Rising Sun (The Awakened Trilogy Book 3)

by Amanda Carol

  “Here’s what we’re going to do tonight,” I start to say out loud just as my phone dings. I glance down and see that Declan has texted me that he’s on his way over. “Tonight, we’re going to just be here. Tomorrow, we can start to plan what to do about it. But Declan is on his way over, so I’m going to leave you two alone so you can talk. I’m going to go check on everyone and grab Ciera because I’m sure he’s going to want to see her after you tell him about your mom. It’s just going to be us.”

  “But what about Abby?” Aria asks.

  “Abby is with Zayne. I’ll let everyone know what’s up,” I tell her.

  “Can we just…keep this between us for now? I only want Declan and Ciera to know. Tomorrow, we can tell our friends and the other Alphas, but…not tonight.” Aria looks at me, pleading with her eyes.

  I hear a knock on the door.

  “Anything you want.” I lean in and kiss her quickly before getting up and going downstairs to let Declan in.

  “Hey. Where is she?” he asks, stepping inside.

  “Upstairs. I’m heading out for a bit so you two can talk. I’ll be back soon,” I tell him.

  “Thanks, and I’m sorry about earlier.” Declan runs a hand through his hair.

  “No need to apologize,” I reply truthfully. “She’s your sister.”

  Declan nods. “That’s true, but you’re the one who’s gotten her to open up. And for that, I’m forever grateful.”

  I place a hand on his shoulder. “Even though Aria’s stronger now, she still needs you just as much as she needs me.”

  “I’m glad she has you,” Declan replies, then he surprises the hell out of me by pulling me in for a hug.

  He pulls back and glances up at the loft, then starts to slowly make his way up the steps.

  I let out a sigh as I walk out the door. What was supposed to have been a night of celebration has turned into a night of mourning.

  Isabella killed Abby’s father, she killed Axton, and she had my father killed. So why has she kept Aria’s mom alive after all this time?

  Isabella has always been three steps ahead of us. How the fuck am I supposed to stop a vampire who’s been planning her revenge for centuries in a matter of months?

  I push all those thoughts aside as I reach Abby’s cabin. Like I told Aria, tonight is a night for mourning, but come tomorrow, we need a plan.

  Running has always been the best way to help me process situations, and hearing my mom’s voice on the other end of that line…was something that I never even thought was possible. I needed time to think, to go over everything, before I came back home and told Hunter what happened.

  I would give up my life not to have to tell Declan that mom is alive and that we had unknowingly left her behind. But I can’t keep this from him. He needs to know.

  “Hey, little sister,” Declan says softly from the top of the steps.

  I glance up and look at him, and I mean really look at him. His hair is a little longer than usual, and his body is more muscular than it’s ever been. But his eyes…his eyes look as though he’s lived a thousand lives, and behind them is a mind full of wisdom and knowledge. He walks over and sits down on the bed next to me. I lay my head down on his shoulder and he rests his head on top of mine. We just sit in silence for a few moments.

  My body may be still, but my mind is racing.

  “Ciera told me you took the phone and went outside, and then shit went to hell. Are you okay? I was worried about you,” he whispers, turning and gently grabbing me by the shoulders. “Fuck, Aria. I always worry about you.”

  “I know you do,” I say shakily, willing the words to come out, but they won’t. “Declan, I…I need a drink.”

  I shake him off and quickly get up from the bed. Declan is right behind me as I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I see the bourbon sitting on the table and grab a glass from the cupboard, pouring some in the glass and downing it, hoping the liquid courage will help the words come. Declan hasn’t said anything yet, but he watches me intently from the doorway. I pour a little bit more in the glass and offer it to Declan. He shakes his head and waves me off, then crosses his arms across his chest. I shrug and take the gulp, ignoring the burn in my throat and setting the glass down on the counter. I start to feel the tiny buzz from the alcohol, and it’s just enough to get me to start talking.

  “You know Isabella called Abby?” I ask, although it comes off as more of a statement.

