Initiation ceremony.

"There are three things you can't do here." Debby started as she stood in the lobby of the Artemis tower, the only flat in the Artemis compound. The only flat in the entire healers compound with twelve floors, according to Zoey as i walked into the lobby with her. With our suitcases rolling behind us.

There were way too many girls here who were without mates that almost shocked me. All my age with a few teenagers.

"One: no boys allowed!"

"What about..."

"No boys are allowed here, period!"

"If you have a dick and you aren't sure if you're a man or not," Jay shouted from the elevator and the girls started whispering. "Unfortunately, you are a boy and you're not allowed here!"

He appeared with something that looked like a scroll and pointed with it to the warrior healers who held bows and quivers of arrows behind Debby and Gran gran like sentinels. The sentinel ladies in white looked at him with bored looks.

"Wow!" Zoey kept looking at them with awe. "So cool." She exclaimed.

"If any of you see such a being, please report them to those sexy ladies."

"Jay!" Debby growled at him but he ignored her.

"Hey, if you're a guy," he hid his mouth and whisper... not really whispered since we could all hear him. "Between you and me, you should run or hide in their rooms, they don't take kindly to a dick out here, but inside their rooms they like it more than anything."

I laughed with the others and asked Zoey why he was here.

"He's a midnight," was all she said like that explained everything.

"Take him and use him as an example ladies."Gran gran directed the ladies and two of the guards advanced towards him.

"Oh no, not today gran!" He shouted as he raised a scroll once again. "I'm on official Midnight business, so i am allowed here."

"What is it?"

"I have a message from..." he smiled almost like Laurent with gleaming eyes. "You are gonna love this part,"

He rolled the scroll and showed it Gran. "The Midnight House is about to be what it once was. Diana is back in town and she'll be here in two days!"

Zoey shot up and shouted, "Yeah!" Everybody else cheered as gran scoffed off in a corner.

"After all this time she sents a letter."

"Oh yeah!" He exclaimed again but this time a bit angry not gleeful. "She said is already in Acadia, but because of your bad language, she would wait until you used lye to wash your tongue."

"James!"

"By the way gran, why is it that you're older than the word old itself and you're still cursing?"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Hey, I'm still your grandson, but its still not my words."

"Let me see that!"

"Oh no, you cant, this is Allison's letter not yours, you're not allowed to read it so it would cost you two silvers to read."

I looked down as i felt everyone's eyes on me.

"Whoa, you know Diana?" Zoey asked clearly piqued.

Why would Diana send her a letter?

She never sent anyone.

Does Diana know her?

Is she really the queen?

I think she's Laurent's mate.

No that can't be right.

I heard eveyone say their thoughts and i cursed inside my head. Why am i being put on a pedestal every hour here?

Zoey grabbed my hand as she asked if i wanted to leave. I mumbled yes and she led me to the elevator. I went in only to realize, it wasn't Zoey who held my hand. It was Dia. I let it go and jumped back into Zoey who was quiet.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." I apologized and she said it was okay.

I looked at her and asked with my eyes what Dia was doing here. She shook her shoulders. "I dont know."

She smiled at us and i looked down. This was going to be hard. I looked at the buttons and saw the button for the penthouse lit.

Were we going to another penthouse? I grimaced as we went higher and sulked when she opened the penthouse for us. My heart went sadder when i saw the living room of the penthouse my feet just stopped working.

I've seen hotels in televisions and this was definitely one.

"Its beautiful, i love it!" Zoey shouted as she came down the hall to the bedrooms.

"What do you think of it Allie?" Dia asked as she stood in front of the curtains she had just closed.

"What? Oh its uhn... great?"

"You don't like it."

I shook my head. "I expected shared rooms like... camping."'

There aren't any rooms.

There are downstairs.

"This is the only secure room in this building that belongs to the midnights." She explained and as she explained further why I can't just go to other rooms, Debby's words clicked in my head.

They were seven midnights protecting me right now including her and Debby and they weren't going to risk my safety in any way.

I felt bad about it and didn't ask any more questions. But just agreed and went along Zoey and Dia's conversation. But Dia looked at me oddly. She'd smile. Give me the odd look and ask me an odd question and I'll freeze, not knowing what i should respond with.

Like, wanna go share a bath?

I've never shared a bath with anyone. Or other simillar questions. After a while, instead of giving up, she started with the sexual questions which clearly were creeping all of us out.

