Chapter 16 - Rayla
Rayla sat up in bed and stretched, looking around the empty room. Last night turned out to be more wonderful than she could ever have imagined it to be. A part of her had been worried about what would happen and if the Elders would reject her son just like they had rejected her.
She fingered the necklace that adorned her neck, adding to the glow that already graced her skin as a result of a wonderful night with Xander. A smile spread across her lips as she stared into the mirror by the vanity; however, her eyes told the story of her fears and worries.
She clutched the necklace tight. She had been touched by Xander’s speech last night. He had made it clear that he would continue to protect her and Abel, and that they did not need to be afraid anymore. But how could she put an end to that fear when danger still lurked for the werewolf community?
Rayla jumped as her phone buzzed, pulling her away from her heavy thoughts. Dread filled her as she picked it up. She had come to associate that sound with messages from her blackmailer and so far, she hadn’t been proven wrong.
“Don’t forget about our date, Rayla. I don’t need to remind you of what’s at stake.”
She released a sound that was a mix of a gasp and a groan as her eyes scanned the text over and over again, as though it would provide her the leeway she needed to get away from her situation and keep her son safe without involving Xander.
She was tempted to give in to her frustrations and chuck her phone at the wall, but that would solve nothing. It would only exacerbate the situation when he tried to reach her but couldn’t. The last thing she needed was to upset him and have him leak the video to the web.
What am I going to do?
The three days of grace that he had given her were up, gone so fast that they might as well not have occurred, and yet, she was no closer to getting the money she needed to ensure Ralph’s silence and a complete erasure of the video.
“Ah!” she screamed, a guttural sound that betrayed her frustration.
Tears stung at her eyes as she looked everywhere for a solution. She made to stand up when a gasp escaped her as her reflection caught her attention in the mirror.
Rayla huddled forward and sat in front of the vanity as another gasp escaped her. She allowed the tears to flow now.
A solution at last!
She would be rid of Ralph once and for all.
She carefully peeled the necklace from her neck, trying not to stare at it as she hurried into the bathroom. It meant so much to her since it was given to her by Xander. It was a symbol of her status in the werewolf world.
No longer did she have no place to call home. She had been accepted, and yet, she was about to let go of the only symbol she had of her acceptance.
What will I tell him if he asks?
Despite her best efforts, her thoughts continued to stray to Xander as she lathered her hair with the rose-scented shampoo.
“This is for the safety of all.”
Rayla did not know if she was trying to convince herself or if she truly believed that, but for now, she would think nothing of it until she had seen to her son’s safety.
***
Rayla stared up at the sign that read “Dynasty Pawnshop” as she fingered the diamond necklace that she placed carefully in her bag.
“Come on, Rayla. You can do this. It’s time to go in,” she willed herself, although her legs refused to cooperate with her.
“You’re doing this for Abel and for the werewolves. No one has to get hurt because of your mistake,” she psyched herself up and closed her eyes, letting out a tense breath before walking up to the door.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she pushed the door open and stepped. The cool air from the air conditioner greeted her as she looked around, grabbing onto her bag tensely.
“Hello, are you here to pawn something or look through what we have?” a voice asked, pulling her out of her internal dilemma.
“Oh, uh, hi. I… I’m here to pawn something.”
The words broke her heart as she uttered them but there was no going back now.
“Wonderful. Follow me, please,” the woman said, offering her a smile.
She followed after her, looking at the wide space housing different tables and glass cases behind the counter.
“If you’ll wait here, I’ll get someone for you.”
Rayla nodded and stood where she was as the woman spoke to one of the men in the space. He looked over at her and nodded before walking over.
“Hello. I understand you want to pawn something.”
Rayla looked at the man standing in front of her. He was dressed in a simple plaid shirt and jean trousers with a hat that hid his hair.
“Ye—” she paused and cleared her throat as her voice cracked. “Yes. I want to pawn a piece of jewelry. I have only just received it and it is quite precious to me, but I need the money so…” She trailed off as the man stared at her expectantly, clearly caring nothing for whatever story she had to tell.
“Sorry. I’m quite nervous,” she apologized.