  He nods.

  “Then you also know that she killed Abby’s father?”

  He nods again. “Yes.”

  I draw in a breath, and my gaze meets my brother’s. It’s now or never.

  “I spoke with Mom,” I tell him and wait.

  A mixture of emotions flit across Declan’s face. At first, it’s confusion. I assume he’s wondering if he heard me correctly because when I first heard mom’s voice, I definitely thought I was hearing things. Then his eyes start to grow wide, like he’s just realized that he did in fact hear me correctly. After Isabella hung up with me, I realized that I wasn’t going crazy. Mom was alive. She was alive and has been this whole time. I lean back against the counter and wait for his question.

  “You…what?” he asks.

  “I spoke with Mom.”

  His arms limply fall to his sides as he starts to take in what I just said.

  “I know the answer to your next question, and it’s yes. I’m sure. I could never forget her voice.”

  He turns, leaning completely on the doorframe for support. I turn, grabbing another glass from the cabinet and pouring some bourbon in it, along with refilling the one I had, then I offer the second glass to Declan.

  He takes it this time.

  “Aria…I...” he says, following me into the living room.

  “I know. Believe me…I know.” I sit down on the couch and grab a blanket, tucking my legs up under me.

  “But we buried her….” Declan comments, sitting down next to me.

  “Did we?” I take a tiny sip of my drink before continuing. “We never saw the bodies, Declan. We just believed what the cops told us.”

  “We saw her throw herself at Ronan…” Declan says, turning the glass in his fingers before bringing it to his lips.

  “I’ve gone over everything from that night, big brother. We didn’t see anything that would indicate that she was, in fact, dead. We always just assumed…” I trail off, contemplating my next words. “During my run, I went over everything. Every memory I have of that night and the days following. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but hearing her voice, and the fact that—”

  “No, I would have done the same thing,” Declan cuts me off as he leans forward and places his elbows on his knees. “I’ve always trusted your judgment. You’re one hundred percent positive it was mom?”

  “Yes. I have no doubt that it was her.”

  “Fuck. What are we going to do? We have to get her.” Declan scrubs a hand down his face as he leans back onto the couch.

  “I know. But what if...what if—”

  “Don’t finish that sentence, Aria. I swear, if you finish that sentence…fuck!” Declan springs up from the couch and paces in front of me as the harsh reality of the situation sinks in.

  “I don’t want to think about it either Declan, but we have to! Who knows what Isabella has done to her? It’s been three years!” I explain. “We don’t have to go down that road tonight, but we have to go there eventually.”

  “Mom is alive. After all these years, she’s alive. And she’s been…” Declan locks his hands behind his head as he faces away from me, then he spins around. “How the fuck are you so calm right now?”

  “I ran for over an hour in the woods in a tank top and no shoes or socks,” I reply dryly. “Trust me, I was less than calm earlier.”

  Declan looks at me for a moment, then closes his eyes. I see a tear roll down his cheek. It’s weird feeling as calm as I do about this, but that may have something to do with the fact that I’ve had
a little bit more time to process it. Plus, I feel like I’ve grown up more in the last three months than I have in the last three years. I’m handling things a little better than I used to.

  “What are we going to do?” he asks as I get up from the couch and walk over to him.

  I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest. It takes him a second, but he eventually puts his arms around me and squeezes me into one of his bear hugs.

  “Tonight, we’re just going to be here,” I start to say, using Hunter’s words from earlier. “And tomorrow, we can start to plan a way to bring her home.”

  The front door opens, and I turn just in time to see Hunter walk in. Ciera steps in from behind him and immediately goes straight to Declan.

  “Hunter told me,” I hear her say as she wraps her arms around Declan’s neck. “How are you? Both of you?”

  She releases Declan and looks at us both.

  Declan kisses her temple. “I’m better now that you’re here.”

  Ciera flushes slightly, but turns her gaze to me.

  “I’m still in shock, but I’m okay,” I reply, yawning.

