Page 110 of Moon Cursed

“They want to return to Mount Olympus,” I confessed. “They want to be the unquestioned rulers of the universe again.”

“And where does that leave a minor wolf goddess named Luame?”

“Luame’s trying to protect the survival of the werewolf race,” I whispered, feeling the truth of that in my bones. “From threats within and outside of our community. She knows we won’t last the way we are now, but just because she gifts our children with a bunch of amazing powers, doesn’t mean the dumbass adults in the situation will do the right thing with them.

“A vision of the Golden Age of Wolves was shared with the wrong prophets and clairvoyants, and now everything is happening too early,” I rushed as it all fell together in place. “Because of course a bunch of infants aren’t going to war with anyone. This isn’t supposed to happen now, but the shadow brought forward his plans early—so early Luame was forced to warn me—because exactly what I said. A bunch of infants can’t fight anybody.

“Nowis the time to steal their powers and destroy us from within because in twenty years’ time...” I stroked Hope’s soft cheek. “We’ll be unstoppable.”

Nyx nodded hard, agreeing with everything I said. “What is it the mundanes say? ‘I was silent when they came for the others, so when they came for me, there was no one left.’”

“Cygnus and the alpha council would’ve been rulers of the world for all of two seconds. Right after that, the shadow would’ve ripped their overpowered souls out of their chests, and then given them to the ones he truly serves. And the price would’ve been manipulating that power-obsessed lunatic into wiping out his own people.”

“The wolves wipe out the vampires and the fae, and then we destroy ourselves,” Nyx said. “A frighteningly good plan.”

“A plan that’s still in play because we haven’t found the shadow yet,” I cried. “I don’t know about this, Nyx. Maybe Hope would be safer in Incepe Din. Maybe she’d be safer in Paris!”

“No, love.” He laced his fingers through mine. “The safest place for our girl is home with us—her family.”

I groaned, stomach churning.

We were living in the safest possible home. Because we were living in the academy.

Technically, I was still the headmistress until Ash took over officially. With all the students gone, and the gates keyed into me and my mates, and only us, there was nowhere else on earth I would’ve taken Hope.

It also worked out because it was a great place to hold meetings with the epsilons, and make plans for the future home of the eighth clan of Wolf Nation. Nia and her brothers, who didn’t have another home to go to, were already taking up residence in the academy—the unofficial home of our clan. Her, Idalia, Paxton’s moms, and a bunch of epsilons that vacated their temples, and had nowhere to live.

Corvin Academy had become the sanctuary it was built to be, but the situation couldn’t last forever. This place would be a school again, and a busy school with people I didn’t know traipsing all around, wasn’t the best place to raise my daughter.

I told Nyx as much. “We all wanted this—Hope home. But this can’t be our home forever. Ugh,” I cried. “Is this how parents feel all the time? Constantly worried and stressed and like they never know the right decision?”

“They do when there’s a war on the horizon.” Nyx gently rubbed my knuckles. “Daze, of course you’re scared and worried, but for what it’s worth, I really do believe she’s safest with us,” he said. “Nothing and no one can get past those gates without our permission. Not even demigods.”

I held tight to his hand, needing his reassurance more than I ever did.

“We’re doing all we can, Daze. We’ve sent the sketch of the shadow to every clan in Wolf Nation, and even Wolf Republic. His face is all over Loop Garou and papered through the streets. He can’t hide now. Any day now, someone will report in that they spotted him. When they do, we’ll go down there and rip his head off ourselves.”

“I’ll do the ripping,” I growled. “I’m very much looking forward to turning his neck into a blood fountain.”

“There’s my sexy, ruthless mate.” Nyx kissed me. “And now that Hope has five devoted manservants,” Nyx said, clapping as Edric, Paxton, Orion, and Badr came into the room. “She’ll be guarded and served by one or all of us at all times until you make him your blood fountain.”

I cracked the barest smile. “Why is manservants such the perfect word for it? Hope probably does see us all as the beings who exist to serve her every need, and nothing more.”

“She’s certainly not calling us Mama or Dadas yes.” Paxton scooped her up, smooching her cheek. “Are you, baby girl? Can you say Dada? Dada?”

Hope giggled. Flailing her little baby arms, she grabbed his nose and held on. Thankfully her transmutation powers didn’t work on living beings, or I had a feeling she’d be cooing at a giant golden statue of my boyfriend.

“Hey, why would you be Dada?” Edric demanded. “I’m Dada. She can call you Pops.”

“Screw that. I’m Dad. You’re Eddy. He’s Grumps,” Paxton said, pointing to Badr. “Orion is Pops. And Nyx is Goku.”

“Fuck you,” Nyx said, and thus set off their now daily argument about what Hope would call them.

Hope grabbed a fistful of Nyx’s hair and munched on it while she watched the chaos.

Badr broke from the pack, falling in next to me.

I was still sleeping in the headmistress’s chambers with Edric in the bed next to me, and Hope in her crib on the other side. That left Nyx and Paxton to drag in beds from the other rooms, plopped them next to ours, and announce they were moving in too.

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