Page 40 of Under A New Moon

She was exhausted and hungry. She was angry yet sad at herself. She had so much going on in her head, and she was losing track of what was right and what was wrong. She wanted everything to disappear.

Her mind went over everything she'd done and all the orders she handled. She could cry over it all, devastated to hear the truth. She had been following orders that weren't legal. From rogue superiors who sought to undermine the very mission of her agency.

"You ok?" Galen asked in a gentle tone. He'd asked it a few times now, and to each, she nodded her head. She didn't know what to say for a while. Her head was swimming.

She wasn't ok, but she would be with time. She knew that. "Yeah. I'll be fine. It's just....a lot to take in."

Galen pulled her closer, and she rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She swallowed, trying to hold back tears.

"I've done things, Galen." She whispered it, afraid he might let go of her. "I've done things that I thought were right....and they weren't." Her voice shifted, "I've killed shifters. I helped others kill innocent shifters."

He rubbed a hand over her back, "You were doing what you were told." He kissed the top of her head, "You did what you needed to survive."

She hated how it was true. She had learned the truth, and now they wanted her dead. She thought of Lily with the gunshot in the head. They never even saw them coming. She had her friend help her, and she lost her life because of it. Darla thought of all the other coworkers that had gone missing. It was a large pill to swallow.

"My entire world is upside down, and I can't breathe." She peered into the darkness, hearing a soft dripping sound in the distance. "My entire life is wrecked in just a matter of days. It's like someone pulled the rug out from underneath me, and instead of a floor, I'm free falling."

Galens mouth was hot against her neck as he cradled her, "I know. I'm sorry."

Darla thought of her missions and the one that stuck out the most. There was a teenager, maybe around the age of eighteen. Her duties were to lure him into a party, and her partners would handle the rest. She was still young when she got this assignment. Just a newbie still at the job.

She remembered the kid begging to live, and she had a hard time listening to him. Her superior gave her a raise, and when she brought it up, he simply said they always beg for forgiveness after a terrible act. We still lock up murders, don't we? Even if they beg.

She wanted to tell him they always have trials, but she had put it on the back burner. She had always told herself she was hardly the person ever pulling the trigger. Even so, she still helped track shifters down.

She needed to get her mind away from everything. She needed to focus on what was going on now.

"Do you think your father is involved with this? Did Sol just say that to get a rise out of you?" Darla didn't want to say it clearly worked, but not in Sol's favor. She'd never seen Galen so mad before.

He sighed, pulling her closer. His heartbeat was calm, yet he sounded nervous. "I'm pretty sure he won't kill us on sight."

Darla's eyes widened, and her voice grew louder, "What do you mean, pretty sure?" She leaned back slightly, looking into his eyes. The darkness made it hard, but she could make out the shape of his face. "Do you think he will?"

"I've been away a long time, Darla. I don't know what to expect anymore. I thought going to Sol was the answer but look how that turned out." The desperation in his voice floored Darla.

"He's your father." She said it gently, "And family forgives in the end. You might be surprised at how it turns out."

Galen took a deep breath, pulling her close to him. "Let's hope you're right because we are running out of options."

They held each other for a few more minutes before they agreed they needed to get moving again. The sewer should lead down the street and into an opening just a few blocks down. They could slip back into traffic, and no one would know.

They walk, hand in hand, Galen leading the way. Darla took a few deep breaths, knowing they still had much to handle in the future. But, for now, they were alive, and that was what mattered most.

"Alright." Galen froze. "I'll go up and make sure we are clear." Galen ascended the stairs, pushing the hole cover out of the way. The light was blinding, and Darla flinched.

Galen went up, and left her alone for a moment. There was nothing but the dripping of water.

"Come on up," Galen yelled down, and she started up the stairs. She crept up out of the manhole, and Galen quickly covered it. They patted each other down, fixed their hair, and promptly slipped into the sidewalk heading down the road. They walk around the corner and blend into the crowd like they were there the entire time.

Thirty-Three

Galen

Galen wanted to shift and just take off through the city, but he knew that wasn’t an option. Darla, for one, would never be able to keep up with him, and even if he carried her, he wasn't strong enough to go that long of a distance.

They were both exhausted from the past few days, and they needed an easier idea.

They pressed against a wall, allowing some distance to talk in private. He sighed, "Are you sure you're ok?" He can't remember how many times he's asked, but he was worried. Seeing her in the light, he could see her swollen eyes and the tear marks that ran down her face.

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