Starting Over

~TWO WEEKS LATER~

Victoria

Hey Luna Bambi, how are you holding up?

Victoria

Did you get my package full of pastries?

Victoria

Haven’t heard from you in awhile…

Bambi

I’ve just been busy settling in at home

Bambi

And Victoria, we talked about this…

Bambi

Don’t call me Luna anymore

Victoria

You are my Luna though.

Victoria

That hasn’t changed.

Victoria

Alpha Ekon will come around, I know it.

Bambi

That’s sweet Vic, but he doesn’t want anything to do with me

Bambi

I have to move on

Victoria

Don’t say that!

Victoria

I know you’ll be back!

Victoria

Ryland says Ekon has been impossible to work with since you left.

Victoria

He was a better person when you were around.

Bambi

I didn’t make anything better by coming to your pack, Vic

Bambi

I only made things worse

Victoria

😔

Victoria

I wish you could see the truth, Bambi

Victoria

The same way you helped others see the truth

Bambi

It felt strange being back in my family home after all those months away.

It was only temporary of course…

I planned to move out and get my own place once I started my design internship in New York City.

In my short time away, I realized I had outgrown this place. Even though it had felt like I wasn’t ready to leave at the time, it was now clear to me that I was.

I needed to be independent, and now that I’d gotten a taste, I couldn’t go back to this sheltered life under my brother’s roof.

I loved the guy, but he was already starting to get on my nerves. He still treated me like a child, the way he had before I’d been mated to Ekon.

I slumped into the couch in our massive living room and flipped on the TV for background noise.

I’d found myself in this position quite often since leaving Ekon’s pack.

I cried every night for a week, but there was only so much crying a person could do, ~even me~.

After the tears came the couch-potato phase, where I was too depressed to do much of anything other than binge-watch ~Alpha and Beta: Special Victims Unit~.

But now, I was ready to move on and start over. Or at least I kept telling myself that.

I hoped my internship and some city living would be what I needed to turn things around.

My phone started buzzing, and I saw a text from Holly.

Holly

Hey!

Holly

I miss you!

Holly

How are you?

Bambi

I’m doing better

Bambi

How are things there?

Bambi

Is your witch training going well?

Holly

SO WELL!

Holly

I’m going to brew you a special potion

Holly

It’s supposed to rid your aura of any doom and gloom

Bambi

Haha that would be much appreciated

Bambi

Have you heard from Ela?

Holly

No one has heard much from her since she left with Alpha Hunter

Holly

But she’s coming home to visit soon

Holly

So I’ll be sure to get all the gossip

Bambi

👏👏👏

Bambi

Yes, please

Bambi

I need a good distraction

Holly

💃💃💃

Bambi

Thanks btw

Holly

For what?

Bambi

For not grilling me about Ekon

Holly

🚫Ekon

Holly

I totally get it

Holly

But just know that this is still your home and we miss u

Bambi

💕

I did miss the hell out of them.

The investigation had given me a purpose, and without it, I didn’t know what I was doing anymore.

As far as I knew, the investigation by the Royal Council had gone stagnant and they weren’t making any progress.

I was frustrated by their lack of action, especially considering that my brother was a part of that council.

Matthias and Devina were still out there, and rogue attacks had been increasing on a daily basis.

As Max walked into the room, I peered over the couch and threw a pillow at him.

“Hey, how was the Council meeting this morning? Any new developments?” I asked hopefully.

“We’re still trying to figure out the best move. We don’t want this to become too public just yet,” he replied. “It’s already such a messy situation. We don’t want to throw fuel on the fire.”

My cheeks burned as I sat up. This was what they kept saying over and over.

It felt like the Council was just trying to cover their own asses.

“Max, we can’t just wait around for Matthias to make the first move! People are dying out there!” I snapped.

“I’m aware of that, Bambi, but it’s a sensitive issue, and these things take time. We don’t want to provoke another attack like the Northern Pack massacre,” he snapped back.

“I just don’t want to see anyone else get hurt,” I said, thinking back to the sight of those burned bodies lying in a pile. “There’s been too much bloodshed already.”

“I know, little doe, but we’ll find him. He’s probably just lying low now that we know he’s out there. Anyway, you should focus on more pleasant things, like your internship.”

