by Amanda Carol
I turn to look at Hunter, who is also grinning.
“Well,” Hunter drawls. “What are you guys waiting for? Light this bitch up!”
I laugh as I look over at Zayne. “You ready, fire-starter?”
“Fuck yeah, I am. Let’s light this bitch up, girl!” Zayne shouts and he and I turn to the pit.
At the same time, he and I conjure the fire element and let it go into the pit, creating a massive fire, and the crowd erupts into cheers.
“That was so fucking cool,” Zach comments, staring at the flames.
“Ahh, I love it when he lights bitches up,” Bennett says.
Haylee coughs.
“What?” he protests. “I don’t mean actual bitches. I mean…I’m just going to shut up now.”
“Good idea,” Haylee chuckles, making a fist.
Zayne looks curiously Zach. “Dude, it’s just fire. Do they not have fire back in Maryland?”
“Oh, we do, but this is coming from something other than Haylee,” Kyler jokes.
Both Dani and Haylee narrow their eyes at him.
“You know what, even I can’t be mad at that,” Haylee laughs, but I can see the sadness in her eyes.
I wonder if it bothers her that she can’t cook, especially now that she’s having a baby.
“All right, big brother, how about we play something?” I say, taking Declan’s cup out of his hand and downing its contents to draw attention away from Haylee.
“It’s not like I was thirsty or anything,” Declan mumbles when I hand the empty cup back to him.
“You’re not the one singing,” I remind him.
He rolls his eyes.
I give Haylee a small smile, and she returns it before I lean down to whisper the perfect song in my brother’s ear. I use the link to tell Hunter and he smiles.
“That’s perfect, baby,” Hunter takes a seat on the log next to Declan, and I sit next to Hunter.
Then my brother starts the tune of “Hurricane” by Band of Heathens. The crowd grows silent as everyone stops talking and turns to watch. I start singing the lyrics, looking around the fire at all our friends gathered around one place.
We may have been successful in defeating Ares today, but Isabella is not someone you can let your guard down with. She’s always been one, if not several, steps ahead of us. But as I’m looking around, for the first time, I feel confident in us.
Declan is in his element playing the solo, and Abby grabs my hands and lifts me to my feet, like she always does. It’s at the part where the song goes a cappella for a moment, and when it does, the whole crowd sings along with me.
When the song is over, Declan looks directly at me and smirks. “Hey little sister, want to kick it way back and sing one of Dad’s favorites?”
Then he starts to strum “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals.
I look over at Hunter; he’s looking at me intently. I feel the tug and I open the link.
You good? he asks.
Yes. I smile and blow him a kiss, then start singing again.
This time last year, I was just a shell of the girl I used to be. I stopped painting, I stopped singing, I stopped doing all the things that made me…me. In other words, I stopped living, but how can you not live in a city like New Orleans? This is where I found myself again. And yeah, it does still hurt to think about my parents, and I do still miss them. But I’m not afraid to live anymore.
After we finish the song, Declan and Hunter take a break and set up a speaker to still have music playing. I glance over at Abby, who is standing close to the shadows alone. She looks sad, and I see her looking over at Zayne, who is with Tessa and his little nephew Micah.
I make my way through the crowd and to my best friend. “Hey, Abs. Are you okay?”
She sighs. “Yeah.”
I shoot her a look. “No, you’re not.”
She takes a hefty sip of her drink. “You’re right. I’m not okay.”
“What did Zayne do? Do I have to kick his ass? Because I can, you know.” I nudge her shoulder, and she laughs softly.
“No, Zayne is great. He’s been so amazing, actually. It’s just…I miss my mom.” Abby sniffles and I pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t—”
“No, Abs. It’s okay to miss her. She’s your mom, and I know she only did what she did to protect you. Declan and I can’t blame her for that,” I soothe her as she cries into my shoulder, and I mean the words.
Luna only did what she did to protect Abby. I’ve seen firsthand how ruthless Isabella can be. If she threatened Abby, and Luna hadn’t done what she was told, then I probably wouldn’t be standing here holding my best friend.
