The new year has come and passed. I can proudly say that I have been indoctrinated as Luna and have been doing some good for the pack. I was extremely nervous that I would do or say something that pinned me as the "human who didn't understand werewolf culture," but I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the pack supported and aided me as I learned the ins and outs of my new role.

Grayson was extremely patient with me, always explaining the little things about his job that I had to retrain my brain around. For example, one of his many responsibilities is overseeing the pack residence and keeping everything clean and up to date in terms of renovations. He oversees all of the food distribution as well, and he had to explain to me that werewolves eat WAY more than humans do, which I was aware of but not consciously thinking about. Something similar happened with the pack training equipment and the size weights that needed to be ordered.

I try to help him with the boring paperwork involving everyday complaints and fixes around the house as well as the more difficult and interesting parts of being an Alpha of a very large werewolf pack.

We've had to deal with the fallout from the coven attack. Even today, there's still more formal meetings with some of the High Council members to talk about Elina, who is on the run.

After she kidnapped Evie and killed Eli, she portaled out of town and never returned. The few coven members still around are either in the pack prison or dead from the attack. Another difficult decision Gray and I have to make- what do we do with the remaining coven members? It's a sticky situation because we don't want to set them free to wreak more havoc and spread hate about humankind that could lead to a dangerous situation. We also can't keep them imprisoned forever. It's not right. They were raised with certain beliefs, it's not their fault that they didn't have a chance to learn another way.

I've been to the pack prison many times to check on the witches and warlocks in custody- there are eight total members left. They must feel so lost as their leader has completely abandoned them to fend for themselves in werewolf territory.

I spend time with the "prisoners," always making sure they have enough food and are treated kindly. Grayson doesn't love the idea of me going there so often, but I know it's what Eli would have wanted.

Eli grew up with these people, and as much as he used to say he didn't care about anyone, I knew these people were the only family he had. His horrible mother definitely wasn't family. She wouldn't have killed him if that were the case.

There are times where it hits me hard that I'll never see him again. I'll never make fun of him for his unethical behaviors, I'll never see his smile transform his entire face. He'll never get to use his magic to portal us to random cities like he once mentioned.

The worst part is that I never got to say goodbye. Elle took his body who knows where, and I haven't heard a word from her, either.

I'm sure she's aware that the High Council is searching for her. Elle had threatened me and Grayson not to search for Elina because she wanted to be the one to kill her mother. However, we had to report the coven incident to the High Council and along the way they became curious about Elle. The werewolf representative, Andros, was particularly curious because he was worried about how I, our pack's Luna, was so easily attacked and injured by a powerful witch and warlock. He wanted to ensure this never happened to another pack.

With the Council's growing curiosity and wariness of Elina and Elle, I have become slightly frustrated. I hope the High Council doesn't lump the two witches together. They may be blood related, but their morals lie in different realms.

At least I think they do.

On top of all of these stressful changes, I also have Evie to think about. After she was kidnapped, I was worried there would be some long-term emotional damage of some sort. When she went to the pack daycare and befriended Darren, I was ecstatic that she was getting along with other children and finally acting her age. She has always been a little clingy and emotional, but I thought that was how most children acted at her age.

It turns out, it's not how they usually act and the employees at the daycare mentioned this to me and my mom. It was a hard conversation for us to have because we weren't aware that she may have some developmental delays. They said that it was unrelated to the kidnapping and that it may be a good idea to get Evie tested to see if there's any way to improve her learning moving forward or any way to help her emotionally.

As one may guess, I'm overwhelmed.

The only person who has helped me stay sane is Grayson. Through it all, he has been my rock and I'm so utterly grateful for him that sometimes I just want to cry.

Unfortunately, I don't have any classes with Cooper this semester. That's okay though. We still drive to campus together and drink copious amount of caffeine at Java. Even though I don't work there anymore, I still go there more than is probably healthy.

Grayson now funds my addiction.

