Moon Phase 12

"I... I can smell him... He's close. Very close," a voice from within her he didn't know, likely her wolf informed her and he wished Bandersnatch didn't have such good hearing. His own wolf was dormant due to the wolfsbane and though it was easier to not think about it, he missed him.

He panicked and stopped as she unknowingly walked in his way, blocking him.

She turned around and came face to face with him as he was trying to walk around her without drawing any attention to himself.

He froze in place as he understood the horrible realization of what her problem was.

Slowly he realized that they were staring at each other.

His sister and father were definitely staring at him.

Any other present members of the Blackwater Community Pack were also staring.

He forced every muscle in his body to remain still, to not verbally scream in frustration at life handing him this particularly bad deal of cards. To not show how much he was panicking.

If what he felt was correct, he physically couldn't offend her. His wired in respect for higher werewolves would either put the fear of God (and Selene) in him before he did anything. Or she would simply put him in his place and that would be the end of it.

"You, what's your name?" She asked.

A few other wolves that were close by gasped audibly. They probably expected him to say or do something to offend her.

Alya Orchid Loomington's wolf however felt she knew exactly who he was and he cringed internally every time she repeated the word.

'This girl is essentially a princess and... My second mate,' he thought, gritting his teeth.

'Of all the replacement mates in the world-'

In the distance he could see his first mate who rejected him. A glare on her face as she eyed him.

Maybe for standing this close to her?

Girls were a little strange about people they idolized.

"Back away from her highness, Alya Orchid Loomington!" A different Lycan ran up to them. She had icy blue eyes and raven hair with ultramarine blue streaks and bangs.

She wears a purple suit with a purple bow tie and purple gloves. Her shirt has three black buttons. The purple leopard print trouser-shorts are held up by a black belt with a gold cresent moon buckle. Her shoes are purple with gold buckles and black heels.

At the moment she was brandishing a dangerous looking spear. She also likely had other weapons hidden on her person.q

'I wonder how deep a cut that would leave on me...if the blade is strong enough.'

"Eclypse! stand down," Alya Loomington was saying.

"Her highness eh-?" He murmured softly. Eclypse regarded him with a cold stare.

He dropped to one knee. "Your highness, it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time." He greeted cordially. Having his head down was a good way to hide the miniscule beads of sweat sliding down his face from the swift movement.

'Thank you Eclypse, you've given me a few inches of rope to cling to,' he thought smiling internally.

"Oh - you don't have to be so formal around me!" Alya Orchid Loomington was saying. "You can stand up," she said then helped him stand.

"You didn't answer my question," she said casually.

"My name?" His eyes flashed and so did her's though he guessed it was for a different reason.

"I am Lucifugus Rofocale Blackwater," he said using his full name and forcing a smile he hoped didn't look obviously forced.

"My apologies. I seem to have forgotten my manners." He apologized, Eclypse narrowed her gaze at him. He respected her for it. 'Protect what matters most to you no matter what. Don't let down your guard.' he thought with a wry smile.

"It seems I stumbled into you when I actually just want to go back to my room and vom- go to sleep," he said tiredly then corrected himself when he reminded himself who he was talking to.

"Then .. don't let me stop you from getting your rest," she said softly. Likely confused about the tension from everyone else.

"...but I wish to speak to you alone. If that's alright with you?" She asked.

He felt like his heart stopped. His hand twitched as he stepped on a few leaves. The crunching sound unflattering to the silence he left at her request.

He swallowed down his internal terror at the idea and agreed.

"I wouldn't mind that in the least," he said with practiced patience.

'As long as you know what you're getting into little girl,' he sneered internally. His eyes turned navy blue as they scanned the other people present.

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When he was finally able to find Wellesley it was at dinner. Aka the Mess Hall. The one other place where most of the members of the community were together.

The Mess Hall was not technically a hall but food fights and drinking competitions tended to get pretty extreme. It was really a sort of auditorium with numerous windows that had been repurposed for a cafeteria. Hundreds of chairs and dozens of tables lined up for dinner.

Minus a few exceptions, most people either brought their own food from home, or shared or purchased takeout. The kids and Transmogrified ones were more likely to eat food prepared by the family in charge of cooking. His eyes scanned the heads noting that Wellesley would likely be asked to sit with the other children and Transmogrified werewolves.

He also dimly realized that this was probably the first time Wellesley had been in the room given how he absently stared at his surroundings on occasion.Wellesley was sitting next to Alejandro Dayanara and Wally Kenneth a boy who if he recalled correctly had only been there for four months. A new Transmogrified arrival similar to Wellesley himself.

He relaxed knowing that Wellesley was fine. But wondered what he was talking about with his two new friends that had him looking melancholy. Hesitantly he inched closer and could see him handing over his slice of the

Chocolate butter pecan pie, a disappointed expression on his face.

Lucifugus hummed curiously. If they were having dessert then maybe Wellesley would be free to talk to him soon.

"Whoever came up with the idea that the assorted nuts should be in sweet things needs to be hit with an assault rifle!" Wally pouted. A boy next to him ruffled his dirty blonde hair which made Wally struggle with pushing it back.

Wellesley stared at him.

"Yeah I know I could shoot them! But an assault rifle is a big gun! It's gonna hurt!"

Wellesley deadpanned. "I'm sure it's not that bad..."

"I don't appreciate enjoying the bliss decadence of a dessert and then out of nowhere crunching on a NUT!" The other boy complained.

"Plus I'm also allergic..." Wally admitted.

Wellesley's expression turned to horror.

"Why didn't you start with that?" He blurted.

He quickly snatched the pie slice out of his hands. The boy shrugged.

"Lucifugus, I see you finished your meal alone, thanks for sharing me the trouble of going to find you. Would you mind,...?" Alya Orchid asked. Her guard absent. His attention was pulled from the window.

"Not at all, your highness," Lucifugus said smoothly.

They walked away from the Mess Hall and into the forest.

When they stopped walking she spoke first.

"I plan on rejecting you," she told him.

His mind automatically flashed back to the previous girl that was originally intended to be his mate who said something similar. Back when he was thirteen and somehow still hopeful about his life.

"Okay," he said numbly.

"It's not because of anything you did or anything you did with anyone else. What you do isn't a concern of mine," she explained.

"In fact I'm not going to ask why..." She rambled.

He side glanced at Dionysus who was hiding behind a tree ready to swoop in if things went bad. He was silently asking him if he had to stand here and listen to this. If it was required for him to do so.

The answer was a nodded 'yes' much to his chagrin. Inhaling silently, he gritted his teeth and sat through it.

'I really don't want a random girl who happens to be royalty to attempt to educate me on my sex life or that I'm ruining my chance with any future mates,' he thought tiredly.

'Listening to her talk would be nice if I didn't feel like crap from the wolfsbane medicine.'

"I plan on rejecting you because of someone I wish to marry when I find him. We agreed on it before when we were little,"

His eyes widened slightly. "Oh a childhood betrothal marriage? Good for her', he thought.

"There's a boy I remember from when I was younger. He and I, we played together." She explained.