One Night

Chapter 113

Audrey

I arrived at work bright and early on Monday morning, feeling energized after the weekend.

The luna moth I had brought home from the botanical gardens was safely tucked away in my bag, and I couldn’t wait to incorporate it into my second project. I had made my decision over the weekend: I would encase it in resin, thus preserving it for life, and then affix it to the bodice of the dress I was designing.

“Life Cycle, I would call the dress; I had picked out the swatches of blue and green fabric that I would use from the online database over the weekend, soft silks that would flow like water when moved. I would make a long cape that would attach to the wearer’s ring fingers, which would look like wings when the arms were spread.

So much for one week of life, I thought to myself as I settled at my desk; this luna moth was about to become immortal, not just in resin, but also in my design-a design which, I was certain, would make up for everything that had happened last

week

Leo and the other designers would finally see how serious I was, what I was capable of. I was sure of it

“Brought your kill in, Audrey?” Linda cooed as she brushed past.

I shot her a withering glare as I carefully removed the moth from its bag. “Leave me alone, Linda.”

Linda merely shrugged and sat down at her desk, clearly taking the hint.

I spent the morning meticulously encasing the luna moth in resin, making sure every detail of its wings was perfectly preserved. The rest of the design department faded into the background, my entire focus on the task at hand; even Linda’s presence was lost on me.

It took all night for the resin to set. Tuesday morning, I beelined for my desk, where I tapped the resin with a fingernail and grinned; perfectly hardened.

Then, carefully, I affixed the encased luna moth to the bodice of the dress I had been working on. I took my time gluing and sewing, taking the utmost care that it was utterly perfect. I embroidered bluish-green vines and flowers around the edge. which then wove their way out and across the entire bodice.

It took me all of Tuesday and the entirety of Wednesday morning to do that. By the time I was finished, it was lunchtime on Wednesday, and my hands and wrists ached from the hours spent embroidering

But it was finished, and it was worth it.

I stepped back to admire my work and couldn’t help but grin. The lunà moth gleamed against the fabric, its pale green wings catching the light in a way that made them seem almost alive again. The bodice was exactly what I had envisioned too, and I knew once I made the flowing skirt and matching cape that the wearer would look like a luna moth themselves.

But before I could spend too long admiring my work, my stomach growled loudly. I carefully covered my work and headed. to the cafeteria, sitting at my usual lonely table by the window,

None of the other interns had warmed up to me, of course, but hadn’t expected them to. Not that I was here to make friends; I was here to work. So I ate quickly and began making my way back to the design department, eager to continue working on my dress.

But as I approached my desk, I noticed that something was off. Pieces of something were sca**ed on the floor around my chair, glinting faintly in the overhead light.

My heart sank as I got closer and realized what it was. The luna moth had fallen from the bodice. The resin was snapped in half, the delicate wings crushed and broken.

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Chapter 113

Gasping, I dropped to my knees, carefully gathering the pieces as my vision blurred with tears.

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“No, no, no,” I whispered, cradling the broken remains in my hands. “How did this happen?” I swore I had taken the utmost care with affixing it to the bodice. It should have stayed on there even in the event of an explosion, and yet…

Oh

my

Goddess,” a voice gasped behind me. I turned to see one of the designers standing there, her eyes wide with horror. “Audrey, did you do this?”

I shook my head frantically, clutching the broken pieces to my chest, “Not Of course not. I came back from lunch and found it like this.”

But the words felt hollow even as I said them, and the designer clearly didn’t believe me.

“You’re the only human here,” she hissed, her voice rising. “Who else would commit such a hateful act against werewolves?”

“What?” I asked, confused. “What are you talking about? I would never-

As if on cue, Leo materialized behind the designer. His eyes widened and his face went pale as he saw the destruction.

“Leo, I-

“Audrey, my office. Now.

With my heart pounding, I followed Leo to his office on shaking legs, still clutching the broken pieces of the luna moth to my chest. As I sat down across from him, I could feel his eyes boring holes into my head.

Leo, I breathed, my voice trembling, “I can explain-

“Do you

understand the significance of what you’ve done?” he interrupted.

My eyes widened. “I-I didn’t do anything, Leo,” I insisted. “I swear. I came back from lunch and found it like this.”

But Leo simply sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Audrey Luna moths are a symbol of peace and prosperity to werewolves. Destroying one, particularly its wings… it’s essentially wishing harm upon all werewolves and the Moon Goddess herself”

My mouth fell open in shock. “I… I had no idea. But I promise you, I didn’t do this. It must have been an accident. Maybe I didn’t affix it carefully enough to the dress. I don’t know.”

Leo studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. Finally, he sighed deeply, slumping back in his chair. “I want to believe you, Audrey. But this is a serious matter. If you’re not being truthful with me..”

“I am being truthful,” I bit out through gritted teeth. “I would never do something like this. Not intentionally, at least. Please, you have to believe me.”

My mentor looked at me for a moment longer as if trying to gauge whether I was being

truthful or

not

When I showed nothing but sincerity, he rose from his chair with another heavy sigh and held his hand out. I swallowed and handed him the shards of the moth with shaking hands, my vision blurring with tears as I did so. All that hard work, and that little moth giving her life….

All for nothing.

So much for ‘good luck! Maybe it was an omen after all. Maybe was an omen.

watched numbly as Leo tossed the pieces into the garbage. “You’re on official probation,” he said, his voice tight. “You’ve already caused enough trouble; one more strike, and I’ll have to suspend you until we can determine the appropriate punishment. Do you understand?”

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Chapter 113

I wanted to scream, to yell, to make him understand that I didn’t do this.

But I couldn’t. All I could do was nod, feeling utterly helpless.

“Don

understand?” he repeated.

I swallowed hard, a painful endeavor around the lump in my thibat. “Y-Yes, I understand.” I whispered.

“Good. Get back to work.”

As I left his office, I could feel the eyes of my coworkers on me. Whispers followed me as I made my way back to my desk. I felt like I was walking through a minefield, afraid that any misstep could lead to disaster. As if I didn’t feel isolated and hated enough just for being the only human.

But as I settled back at my workspace, I noticed that Linda’s desk was empty. A nearby coworker informed me that she had left early for the day.

How convenient, I thought bitterly. The timing of her departure seemed a bit too perfect to be a coincidence.

As I stared at the empty space where the luna moth had been, a terrible suspicion began to form in my mind.

I wondered if Linda could have had anything to do with this little ‘accident.

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