Fallen Love
Chapter 8

Chris.

For the first time in my life, I look like a psychopath, but I don’t care, and Tracker agrees with me, because it was technically his idea.

– Hey, as far as I know, you’re the one who decides, so don’t blame me all the time,” grumbled the fleabag.

– Maybe, but if I don’t do it, you’ll make my life miserable.

– Well, maybe that’s true,” he admitted thoughtfully.

I cut the conversation short when I see my beautiful Esra, fidgeting under the blanket, the sun starting to rise so I slowly get up from the bench under the window and stretch properly since it’s been several hours that I’ve been watching over her, I spent a while in bed sleeping and woke up only recently. I leave her room, knowing I’ll be seeing her soon, and head for mine to take a shower. My outfit for the day will be black, as I’ve already been told that this color makes me mysterious and sexy, so I listen to female advice and get dressed in a hurry. Once ready, I go into Nick and Emmett’s heads and ask them to join me in the kitchen, which they do a few minutes later. Emmett looks great, but Nick is a disaster.

– What did you do last night,” I say.

– I watched some porn,” I roll my eyes. What? You banned outside p***y from the territory and we can’t leave it.

– What an idiot,” replies Emmett, slapping his forehead.

Letting out a sigh, I explain to the guys my idea of cooking breakfast. They both look at me surprised and it’s true that I’m not in the habit of preparing food, but hey, it can’t be that complicated. Although I’ve already prepared breakfast, I listen when the guys tell me what to do. Around ten o’clock, I hear noise upstairs and Lisa and Esra’s voices reach me before they take the stairs. After a final check on the table, I hope that everything will be to her taste and that I haven’t screwed up anything. The girls arrive already dressed and Lisa comes over to say hello, while Esra just waves shyly. I don’t agree, so I go over to her and k**s her cheek. I like the colors living on her cheeks, and it’s been a long time since I’ve elicited such a reaction from a woman.

– Good morning Esra, did you sleep well?

She nods and gives me a little smile.

– Very well, it felt like someone was watching over me, so I slept really well. How about yourself?

I take a few seconds to answer her question. Did she feel she was being watched? Is it just an impression or did she really see me while I was sleeping next to her? However, if she did see me, she doesn’t seem to be worried or anything, no, she seems serene, which pleases me.

– I slept very well too,” I say, pointing to her chair. Settle down, breakfast is ready.

She thanks me and takes her place on the chair I’ve indicated, which of course is next to me. Once everyone’s seated, we eat in good spirits and I think about what to do for the evening. Maybe do something with the pack, as they already seem to get on very well, which delights me even more. I’ll have to figure out what to do to create even more of a bond between the pack and Esra, which won’t be too difficult since she’s weaving the links all by herself. Quite a future Luna I’ve got on my side.

– Listen, human, Esra’s talking,” Tracker tells me.

Returning to the conversation, I understand that she’s talking about Lisa’s absence from college and the end-of-year exams that are about to begin for the girls. Lisa then asks Esra to help her revise and work on the backlog she’s accumulated over the last four weeks. Okay, the girls will be busy all morning, which means I can make a plan for tonight. We finish breakfast and tidy the table, then put the dishes in the machine. The girls leave, but I see Esra sneaking a look at me, then follow Lisa without saying a word. I wait until they’ve settled into the she-wolf’s room before leaving the house. My phone rings, and after looking to see who it was I go into my office, followed by the guys, then put my phone on the cradle and put it on speaker after picking it up.

– Hello Martin, what can I do for you?

Martin is the Alpha who came to visit us recently and whose son was kidnapped by witches, fortunately we found him unharmed. This briefly reminds me of the snake that came to get Lisa and lead her to the child. I didn’t have time to tell her about it, as the next day she was off to see Esra, but I haven’t forgotten the episode. Since that incident, Martin has thanked me for helping to find his son, which is normal since he disappeared on my territory.

– I’m calling because next week is Noah’s birthday and he’d like you to be there, along with the wolves closest to you.

– We’ll be there,” I assured him.

– Great, and did you find the human who saved my son?

– Unfortunately not.