I'm just leaving my afternoon Developmental Psychology class, which I took this semester specifically because of the news about Evie's possible diagnosis, and I walk to the same bench I meet Cooper at every day. Our class schedules are different, so we meet at this bench and wait for the other person to finish class. Today is the day when our classes actually end at the same time, but Cooper's class is a little further away so it takes him longer to get here. I pull out my phone and scroll through the Kindle app as I search for a new fantasy novel to read while I wait.

There's a shift in the air, and as soon as I feel it my body stiffens instinctively. A blinding purple light forms in front of me, and then Elle is standing before me.

She portaled, in the middle of the day, into a main part of campus! I don't think anybody was looking in our direction, but there are a few people who are turning their heads at what they thought was a bright purple LED light or something similar.

My heart races as Elle walks closer to me. She shouldn't be here. The High Council has been looking for her! I haven't seen her since that awful day all those months ago when Eli died. I can say with confidence that she doesn't look like herself.

She has large bags under her eyes and seems to have lost a significant amount of weight. Her cheeks are slightly sunken in compared to the healthy roundness they held previously. Elle has also lost a certain spark in her eyes.

Her fashion sense still remains- there is a ring on every single finger, multiple chains around her neck, and her platinum blonde hair is styled in multiple small braids that interconnect with the rest of her loose hair.

"Elle," I say, clearing my throat a few times. At the same time, I mindlink Grayson, Cooper, and Axel so they know that Elle has randomly shown up. I don't know what her intentions are, but I'm sure that she's angry that she has to stay under the radar so the High Council doesn't find her. Is she here for revenge? To hurt me?

Elle just showed up on campus, I quickly mindlink.

WHAT?! Where is Cooper? Where are your pack guards-? Grayson begins panicking.

I'm almost there, Thea. Stall her, Cooper orders.

"How have you been?" I begin subtly looking around campus, trying to make out some of the pack guards who were supposed to be watching me from afar. However, Elle just scoffs at me and sits down on the bench seat beside me.

"Let's cut the crap. I know you don't actually give a shit about me. Oh, and if you're looking for your little wolf guards, they're incapacitated at the moment." She smirks, but there's something off about it. She's not as cocky or as confident as she usually is. Something's wrong.

"Oh," I say, unsure of how to say what I want to without setting her off. "Are they alive?" I ask in the calmest way possible. I swear, if she hurt any of my pack members...

"Relax, sunshine. They'll wake up with little bumps on their heads. Nothing too serious."

I sigh in relief that they'll be okay. However, I still don't know her purpose for being here.

Elle shifts towards me and I back up as much as I can on the bench. She just laughs half-heartedly. Her head tilts to the side, she squints at something behind me, and then her whole face hardens. I turn just in time to see Cooper sprinting towards me, three other pack guards behind him.

I feel a tug on my wrist. "Can't have them interrupting us." Then I feel my whole world distort and bend and spin as I'm portaled away from campus, my belongings left sprawled on the bench.

~

I fall to the floor as Elle's grip on my wrist loosens. I'm disoriented and dizzy as my head spins from the inter-dimensional travel. I dry heave once, then blink my eyes hard and stand to my feet, albeit a little unsteadily.

Grayson's voice speaks through our mindlink.

THEA? ARE YOU OKAY? WHERE ARE YOU-

All at once his voice cuts off in my head, almost like our connection was broken. What is happening?

I've never been good at controlling my facial features, so Elle instantly recognizes my confusion as she crosses her arms and glares at me.

"I can't have you speaking to your boyfriend in your head. That kind of defeats the purpose of this discussion."

"What? You can...? Where am I?" I know I'm not making a lot of sense, but my thoughts are a jumbled mess inside my brain as I try to make sense of what I'm doing here... In a fancy apartment?

The space is large with light wooden planks, white granite countertops, and floor to ceiling windows that show a beautiful view of the city. Using random furniture to help keep my balance, I walk closer to the view and see the Empire State Building.

