Fire Moon by Miss CrazyPlantLady (phonics reading books .TXT) 📖

them regardless" Sawyer softly added before waving it away, "Now, we have Blue-Moon Solstice in a week and I—"

I rolled my eyes, "Great, so it's just going to be packed with horny wolves."

"No, I make the most elegant parties" Sawyer gasped, offended.

"Are you mated?" Alexei asked the Soothsayer, he returned to his casual self and leaned back into the couch.

"I was" his answer was quick and sharp.

A frown drew on my face and I watched the irritation grow on Sawyer's usually timid face, "What happened?"

"He was killed" was what came out of the Soothsayer's mouth and I didn't know how to react.

Shock was the appropriate response but because Sawyer was so fine after the death of his mate, the shock was only for how well he did after it. I had no idea and looking at him, no one would pick that up.

"When did it happen?" I asked quietly.

"Few years ago" the Soothsayer answered shortly before crossing his arms, "Cameron lived up to his name and saw my mate as a threat or just because he fancied men, he killed him a few days after we bonded."

"That's illegal, isn't it?"

"It is but he didn't care, he was dying anyway" he said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, Sawyer" was all my mouth allowed me to say.

Alexei and I shared a look before Alexei continued to speak about the Soothsayer's map. My eyes watching Alexei, the soft skin around his neck and a frown grew on my face as the realisation hit me.

"Where's your necklace?" I already knew the answer but I wanted him to say it, to fuel my rage.

"They took it" he said with an easy shrug, as if it wasn't his mother's personal item and as if he wasn't boiling inside to get it back.

"Who?"

His eyes flickered at my irritated words and he gave me another shrug, "I don't know, one of the guards."

"Danny?" I gestured my head to the Zeta standing at the door.

He shook his head, "Not him, a different one."

I made the mental note to harass Danny later for more details but my attention was captured by Miles standing in the door.

Her eyes were sad but she wore a soft smile on her face, "Pen asked me to get you."

My body shuddered as I remembered Wren. He was getting buried today and I would be there to watch him leave.

"Be there in a second" I smiled and waited for her to leave before I turned back to Sawyer and the Null-hound, "Under no circumstances will either of you tell Miles what I did to the children."

"You haven't told her?" the Soothsayer frowned.

"Not yet" I snapped, "I just want to tell her myself."

"Your secret is safe with us" Alexei nodded as I stood to leave, "But you should tell her soon."

I ignored him and left the Soothsayer and the Null-hound to their drawn map.

I found Miles in the kitchen, Pen was talking with her by the sliding door and through the glass I could make out the long dark oak coffin.

Wren's coffin.

Polished smooth, the wood glowed in the afternoon sun. I knew Wren wanted a burial, he told me one night when I was reading in his room and I laughed then because I thought there was no way he would die.

"We are burying him today, Miss" Pen said the second she noticed me, "We found an oak sapling."

A sapling. To grow with him over the years he's gone, "Where's Alice?" I felt myself ask.

"She's already out there" Miles answered, a sad soft smile painted on her warm face.

I was not in appropriate funeral attire, my dark purple shirt was thin and too small. My sweatpants were light grey and too big because they were August's but I found myself heading straight to the small oak sapling.

The infant tree was a several metres away from the house, in the shadows of the full sized ones that surrounded it. Alice was already standing at the 6 foot hole, she stared down at it with a blank expression on her face. She was still in the pyjamas I gave her last night, the soft green florals swallowed her. She looked like a fragile child again.

She watched me walk up to her and she sighed, "I wish we could bury him at home."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, "I know" we followed the brown coffin with our eyes as Wren made his way to his final destination.

Home was such a weird word to hear after all that's happened. After what I learnt about my father. Home was now just a concept I didn't know.

"You have a strange way of doing everything, E" Bain said as he came up the other side of Alice, his hand comforting hers in a grasp, "We don't normally watch them leave."

"Traditions are boring" Quinn added as she and Urith stood on the other side of me, Urith rested his hand on my shoulder and Quinn grabbed my free hand.

Her icy blue eyes glowed at me as she smiled before Wren arrived. The Zetas placed him above his open grave, floating above the dark hole and turned all their eyes on me.

"Do you want to say anything?" I asked Alice softly.

Tears were silently falling down her face but she held her chin high and shook her head.

I tilted my head to Pen and she started lowering the smooth casket when I felt a hand on my free shoulder, a single finger held the smallest amount of skin at the base of my neck and I knew instantly who it was. My skin was burning from it, itching to feel more and I turned slightly and met the emerald eyes of the Null-hound.

