**Moxie**

"Where are you guys going?" My eyes were on my mom as she stood there with Millie and Zoe dressed up.
"We have an appointment today with the photographer." My mom told me as Millie checked the time.
"And we're going to be late if we don't leave." She added in.
My mom nodded with her eyes on me.
"If you decide to leave the house, make sure Monty goes with you. I don't usually agree with how strict your dad can be, but after last night? I have no choice but to agree, you and Millie are our youngest and I don't want to see you get hurt." She told me.

I frowned with crossed arms before nodding.
"I know, but now that you mentioned it, I do have plans to go into town later just to walk around." I told her.
She nodded, taking out her phone.
"That's fine dear, we'll see you boys later." She said walking out with my sisters.

As soon as I heard the door shut and the sound of a car driving out of the drive way, I left my spot and went straight to Monty's room.

He was sitting in his bed jamming to music with his headphones on.
"Monty." I reached over tapping him as he turned around and stared before pulling his headphones down.
"What's up?"
I looked at the other.
"Mom and the girls went out." I told him.
Monty blinked.
"And...--Oh! You want to go out?" He smirked as I nodded.

Monty nodded, getting out of bed with a grin.
"Say no more, let's get going." He said walking out of his room.

I was nervous but the thought of being caught trying to be around vampires, sent a thrill through me.
I wanted to talk to Magna more, he was approachable and I wanted to learn what I could about his race, so I could have a better chance defending them the next time someone wants to call them out.
I didn't know enough last night, only from what Magna told me.
And that word was running through my mind like crazy.
Compulsion..
What was it and why did vampires use it?
Was that what made them more powerful than wolves?

"Do you know where Magna hangs?" Monty asked me walking down the street, I shook my head with a frown.
"No.. I didn't get the chance to ask him anything like that, Mistral and the other alphas ruined it." I frowned.
Monty glanced to me then ahead with his arms behind his head as we walked.
"If I was a vampire laying low, I would more than likely avoid the woods because they know that's where the wolves hunt, so I would probably be out in the open despite how stupid that may look." He said.

I blinked looking around before noticing the different scents now.
"The vampires are out in the open?"
Monty was frowning as he looked around.
"That's what it seems like, no wonder dad's been so on edge lately, there really are more vampires pouring into Crossroads." His brows furrowed for a moment.
I frowned softly.
"We're safe, right?" I questioned.
Monty was seeming more edge as a beta as his composure began shrinking more and more as we stood there in the middle of the street.

"Monty-"

"Well if it isn't the clumsy wolf."
I turned around fast to find Magna there but he wasn't alone.
There were a few others with him.

Monty grabbed my wrist and Magna watched before he smirked softly taking a step back.
Which only made Monty blink watching the other.
Magna's eyes locked on me.

"I see you weren't in too much trouble after last night." He commented as I frowned, glancing to Monty.
"I'm actually having to be babysat, my dad was furious." I told him.
Magna looked back at Monty before he made a quiet 'ah' sound and looked back at me.
"Well it's better than being caged up, I guess you didn't learn your lesson if you're in the vampire neighborhood." He said now.

Monty made a face.
"Vampire neighborhood? This is Crossroads-"

"Uh huh, and it was agreed that we would have a section if we promised to behave." Magna smirked at him.
"And you two waltzed right into what we call, Cross Fade, we let you wolves keep the original name." He shrugged.
"But you still kept Cross, something that should burn you." Monty frowned.
Magna grinned.
"An ugly lie if we're being honest here, the only thing that can kill a vampire is a wooded stake, nothing else and nothing less." He told us.

"Why would you tell wolves that?" Monty frowned at him.
Magna looked at him before his eyes fell on me and his expression grew soft.
"Because I want to prove that not all vampires are monsters, I was serious last night when we talked." He stepped up and I was surprised to see Monty step aside so Magna could see me better.

"I would never use compulsion on someone unless I absolutely had to, honestly it's a curse and a lot of the vampires take advantage of it." He said.
Monty glanced to me before he sighed frowning at the brunet.
"Do your friends behind you feel the same or are you saying those things to get closer to my brother?" He asked him.

Magna looked thrown off, his eyes were on me then on the other.
"If my friends did not feel the same they would not be standing behind me, and as much as I'd like to get closer to your brother," he smiled softly as my eyes slightly widened.
"I feel like that will get the two of us killed." He shrugged.
"And I have a family I'm not ready to part with yet." He told us.

