Moonlight Kiss

57. The Old Woman's Advice

[Jade]

I tried again to contact Mason but when he didn't pick up or reply, I decided to go out and meet Zara, I had cried my eyes out and I didn't want to anymore.

I decided to stay a week more in New York and then return to the pack and I hoped by then Mason's anger would have dissipated. I wanted to be mad at him for asking me not to come with him but I couldn't find it in me to be mad at him.

I knew the opportunity I had was a golden one so I decided not to waste any more time crying and use all my time for exploring and enjoying the rare time I had with Zara.

I knew it would be a long time before I got to see Zara again because I didn't know when next Mason and I would be able to go to New York and I couldn't invite her yet to the pack, Mason did not trust her, he literally avoided meeting her every chance he could before he went back home.

I knew it would take time but I hoped they would work through their differences because they were family.

I hadn't really thought about it but Cyrus had been Mason's uncle and since Zara was his daughter, then that would make them cousins, I did not think any of them realized that but it was true.

I did not know the whole story but I knew that Debra had been contacted to conceive a child for Cyrus since his mate was male, Cyrus had been ecstatic when she conceived the first time and he had treated her like a queen in his pack but it had all changed when he found out that he was having a daughter.

He had wanted to kill the child but Debra had managed to escape the pack and found hiding in California, where she had begun to use her tattooing skills to make money to take care of herself and her unborn child.

After the child was born, Cyrus still wanted nothing to do with her till she reached out to him on her sixteenth birthday, he had apologized to them both when he found them again but Debra hadn't believed him, she had tried to make her daughter see him as the monster he was but she couldn't just imagine her own father as a monster.

And it was not until he harvested her wolf and tried to kill me did she realize the kind of maniac she had for a father.

I didn't really know my father but when I heard stories about other people's fathers, I couldn't help but wonder if my mother had lied to me about my father and what he was like before his death.

Pushing back that thought away from my mind, I concentrated on meeting up with Zara, she had invited me for lunch at a really upscale and fancy restaurant that I couldn't help but wonder how she was getting all of the money she was spending.

When I got into the restaurant, I couldn't help but look around in awe. It was a glass restaurant with very luxurious decor of gold and silver and even the tables and chairs.

"Zara, wow, this place is incredible." I hugged her before taking my seat opposite her.

"Yes, I wanted to treat you to some fine dining before you leave." She said and I smiled.

"This is nice but Zay, I can't help but notice that everything is so expensive." I said.

Her mother's tattoo shop was always full and no doubt she was making a lot of money but I'd never known Debra and Zara to be such big spenders and she still had college to pay for.

"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you." She sighed and picked up the menu.

"What is it?" I asked.

"He left me a lot of money." She said, but I did not understand immediately.

"What?"

"Apparently he had several companies and he was very wealthy, he left everything to me when he died, Debra won't touch his money but I figured I could help her a bit so I pay my tuition myself, take care of my extra expenses and there's still money left for fine dining." She explained and I laughed.

Fine dining at its finest.

We ordered some food and we didn't even have to wait for a long time before the food was ready.

"Excellent service." I commended the waiter as he opened the bottle of wine and filled our glasses.

"I would hope so, I'd like to receive a huge tip." He joked but I knew that Zara was going to do just that.

"Thank you." Zara smiled at him and he asked if we needed anything else before he left.

Zara had a very fancy lobster meal while I went for their steak option, the chef came out a while later after the waiter had dropped our food and he asked if the food was to our liking.

When we said yes, he smiled and began to tell us the history of the food we were eating, apparently the piece of meat on my plate was one of the most expensive steak in the world if not the most expensive, it was a wagyu beef and it was best known for its amazing taste and the intricate patterns on it.

We finished our food and sipped our wine slowly as we discussed and caught up with each other.

"He's your family, you know." I started.

"What do you mean?" She asked me.

"Mason, he's your cousin." I told her and she looked away from me.

"He hates me." She said when she looked back at me.

"No, he doesn't." I tried to disagree with her.

"You know he does, Jade, he wouldn't even see me when he was here, he wouldn't even let me apologize and I don't even blame him for anything." She said, "my mother says he will always be wary of me, my father killed his father, why do you think he would ever want to get to know me."

"I don't know, I just believe family is greater than all the issues between you two." I said.

"No, not this time, we never knew each other growing up and we were never introduced as c-ou… d*mn, I can't even say the word."

"Cousins." I offered and she nodded her head.

"Don't drink too much wine, you got wasted yesterday." She scolded me and I dropped the glass down.

She was right, I didn't want a repeat of what happened yesterday.

We said our goodbyes after the nice night we had and we departed.

Hugo was driving me home when we came across an old lady trying to cross the road, the drivers were all being mean and honking loudly at the old woman pushing her stroller slowly.

I couldn't take it and so I came out of the car angrily, I met the woman and helped her to cross the road.

"Oh, thank you my child." She said,

"You're welcome grandma, why are you still out by this time?" I asked.

It was very late in the night and I wondered why such an old woman who probably couldn't see that well was walking about at night.

"Oh dear, you see I like to come to this bench in the evenings." She said, leading me to a bench by the side of the road.

I did not want to tell her that it was already past evening so instead I offered to take her back home, for a second though, I feared she might have escaped from a nursing home.

"Such a lovely bench, I see why you like it but it's already so dark, why don't I just take you home?" I asked her.

"I live with my granddaughter." She explained. "Her mother died while giving birth to her so I practically raised her, she lives just on the other side of the street." She said,

"Oh, that's not too far, let me take you there granny."

"I always sit here for thirty minutes every evening, my husband and I used to do it when he was still alive and before he died, I promised him I'd always do it. My granddaughter normally brings me but she went out on a date today and she hasn't returned." She explained.

"Oh granny, I'll sit with you." I told her and she smiled at me.

We made it to the bench and we sat down.

"You seem so conflicted, dear child." She looked at me and I gasped when her dark eyes flashed blue, just how many supernatural beings were in New York.

"Oh granny, you have no idea, it's an issue of the heart." I told her.

"Oh dear, you're still young, one day you'll grow old and look back on everything that happened to you in your life but the most important things you'll remember is the greatest love you ever had and your accomplishments." She said,

"I have the greatest love ever." I told her and she nodded.

"Now what about accomplishments dear, you look young, are you in college?" She asked.

"Oh granny, that's another complicated matter." I sighed.

"Don't let anything be complicated for you dear, anything that doesn't make you happy and feel fulfilled, cut it off, you're a beautiful girl, it will not be hard for you to fall in love again." She said,

"I couldn't possibly do that, we're bound together forever." I said.

"Yes, I used to think that a long time ago before I knew better." She said, "The fact is anything can change or can be changed."

"I don't understand what you mean?" I stared at her in confusion.

"You will dear, you will." She said and stood up from the bench.

I supported her before she held her stroller and then she turned to me.

"Don't waste precious time, child." She said and started strolling away.

"Please let me help you." I pleaded with her but she just turned back to me with a smile on her face.

Her eyes twinkled and flashed blue as she looked at me.

"You think I need your help, dear." She smirked and strolled away.