Chapter Twenty-Eight
Shannon froze, her tears forgotten as Morgan finished screaming.
He turned back to me. “I’m sorry.” He turned back to Shannon.
“Take Ainsley’s old car or don’t, but I’m done with this bullshit Shannon.
You are a fucking adult. Act like it.” Then he turned on his heels and left, back down the stairs.
Shannon was frozen to her spot before she turned back to me and my mom. “This is your fault.” She screamed and then ran to her room, slamming the door.
“Well…” My mom pointed down the stairs. “I’m going to-”
“Come in.” I pulled her into my room and closed the door.
“Amy, I have to go.” She sighed, but then stopped when she looked over at Toya and Lynn. “How is she doing?” She walked closer.
“Not great.” I walked over to the bed. “They poisoned her with wolfsbane.” She gasped. “I didn’t know and when I cut her-”
“Why the hell did you cut her?” My mom ran over to her and looked. She saw the bloodstain on my carpet. “Amy!” She ran to the washroom and screamed when she saw the towel in the tub. She stormed back. “What the hell were you thinking?”
I palmed my face. “I obviously didn’t know. But I needed her blood. Like I need yours.”
She turned to me. “Why?”
“I need to add you to a spell before I can show you.” She narrowed her eyes at me before she nodded and held out her wrist. I went into the bathroom and rinsed out the drying blood from Lynn, and came back.
“This shouldn’t hurt long.” I shifted my claw, but paused right before I cut her.
“You don’t have wolfsbane in your system, do you?
” She leveled me with a look, but I just shrugged.
“I have to ask. I don’t have enough power to heal a second person today. ”
My mom rolled her eyes. “I’m wolfsbane free. Promise.” I nod and slice her wrist, collecting the blood as it flowed. Then slowly I watched the slice heal back up. She looked at the dish in my hand. “Is that enough?”
“Yeah.” I turned to my closet. “I’ll be right back.” She looked confused as I shut the door behind me.
“Where is she going?” I heard her ask Toya before I stepped up and opened the two doors to the cabin. I walked outside, adding my mother to the shield, and then came back. I left the doors open this time and walked back into my room. “What the hell is going on, Amy?”
I walked to the bed and knelt next to Lynn. “Are you ready?”
She cracked her eyes, more awake than I thought she was. “I’ll be safe?” I nodded. “He won’t ever touch me again?”
“I swear it. Derek will never get his hands on you again.” I swore, but then I winced. “Well, he won’t touch you until you want him to.”
Lynn widened her eyes. “I’ll never want him to touch me again.”
“Amy.” Toya and my mother chastised me, but I held up my hands.
“I misspoke. Derek will never get to touch you ever again, and the only time you will have to see him again is when you are ready to kill him.”
I watched the fire ignite in her eyes. “Truly?” I nodded again. She pushed back the covers. “Then I’m ready.” I bent down and wrapped my arms around her knees and shoulders and I picked her up.
“Then let’s go see your new home.” I turned back to my closet and my mother just stood, frozen.
“What is going on?” Her voice was a confused whisper.
“Follow and find out.” I walked into my closet and back towards the door.
“Baby, it’s just extra storage.” She called after us, but I walked through. Toya walked in after me and turned and waited.
“Go bring her to her room. I will bring your mom around.” I mouthed a thank you and walked out of my room.
I heard a gasp as I walked out the door. “How is this possible?”
Toya chuckled. “Magic.”
I stepped up to the door that Carly left open. I bent down and placed Lynn’s feet on the ground, using my body to stabilize her as I pushed the door further in. “This is yours.”
Lynn looked at me, confused. “Why aren’t you walking in?”
I heard the tiny footsteps of Carly. “Because my daddy said you needed a place just for you. So you can feel safe.”
Lynn turned around and my mom gasped behind me. “Who are you, little one?”
Carly smiled. “I’m Carly.” Her face dropped, and her bright brown eyes turned white.
“Take this rest, warrior, as your time will come sooner than you think. Train your body, mind, and soul. The Beta will come hunting, and you will have to face him to find your freedom. And your second chance at life.”
