The Call

RHEA'S POV

I sit alone at the long dining table. The staff have set out food for me; toast, scrambled eggs, and a little fruit are arranged with funereal neatness on a white porcelain plate.

I poke absently at the scrambled eggs with the edge of my fork, but the sight and smell of them churn something in my stomach. I'm not sure if I'm hungry or sick or just tired of pretending I'm okay.

I take a slow sip of tea and push the cup and plate further away. My stomach growls in protest, but everything I try to eat tastes like ash.

All that is in my memory is Miles with Roxy on her birthday yesterday. The pretty twin and the man who could never love anyone but her. He had left our home and traveled all the way to celebrate with her, while I was here, yearning for even a glance from him.

It did not only hurt me, it broke me. I've loved that man since I first understood what that word meant. But he has never truly been mine.

I stare at the fork in my hand and imagine driving it into my own thigh just to remind myself I am still here. Instead, I press it flat against the table and close my eyes, breathing shallowly.

Roxy was given a two-year ban from Snowfall Pack after she pushed me so hard I fell and lost my first child with Miles. The same child that forced Miles to mark and claim me as his mate and Luna. But both Mom and Miles claimed Roxy wasn't in her right frame of mind, that she went berserk when she heard Miles was taking me as Luna because I carried his child.

She had abused drugs, lost control, and Miles had spent every second by her side, neglecting me. He even blamed me for making Roxy like that. After she pushed me down the stairs, Pa Dennis banned her from entering Snowfall for two years and sent her to rehab in another pack. That ban ruined whatever remained of my relationship with Mom.

Everyone blamed me for taking advantage of Miles' drunken state and shamed me even more for 'stealing' my sister's man. Because on the night of the Awakening Ceremony, Miles had publicly declared his intention to make Roxy his Luna.

But Pa Dennis, the reigning Alpha then and a firm believer in tradition, insisted that Miles take me as Luna instead. And that's how we ended up married.

A sudden wave of nausea rises inside me, unexpected and fast. I drop the napkin and press a hand to my mouth, rising quickly from the chair. My feet move on instinct, carrying me up the stairs, one hand gripping the railing tightly.

By the time I reach the bedroom, I'm barely holding it in. I rush straight to the bathroom, drop to my knees, and throw up everything I've managed to eat, or tried to eat this morning. My hair sticks to my face as I cough and spit into the sink.

I rinse my mouth with trembling hands, and sit on the edge of the tub for a moment, breathing hard. For a while, I do nothing. My body is spent, but my brain keeps whirring like a motor that refuses to shut off. I stare at the ceiling and wait for the shaking to stop.

I have been like this for a few days now, eating very little and throwing out whatever enters my stomach.

The sound of my phone ringing is so unexpected that I jolt upright, smacking my head against the sink beside me.

It rings and rings. On the fourth pass, it goes silent, only to start up again immediately after.

I rise with my legs still weak and shaky, and stagger back to the room. The screen is lit up with mother flashing on the screen.

MOTHER?!

I can't remember the last time she called me. I didn't even know she had my number. I let it ring one more time, just to prove I can, then, slide my thumb across the screen and press the phone to my ear,

bracing myself.

"Hello?" a voice that doesn't belong to Mom says. "Am I speaking with Rhea Mondragon?"

"Yes, you are."

"Alright. I'm calling from Moonfall General Hospital. I'm calling in regard to your mother. She was involved in a rogue attack."

My heart drops and I gasp as my hand fly to my mouth.

"I will be right there," I say quickly and end the call.

'Rose? Rose,' I call the head servant through the mind-link.

'Yes Luna,' she answers.

'Tell Holmes to get the car ready, we are going to Moonfall Pack immediately.'

'Yes, Luna.'

***

Holmes opens the back seat door, and I step out. I don't hurry into the hospital because I don't feel enough panic. I've been thinking the entire drive here.

What is Mom doing in Moonfall Pack? And why did the hospital call me instead of Roxy? I'm certain they speak more often. Why reach out to me?

I walk into the reception and greet the nurse at the front desk. Hospitals always bring me a strange sense of peace. I admire the doctors and nurses. I admire their purpose and calm.

"Hi. I'm looking for a Lolita Chapman. I believe she was brought in here after a rogue attack."

"Relationship?" the nurse asks.

"She is my mother," I say almost in a whisper. The word mother tastes like dust in my mouth.

She nods, types into her computer, then looks up at me. "Mrs. Lolita was brought in with another man. They were both unconscious, but unlike her, we found no ID or cell phone on him. They are both in the ER. Just go straight ahead and turn left. You will see the emergency doors."

A frown creases my forehead, but I thank her and start to walk away. Then I pause.

"Has anyone else come for them yet?"

She shakes her head. "Not yet. I called you first since you seem to be closer. I also called your sister, but she hasn't arrived."

I exhale in relief. At least this gives me time to gather myself before Roxy shows up. I don't know what will happen when we see each other after eighteen months of cutting off communication. Maybe we will glare each other down or maybe we will put our differences aside long enough to make sure Mom is okay.

I ask around and find out the man brought in with Mom was Uncle Marcus, her elder brother. That only deepens the questions in my mind. Why were they both in Moonfall Pack?

I don't know how long I sit there in the waiting area, my fingers tapping on my knees and my foot bouncing against the floor. I'm not sad. Or at least, not as sad as I should be. These two people have never truly treated me like family. Roxy has always been their favorite. So no, I don't feel grief.

I only feel obligated to be here. It's the right thing to do. Because she is my mother and because the man inside is her brother. They had clothed, sheltered and fed me before I turned eighteen. I stand up and begin pacing the room.

Different thoughts are running through my head, but the one that won't let go is the image of Miles and Roxy together. I wonder if he is still with her. If they are still celebrating. If they are coming here together.

I try to shove the thoughts away when the waiting area door opens and Miles walks in, looking like a damn demi-god in a sharp black suit. My breath catches in my throat and my eyes immediately dart behind him, searching for Roxy, but he is alone.