I feel the familiar tug and open the link.
Baby, we’ve got company.
Who is it? I reply, my body going tense.
Luna, Hunter tells me just as Abby’s phone pings with a text message.
My eyes lock with Abby’s. She pulls her phone from her back pocket, and her tear-filled eyes glance down at her phone, then back up at me.
“It-it’s my mom,” she whispers. “She’s here.”
Aria, she wants to see Abby. Kai says she’s claiming she has news, and she needed to tell Abby in person, Hunter says through the link.
I look over at him. Kai and Jasper had volunteered to keep watch around the Compound, and some of the other wolves were going to switch off throughout the night.
“Aria, what should I do?” Abby’s voice cracks.
I pull my eyes away from Hunter and look at my best friend. Her silver eyes search mine, as if I hold all the answers. Luna knows that her presence here isn’t wanted, so I don’t think she would come if it wasn’t important. Coming to a decision, I grab her hand and give it a squeeze.
“Let’s go talk to her,” I say.
She nods.
I walk us out of the crowd, but I open the link to Hunter.
Tell Zayne to follow us, but I need you to stay here with my brother. I don’t think Luna is here to cause trouble. We haven’t heard from her in weeks. We owe it to Abby to let her speak with her mother, I tell him.
I’m coming with you; I’m not letting you go there alone, Hunter replies.
No, stay with Declan. I need you with him. Hold on, I have an idea.
I cut off and open the link to another wolf shifter. The closer we get to the driveway leading out of the Compound the tighter Abby’s hand squeezes mine.
Hey, Caleb, I need you to grab Oliver and Clyde and follow me and Abby, I command.
Yes ma’am, Caleb says back.
I shut him off. I can see him moving quickly through the crowd, getting Oliver and Clyde.
I open the link back to Hunter. Caleb, Clyde, and Oliver will be with me. You stay here and keep an eye on my brother and everyone else. We can’t let anything happen to our friends.
He’s quiet for a moment.
Okay, you’re right. Just please be careful, he finally says.
I will, I reply and shut the link off.
“Hey, wait up!” Zayne shouts, jogging over with Caleb, Clyde, and Oliver.
“What’s going on?” Oliver asks when they catch up.
“Abby’s mom is here; she wants to speak with her, and we don’t know why,” I explain.
Hunter and I have already told the other Alphas everything that went down since the moment Declan and I got into town. My eyes meet Zayne’s, and he nods, taking Abby’s other hand and giving her all our strength as we make our way down the driveway to Luna.
Luna is leaning against the hood of her car, with Jasper and Kai standing in front of it. When she glances up, I can tell she’s seen better days. Her face is pale, and she seems to have lost weight. Her eyes are red and puffy, like she’s been crying. The light from her headlights makes her look worse.
“Abby, my sweet girl,” she finally says and goes to take a step forward.
On instinct, Zayne and I step in front of Abby to protect her, even though she’s stronger than the both of us. Th
e shifters move to stand in front us, all staying in human form for now.
“I promise I’m not here to cause trouble. Please, I just need to talk to her. As soon as I deliver the news, I will leave, but please, let me tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Abby shouts, probably a little harsher than she intended.
I give her hand another reassuring squeeze.
“Can I please speak to my daughter in private?” Luna asks, lifting her chin.
“No. Anything you have to say, you can say in front of them,” Abby tells her, standing a little taller.
Luna nods.
“Very well, then. Abby—” Her voice cracks with unshed tears.
All of a sudden, my entire body fills with dread. I’ve seen that look before. It’s the same look the police officers were wearing when they broke the news about our parents’ death to me and Declan. My breath hitches in my lungs and I feel like I’m going to suffocate, but I pull myself together, because once Luna gets those words out…my best friend is going to break.
“Baby girl, I went home, back to Maryland, to check on Henry,” Luna starts, but pauses to gather herself. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry…”
I shut my eyes, feeling a tear slip down my cheek.
