*Daphne*
“Have a safe journey back,” Eva said sternly.
I nodded even though I didn’t really have control over that aspect of the trip back to Thorn Forest.
We were standing in front of the Breles hospital. I thought about saying goodbye to Rion before I left, but I opted to take a quick peek inside of his room as I was leaving.
It was early in the morning, and he was sleeping peacefully. I stood in the doorway for a couple of seconds, longing to reach out and touch him but I held back. The last thing I needed was for him to wake up and glare daggers at before I departed.
“You’ll let know if there are any changes?” I asked anxiously, even though Eva had assured that she would several tis already.
Eva nodded seriously, seeming to understand my need to ask the unnecessary question over and over. “I’ll see if I can jog his mory about you too,” she said.
I knew she was saying that to comfort , but it had the opposite effect as I was just reminded of the fact that such a thing had to be necessary.
Eva and I hugged, and I nearly started crying again at her warmth. I was starved of physical contact since Rion seed to constantly be either holding my hand or keeping an arm around whenever we were together. I wasn’t accustod to not receiving hugs and affectionate touches.
I nodded to my driver before climbing into the back of the car that was taking back to Thorn Forest. I looked out the window, waving at Eva as we pulled away from the hospital, away from Rion.
It was a long and lonely ride ho. I spent a lot of it just gazing out the window, trying to process all that had happened since the festival. It had been such a happy occasion and took a nasty, tragic turn so quickly. I leaned back against the car seat, rembering the way that Rion held as we watched the fireworks, just minutes before the attempted kidnapping of our daughters.
Regret started to seep into my stomach. Perhaps if Rion and I hadn’t been selfishly trying to get ti to ourselves during the festival, Ayla and Selene wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped. Rion wouldn’t have been pulled under that river, and we would still be living happily as a family.
“Stop it,” I snapped at myself under my breath, low enough so that the driver couldn’t hear. I was imdiately disgusted at myself for having such thoughts. Playing the “what if” card wasn’t at all constructive or helpful.
I needed to pull myself together before I got back to Thorn Forest. I needed to keep a brave face for the girls, who would surely miss their father.
It was difficult to imagine leading the pack on my own and continuing to raise our daughters without Rion. The thought made my chest twist up painfully.
I took several deep breaths when we were just a few miles away from Thorn Forest. I could see the mountain that housed mine and Rion’s waterfall and imdiately turned my face away from it, unable to gaze at it without feeling sick to my stomach with grief.
As I passed through the main gate of our little community, I didn’t expect the crowd of pack mbers gathering to greet with excited, smiling faces. I was extrely grateful that I had practiced my brave face during the car ride over here. I smiled at the group, waving and nodding politely to them.
“Welco ho, Luna Daphne,” several of them shouted happily.
I was pulled against dozens of different chests. People started to ask about Rion, and that caused the careful mask to slip slightly from my face.
I straightened, chanting to myself to be brave as I faced our pack. “Rion has awoken from his coma and is slowly but surely recovering.”
The crowd cheered and I panicked a bit at their enthusiasm, gesturing for them that I still had more to say.
“I’m afraid it isn’t as simple as that,” I said, hearing the regret in my own voice as I prepared to deliver the bad news. “Upon waking, we realized quickly that he was missing a significant amount of his mories. The doctor confird that he has amnesia. He doesn’t rember his children or the fact that he is Alpha of Thorn Forest.”
I expected the shocked gasps and murmurs, but they still caused my heart to lurch. The faces of the pack mbers went from excited to crestfallen as they processed that piece of news.
I wished desperately that that was all the news I had to give, but I reminded myself that it was my duty as Luna to keep the pack updated as best as I could.
“We have also been inford that Alpha Rion has no feeling in his legs and may be paralyzed from the waist down,” I said, shocked that my voice didn’t break.
I could feel the panic rising over the group as more gasps and anxious murmurs rose over the assembled pack mbers.
This wasn’t good, I quickly realized as questions and concerns started to be shouted at . I needed to ensure the safety and well-being of the pack, and that included making them feel as secure as possible, even during troubled tis.
“Fear not,” I bellowed in the strongest voice that I could muster. “Alpha Rion is currently receiving care from an extrely prestigious hospital in Breles. I was pleased and impressed by the thorough and extensive care that they provide their patients with. Our Alpha is in good hands. Let us be hopeful for him to make a full recovery and return to us soon.”
