Moonlit Desires: The Alpha's Awakening

~Adora’s mystery:2~

Bilal and the other Elites remained huddled in a corner, watching tiredly and slightly embarrassed, as their parents gracefully moved about the lengths of the grandiose room that buzzed with the lively chatter of the crowd, singing praises of their children alongside the tales of their achievements to anyone who would be willing to listen.

“Just look at them. The gloat on their faces when they speak of us like we are not in the room.” Ares comments with a shake of his head, looking on.

“I don't think I'd ever get used to this side of our parents. Sometimes, I wonder if that is the point of these parties they host, to brag about our achievements, especially my mama.” Elio adds with a shake of his head, before suddenly straightening up with a whispered announcement, “Oh, here she comes now.” that prompts the others to hurriedly shuffle around, putting themselves in order and fixing their postures as they waited for her to complete the journey to the opposite side of the room where they stood.

“Kids.” Alpha Oliver calls with a hint of a smile as she nears.

“Good morning, Alpha Oliver” comes the chorused reply, with the exception of Elio, who settles for a small “Mother.” Before stepping forward to give small kisses on both her cheeks as a way of greeting.

She pats him once on the back as he steps back to join the others before regarding them all with a smile as she says, “I heard about the rogues you caught. You all did a great job, and you should know just how proud you're making us all.” She says, her smile growing even bigger, showcasing just how pleased she is, and they all smile back just as broadly, leaving their lack of words to be translated as a sort of bashful response to being complimented.

“Well, I should get back to the others now. Enjoy the party!” She waves, earning nods of acknowledgment from them as she walks away.

As soon as she is out of earshot, Bella grits out an irritated growl, dropping the fake smile from earlier, “I swear if one more person walks up to talk about the rogues we caught, I'm going to throw up!”

Another person joined in, sharing her irritation, until they were all groaning in displeasure again and Bilal felt his lips stretch into a smile as he quietly listened to his friends and sister's lamentations, not exactly sharing the same sentiment. To him, it was a heartwarming gesture, a testament to their parents unwavering support. He also takes pride in the fact that they remained steadfast in their selflessness, despite the accolades and triumphs that adorned their paths, embodying the essence of the kindred spirits he had known since childhood.

“To be honest, these parties are starting to become one of my favorite things,” Bilal finally spoke, breaking into a broad grin at the loud groans and tired sighs his words prompted.

At the other side of the room, Adora steps into the hall, a curt smile on her face as she lets her gaze sweep across the room in search of familiar faces. It is at that moment she is greeted with a sight that knocks all the air out of her lungs, leaving her breathless as the world around her seemingly skids to a stop, leaving only him. Her heart threatens to beat out her chest as she watches Bilal double over now in careless laughter, a breathless sigh leaving her lips as she unconsciously begins to smile at him, the bewitching stretch of his lips, exposing his pearly white teeth holding her captive in its enchanting grip.

“Hey look, Adora is here!” Elio announced, causing a few other pairs of eyes to seek out the new presence, their reactions immediate as their eyes roamed over her figure. “And would you look at that, who would've thought she could clean up so well? Goddess, that's a vision of beauty if I've ever seen one. Breathtaking!” Elio compliments, jaw slacked while the others continue to silently feed their eyes.

The dress Adora had on exuded both elegance and confidence, a mesmerizing blend of flowing fabric and delicate details, the color complimenting her skin and the nips accentuating her figure in the most flattering way, making a bold statement without overpowering the wearer's natural beauty. Breathtaking was the right word to use, stunning even, and the rest of the Elites, -except one who remains stoic or seemingly so- find themselves nodding in agreement without much thought, unable to tear their eyes away from the sight.

“Adora, over here!” Bella calls after their wordless approval, waving the girl over who hurriedly shuffles over, smiling as she gets out a greeting, they all cheerily reply to, again, except one who simply looks away, suddenly taking interest in whatever was going on in the rest of the party hall, until,

“Bee!” Bella said, elbowing the man next to her.

“What?” He grumbles, turning to his sister, who nods in Adora's direction.

“Adora.” She deadpans, unimpressed, before adding, “She just greeted you,” when the other gives no reaction.

“Oh, Hi. You finally decided to join us.” He finally regards her, the bite in his tone unmissable and Adora nods, responding with a stiff smile.