“He’s gone,” Luna finally says.
I reopen my eyes to see her taking a step forward. The guys block her path, but I open the link to each of them, telling them to let her through.
Abby exhales sharply. “What do you mean, he’s gone? Is he away on a business trip?”
Luna shakes her head.
“What then? Where is he? Where is Dad?” Abby starts shaking as the reality of the situation starts to set in. She lets go of our hands and takes a step back, then another, then another. “No. You’re lying. D-dad is fine. H-he’s fine. He just forgot to leave a note. That’s all.”
Luna shakes her head. “No, baby girl.”
“No,” Abby whispers, looking down at the ground, with tears streaming down her face, then she looks back up at her mom. “No! He’s okay. You’ll see.”
I start to feel tears streaming down my cheeks as I watch my best friend pull her phone out of her pocket. She hits a few buttons and puts it up to her ear.
Zayne steps up to her.
“Babe,” he whispers, but she pushes him away.
“Dad, where are you? It’s your Abby-Tabby. Mom says you’re gone, but you know how she can get. Can you please call me back?” Abby pleads to his voicemail.
She glances up at Luna, then when her eyes flick to mine, it finally hits her.
Her face pales, and her mouth drops open.
“Daddy?” she whispers, then covers her mouth, dropping her cell phone on the ground.
Luna steps up closer to her and I glance around at the wolves. They look at me, then to each other, then they slowly step away, giving us some space.
“What happened?” Abby asks.
“Abby, that isn’t –” Luna starts.
“Tell me what happened!” Abby commands, her bottom lip trembling.
When Luna doesn’t answer, Abby pushes her.
“What happened?”
Luna remains silent, and Abby shoves her, letting out a soft scream. I cover my hand over my mouth to hold back a sob for my best friend.
Abby punches her mom’s chest. “Why. Won't. You. Tell. Me?!”
She screams as the pain rips through her. She punches, pushes, and claws at her mom until Luna wraps her arms around Abby’s to keep her from lashing out even more.
They both fall to the ground.
“No!” Abby screams.
She’s violently sobbing in her mom’s arms, expressing all of the emotions that I felt when I found out that both my parents were dead. I suck in a shaky breath, make my way over to her, and kneel down in front of her.
“I’ve got you, Abs,” I say.
Abby breaks free from her mom and tosses her arms around my neck. I hold onto her tightly.
“Shh,” I coo.
I refuse to tell her that it’s okay. It’s not okay. This whole situation is fucked up and not okay. Losing someone you love is never okay, no matter if it’s in death or by choice. Abby won’t be fine for a while.
Zayne comes over and places a hand on her back, rubbing circles on it.
“Babe?” he whispers.
She pulls back from me and looks at him. His hazel eyes soften when he sees her face.
“Take me home, please,” Abby’s voice is barely above a whisper.
Zayne doesn’t hesitate; he scoops her up in his arms and begins walking back to the Compound.
“Caleb, Oliver, follow them. Make sure they get to their door okay,” I command.
They nod, shifting into their wolves and running off after them.
I turn my attention back to Luna. “What happened?”
She sniffles. “He was already dead by the time I got there. His body was dumped, and it looked like he’d been dead for weeks. Isabella killed him.”
My breath hitches. “How do you know it was Isabella?”
The second the words leave my lips, I immediately know the answer.
“Because I betrayed her, or she killed him for the fun of it? I honestly don’t know. Isabella has no humanity left in her, Aria. She has no remorse. She will do whatever it takes to release the Titans, and she will stop at nothing to get your brother’s blood. If you think you’ve won, then you’ve already lost,” Luna explains, wiping her eyes. “Anyway, thank you for letting me see my daughter one last time. Just please make sure she’s okay.”
“I will,” I reply.
I watch her get in her car and slowly back out of the driveway and onto the main road. When I look into the woods, I see Jasper and Kai looking on in wolf form.
“Thanks, guys. I’ll get someone to relieve you soon,” I tell them.
