River Cast: Part Two in the Tale of Lunarmorte

by Samantha Young

  Oh crap, this was even worse than she thought.

  “Maybe.” She managed through clenched teeth.

  “Does that happen a lot, when you get angry? Can you not control it?”

  How to explain something this weird?

  “It just happened with Ethan and the tree. And once with a female from my pack. It’s like a white heat that just explodes out of me. But I think I’m beginning to control it. With Alexa, the girl from my pack, I just blew her across the room because I would never hurt a member of my pack intentionally. With Ethan… he was going to kill Lucien, and I knew he was evil so I guess it made whatever it is stronger. Marion thinks that it’s something to do with my water element. The tree... well my focus was on it when I let myself get mad enough about the Rose situation.”

  He nodded. “So you don’t think it’s a problem?”

  “No. I was going to talk to you about it, but I think I’m getting a handle on it now.”

  He appeared uncertain, as if he had more questions he wanted to ask. Instead he settled back to ask why she had blown Alexa across the room. Soon she was telling him all about the pack.

  “They sound great.” He grinned. “I wish I could meet them.”

  “Maybe you will.”

  “Jaeden sounds like a riot.”

  A feeling of melancholy swept over her. She wondered how Jaeden was, and if Ryder had managed to get her back to the pack safely.

  “She was.”

  “Don’t you mean is? She sounds tough, Caia. She’ll be alright.”

  “I hope so. What she went through was unbelievable.”

  Mordecai shuddered, his face twisted in sympathy. “What did he actually do to her?”

  She shook her head. That was nobody’s business but Jaeden’s, and no matter how much she liked Mordecai, she wasn’t going to give him the sordid details.

  “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  He snapped back in his seat looking abashed. “Oh, of course. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “I know.” She smiled kindly.

  He sighed and stood up. “You look exhausted. I’m going to leave and let you get some sleep so that you’re prepared for the training tomorrow.”

  Yeah, like she was going to sleep with Lucien, Rose and Laila rattling around in her mind.

  And then there was Vilhem.

  Don’t forget Vilhem.

  Because first chance she got, she was going to find that young magik and see how he felt about Laila’s imprisonment.

  12 - Homecoming

  “He knows you’re OK, better than OK, actually, so why isn’t he high tailing it back to the city? I thought he was your little gang’s leader?”

  He waited for her answer as they passed the sign welcoming them into town. Ryder was P-O’d big time. Not only had he had to sit through breakfast with that chump, Reuben, whilst he ooohed and aahhed over Jae, the idiot couldn’t take a hint, and had travelled behind them all day, stayed at the same hotel, and took a room next to theirs. Ryder flexed his hand on the wheel. That was when things had started to get really irritating. Reuben wasn’t happy that Jae was sharing a room with Ryder, and had gotten even more unhappy when Ryder had politely (well, maybe not politely) told him that Jae was going to be his mate. Jaeden explained the situation, assuring Reuben that this was what she wanted. Hearing her say that had gone a long way to smoothing Ryder’s ruffled fur.

  His calm disposition lasted all of five seconds.

  Reuben had insisted on staying the night in their room so he and Jae could talk and reminisce. Come morning, the vamp had decided he wanted to come back with them to visit the pack. Ryder still didn’t get why.

  “Stop being condescending,” Jaeden muttered, her head turned away from him as she gazed out of the passenger window of his truck.

  “I’m not.”

  “Yeah, you are. Why are you so jealous? You know, if I wanted to be with Reuben I would have done it back when we were in our ‘little gang’ together.”

  “I’m not jealous. I just don’t get why the guy is still hanging around. Why he wants to meet your family.”

  When he was met with silence he threw her a longer glance before turning his attention back to the road. She was tense as Hades, her entire body stiff, her jaw clenched. Concern -choking, unfamiliar concern - hit him with hard impact.

