The Wolf King's Luna

CHAPTER 26

CATHERINE.

"Darling," Diana starts as she walks over and sits on the bed, right beside me. "I am so glad you are okay. We were all so worried. Damon here was out of his mind, terrified at what could have happened to you."

"I am sorry," I mumble as I look down at my hands, unable to face the look of hurt in her eyes.

"Why did you leave?" she asks, reaching for my hand.

What could I say to that? I was scared you would find out that I was from the Skylight pack and kick me out. Or worse kill me.

I hear a deep sigh from above my head and then the sounds of someone's footsteps coming to the other side of the bed.

From the corner of my eyes, I see Damon get into the bed with me and turn to face me.

"Catherine," he starts. "I know you are from the Skylight pack."

My head snaps up to him, so fast, I am surprised it didn't snap apart.

What?!

How did he find out?

"I have known for some time," he continues. "We all have."

I turn to look at the others for confirmation. They all nod at me, giving me varying degrees of smiles.

"How?" I whisper.

"I had suspected from the very first day, " Melissa speaks up. "You know, when I brought you in. Later on, I tracked your scent to their pack."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You didn't want to mention it. And we didn't want to rush you."

"Oh."

That is… I am starting to feel very stupid now.

"That's good," my wolf snarks.

I don't respond.

"I also know that Vance was the one who rejected you. That he was your mate," Damon says. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"You do?"

This just keeps getting better and better.

"Yeah."

"And you are… okay with it?"

"I wouldn't say that. I was enraged when I first found out. That someone like that would be paired up with you. And then I was mad, that he had hurt you and caused you to be so scared of everything. And then I was glad. Grateful."

"You were?"

"Hmm. I still am. Because he rejected you, I was able to find you. His loss, my gain."

"You are not angry at me?" I ask again.

"No," he says as he cups my face and looks at me with those deep soulful eyes of his. "I could never be angry at you."

That is it.

I can't hold it back anymore. I burst into tears, startling him and even me.

I thought I had cried it all out with Diana, but it seems there is still some pent-up frustration on me.

Damon pulls me into his arms, whispering soothing words and patting my back.

It feels… safe.

He came for me.

He knew who I was and still came for me.

The sobs continue in so much force, nearly blocking every sound around me. It pours out like a torrential rain.

I don't know how long we stay like that but when I do come up for air, I realize that everyone has left.

It is just me and Damon.

"Do you feel better?" he asks.

"A little, yeah," I answer with a shy smile.

"That's good. Cause we need to talk."

Oh boy.

"I can't begin to understand the reality of what you went through. I know it is horrible and that it has left scars on you. But the truth is, I can't help you if you don't open up to me. To us. We all worry and care about you. And I know it is hard, trust me I know how hard it is to open up, but can you give us a chance? Just a chance to prove to you we care for you and want the best for you."

His eyes are earnest and hopeful, begging me to give in, but…

"it is hard," I affirm. "and scary. I have been on my own for as long as I can remember, I don't know how… to let people in. I wouldn't know how to start."

"Then let us help you. Let me help you. I want to get to know you, can you do that?"

"I can try," I say.

What could I lose?

They have all proven that they truly care for me and that the fact that I was a member of the Skylight pack or that I was Vance's mate, holds no weight.

"Okay. What would you like to know?" I ask.

The answering smile is enough to keep me fuzzy for days.

SKYLIGHT PACK:

VANCE.

I watch with a detached interest as the patrol I had sent to search for the spy carries in his corpse, into the mansion and places him at my feet.

He was supposed to follow the bastard who had Catherine and alert us to their whereabouts.

Instead, he is lying here dead.

I give a nod to one of them, and they pull back the black cloth covering him.

His body is as white as a sheet, which should not be as if he was just gone for two days. There are no marks on his body, nothing to signify how he died.

"What was the healer's autopsy?" I ask.

"He said he had never seen anything like it," one of them answers.

"What does that mean?" I demand

"There are no internal organs, I mean everything just sort of… dried up, even his blood."

"What could do something like this?"

"He has no idea, alpha."

"And so, what you are telling me is that I have lost, my only way to find Catherine?"

No one responds to that, all of them are too cowardly to face me.

"What?!" I snap. "You can't talk. It is easy for you to bully and ridicule someone weaker than you, but you can't find one single woman. Is this the best you all have to offer?"

"Alpha-"

I turn away from them in disgust. It is not them I should blame. After all, I contributed to the abuse and gave Tammy the chance to commit this atrocity.

Tammy.

She will know where he is.

Where Catherine is.

Hold on Catherine, I am coming to save you.