Filed to story: Rylee the Orphan Luna Novel
“Svetlana?” I looked at Wyatt, who seemed as if he was going to bite my head off. Thank goodness for Richard, who was keeping me shielded.
“J?” The Jade Wolf’s mate looked to her for answers as well. She just shrugged her shoulders and appeared to be as lost as I was.
“Are you both saying that there is NOTHING here!?” the Gamma of Blue Lake shouted at us. I looked at the Jade Wolf, and she at me. We both shook our heads.
“Svetlana, there’s no dark magic here at all?” Lanie asked me. I shook my head. I was stunned and at a loss for words. If Morgan had cast an illusion spell on the area, I would have sensed it. And yet, there was nothing here. None whatsoever. “WHERE THE f**k IS MY MATE!?!” .
***Wyatt’s P.O.V.***
After the way things have played out recently, coming to Halfmoon to try and find Rylee first, only to be met with absolutely nothing, felt like someone rubbing salt into the wound. I was starting to lose all hope and about to go ballistic. My patience had all but disappeared already, and I was beginning to regret not letting Rylee kill everyone a few months ago. Had I just allowed her to, then none of this would be happening. It was no longer a secret that I made everything too personal when it came to Rylee and her powers. I was starting to understand why every time we went one step forward, we ended up going ten steps back. Now here we were, standing in an empty field, for no reason whatsoever than to figure our next course of action. “Wyatt, I think we should head over to Silver Lake and save the hostages,” Chad suggested.
“We’re not going anywhere until we figure out where the f**k Rylee is!” I fired back.
“But Wyatt, she’s not here. I’m sorry, we were wrong, but she’s alive at the very least. You would know if she weren’t,” Lanie said with remorse.
“You being wrong is the understatement of the century, Lanie!” I snapped at her. Chad immediately got in my face and snarled at me. I snarled right back. I was not in the mood for measuring d***s, and I sure as hell was not in the mood to deal with incompetence. “Okay, you two, that is enough!” Richard said and pushed us apart. We don’t have time for petty arguments between the two of you. Chad, I get that you’re feeling protective of Lanie, but you need to put yourself in Wyatt’s shoes. And Wyatt, you need to get a hold of yourself and your anger. Snapping at everyone is not going to help us proceed any faster.” I was about to respond when I noticed Jason staring off into space.
“Jason, what the f**k are you doing?” I asked him. He didn’t look at me but c****d his head to the side instead. “Jace!” I called out to him. Without saying anything, he signaled with his hand for me to go over, so I did. When I stood next to him, I looked at his face and saw him furrowing his brows and staring out. I followed his line of sight and saw what he saw. “What is that?”
“If I’m not mistaken, that looks like smoke coming from a chimney,” he replied. I sensed Chad and Richard as they came up next to us.
“Hm, I don’t recall any civilization being in that area,” Richard commented. I glanced at Chad, and he at me.
“Worth a shot?” he asked. I nodded my head.
“Jace, stay here and keep an eye out. Chad, Richard, Svetlana, J, and I will go check it out.”
“Sure thing, Wyatt.” Jace turned around and ordered everyone to fan out and stay hidden just in case. Chad gave the same order to Brent and made sure that Lanie and Lexie stayed behind for now. The rest of us linked up with Svetlana, and she transported us about 100 yards away from where we saw the smoke. Sure enough, I could see a dim light through the trees.
“Morgan,” was all I heard. I turned to Svetlana and saw her lip twitching. “That’s her shack.”
“We’re not that far away from where Halfmoon used to be. Why wouldn’t you sense it?” I asked her.
“Because. There was no magic in that area, and believe it or not, there’s no dark magic coming from the shack.”
“Then how do you know it’s Morgan’s?” Chad asked.
“Because I can see her.” We all snapped our heads towards the cabin and saw someone in the window.
“Is that her?” I asked, and Svetlana nodded her head.
“She’s… young,” Richard commented.
“That’s because she is, and she’s stupid. She thinks that hiding out in the middle of nowhere would keep her safe. That’s why there’s no magic protecting the shack. And it appears that she’s not alone.” I looked up again and saw Morgan standing next to someone that looked to be in a trance.
“Ash.”
“What happened to him?” Chad asked. “I never met the guy, but I don’t think he’s supposed to look like that.”
“He’s under a spell, and he is dying,” Svetlana replied. I gaped at her in shock.
“What do you mean he’s dying?” I repeated.
“He sold his soul to Morgan. That’s why she’s helping him. I told you, Wyatt, dark witches always have a price.”
“You told me that she was helping them because Eric saved her life.”
“No, I said she was helping Eric because he saved her life. I never said that she was helping Ash for that same price. Dark witches are conniving, and they always cash in their fares. For Eric, it was him saving her life. For Ash, it was his soul. It appears that whatever spells and potions she’s been using to keep Rylee hidden is taking a toll on Ash.”
“Are you saying that there’s no reason to kill him?” Chad asked.
“Oh no, Wyatt should still kill him, or if we can find Rylee, then she should kill him; however, that won’t kill Morgan. But, if someone kills Morgan, which I’m hoping that it’s me, Ash goes with her.”
“Just like Layla would have if you were actually killed by Alessandro,” I stated, and she nodded her head. “He did exactly what Layla did. He sold his soul to Morgan so she would help him get Rylee.” “That seems to be the case,” Svetlana answered.
“I can sense her.” We all looked at J, whose eyes had suddenly started to glow, but very dimly. “I can sense, Rylee. She’s in that shack.” “Are you positive?!”
“Yes, but her signal, it’s weak.”
“Do you think she’s injured?” I asked. “Wait, that wouldn’t make sense. Rylee heals five times faster than a normal wolf.”
“No, it’s not as if she’s weakened or injured. It almost feels… small?” I said and looked at me with a confused expression.
“I mean, Rylee is on the petite side, but I don’t think that would entail her powers being small,” I replied, just as baffled as she was.
“That’s because she is small,” Svetlana interjected.
“Come again?”
“I know what Morgan is up to. That sniveling little weasel. How had I not guessed it before? Ugh! She is using one of the oldest spells in the book of dark craft. So old, in fact, that experienced dark witches don’t even use it anymore.” “What is it?” Chad asked.
“Shrinking.”
