Page 149 of His Sunshine Baby

“I know, Danny.”

Reluctantly, Nate and I part, with one last short kiss. He smiles softly.

“Talk later, Sunshine.”

I chuckle and nod. I haven’t heard my nickname in a while.

He watches us go, staying there with that lonely expression on his face while Danny and I get away. I keep thinking until we are almost back on our territory and exchange a look with Daniel as we cross the border. He sighs.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“No, Danny, I want to tell him.”

“That’s what I was gonna say, babe, but today, every wolf in Silver City was possibly around. Don’t worry, there’ll be a better time. Let’s deal with this shit at home first, okay?”

“Yeah.”

We get to see the shit at home a few minutes later.

I feel like crying.

It’s the streets I’ve known all my life, the same houses, but they are stained with blood. Lots and lots of blood. Thank MoonGoddess the few bodies are vampires, already burning with that hideous smell of rotten flesh. How many are there?

“Elena? Daniel?”

It’s Ben, who walks up to us. He doesn’t look too good. His left ear is covered in blood, and he’s limping a bit. Plus, he’s got a lot of cuts and scratches.

“Moon Goddess, Ben, you–”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Trust me, there is much worse. Bonnie is helping Mom tend to the wounded, I was checking if we haven’t forgotten anyone. Come.”

He guides us back to the scene of the fight. People from both the Opal Moon clan and White Moon clan are gathered. I feel my heart drop when I hear it. People crying, screaming. What?

We suddenly see the first wolf’s body. Moon Goddess, it’s a guy from the White Moon… someone covered his head with a white sheet, but I can recognize his fur’s white and gray pattern. Oh, no…

We keep walking, and I recognize two others. Moon Goddess, this one had just begun training, she was so young. This guy was at the club the other day. Daniel’s face drops, I bet he knew him.

“Elena, Danny, I better tell you now… Eric is dead.”

Oh, Moon Goddess, no. No, no, no… I start crying and walk faster to the pack. The atmosphere around us is so horrible. Dust and smoke are flying around, and the streets I once knew are no longer the same. A house has collapsed on one side. There are pieces of wood, metal, and bricks all around. Mud and blood mixed, as the ground was completely turned over by the wrestling tracks. It smells like rust, ashes, and rotten flesh.

We finally reach a crowd, and that’s when I see it.

Several bodies, aligned on the ground. Someone closed their eyes.

I recognize each one of them. Maria, the girl who helped her mother with the shop on Second Street. Krystal, the pretty waitress from the Latin bar. Camden, Adrian, Javier, all kids who trained or used to train with me. Hugo and David, those two were a couple, they used to go dancing at Pepe’s… The young Ava, a friend of Bonnie… and Eric.

Daniel is already crying loudly next to me, and I hear my own sobs among everyone’s. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s like I’m a step away from the scene. There’s no screen, but I’m just not able to look properly. All those lives I knew, and they are gone… just like that…

Someone hugs my shoulders, but I have no idea who, I don’t care. I feel my breath, my heart, choking desperately. My wolf is crying loudly. I can’t look away, I can’t accept it. I can’t believe Eric got killed. Not like that, not so easily, Moon Goddess!

“Elena!”

I turn to face my furious uncle. I can’t deal with him right now. I just want to be able to cry and mourn my friends’ deaths.

But he walks up to me, in a storm.

Before I can say a thing, he suddenly slaps me.

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