Although I had great doubts about the existence of this human, I promised her I’d try to find her for her son’s birthday, then hung up. The guys look at me but don’t say anything, since they’re of the same opinion about the human as I am. It’s too weird, but of course we won’t get to the bottom of it until Lisa tells us the truth. Changing the subject, we go outside and round up the few people present, then offer them a picnic this evening on the tables provided for the purpose, the children jumping up and down begging their parents to go, which the parents obviously accept. Leaving them to spread the word among themselves, we then go on a tour of the area.

– When are you going to tell Esra? asks Nick.

– I don’t know, I don’t want to scare her away.

– She has a right to know, otherwise she might resent you for lying to her all this time,” Emmett continued.

– You’re probably right, but it’s hard to talk about it.

As we approached, the sky suddenly changed, the gray returned, as did the heat, and there was not a breeze in sight. Having a bad intuition, I quickly transform myself, imitated by the guys around me. We split up to walk around the territory and warn that we’re going to discreetly set the traps without Esra noticing. To that end, I forbid Lisa to leave the house until we return.

Accompanied by Emmett, we take the south side, movement on the other side of the boundary is made but it’s none of my wolves. I see a woman behind a tree staring at us, the first thing that intrigues me is her clothes, they’re black and dirty, the second thing is her smirk as we look at her. I stop Emmett in extremis, who wants to pounce on her, which makes her laugh. She came completely out of hiding, taking a few steps towards us without getting too close. She conjured up a fireball in her hand and juggled it for a few seconds, looking at us in turn. I knew it, a witch. What the hell is she doing here?

– Chris, I don’t have a good feeling about this,” warns Emmett.

– Me neither, but get ready to duck.

– Yes, Alpha.

It’s clear from the witch’s sadistic expression that she knows exactly what’s going on in our heads, and we have no way of avoiding the projectile other than luck and speed. I curse everyone and everything for giving us no chance to fight the witches. Apart from fairies and mermaids, nobody can fight them, the solution would be to find a fairy or a mermaid but they hide so well that if they don’t decide to, we’ll never be able to see one.

But that’s another story. The witch’s movement brings me back to reality, she throws the fireball but just as we try to dodge it a wall of electricity rises up in front of us, the wall throwing it back at the owner who was hit on the shoulder. Stunned, she looks at us dumbfounded and I think I look like her at that moment.

What the hell is a magic fence doing on my territory?

– She just saved your life,” Tracker reminds me.

– Maybe, but I’m not thrilled to hear the news.

The recovered witch brings her hands together to form a fireball much larger than the previous one, and while it’s growing, Emmett and I try to find a way to escape without dying. Calling for backup would be useless and would put them in danger. We’re already in trouble, there’s no need to add to it. Honestly, short of a miracle, I don’t know how we’re going to get out of here. My thoughts turn to my soulmate, and how I wish I’d told her who I am and how I really feel about her.

The fireball, now enormous, almost reaches the witch in height. Just as she’s about to speak, a snake appears in front of us, causing us to back away slightly. I recognize it as Em, the snake from Lisa’s witch. The reptile rises to its full height, effortlessly overtaking us on all fours, Em spat at our enemy, who was thrown against a tree further away, making the fireball disappear. The snake approached her slowly, as she began to get to her feet. But she couldn’t make a move, as branches held her tightly against the trunk.

Risking a glance towards Emmett, he stared at the scene, his thoughts totally contradictory, just like mine. A scream turns my head and I see the snake devouring the witch alive. Once swallowed, the snake burps, then turns towards us, the magic barrier disappears as does the reptile. Just then, a snake appeared in the sky and twirled a little, just as it had done with the red moon. The sky turned blue and the air became more breathable. Placing my buttocks on the ground, I couldn’t believe my eyes. What the hell is this snake going to do?

– Hey Chris, the snake just saved your life, so yes, it’s part of the magical world that nobody wants to hear about anymore. But he’s saved our lives several times now, so you should at least be grateful,” Tracker snaps.

– Can you name one person who hasn’t asked you for anything after saving you? I retorted defensively.

– I think that if the snake had wanted something, it would have already asked us after saving Lisa, more than two years ago.

I don’t answer, to avoid us getting into an argument at a time like this. A noise attracts my attention and I see Nick with Ethan and Carl coming towards us, clothes in their hands. Silently, Emmett and I change back and get dressed. Once done, we stare at each other blankly, waiting to see who would speak first.

– What the hell happened? says Nick impatiently.