Joining them in their corner, Adora finds herself awkwardly standing there, feeling out of place as Bilal's disapproval wafts out of him in almost visible waves, his eyes almost boring a hole where she was sure he was glaring daggers into the back of her head. Adora shifted from foot to foot, her mind muddled with thoughts about just being out of place; she must look into their midst from an outsider's point of view. Of course, it made no sense that she would fit into their circle, they were the crème de la crème of the academy - popular, talented, and hard-working, each of their names decorated with a long list of noteworthy achievements. She could feel the piercing stares of the other students, obviously unwelcoming of her presence. She considers just leaving and finding a place to hole up in until it is all over, but even the thought of taking a step and having all their eyes follow her every move forces her into picking the less terrifying option. So, with a deep breath, she turned to face Bella, hoping to distract herself from her anxious thoughts.

“I meant to ask,” She started, earning the other's attention, “What is going on here? I didn't know there was a party, not until I saw your text at least. What is the occasion?” She inquires, Bella, making a small noise of realization.

“Oh, this? It's like a routine here. The parents of the students of the academy have a get-together every once in a while, keeping tabs on their kids' performance and such,” Bella explains, making hand gestures while at it, before leaning closer with a conspiratorial whisper in Adora's ear, “But between you and me, I'm sure they're just all here to keep an eye on us and device a way to take down our family.”

Adora turns to look at her with a gasp and bulging eyes at her words whilst the older person just shrugs, returning her focus to the party and leaving Adora with no answers.

“Hey kids, I see you've added Adora to your little gang,” Devara quips, announcing her presence, and they all take turns paying their respects before Adora replies, “You flatter me, godmother. I am nothing close to being qualified to be a part of them. They are just being nice to me because I know no one but the Bees.”

Devara looks unconvinced at that, waving dismissively, “I do not think you need any qualifications to be a part of them, Adora. Just being my goddaughter alone is enough. I think you hold these four in high esteem. Remember, they still haven't had their passing out ceremony, and-”

“Alpha Devara, please do tell us why you are here. To what do we four, who are not to be held in high esteem owe this honor?” Her words were cut off by Bilal, his tone dripping with sarcasm and a bored look on his face.

“Well, since I seem to be boring you all with my speech, I'll just go straight to the point then.” She relents with an eye roll, one that Bilal simply ignores in favor of pretending to listen ardently to her next words.

“The mating ceremony is in a month. So you all better get ready, and I will not condone any kind of pranks from either one of you. I have had it with you four pulling stunts after stunt to disrupt the mating ceremony every single time.” She finishes seriously and does not miss how wide eyes stare back at her from every angle.

“But Alpha Devara, the academic session has just begun. Is it not too early?” Ares questions, his confusion reflected in his eyes that seemed to look for answers on every one of their faces, except he wasn't getting it from any of the others, who were just as confused, especially Adora, who just looked between each person, completely lost.

“Well, If you all hadn't been playing all those tricks, maybe I wouldn't have these parents and elders of creeds pressuring me to get on with it.” Devara deadpans, her eyes traveling to each one of them as she stares them down, stopping at Bilal, who she knew was the brain behind every single one of their elaborate plans to cause one disruption or another during the earlier failed ceremonies.

“This is a very serious warning to you all. If you play any tricks during the mating ceremony, I will be sure to rid you of your titles and lock in your wolf and every ability that you all possess. You will also be sentenced to ten years at the camp Picaroon working as a slave. I want you all to know that this isn't a threat but a warning. We wouldn't have any problems if you just behaved yourselves. Understood?” She asks sternly, and they all nod in acknowledgment, even Adora, who is still lost and confused, is compelled to nod as well, and then a grin suddenly breaks out on Devara's face, a stark contrast to her former demeanor.

“Good, now enjoy the party.” And with that, she, too, leaves with a wave and a smile settled on her lips.

“Mother can't be serious, right?” Bella starts the second Devara disappears into the crowd, a mix of disbelief and poorly concealed anger laced in her words, “I do not want a mate! She knows that, and she is doing this to hurt us. Why do they even care so much about mating? What good has come from it!?” She rants, the men staying quiet but looking deep in thought and Adora can not help but raise a hand, looking sheepish as she stutters out her question to get their attention.

“Um…. What is a mating ceremony? And am I involved in it? I just joined the academy after all…” She trails off, unsure of her questions.

Ares and Elio shake their heads, amused chuckles leaving their lips as they seem to put a hold on their misery to find amusement in hers. Bilal, on the other hand, remained as silent as he had since Devera dropped the bomb, but one could see the outrage in his countenance.