He bowed his dark-haired head, "I'm sorry for your loss, Changeling."

I couldn't hear him over the tingling in my neck but I returned to Wren and his lowering coffin. Alexei held onto my shoulder as the casket disappeared into the earth.

Wren was officially gone and my entire body felt numb besides the smallest spot at the base of my neck.

16

“I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD DRINK ANYMORE."

I instantly rolled my eyes at Alexei’s words, my hands grasped the side of the porcelain bowl, and the contents of my stomach were violently covering in the inside.

Sawyer’s golden concoction was deadly but tasted like candy. I don’t even remember having nightmares last night because the second I opened my eyes, the vile was rising in my throat.

The Soothsayer wanted to apologise for not being at Wren’s burial, by getting us all drunk. I accepted the apology.

Danny was the first one to deal with it as I stormed to his room shortly after downing a few shots and demanded that he tell me where Alexei’s necklace was.

Danny was ruffled from his sleep when he opened the door, and his dark eyes were saucers as he saw me.

It was not alarming when he told me August took it, and of course August was not here, he disappeared after the shower scene. I didn’t know when he would be coming back but I knew I had enough time for my plan of attack.

Sawyer was my next victim, I followed him to his room after the drinks and he was smirking the entire time, but I could see the uncertainty showed in his eyes.

He told me where August took the necklace, and that took me to August’s room, to his desk and that was when Sam found me. Sam wasn’t impressed but worried about being caught with me, and us both getting into trouble with the Alpha. Drunk me didn’t care.

Drunk me kept thinking about Alexei’s family. Alexei’s dead family. I kept thinking about how much that necklace must mean to him, and how much it would’ve hurt for it to be taken away from him.

I was ripping every draw open in August’s desk, searching for the fine jewellery, and Sam was rushing me, forcing the panic to rise in my chest. I pulled the last drawer open, and I heard a familiar clinking noise, almost like a necklace sliding on wood, but the drawer was empty.

Sam’s head snapped to the door, and I never seen so much fear in his eyes. Sam feared nothing. I watched his fingers rush through the air, “August” was all his signed.

I teared the drawer from the desk in record speed, my fingers working fast to peel the bottom on the drawer off, and the silver sun glowed up at me as I peered into the dusty hidden compartment.

My hands grabbed it instantly, and I shoved the drawer back into place as Sam gripped my arm, “What are we going to do?”

My eyes searched the room, and I found nothing, I didn’t have an excuse in my head to why we would be in here.

The necklace felt heavy in my shaking hands, and Sam went to grab it, but I held it away, “Get rid of it!” he signed.

I panicked on shoved it over my head and yanked it under my shirt. The cool metal was cold against my chest, and Sam rolled his eyes, pulling his turtleneck sweater off to thrust it over my head.

The door opened that second, August frowned instantly as he saw us and his arms crossed, “What are you doing in my room?”

Sam shot me a panicked look, and I sighed, “We got lost.”

I internally winced at the incredibly weak excuse, but August’s frown loosened, and a small smirk grew on his face, “You’re drunk.”

Sam nodded, “She wandered off, and no one knew where she was” his hands were surprisingly still, “Are you joining us in the kitchen?”

August smiled again at me before shaking his head, “No, I have to meet with another Alpha about Kier and Vic, and I’ll be gone for three days.”

I forced myself not to roll my eyes, I grabbed Sam’s arm, and started pulling him out the room, “You’re not missing much, see you when you get back.”

“You’re so stupid” Sam signed the second we left, “He would have seen around your neck.”

I laughed loudly, forgetting all about the necklace around my neck, and told Sam I was keeping his sweater before going straight to bed.

Now, I am regretting letting Sawyer talk me into drinking at all.

“Are you okay?” Alexei was frowning at me, searching my face.

I nodded, leaning back to rest against the cool tiles, and I watched him, “Thank you for coming to Wren’s burial.”

He nodded at my gratitude, sitting on the tub, “Does August know about the children?”

My head shook, and I stood to brush my teeth. I couldn’t tell August. He’d say something like “at least you’re alive,” and I wouldn’t be able to deal with that.

My back was to Alexei as he sighed, “You need to tell people, Eden.”

I didn’t respond to him as I brushed the vomit out of my mouth, I turned to him, shaking my head, “I can’t bring myself to tell anyone, let alone him.”

His emerald eyes were too comforting, and understanding as he nodded, “You need to at least tell your mate, he needs to understand.”

I was beginning to get irritated, and I felt it show on my face, “He wouldn’t understand.”

He frowned at my response, “You need to give him a chance.”

“Don’t tell me what I need to give him” my voice