#4 Moonlight on the Water

Knox

I was sitting in my office at the packhouse when Dover mindlinked me about Navy. He said she was requesting his presence for something. I sighed, thinking about what my mate was up to now. But, I knew I had to show her some good faith so I told Dover to do whatever she wanted. I just wanted to know if they left the packhouse.

About an hour later, the sweet smell of raspberries and ocean spray rolled over my office and I knew my mate was near. Just as Alistair started to get excited in anticipation of her presence, there was a quiet knock on my door.

“Come in!” I called out, already knowing who it was. Navy stepped inside,

“Baby, you don’t have to knock.” I laughed at her. She just shrugged and closed the door, walking over to my desk with her hands full.

“I found what my grandma hid.” She said, sitting the contents down on my desk. I looked through the box,

“Anything interesting?” I asked her. She nodded sheepishly, biting her lip,

“And unexpected.” She said.

“Oh?” I raised my eyebrow at her. She handed me another note that was addressed with a single date.

“What’s this?” I asked in surprise.

“Someone found the box before.”

“Who?” I unfolded the note and nearly gasped at the first line,

“Your mother.” Navy mumbled. I quickly read the note,

“My mother cannot be a Marshall.” I said sternly.

“Why not?”

“Mates aren’t related, Navy.” I stared at her in horror.

“It’s just through marriage.” She said with a shrug.

“There’s no way that’s possible.” I argued, I didn’t care if it was by blood or not.

“Maybe we aren’t mates, maybe your instincts were wrong.” Navy said under her breath. Alistair whimpered in my head,

“No, don’t say that.” I nearly growled.

“Knox, I don’t think the mate bond cares about relations through marriage. If that were the case, no one would be able to be mates at this point.” She had an amused expression on her face.

“We need to talk to my mother.” I stood from my desk and stormed from the office, Navy right behind me.

My mother still primarily lived in the packhouse on the fourth floor. My father hardly ever stayed here, even before I brought Navy home. He stayed in their townhouse. I dragged Navy up to the fourth floor, even though I could tell she was less than thrilled about it. I wanted Navy to meet my mother under much different circumstances, but here we were. I needed to debunk this idea that my mate and I were somehow related.

I nodded at the guards on the retired Luna and Alpha floor, knocking loudly on my mother’s door. She answered with a frazzled look, clearly not expecting company.

“Knox?” she gasped, looking behind her.

“Mother, this is Navy, my mate.” I sped through the introductions,

“I have to ask you something.” I said. My mother looked between me and Navy.

“What’s going on?” She knew it was urgent,

Come in.” She opened the door wide and motioned us inside. I grabbed Navy’s hand and tugged her towards the kitchen. We all sat around the small table.

“I need to know about this.” I handed her the note. Her eyes widened, immediately recognizing it,

“How did you find this?”

“I found it with this.” Navy spoke, sitting the small box on the table as well.

“Well you certainly didn’t find that accidentally.” She narrowed her eyes at my mate and I moved closer to her, feeling protective.

“No, I was looking for it.” Navy didn’t back down from my mother. She pulled out a picture and slid it across the table. She pointed at Cordelia,

“That’s my grandmother.” She said plainly. My mother’s eyes got huge,

“What?” She gasped.

“Cordelia is my grandmother. She married my grandfather and had my dad after she left Quinton.” Navy explained further.

“Explain how you can be a Marshall and yet Navy and I are still mates?” I demanded. My mother gave me the same look as Navy,

“I’m related to Quinton and she’s related to Cordelia. You two aren’t related, Knox.” She said with a little laugh. I wasn’t in the joking mood,

“That seems close enough to me.” I grumbled.

“It’s not, son. Rest assured, you and your mate are not family.” She pats my hand reassuringly.

“Are you sure that Quinton was your uncle?” Navy spoke up.

“Yes. My mother was Margaret, Quinton’s sister.” My mother turned her attention back to Navy,

“My father wasn’t her mate and he wasn’t a werewolf. He was a one night stand. I never knew him, so I took my mother’s last name.”

“The letter says that you were six when you were orphaned, how do you know for sure?” Navy’s voice was not very sensitive as she talked about my mother’s dead family. I squeezed her hand and urged her to show a little compassion in her search for answers. My mother was skeptical as she observed my mate.

“The family who took me in told me. When they decided to place me in Blue Moon’s orphanage, they wrote me a letter so I wouldn’t forget where I came from.” Mom said.

“But, you don’t remember anything about Velvet Moon?” I asked.

“No, nothing. Blue Moon has always been my pack. I never told anyone, not even your father, that I was originally from here.” She shook her head, looking at me now.

“The note says that you knew for a fact that the Council was responsible for your pack’s death, how can you know that?” I pressed for more information.

“That same family told me. They told me about their Luna who was there one day and gone the next, after the Council members visited. Then, about the rogue attack that came just after a threat from the Council. After the attack a bunch of elders came to the pack. They didn’t realize that some of us survived, they didn’t know about the hidden bunker. We could see them but they couldn’t see us. They overheard the elders talking about getting rid of the pack because they were witnesses to the Council’s actions against the mate bond. They were afraid that Quinton would take revenge.” Fiona explained with an impartial expression.

