She found herself humming and dancing as she finished getting ready for the party. As she had planned to have the café close earlier than usual today, it gave her ample time to return home. The drive was about forty-five minutes from her place, and she liked being on time. "Wow, you clean up nice," Enora complimented. Gil stepped out of the bathroom in his masquerade attire, looking effortlessly cool in it. He shrugged as he observed himself in the mirror on her bedroom door, and answered shyly, "You think so?" "Of course. I wouldn't lie about that." "You sure this isn't a ruse to get on my good side because I'm mad at you?" She put her hands up in defense, "Hey, I said I was sorry! I'm not purposely forcing you to go. You have to be my plus one since Victor isn't here." "He owes me for this. I hate parties," he mumbled angrily. "Me too. Guess we can awkwardly be there together," she replied. He released a sigh, "At least the theme is cool." "That's the spirit!" Enora tr
"I hope you enjoyed the party; you shall not be rejoining." His mask looked creepier in this light; one of those ugly, full faced masquerade ones with the protruding lower half. It muffled his voice so she couldn't tell if she recognized it or not. She scanned the room. They were in a storage room with old furniture and paintings. A box with what she assumed were antiques, sat to her right and she noticed a number of them were silver. Her hand inched towards the purse hanging low on her hips when he put a hand up, "Ah, ah, ah. We shall have none of that." A slight pain went up her leg when she got to her feet. Meaning, it would be a problem when it came time for her to escape. If she were to escape. "I must admit that I expected more of you. The way Alpha is so enamored, you would think you were the perfect Luna." She swallowed thickly, "Should I apologize for disappointing you?" He gave a dry laugh, "Ah, maybe it is your attitude he likes. I can see the appeal, but it does not
Caitlyn and Nadine hastened down the hall towards Enora who was being examined by a pack medic. She tried to call out to them, but the gauze in her mouth muffled her words. "Oh my gosh what happened?!" Caitlyn yelled as she got closer. "Allen! Send everyone home! The party's over!" Her husband shouted a confirmation and cut off the music moments later. "Enora! What–!" Nadine began, putting her hands to her mouth in horror. Enora was about to answer again, when the door opened to reveal the stranger being carried out. A quick scan of his body showed no wounds and his chest moved, but he was unconscious. "Who is that?! He attacked you?! And how did these guys get here so fast?!" Caitlyn shouted again, seeing the state of her friend. The sleeve on Enora's dress had been torn and her hair had fallen out of its bun. Her face was sore and swelling; mouth slightly bleeding from where her gums were cut. This was definitely not good. Gil stepped in beside them, "These are old cop buddie
The night had grown windy; their steps harsh on the stone path. She followed Victor to the car so she could speak to him out of earshot of the others. The beep from the car, cut through the air suddenly and made her jump; she hoped Victor hadn't noticed. Come on, Enora. Get a grip. "Victor, you don't have to stay. I know you want to be there to interrogate that shifter. To figure this out," she began. He didn't look at her as he opened the trunk to retrieve a backpack, "I'm not letting you out of my sight tonight. There's nothing to discuss." "But isn't it your duty to be there? And we're still..." she was unsure of how to finish. "My duty is also to my–" he said, voice rising. "You are my priority because you were in danger. Besides, it's because of times like these, that I have two others in charge. They'll relay all of the information I need to know." Enora let out a long sigh, "Then I'm wasting my time." "I told you. Nothing to discuss." He took her hand again as they walke
Victor catapulted from the bed to Enora's side in a flash, body shielding hers in a defensive stance. A quick observation of the room produced no threats, and he turned back to attend to her. Excessive short breaths and shaking hands seized her body, keeping her gaze unfocused and erratic. "Enora! Hey, look at me. You're ok." It took a moment for her to register. Like a switch, her body reacted and came back into the present. The grip she had reflexively put on his arms relaxed, and her breathing slowed, but her heart still pounded to the beat of a drum's crescendo. "I'm sorry, I..." she began, unable to finish the sentence. The adrenaline from her dream coursed through her veins, setting her senses on overload. Looking at Victor, she rubbed at the part of her neck he had bitten and felt the breaking of her skin. She saw him again with flushed skin and open mouth; how his voice had lowered an octave. "Are you listening?" Victor asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Huh? What did yo
Back in their pajamas and wrapped in extra blankets, they sat up in bed, having given up on getting sleep. Dawn's gradual reveal of light peeked into the room as Enora propped herself up against Victor's chest; securely nestled in his arms. "So...?" Enora began. "So, I need you to tell me everything that happened between you and that shifter. You told me before, but I know you left out details," he accused. She brought her knees to her chest and took a deep breath, "I needed to buy time and distract him. I told you he was ranting on about me and his Alpha, but I didn't tell you that I asked him to explain a few things." Victor stiffened behind her but kept quiet. "He mentioned my being unworthy for a few reasons, and I didn't care about that of course, but then he said I wasn't marked..." She pulled his arms in for a tighter embrace. "And it stuck with me. I thought it made sense; it would explain a lot. I couldn't help it." Victor released her and turned her to face him instea
THE NEXT DAY The laundry basket hit the floor with a thud. Enora exhaled heavily, bending over the basket in defeat. The journey from her apartment to the elevator and then the laundry room, had been routine for years, and yet somehow, it refused to get easier. "I may have to invest in one of those foldable carts with the wheels. The old people are onto something." The phone rang as she dragged the basket into her room. It was Victor. "Hello?" "Enora, I have news. Where's Gil?" "Outside because the guys are changing shifts." "Good. I'll be there in ten." "Vic wait–" The phone hung up before she could get out another word. Naturally, she began to worry; it had to be something urgent if he was coming to tell her in person. Or maybe speaking over the phone was the problem–too big a risk. Victor was late. It was expected, as he usually was, but she was still irritated. The polish on one of her nails had chipped onto her lap from her chewing on it, and her leg bounced incessantly
The envelope looked hefty from how bulky it was. The words: A GIFT FOR ENORA, written in large, sloppy handwriting made her pause. Another threat? Victor opened the flap quickly and pulled out a stack of photos. They were all of her. She caught the envelope as he let go, swiping through the photos speedily. His anger increased with each one, seeing them display moments from her every day. The places she frequented. The people in her life. "Do not tell me you let someone get past you all downstairs," Victor began evenly. "N–no boss! No one other than the residents of this building have gone in or out! We have surveillance recording," his underling replied quickly. "Then how did this get here? Search everything. NOW!" The underling took off and Victor pulled out his phone, "Gil, get Wilson up here and gather group A for a hunt." He crushed the photos with his hand, throwing them against the wall where they scattered; a few of them slid to Enora's feet. There were photos from two