Blue Moon (Colors of the Moon #1)

Chapter 12

Four hours later, I couldn't take it any longer. Despite the door of my new bedroom being wide open, I felt like the room was growing smaller with each passing second. More than anything I wanted to know what happened to my family, and I knew there was only one thing capable of distracting me.

I craned my neck through the open doorway and checked if the hallway outside was empty. Then I tiptoed my way down the hallway and down the stairs. I didn't want anyone to catch me because I was sure they would instantly notify Jared. This is why I opted for the second instead of the first floor.

I stopped at every door and first listened for any sounds coming from the inside before I peeked into the countless rooms. Most of them looked like ordinary bedrooms, but I also ran into a few bathrooms and what I assumed were home gyms.

Just as I placed my ear against the twenty-second door, the sound of a whispered conversation tickled my ear.

"... take the Alpha to mark the Luna?" a female voice asked.

I had never heard the word mark in this context, so I guessed it was connected to werewolves. They had so many customs and different words that it was getting hard to keep track of all of them. At the mention of Alpha and Luna, however, I was sure she was talking about Jared and me.

"I don't know. She's human, so it might take quite long," a male voice said. "I'm happy he found his mate and our Luna, but I don't envy him the fact that she's a human. It must be hard for him and his wolf to keep her at arm's length. I know it would kill me, if I had to wait so long to mark and mate with you."

Too late I realized their voices weren't coming from the room I was still leaning against. They were moving down the hallway, in the opposite direction from me. This is why a second later I wasn't able to hear anything else. Not that I understood what I had overheard in the first place.

I turned away from the door and was about to head to the next one, when a little girl collided head first with my side. With a silent huff she landed on her butt, while I used the door next to me to regain my balance.

The first thing I noticed was a mob of blonde hair, which was followed by a quiet sniff. In an instant I knelt down in front of her and my heart squeezed at the sight of the tears watering her brown eyes. What I didn't expect, however, was for her already big eyes to widen even further.

"Lu... Luna," she stammered. "I'm... I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's okay." I quickly reassured her because I was afraid she would burst into a loud wail that would gain everyone's attention. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Her two ponytails bounced around her head as she vigorously shook it. "Are you okay, Luna?"

"I'm fine." I shot her a reassuring smile. "What's your name?"

"Piper. Please, don't tell the Alpha I hurt you. It wasn't intentional."

"Don't cry," I said as her eyes filled with even more tears. "I promise, I won't tell Jared anything. Okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and then wiped the stray tears into her sleeve.

"Why were you in such a hurry anyway?"

"We're playing hide-and-seek." In the blink of an eye she shot up to her feet and then glanced up and down the empty hallway. "Do you want to join us?"

"Maybe later." A female voice said before I could even open my mouth. "I hope my pup hasn't been giving you too much trouble?"

I jumped up at the unexpected voice and spun around to face the newcomer. A step behind me stood a middle-aged woman, who was a little taller than me. She had warm hazel eyes and a soft smile that evaporated some of my panic.