Defect.

I re-read the line at least six times. Luna Crest? Why have I never heard of that before?

Wait, a second. He could be lying to me. As of right now, he has given me no reason to trust him.

Liar.

Absolutely not! Why would you say that?

You haven’t really given me a reason to trust you. You could be lying to me to harm me, like everyone else in my life has done.

I would not lie to you. I would never hurt you. Why would I waste my time searching, spending endless hours in any and every possible lead that could show me where to gather the needed materials and here you are DOUBTING me?

My jaw dropped in mere surprise. Why was he getting angry?

You still haven’t given me a reason to trust you.

‘Zoltan is writing..’ appeared and stayed there for a while.

Sometimes, in order to get what we want. We have to take a leap of faith.

I rolled my eyes. That’s ridiculous. I can’t just take a leap of faith and gamble with my life for some stranger and his insane idea.

Venus, just take this leap of faith with me.

I carefully thought of a good reply, I want to meet you before anything goes in, on, or around my body.

Seems fair to me. But in return you must talk to your doctor if he/she knows anything.

If he did know about it he would’ve tried it out by now.

Doubt it. He is a pack doctor, for werewolves and the occasional human mate, am I correct?

Yeah.

This Luna Crest involves witchcraft (wolfsbane is also part of witchcraft) and he knows only the necessary remedies if need should ever arise.

Alright, yeah. That makes sense.

Good. Alright, I shall try and make arrangements to meet you. Go to sleep.

Goodnight.

Before I could close out of the window the IM pinged.

Wait!

What’s your address? Or what city do you reside in?

I laughed and sent the city I lived in over to him. That’s safe without being too dangerous right?

I rubbed my temples and shut down my laptop before turning in for the night.

I hope he really can help me. And he isn’t lying to me.

**

I was rudely awakened to a loud banging noise. “ Get your lazy ass up. You have training today.”

It was Alpha Henny’s voice. It sounded annoyed or something. I grunted in response to him and placed a pillow over my head.

He growled and yanked it off, “Now, Venus.”

“Yes.” I sat up and watched him make his way out my door. I grabbed the pillow he yanked off of me and threw it at the back of his head. “So mean.” I mumbled.

Suddenly I was knocked off the bed due to a projected missile. I hit the cold floor with a loud thud.

“Shit!” he ran over to my side, “Are you alright? I didn’t think it would actually hurt you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I rubbed my head. With his help stood up. “I’m fine.” My laughter dying down, “let me just get ready.”

He smiled at me and walked out.

After I got ready I walked downstairs and saw Nick at the dining table eating cereal while clicking away on his phone. I grabbed a banana off of the plate he had next to him.

“Hey.” I said to him as I began to peel the banana.

He nodded back at me, chewing away.

“Mind if I ask something?”

He looked up from his phone, his hypnotizing eyes keeping me locked in place, “shoot.”

“Why did you leave to England?”

He opened his mouth to respond but I kept talking, “without saying goodbye. Why did you leave without saying goodbye to me?”

He closed his mouth and looked back down at his bowl. “I-uh-after my mom found out about me being expelled. She immediately sent me to live with Zak and my grandparents.”

I rose my eyebrows, “why didn’t you tell me anything though?”

He shrugged, “ I was busy packing and its not like I was allowed back on campus.”

“Venus!” I heard Alpha Henny call me from outside.

I sighed and began walking to where Alpha Henny was.

“Venus,” I heard his british accent call me. I turned around to face him. “I did try to re-enter campus grounds and when I couldn’t. I gave some girl this letter to give to you.”

I made a confused face.

“I guess she never made it.”

I was going to ask him another question when, “Venus, get out here!” interrupted me. So instead I stuck with a soft smile and a “thanks”. Before jogging outside.

**

Alpha Henny stood with his feet apart and his arms crossed against his chest. “This is your speed and agility training.” He nodded at Brady, “Your goal is to stay out of Brady’s reach. And soon after you’ve gotten a method down, you’ll switch roles and you’ll have to catch him.”

I nodded knowing that this was going to be harder than I expect.

Brady came bouncing around me once, “Ya’ ready Vee?” he said with a teasing smile.

I gave him one of my own, “Of course.”

“Perfect.” He said and jogged to his starting position, which was on a raised platform a few feet away from me.

I quickly glanced around, taking in my surroundings. We were right smack middle of a small meadow, a few feet behind me was the forest and Brady, then further past that was Alpha Hennys house. To my front and my sides, there was only trees and undergrowth.

“Ready?”

I quickly needed to calculate a plan.

“Go.”

I decided to go for the easiest method and run straight into the forest. But before I was even within arms reach, I was sent crashing into the hard grass.

“Time. Thirty-six seconds.”

Are you kidding me?! I suck that much?

I growled and let Brady pull me back up.

“Round two?” he asked with a smile.

“Sure thing.” I said with determination.

I ran straight forward. I could hear Bradys thundering footsteps behind me. Then I quickly did a U turn, ran in a circle before bolting towards Alpha Hennys house. I pushed my legs to move faster.

And even faster.

I was two steps into the forest when Brady flew and tackled me.

“VENUS!” Alpha Henny shouted.

He had tackled us straight into a freaking tree.

The bark was cutting into my arm. There was a loud snapping noise and my heartbeat picked up. Did one of use break something? Brady quickly stood up and I could see that he was disoriented.

Alpha Henny was by my side within seconds and he picked me up Bridal style. He looked me up and down making sure that no serious damage was done to me. He cradled my head in relief and said, “Thank God you’re alright.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry Vee.”

I tried to look up at him but Alpha Henny had a good lock onto me, “Its alright Brady.” I said. I cleared my throat signaling to Alpha Henny that I wanted to be placed back onto the ground.

