We burst into the room at the ready, howling as we charged the intruders. Two yelps drew me up short, and a third strangled shout stopped Sebastian.
We stood side-by-side, staring in amazement at the people we had just nearly attacked.
“Caspian?” Sebastian asked, sounding unsure.
Caspian stood in a defensive position, shielding Adele from us. The hostility slid off his face as he relaxed and straightened.
“Fuck if I didn’t think you two were charging into here to kill us,” Caspian said. A smile slowly spread over his face as he stepped aside, letting Adele come forward again. “But I’m glad it’s you two and not one of Mercer’s fanatics.”
I frowned grimly. “You’ve had to deal with Mercer, too?”
Adele nodded. “Not recently. Not since… well…”
She glanced at the person next to her. The Moon Goddess! I had served long enough as one of her personal Moon Guardians that I would have recognized her anywhere, even though she had dyed her hair and wore plain clothes.
Somehow, the change made her look… young. My age, maybe even younger.
“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but how?” I demanded, staring at her.
She was dead. The news said she was dead. The attack on the Holy City… Mercer’s attack… everyone thought it had killed her. Why was she here instead of back at the Holy City taking care of the chaos there?
Before I could ask, laughter sounded behind me. Irritation spiked through me as I turned to find Arthur sauntering in. He looked highly amused, though there was a keenness to his eyes as they swept over the three.
“I see you didn’t bother coming in until you knew there wasn’t any danger,” Sebastian grumbled.
“I generally don’t,” Arthur replied. “I prefer to know whether the intruders actually are dangerous or whether they’re my friends. This could have gone very ugly, very quickly, you know.”
Despite his words, he gave Sebastian a fond sort of pat on the back. Sebastian and I shared an annoyed glance. Neither of us was in the mood to let Arthur spoil our reunion with Adele and Caspian, though.
“Why don’t you introduce me to your friends?” Arthur asked.
I cleared my throat. “This is Caspian and his mate, Adele,” I introduced.
I looked at the Moon Goddess, uncertain. Did she want us to tell Arthur who she was?
She answered for me. “My name is Diana. I’m the Moon Goddess… at least, I was.”
The amusement faded from Arthur’s expression. He stared hard at her for a long moment before he suddenly swore and turned away. I arched my eyebrow, waiting for him to say what was on his mind.
When he remained silent, I shook my head. He never liked to tell us anything; why would that change now? Instead, I embraced Adele and Caspian.
“I was so worried when I heard about the attack,” I told them both.
“You’re telling me,” Caspian said. He clutched at Adele’s hand as pain flashed over his face. “When it first happened, I was so afraid I had lost my mate… I couldn’t get to the basilica fast enough. Luckily, Adele was alright.”
“I wasn’t around for the attack,” she explained.
I hugged her again. “I’m so relieved. After everything that has happened in the Holy City, I couldn’t bear it if we’d lost you while we weren’t even there.”
I stepped back from her, smiling.
The Moon Goddess came toward me. I thought she was going to react in her normal aloof, almost bored way. So when she threw her arms around me and buried her face into my shoulder, my eyes bulged.
In alarm, I glanced at Sebastian. He looked as shocked as I did.
Adele held her hands up in a way that indicated she didn’t know.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” the Moon Goddess said, once more sounding childlike and insecure.
“Er… thank you?” I said, making it sound more like a question.
Carefully, I pulled myself from her. Tears pooled in her eyes as I did so, making me uneasy. What was I supposed to do about her crying?
“Mercer was behind the attacks,” Sebastian said, rescuing me.
None of our guests seemed surprised at this.
“He’s here,” Sebastian continued. “And we have to plan how to face him.”
I moved closer to my mate. He was right, of course. While I would have loved to keep celebrating our friends being alive, we had to sort everything out first.
“If he learns the Moon Goddess has survived, he’ll come after her,” Adele said, looking worried.
That heavy knowledge settled on me, making my muscles tense. I blew out my breath. “So what happens now?”
Lyla’s question hung around us. It seemed to have a weight of its own, pressing down on our shoulders. It was the same question that had been plaguing me ever since Caspian and I returned home to find the Moon Goddess.
So far, all I knew was that she—Diana, as she called herself—wanted to be here with Lyla and Sebastian. I still didn’t know why.
“Why don’t we start with having some food?” I suggested. “You three look like you’ve had a rough day, and I’m starving.”
I wasn’t, really, but we would all need our strength to face Mercer.
Luckily, the hotel room had a small kitchenette, so I started to make some dinner for us all while Lyla, Sebastian, Caspian, and Arthur sat at the table to start planning.
“First things first,” Sebastian said in that calm, authoritative Alpha way. “Diana, why don’t you tell us how you escaped the attack on the Holy City.”
“A Moon Guardian overheard the plot,” she said. “Mercer has fanatics, even in the Moon Guard. They’re the ones who released him from prison when I tried to have him arrested.”
I winced. I hadn’t questioned her about her survival. Now, as I heard her speak, there was a clear note of betrayal in her voice, despite her attempts to keep it even.
She cleared her throat and continued. “There were still loyal members, though. Moon Guardians who still believed in what I stood for. They got me out of the basilica before it was destroyed. They gave their lives to keep me safe.”
“And you found Caspian and Adele?” Lyla pressed.
“Yes. And... you are my only friend. If anyone could help me, it would be them,” Diana said. Her voice trembled, as though she was about to break down.
I’d started making some eggs and bacon, so while that cooked, I filled some glasses with water. I brought them to the people still at the table, then turned back to the kitchen. Caspian slid from the table to join me.
I gave my mate a small smile. His hand rested on the small of my back as we both worked to prepare the meal. The task helped to calm me as much as his presence.
“And now you’re here,” Arthur said. His voice was taut, like he could snap at any moment. “Why?”
Diana was silent a moment before she answered. “I’m looking for you.”