My heart was racing as we stood there.
"No one has to know that you two are hanging around each other, only me." Monty shrugged as I looked back at my brother with wide eyes.
"Mon-"
"Wouldn't that get you in trouble as well?"  Magna asked him.
Monty smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"It's possible but like I told this one last night, Moxie has never spoken up over anything in his life, but he had no problem speaking up for you in behalf of our family insulting every vampire that exists." He said.

Magna glanced to me now.
"Why would you defend someone you barely know?" He asked.
I blushed looking down.
"Because you told me you weren't the bad guy." I confessed.
Magna's eyes grew wide.

"Well that's adorable." One of the vampires spoke up next to Magna, he had brown hair and soft blue eyes.
"You defended a vampire because he told you he wasn't the bad guy?" He asked me.
I frowned at the other despite my face burning.
"Yes." I answered looking at Magna.
"And you believed him?" The brunet smirked as I stared at the other.
"I do." I told him.

Magna seemed surprised as we stood there.
I nibbled my lip.
"I.. I want to understand your race better." My face was burning, feeling Magna's eyes on me.
"And I know that's probably stupid, not to mention reckless. But, I want to be the Ellison that chose to be rebellious and got closer to the race we are supposed to hate." I looked at Magna.
"I know we just met at a pond and yeah I'm probably insane-"
"Definitely insane." The brunet commented but groaned the moment Magna's elbow greeted his gut, causing the other to step back.
"But I want to try." I told Magna looking at him.

Magna stepped up closer, glancing to Monty who hesitated but stepped back from us.
Magna looked down at me.
"You'd risk everything just to learn about vampires, to be around us?" He asked me.
I looked at him as my heart began to race.
"The only one who has ever understood is the one standing beside me right now, I've never cared about my last name, I've never wanted fame or attention like our family has, Monty is my main supporter in our family, he is the only one who actually cares if I'm happy-"

"Stop it you're gonna make me blush." Monty teased as I smiled softly at the other blond before looking at Magna.
"If you were the bad guys you could have killed me and my brother," I inhaled softly looking at him.
"You could have killed me last night, but you chose to talk to an omega wolf instead of doing what you're accused of doing constantly." I nibbled my lip.
"So if I were to lose the Ellison name all because I opened my eyes and took a step forward by giving you the chance you deserve, then I guess I won't be losing much." I told him.

"Wow.."
"That almost sounded like a confession." The brunet laughed.
"Shut up, Jackie." Magna glared at the other who grinned at him.
"What? He's putting a lot on the table for some vampires, for you!" He said looking at me.
"Magna isn't worth losing a title over." He told me with a shrug.

I frowned at him.
"That's not for you to decide." I said bitterly as the others eyes grew wide.
Magna smirked softly at the other.
"I guess he told you." He told him before looking down at me.

"I told you not to be a stray and you're doing the total opposite." He told me.
I looked up at him.
"I get to choose how I live my life without relying on a script, will you let me learn about you?" I asked him.
Magna studied me for a minute before he smirked softly.
"Sure, clumsy wolf, if I can learn about you." He told me.
I blinked.
"You want to learn about me?"
He nodded with a soft smirk on his face.
"I do, I think it's only fair if I let you learn about me, I get to learn about you." He said.

I stared for a minute before looking to Monty who shrugged.
"I have to agree, you can't be greedy without expecting them to want something in return." He told me.
I frowned but nodded looking at Magna.
"Then that's fair, we'll learn about each other." I agreed.

Magna smirked looking at the two of us.
"Well if you have no plans and want to keep up this rebellious act, we're throwing a small party tonight." He looked at me.
"So if you and your body guard want to come..?" He suggested.
Monty glanced to me before his eyes fell on Magna.
"What time?" He asked.

Magna looked at him.
"Ten." He told the other.
Monty made a face.
"That may be a bit harder for us." He frowned looking at me then at Magna.
"But I'll try to pull some strings." He told him.
Magna was looking at me before he smirked softly.
"Sure." He took my phone from my back pocket and typed something into it.
"Here's my number and my address, that's where the party will be. Maybe I'll see you there." He said walking away from the two of us.

"Maybe dad really was wrong about every vampire being bad." Monty commented walking with me down the street back in Crossroads as I glanced to him.
"You're starting to see it?"
Monty frowned as he bit his thumbnail.
"I am, and if there are others like your crush then I don't see why we can't try to coexist, I didn't sense any kind of threatening aura with any of them. The only thing I did sense was how interested Magna seemed to be with you." He said as I felt my cheeks growing warm.

