Chapter 23

The night air whipped through the open window of the limousine, mingling with my inner thoughts. The reality of becoming Lorenzo's Luna felt both surreal and daunting. My mind was a labyrinth of emotions, each turn revealing new fears and uncertainties. Leaving Blue Moon... the thought echoed, a relentless reminder of the drastic turn my life had taken. The pack I had grown up in, with all its imperfections and memories, was now a part of my past—a past that seemed to be unraveling before my eyes.

I thought about my father and my encounter with the Blue Moon alpha. Could my father’s disappearance have anything to do with the debt I supposedly owed? He had always had a rocky relationship with the alpha, what with being such a high powered and respected lawyer, the public tended to be a bigger fan of my father than their own alpha. Jealousy is a dangerous thing and it was an alpha’s job to be territorial, perhaps my father made a few too many enemies.

Another thing that troubled me was how slimy the alpha had been; his desire to take me as payment made my skin crawl. I wanted to get to the bottom of all of this without having to get too close to the Blue Moon alpha again. Maybe Lorenzo could help me now that I was his luna…

Oh Lorenzo. The thought of being his luna was a whole different issue that plagued my mind. Why had I agreed? I would be kidding myself if I said it was purely for safety purposes, as valid as that reasoning was. It was hard to admit, but having Lorenzo care so much about me gave me some much needed reassurance after what he did in the past. But it made me feel like I was being too easily won over, like all my hard work to be self-sufficient was for nothing. My thoughts tormented me, but I tried to keep my feelings confined to my own mind.

Unfortunately, Lorenzo's presence beside me was a steady force, and I couldn’t help but want to go to him for comfort. He seemed to sense the storm within me — he always had a talent for reading my mind, something that should have been every girl’s dream, but in this case I wish he didn’t know me so well. Finally, he spoke, his voice cutting through my internal chaos and my desperate attempts to appear totally fine.

"Eleanor, talk to me," he urged, his tone gentle yet laced with concern. "I know there’s probably a lot going through your head right now, but you don't have to navigate this alone."

I turned to face him, the city lights casting shadows across his features, highlighting the sincerity in his eyes. His care seemed real, but a realization held me back. It was the first thing he’d said to me since buying my freedom… maybe he wanted a similar deal and was willing to pay double for it? I tried to not let the thought influence me but my mouth moved before my mind could catch up.

"I'm scared," I admitted, embarrassingly quickly. "Scared of what it means to be your Luna and if you’re really doing this to take care of me, scared of leaving everything I've known behind, and scared of the unknown that lies ahead."

Lorenzo reached out, his hand finding mine, a gesture of solidarity. I was hesitant to really give in especially after admitting my fears, so I decided to simply interlace our pinkies instead — a gesture we used to do when we were younger when we felt distant but still in need of support.

"I won't pretend to have all the answers, Eleanor. But I promise you're not alone in this. Making you my Luna wasn’t just for show, I really am here to help," Lorenzo said calmly, but I could tell even he was apprehensive. Things were shifting between us, like tectonic plates under the surface ready to cause either a minor earthquake or a massive volcanic eruption. And honestly, I couldn’t tell which I’d prefer.

After that, the conversation took a turn as if by unspoken agreement to the deeper, more painful topic that lingered between us.

"My father's disappearance," I began, hesitantly, "Do you think…could the Blue Moon pack be involved?"

Lorenzo's jaw tensed, his gaze drifting to the passing landscape.

"It's a possibility we can't ignore," he admitted. "There have been rumors, whispers of things happening in the shadows of Blue Moon. My mother's disappearance years ago taught me that much—that not everything is as it seems."

At that, Lorenzo seemed to soften a bit. His mother was clearly a sore subject, but the fact that he willingly brought her up in front of me was a sign of trust he hadn’t shown me in years.

“You know my mother didn’t start out as an escort,” Lorenzo began and my heart started to beat faster. “She was trafficked as a child and raised by the wealthy family who owned her, but when she got old enough she was able to escape thanks to the help of my biological father. She never told me who he was, I always figured he’d abandoned us for some reason and I always resented how he left my mother and I.”

I felt a pang of empathy for Lorenzo. To carry such a burden, such a loss, it painted the stern alpha in a new, more vulnerable light. In a way, I felt like this was a bit of common ground we could settle on that would distract from all of the drama outside… and between us.

“Since my mother’s death, I’ve had my suspicions about Blue Moon. Your father’s case only confirms them. That lowlife of an alpha they have always preferred to deal with things under the table, and I think the more we uncover, the more evidence we’ll stack against them. I swear to you Eleanor, for both our family’s sakes, we will figure this out,” Lorenzo said resolutely, giving me a firm nod.

"I'm truly sorry about your mother," I said softly. "And I'm here with you. We'll uncover the truth, together."

The divide between us seemed to narrow a bit more, our shared determination bridging the gap between former enemies to allies. With each word, I felt drawn into Lorenzo's world, seeing the man behind the alpha. His vulnerability, his strength, and his unwavering determination to right the wrongs of the past resonated with me, igniting a flame of resolve.

I spent the rest of the ride silently looking out the window watching as the city lights disappeared, trying to recall more details about the day my father left. Maybe I missed something while looking through his will? Oftentimes his puzzles would have more than one message, perhaps I would need to look harder. My mind also danced around the supposed ‘list’ that he had given me. How did it all connect?

The limousine's smooth stop at the gates of Black Moon snapped me back to reality. The estate loomed large, an imposing fortress that was now supposed to be my home. The weight of my new role settled on my shoulders like a mantle, heavy and unfamiliar. Lorenzo's hand squeezed mine, a silent reassurance as we stepped out of the car.