Page 44 of Violet Moon
“Yes.”Wilma sighed.“I could date.I don’t want to, though.”
“Same for me,” Sera added.
“Really?Not at all?”Jo was surprised.
“I have my art and all y’all.”Wilma gestured to the group.“And Beta Seraphine has the pack and Alpha Parisa, right?”She smiled at Sera.
“Right,” Sera replied, throat suddenly feeling tight as her heart rate increased at the thought of Parisa.She stuffed her feelings down the best she could so nothing would show on her face.“I have all of you, so why would I bother?”
Jo shrugged.“I don’t know.Just thought it could get lonely, but I guess it’s hard to get lonely in a house filled with twelve other people.”
Sera laughed, the sound strained, and nodded in agreement.The tension from the rest of the pack seemed to lighten as everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the conversation hadn’t gotten too awkward.The game continued, but her attention was elsewhere.She kept glancing between Wilma and Parisa’s office door and wondering what, if anything, she had let on.Regardless, she was going to have to be careful until these feelings faded with time.
A heavy knock on the front door silenced the room.Sera stood, wondering who could be at their home this late in the night.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see Clyde’s Beta, Gabriel, standing there, hair wet from misty mountain rain.His eyes were wide and his normal smile was gone.“I need to speak with Alpha Parisa.”
“She’s not home.Maybe I can help you,” Sera offered.“Do you want to come inside and dry off?”
“I really need to speak with her.Clyde — Alpha Clyde just heard about everything and wants to confirm —”
“He knows what’s going on with Parisa?What is it?Did he tell you?”
“You don’t know, do you?It’s not my place to tell.You should hear it from her.”
“She won’t tell me anything.Please, if you know —”
“I really shouldn’t.”Gabriel’s expression was serious.“When she’s back you need to talk to her.”
“I can’t wait that long.If something is bad enough that Alpha Clyde is concerned, then it’s something I need to know about.”Sera clenched her hands at her sides.
Gabriel backed down the steps.He shook his head.“I’m not the person to tell you.Wait for Alpha Parisa.”He dipped his head as a goodbye and disappeared back into the night.
Sera stood at the open door, fingers gripping the wood.She had no idea when Parisa would be home, but this time when she waited for her, there was no chance she’d fall asleep.She slammed the door shut and went straight to Parisa’s office where she’d sit, or more likely pace, until her Alpha was home.
In the hours right before dawn, the office door creaked open.Parisa walked in wearing dirty, wet loose clothing, her hair a mess, looking nothing like her normal self.She froze in place when she noticed Sera.
“Gabriel was here.Alpha Clyde wants to speak with you.What is going on?”Sera demanded.
“I’m handling it,” Parisa replied, voice weak with exhaustion.
“No.”Sera wasn’t backing down.“I understand that we all keep our secrets, but you aren’t you lately!”
Parisa clenched her fists, eyes flashing amber.“I’m who I need to be.”
“And who the hell is that?Because I don’t think you’ve been who this pack needs these past few days.Weeks, even.Where have you been?What are you doing?”
Darkness swept across Parisa’s face.“I need to be this way.I’m this pack’s Alpha.I can’t do anything if I’m weak.”
“How is being approachable weak?How is having an hour to chat being weak?”
“It’s not who I need to be.”
“Why?It’s worked for us for decades I don’t get why —”
“There’s a challenger!It’s that new Alpha.He’s challenged me to a duel for control of this pack.”
The ground dropped out beneath Sera’s feet.Her knees felt weak.It was hard to breathe.Duels were a thing of the past, especially in Hickorywood.It’d been decades since the last one.