I saw him blush for a split second before my feet touched the ground.

“Brady you idiot” Alpha Henny shoved him, “I told you to be extremely careful.”

Brady held his hands up, “Sorry but that slip she gave me had my wolf rising to the surface.”

I blinked at him, and rubbed my eyes. Why was it that he was a bit blurry?

“Where are my glasses?” I asked.

They both stopped their bickering to look at me. Then they started searching the floor. “Found them.” Alpha Henny said worriedly seconds later.

Why does he sound worried?

He held up my glasses—or should I say remains—of what should be called my glasses. One of the legs were snapped off, not to mention that it was broken in the nose part. The lens were shattered.

There was so salvation for my glasses.

“Brady!” I shouted before punching him in the stomach.

He let out a loud ‘oof’ before regaining his composure. “Look at the bright side,” he said out of breath, “at least, now, you have no excuse to not wear contacts.”

“Alpha!” we heard someone shout from a distance. We all turned to see Zak running towards us.

“Hey man, people are starting to arrive for the bbq.” He said raising an eyebrow at our predicament.

“Oh, good they’re on time. Go ahead and start grilling. Go help him Brady.” Alpha Henny commanded.

Brady walked out towards Zak, cracking his knuckles he said, “Lemme show ya’ how its done.”

I laughed, then stopped, “w-wait, barbeque?”

“Yeah, it was announced at the pack meeting yesterday that today’s the pack cook out in order to meet everyone.” Zak told me walking away.

“She wouldn’t know- She didn’t show up!” Brady yelled back at me as he walked next to Zak.

I let out a frustrated sigh. I was not in the mood to meet all the people that ignored me for a majority of my life. I bet my parents are going to come too, without Andromeda hopefully.

At least this means I’m able to talk to the doctor earlier than I intended.

“And you,” Alpha Henny turned to me, “go shower, get ready, and put something nice on.”

“Alright.” I said sighing.

“Dress to… look mature?” Henny said as we began walking inside. I just nodded. He wasn’t making any sense to me.

Then again it could be my nerves tying up my vocal cords.

Yeah, that’s always an option.

**
I walked downstairs wearing a white top and regular jeans, and my contacts. The second Brady took a look at me, he sent me right back upstairs.

After grabbing my hair up in a messy bun, and digging through my closet, Brady pulled out a colorful maxi dress and a levi jacket. Then he pulled out sandals from underneath my bed and walked away shaking his head.

I made a face, it’s not my fault I have no fashion sense whatsoever.

I was about to pull a sweater on when he shouted, “No sweaters or I kick your ass Venus!” I sighed and put my sweater away again. After today I wouldn’t doubt that him kicking my ass.

I stayed in my room longer than was necessary. Everytime I was going to walk downstairs, I would have like a miniature panic attack. Then I would return to my room to calm down.

I looked myself in the vanity mirror, “Okay, Venus. You’re going to do this. You are going to go downstairs, show your face for a bit and then hid behind Brady. Yeah. Yeah! You know why?” I looked around my room, slowly losing motivation as I did so.

Then my eyes landed on my laptop and last nights conversation slipped right back into my mind.

“Because you need to find the doctor. That’s why.”

Before stepping out of my room I shook my hair out of its sloppy bun.

I needed to find the doctor, but he had slipped out of my slight a few seconds ago. I decided to go with my gut feeling and walked off towards the stairs. Maybe he went to us the upstairs bathroom?

I had began looking for him when I ran into Andromeda.

Something sparked within me, though I couldn’t quite decipher if it was loathing or fear. I stood in my spot.

She looked me up and down, smirking. She was wearing a short casual blue dress, what I’m guessing, in an attempt to make her look innocent. Then she slipped on a scowl.

“So what’s it like?” Andromeda said circling around me.

I held back the snarl that wanted to slip out, “what.”

“Being the Alpha’s Mate and all” she gently touched my neck with her left hand and I jerked away from her the moment her skin touched mine.

What the hell is going on right now?

“Why hasn’t he marked you yet?”

She wasn’t too happy with me being the Alphas mate, then again neither was I because I didn’t know.

“What are you talking about Andromeda?”

“Don’t act stupid!” she was angry, “when you were harmed that night, and Brayden choked me, Alpha Colt said you were his.” She snarled taking steps back.

What? Why am I only finding out about this now? I’m not his mate, I can’t be his mate! She died and I’m just here.

“Ladies,” a voice interrupted my thoughts. Andromeda shot away from me, “is there a problem?” It was the doctor talking. Oh thank God!

Andromeda plastered on a sweet smile, “of course not, just talking to my sweet old sis.”

“Oh really?” The doctor raised his right eyebrow, “last I remember, you are not to be within five feet radius of the Luna.”

I saw Andromedas jaw tighten. Being called Luna infuriated me. The doctor motioned to her stance, “it seems to me your more within a 5 inch radius.”

Andromeda was opening her mouth to say something but the doctor beat her to it. “Now, if you do not wish to be punished for disobeying Alphas command, then I highly suggest you leave.”

Andromeda snarled lowly but managed to walk away with a disdained smile on her face.

The doctor shook his head at her before turning to me, “Now Venus. Why did I wake up today with the crazy notion that I had to talk to you as quickly as possible?”

I was going to start with Zoltan and his detective skills but instead I blurted out, “Lunas Crest!”

His eyes went wide, “ H-how do you know about that?” someone was walking towards the bathroom so he pulled me upstairs, “have you been talking to witches?”

I couldn’t answer, only gawk at him.

“Because let me tell you that they are tricky conniving people. You should not be associated with them in anyway possible.”

“Doctor.” I took a deep breath; “ take a leap of faith, with me, will you?”