I felt the crowd relax slightly at my words. I caught several of them shooting one another with looks of encouragent and hope.
“Rest assured that our Beta is a very capable leader, and I trust him completely to help in caring for you all,” I went on. I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. “We’re going to get through this together. Please do co to either or Beta Jasper with any of your concerns. Thank you.”
I almost let out a sigh of relief of my own when the entire group visibly relaxed. So of them started to chat with each other about how much they liked Jasper and how much he had already done for them during our absence.
I watched the mbers slowly start to disperse, going back to their business now that they’d greeted . I was grateful to have reassured them, but I wondered how well it ca across considering that my heart was aching the entire ti I gave that speech. Could they see the haunted look in my eyes from where they had been? Could they sense at all that I was inches away from having a full breakdown?
I swallowed hard and started down the path toward our mansion, needing to feel the warmth of my children.
“Daphne.”
I looked up just as Ayla and Selene were toddling clumsily toward as fast as they could, their arms outstretched and their chubby faces smiling widely. I barely held back a sob as I opened my arms and dashed toward them, picking them both up and holding them close to .
They were squealing happily as they threw their arms around my neck and pressed their lips to my face over and over.
“Thank you,” I said to Jasper over the girls’ heads.
Our Beta was grinning as he approached and nodded. “They missed their mother,” he said in a low, affectionate voice.
It was clear that he had bonded with the girls while I was away. He was watching them with a fond expression on his face.
I felt tears stream down my cheeks as I cuddled my daughters close, returning their kisses and squeezing them tightly. This was what I needed.
Despite everything, I was ho.
***
I was ho, but the days dragged on as I buried myself in pack affairs, overseeing different improvent projects around the community and solving different problems that our mbers ca to with. I was grateful that the life of a pack leader was extrely busy. Leading the pack distracted from thoughts about Rion.
I was grateful for it, but I also hated the obvious rift between the two of us.
The girls couldn’t put their feelings into words yet, but it was clear that they were looking for their father. When I tucked them in at night, they would often stare at the door as if waiting for Rion to walk through it to join in kissing them goodnight. I felt as if my heart was splintering as I watched their faces fall in a way that was way too mature for their age.
When I saw that I was receiving a call from Eva, I hurried down the stairs so I could take the call in the sitting room, as far away from the nursery as possible.
“Rion is getting just a little bit stronger every day,” Eva said, but I could hear the prevalent worry in her voice. “He’s going to start extensive physical therapy for his legs pretty soon.”
“That’s great!” I said, amazed that such a thing was even going to be possible.
“Yeah,” Eva agreed, though not as enthusiastically. “Doctor Elowen ntioned that the paralysis may not be permanent if Rion can regain the nerve feeling through his spine. Starting therapy could give him the best chance at a full recovery.”
I thanked Eva for the update before ending the call, leaning back in the plush armchair tiredly. It sounded like Rion was doing better and I was so happy to hear that, but I couldn’t help but think about what life would look like whenever he was able to co ho.
My throat started to tighten as Rion’s hate-filled eyes filled my mind. I wanted to see him again, but I didn’t think my heart could handle being rejected all over again.
Would he ever love , or even like again?
I decided to work at the academy the following morning. Alma and Delia were running out of lesson plans for the children and asked to help them co up with new material. I was pleased to see that the children seed to be enjoying their lessons and seed to be thriving due to them. Many of them were starting to read really well. It was rewarding to see.
“Daphne.”
I looked up from the notes I was taking. Jasper poked his head into the school building and gestured for to follow him outside. I exited the room with him, my eyebrows furrowing with concern.
“What is it?” I asked once we were outside and Jasper had shut the door behind us.
“We’ve received reports back about the Lycaon Church,” he said gravely.
I felt my lips tighten as I waited for him to continue, my whole face darkening at the vile na of the group that had nearly succeeded in kidnapping our daughters.
“Our investigators have co to learn that they are a sector of the extremist faction that recruited Eva,” he said, his voice growing hard with fury as he said Eva’s na.
I felt fear strike through , a sharp contrast to Jasper’s quickly increasing rage. These were the people responsible for the torture that Eva had gone through, for the abuse and endless pain she was forced to endure.
And they had nearly had our babies in their clutches.
“Send our strongest warriors after them,” I ordered flatly.
Vengeance glinted in Jasper’s eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Alive,” I told Jasper firmly, knowing that look. “We need answers.”
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