“How many survived?” Navy asked with a strange hiccup in her voice.

“A dozen or so, maybe?” My mother answered without looking away from me.

“Do you know where they went? Do you know what happened to Quinton and his children?” Navy was talking a mile a minute now.

“I only know about Amy and Timothy. They snuck into the pack with me. I haven’t spoken to them since that day.” Fiona shrugged.

“Are they still here?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” She said,

“Knox, you should really just drop this. Your father won’t like you sniffing around.”

“You mean he won’t like that you lied to him?” I accused her.

“He doesn’t care about me or what I do, not anymore.” She huffed.

“It doesn’t matter, Mom, this is about Navy’s family. I won’t drop it until she tells me to.” I replied stubbornly, squeezing my mate’s hand under the table. She smiled at me.

“I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, but I need to find out what happened.” Navy said to me and my mom.

“You’re just going to dig something up that deserves to be left alone.” Fiona glared at Navy. Navy snatched the note from her hand and pointed at the last line,

“You said so yourself, you hoped someone would be brave enough to ask. Well, I’m asking.” Navy’s voice was stubborn and her expression was serious. She shoved her chair back with a loud screech and stormed out of my mother’s room.

“You did put that in your note, Mom. Why change your mind now?” I asked her.

“It’s been decades, Knox. The world is a different place.” She sighed.

“I can’t deny my mate the truth, I won’t. I’m sorry.” I shook my head at my mom and stood up. She stood with me,

“She might not like what she finds.” She said with an ominous tone.

“You know more than you’re saying.” I accused her.

“I don’t because I stopped asking questions. It was better to know nothing than a horrifying truth.” Her words echoed those of Cordelia’s when she begged Navy to stop her search.

“I’ll give Navy whatever she wants, I’ll do whatever she wants.” I said sternly. I walked towards the door and looked back at my mother again. She was looking at me with wide eyes,

“What?” I asked.

“I’m just so shocked at your behavior. I never thought you would take a mate who wasn’t a werewolf.” She said.

“Why? Because of Dad?”

“I know you seek his approval. I didn’t think you would go against him about this.” She admits.

“I’ll do anything for Navy.” I said plainly before leaving my mother’s room.

I followed Navy’s scent all the way back to her Luna quarters. I knocked once on the door before pushing it open.

“Navy?” I called her name into the emptiness. She rounded the corner from the kitchen and approached me.

“I’m sorry I got snippy with your mom.” She sighed. I noticed that she was now wearing the locket she found in her grandma’s box.

“Don’t be.” I shrugged, walking up to her and snaking my arms around her waist,

“I meant what I said, this is all about you.”

“Thank you for supporting me on this, Knox.” She sighed, allowing me to pull her closer.

“I’ll always support you, my love.” I promised.

“Do you think you can find Amy and Timothy?” She asked in a quiet voice.

“I can try. It’s going to take some time, though.” I agreed.

“Thank you.” She said again. I smiled at her politeness and tugged her over to the couch. We sat down next to each other,

“I wanted to thank you for taking Dover with you today.” I said.

“You asked, I listened.” She shrugged casually.

“I know you did, baby, and I appreciate that so much.” I purred.

“Dover mindlinked you, didn’t he? You could’ve stopped me.” She said suddenly.

“He did and I told you that I wouldn’t, I just want you to be safe.” I said,

“Speaking of which, I wanted to give you something.” I fished a key out of my pocket.

“What’s this?” She eyed it curiously. I dropped it into her hand,

“A master key. It’ll get you through any and every door on the grounds, including the packhouse and all the other facilities.” I explained. Navy looked up at me with wide eyes,

“Really?”

“I have no secrets from you and I want you to be at home here. I told you, what’s mine is yours. You can access any door that I can.” She looked at the key like I had just given her an engagement ring.

“It won’t bite.” I laughed at her. She picked up the chain that the key was attached to and held it up, it dangled in the air.

“You trust me enough for this?” She whispered. I grinned and took the chain from her. I undid the clasp and wrapped it around her neck. She tugged her hair out of the way for me so I could see to secure it.

“I trust you with my life.” I said while our faces were only inches apart.

“I trust you, too.” Navy seemed surprised at herself as the words left her mouth. Her eyes widened a little and a small blush swept across her cheeks, but she didn’t take it back. Her eyes shined with honesty.

I cupped her face in my hands and took a chance. I pulled her closer to me so she was nearly sitting on my lap, and crashed my lips into hers. She gasped a little, wiggling in my grip, before she relaxed and returned the kiss. Her arms went around my neck, her fingers scratching gently at my hairline. A growl rumbled deep in my chest as her touch sent Alistair into an uproar. She moaned softly against me and I nearly fell apart.

She pulled her mouth away, gasping for air. I traveled down her neck, trailing kisses all the way to her shoulder. I buried my face in the warmth of her neck, breathing in deeply. Her body responded to me and I could smell her desire. She squirmed in my lap, trying to fight off her urges. Her hands came to my face and she pulled me away.

My eyes locked with hers and I couldn’t ignore the passion that was swirling in them. Her icy blue eyes were bright and wild as she studied my face. Her cheeks were flushed and a small smile graced her lips. Her hands remained on my face, frozen, like she was struggling with what to do next.