Page 72 of Dark Moon Secrets

Pressing my lips together tightly to stop myself from answering back, I withdrew my magic. Luna was right, and I had to stop complaining about never being taught. I didn’t fully understand what the initiation ceremony was tomorrow night, but I did know I needed to get my magic the best it could be. Otherwise, I might fail.

I wasn’t about to allow that to happen.

CHAPTER 25

Tanjie

If I had wanted to go out to find the wolf tonight, it was a no-brainer to work out it wasn’t going to happen.

Mainly because I was too tired after another long day of training with my magic and then listening to the boring ins and outs of managing a shop. The amount the shop grossed was impressive. Its humble vibe and appearance had given me the wrong impression.

It got me excited that this was secretly a vibrant business, and that sparked my interest. Plus, I could order so many cool things that would help me as a witch, mainly books and more books. This was like having a personal library.

Who knew I was a good student? At least a witch student. The spells she gave me were easily remembered, and if I kept myself grounded, I was in control of my magic.

Fortunately, there had been no more incidents, and the day ended with Luna in one piece and no more singe marks in the shop. My punishment was entering the damaged books into the tax file document and ordering new ones—not exciting compared to doing magic.

The zero chance of slipping out of the shop into the night to find a wolf wasn’t going to happen more so because Luna was staying overnight again—this time on the couch.

I caught her waving tendrils of magic around downstairs. My guess was she’d set magical traps to set off an alarm if I tried to leave the shop.

Luna was smarter than I gave her credit for.

If I had wanted to go check out the secret bookshelf, there was no way that would happen. She’d made no mention of it during the day, and whenever I went to ask, it was as if she knew and changed the subject or taught me a new skill.

That was something for me to investigate another time.

The day ended with me flopping on my bed, almost falling asleep, except I had these nagging thoughts that flipped between the wolf and Al. What did it all mean?

My head pounded from the growing tension. Al was hot and sexy, which worked a desire in me that begged for attention. I had secretly hoped I could get out of the shop to get a coffee, somehow bump into Al, and get to know my first real local. I had also hoped he’d come to the shop, and every time the door opened, I had looked up only to be disappointed.

I suppose it would give me something to amuse myself with after the initiation. By then, I hoped I would have more freedom and didn’t want to contemplate what I would do if that didn’t happen.

What I really wanted to do now was to go outside, find the wolf, and solve its mystery. I might be stubborn and slow to learn, but I knew it wasn’t worth going downstairs. I had to wait.

The initiation was more important. It was my chance to be a witch, learn magic, and see my parents.

I turned over in bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress from my movement, and froze as I looked at the window. Was the wolf downstairs? Watching? Waiting for me?

Go and find out. The bad idea rattled in my head.

An ache settled in while I laid on the bed.

What was it about that wolf I wanted to know more about? Did I think it could tell me about my parents and who killed them?

A sickening twist in my belly caused me to double over, and I brought my knees to my chest, hugging them in tightly to my body.

Was this the wolf who killed my parents?

It couldn’t be. It was too gentle. And it could’ve attacked me if he had wanted to. No, there was something else going on.

Sleep now, you’re doing well.

A peace eased through me at the sound of Maria’s voice.

I thought you’d left me, I thought back.

Like always, there wasn’t an answer. I’d been so busy learning magic these last two days that even if she had spoken to me, I doubt I would’ve heard.

---