The Rising Moon Pack

Chapter 17

Maria POV

Jake led me from the hospital, holding my hand tightly in his. With each step we took, I felt lighter and lighter. Not being around my mom had calmed me right down, and it was surprising to me. My mom and I were so close, I couldn’t understand how she was keeping such a big secret from me. I was deep in thought as we wandered around the pack house gardens, and Jake didn’t once demand any attention from me. He knew I needed time and space to think, and his mere presence was comforting enough.

I decided to use this quiet to ask Bella what had happened. She was normally placid, and loved my mom. Where had this hatred come from?

“Hi, Bella.” I linked her.

She didn’t answer me, sulking.

“Bells, you can’t ignore me forever.” I tried again.

“I can.” She answered, moodily.

“No, because you’re part of me. And I didn’t do anything wrong.” I reasoned.

She sighed, and I felt her shift in my mind. She stretched out, paws to the floor, ass in the air. Like a cat who had been asleep too long.

“I feel cramped.” She complained.

“I’m sorry. What can I do to help?” I asked her, kindly.

“Nothing, yet. I’ll have to wait till the full moon.” She answered.

“Ah, you need to run.” I nodded knowingly.

“ Yeah, but I’ll wait. We can’t shift before then or our full powers won’t come in.” She said.

“Yeah, that reminds me. Why are you so mad at my mom?” I asked her.

“I’m mad because she didn’t tell you about who you really are.” She said.

“ What do you mean?” I asked her, confused.

Bella laughed bitterly. “Do you honestly think that you being an Emerald wolf was an accident? Like it skipped a generation? No, dummy. Your mom is an Emerald wolf too. In fact, she’s an Emerald wolf Priestess. A literal f*****g Goddess.”

“You’re joking?” I stuttered.

“Nope.” Bella stated. “Ask her. While you’re at it, ask your dad too.”

“What? No. My dad wouldn’t lie to me! Not over something this big!” I shouted at her.

Bella shrugged. “Well, they lied about how I died, so it makes sense that they’d lie about something like this too.”

“What the f**k, Bella?! What are you talking about?” I started to panic, anxiety coursing through my veins along with adrenaline and fear. Wolfsbane had nothing on how sick I felt right this moment.

“ I didn’t get killed because someone hit me with a car, Maria.” She answered. “They ripped out my heart, and left me to die in the middle of the road.”

That was it, all my body could take. I stood to my feet, and a roar of pain ripped through me. I threw my head back and screamed. Jake rushed over to me, fear and concern in his eyes.

“Maria?” He asked me, but I couldn’t answer him. I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, Jake was shouting my name.

“Maria, stop!”

I opened my eyes and saw that he was levitating, a bright green orb surrounding him. Was that me? Did I do that? In my shock, the orb around him shattered and he dropped to the ground with a thud.

“ s**t. I’m sorry! I didn’t know I could do that! I didn’t mean to do that! I’m sorry.” I babbled.

Jake looked at me warily, and that was the final straw. My heart couldn’t take it, I’d hurt someone I loved deeply. I burst into tears and took off, running as fast as I could. I needed to get away before I hurt anyone else.

Jake POV

I knew that Maria needed time to process and investigate Bella’s outburst, so I led her to the quietest area in the gardens I could find. The omegas were still clearing the main grounds from the party, so we walked and walked until there were no omegas in sight.

Maria followed me blindly, deep in thought. I watched as her eyes flickered between silver and green, knowing that Maria was facing an internal battle with Bella, one that may break her heart. I was prepared to face anything that life threw at us, I owed it to Maria. She was everything that had become important to me, and I knew she needed support.

We sat down on a bench in a peaceful spot. The views of wild horses running along the pack border was mesmerising, and I watched them quietly as Maria conversed with Bella internally. Before I knew what was happening, Maria had become seriously distressed. Her breathing had fastened, I could smell sweat on her skin, and her skin had an eerie green tinge.

She stood suddenly, and screamed in pure pain. The ground shook around us, and I knew that she was hurting.

“Maria?” I asked gently. Her green orbs met mine, then snapped shut. Before I could even register what was happening, a green ball surrounded me and lifted me into the air. This had to be Maria, but I seriously doubted she even knew this was happening. She lifted me about 8ft into the air, as if it were nothing.

“Maria, stop!” I called down to her.

Her eyes opened, and as soon as she registered me in the air she stopped. The bubble disappeared, and I dropped to the ground. She rushed over to me and dropped to her knees.

“ s**t. I’m sorry! I didn’t know I could do that! I didn’t mean to do that! I’m sorry.” She was clearly shaken, and I wanted to reach out to her but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what would happen if I touched her, if it was safe to touch her. She saw my delay in reaction and before I could say anything, she burst into tears and took off into the woods.

I dusted myself off, and linked Noah.

“Man, get down to the gardens. Bring Ben.”

“Everything alright?” He asked.

“ This is an emergency. Get Ben down here right now.”

“s**t. On it, Boss.”

I shut the link off, and walked back towards the house. I saw a few omegas eyeing me up curiously as I walked by.

“Excuse me ma’am, “ I stopped one. “Have you seen Maria?”

“Yes sir,” she responded. “She ran through here, crying. She went toward the woods.”

“ Thank you.” I answered her, just as Ben and Noah appeared at the back door.

“Alright, asshole. What did you do to my Luna?” Ben yelled at me. He was clearly still pissed at me for asking Luna Kate to leave.

“Where’s Maria?” Noah asked me, interrupting.

“Maria is missing.” I told them both. “There was an altercation in the hospital, between Bella and Luna Kate. Bella accused Kate of lying to Maria. Luna Kate denied it, Bella grew angry. Kate being in the room was causing Maria to act irrationally towards the doctor, so I asked her to leave so I could get Maria calm. She agreed, and we came out for a walk to calm Maria down. She was having a conversation with Bella, I don’t know what about. But I’m assuming, whatever it was, it must have been awful. Maria screamed, and the next thing I know I’m consumed in a giant green bubble floating 8ft in the air. Maria had no idea she was doing it, but the second she realised, she took off crying. An omega said she saw Maria head towards the woods.”

Ben had stopped looking so angry, and instead looked sad.

“I told her no good would come from hiding who she was.” He mumbled to himself.

“Ben? Can you link Maria? I’m unable to right now as we aren’t marked.” I interrupted him.

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, of course. I’ll have to let Kate know what’s happened.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You sure that’s a good idea, Alpha? Seems to me that Luna Kate has a pretty big hand in whatever has upset Maria.”

“If anyone has a chance at explaining things to Maria,Kate has.” He said, firmly. “ I know she’s not perfect, but she’s her mom. And she’s been where Maria is before.”

“What does that mean?” I asked Ben, confused.

“I’ll let Kate explain it.” He said, his eyes clouding over.