There was that condescending tone again.

I wanted to slap him, but something on the TV caught my eye—a news report.

“Leave the investigation to the trained pro—”

“Shhh, Goddess, shut up,” I said, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume.

A newscaster standing on a quiet New York street curb spoke into a microphone.

“The young girl, who goes by the name Jimmy, is still missing. Authorities say claw marks were found on her walls, doorframe, and bedposts.”

“I bet it was another rogue attack. They’re getting closer and closer,” I said, my eyes still glued to the screen.

“And you wonder why I don’t want you moving to New York,” Max said sullenly.

“Jimmy was a culinary student at a local arts school. If you have any information on her whereabouts, or know of a family member or relative, please contact the number below,” the newscaster continued.

A photo of the girl appeared on screen with the number. She had a pleasant, round face and bright eyes.

I didn’t know why I was so affected by her image, but my eyes began to water.

She was younger than me and so innocent looking, and now she’d never be the same again.

“This is what I’m talking about, Max. Matthias is out there taking girls from their beds, and we’re doing nothing about it!” I said angrily.

“How do you know this has anything to do with Matthias?” he scoffed. “They could be completely unrelated.”

“I just know,” I muttered. “I can feel it.”

“Look, Bambi, I promise you we aren’t going to let the entire werewolf realm collapse,” Max said, sighing. “But can you please just focus on something else for a while? You need to put the past behind you.”

***

Though I still didn’t trust the Council to do what needed to be done, I decided to take Max’s advice.

I had pulled out all of my old paints and art supplies and started a new piece.

If I didn’t do something to distract myself, I would’ve gone crazy.

That poor missing girl, Jimmy…

Ekon…

I needed to clear my mind, but instead, those were the last two images that flashed through my head as my heavy eyelids fluttered shut and I drifted off to sleep.

***

~“Bambi? Bambi, wake up. It’s a beautiful day!”~

~I opened my eyes to the sun shining through my curtains and my mate kissing my neck.~

~Ekon growled playfully and bit my lip as he kissed me.~

~I kissed back, almost hungrily. I desperately needed his touch.~

~“You’re always so horny in the mornings,” he laughed.~

~“Ekon…what…what’s going on?” I asked, confused.~

~“Shall we go for another picnic today? It’s the perfect day for it,” he said, hopping out of bed and pulling open the curtains, sending a cascade of sunlight into the room.~

~I squinted at the brightness as I sat up.~

~Was this real? I didn’t understand, but it felt…~

~It felt like I was just seeing what I wanted to see.~

~An absolutely stunning dress was laid out over the armoire, and I slid out of bed and picked it up, running the smooth silk between my fingers.~

~“Go ahead, put it on,” he coaxed. “I bought that just for you.”~

~I slipped into the dress, and Ekon zipped up the back for me, moving my hair out of the way.~

~He took a step back and looked at me from head to toe.~

~“You look gorgeous, darling. Words really can’t describe your beauty,” he said, smiling.~

~“You…you can see me?” I said, growing more confused by the second.~

~“Of course I can see you! What are you talking about?”~

~I realized that Ekon was no longer blind. He stood before me, and his eyes were perfectly clear. His wolf hadn’t surfaced whatsoever.~

~“How is this possible?” I asked, shocked. “The witch…she took your sight.”~

~“Did she now?” Ekon smirked, scooping me into his arms. “Well, that was nasty of her.”~

~“This…this isn’t right,” I said, feeling dizzy.~

~He kissed me again, and I forgot everything I was saying. I barely knew where I was.~

~“Ekon, what’s…”~

~He placed his hands around my neck and started to squeeze, lightly at first but then aggressively.~

~I gasped for air, starting to choke. I tried hitting him, but he wouldn’t let up.~

~“You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” He smiled lovingly, all the while choking the life out of me. “You should’ve just stayed out of it.”~

***

I jolted awake to find a pair of cold, oily hands wrapped around my neck.

A cloaked woman with long, pale hair hovered above my body.

I tried to scream, but she pressed the center of my neck with her thumbs, and I couldn’t even open my mouth.

“Sleep,” she whispered.

I felt a prickly sensation shoot through my entire body, and then my eyes shut tight, sending me into a dark abyss.