We're in New York.

I've never been here before, and as much as I would like to stare out the window and take in the view, I can't because I don't know what Elle wants to do with me.

"I'm sure you've figured out we're in New York. It's an apartment I'm borrowing."

I cross my arms and attempt to appear more confident than I actually am.

"You stole this apartment?" I ask. I can't believe she still uses her magic for selfish reasons. Well, I actually can believe it.

"Relax, it's fine. That's not why I brought you here. I kind of, um, needyourhelp," Elle mumbles the last part as she rushes out her words like they're embarrassing.

"What?"

"I need your help, okay?" The way she stands up straighter and looks me in the eyes is very telling. She's desperate for help. Does she need me to convince the High Council of something? Is she worried for her safety?

"With what?"

"It's sort of complicated. I don't want you to be annoying about it. I didn't know who else to talk to. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not very likable," she scoffs, then sits down in the very comfortable, plush couch. I follow her lead and slowly sit on the opposite side of the sofa to give us some distance. I know she could lash out and hurt me at any moment, but there's nothing I can really do to prevent that from happening.

Besides, she just seems lonely right now, in her unique Elle way.

"Okay." I clear my throat and nervously play with my fingers. "What happened?"

Elle looks like she's about to vomit now. She looks nervous and unsure of herself and confused and I have no idea what's going to come out of her mouth.

"I met my mate last night," she says, and my hand flies to my mouth. Mate? She has a mate? Who were they? How did this happen?

I drop my hand and school my features even though I am anything but calm right now. I have so many questions, but Elle obviously doesn't need someone else freaking out about this situation. She needs someone to vent to.

I nod my head, a signal for her to keep talking.

"I went out last night and some stuff went down. It doesn't fucking matter, but when I went to leave I bumped into him and he did that stupid growly shit all werewolves do. I could feel my skin tingling, in a not so horrible way, but I sort of panicked."

"What did you do after that?" I ask, hooked on this story now. I'm still a little cautious around Elle, but I'm more curious than concerned.

"I ran away."

I can't hold in my laughter. I laugh because she decided that running from her mate was the best option. I sort of did the same thing once I found out what Grayson was, so I can't really blame her for the way she reacted. Still, it's funny how even a powerful witch like Elle gets scared of the intensity of a mate bond.

"Shut up," she grumbles. I control my laughter but I can't help the small smile that remains on my face.

"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to say that. I guess you understand the power of a mate bond now," I add, hoping to segue into a request for her to open up the mindlink between Gray and I. He needs to know that I'm okay.

"No shit, Sherlock." She just seems annoyed with me at this point, but I have to ask her.

"I would love to help you work through some of your feelings. I have so many stories to share about Grayson and I when we first met. Navigating a new bond can be tricky," I start. Here it goes. "Is there any way you can lift the block on my mindlink? Just to let Grayson know I'm okay-"

"I knew this was a bad idea!" She abruptly gets to her feet and releases a blast of magical energy towards the coffee table in her frustration. It shatters instantly, shards embedded into the opposite wall and all across the floor.

I jump in surprise.

"You can't talk to him because you'll tell him where we are. Those werewolves are everywhere and I can't have my mate finding me. Not yet, anyways."

Elle paces around the room. I cautiously watch her, ready for a second blast of magic to come out and destroy another part of this beautiful apartment. Seriously, whose apartment is this?

"Fine, I understand." I then do something brave- something the old Thea from a few months ago wouldn't even dream of doing. I slowly stand to my feet and walk over to Elle's pacing form across the room. I'm careful to avoid the shards of glass, and then I'm blocking her path. She looks up at me with a confused glance before her face hardens once again.

"I won't tell Grayson where we are. I'll just tell him that I'm safe and not to go crazy looking for me. Ever since..." I stop mid-sentence, hesitant to bring up the day that Eli died. She seems to realize and she slowly nods her head.