"We can't say anything to our family, Monty if we do-"
"I know, that's why we're going to stay quiet about the party when we sneak out tonight." He told me.
My eyes grew wide.
"We're sneaking out?"
Monty smirked.
"I told you didn't I? Things are getting boring here lately and those vampires may be the thing I need for some kind of excitement." He told me.

I bit my lip nodding as we walked back home.

When the night fell and everyone was in their own rooms for the night.
I stood in my room dressed up while messing with my hair.
I waited for Monty's cue which completely surprised me when he knocked on my bedroom window.
I guess I was glad we didn't live in a three story house and sneaking out wasn't going to be as complicated.

I opened the window as he motioned for me to be quiet.
I nodded, grabbed my jacket and crawled out of the window, it was such a rush as he took my hand and ran us down the street.
We kept trying to laugh but would shush each other in the process of the adrenaline coursing through our veins.

We walked into Cross Fade and just as I was about to question where Magna's house was.
The sound of music stopped me and this two story house was lit up with people in the yard and outside of the house.
But they weren't people.
They were vampires.
Monty grabbed my hand as we cautiously approached the house, ignoring the fact there were eyes locked on us.

"Whoa ho, you two seem to be lost." We stopped and turned to this brunet with brown eyes, he wore a dark red shirt and gray jeans while holding a cup of something dark.
"Dogs aren't allowed here." He told us.

"Stop being rude!" This girl stormed up with brown hair done in curls and bright blue eyes, she wore a light pink dress with black heels.

"But Emmy, they're-"
"I don't care, this is Magna's house and they were on the list." She glared at the other brunet before her eyes fell on us and they softened.

"Ignore this one, his filter goes off when he's had a bit too much to drink." She said in distaste motioning for us to follow her into the house.
I looked around feeling a bit more shy now.
"So your friends of Magna, huh?" She questioned as I looked to Monty who was looking everywhere else.
"Kind of, I-I mean we met at a pond last night." I told her.

I think her name was Emmy as she stopped and looked at me.
"A day of knowing the guy and he's already inviting you to his parties?" She grinned.
"Talk about winning his interest and to top it off, you're an adorable omega." She looked around now.
I frowned at her.
"Vampires can tell what we are?"
Emmy nodded.
"We can, sure wolves can sense when a vampire is nearby, but vampires can sense more than that. Like your brother there, he's a beta right?" She asked catching Monty's attention.

"I am." He agreed.
Emmy smiled with a nod.
"I'm guessing you only came to keep this one company, beta's can't feel real attraction towards anyone or anything, doesn't that get lonely?" She asked.

Monty frowned at her.
"I don't know, our sister is mated to a beta and she's an omega-"
"So how will they have kids or is that not something they have planned?" She questioned looking around.
Monty was doing the same before frowning at the other.
"They can adopt, that's still optional for omega and beta relationships." 
"But there's no romantic feelings towards each other, so how do you act like.. a couple?" Emmy asked him.
She really had no problem asking people things she just met.

Monty rubbed the side of his neck.
"I.. I don't know, look we're here to see Magna, or at least my brother is. Where is he?" He asked her now changing the subject.
Emmy blinked before her eyes fell on the bar inside of the house.
"Over there." She pointed.
"Sorry if I overstepped, its a bad habit of mine." She apologized and that seemed to throw Monty off who now seemed more upset from his tone.

"It's okay to be curious." I told her.
"That's why I want to see Magna more, we both agreed to learn about each other." I told her.
Emmy blinked before she smiled softly.
"That's adorable."

"That's what I said." We turned to who I think was Magna's friend Jackie, who had his hand wrapped around another guy's waist.

Emmy smiled at him.
"Uh huh, well help yourselves to whatever you want, I'm Emmy Lynn." She told us.
I blinked but smiled at her.
"I'm Moxie and this is my brother, Monty Ellison." I introduced ourselves to her as her blue eyes slightly widened.
"Oh.. the celebrities." She smiled.
"I look forward to seeing you more, have fun." She said walking away from us.

Just as I went to turn to head Magna's way.
I stopped to find him already in front of me, holding two glasses as he smiled softly at me.

"Hi, Moxie." He greeted me.
I felt my face growing warm as I smiled softly at the other.

"Hi, Magna."