The Rising Moon Pack

Chapter 20

Maria POV

Bella projected the memory into my mind, and watching it as it took place felt like losing her all over again. I had so many questions, I was so lost. Who was that man? Why was he calling Bella an Alpha? She was a Beta, her dad was a Beta. How was he even on our territory?

“I don’t know.” She said, reading my mind. “ I don’t know who he was, I don’t know how he got here. All I know, is that Luna Kate was the one who sent me on patrol that night.”

“What?” I asked shocked. “My mom knows we can’t protect ourselves until our first shift! What was she thinking!”

I sank down under the oak tree, sobbing. My mom had risked Bella’s life. Not only had she lied to me about how Bella died, but she lied about being responsible for her death. There was no way back now, no way I could ever forgive or move on. I hoped my father didn’t know, but if he did, I’d leave for good.

Just then, a familiar voice broke my concentration. Before I even had chance to react, I felt Bella leap to the forefront. This was a voice we knew, one Bella used to love but had grown to hate.

“Maria? What are you doing here?” My mom asked asked me, concerned.

My whole body stiffened, Bella thrashing to the surface. I didn’t fight her, I sat back and watched. She deserved that much, at least. This wasn’t the face of the mother I loved, this was the face of the woman who had betrayed my best friend in the worst way imaginable.

“What am I doing here?” Bella snarled at her. “What are you doing here, Kate? You didn’t die here. This is not your place.” She spat.

“You’re right.” My mom stammered. “This isn’t my place.”

“Then what are you doing here, traitor?” Bella stood, suddenly feeling taller and stronger than ever before. Towering over my mom, she shrank back a little, scared of what Bella may do. Bella began to circle my mom, snarling quietly to herself, and I watched in silence.

“I visit here a lot.” She told her. “I come here to think about you. To honour your memory.”

Her words angered both of us so much, I felt every hair on my body bristle. I was so angry it felt like tiny electric shocks shooting and sparking over my skin.

“To honour my memory?” Bella roared. “You call lying about my death, forgetting my existence, honouring my f*****g MEMORY?!” She screamed, hands balled into fists. “You wouldn’t know honour if it slapped you in the face, Kate. You don’t deserve to be anyone’s Luna.”

She was right. A Luna doesn’t put innocent pack members at risk. A Luna doesn’t knowingly send someone into the woods knowing they can’t defend themselves. She had failed as our Luna, as our mom. I didn’t know which hurt worse, and the pain ebbed through me.

I watched as my mom fell to the floor and started to sob pitifully. Bella laughed bitterly, and before I quite knew what was happening, a figure crashed into the clearing. A Jet black wolf, stunning electric blue eyes. He lifted his head and howled, loudly. I placed my hands over my ears to defend them from the sudden noise.

A wolf I recognised as my dad’s leapt through the tree line and stood over my mom protectively. I rolled my eyes. Did he honestly think I’d go as far as to harm her without exposing her first? He growled at me,and I gasped in shock. My own father, growling at me? What the f**k?

The growl was all it took for the jet black wolf to move in front of me. Based on his scent, and his colouring, I’d guess that this was Noah and his wolf. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he turned his head to acknowledge me. Just then, another wolf joined us. Beautifully ash grey, his deep amber eyes met mine and he immediately leapt over my fathers head to reach me. He flanked me alongside Noah, making it known I was going to be protected at all costs.

My father was the first to back down, bowing to Jake in surrender. He must have known that it was not worth a fight, Sapphire Moon’s pack was bigger and stronger than ours, and his only daughter was mated to the Alpha. It would not be a wise move to make an enemy of Jake, and he knew it. I watched as my father effortlessly shifted from wolf to human, and he reached up into one of the marked trees for emergency sweats. He pulled down two extra pairs and offered them to Noah, who looked to Jake and myself before shaking his head. He wasn’t ready to shift, he didn’t trust my dad. Jake wasn’t backing down either, and my dad looked hurt.

“Boys, she’s my only daughter. I’m no threat to her.” He said, calmly.

I placed my hand on Flynn’s muzzle, and he bowed down to my height, looking me in the eye.

“Shift.” I told him, quietly. “ We’re safe. She’s not going to harm me, she’s too terrified of Bella.” I told him.

Flynn nodded, and I watched his eyes glaze as he linked Noah. They both shifted, and took the sweats my dad was holding out to them.

“My apologies, Alpha.” Jake told him. “ It’s difficult, when we can’t mindlink, to know what your intentions were.”

“I know, but I’d never harm a hair on my baby’s head.” My dad said, looking at me lovingly.

“Well, that makes one of you.” I bitterly retorted.

Jake, Noah, and my dad all turned to look at me quizzically. I felt Bella rise again, but I pushed her down. If this was going to be investigated, it needed to be done properly, and calmly. I felt her huff and turn away from me. I understood, but I had to handle this appropriately.

“Mom, this is your final chance to come clean. If you don’t, I will ruin your life, and cut ties with you for eternity.” I told her.

She swallowed, and stood shakily to her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Times up.” I told her, and turned to face my father.

“Your wife is the reason Bella died. Your wife covered it up, and lied about how she died.”

He stumbled back in shock, the pain evident on his face.

“Kate?” He questioned, eyes filling with tears.

At that very opportune moment, her eyes rolled back, and her body hit the woodland floor.