Bingo, I knew he wouldn’t hold his tongue for long, this guy’s a real chatterbox. I often feel like gagging him.

– We were attacked, so to speak,” begins Emmett. A witch aimed a fireball at us, but a magic wall protected us, and the second time it was the snake.

– The snake? The same as last time? exclaims Carl.

We nod to confirm, yes, it was the same one, because given the size it was, it had to be him. I’ve got to talk to Lisa, tell her that her people-eating friend is back in the territory.

– You’ve got nothing, that’s the main thing,” says a relieved Ethan. What should we do, Chris?

– For the moment, put several people around the territory in case other witches have fun spying on us. For tonight, nothing changes – we’ll be too far away to be reached. But for now, a conversation with Lisa is in order.

Without waiting for an answer, I set off for home, summoning Lisa to my office immediately. No sooner do I arrive than I pass her coming down the stairs, then follow me to my den and close it behind her with a clatter. I hope I don’t scare Esra, but Lisa’s had enough fun with us as it is. Seeing my face, she takes a seat in front of my desk. As for me, I go to my armchair to take a good look at her.

– What’s going on? she asks me innocently.

– Your friend the snake has reappeared.

– Em came? Why did he come?

– A witch attacked us and Em killed her.

Lisa straightens up in the chair when I mention the attack, then relaxes afterwards. She really seems to trust that snake, it’s crazy.

– You’re fine, that’s the main thing.

– I want to know why this snake is hanging around our territory?

– She must sense that I’m in danger, so she’s lending us a hand.

– Don’t take me for a fool, I don’t need her help, not from a snake and the dead witch.

Lisa frowns as she prepares to retort, but refrains with difficulty. We stare at each other for a few seconds to see who will dare continue this verbal joust. But Lisa gets up to leave the room and turns back to me, her hand on my wrist.

– Look, Chris, I know you hate wizards, but they’re not all bad, and when you find out you’ll be biting your fingers off.

I couldn’t reply as she stormed out the door. Standing by the window, I let out a tired breath. Everything’s breaking down on all sides and I don’t know how to take it. My eyes land on my phone and I put it to my ear, calling the only people who can help me despite the distance. After two rings, they finally pick up.

– My darling, I’m so glad you called,” exclaims my mother, overjoyed.

Hearing her makes me smile again. Mom’s power? To make us children, and even adults, feel good.

– Hi Mom, how are you?

– Fine, fine, and you, darling. You’ve got a little voice,” she says worriedly.

My mother, too intuitive even thousands of miles away from me, she can sense when things aren’t going well. My smile widens as I imagine her imagining anything and everything.

– I need your advice…. To you and Dad.

– I’m here son, my father’s voice rings out. Tell us about Chris.

After taking a deep breath, I tell them everything that’s going on in the pack and in my life. I hadn’t told them anything yet, but I think the time has come. Of course, my mother starts screaming, cutting me off when I mention Esra, and I learn from her “Ouch! I finished with my encounter with the witch, the snake and Lisa. Emptying my bag did me a world of good: in front of the pack it may seem like a weakness, but in front of my parents I can tell them anything, especially between Alpha and Alpha.

There was a moment’s silence while they assimilated everything I’d just told them. A few minutes later my father spoke up.

– Do you think that witch linked to the snake and Lisa is still alive?

– Yes, I’d bet my life on it.

– So it’s a white witch, according to what you’ve told us?

– But Dad, you know as well as I do that all witches are on the side of evil.

– But if there was an exception,” my father insists.

You sound like Lisa.

It’s simply impossible, but I let them think they’ve convinced me, because otherwise we’d be here all day. The fact that they’re still looking for the child of their wizard friends since their deaths must give them hope. But that he’s alive would be a good thing, because in the eleven years since his death, the likelihood of him not being underground would be a miracle, and even more so if he were still on the side of good like his parents were.

– Listen, darling, Nick and Lisa’s parents are going to continue the search and we’re going home to support you,” says my mother.

– There’s no need, Mom, I’ll manage.

– You need us, we’ll be there son,” finishes my father.

Handing in my weapons, I tell them I’ll see them soon, but before hanging up I hear my mother say.

– Then you can introduce us to your soul mate.