Lynn looked up at me. “You have the shaman?”
Her eyes cleared and turned to face me. “Is it dinnertime soon? I’m getting hungry.”
I smiled down at her. “Not yet. I still have to go shopping but I promise, I’ll be back soon.” I pointed down the hall. “Someone came to visit you.” My mom’s eyes were full of tears, but she managed a smile.
“Hey Carly.” She crouched down. “Do you remember me?”
Carly’s eyes lit up, and she ran down the hall. “My daddy called you our Luna!” She ran into her arms. “But he also said you were his first pup.” Carly pulled back a little. “Does that mean you’re my sister?”
My mom laughed, but I could hear her pain.
Carly’s words sank in. Carl loved my mom like a pup, and looking at my mother, she loved him like a father.
A fresh pain crept into my chest. My mom looked up at me.
“Another time baby.” I just nodded. She turned back to Carly.
“How about you think of me like a grandma?”
Carly’s eyes grew wide, and she looked back at me. “I’ve never had a grandma before.” I smiled.
“It’s up to you, sweet pea. Like I said last night, you get to decide what you call us.”
She nodded and turned back to my mom. “I’d really like a grandma.”
My mom fought her tears and smiled widely. “I would really like a granddaughter.” Carly dove back into her arms.
She pulled back and snagged her hand. “Come look at my room, grandma. Amy gave me all my daddy’s stuff, so I put it all in here.” Carly tugged her across the hall and into her room. My mom followed, laughing.
I turned back to Lynn. “Yes, to answer your question. Carly is the shaman. A shaman that is six years old.”
“Almost seven.” She called from her room.
I laughed. “My mistake. An almost seven-year-old girl who I adopted as her father just passed away.” Lynn stared at me for a minute.
“You have a lot on your plate.” I just nodded. “Too much. I’ll leave.” She pulled away from me and tried to head down the stairs.
“You are too far away from my father’s pack lands to go home.
” I omitted the cave portal. “You could go back through the closet, but you would be in the same place as before.” She stopped, and I could see her shaking.
“You are not now, nor will you ever be, a burden to me.” She looked at me over her shoulder.
“You are my friend, my pack, and I will keep you safe. I'm sorry I failed you while I was away.” I met her eyes with my defiant ones. “I won’t make you stay here if you don’t want to, but I really hope you will.
I will help you train. I will help you regain your strength. ”
Toya came over next to me, and Wendy stepped out of her room. Toya gestured to her and Wendy. “We will help you.”
Wendy stepped closer. “Please don’t leave. I know we just met, and I know you don’t really feel safe in your own skin. But allow us a chance.”
Lynn looked away. “I would be useless.”
I shook my head. “Not useless.” I stepped closer to her. “Never useless, never a burden.” I raised my hand and cupped her face. “Plus, I have so much to tell you.”
“About what?”
“Everything.” I whispered.
Toya came up behind me. “We had to keep you in the dark because of where you were, but now, now you can learn the truth.”
Her lip trembled. I could see she was almost ready to agree. But she shook her head. “I can’t do that to you.”
Tiny footsteps came behind us again. “You are wounded, warrior. You are lost.” Carly’s voice took on a deeper inflection.
Everyone slowly turned to see her white eyes staring back at us.
“If you leave, you jeopardize everything, including your life. If he catches you again, and he will look, you will lose everything.” Lynn shuddered.
“No.” She shook her head, and a tear slipped out.
Carly stepped forward. My skin prickled with the magic surrounding her.
“You want to run because he made you believe you are not worthy of love, of care, but that is far from the truth.” She raised her hand slowly and gently took Lynn’s.
“Let his words fade from your mind. Let the three spirited one in. You will find your peace once again.”
Lynn trembled as she stared down at the little girl in front of her. “Who are you?” The words were whispered but held so much wonder.
“You know what I am, a warrior. But I do not think you know what I do. I am a vessel.” Carly looked up.
“A vessel for the future, the present, the past. I see all, and I weigh paths. I am the truth bearer, the pathfinder, I am the Alpha, the Omega, I am the storyteller. I am everything and nothing.” Carly’s voice changed a little and her eyes shifted to darkness.
