Chapter 200: Vampire Luna

The sharp, deafening chime of the iron bell continued to echo violently through the morning air, vibrating deep inside my chest and rattling the windowpanes of the nearby houses. The shrill sound seemed to grow louder with every passing second, cutting straight through the quiet streets and instantly driving the pack members into a state of blind, frantic panic.

Shouts, terrified screams, and the chaotic noise of rushing footsteps burst out from every direction. The sound reached such a piercing, unbearable pitch that both Mary and I had to raise our hands and clamp them tightly over our ears, wincing as the noise vibrated straight into our skulls.

Finally, after several long, agonizing seconds, the frantic tolling of the heavy iron bell slowly died down, leaving behind a ringing silence filled only with the distant commotion of frightened people.

We both lowered our hands, taking a few cautious breaths as the ringing in our ears faded.

I turned my head toward Mary, my forehead scrunched into a deep, suspicious frown as I gestured toward the town center. "What on earth was that?" I asked, my raspy voice laced with tension. "What does that bell mean?"

Mary smoothed down her leather tunic, her refined face turning surprisingly grave. "That is the Bell of Summoning," she explained softly, her dark eyes darting toward the main road where crowds were already beginning to gather. "When that bell rings, it means an emergency meeting has been called. Every single member of this pack is required to gather at the central square immediately."

"Oh," I grunted, turning on my heel to head back toward my front porch to get Ava and head to the square.

Before I could take a single step, Mary reached out and grabbed my wrist, her grip firm yet surprisingly gentle.

I froze instantly, snapping my head back to glare at her hand with an icy glare. "Let go of me."

"I know you don't trust me, Amanda," Mary pleaded, her tone dropping into a soft, desperate whisper as her eyes searched mine. "I know you probably hate my guts and think I am setting you up for something terrible. But I am begging you... please, just find a tiny place in your heart to forgive me eventually. I am not asking you to forget the past right this second, nor am I asking you to trust me overnight. I am simply asking you to stop looking at me like an enemy. Give me just one small chance to prove that I have changed into a better person."

She squeezed my wrist lightly before letting her hand slip away, stepping closer with a deeply earnest expression on her face.

"We could actually be good friends, Amanda," she continued, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "I am willing to go to any length humanly possible just to make up for all the awful things I did to you. I will do whatever it takes to fix what I broke between us. Just name anything you want—anything at all—and I will do it right now without a single second of hesitation."

I stared at her for a long, heavy moment, my mind racing as I tried to process her bizarre, overly emotional behavior. Her sudden transformation from a bloodthirsty rival into a desperate pleader was deeply unsettling, but with the entire pack currently in a state of chaos and a mandatory assembly waiting for us, I didn't have the energy or the time to stand on my porch arguing with her.

I let out a slow, heavy breath, my jaw remaining tight. "Fine," I muttered, giving her a stiff nod. "I will think about what you just said."

A bright, genuine smile instantly erupted across Mary's face, her dark eyes lighting up with unbridled joy. "Thank you!" she chirped, clapping her hands together softly. "Thank you so much! You won't regret this, Amanda. I have a really strong feeling that once we put all this past drama behind us, you and I are actually going to end up being the absolute best of friends later on... like real besties!"

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline as I took a quick step backward, staring at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. "Woah... calm down," I scoffed, holding my hand up between us. "Don't jump the gun here."

Mary simply giggled, her cheerful attitude completely out of place given the loud panic echoing from the surrounding streets. "Don't worry about a thing," she replied smoothly, winking at me with playful confidence. "Just wait and see. You'll realize I'm being totally real with you very soon."

I rolled my eyes, letting out a quiet grunt. "Okay... if you say so."

Mary’s smile widened even further, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Okay then! Give me a quick hug before we head down to the square!"

I instantly stiffened, my top lip curling back in hesitation as I took another half-step away from her. "No way."

"Oh, come on!" Mary teased, rolling her shoulders as she took a playful step toward me. "Don't be scared! Just a quick hug between friends... remember?"

Before I could even open my mouth to snap at her or shove her back, Mary darted forward with surprising speed. She threw her arms straight around my shoulders, wrapping me in a tight, sudden embrace that caught me completely off guard.

"See you later, bestie!" she whispered cheerfully right against my ear.

Before my brain could even process the physical contact or react to her sudden movement, she let go of me, turned on her heel, and took off running down the dirt path toward the central square, her high boots kicking up tiny clouds of dust as she disappeared into the growing crowd.

I stood completely frozen on my porch, staring blankly at the empty trail where she had been standing just seconds before. My head was spinning with utter confusion. What on earth just happened? I thought wildly, raising a hand to rub my temple as my head began to throb with a dull ache.

I shifted my gaze toward the main thoroughfare of the pack territory. Even from a distance, I could see huge swarms of pack members pouring out of their homes and running frantically down the dirt roads. A massive, densely packed crowd was already gathering in the distance near the main stage, their raised voices creating a chaotic, deafening roar that filled the morning air.

Was this massive assembly directly related to the sudden lockdown at the border gates? Had someone uncovered something they shouldn't have?

I didn't have a single answer yet, but as I watched the frightened pack members shove past one another in a hurry to reach the square, that familiar, sickening knot tied itself tight in the very pit of my stomach once again. A cold, heavy feeling of pure dread washed over my entire body, whispering a dark warning straight to my soul: something te

rrible was about to happen.