  “Jaeden, are you OK?” This was what Lucien was always going on about with Caia. This overwhelming protectiveness that you knew was irrational, and yet was too powerful to control. Having always known when to stop pushing someone when they didn’t want to talk, it was unpleasant to realise that with Jaeden he no longer had the option of politely backing off. He had to know what was going on with her. His grip tightened on the wheel again.

  “Jae...” he warned, his lykan entering his voice.

  She huffed beside him, but the noise immediately relaxed him. That huff usually signified that she was ready to talk.

  “I’m nervous, OK. No, not nervous.” She sighed heavily. “Nervous doesn’t cover it. I haven’t seen my family in months and I’m a five minute drive from them. Reuben is hanging around because he knows about the telekinesis; he knows how worried I am about it... all of it.”

  That annoying possessiveness surged up inside of him. “Yeah, well I know, too. I get it. But I also know something neither of you seem to grasp. The pack - your family - will accept you, no matter what.”

  Jae snorted. “Like they accepted Caia?”

  Ryder sighed. It was true that some of the pack was still unsure of the half-lykan, but for the majority she was a welcome addition to their pack.

  “That’s different and you know it. Caia was a near stranger to us, but you’ve always been here.” He chuckled. “And let’s not forget you were quite the favourite little brat of your generation.”

  “Huh, that’s not true. I was never a brat.”

  Ryder started to slow his truck as he turned down on to Dimitri’s street. He felt, more than heard, Jaeden’s intake of breath.

  He glanced briefly in his rear view mirror, a sneer curling his top lip. “Vamp boy is right behind us. What, is he intending on being there for this family reunion?”

  “Actually, yes.”

  His heart slammed in his chest. “Why?”

  “Because he’s my friend, and I’m sure my parents would like to meet the person who has been there for me these last few months.”

  “Well, I’m sure Dimitri’s gonna want to tear the face off the vamp that nearly got you thrown into a Daylight detention centre for breaking Coven laws.”

  They pulled to a stop outside the two storey house that belonged to Jaeden and her parents, parking right behind her brother, Christian’s, Volvo. Ryder glanced from the clear view he had of Reuben in his wing mirror, taking a parking space a little further up the street, to Jaeden, who had gone as pale as a white moon.

  “I never thought of that.” Her eyes widened in panic. “Oh goddess, what if he kills Reuben?”

  “Would that really be so bad?”

  That earned him a wince-inducing punch to his upper arm. “Ryder!”

  He huffed, unclipping his seat belt. “Fine, if it’s that important to you that the vamp lives I will intervene in the instance of attempted murder.”

  “Uh, you will intervene in the instance of attempted assault or I will break the news quite bluntly to my father about our little situation.”

  Not many people on this planet had the ability to intimidate or frighten him.

  Dimitri?

  Definitely one of the few.

  Little, ruthless, blackmailing wench.

  He clenched his teeth in irritation. “Fine.”

  At her grateful smile, he rolled his eyes, ignoring the little flip his stomach gave when she looked at him like that. Instead he got out of the truck and made his way around to the passenger door, all of his senses alerting him to Reuben’s cautious approach. She made a face at him as he took her hand, believing he was making a point to Reuben, bu
t in truth he just wanted to comfort her.

  He could actually smell the fear oozing from her pores.

  He squeezed her hand and managed to give Reuben a nonchalant nod in greeting.

  “Ready?” Reuben rubbed her shoulder affectionately, setting Ryder’s teeth on edge.

  The nod she gave them wasn’t exactly confident but Ryder tugged her forward anyway. She had nothing to worry about. He just wished she’d realise that.

  They hadn’t even stepped up on to the path that led off Dimitri’s driveway to the house, when the front door blasted open, and Julia came running out to throw herself into her daughter’s arms, snapping Ryder’s hand out of hers. He felt an unexpected pain in his chest at the way the fear melted from Jae’s face, replaced by silent tears as her mother held her fast and sobbed in her ear.

  A click sounded in his head as everything fell into its natural place.

  Jaeden was home.

