In the Light of the Moon

|FOURTEEN

"Derek!" I called. "Wait!"

Derek paused and faced me as I ran toward him. "Κυρία της Σελήνης; what do you need?"

"What is your sexual preference?" I scanned his aura; it was a rich, navy color.

He blinked, red tinting his ears. "...Come again?"

"Who attracts you? Girls? Guys? Both? Neither?"

"Girls, I suppose. Am I allowed to ask why?"

"No, you are not. Goodnight."

"Uh, yeah. Goodnight."

☾

I scanned the crowded dining room, searching for the right person. The wolves returned a few minutes ago from their hunt. I learned that, after a hunt, the wolves love cleaning out the kitchen of its food. There was a sea of bodies moving to and fro, the smell of pancakes and eggs wafting through the air.

Going through my earlier memories, I remembered that I used to pair couples with similar colors. Similar colors meant that they have similar personalities and interests.

Not that girl—her aura was an orange color.

Not her, either—it was a lime-green color.

Most definitely not that one, either. Her aura is a lilac color.

Then I saw her; she had vibrant, blueberry-colored tendrils coming off her. The girl carried a cup of coffee and laughed at a friend's joke. She had bronzed skin with beachy waves of dirty-blonde hair and celery-green eyes. She had a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

I could tell that she has the initiative to be a leader: She has a backbone and motivation. This woman has intelligence, too—she received a 3.8 GPA at her school. I could tell people gave this wolf respect, and she treated them with the same regard. She was a caring person as well, giving people the benefit of the doubt before judging them.

I whispered to Monica, "Who's that girl over there? The one with the dirty blonde hair?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's Damaris. Why?"

I smiled. "Because that girl is Derek's mate. I need you to say that Derek needs to speak to her."

"Wait, why me?"

"She will trust the Gamma—not some random witch."

"...Good point."

Monica approached her—me trailing behind her. "Hi, Damaris."

"Gamma," she greeted, hastily bowing her head. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Not me, actually. Alpha Derek asked me to get you."

Her expression turned concerned. "Have I done something wrong? Are my parents okay?"

I stepped in. "Yes, your parents are fine. Alpha Derek wished to have a word with you."

"Um, okay."

I knew that Derek was in his office, and I entered without knocking.

"Κυ—" I glared daggers at him, and he cut himself off with a cough. "I'm sorry. Um, hello, Gamma Monica, Lilura, Damaris. What—"

"Is there something that you notice about Damaris?" I asked. Derek gave me a clueless look.

I don't know which instinct told me to do this, but I focused on Derek and Damaris' aura. I caught ahold of their blue smoke—in my mind—and twisted them together, blending them together until they were the same shade. The smoke glowed a dazzling silver before settling on a navy blue.