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“Something I keep when guys get too aggressive and think they can do anything they want with me.” Pearl didn’t elaborate, but the words sent a chill down Ruby’s spine. “We will be fine. So will he. He will wake up later and think he was too drunk to get home.”
Ruby was silent, torn with guilt and the unfairness of the treatment of her sisters. Pearl perused her and softened, stepping forward to squeeze her shoulder. Just like that, the agitated energy quieted down, and Ruby’s buzzed state returned. They joined hands as they continued their walk back to the cottage, not speaking of the incident and letting the cool breeze whip over their faces.
“Home,” Pearl announced once it was in sight.
“Home,” Ruby murmured.
They stumbled inside to Emerald waiting in the living room, speech already ready once they entered.
“Where have you guys been? It’s so late, and you know it’s not safe for us to be out this late. People will talk. People will find ways to confront you—”
Ruby stopped her midsentence when she threw her body toward the blonde. Emerald caught her, frowning, then blinked when Pearl stepped in and hugged Emerald from behind.
“Are you guys drunk?”
“Yes. Don’t be mad. I promise we didn’t cause trouble,” Pearl cooed.
“Well…”
“We love you, Em,” Ruby blurted out, hugging tighter.
To their amazement, Emerald softened, too, and reluctantly accepted the embrace. Then the blonde ushered them to their beds, where Ruby happily buried her face in her pillow and tried to forget about the half-horny, half-angering night. She dreamed of Maddox, who smiled and looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world.
She dreamed of destruction and death, her sisters’ screams joining that of her brother.
Chapter 11
“Again, Moon.”
Moon eyed Maddox as if prepared to argue, then changed his mind at the last second and turned around. Maddox watched as the boy curled in on himself, crouched in the clearing and snapping with energy. Then the boy began his transformation, fur growing first before the rest followed suit. It was faster than the last time—and smoother, with hardly any jerking as Moon completed his process and stood before Maddox in wolf form.
Yellow eyes pierced him, but they weren’t as antagonistic as before. Triumph slid over Maddox as he nodded.
“Good. That’s very good. Now, back to human form, please.”
The wolf lifted its head, tempted to howl. But Maddox’s firm look seemed to push through as the wolf circled the clearing, crouched once more, and pushed within itself until the transformation was in the process again. The shift from wolf to human was slower, with Moon struggling at every second. Sweat poured down the boy’s back as he shimmied into his pants, with patches of fur still visible.
“Well?” Moon asked.
“I guess we need to work on the second part more.”
“Now?”
“No. Take a break. You can’t keep re-shifting unless you are already an expert at it. It will take a toll on your system.”
Moon made a sound of impatience. “But I have to do better to be introduced to society.”
“Who will be introducing you to society?”
“Brian. He has the powerful family and the support.”
“Exactly,” Maddox pointed out. “You can’t fail him. You have to perfect this, and the only way to do it is to not overwork yourself and take breaks in between. There’s no shortcut to it, Moon. You have to put in the work at a balanced pace, and you have to be patient.”
Understanding encompassed him as Moon visibly battled with the truth, one which Maddox knew all too well. Half-vampires like him were a concern for warlocks and witches, but he had proven time and again that he had control over his urges and was not a danger to this society. Moon being a new shifter was a different case, and the backlash that would happen should Moon not shift perfectly in front of the council…
“Can we do it again at the next full moon?” Moon asked hopefully. “I’m not saying that we can’t do it on regular days because I like that we are doing it on regular days. But I mean that during the full moon, it’s harder for me to deny my wolf form, so practicing to shift back to human form is a struggle that I want to overcome…”
“Of course,” Maddox replied, taking pity as the boy grew flustered. Amusement came when Moon lit up, finally content over the number of practices they would be having soon.