  ***

  Her heart was banging loudly against her chest, and she knew that not only could everyone around her hear it, but her mother must feel it slamming against her own as she hugged her close. Jae inhaled Julia’s damp earth and peaches scent that flooded her brain with warm memories.

  It hurt to remember how loved she was.

  How could she have ever thought it was for the best to leave them?

  “Mom,” she whimpered, nuzzling her nose into her mother’s shoulder.

  “Sweetheart, sweetheart,” Julia gurgled happily between sobs.

  And then another scent flooded her senses as solid arms came around both herself and her mother.

  “Daddy,” she gasped, and peered up at him from her crushed position.

  His dark eyes shone down at her from his rugged face as he pulled her close, and that ache in her chest sharpened as she saw how much those eyes and that face had aged since she had gone.

  She had done that to him.

  Julia sidled out from their embrace to allow Dimitri to envelope her, and she held on to his huge frame like a little girl.

  “I’m sorry dad,” she whispered, choking on all the emotion inside of her.

  “It’s OK,” he promised, brushing her hair back from her face, his eyes drinking in every feature, assessing her to make sure she was all in one piece.

  Finally he tore himself from her to gaze over her head at someone.

  “Thank you.”

  Ryder.

  She winced at the reminder. She had no idea how her dad was going to react to that little piece of news.

  “No thanks necessary.”

  “Well, let’s all go inside where your brother, Lucia, and your niece are all waiting for you. Maybe once inside you can explain the vampyre… and that guilty look in Ryder’s eyes.”

  Uuuggggh, she groaned inwardly. Her dad had always seen too much.

  Everyone was just staring at her. No questions, no prodding... just... staring.

  It was extremely disconcerting.

  It was good to see her brother and Lucia again. Good to hold Jaela’s warm little body to her own and inhale damp earth and baby lotion. Christian had frowned at her even as he hugged her tight, but Lucia and Jaela had welcomed her home with broad grins and lots of bubbling happiness. She had always gotten on well with her sister-in-law who had been born to a different pack. When she married Christian, Lucia’s sister Cera and her husband Michel had decided to move into Pack Errante with her. Dimitri had requested the inclusion from Lucien, who of course said yes, respecting Dimitri’s judgement and wishes. After losing Michel to a gun-toting mugger, Cera and her children had become a huge part of their family and a protected member of the pack. Julia, Jae, Lucia and Cera were especially close.

  Somehow she had forgotten that.

  “Where’s Cera?” Jae asked, lowering a now wriggling Jaela to the ground.

  Lucia picked her daughter up and strode over to place her in her playpen. “She wanted to be here, but she has the kids and well...”

  “We thought there might be a discussion that wasn’t... well... suitable for young ears,” Christian finished, still staring at her with his eyebrows pulled together. She might have known he would be the one to not let any of this go.

  Not that she had been expecting to get off easy.

  “I’ll visit Cera in the morning.”

  Julia smiled softly. “She would like that.”

  All of them stood on the opposite side of the room, except for Reuben, who stood close by her shoulder. Ryder wasn’t exactly opposite, but more in the middle, watching her cautiously, worriedly. Never in a million years would she have ever thought he would look at her like that. Heaving a sigh, Jae swung around to gaze at her family, and they all stared back anxiously.

  “You’re staring.”

  “We’re waiting,” her brother snapped.

  “Christian,” Julia clucked.

  “Well-”

  “Christian,” her dad warned, “Give your sister time.”

  Aw jeez. They were waiting for the answers. Why had she run off? Why hadn’t she gotten in contact? Why had she broken Coven law?

  Craning her neck around, she sought Reuben, sought his comfort and his go-ahead that she could explain. After all he was an implicated villain in this story.

  His dark eyes caught onto her blue ones, and for some reason she felt... relaxed, filled with a sudden desire to tell them everything.

  “Dad.” She turned back around with her shoulders braced.

