Rise of the Luna (completed)

17-Dreams

- Kayla’s POV -

As the last words left Finn’s mouth, a burning sensation from deep within my heart gushed out towards the rest of my torso and finally spreading to my head. My eyes burned and stung. I wanted to rub them with my hands or do anything to make the burning pain go away but I couldn’t move. The intense pain made me want to scream but my throat was so dry and raw from the burn that I couldn’t make any sounds. What was happening to me?

Afraid and confused, I prayed desperately to the Moon Goddess that it would stop, that everything, Nate, Finn, the Smith sisters, the kids at school, will just go away and leave me in peace, in my happy place. Blind and in pain, I forced myself to hold on to that last thought, my happy place. It was filled with sunshine and I could hear the birds chirping away, as Leyton and I chased each other around our yard under the big oak tree, Eichen. I could feel the glance of Mum on the back of my neck and turned around to see her smiling at us through the kitchen window, gesturing for us to go back inside for our Sunday brunch.

A different sensation of warmth filled my heart, driving away the burning sensation form my body. It was so familiar and comforting. Slowly, my eyes stopped hurting but I still couldn’t see or move or make a sound. I allowed the comforting warmth to engulf me and finally I gave in to it, letting it take over me. I was back in my happy place, only this time it felt so real.

I could smell the lavender candles that Mum always like to light up on the weekends, when we’d all be home to spend the time together as a family. I could even hear the chiming of my favorite wind chime as a breeze came in from the opened kitchen window. Could this be real? Did I die and was reborn into the spiritual world? If this is the afterlife, I don’t ever want to leave and Mum must be here!

Yes, Mum had to be here! Tears of hope and anxiety welled up on my eyes as I tired to call out for her. To my surprise, my voice worked!

“Mum! Mum! Are you here? Please, Mum, I missed you!” My voice came out loud and clear, before dimming into a whisper as I felt helpless and alone again, at the thought that maybe she wasn’t here. I went into the kitchen, then the living room and the cloak room but there was no one. Unwilling to give up the last shred of hope, I ran up the stairs to her bedroom but she wasn’t there too. Defeated, I walked towards my bedroom and pushed opened the door.

Rays of sunlight bounced off her blonde hair as she turned to smile at me. Her eyes held so much warmth and love as they locked with mine. For a moment, I stood rooted to the ground, unable to form any thoughts other than wanting this moment to last forever. Then I felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around me, pulling me into the most comforting embrace in the world. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I closed my eyes and snuggled deeper into this embrace, savoring every moment like my life depended on it. If this is the afterlife, please let me stay here.

- Leyton’s POV -

I stroked her hair gently and then proceeded to wash her face with a washcloth. Kayla’s eyes were still lifeless and dull, like someone had taken the lights out of them. It has been two days and nothing has changed. The only strange thing was that her eyes never ever closed. If not for her heartbeat, I would have thought that she had left to find Mum in the next world. Fear gripped my heart at that thought and I had to hug Kayla to assure myself that she was still here. She was breathing and her heart was beating and her body was still warm.

The doorbell rang and I sighed as I went to get it. It must be Finn again. After the Initiation ceremony was cancelled, rumors were flying around that the Alpha did not trust his son to take over and that Finn was not fit to become Alpha. The Alpha did his best to quell those rumors and stated that once the Luna recovered from her illness, we will go ahead with the ceremony. Finn seemed unfazed by all of that. Instead, he has been coming to our house at least twice a day in the past two days to check on us.

I was grateful that he cared for us even after I have let him down. But I didn’t know how to face him, knowing that I couldn’t stand by his side until Kayla was better, and who knows when that might be. Yet there was a thought tugging at me at the back of my mind that things were not the way as they seemed. My wolf agreed with me but we couldn’t figure out what was off.

I let Finn in and we went to the kitchen for coffee. He looked even worse than I did and who could blame him? He lost his Beta and his Alpha position was now threatened. Everything that we had trained and worked for in the past ten years was just snatched away from him like this and no one had even remembered that it was also his 21st birthday two days ago.

“How are you holding up, Leyton? Is there anything that I can do for you and Kayla? Anything at all?” Finn broke the silence.

I put down my coffee and shook my head. “You’ve done enough, Finn,” I said, noticing from the corner of my eye that he had winced at those words, strange but I ignored it and continued, “There’s just one thing that I was hoping you could tell me. You found Kayla and sent her to the hospital. You said you found her in the garage. Did you see what happened? Do you know who did this to her?”

His eyes glowed and I felt his aura going crazy, bouncing off the walls. He must have noticed that he was going out of control and calmed himself down. Clearing his throat, he said without a hint of emotion in his voice, “It was Nate, he attacked her and tried to force himself on her.” A light smile crept up his face as he continued, “He will never hurt her again. I made sure of it after the Initiation ceremony was cancelled.”