Chapter Fourteen

The trees and shrubs passed by in a blur, the only sounds I could pick the angry wind which lurched against the windows, the constant humming of the Pathfinder's engine and the sounds caused by the friction of tyres which were treading speedily on the gravelled- dirt road for hours.

The Summer Moon festival had begun. The Summer Moon festival was one of the best ones during the year when the Moon was exceptionally full. The purity of our beloved Goddess revived our spirits when she came to us in the embodiment of a Blue Moon. For lycans, it revived our immortality spasms, rejuvenating our life cycles. My Dad had told me some stories when I was younger how the Goddess was related to ‘Solvahar’, the Spirit of the Phoenix. Most people didn't know the ancient name, it was a sacred tradition only to be called that in ceremonies involving lycans. In retrospect, I barely remember the stories.

We had ventured into the ever-familiar appendage cloaked by the conglomerate of brambles and shrubs. Thoughts of college filled my mind as one single red-haired one stood out among all of them.

Axel.

The audacity of him to do that made Clio boil in rage. For someone he just met, he made an overall terrible impression. I saw why these guys were the hottest in the school, they stood out among all the suburban and tanned excess of male folk in NY. They were hotter than many of the werewolves back in my pack. The human girls were not wrong to be ogling them constantly. I buried my head in my palms. I should be thinking about this. The burden on my conscience about the human who saw what he had not supposed to see had me buried in a deep shallow of guilt. The college had closed down for investigations and I wasn't the least bit worried. It was obvious the autopsy would state he died of natural causes.

“Sweetheart, is everything alright?” My Dad's voice broke me out of my reverie, making me raise my head to look at him through the rear view mirror. “You haven't said a single word since we climbed in the truck.”

“I'm alright. Don't really want to talk right now.”

“Baby what's wrong?”

I didn't answer.

The rest of the ride continued in silence till we reached the large clearing which I guess was the Pack's first security ring. The same bored guards were there. The sentries around had increased, I would give them that but the lack of stoicism was noticeable, the mirth of the Moon Summer feast was visible in the air and the wolves around revelled in it. Dad jerked to a stop and one of the wolves who seemed to be the head, walked over to the car. He beckoned at Dad to let down the windows. Dad let down the windows with a small grin on his face, his Louis Vuitton sunglasses sitting perfectly on the bridge of his schnoz.

“Good day.” The frolicsome young wolf greeted, his eyes boring into the back of the truck where his eyes met mine. “You are here for the feast?”

“Yes.”

“Invitation please.” The wolf continued, his enthusiasm never wearing off. Dad's hands slipped into a portfolio laying on the passenger's seat bringing out a parchment with a lurid hie with a red string tied to it. The wolf took it, untying the string to take a look at the contents of the parchment.

He nodded to his team who opened the huge black gate in front of us. “Have a merry Summer Moon feast!!” He hollered after us, after Dad began driving towards the gate. I whipped my head to take another glance at him. His lips pulled into a smirk he winked at me.

I rolled my eyes. Guys always have to flirt. My thoughts wondered to Derek. I would be seeing his family for the whole week. I haven't seen Bre since on Friday though Miles informed me that the police had interrogated both of them since he died outside his room. She would be mad at me. The thoughts of guilt swirled again and stabbed me in the gut like a trenchant blade. I looked at my Dad who was still driving through the small cottages.

“Dad, I'm sorry.”

A huge smile appeared on his face. “I love you honey…you know that you can talk to me about anything.”

I huffed mentally. Definitely not about those vampires. “Sure Dad. I'm fine.”

The Pack's settlement had decorations all over, lilac and lilies flowers strung unto garlands and hung on the doors. Some blue orchids and lilies were decorated on the gates and white picket fences of the estates. Probably the affluent lived in these estates. The difference between the poor and the wealthy was everywhere I guess. The poor simple cottages were separated from the affluent, wealthy estates. The mirth was way more visible within the pack, as you could see the smiles on every wolf we drove pass. Many of the fences were left open, letting me peek into the houses we passed in a blur. The little pups ran around the lawns, tugging at each other's hairs while the men wore plaid patterned aprons, working at the grill with their obviously tepid teenagers. The women sat in groups under their florid, ornate umbrellas, having tea, probably gossiping or pointing fingers at one another. They definitely loved doing that back in my home pack.

The huge gate of the Alpha's house like the others was open. The Pathfinder found a nice spot beside the cascading fountain.

“Well, honey we are here.”