Chapter 192

Ava

Fabian led us to a small sitting room, where he prepared a few servings of tea with shaky hands. As we settled into the plush armchairs, I couldn’t help but notice the thick cobwebs that hung from the corners of the ceilings and the musty scent of old fabric that hadn’t been aired out in some time.

“I’m so sorry for the mess,” Fabian said, noticing my glances. “I’ll admit it: I’m so spoiled from having a full staff that I’m not used to doing all the cleaning myself. Not to mention the fact that the… activity around here at night makes it difficult to get much of anything done.”

“Does it keep you from sleeping?” I asked.

Fabian chuckled wryly and gestured to the dark circles ringing his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He handed us our cups of tea, and I took a sip, watching carefully over the rim of my cup as Fabian nervously sipped his own. He set his cup back down in the saucer, the china clinking as his fingers trembled, and pushed a strand of his unkempt salt-and-pepper hair out of his eyes.

Seeing him like this was unsettling, to say the least.

The Alpha of Moonshine was typically known for his stoic, no-nonsense demeanor—which meant that whatever was going on here, ghosts or no ghosts, had to be serious if it was going to sway the Alpha who was often seen as being made of the same material as the sheer cliffs along the outskirts of his territory.

“So, Fabian,” Chris began in a calm tone of voice, “what exactly has been happening here?”

Fabian sighed deeply, his bluish green eyes darting nervously around the room. “Well, it all started about three months ago when this blasted fog rolled in. At first, things were fine. We thought it was just unusual weather. A big storm coming in off the ocean, you know?”

“But then?” I prompted as I took another sip of my tea.

“Then... I found my beloved cat, Whiskers, dead on the front steps,” Fabian said, his voice cracking slightly. “No apparent cause. No wounds or anything of the sort. He was just... gone.”

“I’m so sorry, Fabian,” I said, feeling my shoulders slump slightly. “Maybe he got into something; made himself sick. You never know.”

“Impossible,” Fabian said with a firm tone, his eyes sharpening as he looked at me. “Whiskers was spry as ever just that morning. I let him out to do his business, and within half an hour, I found him…”

He paused, clearing his throat before continuing. “After that, things went downhill fast. The servants began making claims of spirits wandering the house at night. Particularly a ‘wailing woman’ that could be heard crying in various areas of the house.”

Chris leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “And you believed them?”

Fabian shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t at first; I thought it was all poppycock. But then... I started hearing things too. All of the staff eventually left, one by one—even Amelia, who was supposed to be serving out her sentence as scullery maid. Now, I’m alone.”

I exchanged a skeptical glance with Chris. “The wind whistles around the eaves of this house quite loudly,” I suggested gently. “This is a beautiful house in the daytime, but it’s large and a bit dark. People might just get spooked easily.”

Fabian shook his head vehemently. “No, you don’t understand. My housekeeper, Mrs. Perkins… She had worked here for over thirty years. She wasn’t easily frightened, and she knew the difference between the sound of the wind and… something else. But even she left after one particularly terrifying night.”

“What happened?” Chris asked.

Fabian’s eyes grew distant. “We heard knocking on the walls, doorknobs rattling, things flying off of shelves. It was like the house itself had come alive with some kind of malevolent energy. I’ve never seen Mrs. Perkins so pale. She was out the door the next morning, talking about demons, and I haven’t seen her since.”

I tried to keep my skepticism in check, but it was difficult. Ghosts weren’t real, after all. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this. But Chris, meanwhile, just appeared understanding.

Chris cleared his throat, glancing at me. “Fabian, we were wondering about Moonshine’s artifact. The moonpetal encased in amber. Is it… safe?”

Fabian’s eyes widened, and I noticed his grip on his teacup tighten. “Of course it’s safe,” he said quickly, an edge to his voice. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

I held up my hands placatingly. “We’re just curious. If an artifact goes missing, the Moon Goddess could potentially be angered. It might explain the fog.”

Fabian’s jaw clenched. “My artifact is safe and sound, thank you very much. I don’t appreciate the implication that I might have lost something so precious.”

“We’re sorry,” Chris said quickly. “We didn’t mean to offend you. We’re just trying to understand what’s happening, that’s all.”

Fabian seemed to relax slightly, his shoulders sagging. “No, no, I’m the one who should apologize. I’ve been on edge lately. It’s been... difficult.”

We spent the next hour or so discussing lighter topics, trying to ease the tension. As the day wore on, Chris and I decided we weren’t afraid to spend the night at the manor—despite Fabian’s repeated warnings.

“Are you sure?” Fabian asked, looking both relieved and concerned at our offer to stay. “I would love the company, but after everything I’ve told you…”

I smiled reassuringly. “We’ll be fine, Fabian. Maybe having us here will keep the spirits at bay.” I paused, glancing around at the disarray. “And we’ll help you get up to date on your chores.”

“You’re too kind,” Fabian muttered with a sigh of relief.

Our security detail, however, wasn’t as brave. They approached us as a group while we were gathering our bags to spend the night.

“Alpha Chris, Luna Ava,” one of them said, looking uncomfortable. “We... We’ve decided to stay at a motel just outside of town, outside the perimeter of where the fog starts. If that’s alright with you.”

Chris frowned. “You’re leaving?”

The guard shifted nervously from foot to foot. “It’s just... the stories we’ve heard. And this fog…”

I sighed, turning to Chris. “Maybe it would be for the best. The dampness from the fog last night was likely what damaged the cars’ engines, and we don’t want to harm them beyond repair.”

Chris nodded and rubbed his hands along his face. “Alright. But we expect you to beeline here if we call.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

After our guards left, Fabian showed us to our room, a spacious chamber with a four-poster bed and antique furniture. It was just as dusty as the rest of the house, but cozy once we made a fire in the fireplace.

“Rest up,” Fabian said as he closed the door. “I’ll be looking forward to eating dinner with some company later.”

With that, he left us alone to rest until dinnertime. I walked over to the dusty window, peering down at the thick blanket of mist that covered the surrounding land. Up here, our room was situated high above the fog, allowing us to see just how thick it was. It was eerie how it seemed to swallow everything in sight like a thick white ocean.

I jumped slightly when Chris came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.

I leaned back against him and shrugged. “I’m just... curious. How is it possible for mist to linger for three whole months? It doesn’t make sense.”

Chris was quiet for a moment, his chin resting on my shoulder. “Beats me,” he admitted. “And Fabian was insistent that he still had the artifact.”

I turned in his arms, eyeing him suspiciously. “Unless…”

Chris shook his head. “I don’t think Fabian would lie about something like that… would he?”