  The adrenaline rush has completely worn off. Mix that with the events from earlier and the bourbon…I’m exhausted.

  Ciera gives me a sad smile. “Understandable.”

  “It’s late, and I think it’s best for all if you stay here tonight,” Hunter says, his eyes meeting mine. He knows how much having my brother here means to me. “My sofa turns into a bed; I’ll grab some fresh sheets from the closet and help you guys get settled.”

  Ciera wraps her arms around Declan. “I agree. I’m sure you guys would like to be close right now.”

  Declan glances over at me and nods. Even though we have people in our lives that we love, and that love us, it doesn’t change things. He and I will always protect each other and, no matter what, we will always be there for one another.

  Declan and Ciera move to grab the cushions, and when Hunter returns, I help him put the sheets on the bed. We say our goodnights, and then Hunter and I make our way up to the bedroom.

  We both crawl into bed and Hunter pulls me into his arms.

  “How are you, really?” he asks, running his fingers through my hair.

  “Is it weird that I feel okay?” I wonder. “Maybe that’s just the bourbon talking.”

  “No. If that’s how you feel, that’s how you feel. The bourbon only makes you say it out loud.”

  I chuckle, but then sigh. “I feel like I should be feeling something different, you know?”

  “I know, but all you can do is take it one day at a time.” Hunter kisses my head softly.

  “I’ll probably feel much differently about it tomorrow…. or later today,” I say, closing my eyes.

  Hunter holds me tighter. “And we will deal with that later. But let’s just try and get some sleep, okay?”

  I nod, losing energy by the second. I’m thankful that I have my brother here, and that we both have someone we love with us giving us their love and strength tonight. It’s always just been the two of us, but we aren’t alone anymore.

  The smell of coffee pulls me from a deep sleep. I sit up, glancing down at a sleeping Hunter, and slowly get up from the bed, tugging his hoodie closer as I make my way downstairs. Ciera is still sleeping soundly on the sofa bed, so I quietly make my way into the kitchen, where I see Declan standing by the coffee pot.

  “Morning,” I whisper.

  Declan turns around abruptly, startled by my sudden appearance.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” I walk up and grab two mugs from the cupboard just as the pot finishes filling up.

  “It’s fine,” he murmurs. “It was just a long night.”

  Declan pours the coffee in the mug and fixes mine how I like it before handing it to me. I still can’t believe we are even related since he drinks his black.

  I nod toward the door in the kitchen, and we walk outside into the brisk morning. I wrap both hands around the warm mug and take a sip, leaning up against the railing on the small porch as Declan takes a seat on the step.

  “How are you feeling this morning?” I ask, breaking the silence.

  Declan takes a sip of his coffee before he answers. “I don’t really know. Ciera and I stayed up talking until she fell asleep, and from there, I was lost in my own thoughts.”

  “I’m actually surprised I was able to get some sleep,” I admit, sitting down next to him and resting my head on his arm. “I think the only reason I could was because my body was just too tired to fight my mind.”

  “I wish I could say the same. I didn’t have to work as hard as you in that fight against Ares,” Declan says softly. “I also didn’t run for over an hour.”

  He nudges me slightly and I chuckle.

  “Mom’s alive, Declan. After all these years thinking she was dead and trying to deal with that…” I start to say, but cut myself off.

  We saw our father’s body, but we never even thought to look at our mother because seeing Dad like that was painful enough. We didn’t want to have to see Mom’s dead body too.

  “I know.” Declan says. “Do you think she’s okay?”

  I sigh. “Honestly, no. She’s alive, but I’m sure Isabella hasn’t made it easy on her. There’s no telling what kind of torture she’s been through.”

  Declan hangs his head. “We really need to save her.”

  “I agree, but where do we even start?”

  “No idea, but we will think of something, just like we always do,” Declan says, placing a kiss on my head.

  “You’re right, and we at least have the help of the pack now, including Ciera and the witches,” I tell him.