“I am the Goddess’s voice, and her will on earth. ”
The room froze. I looked around and everyone, including my mother, had their mouths hanging open. “Well then.” She whispered as she walked over.
We looked back to Carly, who blinked, and once again her bright brown eyes were staring back at us. I crouched down to her level. “Does that happen often?”
“The Goddess?” Her voice was bright once again. She shrugged. “Daddy said she comes when she has a message to deliver.” Carly giggled. “When I have visions, I remember what I see, but when the Goddess comes, I don’t.”
“Why?”
“Because she has to put me asleep so she can speak through me. Daddy said it’s so it doesn’t hurt me. But I don't mind. She is the goddess.” Carly spun around and walked back to my mom. “Thank you for helping me hang my curtains.” Then she skipped off to her room.
I stayed crouched and I looked up at my mom. “I am out of my depth.”
She laughed. “Every parent feels that way some day. You just happened to feel it on the first day.” She kissed me.
“Get Lynn situated, then we can go grocery shopping. I assume the groceries are for here?” I nodded.
“Okay. We’ll get it all figured out.” She stepped around me to Lynn.
“You, my dear, I’m sorry this happened to you. I tried my best to help where I could.”
Lynn teared up. “You helped me tremendously, Luna. I appreciate everything you did for me.”
“I don’t want to do this, but I can see something in your eyes.
” My mom leaned her head against Lynn’s.
“I see you. Do you recognize me as your Luna?” Lynn nodded and a tear fell.
“Then I command you as your Luna to survive this. I command you to live.” There was no power behind her words.
It was just her words, and her position to Lynn, that would do anything.
My mom pulled back and she cupped her face.
“Live. Get strong, stronger than you were.” Lynn nodded.
My mother’s face grew stern. “Then you come back and you kill that motherfucker.”
Lynn chuckled. “I will Luna.” My mom lifted her brow. “I will Ainsley.” Lynn bowed and then turned back to me. “Swear that I won’t be a burden.”
“I, Amy Maclean, swear on everything that having you here will only be a blessing.” Lynn nodded once more, then she turned toward the room and shuffled in.
We all stood in the hall and watched as she clicked on the light.
She looked around the room and took a deep breath.
She turned back, and I saw her lips tremble.
“We will leave you be.” I leaned in to grab the door. “I’ll knock when dinner is ready.” Then I shut the door. I heard her take another deep breath as I turned away. I pretended I didn’t hear her sobbing behind the door as I turned away.
Wendy and Toya both looked sad when I turned around. “Is she going to be okay?” Wendy whispered. I opened my mouth but my mom was the one who answered.
“She went through a lot at the hands of that man.” Her face was blank when I raised my eyebrow. But she shook her head. “I won’t tell you anything. I don’t know. I just got to see the aftermath.”
“Aftermath?” Toya leaned against the wall.
My mom nodded. “Every day she would be summoned to the pack house. And every day she would come back to the house more broken than when she left. I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she would just shake her head.” She sighed and looked down at the ground.
“I made the mistake of speaking to Vince. The next day she came back, she couldn’t speak.
” My mom looked away and shook her head.
“I’ll head back.” She left us there in the hallway.
Wendy looked back at Lynn’s door. “All we can do is to be here for her.” Then we all heard a soft giggle from Carly. “For them both.” Then she turned and went to Carly’s room.
Toya sighed and headed towards the stairs. “Now that I have my phone, I’m going to go downstairs and start a list of groceries we need.” I smiled. “I’ll text it to you.”
“Thank you.” I waved as I headed back to the closet.
My mom was waiting on my bed when I walked back in.
“Ready?” She popped up and I nodded. She rubbed her hands together.
“Good, cause I really want to give my new baby a spin.” She giggled, actually giggled, as she ran out of the room.
I turned back to make sure all the doors were shut before I left my room.
Then I locked my door and ran down the stairs.
My mom was already sitting in her SUV as I walked out.
She honked and rolled down the window. “Let’s go. ” I hopped in and we headed out.