"You've been aroused since you came here, aint you gonna take care of it? Or are you going to stay horny untill he touches you?"

"I'm not."

"You smell of pheromones and your nipples are sticking out."

She pointed at my chest and i covered it with my arms.

How do i answer that? How did she know i was aroused? How did I tell her I will take care of it?

She and Zoey laughed at me and joked at how clueless i looked. I crossed my legs and looked down.

"I'm sorry we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Dia said looking down too. "But if you need space and want Laurent here, we can call him."

"It's okay. I'm going to take a shower." I ran to it before they said anything.

I walked out of the shower ten minutes later a bit cold from the cold shower with a towel wrapped around me.

Dia showed me the closet and like before, it was already packed full of clothes and I started to wonder why i even needed the suitcase.

"Take the clothes you like. They are yours anyway." She said stepping back.

"Why are they... i mean... did it cost a lot or..."

"Well, Not really." I looked at her waiting for some sort of explanation.

"We don't know the details all we know is that yesterday the Keeper brough them saying they are for you."

"Why me?"

"Ask him when you meet him."

"The keeper doesn't meet people like me."

"Allie you're a midnight hound. Stop doubting and belittling yourself. If you want to meet the keeper, all you have to do is walk up to his compound and ask, he will meet with you. Besides, if you are Laurent's mate, he will come to you." She hugged me and cupped my face as she smiled warmly.

"So put on a smile and do whatever you want and say whatever you feel and don't feel insecure or afraid jn any way. Because if there's one person in Acadia who's over protected, it's you right now.

"But keep all you emotions off your sleeves. Being naive is great but it might make others take advantage of you." she left me go and walked to the door. "See you in the morning for the initiation ceremony."

She left an I took time putting on pyjamas and before walking out.

Zoey was already in hers and in the living room enjoying everything.

Before I sat down, she flung questions at me starting up with simple talks then we started talking and I realized that she was a cool and nice person to be around when she wasn't acting like a walking information sheet.

She was a bit more like me but she faced her problems head on.

As we talked I started feeling tingly and... almost like Laurent was here. I got off the bed and looked at the bedroom door.

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked and i shook my head. I must be missing him or something.

"Nothing, i just... I feel like Laurent is here." I told her and shrugged a little. Yeah. Definitely. I felt like he was here.

"Aw! You miss him already?" She asked and I smiled. A little.

"Yeah. A little." I went back to bed and hugged a pillow. "And i feel like I'm in jail."

"You really do love him, don't you?" She turned to me and asked another question as that one i didn't have an answer to. Did i really love him? Or am i just infatuated with him. Or am i just entertaining the idea of someone wanting me and the prospect of him just caring for me? "How far have you two gone?"

Rolled my lips into my mouth and she gasped with a smile. "You kissed! So how was it?" She asked leaning to me and i couldn't help but think of the kisses and his touches. His...

"I wanna hear it too." His voice said inside my head as i leaned closer to her. I froze as i caught a glimpse of him leaning on the door.

Hic! Oh oh.

I slowly turned my back to him as thoughts of jumping onto him and holding him crept into my head.

"Laurent." Zoey said shooting up.

"Hey kid." He calmly greeted her. "Mind if i steal your roomie here for a sec?"

"No, you can take her." She said fast without even looking at me.

"Good. Thanks kid, I'll owe you one." He said and walked into our bedroom.

What do i do?

"Let's go."

"Where and...? I am in pyjamas." I told him and he just took my hand and dragged me out of the bed to the door.

I tried to explain that i wasn't allowed off the compound and he wasn't even allowed to be here.

"Here." He handed me his coat and before i could put it on, he opened the door and a cold breeze hit my face making me shiver and my heart stop.

It wasn't the other side of the door i saw earlier. But rather it was an amazing view. Accompanied by the cold evening sea breeze that hit my face, was the sea.

Vast sand, open blue sea and the darkening sky stood in front of me. Barely ten yards away.

The sea... it was right in front of me. The sea. I couldn't... it was right in front of me. Though dark, i could see it. Calm... vast...

I stopped, wondering how he did it. i looked at him as he walked towards the huge black bulky... whales?

Was i really really at the shore?

I looked back and Zoey stared back at us.

I ought to be dreaming. I summed up.

"Come on, i can't keep it open for long." He said as Zoey shivered and covered herself. With a blanket.

I followed him and he closed the door behind me.

"Welcome to The Keepers bay." He smiled