Page 29 of Under A New Moon

Darla shook in her seat, and Galen pulled her close. It was all starting to catch up on her as the adrenaline wore off. She started to cry, "They shot her."

He wrapped her up tightly in his arms, and another wave of grief crashed over Darla. The driver looked up at them in the mirror, confused, so Galen lied, "Her sister was in a car accident."

The driver frowned, "My condolences."

Darla cried harder.

Galen had the driver stop just three miles away from where he picked them up, and just as they agreed, they both left their phones in the cab. They turned them off and yanked the batteries out, hoping it would stop from being tracked if they did try.

They walked a few blocks, Darla needed the fresh air. She wiped her bloodshot eyes. "I'm sorry, I cried all over your jacket."

Galen shrugged, "It's a jacket, Darla. It won't melt."

They stopped at a corner, and Galen sighed, "What Lily said...about the PEACE killing innocent shifters."

Darla frowned, her eyes sunk deeper into sadness. She nodded her head, "She wouldn't lie. God, how could I have been so stupid." She rubbed at her head, "To think...god..I.." She frowned, "I've made mistakes. I trusted those people." She looked up at Galen, "I...I did things without questioning them, and I should have."

He frowned, "If you had, you'd have a bullet to the head already, Darla." He reached forward, rubbing her cheek and wiping away a few stray tears, "Let's be happy we know now."

She nodded, looking away, "What do we do? We can't run anymore. They will catch up to us."

He didn't like the idea, but it seemed the only choice. Galen's family wasn't anything he had leaned on in years, for over half his life, and yet it seemed to be the only option.

"We need to go see the wolves."

She swallowed, leaning against the wall of the building. She adjusted her jacket, "Is that a good idea?"

"It's the only thing we can do, Darla." He frowned, "As you said, we can't run anymore. At one point, they will catch up to us."

Galen threw his hand out to hail a cab, "And when they do, they won't be gentle." He looked at her, "Your friend died quickly. They might not give us that option."

The thought sent chills down Darla's spine, and she nodded. "Alright, then we see the wolves."

A taxi pulled up, and Galen once more opened the door, and allowed her to hop in. He took another deep breath, thinking back to the last time he spoke with his family.

He had been separated for so long he forgot what family felt like, but having Darla by him, he was starting to remember.

He hopped in behind her, and he gave the directions to a place near Downtown LA. While a lot of Downtown LA had gentrified and changed over the years, the parts he was headed to were still industrial and dangerous.

Galen sighed, rubbing his face. He was nervous about where this could go. If he gave them intel about PEACE and begged on his knees, probably kissed some shoes, he might be ok. The Elders might forgive him for his past transgression. Of course, this was all speculation.

He's been gone a very long time, and he didn't even know what he would walk into.

Darla reached for his hand, slipping her fingers tightly around his. "You're nervous?" It was a question but one that didn't require an answer. She bit her lower lip, leaning into him. She sighed, "I am too."

He knew she was trying to give him some support, and it helped to some extent. There were a lot of emotions and pain that came with his family, and Galen wasn't sure if he wanted to open that can of worms. He had left it alone for so long, could he tackle it head-on?

Twenty-Four

Darla

They had both agreed that the best time was to wait till night to see the wolves. After driving around for what seemed most of the day, they stopped at one of the biggest clubs in LA, Unground. It was huge for its incorporation into the things people didn't see, which included the good and the bad.

Darla peered outside the window, taking in the bright lights and the lines of cars. The parking lot was packed, and the line to get in the main entrance was at least a mile long. The driver was stuck behind a group of vehicles, giving them a few moments.

Galen sighed next to her, and she turned, looking at him. He had gone slightly paler than usual, and he looked nervous on edge, really.

"You ok?" She asked with a hint of worry behind it. She could tell this was starting to get to him. The entire idea was unnerving, but they didn't have any other option.

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