Filed to story: Rylee the Orphan Luna Novel
I took J into an empty bedroom on Maverick’s floor so we could talk in private. Once we were both settled, I took notice of the amount of weight J had finally gained since she came to Golden Moon. Her hair was no longer matted, and her braids were fresh and straight. Her eyes had so much more life in them, and her complexion was back to normal. Or, normal as it could be.
“So, how are you doing?” I asked her.
“I’m doing better. Maverick has been helping me adjust to normal life. The medicine that Dr. Andrews has been giving me helps with my skin and eyes, and regular meals have allowed me to put on weight. I definitely feel better than when I first came here,” she replied. I smiled at her, and she gave me a small smile back.
“It’s been a little over three months now, J, have you considered what you’re going to do about Maverick?”
“No, not yet.”
“J, you can’t keep making him wait. He deserves an answer from you. Are you going to accept the mate bond, or are you going to let him go?”
“I don’t know, Lanie. This is still too much for me. I’m still trying to heal physically. I can’t even think about adding emotions to all of this right now.”
“What does Zahara say?”
“She’s starting to come around. She’ll ask to come out to hang out with Maverick or his wolf, Arkhos.”
“Well, if she’s coming around, then a part of you is too, right?” She gave me a one-shoulder shrug and started to look around the room without saying anything. “J, what’s wrong? You’re not telling me everything.” She pouted her lips and fiddled with her fingers on her lap before sighing and looking at me.
“Lanie, how did you know you were ready to kiss Chad?”
***Wyatt’s
P.O.V.***
I found myself pacing back and forth as I waited for any sign of them. Although it felt good to be back home, my mind kept wandering and my patience had left the building. Why the hell was it taking so long for William to come back with Rylee? All different types of scenarios were starting to run through my head: What if he didn’t get to her in time, and she killed Eric and his family? What if she got there and Eric laid a booby trap that injured her? That wouldn’t make sense, though, because I would have felt it through our bond. One thing that I did feel was her anger and her pain. Her pain was excruciating. I had no idea Rylee was suffering through this much emotional pain.
Hearing what Eric had done to Uncle Mitch was enough to put me over the edge. I wanted to rip his head off, but that was only a mere fraction of what Rylee was feeling. All of this time, even though we knew Eric had staged the challenge to kill Uncle Mitch, we had no idea that he had cheated by using poison. I was really curious to know what kind of poison it might have been.
I needed to keep myself busy while I waited for William and Rylee to come back, so I called Jason and his father to my office. If there was anyone in this pack that I trusted enough to find out what type of poison was used on Mitchell, it would be them. “Yo, you called for us?” Jason asked as he and Felix entered inside.
“Yeah, come in and have a seat. Close the door behind you,” I directed them.
“Uh oh, this doesn’t sound good,” Felix speculated, taking a seat.
“That’s because it’s not. What I am about to tell you both stays in this office until I say otherwise.” They nodded and leaned forward at the same time. I looked at them and shook my head. Like father, like son.
“What’s up?” Jason asked. I took a deep breath before diving into a lengthy explanation of what happened when we had to suddenly take off to Golden Moon. I didn’t spare any details and told them about everything-Lexie and Lanie’s powers, William being the Primordial god, Olivia being from the Kingdom herself and, of course, what Lexie and Lanie had witnessed when they went to the past. By the time I was done, Jason and Felix looked like two deer caught in the headlights.
“Hold the f*****g phone, man! Are you serious right now!? That fucker Eric not only lied about the challenge but poisoned Uncle Mitch at that!?” Jason echoed angrily, making sure he heard me correctly. I just nodded and leaned back in my chair as I let out a sigh. “And Rylee heard all of this?” Felix asked.
“Yup. Her anger got the best of her and even William couldn’t restrain her. She overpowered him and ran out of Golden Moon like a bat out of hell on a mission. William went after her, and that’s when Olivia and I decided to come back.” “Why didn’t you go after her!?” they shouted in unison.
“Seriously!? Have the both of you forgotten how fast her super-speed is!? Jason, you’ve witnessed her speed first-hand!” “Yeah, that’s true. Sorry.”
“I hate that even my bond with her isn’t enough to calm her down. The level of anger I felt from her the moment the girls had told us what happened to Uncle Mitch was something I had never felt before. Even compared to when she was about to kill all of those hunters in the hurricane of fire, or whatever the hell she had created that day. What I felt today was magnified by, at least, a hundred times.”