"I'll give you a phone. I want to hear what you're saying."

"Okay!" I immediately agree. My phone is still sitting on that bench in Connecticut, so she hands me the apartment's landline. I quickly dial Grayson's number. He answers in half of a ring.

"Hello?" His voice is so sharp, so rough over the phone.

"Gray, it's me."

"Thea? Baby, are you okay? Where are you?"

I look up at Elle. Her arms are crossed and she's glaring at me in an I-won't-hesitate-to-hurt-you-if-you-say-anything way, so I do as promised. I wouldn't want to cross a powerful witch like her. Also, deep down, I want to prove to her that I can be trusted. That I'm honest, and someone she can lean on with all of this new werewolf mate information. I was completely alone when I discovered Grayson was my mate. I just want her to have someone.

"I can't tell you where I am, but I'm fine. Elle needed to-"

"I'm going to fucking kill that bitch the next time I see her," he growls. I can picture him with his canines elongated and his eyes pitch black in anger. I wish I was there to give him a hug.

"Thea, where the fuck are you? Tell her I'll give her anything she wants. Tell her to-"

The phone is ripped from my hands.

"I'll give her back when I feel like it." She hangs up the phone.

"There," she says. "He knows you're safe." She paces some more, and I realize that I've never seen her this agitated. I don't really know Elle all that well. She further proves this point when she looks at me, then curses.

"Fucking hell. What am I doing?" she sits down on the couch and rubs her hands down her face. "I'm sorry for... this. I just really needed to talk to you about this and I knew you wouldn't agree to speak with me if I straight up asked."

I sit down on the couch next to her.

"You could have asked instead of kidnapping me? Eli did the same thing once," I say lightly, trying to make the topic humorous.

"Don't talk about him," she says coldly.

"Okay. I get that you're not ready. But seriously, just ask. I'm not that scary, am I?

"You're most likely the weakest, least intimidating person on the planet."

At least she smiles a little.

"Thea, if you want me to portal you home, I will. I have one of the worst hangovers of my life right now and I don't know what the fuck I was thinking just kidnapping you. So, sorry, I guess."

I'm shocked that I'm receiving an apology right now. Her behavior is so erratic right now. One minute she tells me I have to stay and talk to her, and the next minute she is offering to return me to Grayson. Whatever is going on with her, I need to get to the bottom of it. She is clearly in dire need of some advice and some life counseling. And some therapy. And some lessons on how to be a better person.

"I'll stay, as long as you promise never to portal me somewhere without my permission again." I don't exactly know why I'm agreeing to help her. She's never been very nice to me. She helped orchestrate Evie's kidnapping. What is with her family and kidnapping me and mine?

"Depends on how helpful your advice is," she grins, and I see a little bit of her former self peeking through. Then it hits me why I want to help her- she reminds me so much of Eli. Obviously she reminds me of him, she's his twin. I miss him, and she loved him so much. I saw the devastation on her face when he was killed. I know she cared for him- he was probably the only person she truly cared about. I can't imagine what she must be going through without him. It must explain her behavior and how unhealthy she looks.

I'm not saying I'm okay with anything she has done today, but maybe there is a bit of hope for her.

"So, can you teach me how to be human?"

~

After Elle explains to me that her mate is the werewolf representative, and subsequently threatens to hurt me if I tell anyone this piece of information, she tells me she has the capability of masking her scent to seem human. It's how she's stayed hidden for so long. It makes sense as to why nobody has been able to find Elle or Elina.

She tells me all about how she met her mate- who I inform her is named Andros- and she tells me about how she got away by portaling when he wasn't looking. I tried to explain how Andros thinking that Elle got kidnapped by herself wasn't the smartest plan, but she told me how she wasn't sure if she even wanted to "keep him." As if he was some pet she could just return.

Andros doesn't know that his mate who he happened to bump into one night is the same witch he has been hunting for. It will be interesting to see how that whole situation unfolds.