  Just say it. It’s no big deal. Ryder is right.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  The relaxation started to tighten back into anxiety until she felt Reuben’s comforting hand on her shoulder and turned back to look at him. Swimming in his gaze, the mellowness returned, and Jaeden suddenly knew she had to tell them everything. The words began to tumble from her mouth. She didn’t pause once to catch her breath. “I was tortured by Ethan. You know that, and I won’t go into the details because that’s not something you need to hear but whatever happened to me I think part of his powers transferred to my blood because when I got home I was able to move things with my mind and I couldn’t control it and I was scared and I was ashamed so I ran away. I met Reuben who is a rogue vampyre hunter and I joined his gang and helped him but it really helped me deal with a lot of anger and I’ve managed to bring my telekinesis under a kind of control and please don’t blame Reuben for any of this because he has been a very good friend to me.”

  Silence.

  “Jae! Oh pen! Oh pen!” Jaela slapped her ineffectual hands against her playpen walls.

  Lucia blushed at her daughter’s bad timing and rushed over to her. “She wants you to open the pen. Sorry.”

  “Well.” Christian sighed, looking back from his mate and child, to his father and then to Jaeden.“Looks like you had a reason to run off, then. A crap reason, but one none the less.”

  “It wasn’t a crap reason.” Jae bristled.

  Her brother snarled and made a move towards her. “Do you know what this family has been through?! Do you know what you did to us? Or are you really so selfish you can’t process what these last few months have been like for us, not knowing if you were alive or dead!”

  A growl ripped through the room, and before she knew it Ryder had her brother by the shirt front, his teeth bared. “Do you have any idea what she’s been through? No! So back off before I make you.” He pushed Christian away with a disgusted snort.

  Jae watched it all unfold in shock, waiting for her father’s reaction. Instead of getting angry, however, Dimitri merely placed a placating hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “Christian doesn’t mean any harm. He’s just been worried sick about his sister.”

  “Jaeden’s been through hell. I won’t have her attacked.”

  Her dad quirked an eyebrow. “Oh you won’t, will you? And why is that?”

  Julia sighed impatiently. “Boys. Arrggh.” She turned to her daughter, her eyes bright with love. “I think it’s best someone says the right thing.” Her mother strode toward
s her and gripped her by the arms. “I’m sorry you felt you had to go through this alone. But you’re not alone. You’re home now and we are going to help you get through this. We love you. Nothing could ever stop us from loving you.”

  Jaeden felt that ache in her chest implode, the remnants spreading out into a tidal wave of relief.

  “Thank you,” she managed.

  Julia nodded, tears glistening in her eyes, and then turned to gaze kindly at Reuben. “Thank you, Reuben, for being there for her when we couldn’t.”

  “It was my pleasure. You have an extraordinary daughter.”

  Jae blushed at the compliment before looking anxiously towards her father.

  “You’re home now, sweetheart. That’s all that matters.”

  “Thank you, daddy.”

  “Jae.” Christian brushed past Ryder, who still looked ready to pounce on anyone that caused her any harm. “I’m sorry,” he grumbled and then pulled her tight for another hug. “But I swear to Artemis if you ever pull anything like that again I will kick your ass.”

  “Like you could.”

  He laughed weakly and pushed her playfully away.

  “So,” her father’s voice brought all eyes back to him, “Now that’s settled, I want to know what on earth is going on between my daughter and you,” his eyes burned into Ryder, who blanched, throwing Jae a helpless look.

  “Dad...”

  “Because if it’s what I’m thinking it is, I am not going to be happy.” He clamped a hard hand on Ryder’s shoulder and tugged him threateningly close. “Either you’ve done something that’s going to get you killed, or you’re about to do something that’s going to get you killed. I just got her back, Ryder; I’d hate to think you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

  Lucia snorted. “Am I the only one confused?”

  She was met by a chorus of ‘no’s’.

  Julia wandered cautiously back to her mate. “Dimitri, would you care to tell me what’s going on?”

  His gaze was firmly locked on Ryder, and Jaeden began to worry for his safety. “Dad, maybe you could let go of Ryder.”

  “Dimitri, tell me.”