  The door opens, and we both turn to see Ciera coming out.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were awake, Aria,” Ciera apologizes. “I’ll let you two talk.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I cut in. I kiss my brother on the cheek before standing. “You stay. I’m going to go back inside and make Hunter a cup of coffee.”

  I smile at Ciera as I walk past her through the door. I finish my coffee, then make Hunter a cup just the way he likes it: just a little sugar with no cream. I notice the container of cinnamon rolls that Dani made, so I pop one in the microwave. Once that’s done, I put it on a plate and make my way back upstairs to him. He’s still sound asleep, lying on his stomach, arm stretched out over the side of the bed.

  He’s so cute, and now I feel like a total creeper. Is it creepy when it’s your boyfriend?

  I’m going to go with no.

  I go over to his side of the bed, quietly setting the plate and cup on the nightstand. Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to his cheek, and when I pull back, I notice his eyes start to open.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” I whisper as he rolls over.

  “Hey, baby,” Hunter stretches, but then quickly grabs me and throws me back on the bed.

  He hovers over me, brushing his lips against mine, but then his tongue licks the seam of my mouth and I open for him.

  Coffee morning breath be damned!

  I hike my leg around his waist, feeling his arousal through my leggings.

  He stops, pulling back and sniffing the air.

  “I fucking love you,” he growls, kissing me quickly, then rolling over and grabbing the plate. He takes a big bite out of the cinnamon roll and closes his eyes. “Damn, these are good.”

  I laugh and sit up in the bed. I notice a piece fall on his chest, and to be honest, I never did try one of Dani’s famous cinnamon rolls while we were back in Maryland. And what better way to try it then off the bare chest of my man?

  “What are you doing?” Hunter asks when I move to straddle him. He glances down, noticing the small piece on his chest. “That’s mine.”

  I smirk. “Oh is it?”

  I purposely move my hips against his growing erection as I lean down and scoop the small piece of cinnamon roll off his chest. I let my hands trail down his chest and his abs slowly as I lean
back, savoring the flavorful bite.

  I close my eyes, tossing my head back and letting out a really exaggerated moan. When I open them again, my gaze connects with Hunter’s.

  “You’re evil,” he groans.

  “Am I?” I lift a brow, then slowly remove the hoodie.

  Hunter stares at me, eyes glowing brightly. “If Declan and Ciera weren’t still here, I’d have you bent over in this bed, and I’d be fucking you while I enjoyed this cinnamon roll.”

  “Best of both worlds?” I ask, flushing at the sound of that.

  “Damn right.” He takes another bite, and I climb off him. “How are you feeling this morning about everything now that you’ve slept on it?”

  I suck in a breath. “I’m okay. I was talking to Declan this morning about it some more.” I say, pausing for a moment while he finishes eating. He grabs his coffee as I curl into him. “We have no idea what she’s been through, so we want to find her as quickly as we can. We just have no idea where to start.”

  Hunter kisses my temple. “Well, how about we meet with everyone, see if they have any ideas, and we can go from there?”

  I nod. “Sounds perfect.”

  It’s been a few weeks since we found out that Aria’s mom is still alive, and that was also the last time we heard from Isabella. We met with the other Alphas, and while we all agree that finding and rescuing Aria’s mom is a top priority, none of us know where to start. Abby even talked to Luna, and she doesn’t even know where Isabella has been hiding out either. Luna gave us the last address she had for her, but when we went to scope it out, the place looked like no one had been living there for weeks.

  What we do know is that Isabella has to be close by, but none of the wolves have been able to track her down, even with Aria’s help. She’s a great tracker, so she and I have started patrolling together. We’ve caught and questioned a few vampires, but none of them knew where Isabella was, and even if they did, they wouldn’t tell us. According to some of them, Isabella was just a tall tale.

  We don’t believe any of the ones who attacked us that night in the cemetery stuck around, and if they did, Isabella probably killed them for failing to get her what she wanted. Or, as much as thinking about it scares the fuck out of me, she got them out of town for a much bigger plan.