so I could return it to her.”

“Oh. Oh! Yes, she got a new one, but I'm sure she'd love to get the pictures off it. Can I provide her with your number so she can call you?”

“Of course! I can have someone drop it off as well. Let me know when you have a pen.”

I found two others, and on the third, I recognized the woman with a little boy in her arms from the list of the deceased. I got a hold of her mate, and he began crying on the phone. I was pretty emotionally drained afterward and decided to go for a walk, leaving the last two phones for a later time.