“Can you blame her, Wyatt? The poor girl was only ten when she lost everything she ever knew in her life and was under the impression that it was done fair and square. Nothing about losing your family is fair, but everyone-and by everyone, I mean everyone- believed that it was done legally. You saw how we reacted to the challenge being a scam, imagine how much it hurt for her to find out the truth. Then, to hear that the man who did it is alive because the Elders had a betrayer, followed by her finding out she has half- sisters that were fathered by the very same man. Now, you’re adding this information to the mix. I’m surprised Rylee didn’t lose her self-control sooner,” Felix argued on her behalf. I knew that he was right. Everything Rylee ever knew about her life and her past has all been one big fat lie. And there was one common denominator in all of this-Eric Patterson.
“What did you need us for? I seriously doubt it was just to tell us how much more f****d up Eric is,” Jason knowingly asked.
“According to the girls, the poison Eric used on Uncle Mitch can kill a full-grown werewolf instantly if it’s injected straight into the heart. It’s deadly enough to kill a werewolf, even with a single drop, within 24 hours,” I told them. The father-son duo both looked simultaneously taken aback and terrified. “I need you guys to reach out to your contacts and see if you can figure out what kind of poison he used.”
“Yeah, sure, we can do that,” Jason responded. Felix nodded, and they both went about their way to obtain the information I requested. Just as they were opening the door to leave my office, Olivia came rushing in frantically. “Whoa! Miss Olivia, where’s the fire!?” Felix asked.
“Pardon my intrusion, but Wyatt, they’re back!” she exclaimed. I bolted out of my seat and ran past them. I practically jumped down the five flights of stairs, and I found William by the front door carrying Rylee, unconscious, in his arms. “What happened!?” I asked him as I looked her over.
“She’s fine. She just passed out from crying so much,” he answered. “I made it to her in time and was able to prevent her from doing anything she might regret. She ended up breaking down and practically cried herself to sleep. Wyatt, she is in a lot of pain, and she’s going to need you when she wakes up.”
“What about you!?” I already knew where this was heading.
“I’ve already told you, and Rylee. Olivia and I have to go. I cannot put it off any longer. Truth be told, I am nothing but a crutch to Rylee. She will be fine without me, and she knows it. She’s just gotten used to me being around for the last couple of years. I will always be with her, just as the moon goddess is always with you.” “William, I don’t-“
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said as he handed her to me. “Wyatt, I wanted to thank you and Kendrick for coming to find me in Italy two years ago. Because of you, I was able to build a bond with the daughter I never got to have. I can only hope that Rylee felt the same about me.”
“Trust me, she does,” I responded. William smiled and placed a firm grip on my shoulders.
“Watch over my legacy.” I nodded my head. “Olivia, come.” She walked over to him and took his hand. “Let’s go home.” She nodded her head as she looked at me. “Wyatt, I’m sorry it has to be this way, and I’m sorry for not telling you the truth sooner. Please give my regards to your family and everyone else.”
“I will. Take care.” William nodded his head once, and they disappeared in a flash. As soon as they were gone, Rylee stirred in my arms. I looked down, and her eyes slowly opened. “Dearest, can you hear me?” I asked her. She tilted her head upward and I saw her chocolate eyes widen a bit. “Wh… Where’s William!?” she asked and jumped out of my arms, which almost made me drop her.
“He’s gone, baby. He and Olivia left just now.” Tears immediately filled her eyes, and she dropped her head as she buried her face in her hands. I could feel her pain all over again, and I pulled her into my arms. She sobbed uncontrollably. Pack members were starting to gather around us, and a lot of them had worried expressions on their faces. Rylee’s emotional distress could be felt by everyone.
“Oh my god, why is she crying!?” Melody asked as she came running down the stairs.
“Not now, Dot. It’s been a hell of a day for us, and she’s just overwhelmed with everything. Can you tell mom to keep Sam for the night?”
“Yeah, of course,” she answered and looked at Rylee sympathetically. I picked her up bridal style and took her to our room to see what I could do to help her through this. ***William’s P.O.V.***
When Olivia and I landed at the base of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, I was slightly confused. I looked at her and all she did was nod. “Are we at the entrance?” I asked her.
“Yes, this is the most recent portal that I am aware of,” she answered.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?