Bianca Alejandra
SEBASTIAN
Arthur was gone again, but unlike usual when he disappeared without a trace, he left a map behind today.
Lyla and I made breakfast together and then looked over the map. It showed topographical images of Banff Park, with several areas marked with red ink.
“Do you think those are places where Arthur is searching?” Lyla asked.
I chewed on a spicy sausage. “I don’t think so. If he was searching those areas, he’d bring us along, wouldn’t he? He didn’t kidnap us to Canada, of all places, just so we could have the hotel to ourselves for hours at a time.”
Lyla gave me a sly glance. “If he did, I’d have to thank him.”
I smiled at her but sobered quickly. “Maybe his plans changed once the attack on the Moon Goddess happened.”
“I… maybe.” Lyla rolled her shoulders and frowned at the map. “But what I don’t understand is why he isn’t telling us anything. He keeps disappearing, and I’m certain he’s off drinking.”
“You noticed that, too?” I asked.
Arthur often returned to the hotel smelling like various types of alcohol. He didn’t even seem to be trying to hide it. I was just glad that Lyla and I had a separate room within the suite to give us privacy from him.
Lyla stretched out her back before she folded up the map. “It doesn’t really matter, though, does it?”
I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, we need to get back home. With the attack on the Holy City and the Moon Goddess dead, we need to be with the pack,” Lyla said.
She was right. After such unsettling events, the pack would need its alpha and luna now more than ever.
“But we also are still in desperate need of the funds Arthur can provide,” I reminded her and myself.
Lyla scowled. “We’ll figure out how to deal without him. I won’t let you be under his thumb for however long he wants you dancing like a monkey on a string.”
Her description made me laugh. “A monkey on a string, huh?”
She wrinkled her nose at me. “That’s a saying.”
“Is it?” I asked.
“It is if I say so,” she replied. She took his hand, and a smirk worked its way over her face. “You know what else is a saying?”
“What?” I followed her as she led me to the bedroom.
“Kiss me until I’m breathless.”
I wasn’t sure if she was trying to say that was a saying or was giving me an order. It didn’t matter. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her soundly. She used her foot to kick the door shut. And I was more than happy to take advantage of our privacy.
LYLA
Sebastian and I spent a few hours in bed—and on the table, the floor, against the wall, and in the shower—before we were driven out of the hotel room in search of food.
The hotel had a luxury restaurant attached to it, but one glance at the prices and we decided to go somewhere else.
Arthur might be footing the bill, but we didn’t want to give him any reason to demand more from us... we were already worried about what all this entailed.
“I don’t want to go back to the hotel,” Sebastian said after we had eaten.
I nodded. We were in a beautiful part of the world. Banff still had miles of untouched land, full of interesting things to see. It was also one of the few places left that didn’t have any packs established on it.
Banff was a neutral zone. Anyone from any pack was welcome here, so long as they paid their bills.
“It will be a long time before we can come here again,” I agreed. “Let’s take advantage of the trip and see the sights.”
We found a tour guide's list of activities and poured over it. The places that were most interesting to me were the Cave and Basin, which explained the history of the special hot springs in Banff, and Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, and some other hiking trails.
“The lakes sound like they’ll be the most fun for me,” Sebastian said.
“Not interested in walking about the Cave and Basin center?” I teased.
Sebastian kissed me. “More like I’m feeling restless. It will be good to take our wolves for a run, won’t it?”
Now that he mentioned it, I was feeling restless, too. Even though we had burned off a lot of energy in the hotel room, I still felt the need to move. Maybe getting out in the fresh air would help with that.
“That does sound nice,” I said.
“And maybe we’ll have the chance to figure out what Arthur wants from us,” Sebastian added.
He rolled his shoulders as though he was trying to relieve the tension in them.
He had a good point. I didn’t think either of us would work through this restless feeling until we could finally go home and take care of the pack.
Getting out into the mountains was a good middle-point for the time being, though. We packed up the stuff we needed for the day and then headed out.
When we get to Lake Louise, my mate and I stopped on the rocky beach and looked out over it. The water was a slate-blue color. It couldn’t be called gray, but it was almost gray. I’d never seen water that color before.
“That’s amazing,” I admitted.
“It’s because of the minerals the water picks up as it melts from the glacier,” Sebastian told me.
I cuddled up next to him. “When we get home, we should look into building a pool for the pack. I know, I know, we don’t have the money. But I—”
A scent hit my nostrils. My head whipped around.
And there he was.
My claws extended, and a growl rumbled in my chest.
Mercer.
SEBASTIAN
I sensed the change in Lyla just before she charged. I turned with her, following after. Whatever had startled her, I would be by her side.
The reason for her sudden change in mood soon became clear. My fangs lengthened. Mercer. He’d tried to kill Lyla before, so why was he here?
Knowing he had been after the veil of the first Moon Goddess while Arthur dragged Lyla and me to find it gave me a pretty clear idea.
Lyla slammed into Mercer, knocking him off course.
I joined her, drawing back my fist to punch him in the face.
“You!” he howled, his face turning red.
My fist crashed into his mouth. I felt teeth loosen. As I pulled back again, Lyla grabbed Mercer by the collar. She shook him hard, fury burning in her eyes.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she accused. “You’re the one who attacked the Holy City. You killed the Moon Goddess.”
Mercer grabbed Lyla’s wrists. He attempted to pull her off him, but her grip was too strong. He made to wrap his hands around her neck, but I snarled a warning.
His eyes flickered to me. A sneer crossed his face. “Yes. I killed the phony Moon Goddess. And what do you think you’re going to do about it?”
Lyla opened her mouth…
But before she could answer, something crashed into us from the side, sending us spinning away from Mercer.