“That’s alright. I understand how you feel. Many come here with pieces that hold more sentimental values than financial sometimes. But we understand that it means a great deal to them,” he said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
“Now,” he continued, “may I see the piece you speak of?”
Rayla reached into her bag and reluctantly pulled out the diamond necklace. It hurt her to even consider selling it. Xander would never understand how much she appreciated his gesture and how much it had come to be a symbol of their love in the short time that she owned it. When he found out the truth, she could only hope he would not be too vexed with her.
The man’s green eyes widened as he stared at the beautiful piece of jewelry.
At least he appreciates the beauty of it.
Although that should have made her feel a little better, she felt worse. She did not see it only for the beauty it presented, and she wished she could make him see it like she did, but his job was not to understand the emotions the pieces wielded over his customers. He was not a therapist, after all.
Rayla hesitantly placed the necklace in his hand, watching as greed filled his eyes, replacing the doubt that had been there only moments ago.
“That is quite a fine piece you have there, Ma’am,” he said when he recovered from his awe.
“Yes. As I told you, it is quite meaningful to me, but I need the money.”
“Yes… yes. I can certainly see why.” He cleared his throat and smiled at her. “If you would hold on while I get this appraised.”
Rayla nodded and looked around once more as he slid a loupe over his right eye and placed the jewelry under the light.
“Hmm,” he murmured as he perused the jewelry.
She waited, shifting from foot to foot as he conducted his appraisal. She looked at the time on her phone. It was almost 11:00 am. The last thing she wanted was for Ralph to think that she had bailed on him and release the video out of spite.
She made a small sound at the back of her throat. Her patience was beginning to grow thin, although there wasn’t much she could do except wait for him to finish and give her the value.
“Ahem.”
The sound of a clearing throat jolted her, and she looked up at the man, tightening her hand around her bag once again as she waited for him to speak.
“Ma’am. I’ve appraised the piece and I can pay you ten thousand dollars for it,” the man said suddenly.
“Oh! I—”
“That is the most I can pay for this and only because, as you said and I have confirmed, it is new and there has been damage to it. However, it is not worth more than that,” he said, cutting her off in a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for discussion.
Liar.
If there was one thing Rayla was certain of, it was that her jewelry was worth more than that. The greed in his eyes made it clear that he would never pay exactly what it was worth. Moreover, she doubted Xander would be content spending that on jewelry, not that she minded. She would love it even if it was worth only a hundred bucks.
“Alright. I will take that, thank you.”
Although she did not let it show, she was quite grateful for the amount she was receiving. She had more than enough to pay Ralph and ensure that he deleted the video. That was all she cared about. She only wished she had something else of value so she did not have to trade it.
She slipped the envelopes filled with cash into her bag and walked out of the pawnshop with a heavy heart as she grieved what she’d given up. Her steps lighted as she envisioned a life of freedom for Abel.
Rayla got into her car and turned the key, driving away from the parking lot of the pawnshop as she headed for the designated meeting spot.
Ralph had picked a coffee shop for their date and to get his money. It pained her to call what was about to happen a date between the two of them, but she would endure anything for her son.
Still, despite her personal pep talk, she shivered in disgust as she imagined his gleeful expression now that he finally got her exactly where he wanted her.
She drove faster, careful to not go past the speed limit but also fast enough that she would get there before he got impatient.
Rayla slowed as she neared the coffee shop. She recognized it. She’d been there a few times in the past, although she never quite liked her experience there. She’d never been able to escape the judgmental stares of the inhabitants of her village, not even during a coffee break.
She sucked in a deep breath as she tried to center herself.
“It’s alright, Rayla. This is going to be quick. Two hours at most and you’ll be out of here, then all of this will be forgotten, never to be thought of again.”
She stared at herself in the mirror and stepped out of her car, satisfied with her appearance. She hadn’t given it much thought on her way here, but now, it was about more than just Ralph. It was her armor to keep her safe from the nasty glares she was sure to get.