“I have to go to the library. I can't be in this room.” Bilal sighs heavily after a long-drawn-out silence, after which he turns to Adora, his eyes no longer carrying the weight of the hostility they once did, as he says, “Have fun while you can because this doesn't happen every time.” And with that, he breezes past a dazed Adora and is out of the grand doors in the blink of an eye.

Completely thrown off by his actions and words, Adora blinks, brows pinching as she points at the doors he'd disappeared through, “Did he just….” She cuts herself off, glancing between the other three who did not seem entirely surprised. She never would've expected those words from Bilal and definitely not so suddenly and unprompted. He wanted her to have fun? She wondered if it was still the same boy who had yelled at her just hours prior or if it had been the sudden bombshell that was dropped on him that had him so shocked he'd forgotten who exactly he was talking to.

“I told you earlier that he was just acting up. He isn't naturally hostile. Guess he's finally coming around.” Ares supplies with a shrug and a sound of refusal comes from somewhere near them, drawing their attention to Bella who looks thoughtful, still staring at where Bilal had just disappeared.

“I don't think it is just that, there is something else. I can feel it.” She mutters, earning confused looks from the eyes surrounding her.

As Bilal walks through the hallway to get to the library, his mother's words continue to bounce around in his head, replaying on a loop like a haunting cacophony. The moment he'd spent his entire life dreading was finally here… or would be here soon. He knew from how serious she sounded that Devara wasn't joking around this time.

‘You do know you can no longer hide away from this’ A deadpan voice echoes in his head and Bilal rolls his eyes, already tired of the conversation before it even started.

‘I thought I locked you in.’ He replies and the voice scoffs.

‘And yet here I am. I am your wolf. We are one, and you can't suppress me for long. You knew this day was going to come, it was only a matter of time.’ Phoenix, Bilal’s Wolf says, returning to the matter at hand.

‘Why is Mother so hellbent on making me take a mate? It will only bring us closer to an impending doom, and I've tried to look for solutions everywhere I can, but I can't seem to find any. She probably thinks I'm doing all this just to avoid the responsibility of being tied to a mate, but it's more than that. This is more serious than anything she could have thought. Why can't she see that?’ Bilal laments, feeling hopeless.

‘Obviously, she can't see or understand your plight because you refuse to tell anyone about it.’ Phoenix argues back, ‘If you would just tell her about it, maybe she would understand and even-' Phoenix' words end abruptly as Bilal cuts off the link again, locking his wolf in. That was no conversation he wanted to have at the moment, or at all if he was being honest. He had his reasons for evading the truth, fully aware that his wolf was correct and that sharing would probably make it a heavier burden for him to carry, but he still had his doubts, especially regarding his mother's approach. He knew of the lengths his mother would go to, disregarding rules and regulations of the creed in order to ensure the happiness and safety of her family. He knew just how reckless she could get and how much risk that bore for them and thinking about it, he'd decided he just couldn't bring himself to let that happen.

He breathes out a heavy exhale, taking in his surroundings to notice he'd already walked into the Library while lost in his head, and with a deep sigh, he makes his way through the rows of bookshelves.

He ends up gathering a few books in his arms and finds a bag to carry them in, but just as he tries to leave, he is pulled short, catching himself before he can bump into a new presence that had just walked into the library. He chooses to ignore the way the organ in his chest thuds against its confines as he takes her in from up close, choosing to raise a brow in question as she just stares back at him, looking caught.

“I am sorry I followed you, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn't look very well back there.” Adora answered in a whisper, avoiding his eyes. She mentally readies herself to get yelled at or scolded, their encounter from earlier in the day still fresh in her memory, but instead, he does another thing that throws her off for the second time in less than 30 minutes.

The bag that had been slung over his shoulder was suddenly dumped into her arms and as Adora struggled to hold onto the heavy mass, Bilal grumbled out an answer, “It's fine. I was coming your way to give these to you anyway.”

Adora blinks, a small oh leaving her lips as she peeks into the bag, taking a look at its contents, and is stunned at what she finds. If she was correct, then these books were the exact ones she'd had in mind to find later on, containing most, if not all, of the things she needed to read up on concerning the supernatural world.

“W- Why? She finds herself stuttering out, the kind gesture feeling so out of place for Bilal.

“Because you're obviously going to need to do better than this if you are going to be living in the same space as me.” And with that, he walked out, leaving Adora to watch his receding steps, while also bewildered by his words and actions.