They nod and run off into the woods.
I glance over at Clyde; he looks at me intently, then shifts into his wolf. I watch as he runs off into the woods after Jasper and Kai. I wipe my face and inhale sharply, trying to calm myself so I can walk back and not raise any alarms, though I’m sure people might have seen Zayne carrying Abby and the two wolves escorting them across the Compound.
Sucking in a calming breath, I slowly make my way back over to the bonfire. It looks like most people dispersed back to their cabins, and the only ones left are some of the other Alphas and our friends. I stop walking the moment I see my brother pacing around and everyone trying to calm him down. But the second his eyes connect with mine, tears start freely flowing down my cheeks again. He pushes past Hunter and comes straight to me, pulling me into one of his bear hugs.
He cradles my head as I wrap my arms around his neck. “It was Abby’s dad—”
“Shh. It’s okay. I know. Hunter told us.” Declan whispers.
I guess one of the others told him already using the link.
He doesn’t say anything more; he just holds me, just like he did all those years ago. Losing someone is just a painful reminder that life is precious, but also very short. I shut my eyes and hold onto my brother for dear life, reminding myself that he’s here, that he will always be here.
“I miss Mom and Dad,” I whisper in his ear.
I can hear him let out a breath, and he hugs me tighter.
“Me too, little sis,” he whispers back.
He pulls back, and I wipe my eyes, watching him reach in his back pocket. He pulls out a tiny box and opens it, pulling out the moon amulet that our mother gave me.
“Call it a hunch, but I had a feeling you’d be wanting this back.”
I chuckle. “And you just happen to be carrying it in your pocket all the time?”
He shoots me a look. “You’re hilarious. But no. I had a vision of this moment, and something told me to bring it tonight.”
He unclasps the hook and I turn, gathering my hair and pulling it off to the side. Declan brings the necklace around and clasps it behind my neck. I reach up and touch the pendant.
“Luna may have done some bad things, but she did uncharm our amulets. I promise, they’re safe to wear.”
“I believe you,” I whisper.
Then I look past my brother and see Hunter looking at me. I give Declan a small smile as I step aside and make my way over to him. He grabs my waist and gives me a soft kiss on my lips, then on my cheek as he pulls me into an embrace.
I’m proud of you, Hunter tells me through our link.
I love you, I reply, hugging him tighter and inhaling his scent of cedarwood and ocean.
“Are you okay?” he asks out loud as he pulls back, concern written over his handsome features.
“I’m okay, but I need to go to Abby,” I tell him.
He nods. Then I glance around, seeing that Grace, Kat, Ciera, Dani, and Haylee are all still here, and I get an idea.
“Abby lost her father, and she needs us. All of us.” I glance at all the girls. “Any of you ladies want to have a sleepover with her tonight?”
“Absolutely,” Grace nods.
“Of course.” Kat smiles, looking at Gunner. “Are you going to be all right by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine, Kat. Go be with your friend.” Gunner gives her a warm smile.
“Count me in,” Ciera says as Declan kisses the top of her head.
“You can count us in as well.” Dani holds up her and Haylee’s hands.
“Yeah, your friends are our friends too,” Haylee adds.
I smile. “Thanks. Meet me at Hunter and I’s cabin and we will all go over together.”
Everyone nods and heads off in the direction of their cabins, except Dani and Kyler.
“We’re staying with them, so…” Kyler trails off.
I glance up at Hunter.
“Crap,” I mumble.
“You can stay with me tonight. My couch flips into a bed,” Hunter says.
Both Bennett and I gape at him.
Bennett scoffs. “Your couch turns into a bed and you didn’t tell me?”
“Yeah, because I didn’t want you sleeping at my house all the time. I got it right before I met Aria. And with you always interrupting us as it was, I figured it was best not to tell you,” Hunter explains with a grin on his face.
Bennett looks utterly offended, and I can’t help but laugh. But I immediately stop when Bennett’s frown turns in a mischievous smirk.