I laugh as I finish the call. It makes me feel good to hear them and to know they’re coming home. It shows that we still need our parents. At any moment, it makes me think that Esra doesn’t have anyone, and I feel sorry for her. A knock sounded at my door, and as I went to sit down I allowed the person to enter. I was surprised to see Esra come through the door with a tray in her hand. Well, speak of the devil.

– Esra, what are you doing here?

– You didn’t come for lunch, so I thought you might be hungry.

She gives me a beautiful smile, places the tray in front of me and then steps back, examining the room. I haven’t changed a thing in this room since my father’s reign: the wooden desk, the bookcases and storage cupboards, the tapestries… it’s all been here for quite a few years. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but I feel at home here. Esra starts backing towards the door.

– Stay with me.

The tray of sandwiches reminds me of the one I ate at her place several weeks ago. I see her coming back towards me, she pulls up a chair and comes to my side. I take one of the three sandwiches and hand it to her, who takes it and thanks me. Starting to eat mine, I see her looking around again.

– This is my father’s old office, I haven’t touched the decor since.

– Lisa hasn’t put her nose in?

– No, she knows that no one enters this room without my authorization.

– Oh, that makes more sense,” she said, her eyes crinkling.

She must know it well, and especially if Lisa has an idea in mind, she doesn’t have it anywhere else. Esra asks me questions about my work as a businessman, and I answer as best I can, sometimes making things up when I don’t know what to say. My soul-sister doesn’t seem to realize I’m lying, so I quickly turn to her plans for after college.

– What are your plans? What are your plans after college?

Esra thinks for a few seconds as she finishes her mouthful, then answers with uncertain eyes.

– At the moment, I don’t know, but if not, I’d like to work in one of the fields of psychology, wherever it is, whoever it is. I haven’t specialized in one field, so I can adapt.

– Could you help the police as a criminal psychologist? I offered as an example.

– Absolutely. I’m pretty good at figuring people out, so I can help them as best I can.

It’s remarkable the way she talks about psychology, helping is her primary goal and it’s also a f*****g quality as Luna. The scene with Alice comes to mind, as does her integration into the pack, which took place without me. Of course my wolves wouldn’t reject her, but if Esra hadn’t won them over, they’d have told me and shown me in Esra’s face. I’d talk to my parents about her gift for communicating with others. Because for a human, that’s pretty good. Lisa had told me, however, that Esra was quite a loner and didn’t trust easily, so she’s more choosy about who she makes contact with and not fleeting relationships. We attack dessert with a bowl of quartered apples.

– Tonight, there’s a picnic with the locals outside,” I announced.

Esra’s reaction is quick, a big smile takes place on her face and she nods, asking if she can help us. She’ll make a great Luna, human or not. And I think the pack feels the same as I do.

– You can ask them, I don’t know who exactly is in charge.

– I’ll find out, don’t worry, she’s getting up. Well, I’ll leave you to your work.

She hesitantly stops, then with a shy smile leans over to k**s my cheek before leaving like a little thief, which made me laugh. Oh I swear this woman is going to kill me. I get up and go to the window, then a few minutes later see Esra and Lisa coming out to talk to some of the locals. Just as I’m about to open the window to listen in, even though they’re a bit far away, I’m held back by knocks on the door and allow Nick and Emmett to enter. The two of them come and sit down in front of my desk, Emmett having put Esra’s chair back in its place, tapping on the armrest.

– Chris, I’ve got a bad feeling about tonight,” he begins. There are too many things, Noah’s disappearance, the changing skies, today’s witch and the snake reappearing again… There are too many signs for us to ignore.

– I know, I called my parents and they’re already advising me not to worry about the snake, Tracker agrees with them on that one. Then, as for the witches, I don’t know any more than you do, I don’t have any way of killing them that’s within our reach, while avoiding spells. The disappearance of the boy, the sky and the witches are one and the same problem that must be solved. My parents will be back for a while to help us with the hard part, but let’s just hope no one gets hurt or worse in the meantime.

We stay silent for a few minutes, then I see Nick’s gaze go to the window, and I know what he sees. How I wish I didn’t have to worry about tonight’s picnic.

– Maybe Lisa could ask the snake for help if we could consider it an ally,” says Nick, still staring out the window.

– I don’t know, I’m not that suicidal either.

– If it’s our only chance to get out of this, I’ll take it without hesitation.

– But it’s a snake, man,” says a stunned Emmett.

– Who has saved us many times from dangerous situations.

