Chapter 10: Something's Missing

After the twins' unexpected visit, Nora was bombarded with more questions than answers. She had the information she wanted about werewolves and mating, but something felt off. Why wasn't there any information about a werewolf and a witch mating, and what sort of offspring that would produce? The lack of information was intentional. Like it had been erased from history.

The full moon was just one night away, and Nora would get all the answers she so desperately searched for. The apartment was littered with the tools and ingredients of spell craft. Kai would kill her if he came to it looking like that. Nora decided she would take a trip to the store to get some much-needed cleaning supplies. Some things were best done without Magic. Well, maybe with Magic and a little elbow grease, she giggled to herself.

It was a beautiful spring day, and Nora was glad to be outside. People of Starling City milled about, each leading their own life, living in their own world. It often baffled Nora that no one seemed to care like she did that their history was being eradicated. The foundation they all lived their life on was eroding beneath them and no one seemed bothered by it.

Everyone knew the basics. Vampires slept during the day and drank blood. Werewolves could shapeshift and were powerful. Witches controlled Magic and the unseen. Humans were sort of there and useful in any capacity. But that was it. There was no depth, no first-hand accounts, no history. The little bit of information Nora did have was accumulated through years of research, and it didn't amount to much. Despite the peace that existed among them, it seemed each group wanted to keep their secrets.

But why? Who made those decisions? Each society had their hierarchal system. Nora theorized that the leader of each group held the secret history of their people. Witches were matriarchal, that much she knew. Her bloodline, the Daughters of Elysium, were the holders of their history. But she was afraid of being found by them. It was only a matter of time before they did.

A breeze picked up and swirled leaves around her. Just like in the woods, they wrapped around her body, urging her to follow.

"What's going on?" she mumbled. Having made the decision to embrace her heritage, she decided not to ignore it when Magical things happened. Like when leaves tell you to follow them. She watched as they danced in the air, floating down the street, towards a large white building. It was the Scarlet Moon Pack's pack house. It was where Alpha Roman and his family lived. It was where Dante lived. Something in me stirred at the thought. 'Could he be home? Would I be able to see him?' Nora thought.

She was shocked at the joy the thought alone of seeing him gave her. Nora longed to feel him touch her, to hear his deep, husky voice in her ear. To feel his growls rumble through his chest. In an act of betrayal, her body reacted, sending a dull ache right between her legs. The longer she was separated from Dante, the worse it got.

After learning about mates from the twins, she knew it was probably even worse for him. Werewolves craved their mates in a way that almost drove them insane. Dante was probably crazed with lust for her… a thought that pleased her much more than it should have.

A few werewolves milled about the property, and an idea struck her.

"Excuse me!" she called out to one of guards.

"Yes?" he answered. He was a rather large, handsome wolf. Nora strained her neck just to look up at him.

"I'm a researcher at the university, and I'm writing a thesis on the shared history of Supernaturals. I was hoping for an audience with Alpha Roman or Luna Giselle?"

"My apologies, but the Alpha and his wife are away," the guard answered.

"Oh, I see," Nora said. Something told her the guard was lying. "Is there any part of the pack house open to the non-werewolf community? I'd love to have an insider perspective. For my thesis?" Nora batted her eyelashes, trying to use every bit of charm she could muster. 'I'm a witch, damn it. It’s time I started acting like one.'

"The atrium is accessible to civilians. Follow me." The guard led her through the elegantly landscaped yard. "Please don't be alarmed if you hear battle noises. The training grounds are directly behind the pack house."

"Do werewolves train often?" she asked.

"Yes, we do. We must be strong, and ready to defend ourselves and our Alpha at all times."

"From what?" Nora wondered.

"From our enemies." The guard did not elaborate further. Something scratched at the walls of Nora's mind; she was on the right track.

They arrived in the atrium. It was a grand open space, adorned with portraits of Alphas past and their families. Directly in front of them was a portrait of the current reigning family. Alpha Roman was a large, imposing man. His short, deep brown hair was neatly combed. Nora could see where Dante got his features from, but those amazing eyes belong to his mother. Luna Giselle looked small and docile in comparison to her husband, almost like she was shrinking at his side. The twins were dressed in identical outfits, standing next to their mother.

And then there was Dante. From what she could tell, the portrait was painted recently. Dante stood beside his father, doing his best to match his energy. Everyone's expression was stoic, mirthless. Alpha Roman's dominating aura seemed to emanate even from the portrait. It made Nora feel uneasy.

"Wow. Is he that intimidating in real life?" Nora asked. The guard smirked, please with Nora's question.

"Our Alpha is the strongest our pack has ever known," the guard answered, his chest puffed with pride. "He is powerful, and his influence stretches far beyond Starling City."

"This is great information for my thesis," Nora fawned. "Does the Alpha have any future plans for the pack?" She conjured a notebook and pen when the guard wasn't looking, shocked by how easily it came to her. The guard looked down and she plastered a bright, inquisitive smile on her face.

"Our Alpha's plans for the pack are for pack ears only," he snapped.

"Of course." Nora feigned contrition. "I understand." She had to do something to get this guard away from her. Something was drawing her further into the pack house. There was something there she needed to see. "I always thought the pack house would be smaller."

"A pack house must be equipped for all the pack's needs," the guard scoffed. "Not only does the Alpha and his family live here, but so does the Alpha's Beta and family."

"Beta?"

"His second in command. We also have a large kitchen and dining facility, our training grounds, and our study halls that are just up ahead."

"Study halls?" Nora perked up. "Is that somewhere outsiders can visit?"

"Absolutely not!" the guard barked. "Anything past the atrium is off limits."

'I have to get to that study hall,' Nora thought. But that guard wouldn't let her out of his sight.

"Well, thank you so much for your information, sir. You've been very kind," Nora batted her eyelashes again. "I'll be on my way." She dashed out of the pack house as fast as she could.

When no one could see her, she ran to the side to try and find where that study hall was. From a large window, she could see inside. There was a huge room that contained an impressive collection of what seemed to be old books.

"A library!" she said in an excited whisper. "I need to get in there." The windows were shut, and Nora was certain that if she tried to open them, alarms would go off everywhere. Another idea formed in her mind. She shot a quick text to Kai asking for the twins' phone numbers. Seeing as they had arrived at their apartment with no difficulty, it was no question that Kai was in contact with them.

'what’s going on', was his reply.

'Later,' Nora sent back. 'Just give me a number.'

'fine.' A phone number followed, and Nora dialed it.

"Hello?" a voice answered. "Who is this?"

"Hi, this is Ruby or Jade?"

"This is Jade. Is this Nora?" her voice was excited.

"Yes, I need a favor."