Bad News

Leona’s Point of View

Cruel. That’s what the moon goddess is.

My mother always said she never made a mistake, but she did with me. She made the biggest mistake, then corrected it by taking me.

“Leona?” My mom’s voice comes, and I shift my body, my eyes slightly opening.

I am not dead.

“Mom?” I call

“Oh goddess. My Leona,” she whimpers. I feel my bed dip, then arms around me.

“Oh, Leona.” She holds on tight, whimpering in my ears as I open my eyes, and tears roll down my cheeks. “You’re fine. You are alive… Oh my baby… You…” Her words were swallowed by sobs as I closed my eyes, thinking of what happened earlier.

He rejected me.

“Mom,” I whisper when she pulls away from me, my voice cracking.

“Don’t ever scare me like that, okay?” She asks, her voice breaking.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice a bit raspy and hoarser than it usually is.

“Where’s Dad?” I ask, sitting down on the bed. I just want my father to tell me I will be fine.

“He went on a hunt.” She says, taking my hands in hers. “Oh, my baby.”

“I’m fine, Mom. Can I have some water?”

“Sure!” She rushes off the bed and then goes to pour water for me in a cup. “Would you like a bath?”

I shake my head as I take the cup of water, downing everything in one go. “Thank you. How was Ariana’s wedding?”

“It was okay. They just came back yesterday.”

“Came back?” I raise an eyebrow. They were not in the pack for their wedding.

“Oh, Goddess.” My mouth slaps a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my baby. You have been out for four days,” she says.

My lips part to say something, but I quickly close them. I want to ask her how she didn’t give up on me, but then I remember she is a doctor.

“Would you like anything? I can make you some nice risotto or that steak you like,” she offers, walking around the room as I blink back my tears. It has to take my dying to see her act like a mother to me.

“No. I am fine,” I lie.

I want my dad. I want him to hold me and tell me stories. “Fine. We can stay in bed then.” She says, getting on the bed, then wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

“Don’t you have work?”

“Not today. Today, we do whatever you want,” she whispers. I sigh heavily, holding tighter to her. I just want to stay in bed the entire day.

A knock later peels my mother from me, and she goes to answer. I lay back on the bed thinking what’s next. If I asked my mother to go and study out of this pack, would she allow it? Would she—I am so deep in thought when I hear my mom scream?

I sprang to my feet, running out of my room, and then headed to the living room where her voice was coming from.

“Mum? What’s wrong?” I shout when I meet Bastian in the living room, my heart races as I swallow hard.

He narrows his eyes, his gaze traveling down my body, then shifts his attention to my mother, but I don’t miss the way his eyes darkened.

“We need you, Doctor.”

“Mum, what’s wrong?”

“Your brother… he…” She stutters, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Mom! What’s wrong?” I snap as she looks up at me. “He was injured. I need to check on him,” she says, rushing to her room.

“I’m coming with you!” I shout, rushing after her. I am still in my pajamas, and I don’t have time to change.

“Put on something warm. It’s chilly outside.”

“Mom, there’s no time!”

“No, Leona! Get something warm. I can’t worry about Jaden and you,” she growls.

“Doc, you can ride with David. If you don’t mind, I will come with her,” Bastian offers. I want to protest, because something feels off about his offering to take me to the clinic, but it’s delaying getting my mother to Jaden.

Mom pauses, her eyes locked on me, with a question in her eyes.

“Will you be okay?” She asks me, and I nod my head. It’s not like he can hurt me. He has already done the worst.

“I will see you soon,” she whispers, then rushes out the front door. I rush back to my room, trying to pick something to wear.

I pull out some joggers and a sweatshirt with sneakers. I peel off my shirt when I hear my door open.

I turn around, coming face-to-face with Bastian. He has his arms crossed over his chest. Leaning against the threshold as I swallow hard, bringing my t-shirt to my chest to cover up. My heart is thundering; I can hear it in my ears.

“I’m not ready. If you don’t mind, I would like to change” I say, there’s something in his eyes. His usual eye color has changed to something I can’t recognize.

He lets out a low growl as he strides towards me. “You know. I have always been curious about what you looked like,” he says dangerously low.

I don’t like the way he looks at me. It makes my skin crawl.

“Get out, Bastian. You can’t be in my room.”

“I can be wherever I want to be. I am the alpha after all.”

I want to correct him — that he is just the alpha’s son — but I don’t make the mistake of provoking him. There’s something in his eyes that I don’t like.

I should probably change and get out of here.

“You know, I can give you what you want, right?” He strides towards me, closing the gap between us.

“Please get out,” I say, almost like a plea. I don’t want him in my room. I don’t want it anywhere near me.

“Let me have you.” He growls; his voice is huskier than it usually is.

“Are you in a rut? Bastian, you can’t be here,” I growl, trying to find a way to get out of this room.

“Rut? That’s for she wolves, baby.”

Wrong. He seems not to know that, but I don’t want to argue. I want him out of my room right now. The way he looks at me makes me want to puke.

“Please, Bastian. Just get out of my room,” I plead when he comes closer. I duck, but I am too slow. He grabs me by my waist, then pulls me back.

“No!”

“I want you, Leona!”

“No!” I scream. Thrashing and kicking, but his arms are too strong. He throws me onto the bed, pinning me down.

“No, please don’t! Please, Bastian. You don’t want to do this,” I cry, wiggling, but he doesn’t stop; his lips are all over my face.

“I promise you will love this,” he insists, his hands touching me everywhere as I whimper loudly.

“No!” I try to push him off me when he tries to touch me again, but he’s too strong for me.

Please, moon goddess, save me, and I will serve your temple forever. It’s a prayer I have always prayed, but I don’t know if she hears me.

He pulls down my silk pajamas. His hands are trying to find my pants. “No!” A shriek leaves my lips, and I feel something shift inside me. I feel my hands shifting, claws elongating when I lodge them into his ribs.

“You bitch!” He growls loudly; I crawl into his ribs as he staggers back. “What have you done?” He asks when I get off the bed. My claws are retracting.

I have a wolf.

“You bitch! I will make you fucking pay!” He growls, lunging at me. “You will pay for this!” he growls, slapping me hard, my head jerking to one side.

But the last thing I hear is Dad’s voice shouting my name, then everything goes black.