He’s got a point, but something’s bothering me about this snake. I don’t know what it is, but it’s bothering me enough to make me stand up for myself.

– Let’s stick to our plans and try to get through the weekend without a hitch. But to be on the safe side, let’s set up back-up plans and traps.

The guys nodded and then we set up several schemes that could happen, trying to anticipate the slightest sign of an attack. We spent most of the afternoon doing this. Then it’s off to the forest to set the traps. Fortunately, the girls are quite busy, which suits us, as we don’t bump into each other, avoiding any arguments. But an anxiety wells up inside me, and although I try to chase it away, Tracker also expresses his fears, given that Esra will be there. If we’re attacked, we’ll have no choice but to reveal our true nature to her, and I fear her reaction.

*

The evening goes better than well, the decor is top-notch, as is the atmosphere, Esra is wonderful as usual and the meal is delicious. Tonight it’s grilled meats, salads, hot dogs and chips, in short a bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. Esra is in front of me and this one is between Lisa and Nick, her bodyguards for tonight, just in case. Everyone’s listening to Nick tell jokes, which makes the crowd laugh – he’d be a comedian if he had a job in the human world. I still keep in touch with the sentinels posted around the territory, so as to be constantly informed. The meal ended in good spirits. Emmett brings out the house speaker and puts the music on an empty part of the table. The children are obviously delighted and start dancing, having enough room to gesticulate. Lisa gets up, dragging Esra with her.

– Come on, we’re going to dance too,” she declares.

– I can’t dance Lisa,” laughs Esra.

– Don’t worry Esra, Lisa can’t dance either,” says Nick mockingly.

His sister’s towel hits him in the head.

Finally, my soul-sister gets up and together we join the children on the improvised dance floor. The little ones are delighted to see their Luna dancing with them, and a few adults join in. Several of us took photos and videos to immortalize the moment. Nick also got up and went over to the girls to get them twirling and dancing, which came as a relief to Esra as she seemed to have lost it, poor thing.

– She must not have danced much as a child,” remarks Tracker.

– I learn from her every day.

– I don’t like to see her hesitant and lost like that,” growls my wolf.

– Me neither, but don’t worry, we’ll help her.

He nodded in agreement and I laughed as I watched couples go out onto the dance floor and k**s in front of the kids’ disgusted faces.

Ah youth, we’ll see when they grow up.

I stand up in turn, ready to go over to Esra, who can’t see me from behind but Nick can. He takes her hand to spin her around and lands facing me, his hands resting on my torso to land and he smiles at me.

– Tell me you’re as bad at dancing as I am,” she begs.

– I do a little.

– Damn.

I smile and place one of my hands on her waist and take her hand with the other, the music changing as I indicate to Emmett to put on a slow dance, I draw her into my steps which she concentrates on following.

– Just follow the steps, don’t look at them, they’ll come to you,” I advised.

– I advised her.

The moon came out, rising high into the sky and dimming the atmosphere. Although streetlamps were positioned at several ends. The members of the pack moved aside to give us room and the couples took their turns. Esra bursts out laughing when Nick drags Lisa onto the dance floor and crushes her feet.

– Are you having a good evening? I ask, even though I know the answer.

– Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun.

– I’m glad you feel you belong here.

– How could I not, everyone’s so nice.

I lean down to k**s her cheek and, looking at her, see that she’s still blushing.

– You’re so cute, you know that?

My beautiful soul-sister doesn’t answer me, but her smile is ravishing, even though she’s still peony red.

– Alpha, intruders,” Ethan warns me telepathically.

I stop the slow dance in spite of myself and stare into the forest on the west side, where Ethan is stationed. Seeing me staring, the others look in the same direction as me and no sooner has Lisa taken a step than the howling of wolves reaches our ears, startling Esra into my arms. Holy shit. Not now, everything was going so well.

– Let’s get it over with,” spat Tracker, determined to protect our soulmate.

Oh yes, let’s get it over with and no mercy.

I turn to Esra who looks at me, intrigued. Oh dear, I’m sorry to put you through this now. I cup her face as several limbs transform before her eyes before entering the forest.

– Esra, listen to me, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before.

– Chris, I….

– Please stay with Lisa, she’ll protect you.

She couldn’t add anything as I briefly put my lips to hers, then tore myself away from her to leave for the battle, which was about to begin.