She pushed the door open and glanced around for her blackmailer as the bell jingled. It was impossible to miss him. He was exactly as she remembered the last time she had seen him. She shivered with disgust once again as small, beady eyes stared at her. His small face looked mousy as a result of his scruffy and unkempt beard.
Crumbs of bread hung on his beard, along with something wet she did not care to decipher. His lips were dry and cracked, almost covered by predator-like mustache. Everything about him looked so wrong, and as she sat down opposite him, she wished she was anywhere else.
“I was beginning to think you had stood me up,” he said sternly and then grinned, stretching the cracks in his lips in what Rayla imagined was a painful grin. “Although I suppose there’s no way you could do that, considering what I have up my sleeve.”
Rayla looked around, willing him to be quiet. Her eyes fixed on Martha, who owned the chicken coop down from her house. They had been friends once, before she fell pregnant and was rejected by everyone.
She watched for a moment as she struggled to balance her crying toddler on one hand and drink her coffee with the other, a weary expression stamped on her face showing just how exasperated she was.
She looked away quickly and saw young Tom hopping around, entertaining his little sister who giggled in excitement and tried to copy his actions, failing woefully, although that only led to more bouts of laughter.
“Do you have the money?”
She turned away from the scenery that screamed normalcy, although she couldn’t remember the last time anything had ever truly been normal in this town, for her at least.
“Yes, I do.”
“Good. Good. You’ll hand that over in a bit, but for now, how about we have a nice date and maybe afterwards we can see where the fun ends.”
His sleazy smile was too much for her to bear. Before she could force a calm, she reacted to his disgusting offer.
“Thank you, but I think I’d much rather drown than do anything like you’re suggesting.”
Rayla’s eyes widened, and she bit her lip in shock. She hadn’t meant to say that. At least, not until he deleted the video from his phone.
Instead of the outburst of anger she’d been expecting from him or more blackmail at the very least, he grinned at her.
Confused, she stared at him. She could see the barely veiled anger in his eyes but she had not expected him to try to mask it in any form.
Before she could give him any credit in her mind, she felt the atmosphere shift. The normalcy she’d felt only seconds ago seemed to have evaporated, and in its place was something sinister.
She turned around, and this time, instead of going about their activities, all eyes were on her, including the children’s. They stared at her with hate, which was not much of a surprise. However, it was the murderous intent behind their gazes that scared her.
She looked back at Ralph whose grin had widened some more. His eyes showed his madness in a way that she had never seen before, not even when he broke into her house.
“Witch.”
She’d been so distracted by the madness she saw in front of her that she did not realize someone had come up behind her until she heard the voice and felt a hand push her. She toppled forward and landed on the floor.
“Witch,” she heard again. This time from the other side of her. They had both been female voices, although she didn’t see who the first push came from.
The second came from the barista, Eliana, who stared at her with pure disgust.
“No!” Ralph shouted, raising his hand. He turned his face to her while his body faced them in a pose that would trouble her mind if she wasn’t already at risk.
“She is not a witch.”
She stared up at him in surprise as everyone glanced at him, hanging on his every word.
“She’s something far worse. Only a monster is capable of birthing a demon and hiding him in the midst of us humans. She feigned innocence as he hurt our children. She allowed him to live among us as a human when he is a beast.”
He leaned in close, grabbing her by the face. “Tell us, Monster. Where is your demon-spawn. Tell us where he is and you will not suffer as much as you should for your sins.”
Rayla kept her mouth shut as her eyes roamed among the crowd. There was no one she could call to for help. No one to plead her case to. They all hated her and they would kill her if she did not escape. She could see it in their eyes.
Ralph’s hands tightened around her jawline, pulling on the skin of her face. “Tell us. Did you kill his father or is he one of them? A demon?”
“Answer us, Monster.” She felt a kick on her back that pushed her head forward. It was Martha. She noticed the intense satisfaction in her eyes when she looked back.
“You want to protect them? Don’t worry, we’ll get the information we seek out of you one way or another,” Ralph said, moving toward her with a wrapped object in his hand.
His smiling face leaned down, blocking her vision. It was the last thing she saw before darkness embraced her as she felt a sharp sting to the back of her head.